Nightshade Ch. 02

"You know that Bella Reece is a protector of De Los Muertos. One of those chosen to protect the heirs of the court themselves, as has been their family's right by blood for over nine centuries." Walking to his right, his black turtleneck and leather pants contrasting against the soft sea blue tile of the bathroom. He reached out and retrieved the small bullet that he had pulled from Bella's shoulder.

"The assassin was good. Leaving no trace as to their whereabouts, no calling card, no threat as to who his intended victim was. Bella was on the recieving end of the bullet, true . . . but had he actually wanted her dead, he would not have aimed for a spot as unvital as her shoulder." He dropped the small slug into Vane's outstretched hand for the man to study, his voice dropping an octive, the only sign of the chaotic anger bubling beneath the surface.

"He/she was testing her." His lip curled to expose the incisors that had lowered at the thought of tearing the assassin apart barehanded. "It was a test to see if she was truely her sister's twin. Sage is half Laroux, whereas Bella is human. The shooter wanted to see if the bullet would have any effect on her." Dante's eyes went from midnight, to ice blue, to crimson red as his anger spiked.

"This was no wayward bullet. It was ment for Bella and for Bella alone." Dante closed his eyes briefly and rolled his shoulders as if slucing water from his back. "Come. Down the hall is Bella's room. She is in need of aid." Without waiting to see if the pair would folow, Dante turned and started down the hallway.

Dante's comments earned a look from Rosemund that most would label as bemused. Her eyebrow lifted ever so slightly and lips twitched to pull into a faint smile. This one had a bit of bite. Most vampires, or any of the others, were more than happy to cower at her feet and pant just to touch the hem of her robes. No doubt they sought to plunge an iron dagger into her fair gleaming golden flesh, but that was another story for another day long in the coming.

"I was not born yesterday..." Rosemund stated. Her cold gaze flickered over the room even as she looked to Vane. The bullet was held with ease, marking it as not something fatal to sidhe blood. Vane's gaze was intent upon the projectile unit. His studious gaze focused purely on the threat. Dante's assessment was true; there were many ways to kill a laroux and a human. Both required tactics a bit more ruthless than a strike to the shoulder. The bodyguard shifted slightly, looking for a moment concerned for his charge. Cerridwen would have him drawn, quartered, his entrails strung over the great hall of faerie, before at last granting him death if anything happened to her niece.

It made Vane nervous that such a skilled assassin would be near. "If his target was for Bella..." He sighed softly, shaking his thick mass of hair. It sent the ebony tresses tumbling about his chiseled features. Longer than most wore it, his hair came only to his waist, not allowed the floor length tresses of the pure-born sidhe. His silver eyes rest on Rose as she examined the bullet, debating on the best course of healing for the woman to herself. "It would be best if the Princess avoided contact with either woman. There would be a great falling out should anything happen to one of the heirs of faerie..." Technology, it was the worst enemy of the fae.

Rose turned at Dante's tired words. Her gaze flickered with compassion for a moment before settling to a hard cold air. "Lead the way..." As her voice slipped past her lips Dante was already turning. One silent feet she moved. The soft jingle of her adornments became mere whispers upon the wind. A haunting effect for the ethereal beauty holding an angel's glow to her lithe body, her pristine features cold and distanced. She had decided the course of treatment while the men spoke of protection and their duties.

As they stepped into the room with Bella the sidhe woman appeared different. Somehow she seemed gentler, calmer, and holding an air of soothing. Her eyes were no longer cold metallic pools, but instead shifting golds, autumn greens, and bronzes from the changing trees. Her skin smelled of sunshine and fall rain. Each step lent itself a tinkling sound, gentle as the spring storms and drawing to mind the rebirth of life. Glamour and not glamour, Rosemund appeared as nature would have intended her to be without the harsher lessons of life riding hard upon her back.

Quietly she sank to kneel at Bella's bed side. Her gaze gentle and flickering upwards at the woman, awaiting a reaction or sign that she would accept the healing offered by a member of the High Court and one who did not answer to their council or De Los Muertos...

Hearing the tinkling, Bella woke, groggily opening her eyes and wincing as she moved to sit up on the bed. Instantly Sage was at her side. pressing her sister back into the bed. While the others had traveled the hallways, Sage had dressed bella in a form fitting silk pajama pants and matching shirt - spagetti strapped so as to not interfere too badly with her injury or her bandages. The crimson silk cascaded over her curvs like water, clinging to her form in a seductive way that was highly unlike the woman in the bed. Even now, her training kicking in as she bit back the pain and made not a sound as her bandages were checked. Like always, her mind turned from herself to more important matters.

"What happened to the Highborn?" She demanded, her tongue thick in her mouth and her voice husky from her deep sleep. She swallowed and murmured her thanks as Sage retrieved a glass of water from the nightstand and pressed the straw to her lips. "What of the Highborn? Dama Oscura?" She asked again, her voice back to normal, but with an underlying weariness to the tone.

Judging from the look the woman shot her companion, Bella considered it a confirmation of what she had already guessed. Her head dropped back deep into the pillows, her wealth of dark red hair falling about her in a mussed up mass that lent her an air of softness the others had never witnessed from the

Rosemund was not without sympathy despite the growing opinions about her. Her voice was soft, losing the carefully pronounced words for the more pleasing accent of her homelands. Her hands were gentle as they removed the bandage. Even surgical tape was sticky, but it seemed to slip off with the lightest touch of her fingertips. Sidhe magic was useful and when used correctly left no residue.

"Shh, you need to rest..." Rosemund spoke softly as he examined the wound. Her fingers soft, barely applying pressure to the edges as she examined the flesh for infection. Spells would have to be altered if infection set in and tried to spread. It would take more time and energy. At last pleased that the woman's healing would at least be neat and clean the sidhe turned to look upon Dante and Sage. Variables and she was not sure how they would react to her way of healing.

"Vane... If you would please see Mr. Savage and Ms. Reece to the other chambers while I heal her..." Rosemund spoke softly but firmly. Her gaze turned to focus upon Dante. Would his age prove that he knew enough of faerie to know that she would slit her own throat before breaking oath? "I vow no harm shall come to her by my doing... But spells are delicate things, like spider webs..." Her words were chosen carefully. To vow no harm would be overstating, for then she would be bound to protect Bella. Conditions were set to be met.

Her attention then turned upon the woman lying so still and helpless in the bed. Slowly rose shifted, drawing the soft material of her gown with her as it rippled about her frame. The sidhe were made for the current fashions, for her frame was slender carrying not an ounce of fat, perfectly lithe and tall. She appeared almost fragile, yet the coolness of her features hinted at hardiness not found in most beings.

"Will you accept my healing? " Rose asked Bella softly. Her hand lifted to smooth through the tangled mess of soft red hair. Few had hair of that color, even in the High Court, where one was just as likely to have aqua colored hair as brown. The flame color fascinated her. At last Rosemund met Bella's gaze softly. "I can get council to send another healer if you wish it... But my ways heal cleaner.."

"I am not normally one to trust strangers," Bella replied, "but i will accept your help if it will get me out of bed faster." Shooting a telling glance at Sage and Dante, she pointed a finger at them as if scolding a child. "If you two dont take care of things till I'm better I'm going to hunt you down like a pack of hell hounds. I want to know every detail about the shooting and what hapened to the Highborn."

Absently Bella rubbed her shoulder in small circles, her tensing muscles protesting against the pain from the wound. sulkily, she sat back, prepared to let the strange woman heal her on the terms it would aid in a speedy recovery to get her out of being bed bound. Even if her wound was only half healed because of it, she would find SOME way to get back to work.

* *

Sage stormed out of the guest bedroom and stomped down the hundred or so feet of the hallway to the main bathroom, slamming the door behind her out of sheer frustration and fear. She had never seen her sibling - older than her by three minutes - in such a weakened state. In many ways it drove home her own mortality and the fact that being half Laroux and half human ment an uncertain future of her own. Would she age and die as humans did? Or would she live forever and watch, tormented, as her sister and friends aged along with her. Sage bit her clenched fist, praying that it would hold back the scream building in her throat.

"You should remember to shut both doors next time you wish privacy." Dante remarked as he entered the bathroom through his bedroom's entrance, the smile on his face freezing as he cought the blatant fear and grief on Sage's face. Instantly he was at her side, jerking her to face him and, as expected, seeing the feelings vanished as if a mask had dropped into place. His anger rising, he shook her, the flash of temper in her emerald eyes a satisfying reaction when weighed against her earlier brooding look.

"Never do that." He snapped. "Never hide yourself from me as if i was some damned courtisean who looks down on human emotions and actions."

"I'm not human, damnit." Sage shot back, twisting her arms in a natural femanine movement that instantly gained her release. "Bella is human and i'm Laroux and i dont know what the fuck I'll do without her if she dies."

Dante sighed, his pale hand lifting to push back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face. His hand slid through her hair to cup the nape of her neck, bringing her forehead against his, her skin warm where his was not. "It will be all right cherie. I can not predict the future," he smirked, "that was not the gift i was born with. But i do know that in the end, no matter what happens, I will be there with you ma douce amie . Till the stars burns out and the universe goes black, I will be with you." Softly he pressed his lips to hers in a comforting kiss, even as he ignored the raging demands his body produced the moment she was anywhere in the vacinity.

Sage had other ideas. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss even as she pressed her body to his. It didnt matter that she had to rise up on tip-toe a little to accomplish it. She was not short for a woman, and he was taller than most men she knew. Still, her heart fluttered when she parted his lips with her tongue and got the true result she desired. She gasped as Dante moaned against her lips, his arms wrapping around her and lifting till her legs could wrap around his waist, even as he backed her against the door.

"Weren't we here earlier?" Sage managed to gasp out when his mouth had trailed to her neck in teasing little bites. She shuddered when he licked her skin and absently muttered something that sounded like "Stronger every time..." before capturing her lips again in a deep kiss that had her head spinning.

Dante held her tightly against him, her tongue in his mouth, her legs around his waist, the buldge in his pants against the heat of her that he could feel even through her leather pants and his slacks. Summoning his powers, he mentally wished away their clothes and tumbled them both into his bed. He nearly lost it when she abruptly rolled them and nuzzled his neck beneath his chin, licking and nibbling her way down his chest and lower. Quickly sensing her intent he grabbed her and pulled, pinning her beneath him. He was that close. Pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, his free hand trailed over her chest and stomach, lighting little fires within her that caused her to undulate against him. When his hand finally found the wet heat it had been searching for, she screamed his name and hit a climax so intense it was unexpected. It startled him. It shattered him. It made him feel like a god.

"Again. Do it again." he managed through gritted teeth as positioned himself and slid deep inside her. There was no time for finesse, no time for foreplay - hell their entire life together had been foreplay - no time for anything more than to ensure her pleasure before taking his own. No sooner did that thought stop, than he felt the orgasm push up from his toes and whiplash through him like a lightening blot as she thrashed and met him thrust for thrust, caught up in her own release. His last rational thought was being grateful the room was so far down the hall, before he moaned deep, groaned out her name as his back arched and he spilled himself in side her in a wet burst that sent her over the edge again. When he came back to his senses, he looked down, realizing Sage had fallen far too quiet.

"Sage?" He smiled, thinking her merely relaxed.

No responce.

"Sage?" Worried now, he released her hands and, with great regret, pulled his lower body from hers. "Wake up ma douce amie . Sage wake up!"

He let out a relieved breath when her chest moved and her eyes fluttered open. For all eternity he would remember that moment. Her eyes, normally green, now an iridescent lunar blue with passion, made his throat tighten and his chest constrict. He watched her eyes shut and a dreamy smile cross her face as she stretched like a well fed feline - or in her case wolf - and hummed in satisfaction. Then those long thick black lashes of hers lifted and she laid eyes on once more, speaking words that etched themselves in his heart, his very soul.

"My Dante . . . my love. . . ."

* *

The woman's bristling manner brought to mind that of a hedgehog. All spines and prickliness until you reached their soft belly. A soft almost dreamy laugh escaped her lips. It was the type of laugh expected of fairy tale princesses, or great heroines, not some pretty woman sitting on the edge of one's sick bed. Her golden eyes focused upon Bella with a sort of gentle humor.

"A wise manner no doubt... If it assures you any, I am Rosemund nic Ionthe..." Her voice was rich, lilting, drawing one to a land far away and long ago. Rich in knowledge and holding an inner wealth of confidence her voice also spoke volumes about the mirth she concealed. "I am a court trained healer... They sent you one of the best this time... Now Anwyld..." She whispered the soft endearment before her hand brushed lightly over the wound. Her eyes remained open staring as she called upon the magic housed in the body of every sidhe.

"Lay still... It may hurt, but I can see you are a fierce warrior...I am here, on this journey with you and I have vowed your safety in my hands..." Rosemund spoke slowly as she wrapped the healing web about them. Each of the elements was pulled into her, distraction caused her glamour to indeed fall away. What Dante and Sage had seen of beauty was left dulled and tarnished by the shining creature holding to Bella. Her skin glowed, rich and burnished gold flickered to a strange eerie bronze before rippling with the light of budding trees. Softly her voice whispered in the back of Bella's mind, warming and heating her blood.

It would hurt, but it was mild for all the enchantments Rosemund wrapped around them both. Her hand was almost pure light as she touched the wound before melding their flesh together. A gentle press of her palm to cover Bella's wound. Slowly her hand seemed to sink through the woman's body pausing at the base of the entry. From there her spell started to work. Had Rosemund not been sympathetic, this healing could have been cruel and painful beyond all measures. She was merciful when it suited her.

The healing took moments, for the sidhe royal it seemed an eternity. Holding the two spells at once was distracting and nearly painful. Still, her features were serene and unmarked by strain as she released Bella from her hold. Only a small freckling scar remained from the jagged hole in her body.

"It will be tender for a day or so..." Rosemund spoke absently before rising. Quickly Vane, who had returned after it was clear Sage and Dante needed privacy, came to her side wrapping and arm around her waist to keep her from falling. His eyes held a great deal of reproof for pushing herself to the extent she did. Just speeding up the recovery would have satisfied the council, not that Rosemund was answerable to them anyways. It was rather the opposite at times. Wisely the man held his tongue. Instead he supported the wearily swaying Princess with a stout sort of integrity....

Moving her arm, Bella winced against the stiffness of the freshly healed wound, knowing it would be so for a day or two. Such was the price of healing. Absently she fingered the scar, adding it to the many others she had obtained over the years. From what she had surmised, from looking at the calendar on the wall, she had been in and out of consciousness, wracked with fever for four days. She knew she would not be on top form, and would still be expected to rest for a few days yet, but at least now she could leave Dante's and return to her own house in the bayou.

"My many thanks, m'lady. It is indeed an honor to be healed by one of the sidhe." She paused, meeting the woman's gaze levelly and praying she offended no one with her next statement. "I know that due to my humanity, I am not held in high favour with those in constant contact with the high courts and the council. I know that because of my parantage i am an outcast, so . . . " Confusion and genuine interest crossed her features even as she swung her legs to the other side of the bed to try and stand and test her strength.

"Why send a great healer for a mere human? This i do not understand at all. Perhaps while you are explaining that you can tell me the real reason why you are here."

Rosemund watched her measure the mobility of her arm and the tenderness. It would fade swiftly and in truth often times the scars did as well. She could not vouch for it, healing half breeds and humans were a foreign thing for her. Vane's hands were gentle, amazingly so for how she vexed him, as he helped her settle in a chair. Her hands plucked at her gown forcing the drape and fold of the rich cloth to trace perfectly down her long legs. Her dark skinned bodyguard shifted then, to take presence near her in attempt to keep her safe.

Bella's question amused them both. Vane's eyes sparkled and danced with flecks of silver as the woman's words washed over them. She was trying for politeness, or at least as much as she could manage. That she had been through a traumatic event made Rosemund and Vane a bit more understanding. Uncertain of what the high strung royal's response would be the guard turned to her with a soft word. "Highness..." It was enough to warn her that this situation demanded care.

"Always impatient... I think that is a mark of the race..." Absently she ran her fingers through Vane's long hair. The touch of her faintly glowing flesh along his silken tresses caused the guard to groan and move closer. It was not a sexual or demeaning touch, simply an offering of comfort. Humans placed too much and yet not enough in the touch. A faint smile trailed along Rosemund's lips as she continued to speak.