Feast or Famine? Ch. 09

Luka called out to him. A lone rider with shadows streaking at its sides was fast approaching. Stephanos knew instinctively that it was Marianna. He and Luka descended with rapidity to await the approach. Marianna startled by their appearance, reined in the horse abruptly. Quaking at the sudden standstill, he almost threw her over his head, but somehow she managed to keep her seat. Stiff and proud, her carriage erect, she watched warily as the vampires crossed the distance to where she sat. Luka reached up to catch the bridle, halting any attempt of her racing past them, as if she would. She eyed them askance at how little they knew her.

Stephanos reached the other side and pulled her into his arms. She sensed his hold was loving, but he wasn't laughing as he had earlier when she had been thus. Even in his arms, she held herself stiffly. Stephanos smiled down at her continued defiance.

"My Marianna, it is all well. I was not angry with you, your words or your actions. I felt helpless and that does not happen to me! I am a man of deed and inactivity does not sit well with me. Love, I am sorry." Stephanos was quiet in his speech in the hopes that she would respond without anger. He got his wish.

Marianna sighed. "My darling, I only wished to help. The leeches, the leeches will help. They must! I know of no other way." She spoke as softly, and relaxed within his embrace. He hugged her to him until she yelped.

"The leeches! Be careful!" Her hands cradled the cauldron to keep it from spilling. They could not waste time returning to the glade. Marianna had also noticed the sky lighting. Stephanos and Luka quickly decided that Luka would ride the horse back and that Stephanos would travel with Marianna through the skies. He tried to prepare her for the loss of gravity as best he could before he took to the air. She gasped at the weightlessness and closed her eyes tight, the dizzying rate of speed causing her to almost lose her equilibrium and the precious cauldron. Soon, they arrived at Luka's door. Sparing a quick glance to see Luka still a mile off, they raced inside. The fingers of dawn beautiful shades of pink and orange, but so very deadly.

Stephanos moved towards where he knew Luka kept the coffins. Marianna to the stairs. He wanted to go with her, but knew that he could not. Doggedly he moved away from her, as much as his heart and body wished to remain at her side. He knew that once he rose he would be with her and that one thought kept him going forward. Marianna raced up the stairs, ignoring the portraits this time and the detailed banister in her haste to get to Pyotr and Kolya. She stopped short in the doorway when she saw that Kolya was no longer unconscious. Gladness lightened her heart at the sight.

While she caught her breath and tried to work through the stitch in her side, Nadia reached for the cauldron. She set it on the small table next to the bed on Pyotr's side as Irina brought Marianna water. When she was sufficiently upright, she moved over to the cauldron and lifted the cloth that had tightly sealed the leeches inside. Grasping one, she let out a mewl of surprise as it attached itself to her finger. Realizing that she needed to work with care and expediency, she ignored the bead of blood that formed as she readjusted the leech; and quickly placed it near Pyotr's head injury. She moved back and forth thusly, not aware of when her blood mingled with his partially opened wound from her recent cut. No one noticed.

When she was done, she was exhausted. She dropped into the chair and communicated with the women about meeting both Stephanos and Luka. She assured Nadia that Luka had been in sight when they had entered the house. Nadia sighed with relief. She knew she would have felt it if anything had been wrong with Luka. Aleksandr moved into the room, insisting that all the women rest. He would watch over Pyotr and over Kolya, who silently watched and held onto Pyotr's hand. Hands that were no longer tied, as it no longer proved necessary.

Marianna gathered her strength one last time, to remove the fat leeches. Once she was done, she glanced at her handiwork, and satisfied with Pyotr's even breathing and a slight cooling of his forehead, collapsed once more in her chair. She would not leave, despite Aleksandr's protestations, preferring to doze there. Realizing that his fussing would not budge her, he allowed her her rest. And as she rested, her finger swelled just a bit and started to purple. Still it went unnoticed.