Carpathian 12 - Dark Melody

his blood.
    Gregori moved toward the struggling heart, seeking to find ways to control the damage. Without the baby, Dayan could give Corinne the necessary blood to survive, but that choice wasn't available to them until the baby was born. Gregori watched the healing blood pour into Corinne's frail body. At once her starving organs soaked it up like a healing balm. As Darius's spirit stayed close, monitoring the baby, Gregori went to work on the stuttering heart, meticulously repairing the damaged valve, utilizing the blood flowing freely into his patient. It wasn't the same as treating an injury. This damage was caused by a disease that had been slowly, insidiously wearing away at her heart. In her favor was Dayan's powerful blood flowing into her, along with his iron will, his heart and soul, his total, unconditional love.
    Darius hovered close to the baby, soothing her, offering her reassurance and encouragement. As the blood of an ancient flowed into her little body, the transformation began. Her hearing would be superior, her looks enhanced, her body stronger. Corinne could only benefit from the blood, but the baby wasn't wholly formed yet. Reshaping her organs was going to be dangerous to the child. When the baby became frightened, bewildered by the strange sensations, Darius flooded her with warmth and reached out to make a telepathic bond with her. He told her stories of their world, of the Carpathians in need, of how precious she was to their people, how important it was that she hang on and stay with her mother who loved her so very much.
    The small amount of blood Corinne had drunk was now cycling through the child's body. Darius was merged with the baby and felt the rush like a fireball. 'Stop!' he ordered sharply.
    Dayan immediately inserted his hand to gently stop Corinne from feeding. He whispered the order to her, watching her face anxiously. Corinne was astonished when a tall, blond stranger with golden eyes leaned over and casually closed the deep wound on Dayan's chest with his tongue. He kept one hand on Dayan's shoulder, a gesture that spoke volumes to Corinne.
    "Are you Julian, Desari's lifemate?" she startled them all by asking.
    The man bowed slightly from the waist, his golden eyes on her face. "I am indeed Julian, lifemate to Desari and brother kin to Dayan. I am pleased to meet you, Corinne. We had hoped and prayed that Dayan would find you."
    "Are you real? Is all of this real?" She was looking at him because he looked much more approachable than the other males.
    He smiled at her, his teeth very white, very straight. "Do you want it to be?"
    Corinne tightened her hold on Dayan. He was her reality. In her body, the baby was moving almost violently. She pressed one hand over her stomach protectively. "She doesn't like this, Dayan. I think I'd better be dreaming."
    Gregori and Dayan both glanced apprehensively at Darius. He was still merged wholly with the baby.
    His concentration seemed total. Dayan leaned close to Corinne. "I know Darius. His strength of will.
    There is no way he will allow our baby to slip away from us." He bit gently, insistently at her knuckles to keep her attention focused on him. "Tell me how you are feeling, honey. Your color is slightly better." He was still merged with her, helping to regulate her heart and lungs, terrified of allowing her to try it on her own. "How do you feel?"

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    Mostly she was afraid for her baby. She took a moment to breathe evenly and stop her panic before it became full-blown. She did feel better; it wasn't such a terrible struggle just to breathe. She still felt weak and tired and wanted to sleep. "Dayan – " She said his name very softly, looking around once more. She was still in an underground chamber and there were still people around her. "Am I awake? I can't seem to tell the difference anymore, and it's alarming."
    "Right at this moment you are very much awake, Corinne. Some of my family are here with us," Dayan said with gentle reassurance.
    She examined his chest. His shirt was immaculate, unbuttoned, but his chest muscles were smooth, without a single blemish. There was no wound where she had fed. No sign of blood. For some reason, that provided the solace she needed for peace of mind. She was clearly mixing up her bizarre dreams with reality. "Tell me where Lisa is."
    "At the hospital with Cullen. Do you remember what happened?"
    "There was a man in the