Hot Blooded

Just hold on, Juliette
.
    Flames ran over the male jaguar's fur. Bright red and orange flames tipping
the ends of the spotted coat and engulfing the animal. The two jaguars rolled on
the ground in a terrible frenzy of claws and teeth, but not a single flame
touched the female. The male howled and broke away.

----
Chapter 10
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    RIORDAN erupted out of the sky, a demon with red eyes, his black hair unbound
and streaming in the wind. He materialized directly behind the man holding
Jasmine as a shield. Juliette actually felt the man's head as if she had grabbed
him. Riordan twisted hard. The frightening crack was loud as he snapped the
man's neck and dropped him carelessly to the ground.
    Jasmine ran to kneel by Solange while Riordan eased the teeth of the jaguar
carefully out of Juliette's neck and tossed the heavy body of the cat away as if
it were no more than a bothersome branch. Pain engulfed her, rushed through her
body now that it was over and he was there. He pressed his hands to the puncture
wounds on either side of her throat, clamping down hard to prevent her from
bleeding to death.
    Juliette began to choke.
Is my sister okay? Solange? I can't see them
.
    Riordan glanced over his shoulder toward the two women. Jasmine's face was
swollen and black and blue. Her clothes hung in shreds. There was blood smeared
on her body, but she was alive and trying desperately to staunch the flow of
blood from her cousin's many lacerations. Solange was naked and bloody, lying on
the ground, but she was alert, watching Riordan as he bent over Juliette.
    They are both alive, Juliette. Lie still for me
. He trusted his
brother to remain alert for further trouble as he went outside his body and into
hers to attempt to heal her from the inside out. Juliette gurgled, choked and
coughed up blood.
    "Save her. Damn you, I know you can save her," Solange called to him. "Do
whatever you have to do." She attempted to rise, pushed feebly at Jasmine, who
held her down.
    "I have to convert her."
    "What does that mean?" Jasmine asked fearfully.
    "Who cares," Solange snapped. "Hurry, before it's too late."
    Riordan ignored everything and everyone around him. Juliette was slipping
away from him. He bent his head to her throat and drank, taking more of her
precious fluid for an exchange. Riordan gathered her into his arms, slashed his
chest and pressed her mouth to the wound. Deep within Riordan's mind, Zacarias
gathered his spirit into a healing ball of energy and moving through Riordan,
found the puncture wounds and torn arteries in Juliette's throat and began to
repair them from the inside out. He took his time, making no mistakes, closing
the gaping holes and removing foreign bacteria from her system.
    Juliette felt both men from a distance. Zacarias broke off abruptly as if the
connection between them had grown too difficult to maintain. She felt the lack
of warmth immediately and shivered. Riordan leaned down and whispered to her,
ending the flow of nourishing strength pouring into her body. She tried to lift
her hand to his face. He looked so worried. Her hand fluttered next to her thigh
but didn't quite make it into the air. Someone was crying. She turned her head
toward the sound.
    Jasmine sat beside Solange, wiping ineffectually at the bloody wounds and
weeping softly. She was barely recognizable with her swollen face. "Is my sister
going to live?"
    Her voice was very soft and shaky. She didn't look at Riordan, but kept her
gaze fixed on her cousin.
    "Yes, little one," Riordan answered gently. "She will live. I have to take
her away for a short time. I would like you and your cousin to go to my ranch
where you will be safe until I can bring her back to you."
    Jasmine shifted closer to Solange. It was a small movement for protection,
but Riordan noted it immediately.
    Can you take it away from her? What they did? Can you undo it?
    Riordan lifted Juliette and carried her to her sister and cousin. "We can't
stay long. I need to get Juliette to a place where she is safe while the
conversion takes place and where I can heal her fully."
You know I cannot
undo what has been done
.
    Solange reached out to take Jasmine's hand. Jasmine twined her fingers
through Juliette's. "Together we get through," Solange whispered.
    Juliette tried to speak, but her throat was too swollen and raw.
Ask
Solange if you can heal her
.
    Riordan could feel the waves of distaste and fear coming from both women.