Chapter 17

They passed swiftly through trees and scrub, moving at such speeds that the world around Darci began to blur and she was forced to shut her eyes against the dizziness making her stomach turn.

At last Will slowed down, and she tentatively opened her eyes once more. They were deep in the bush, surrounded by tall gums and wattle. The sun was high in the sky, just visible up above them, although the swaying branches of the eucalypts blocked most of its rays, keeping the area cool and shaded.

Will set her down, and she stretched her arms and legs, thankful to be on solid ground once more after the unnerving ride in Will's arms. There was a sudden thud behind her, and she spun round. Will had fallen to the ground and lay there unmoving.

Darci dashed over and dropped to her knees beside him. She could now see what had been hidden from her view before: the blood that stained the front of his shirt and the ragged tears in the fabric made by the bullet that had pierced his chest.

"God, Will. We have to get you to a doctor, find help."

"No, we can't. How would you explain it? Besides, I would not be an easy patient for them to understand. I can expel the bullets myself and heal the wounds, but it takes a lot of energy and I am too weak."

"You need blood, don't you?"

"Yes."

Darci moved closer to him, sitting down properly on the ground, and held out her arm, pressing her wrist towards his mouth.

He brushed her arm aside, catching her wrist in a firm grip as he tried to sit up. "Not you."

"Then who? Will, we don't have time for this. You said you came to save me. How do you expect to keep me safe if you are too weak to even move?"

"I might not be able to stop," he said, lowering his eyes.

Darci lifted his chin and looked into his eyes. Their ice-blue shine was already dimming. "I trust you. You will stop." She saw his resignation in the slump of his shoulders and the way his grip on her arm loosened. She held her wrist towards him once more, and this time he did not brush it away.

"Lie down." She followed his instructions, easing backwards onto the ground, trying to ignore the lumps of dirt and stone that dug into her back. Will turned onto his stomach and grasped her arm with both hands.

She watched, fascinated, as he slowly brought her wrist towards his mouth. There was a stinging pain, lasting only for a second, then warmth began to spread up her arm, moving through her body, relaxing her.

She stared upwards. The trees swayed, dancing above her, light flashing playfully in between the leaves. It was teasing her, drawing her towards it, and her body lifted, floating upwards. The closer she came to the light, the more the colours danced, turning into a kaleidoscopic display she alone could see. The leaves tickled her skin, and she felt warm, safe. She wanted to stay there forever.

Then, out of nowhere, something below pulled at her, trying to bring her down. She fought against it, struggling to stay in the light, but the force below was too strong, and she found herself hurtling towards the ground.

"Darci? Darci, wake up."

Her body jerked, and the sharp rocks jabbed into her flesh, the pain helping to ground her in reality once more. When she finally focused, Will's face was above her, looking down at her with concern.

"I dreamed I was flying," she said, trying to sit up.

Will helped support her, keeping a hand in the small of her back. "I thought for a moment I had stopped too late."

"Does everyone see that when you drink from them? It was beautiful."

"No, what a person sees depends on the individual, although whether it is a dream or a nightmare depends on the vampire. I have always tried to give the person something wonderful to hold onto. Other vampires revel in the fear they can create by imposing a terrifying vision on their victim."

Darci reached out and brushed Will's chest. The fabric was stained a russet brown from the dried blood, yet the skin underneath was now smooth and healed, save for several tiny scar lines. Will picked something up off the ground and offered it to her. She held out her hand, and he dropped the slug into it. Misshapen and covered in flakes of blood, it looked impossibly large, heavy, and unpleasant against her palm. She let it fall to the ground, cradling her aching wrist against her chest.

"We need to get out of here and find somewhere you can rest 'til you recover from the blood loss."

"We can't go anywhere looking like this," Darci said, gesturing to Will's bloodied shirt and her own tattered dress.

"I brought a change of clothes for each of us." Will stood and wandered towards a gap in the trees. "I left them nearby, hidden in the bushes. They are not much, but they are an improvement on our current attire and should be good enough to get us in."

"In where?" Darci asked, staggering to her feet.

"The Hilton," Will called over his shoulder, disappearing amongst the trees.