Chapter 13
Kieran watched Alex closely and, though she made no remark, he saw her eyes widen slightly. This girl was little better at hiding her emotions than her older sister. She sank to her knees guardedly beside Kala, who was still writhing madly on the floor, muscles clenched in what looked like a painful way. Alex stroked her sisters forehead gently, staring off into space, then abruptly snapped back to the present.
"Of course," she murmured under her breath. "How could I not have known?"
"What?" Kieran said sharply. He had been staring at her with a look of mixed anticipation and helplessness, debating whether to stand still or start pacing.
"The sleeping fits," Alex explained. "Seizures. Kala was...prey to a vampire when she was younger. Our brother killed the vampire while it fed off her. That's all she ever told us. But she often had seizures afterwards; they were brought on mostly by contact with vampires, but sometimes they came randomly, or as far as we knew, they were. She never talked much about it. I'm surprised this is the first one." She paused, glancing at him from under her lashes. "It is the first time, isn't it?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I think so. But, the question is, can you make them go away?"
Alex stared him straight in the eye. "You fed off of her, didn't you?" she said softly.
Kieran couldn't meet her icy blue gaze; silence dragged on.
Alex repeated herself, her accusing tone dripping with malice.
Kieran winced. "Yes. I-" he paused, as if contemplating what to say. "It was an accident."
"Was it?" Alex's voice had gone shrilly. She steeled herself from saying more. "Take me home." She demanded. "Now."
Kieran looked at her, amazed. "You're not going to help?"
She looked at him as if he were an ignorant fool before replying saucily, "I didn't say that, now did I? I can't do anything to help Kala unprepared. The herb mixture that our mother used to prevent the onset of her seizures is at my house."
Before she even finished the sentence, Kieran had willed them back to her bedroom.
Alex crept silently out into the healing room, careful to step over or around creaky boards. She rifled through the cabinets and shelves before sighing in dismay.
"What?"
"It's not here. She must have locked it up when Kala...disappeared." Alex glanced at a door in the far corner of the room.
"Do you know where it is? Can you get at it somehow?" Kieran persisted, his voice cracking with apprehension.
"I..." Alex paused, and then shrugged hopelessly, shaking her head and running both hands through her hair and tugging nervously at the silken strands. "I know where it is, but I probably won't be able to get at it. When Kala was still here it was kept high up on the shelf, where it was easily available, when it was needed. The medicine is a mixture of 5 herbs, and if brewed and used correctly, it can heal seizures, but if not...it can kill. It's very hard to mix because it relies on the herbs having to be picked and brewed at certain times of the waxing and waning moon. A single hour off, and the whole batch can be ruined."
"Just try," Kieran pleaded. "I don't know what I'd do if Kala died because of me."
Alex shot him a frown before walking over to the door. She bowed her head down till her chin rested on her chest and laid her hand palm-down on the door. Her eyes closed in concentration. Beads of sweat popped out on her brow.
After what seemed like forever, she heaved a great sigh, opening her eyes and looking up apologetically at Kieran. "I can't do it. The charms are too strong, and I haven't learned that type of magic yet. Only my mother knows how to get in and perhaps my other sisters. But not me. I can't get in. Kala is going to have to pull herself out of this one."
Kieran watched Alex closely and, though she made no remark, he saw her eyes widen slightly. This girl was little better at hiding her emotions than her older sister. She sank to her knees guardedly beside Kala, who was still writhing madly on the floor, muscles clenched in what looked like a painful way. Alex stroked her sisters forehead gently, staring off into space, then abruptly snapped back to the present.
"Of course," she murmured under her breath. "How could I not have known?"
"What?" Kieran said sharply. He had been staring at her with a look of mixed anticipation and helplessness, debating whether to stand still or start pacing.
"The sleeping fits," Alex explained. "Seizures. Kala was...prey to a vampire when she was younger. Our brother killed the vampire while it fed off her. That's all she ever told us. But she often had seizures afterwards; they were brought on mostly by contact with vampires, but sometimes they came randomly, or as far as we knew, they were. She never talked much about it. I'm surprised this is the first one." She paused, glancing at him from under her lashes. "It is the first time, isn't it?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I think so. But, the question is, can you make them go away?"
Alex stared him straight in the eye. "You fed off of her, didn't you?" she said softly.
Kieran couldn't meet her icy blue gaze; silence dragged on.
Alex repeated herself, her accusing tone dripping with malice.
Kieran winced. "Yes. I-" he paused, as if contemplating what to say. "It was an accident."
"Was it?" Alex's voice had gone shrilly. She steeled herself from saying more. "Take me home." She demanded. "Now."
Kieran looked at her, amazed. "You're not going to help?"
She looked at him as if he were an ignorant fool before replying saucily, "I didn't say that, now did I? I can't do anything to help Kala unprepared. The herb mixture that our mother used to prevent the onset of her seizures is at my house."
Before she even finished the sentence, Kieran had willed them back to her bedroom.
Alex crept silently out into the healing room, careful to step over or around creaky boards. She rifled through the cabinets and shelves before sighing in dismay.
"What?"
"It's not here. She must have locked it up when Kala...disappeared." Alex glanced at a door in the far corner of the room.
"Do you know where it is? Can you get at it somehow?" Kieran persisted, his voice cracking with apprehension.
"I..." Alex paused, and then shrugged hopelessly, shaking her head and running both hands through her hair and tugging nervously at the silken strands. "I know where it is, but I probably won't be able to get at it. When Kala was still here it was kept high up on the shelf, where it was easily available, when it was needed. The medicine is a mixture of 5 herbs, and if brewed and used correctly, it can heal seizures, but if not...it can kill. It's very hard to mix because it relies on the herbs having to be picked and brewed at certain times of the waxing and waning moon. A single hour off, and the whole batch can be ruined."
"Just try," Kieran pleaded. "I don't know what I'd do if Kala died because of me."
Alex shot him a frown before walking over to the door. She bowed her head down till her chin rested on her chest and laid her hand palm-down on the door. Her eyes closed in concentration. Beads of sweat popped out on her brow.
After what seemed like forever, she heaved a great sigh, opening her eyes and looking up apologetically at Kieran. "I can't do it. The charms are too strong, and I haven't learned that type of magic yet. Only my mother knows how to get in and perhaps my other sisters. But not me. I can't get in. Kala is going to have to pull herself out of this one."