Free Bound to Moonlight by Nina Croft

with a mindful of information. More sensation than actual thoughts, she caught brief flashes of a life, running through the forest, a black-haired man with green eyes…
    Natasha held her gaze, eyes wide and Anya realized her sister must be having the same experience. She shook her head, glanced away and the contact was lost.
    “Sorry,” Tasha said. “I didn’t know that would happen.” She studied her, head cocked to one side. “We don’t look much alike.” Then she grinned. “Nothing alike in fact. I’m Tasha.”
    “I remember.”
    “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. Sebastian wouldn’t let anyone else sit with you. Which was interesting.”
    It was, and Anya filed the fact away to think about later. Now she wanted to know about her sister. “Sebastian said you were looking for me. Thank you.”
    Tasha shrugged. “I always wanted a sister.”
    “Me too.”
    Suddenly, Anya couldn’t keep the tears from falling. They welled up in her eyes, rolled down her cheek. That someone she had never met should care enough to come after her. The thought wiped away the bitterness of all the betrayals in her life.
    Tasha hurried the last few steps to the bed. “Hey, I’m not that bad.”
    Anya smiled through the tears. “They’re good tears not bad.”
    Tasha’s face turned solemn for a moment. “I know.” She gestured to the bed. “Can I join you?”
    Anya nodded, and Tasha climbed into the big bed and settled herself back on the pillows. She reached out and took Anya’s hand. “I predict we’re going to be lifelong friends.”
    Anya bit her lip. Just how long was her life going to be? She pushed the thought away. No matter how long she had left, she could enjoy this moment. “Tell me,” she said.
    Tasha’s lips curved into a grin. “Tell you what?”
    “Everything. Tell me everything.”
    Hours later, she drifted off into sleep, her hand still clasped in Tasha’s.
     
    When she woke, the room was in darkness. She raised her head, and a small moan escaped her. Behind her eyes, she could feel a dull throbbing ache.
    Time had almost run out.
     

Chapter Eleven
    Sebastian stared at the doctor. “There has to be something you can do.”
    Connor shook his head. “There’s nothing. I’ve never seen anything like this poison. Given long enough we could break it down, find out what’s in there, but we don’t have long enough.”
    Sebastian took a deep breath. “How much time do we have?”
    “Twenty four hours, more or less.”
    Wild frustration roared up inside him. He turned away and punched his fist into the wall. The pain broke through the fog of rage, and he managed to force it down. He had to think clearly. There had to be a way.
    “What about putting her into a coma?” he asked. “Give you time to find the antidote?”
    “Won’t do any good. The poison will keep working. I’m sorry, Sebastian. Of course we’ll keep looking, but there’s just no way. Here, I’ve brought some painkillers.” He handed a packet to Sebastian. “They’ll help at the start. She’ll probably need something stronger at…” He trailed off.
    “At the end,” Sebastian concluded bitterly.
    He rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t believe this was happening. To find her again, only to lose her. He’d been back to the building where they had found Anya and torn the place apart, but found nothing that could help. He didn’t know what to do next, and the feeling was new and painful.
    “You know there’s only one thing that could save her now.” Connor interrupted his thoughts.
    Sebastian glanced into the other man’s face. He knew what the doctor was referring to, but his whole being rejected the idea. “Not yet—it’s too risky. Not until there’s no hope.”
    “There is no—”
    The door opened and Connor cut off his words. Sebastian turned.  Anya stood framed in the doorway, dressed in a pair of his sweats and a black T-shirt. She’d showered, and her hair was still damp. Her face was pale, her eyes