Free Sire by Thomas Galvin Page B

bored with vanilla over there, let me know."
    Liam started out of the room, and Caitlin hurried to Michael's side. But on the way out the door, Liam tore the sword out of the wall and hurled it, spearing Michael through the heart and pinning him to the ground. Michael made a gagging noise, and blood gurgled out of his mouth.
    Caitlin screamed his name.
    "Oh, relax," Liam said. "He's old enough to survive that." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Probably."
    Caitlin touched Michael hesitantly. Liam walked away, whistling. He didn't bother closing the door behind himself.
    Black lines were running from Michael's wound, up his neck, and along his jaw. It looked like he was being poisoned.
    Caitlin was frantic. She grabbed the sword's handle and yanked on it, but it was in too deep. All the way through Michael's body, in fact, and into the floor. She couldn't even lift him off the ground.
    "Michael?" she asked, her voice shaking. "What do I do? How do I help you?"
    Michael just moaned.
    But then William rushed into the room. "Master McKenna? Miss Manning? Are you all ... oh." His face fell when he saw Michael lying there. Not that Caitlin could blame him. The butler walked over slowly, a pained expression on his face. "Not again," he said.
    "Again?" Caitlin asked.
    "Liam did this, I suppose? Those two ... not to overstep my position, but I do wish Angelica would sort this mess out. One of these days, someone is going to be seriously hurt."
    "One of these days? He ran him through with a sword!"
    "Yes, he did. And ruined another carpet. But Master McKenna will be all right. He just needs a little pick-me-up."
    William walked over to the fireplace and took a big glass decanter from the mantle. He looked at the glasses for a moment, then selected the largest one and filled it with thick red liquid.
    William was utterly calm throughout the entire process.
    The butler set the glass down next to Michael, stepped over his body, and grasped the sword's handle. "Step back, please, Miss Manning. He can be a bit ... nippy when he first comes to."
    Caitlin took a few careful steps away. William, apparently satisfied that she was out of danger, put his other hand on the sword's hilt, bent his legs, and jerked as hard as he could. The sword came out with a sick, wet sound. The blade rang like a bell.
    William danced backward. Michael's back arched, and the force of his muscle's spasms almost propelled him off the ground. He turned in mid-air and landed in a three-point stance, with his free hand held behind his back, claws waving in the air. He stared at Caitlin with blood-red eyes, and snarled. His muscles coiled, like a cat ready to pounce on a bird ...
    Then he smelled the blood that William had placed next to him. His nostrils flared and twitched, and slowly the feral look on his face was replaced by a calmer, more rational expression. He stood up, grabbing the glass on the way, and downed the blood in a single gulp.
    He closed his eyes. The black lines receded, and the stab wound closed. Color returned to his skin. When he opened his eyes again, they were a perfect, brilliant blue.
    Caitlin hurried over to him, pulling his shirt away and examining his now-healed injury. And taking a slightly closer look at his chest. God, he was well built. "Are you okay?" she asked.
    He smirked. "I'll live," he said. "Thanks, William."
    The butler declined his head a fraction of an inch. "Always a pleasure to serve, sir."
    Caitlin looked up at Michael. "So, Liam said these are Angelica's?" she said, pulling at the silk shirt she had been given. "Does she spend the night here a lot?"
    Michael sighed, and looked away, but said nothing.
    "And you don't drink human blood?" Caitlin finally asked. "Because William said you only had animal blood in stock."
    "Never."
    "So, you're ... like a vegetarian?"
    "Those God damn books," Michael said.
    But he was smiling.

    ***
    Bethany's eyes fluttered open.
    It took her a moment to figure out where she was; the room,