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“Sir, we need you to get out of the way and speak to the manager,” instructed the staff member, placing a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “We will take care of your girlfriend for you, okay? But we need to be able to get to her.”

Sebastian yanked his shoulder away, not registering what was being said. Again the man grabbed his shoulder, more firmly this time. “Sir. You are between the girl and medical assistance. You need tomove.” His hand slid down to Sebastian’s bicep and he pulled, managing to drag the vampire out into the hallway. Two of the passengers took his place in the bathroom just as the train manager arrived with the first aid kit. He handed it over and looked to the service employee.

“Tell me what happened,” he demanded. The employee gestured to Sebastian and gave a quick summary of events. The manager nodded and joined Sebastian a few feet down the hallway where he was leaning against the wall and panting heavily. “Sir, are you also in need of medical attention?”

Sebastian shook his head and took a deep breath. As terrifying as his thoughts were right now, Isabel needed him. He fought himself back to reality as the manager nodded. “Okay. I’m John. What’s your name? Can you tell me a bit about your girlfriend? Does she have any medical conditions that might have caused this?”

“I’m Sebastian and I…I’m not sure. She has leukemia, but it’s supposed to be in remission. And she did faint yesterday, or was it this morning? I can’t remember…it’s been a very chaotic 24 hours. We are on the way to get some answers in Venice.”

John didn’t seem thrilled by this answer. “I see. Well, we’re alerting emergency personnel to have an ambulance meet us at the station. For now, I want you to return to your seat. That’s the safest place for you while these good doctors and nurses take over.”

That was the last thing Sebastian wanted. He was desperate to hold her in his arms and make sure she was breathing. Frantic to keep his eyes on her, just in case the shadow figure didn’t make idle threats.

But there was no room for him in the tiny bathroom, and the logical part of his brain knew that trained doctors were more useful to her right now than he was. He didn’t even think to bring any of the remaining vials with him!

So, despite everything within screaming at him, Sebastian did as he was told and returned to his seat. But he left the door open and listened intently. Never before had he been more grateful for his extra sensitive hearing than this particular moment. He listened as they discussed the injury to her head and attempted to wake her up. Listened as they counted her breaths and whispered worriedly to each other. Listened when they told John she was ‘as stable as they could get her.’

It was the worst twenty minutes of his life. Which was saying something, in a life like his. He sat with his back against the wall and his knees pulled to his chest, hands clutched to his head. His lips moved slightly as he muttered pleadings to any deities that may or may not exist.

A knock on the doorframe ripped him out of his trance. “How is she?” he demanded, wild eyes settling on John. “Is she okay?” He clenched his fists, restraining the urge to shake him.

“She’s stable. We aren’t going to move her until we reach our stop in Genova, which will be soon. Emergency services and the hospital have already been notified that she’s coming, so they’ll be at the station.”

Sebastian sighed and shook out his stiff hands. “Okay. Obviously I’ll be going with her.”

“Are you able to handle both of your luggage? I can have the service staff help you get it all off the train if necessary.” John’s shoulders were heavy, as were his hands. He leaned against the door frame with a long face and a forced smile.

“We just have two small bags. I’ve got it.” Sebastian’s head drooped back into his hands, where it remained for the final half hour to Genova.

As promised, the train station was full of flashing lights and the sound of police radios. The train pulled up to the platform, but the doors didn’t open. The staticky sound of the intercom system crackled to life, and the announcement said, “We have arrived in Genova. Please remain in your seats while emergency personnel pick up our patient. Once they are safely in the ambulance, the doors will open and we will resume service. Thank you for your cooperation and patience.”

Sebastian swung both of their bags over his shoulder and hurried out into the hallway. John was standing outside the bathroom door and opened his mouth, but shut it when he realized who had left their cabin. “Ah, Sebastian, good. Please stay out of the way until they get your girlfriend on the stretcher and out of the train. From there you’ll have to figure out what comes next from the paramedics. I hope everything works out for the two of you.”

Moments later, EMTs entered the car laden with equipment. They carefully extracted Isabel from the bathroom and got her set up on a backboard while Sebastian watched with horror. She looked so small and pale strapped to the board with four men lifting her.

He followed closely, wanting to remain at her side. “Isabel, I’m here,” he repeated over and over, hoping that she would react at least a little to his voice. However, she showed no signs of consciousness even as the paramedics loaded her onto the stretcher.

“Are you her partner?” asked a fifth paramedic from inside the ambulance. Sebastian nodded and hurried up to the door. “Okay. As long as you can sit quietly and let us do our job, you can ride in the ambulance with her.”

This was exactly what Sebastian wanted. He jumped inside and took a seat in the corner, as out of the way as he could get. The paramedics closed the doors and they were off, racing through the streets of Genova as Sebastian held Isabel’s hand.

CHAPTER17

Genova, Italy. 7 June, 2007

The world was nothing more than a bright blur as Isabel’s eyes fluttered open. Slowly, they came into focus and she found herself in a white room surrounded by medical equipment. A heart monitor beeped softly in the corner, and she discovered an IV in her arm when she lifted it to rub her eyes.

“Oh, thank everything you’re awake!” Sebastian appeared at her side, his hair a disaster from running his fingers through it, and his face slightly puffy. “You scared the crap out of me again. You’ve got to stop doing that,dolcezza.One of these times I’mactuallygoing to lose my mind.”

He reached out and stroked Isabel’s cheek, and she couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine. He was so cold! “Do you need a blanket or something?” she murmured, her words slightly slurred still. “Your fingers are freezing.”

“You are the one in the hospital, and you’re worried about me?” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry. I just need to eat and I’ll be fine. I should have hunted before you arrived in Vernazza, but I lost track of my schedule. I’ll handle it tonight while you sleep.”

Isabel suddenly felt much more awake. “You mean you need to go…drink…blood?” Just bringing herself to say the words was difficult, much less process them. Sebastian nodded and she felt her stomach lurch.

“I don’t actually hurt anyone when I hunt, I swear. My venom is able to knock them out almost instantly and part of standard vampire magic allows our saliva to heal the puncture wounds in seconds. They just wake up really tired and might feel sluggish for a day or so while their bodies replace the lost blood. I need less than a standard blood donation takes.” He stared at her with a mixture of earnestness and sadness on his face, so much so that Isabel wanted to just accept his answer without question.

But she still couldn’t believe her life had taken such a strange turn. “Did we at least make it to Venice?” she asked, deciding she’d rather change the topic and process her feelings on his dietary needs later.