Amanda Ashley by Deeper Than the Night Page B

he’s only a general practioner. He wanted to be sure you got the best of care, and that’s why he called me in as a consultant. My field of expertise is hematology.”
    Panic rose up in Kara as two men wearing white lab coats and masks entered the examining room. “I want to talk to my grandmother.”
    â€œAll in good time.” Dr. Barrett pulled a syringe from his coat pocket.
    Kara took a step backward. “What’s that for?”
    â€œNothing to be alarmed about.”
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œJust something to help you relax.”
    â€œI don’t want it.”
    â€œI’m afraid you’re on the verge of hysteria, Miss Crawford. This will calm you.” Barrett nodded at the two white-coated men.
    â€œNo!” She screamed the word as the two men took hold of her, flinched as she felt the prick of the needle in her arm. “No, please . . .”
    She stared up at the doctor, her vision blurring. This couldn’t be happening. Alexander! Her mind screamed his name as she tumbled into oblivion.
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    Lena Corley shook her head. “I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
    â€œI’m afraid we’ve found an abnormality in your granddaughter’s blood, Mrs. Corley. We need to keep her here for further observation until we’ve determined the cause of the abnormality and determined whether it might be contagious. Or toxic.”
    â€œHow did such a thing happen?”
    â€œWe don’t know.”
    â€œWas there something wrong with the blood she received?”
    The doctor shook his head. “We screen all of our blood donors very carefully. That’s why we’re so confused. We have the names of the people whose blood was used. They’ve all been rechecked.”
    Lena Corley stared at the paper in front of her. They wanted her to admit Kara to the hospital for some extensive tests. The doctor, whose name was Barrett, had informed her that Kara had fainted during an examination and that she was still unconscious. They feared it had something to do with the abnormal red cells in her blood. It was urgent, the doctor said, that they find the cause of her problem as soon as possible. Until then, it was imperative that she be kept in isolation.
    â€œThink of your other granddaughter, Mrs. Corley. You don’t want to take a risk of infecting her, now do you?”
    â€œNo, no, of course not, but . . .”
    â€œI understand, but you mustn’t worry,” Barrett said reassuringly. “I promise you that we’ll do everything we can for Kara.” He handed her a pen. “Just sign your name there, on the first page, and again on page four. I’ll take care of everything else.”
    Lena shook her head as she squinted at the fineprint. “So many big words that I don’t understand.”
    â€œOf course. All that legal mumbo jumbo. All it says is that we have your permission to keep Kara overnight, and to prescribe treatment for her.”
    â€œI don’t know . . .”
    â€œMrs. Corley, time is of the essence in cases like this. Do you really want to put Kara’s life at risk by waiting?”
    With a sigh of resignation, Lena signed the papers.
    Alex called the Grenvale Motel at six o’clock that evening, but the clerk informed him that Kara had not yet checked in. He knew a moment of concern, and then he shrugged it aside. She was a grown woman. Perhaps she had gone out to dinner or shopping. Grenvale was a big city, much larger than Moulton Bay, and it was still early. He would write a chapter, then call again.
THE DARK GIFT
Chapter III
    I stared into Lilith’s face. “What have you done to me?”
    â€œI have made you immortal.”
    I stared up at her, knowing what she was, yet refusing to acknowledge it; knowing, in the very depths of my being, that my soul was damned.
    â€œWhat are you?”
    Amusement flared in her eyes. “What do you think I