JAVIER by Miranda Jameson Page B

predecessor had
been a proud witness at the ceremony and Charlotte had stood watching the
proceedings with his mother, her hazel eyes shining with love.
    He had spent the last eight years looking back into
the past. When he was with Beatriz he saw a future for her, never for himself.
Oh, he saw himself doing his job, fulfilling his oath to be a protector of his
race but that was as far as it went. More and more these days he was filled
with a yearning for something more. Gabriel and Hera’s obvious happiness just
sharpened that yearning into a constant physical ache, a longing. Javier
sighed; this was pointless. Better to just concentrate on work. If the slayers
had really re-formed things were about to get nasty.
    He headed for the stairs then stopped in surprise.
Cassia was sitting on the bottom step. Her elbows rested on her knees and her
head was bent over causing her long black hair to sweep forward like a curtain
and brush the floor. Her hands were clasped loosely together.
    “Cassia?  What are you doing here?” he sat down next
to her on the step.
    Cassia flicked her hair back wearily and turned to
him;
    “Hey, Javier of Seville. I just needed some space…I
was looking at that Chagall up there. That’s never been seen out in the Human
world you know; I would estimate its value to be at least three million pounds,
at least. Beautiful isn’t it?”
    Javier examined her face, alarmed. She hadn’t regained
any colour and her speech was slightly slurred.
    “Cass, are you feeling unwell?”
    She regarded him steadily, taking a deep breath as
though she was summoning up energy;
    “Funny you should say that…I think I’m coming down
with something.” She lifted her hand to tuck her hair behind her ears and
Javier noticed a small tremor. He tuned in to her heartbeat, it was sluggish.
    “Cassia, when did you last take blood?”
    She stared at him then her eyes widened as realization
dawned.
    “More than a month ago. I didn’t think, what with
everything that’s happened.”
    “I bet you gave your blood to Flavia while she was
kept in that house didn’t you?” Javier asked.
    “Yes, of course I did. They were Empaths, they didn’t
want to know about any of that. It disgusts them.”
    Javier stood and put out a hand. Her energy seemed to
be draining out of her as they spoke;
    “Come on, I’m taking you to our Donor right now. Give
me your hand, I’ll pull you up.”
    Cassia looked up and focused on Javier. What did he
want? Oh yes, her hand. She reached out and felt him take it then pull her to
her feet. She felt herself sway, she’d better not let go. Her legs were as
heavy as lead and her head felt woolly.
    Suddenly the world seemed to tilt and she gasped in
surprise. He had just bent and scooped her up in his arms as though she was
some sylph-like Empath female. Wearily she let her head rest against his
shoulder; it felt solid and warm and safe.
    Javier marched as quickly as he could to the Donor;
    “God Cass, you should know better than to let things
go so far. Why didn’t you say something earlier? You really are a very annoying
woman.”
    He should have realized. She had gazed up at him, her
midnight blue eyes unfocused and dreamy. Normally he would have found that look
intensely arousing except that he knew she was on the verge of slipping into
unconsciousness. She had turned so very pale back in the study and she had
endured the constant threat of knowing her sister was in danger for the last
three weeks. Of course she would have given her blood to Flavia without any
thought for her own needs; he had a feeling she always put Flavia first. Her
head was resting against him and Javier bent without thinking and brushed the
top of it with his mouth. She would hate being so dependent, he had no doubt
that she would be absolutely mortified when she felt more herself again.
    Shouldering the door open he bowed as well as he could
to the duty Donor. She was one of the Elders and had lived on the Island