The Bloodgate Guardian by Joely Sue Burkhart

Author:Joely Sue Burkhart
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 2010-05-04T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The sound of soft crying persisted until Jaid finally opened her eyes. The room was semi-dark and unfamiliar. She tried to sit up. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“You’re awake! Thank God!” Madelyn crawled over and brushed Jaid’s hair off her forehead, her fingers gentle around the spot that throbbed with each beat of her heart. “I wasn’t sure if you’d ever wake up again.”

“Where’s Ruin?” Grimacing, she shook her head. The man simply had too many names. “I mean, Balam.”

“The man you were with? I’m sorry, Jaid. He’s dead.”

“I know,” she rasped, carefully pushing up to her elbows. “Where is he?”

“Those horrid beasts threw his body over there in the corner. Every time I look at him, I can’t help but burst into tears all over again. They’re going to kill us too.”

In the shadows, Jaid couldn’t tell if the gaping hole in his skull had closed or not.

He’ll wake up. I know he will.

The older woman helped Jaid sit up. She scooted back and leaned her head against the wall. It was too hard to hold it up by herself. Pain splintered through her skull with each move, but she was clearheaded. Too much, perhaps, for her brain immediately raced to fill in—very creatively—Madelyn’s grim prediction.

“Did they take my bag?”

“Yes,” Madelyn replied gloomily. “They grabbed me before I could even call for help. There aren’t any windows, and the door is solid steel.”

Call. Beyond hope, she reached down and felt her pocket. They hadn’t taken her phone. “Are they monitoring this room?”

Madelyn blinked with surprise, her gaze flickering to the ceiling and corners, checking for cameras. “I never thought of that. I don’t know.”

She had to risk it. Quickly, before a guard could charge in and steal her only hope of salvation, she dragged out the BlackBerry. Good, she still had power. That would have been just her luck to have a dead battery. As long as the signal held…

SOS. Send Dragon.

The door slammed open so hard both women jumped. Guiltily, Jaid tried to hide the phone, but it was too late.

“I’ll take that, Dr. Merritt.” An African-American guard dressed like Knightley bent down and held his hand out. “Knightley will hear about failing to frisk you.”

What she wouldn’t give for a nice heavy tome right about now. She’d crack that smirk right off his face. Blowing out her breath loudly, she shoved the BlackBerry into his hand and pretended to pout. Hopefully the text made it out to Callie.

“No phone calls. Not until you tell us what we need to know.”

“What’s that?” Madelyn retorted. “What have you done with Dr. Gerard?”

“Someone will be down to get you in a while.” He gave Jaid a suggestive look that made her breath catch in her throat. She pressed back harder against the wall and wished Ruin would turn back into a jaguar and eat this jerk’s face. “When we’re ready.”

The guard shut the door, leaving them alone once more.

“Last night, Sam said he was going to be meeting with officials in Antigua,” Jaid whispered.

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