Guardian's Joy #3 by Jacqueline Rhoades Read Free Book Online Page A

continue with chapter six of “Sense and
Sensibility”. I think she’s enjoying Miss Austin. Have no fear. I
will summon you straight away if you’re needed.”
    “Sit, precious. Faith will be in good hands,”
Nico added.
    Faith had been held been held captive by a
demon who had devastated her body and her mind. Through gentle care
and good nutrition, her body had recovered. Unfortunately, she was
still largely unresponsive. She followed commands to eat, drink, or
attend to personal hygiene, but never did these things of her own
accord. Hope’s days revolved around her sister’s care and she
became a tigress defending her cub if anyone disturbed Faith’s
carefully controlled world.
    The group sat in silence, watching the
monitor until they heard the professor’s cheerful greeting and the
unit at his end click off. Canaan cleared his throat.
    “The Sanctuary physician isn’t cooperating,
but we think the girl was sexually molested. It’s not uncommon.
When the bloodlust strikes, most of the turned will seek to satisfy
other lusts as well. Rape is part of the pattern.”
    The men at the table stared straight ahead,
their faces blank. Hope shrank down in her seat and clutched at
Nico’s hand.
    “Non, non! It wasn’t thus with Otto,” Manon
pleaded, her French accent more pronounced than usual. “Tell them,
Otto, please. Tell them it was not so with you.”
    Otto leaned forward on his elbows and tented
his face with his hands. His thumbs were braced on his cheeks and
his fingers rubbed his temples in slow, even circles. When he spoke
through the gap between his palms, his voice was quiet and
firm.
    “I don’t remember much of those first days,
only the constant thirst. I killed two while in the Blood Rage and
would have killed a third if Canaan hadn’t stopped me. All three
were men and I’ve never bent that way. Maybe it was that or maybe
it was because I was blood bound to Manon.” He breathed deeply and
let it slowly out on a sigh of resignation. “But maybe, it was only
because the opportunity never presented itself. I’ll never
know.”
    “Well I know, Uncle Otto,” Grace said
confidently. “The day we met, you were in a blood rage. You didn’t
want to hurt me. You only wanted blood and not my blood, I might
add. You’re a good man, Otto ad Timmson, and no one will ever make
me believe differently.” The fierce look she gave each person
sitting at the table dared them to contradict her. “Turning vampire
is an infection of insanity, a curse. What you did, you did while
you were crazed and someday you’ll have to answer for that, but it
won’t be me that condemns you. None of us will.”
    None of them could. Being Guardians increased
their chances of violent death and it was violent death that
triggered the turn to vampirism. Otto had been one of them and it
was in battle he was turned. It was a constant threat both they and
their women had to live with.
    Canaan gave a nod and the meeting broke up.
Everyone started heading for the door.
    “Wait,” Nardo called the others back, “We’re
not finished. It was a vampire. There was a witness,” he confessed.
He told them about the leather clad woman.
    “She stood out from the pack. She was
standing on a chair looking out over the crowd. That’s the first
thing I missed. She was hunting for someone, something. I should
have seen that right away.” He wouldn’t tell them he was too busy
checking out those long legs to pay attention to what she was
actually doing.
    “That’s not fair, Nardo. Don’t do this to
yourself,” Grace cut in. “I don’t think anyone here would find it
noteworthy to see someone on a crowded dance floor using a chair to
look over the crowd. I imagine it happens a lot.”
    “Hey, girls are asking to climb up on my
shoulders all the time at those things. How were you supposed to
know this one wasn’t looking for a lost boyfriend?” Col agreed.
    “She was overdressed. Dov mentioned it before
we went in and I