Betrayal's Gift

Chapter Eighteen

Coming out of his haze, his steadying silver gaze fell on the couple on the ground. Julius closed his eyes briefly, realizing what had happened. This was his brother's mate and he had torn her heart out of her body. After Varagon putting everything on the line to bring him back, this was how he repaid him.

By giving in to his madness once again and attacking the woman his brother loved and needed more than his next breath. When would he learn?

Varagon's savage pain overwhelmed him and Julius took a deep breath to steady them both before he sank under the tide of madness again.

Dare he try? His hold was too slack on his madness and he felt it rising to the surface threatening to drown him. Panic rose. He couldn't do it. He would just hurt them even more. He felt a soothing touch clear his mind of the remaining madness.

"Have faith in yourself." a voice whispered in his mind drowning out the bloodlust. "Heal her." He closed his eyes to savor it and the peace it brought to his soul. He hadn't heard that voice in too long a time. It was the voice of his mother. It sounded like something she'd told him often. He could do this. He must do this. He could save her.

If Varagon would let him. He fully supported his brother's anger and suspicion. The last time he trusted Julius, he had ended up betrayed and unconscious for the better part of the last two millennia. This time he had attacked his mate without provocation. Julius didn't trust himself and didn't expect Varagon to trust him either. Was counting on the fact that he didn't.

"Varagon, I'll need your help." Julius said softly, taking a step toward the two. Varagon's head came up and looked at him warily, a low growl forming instinctively against the attacker of his mate. Julius halted. "If I am to heal her, I'll need your help. Can you do this?" Julius challenged, knowing his brother's response.

"Of course I can." He answered automatically then Varagon's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How could you heal something such as this? You ripped out her heart." Julius acknowledged this. His breath hissed out impatiently when Varagon just looked back at her protectively.

"Could I explain after I heal her? She's dying. Do you want her to live or die? The choice is yours." His raspy voice was harsh and uncompromising. And sounded enough like the old Julius to have Varagon taking a deep breath and nodding.

"If she dies, Julius so does my loyalty... to anyone. Save her, she holds my soul cupped in her hands."

"Then we'll make sure she doesn't fumble. I'm going to have to ask you to not stop me, regardless of what it looks like I'm doing. No physical contact with me." He cut Varagon's protest off before it began. "You said you trusted me. Prove it." Julius challenged, aware of the irony in his words. Varagon released her and backed up, his watchful eyes never leaving Delilah or his brother. Julius took a deep breath and began chanting rhythmically in a tongue Varagon recognized as ancient Latin script. The words that the human version of Latin and Sumerian was derived from. The magical language.

He listened closely and sighed with relief. Those words could only be used to heal. Julius' eyes went pure silver and his form began to shimmer. Varagon closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping Delilah's mind linked to his. Hope was the only thing he had and he held on to it just as desperately as he gripped her hand.

"Hold on. Just hold on to me. Think about all the things we have yet to accomplish and do. I haven't even begun to torture the new rookie yet." Varagon gave her the details of what he could do to him. He was earnestly using anything and everything he could think of. He felt his brother leave his body in a burst of swirling color but didn't dare look any further than that for fear of splitting his concentration and costing Delilah her life.