Sixx (The Stone Society, #7) (37 page)

“Aye, Banyan. I’ve a beauty as a mate, my bounty’s overflowing, and I’m ready for a good fight. You’re looking mighty fine, my old friend.”

Banyan was smirking when he responded. “Thank you. I’m sure you remember Urijah.”

“Aye, the resident troublemaker. Urijah, how are you, matey?” Dominic held his hand out, and Uri grasped it reluctantly, as if it might bite him. 

Uri grunted. “I’ve been better.” He stepped back away from the others and asked, “Drink anyone?” even though he didn’t wait to find out what they wanted. He disappeared into the house without another word. Banyan watched his retreating form, the smirk never leaving his face. Dominic let out a hearty laugh but said nothing. Sixx wanted to know the story between these three, but they had Desi to worry about. Once his son was awake and well, Sixx intended to find out what had happened in New Orleans.

Uri returned with a bucket of beer for Sixx and Gregor. He placed a tray on the patio table that held a bottle of spiced rum and three glasses. He even poured the liquor for Banyan and Dominic as if he’d done it a hundred times before. Perhaps he had. Uri remained standing, leaning against the balcony railing, while the other males sat around the table making idle talk. The females remained inside until Sixx’s phone rang and he announced, “It’s the doctor,” loud enough for Tessa’s shifter hearing to catch his words. As the three women made their way outside, Sixx answered, “Hello, Dr. Mercato... Are you sure? Do you have any idea how to treat this with Desi being a half-blood? Yes, I understand. Thank you for calling.” Sixx hung up, and grabbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger.

“Well, what is it?” Rae asked.

Even though she wouldn’t know what it was, Sixx told his mate, “Pure wolfsbane.”

“Wolfsbane? That’s like some serious shit, right?” Trevor asked as he and Jasper made their way onto the patio.

Sixx would have grinned at the sight of the two of them, but he still had no idea how to help his son. “Yes, Trevor, it’s serious shit. What are you two doing here? Not that I mind, but what are you doing here?”

“I heard Lilly was on her way, and I thought she might need some help with... you know.” Trevor looked at his shoes as he spoke. The young human was still shy around the Gargoyles.

Jasper put his hands on his mate’s shoulders and squeezed. “We are here for whatever you need us for.”

“I appreciate it, and I know Desi will appreciate having two of his biggest fans here as well.” As Sixx was introducing them both to Desirae, Simone came downstairs and stood at the door. Uncertainty was clear on her face as she lingered inside.

“Simone, please join us. Jasper, Trevor, Simone is Desi’s mate. She was instrumental in finding where Desi was being held. She has been upstairs with Desi ever since we brought him home.” Jasper bowed his head to both Rae and Simone.

Trevor went to Simone, taking her hands in his as he explained, “I know exactly what you’re going through. My Jasper was poisoned, and I didn’t think he was ever going to wake up, but he did. You have to have faith that Desi will too.”

Simone offered Trevor a faint smile. “Thank you, Trevor. I just came downstairs for a drink of water, but I heard all the voices. Michael, has the doctor contacted you?”

“Yes, he just called. We now know what Desi was injected with, but we still don’t know what to do about it.”

“I’m calling Jonas. I’ll be right back,” Tessa said, excusing herself. She jumped over the railing, landing on the pathway below that led to the pool.

“I’m never going to get used to that,” Rae said as she shook her head.

“Sure you will. Well, maybe not with Tessa, because that girl’s a mess,” Trevor said. “But the rest of the mates are actually really down to earth and sweet.”

“I heard that,” Tessa yelled, flipping Trevor the bird. He smiled and blew her a kiss. Sixx wanted that type of camaraderie for Rae, and now Simone. The two of them could use the love and caring of the other females. Even though Trevor was male, he was a great mate and fit in with the women, offering his support when he could.

Sixx kept one ear on Tessa’s conversation with her uncle and one on Trevor speaking with Simone. He hadn’t known Jasper and Trevor were coming to visit, but now that they were there, Sixx was glad. Simone needed someone to hold her hand while she held Desi’s, and there was no one more perfect for the job than Trevor. He understood more than anyone what she was going through.

Rae put her hand on Sixx’s shoulder as she told him, “I called Tyson and let him know we’ve found Desi. He insisted on coming to visit, but I told him that Desi was still unconscious, and as soon as he woke up, I’d call. That appeased him for now. Cynthia is putting out a notification that Desi’s been found, but the band would appreciate privacy until further notice. They may need the Clan’s help in keeping the press from hounding them.”

Tessa had finished her call with Jonas and was climbing over the railing. “I have good news and bad news. The good news is Jonas feels we can revive Desi. The bad news is he says we need to mix the blood of an Original with that of Simone’s.”

“You have Original blood, don’t you?” Trevor asked Tessa.

“Yes, but not as strong as a Gargoyle’s would be.”

“You can have my blood,” Banyan informed them.

Urijah stood up straight and pointed his glass at Banyan. “You? You’re not from Original blood. We grew up together, or have you forgotten?”

Banyan blanched at Uri’s statement. He obviously hadn’t forgotten. “I remember my upbringing very well. Even though you think you know everything there is to know about me, I can assure you that you do not.” He stood and turned his back on Uri, focusing on the others. He fisted his heart and declared, “I, Banyan Asmund Sorensen, do vow on my honor, my King, and all that is holy, that I come from an Original bloodline.”

Sixx inclined his head to Banyan, accepting his sacred vow. “Thank you, Brother. We need to get the doctor here to make the exchange.”

Trevor cleared his throat and looked to Jasper for permission, or maybe it was courage he sought. Jasper spoke for his mate. “Actually, Trevor brought all the necessary equipment to do the transfusion. He wanted to be prepared in case Lilly needed his assistance. He isn’t a medical doctor, but he is working toward that end. Sixx, I vouch for my mate when I say he can do this.”

Sixx trusted Jasper, therefore he trusted Trevor. “Go get your stuff,” Sixx instructed the human. “Banyan and Simone, let’s go into the kitchen where he has more room to work.” Sixx stepped toward the door when Rae grabbed his arm.

“Are you sure about this? I mean, does Jonas know this will work? And Trevor seems nice, but is he capable of a transfusion? Do they not need to know Desi’s blood type?” She bit her bottom lip and crinkled her forehead. Sixx had been around the Clan for hundreds of years and had learned to trust them. She had been around them less than a week.

“I’m sure, Doll. Gargoyle blood is a type, and I trust the Clan with my life. With
our
lives.” Sixx kissed his mate on the forehead and gave her a gentle push toward the door. Instead of remaining outside, the others followed, and soon the house was filled with family who all wanted Desi to wake up.

The normally jovial Trevor stepped into a different persona than Sixx had ever witnessed. The young man was confident in his skills and had a soft hand with a needle. He withdrew several small bags of Banyan’s blood before taking Simone’s. “Tessa, did Jonas say what the ratio should be?” he asked as he released the tourniquet from Simone’s arm. He placed a cotton ball at the point of injection then covered it with a bandage.

“Eighty-twenty, Banyan’s to Simone’s,” she confirmed.

“Excellent. I’ll prepare the I.V. and we’ll get started. Simone, if you would, go upstairs and tell Desi what’s about to happen. You might not think he can hear you, but he can. Jasper can attest to that.”

Simone left the room, and Trevor got busy mixing the blood. Lilly followed Simone upstairs, carrying a small bundle of sage. Sixx had no problem with the witch cleansing the room while asking for her Goddess’s blessings.  When she came back downstairs and nodded at Trevor, he carried the bag of mixed blood up the stairs. Jasper followed with the other items Trevor would need. Once he had everything in place, Trevor stood staring at Desi. He softly touched Desi’s face, moving a long strand of hair away from his eyes.

“Hello, Desi. I’m Trevor. Normally I’d be fanboying all over your gorgeousness, but today I’m here to help you. I’m a mate, not a Gargoyle, but I vow to you, on Jasper’s honor, that I will do everything within my power to heal you and bring you back to your family. Simone’s here with you, and man let me tell you, the fates were good to you. She’s beautiful. But more than that, I can see the love in her eyes when she looks at you. That is more important than all her pristine mocha skin and long curly hair. Now, I’m going to insert an I.V. into your neck. I’m not sure how long it will take, but you’re going to get stronger, and you’re going to come back to us. Please.”

Trevor pulled on a pair of gloves and got busy. Sixx held his breath while the young human inserted the catheter into Desi’s neck, securing it in place with surgical tape. The bag of blood was hanging from a metal pole exactly like you’d see in a hospital. When Jasper said they came prepared, he hadn’t been kidding. When the blood was flowing down the tube and into Desi’s neck, Trevor moved out of the way so Rae could get in there and sit next to their son. Trevor walked into Jasper’s open arms and finally let the tears fall. Sixx stepped toward them and placed his hands on Trevor’s shoulders.

“Thank you, Trevor. You have no idea how much Rae, Simone, and I appreciate you flying out here to offer your support and your services. Not only Jasper, but the entire Stone Society Clan is blessed to have you in our family.” Sixx squeezed Trevor’s shoulders before turning to his own mate. Jasper led Trevor away from the room, giving them some privacy.

Before they hit the bottom of the stairs, Jasper mock whispered, “Gorgeousness? Really? You do know he’s the spitting image of Sixx, right?”

Through his tears, Trevor confirmed, “Yeah, and he’s gorgeous, too. Have you looked at him?” Jasper along with all the others laughed at Trevor’s answer. Sixx couldn’t see auras the way Lilly could, but if he had the ability, he knew Trevor’s would be bright yellow and full of sunshine. Sixx remained in Simone’s bedroom while she sang to Desi and Rae held his hand. He sent up a prayer to the gods asking for their mercy. Now, all they could do was wait.

S
imone wanted to talk to Desi, but she felt self-conscious about it with his parents in the room, so instead, she sang. She knew she didn’t have the best singing voice, but she could carry a tune. Looking at Desi’s motionless body was taking its toll. It had to be that mate bond she’d been told about. If it were anyone else she barely knew, Simone would feel bad for the person having been kidnapped and lying unconscious. This feeling for Desi went deeper than anything she’d ever felt before, even for her mother. Simone had no idea who her father was, and since she was an only child, her mother was the only one who’d ever deserved a deep, unconditional type of love. Until Desi.

Simone had balked at the idea of
the fates
choosing her as a mate for one of the brightest stars in the music realm. Desmond Rothchild could have any woman he wanted. After watching the way Sixx was with Rae, it became clear to her that the fates knew what they were doing. Simone had never been around so much love in one place. And that wasn’t just for their mates. These people, Gargoyles, they were a family. The number of Gargoyles that accompanied them that morning to look for Desi had been great. They had dropped everything to come together for one of their own.

From what they’d told her, Desi had only been one of their own for about a week. Now, she was also one of theirs, whether she accepted it or not. She, Simone Campbell, a woman who only a few days ago had no family left in the world other than her mother and roommate, now had the Stone Society to call her family. It was all overwhelming. She wasn’t even going to think about them being non-humans. She would focus on all that later. Right now, she needed to pay attention to her man.
Her male.

Rae and Michael stood from the bed. “We’re going to let you have some alone time with him. Call out to us if you need anything,” Rae said with a smile. She touched Simone’s cheek as she walked by. Simone smiled back, thinking herself lucky.

“Desi, it’s Simone. I hope I haven’t scared you off with my singing. I guess I should leave that to the professionals, huh?”

Desi didn’t answer, but Simone didn’t stop trying. The voices downstairs rose and fell. There was laughter and silence. Doors opening and closing. Every few minutes she talked to Desi, sometimes aloud, other times with her thoughts.

“Have you tried kissing him?” Trevor asked. Simone was in awe of the young man who looked like he belonged in a comic book store instead of studying to be a doctor.

“No, I haven’t. Although he did kiss me when he reached out to me.”

“He’s spoken to you?”