Stolen Sun (The Juliana Lucio Series) (18 page)

I turned away from her looking to see what I could use to help decompress his lung. The only thing I could find was an I.V. needle, I looked for the largest size I could find. I pulled out the needle and a glove from a sterile package
,
and ripped off the tip of one finger.

“Kiddo, this is not going to feel good.” I cringed a little as I did it, but I pushed the needle into his chest wall until I felt a slight pop, then a whooshing of air. I put the tip of the glove over the needle creating a one-way valve. I could already see his chest starting to rise and fall more evenly. The trauma from the pole hitting him had caused air to become trapped around his lung, collapsing it. By getting rid of the air that was trapped, his lung could
re-inflate so he could breathe again.

“How you doing Ana?” I asked looking over at her and William. She looked like she was
just
finishing tying her last suture.

“Done. Okay, William let up slowly. Let’s see if this stuff will hold.”

William lifted his hands off Christian’s arm stopping his role as a makeshift tourniquet, and we stared intently at his bicep, waiting to see if it were
going to start bleeding again. When it didn’t and his breathing steadily became more even, we decided it was safe to move him. William started a quick I.V. on him and ran some fluids into him while Ana ran to get the truck.

We carefully loaded him into the backseat, by this point I was useless. I was getting so weak I didn’t
know how much longer I would be able
to
stand. I sat in the back with Christian resting his head on my lap. I was rubbing the hair back from his face wishing I could do this again. Be his mom again.

“Ana, why did you pass the hospital? We need to get him there as soon as possible, he’s doing better, but I don’t think it’s going to hold for long.”

“We’ll have someone come pick him up and take him there. I promise he’ll be safe and taken care of. We need to get home first.”

She was radiating tension from her, and was speeding faster than I’d ever seen her drive before. William was sitting up front with her, and hadn’t said anything about it, which I thought was odd.
What was going on?
I
s
tarted thinking back on the night and realized a few very important things.

“Where’s Victoria?”

Silence.

“She got away. When the building collapsed and we went for Christian, she ran, but not before telling him she’d be back for him,” Ana said apologetically.

“Why are you in such a hurry to get home instead of the hospital?”

“The sun is almost up, Jules can’t you tell?”

“No, I’ve felt weak
since Nathaniel. What will the C
ouncil do now that he’s dead?”

Silence again.

“There’ll be an investigation into his death; they are looking at him for some other things already. Mostly human deaths and making himself to
o
conspicuous,” William replied.

I continued brushing Christian’s hair out of his face, and he started to stir a little. We had just pulled into the garage when I realized the full extent of what they had told me.

“I thought the only humans allowed to know about vampires were human servants or slaves assigned by the council?” I said warily not letting go of my grip on Christian when Ana and William went to take him from me.
God I was tired.

“Yes, and we need to get you inside. The sun is about to rise.” William told me shortly giving me his hand to take.

“Then whose human slave is going to be trusted with my son's life?” I asked still not budging.

Christian was starting to move now, and I could tell his pain was starting to penetrate his unconsciousness.

“Jules, we must go now! We can discuss this later!” William was yelling at me.

“No, we will discuss it now. Who is on the Council? Tell me right now, William,” I glared back at him, barely able to keep my eyes open.

Ana was opening some sort of door that I hadn’t seen before that led into the ground.

“Who has the power to take my son from me, for a second time, just for seeing me?”

I clutched Christian tighter hoping that by clinging to him, I wouldn’t
lose him again.

Defeated
,
William let out a weary sigh, “Ana and I are on the Council. I wouldn’t have let the others turn him though, I swear it!”

William was stepping toward me, reaching out to take Christian from my arms, when suddenly Christian’s eyes opened, and he
looked up into my eyes with a clear recognition of who I
was.

“Mom?”

“Christian.”

At that moment, I felt the sun rise and my world faded to black.