"... demassify the humans according to their truer forms... this will not hold for long.... You need to decide on your stance in this," said the deep baritone that was strangely familiar.

" She's coming around, " said a woman's voice, very hoarse and unfamiliar.

" Thank god! " The heartfelt words were said in a beautiful voice that could only belong to Lucian.

"Thank you, Tasha," he said again. His voice was rough in emotions and tired sounding. He had no doubt been through a lot. My heart as always bled for him. I tried to recall what this was all about. I felt as if I should know what they were talking about but I didn't. I tried to open my eyes to look at Lucian. The sound of his voice terrified me. The heart break in it was clear. I was anxious to see that he was alright.

"It would have been so much easier if she had been at all receptive to my treatment. As you know, I cannot coax an unwilling soul. I was fortunate that she could not fight her ties to you. Even in death," said Tasha. I knew instinctively that they were talking about me.

I was dead.

Or I had been.

But my mind was strangely blank on the how or why.

" She didn't want to live?" Lucian breathed out the question beside me.

" A more reluctant soul I have yet to encounter. As you know coaxing a soul back into a body is not exactly rocket science. Most souls fight to get back. Not battle to get away," said Tasha. He voice moving in and out as she apparently moved about the room tidying up her salves and packing up her belongings. I found then that I could see her and her activities without even opening my eyes. She was caping close open jars and wrapping up unused gauzes.

I turned away from her needing to see him instead. Amd there he was stunning and beautiful crouching by my bedside looking down at me.

I didn't spare myself a glance. I was unimportant.

" But she's not waking, " said Lucian his eyes trained unblinkingly on my own closed lids.

" I feel her soul..She is here. I felt her return to her body..Only still a little reluctant..apparently, " said Tasha distractely, she was busy returning her jars to their proper resting spots in her black old fashioned leather doctors bag.

"Try calling her. She listen to your summons."

"Kira?"

His voice was so soft and amazingly sweet.

" Hurmpt! "

" What?" Snarled Lucian apparently in the edge.

"What are you trying to do lull her back to the dead? If that was all you intended why call me?" Tasha didn't hold back her blows. It didn't appear to matter to her that she was talking to a maddened vampire. One on the edge of his thethers.

The snarl of rage that errupted from him shook me to the core but he didn't retaliate at poor Tasha like I expected. Instead he launched himself at my still form.

"Kira!" He commanded harshly. "Wake the fuck up!"

I blinked up at him furiously. His swirling black voids not intimidating in the least.

" What? " I demanded hoarsely. Still furious at his rude command. But my throat was raspy and dry. I felt like my mouth was filled with ash and that rough dirt clogged my throat.

" Give her some water," said the voice of reason, Tasha. "But maybe some of your blood first. "

What? No!

But it was as if I hadn't spoken. Because infact I hadn't.

Hot broth of red hue dribbled down into my mouth held open and steady by Lucian forcefully.

I groaned and choked trying to spat it all back out.

With a vicious growl that ripped through me he leaned forward to take my lips in a kiss. I scrambled for his lips. Reaching for him even as he descended onto mine. My lips were pushed part and his tongue plunged in almost down my throat and then I felt it his blood gushing into me.

He had bitten his own tongue to bleed into me. Feeding me his blood this way.

I moaned for him and groaned over taking his blood. But I couldn't stop or prevent the assault of either.

"Thats enough. Any more and you will turn her," said the calm voice of reasons.

But Lucian didn't remove his lips from my. His tongue flicked out against mine. No longer bleeding into me but instead tasting me as if he couldn't get enough.

I kissed him back. Because honestly it was all I could do.

.