"Mikhail felt at a loss. He could not fail her again, yet the work they needed to do was imperative. His plan had been to keep Raven somewhere safe in a deep sleep. He would have forced her to accept his blood without her knowledge. "Perhaps a walk would help," Jacques suggested. He stepped back in an effort to induce her to stand. Raven's gaze clung to Mikhail's for a long, slow moment. Her smile was genuine this time, reaching her eyes and lighting them for the first time. "If only the three of you could see yourselves. It's very sweet of you to treat me like I'm a fragile porcelain doll, especially when I feel a bit like one, but Mikhail is in me, as I am in him. I feel what he feels and know his thoughts, although he tries to keep them from me."