by Deanna Chase
“We’ll know more once I’m done in the lab.” He squeezed my hand, then quietly slipped out of the room.
I sat on the edge of Dax’s bed, trying to get my shit together. Leo had been hauled off to a cage somewhere while Tal was playing scientist in the lab. And here I was on the verge of my own fucking breakdown. First my brother had suddenly appeared after eight long years. Then he disappeared right before my eyes. Now Dax’s life was in danger. And all I felt was helpless.
Of all the skills I possessed, bringing my shifter boyfriend back from the brink of death, wasn’t one of them. That was Talisen’s domain… and maybe Healer Imogen’s. She was a gifted healer with a new practice in New Orleans. She also did work for Cryrique. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts, hovering over her name. Should I call her? She didn’t work for the Void. The director would be pissed if I brought in someone from the outside. Especially someone with ties to Allcot.
I glanced at Dax again, taking in his lifeless form. I knew then that I’d call the other healer if my back was against the wall, but I owed it to the director to at least ask her first. Leaning down, I brushed my lips over his forehead and said, “You better wake up. I’m not standing for this weak-ass bullshit where you lie around in a hospital bed while I tackle this next case by myself. You hear me?”
There was no response from my shifter. Not even an elevated heart rate. Sighing, I brushed his hair out of his eyes, then turned and headed for the director’s office.
“Kilsen. Good, you’re here,” Director Halston said as I strode into her office. She made a note in a file and waved at one of the chairs in front of her desk.
I shook my head. “I’ll stand.”
“Suit yourself,” she said, her voice clipped. “There’s been a development in the case I gave you this morning.”
“You’re kidding.” My eyebrows shot up. “I haven’t even started working on it yet.”
“I know. I was just alerted to a case up in Jackson that might mirror our investigation. There’s been a shifter who was given what they thought was a fatal dose of Scarlet. Only he didn’t die. He was in a coma, and when he woke up, he appeared to be fine. Seven days later, he went insane and killed half his pack.”
Her words hit me with such force I felt like I’d been sucker punched in the gut, and I slowly lowered myself to the metal chair behind me. It was a weak reaction. I was a powerful witch. A vampire hunter. I’d recently stopped a war between vampires and shifters. Frankly, I was a badass. But the thought of losing Dax had all but paralyzed me. “Killed them how?”
She looked up from her file and stared me straight in the eye. “He just snapped. One minute he was enjoying a barbeque with his buddies and the next he was ripping throats out. No one survived.”
“Not even the shifter?” I asked, fighting the urge to press my hand to my throat in horror. I’d already shown enough weakness in this meeting. If the director thought I was falling apart, she’d replace me in two seconds flat. And that was unacceptable. I was going to hunt down Strix and whoever was responsible for Rhea’s death and make them pay. It would be very inconvenient if I was taken out of the field and assigned to a desk.
She pressed her lips into a thin line as she shook her head. “The Void branch had to put him down.”
“Christ,” I said, blinking in disbelief. “How could they…” I let out a long breath and added, “Never mind. They did what they had to do.”
“Just as you would, Kilsen,” she said with a nod.
It was good to know the director had confidence in me. Because I sure the hell didn’t. If I was the one holding the sword and Dax was the one I had to slay, I honestly didn’t know if I could strike the final blow. Sure, I could kick his ass from here to Sunday, but kill him? No. I didn’t think so.
The director and I stared at each other, and I had a moment to wonder what she was thinking. Her expression was hard and determined, just the way it was every day. The director didn’t let shit get to her. Or if she did, she never let it show. It was a trait I admired and one I tried hard to mimic. I usually did too, right up until my small circle of friends ended up in the middle of the fray.
“There’s more,” she said.
I blinked, forcing myself to focus. “I’m listening.”
“Those five other shifters who survived their overdoses, you need to bring them in. We need to monitor them until we’re sure they won’t succumb to the same fate.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “And Dax? Will you force him to stay here too?” Assuming he woke up from his coma. But I wasn’t willing to voice my fear. I didn’t even want to consider such a horrible outcome.
She drummed her fingers on her desk, contemplating my question. “Under normal circumstances we would, but he has contacts with the shifter community. And we need all hands on deck. When he wakes, and if he’s able, he can work with you. But you should be prepared if he loses control,” Halston said. “Can you do that?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation. As much as I cared for him, if he lost it and started hurting people, I’d stop him. I’d find a way to incapacitate him until the healers found a solution to his madness. One way or another, I’d do what I had to in order to protect the people of New Orleans.
She stood and leaned over her desk as she pierced me with her stare. “I’m counting on you to make sure you find an antidote and/or keep your partner in line once he wakes up. There will not be innocent blood on our hands. Understood?”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. I got to my feet, determination filling all my hollow spaces. “Got it. In order to make sure we’ve exhausted every lead that may help us keep Dax’s inner wolf in check, I’d like to bring Healer Imogen in to take a look at him.”
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Allcot’s witch?”
I nodded, not even bothering to argue her status. I wasn’t exactly sure what Imogen was doing for the powerful vampire, but as we both well knew, no association with Allcot came without strings. If she wasn’t already doing him favors, she soon would be. Just like how I’d turned a blind eye to some of his dealings in New Orleans because he’d been protecting Willow’s pseudo sister-in-law and her nephew from those who would use Beau Junior’s gifts to their advantage. I wasn’t ashamed of what I did or didn’t do for the vampire. I did what I had to, just like everyone else in this corrupt town.
“What about Talisen Kavanagh? You don’t think he’s got the chops to deal with this?” she asked.
“It’s not that I don’t think Tal can handle it, it’s just that I think Imogen likely has more knowledge in this particular case. The sooner we know the specifics, the sooner we can get Dax back on his feet. And she can probably help with the other five shifters who suffered an overdose once we track them down. Maybe let her check them over and see if there are any similarities in their condition or warning signs they’re about to lose control.”
The director sucked in a deep breath through her nose. A bad sign. That meant she was gearing up to give 101 reasons why the answer was no.
“Allcot owes me a favor,” I said, referring to the fact that I’d recently helped him save his consort from an insane shifter and a youth-obsessed sorceress. “If I show up with her at my side to collect the favor, it’s much more likely he’ll share any information he might have about the drug with her. The more information we have, the better Dax’s chances will be to survive this. Allcot won’t trust Talisen with the same information.”
The director slowly sat back in her chair. After a moment, she nodded, though there was no denying the reluctance in her gray eyes. “Fine. I’ll let you consult with her on Marrok’s case, but she signs a nondisclosure, and I want you to keep her on a need-to-know basis. No details about the vamp who attacked Marrok, and definitely don’t let on that we’re investigating the trafficking of this drug. If Allcot is behind it, we don’t want him alerted.”
“Got it.” I stood and strode toward the door, already itching to get back to Dax’s side
.
“Kilsen?”
I paused and glanced back. “Yes?”
“If you’re too emotionally invested, tell me now. I’ll get another agent on this. I— The Void can’t afford the PR nightmare that would come with a mass murdering of the city’s shifters.”
I stood completely still, processing what she’d just said. PR nightmare? That was what she was worried about? Disgust and hatred for the system, the politics, and the cold, calculating nature of the director rose up and nearly made me lash out. How dare she reduce Dax’s critical condition down to what it would look like should too many shifters die? But I knew that if I let my true feelings show, I’d be benched so fast my ass would be full of splinters. I gave her a tight smile, one I knew must’ve looked more like grim acceptance than anything else. “I’m fine. I’ve got this.”
She leaned back in her chair, seemingly relieved by my response, and picked up the phone. Without another word to me, she hit a button and said, “Get Senator Quinton on the line.”
7
I leaned against the nondescript brick building in the heart of the Irish Channel and watched the gorgeous woman with the porcelain skin gracefully exit her white BMW. Allcot was definitely taking care of his bought-and-paid-for healer. She was dressed in an expensive-looking tailored suit and wore black Louis Vuitton high heels.
Healer Imogen grabbed her leather satchel out of the back seat, then turned and gave me a big smile as she waved, clearly pleased to see me. I waved back but couldn’t match her enthusiasm. I’d just come from Dax’s room, and his skin was taking on a grayish tone. If I hadn’t felt his pulse, I’d have been certain we’d already lost him. Talisen was doing everything he could to keep Dax breathing, but it was obvious he was in over his head.
“I hope you have some serious tricks up your sleeve, because Dax is going to need them,” I said, handing her the nondisclosure agreement. “You need to sign this before I can let you in the building.”
She glanced down at it and frowned. “The director doesn’t trust me.”
It wasn’t a question, just a statement. “The director doesn’t trust anybody. That can’t be a surprise. I’m sure Allcot had you sign something similar.”
She shrugged one shoulder, making a noncommittal gesture, then read the simple one-page NDA. It basically said anything she saw or heard while doing work for or with the Void was confidential. She pulled out a pen, scribbled her name at the bottom, and handed it back to me.
“Thanks.” I clutched the paperwork in one hand as I led the way through the glass doors toward the security screening area. “She’s going through with me,” I told the guard as I gestured for her to hand over her satchel.
“You know we can’t allow that,” he said, stepping in front of me and crossing his arms. “She needs to go through the neutralizer like everyone else.”
I narrowed my eyes. “She’s a goddamned healer, Frank. If you neutralize her, you’ll be fucking up the entire reason I brought her here.”
The neutralizer was the screening that zapped a supernatural being’s power, rendering them mostly harmless while they were in the Void building. It wasn’t pleasant and left a person feeling like their life force had all but been ripped from them.
“She’s here for Marrok,” Frank’s partner pointed out.
Frank just shrugged. “I don’t give a fuck about some egotistical piece-of-trash shifter who thinks he’s better than me just because he was born with an eight-pack and has women falling at his feet.”
I stared at the portly security guard and would’ve laughed if I wasn’t so pissed off. “Your insecurity is showing, Frank. Now step aside. Imogen and I have work to do.”
He still didn’t budge. His partner tsked and shook his head as he retreated, clearly knowing what was coming next.
“I’m not letting her through unless the director herself comes down and approves this. Even then I might put that bag of hers through the neutralizer,” Frank said. “I don’t care if she does have perky breasts and an ass most men would sell their soul for. No one is getting the jump on me.”
“I am,” I said, too pissed off to care that I’d likely be sanctioned for my actions. Without any warning, I reached out and grabbed him by the neck. And even though he weighed well over two hundred pounds, my magic kicked in and with hardly any effort at all, I threw him against the wall and watched him crumple to the floor. “That’s for holding us up and judging Imogen on her tits and ass. Next time, keep your bullshit observations to yourself, jackass.”
“This is how your coworkers treat you?” Imogen asked with an air of disbelief as she followed me through the nonmagical metal detector. “No wonder you’re cranky so often.”
I glanced back at her and let out a surprised bark of laughter. “Usually they’re cool. It’s just that Frank there was dumped by his shifter girlfriend a few weeks ago, and now he apparently has a grudge against the entire species.”
“Shifters are trash,” Frank called from where he was still slumped against the wall. “She left me over ten pounds. Ten fucking pounds. Shallow bitch,” he muttered.
I glanced at Bernard. “Get him an appointment with the Void’s psychologist, will you? If he behaves like that to someone less understanding, he’s really going to get his ass kicked.”
“I’m already on it. Yesterday he cussed out the director’s assistant. It wasn’t pretty,” Bernard said.
“Christ.” I shook my head. “Poor Maria. Did she tell the director?”
“No. I don’t think so. But she did threaten to spell his dick off if he spoke to her that way again. I don’t think she was kidding either.”
I snorted. “Serves him right.” I waved a goodbye and ushered Imogen to the elevator.
“Really get his ass kicked?” Imogen asked, taking strides so long she was quickly going to outpace me. “What do you call that back there?”
I quickened my steps. “I was just putting him in his place. He’s a power-hungry douche canoe. I’ll be damned if I’m going to take his shit.”
“You didn’t want to report him?” she asked curiously, following me into the elevator.
I took a moment to consider her question as the elevator shot up three floors. “I probably should in order to start the paper trail, but I’m guessing he won’t fuck with me again. Not after that. He won’t want me to embarrass him, which I will because I’m about a hundred times more powerful than he is.”
“Is he a witch?” she asked, frowning. “I didn’t feel any magical energy streaming from him.”
It was a valid question. Just as I’d felt Simone’s power and Dax’s neighbor’s power, Frank’s should’ve been giving off something. I’d never felt anything from him. “I’m told he has some witch blood, but as far as I know, his only power is being able to sense the abilities of other supernaturals. It’s likely why he was insisting you go through the neutralizer. You have too much power and it makes him uncomfortable.”
“Interesting.” She clutched her healer’s bag. “It’s hard to imagine someone so surly keeping his job.”
I shrugged. “He used to be good at it. Now he’s a jackass.” I opened Dax’s door and said, “Forget Frank. Dax is in here.”
Imogen slipped into the room and immediately moved to Dax’s side. She took one look at him, then glanced up at me. “This isn’t good. I’m going to need your help. Now.”
I hurried over to the other side of the bed so that I was standing across from her and waited for instructions. Imogen had used my magic to boost her healing energy before. There was no reason to believe it couldn’t work again. I glanced down at Dax’s ghostly face and cursed myself for letting Frank waste precious moments down in the lobby. If anything happened to Dax, that dickhead was going to pay big-time.
“I need your hands here,” Imogen said, nodding to her hands that she’d already placed over Dax’s heart.
I slipped my chilled fingers over her warm ones and waited.
Her piercing blue eyes stared right
through me as she appeared lost in concentration. Magic sparked at her fingertips, instantly drawing power from mine. “That’s it,” she whispered, her tone ethereal. “Just let the magic flow freely.”
My instinct was to call up every last drop of power I possessed. If she needed it to heal Dax, then she could have it, do whatever she wanted to with it. I didn’t care just as long as she brought him out of the drug-induced coma. But I didn’t want to unleash more than she was ready for, so I tried to relax and just let my magic naturally fuse with hers.
“Yes, just like that,” she said as her body gently swayed back and forth. “Perfect, Phoebe.”
Her words only added to my frustration. I didn’t want to be gentle or engage in some sort of new age magic ritual. I wanted to kick someone’s ass. Beat down the vampire who was responsible for this nightmare.
The collective magic intensified, and despite the fact we were in a windowless room, a wind picked up, blowing Imogen’s long auburn hair out behind her. “Now, Phoebe,” she ordered. “Send in every bit of light you possess. He needs it now.”
“Light?” I asked.
“Yes, we need to pull him from the darkness. Now, Phoebe. Do it now!” Thunder rumbled through the room as her hair started to rise from the static electricity. I focused on the agate set in the bracelet at my wrist, then imagined using it to blast the vampire who’d done this to Dax.
A brilliant bright light flashed beneath our joined hands then hovered for a moment over his skin like an oil slick.
“No, dammit!” I cried, still trying to pour my magic into Imogen’s fingers. I caught her worried expression and felt my heart nearly break in two. “This is not how he’s going to go out. Do you understand me?”
“Of course he isn’t,” she said calmly. “Your love is going to keep him here.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start with that bullshit. Love isn’t the magical answer to everything. Besides, we’re not in love. We’re just screwing.”