Written In Red: A Novel of the Others

by Anne Bishop

  “Is that necessary?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Yes, sir, it is.”

  Simon blinked. “Winter is outside.” He walked out of the room.

  “I have to take care of other patients,” Lorenzo said. He looked toward the two nurses.

  “I’ll keep an eye on Ms. Corbyn,” Monty said. “Your people are needed elsewhere.”

  When Lorenzo and the nurses left, Monty noticed the Other who crouched against the wall outside the room. “I’m Lieutenant Montgomery. Can you tell me what happened in the Courtyard?”

  “I know who you are,” the male replied wearily, pushing to his feet. “I’m Jester.” He walked into the exam room and closed the door. “I can tell you some of it.”

  When Jester finished, Monty stepped out of the room and called his men. He couldn’t reach Kowalski, who had been trying to ski to the Courtyard, and hoped the man had found shelter somewhere. Debany and MacDonald were a few blocks from the hospital and were bringing in some injured citizens. When he reached Burke and gave a summary of what had happened, the captain agreed with the necessity for guards while the Liaison was in the hospital and an abduction attempt was still a possibility.

  Sending Jester to fetch one of the plastic chairs from the waiting room, Monty stood by the bed. Was Meg’s breathing labored? Was she too pale?

  He leaned down and said quietly, “Ms. Corbyn? You’re safe now. We’re going to keep you safe. But you have to help us. We all need you to get well.”

  Her eyes fluttered open.

  “Meg?”

  “Cold.” Her voice was barely audible. “Cold.”

  “We’ll get you warm.”

  Her eyes closed.

  A minute later, he heard Jester set down a chair by the door—and Simon Wolfgard returned, snow melting off the fur covering the mostly human body.

  “She woke up for a moment,” Monty said.

  Simon rushed to the side of the bed. “Meg? Meg!”

  “I’ll let Dr. Lorenzo know she came around that much.” Leaving Simon and Jester to stand watch, Monty found the doctor and reported. Then he found Louis, who was trying to reach his own team. Finally, he found a vending machine, got a cup of coffee, and returned to the exam room to begin his shift of guard duty.

  * * *

  Still in human form, his clothes spattered with Hurricane’s blood, Jester curled up in a corner of the exam room, his head pressed to his knees. He whined softly for a few minutes, then drifted off to sleep.

  Simon stood by the bed, watching Meg. He felt so confused, so . . . angry. He had a reason to be angry. The enemy had invaded the Courtyard, had destroyed buildings, had killed some of the terra indigene. And they had threatened Sam and tried to take Meg. Even so, this angry didn’t feel right, and the closer he was to human, the more he felt not right.

  “Did you take anything before you started feeling angry?” Monty had asked. The possible answer to the question made him uneasy, so he wasn’t going to think about it. Not now.

  He glanced at the closed door. Meg was cold, shivering. The blankets weren’t helping. He knew what he would do for a member of his pack. He carefully got onto the narrow hospital bed, grumbling because it was barely wide enough for a single human. After fixing the covers over him and Meg, he shifted to Wolf and curled his tail over her feet.

  Much better.

  She couldn’t hear him, couldn’t answer, but he called anyway.

  He stretched his neck, sniffing at the bandages that covered the gash in her chin. He didn’t like them. They shouldn’t be there. He wanted to pull them off and lick the wound. Lick and lick until it healed.

  He drew back his head. He had promised to leave the bandages alone. He’d brought her here for human healing, so he mustn’t undo what the doctor had done.

  Not so angry now. Not feeling so alone now with his body touching hers.

  Winter outside in the sleigh, those cold, rage-filled eyes fixed on him when he came out to talk to her.

  he’d said.

  Winter nodded. Then she and Air drove off. And as he turned to go back inside, the wind died down and the snow stopped falling.

  The door opened. Simon turned his head and bared his teeth, ready to spring up and attack. But it was Dr. Lorenzo, so he stayed where he was.

  “I came in to check on Ms. Corbyn,” the doctor said. “I’ll check her pulse, then use a stethoscope to listen to her heart and lungs.” He touched her wrist and looked at his watch. Then he put the metal disk on her chest and appeared to be listening.

  Could Lorenzo hear the little rattle in her lungs that Simon could hear without the disk?

  “Pneumonia’s a concern,” Lorenzo said quietly. “But she might avoid any problems.” He glanced at the Wolf body under the covers. “The main thing now is to keep her warm.”

  When Lorenzo left, Simon stretched out his neck again, still wanting to get rid of those bandages and the medicine smell under them. With a quiet grumble, he licked her arm instead.

  Her fingers flexed, burrowed into his fur.

 

  “Don’t tell Simon about spinning the BOW,” she mumbled.

  He lifted his head.

  But she was asleep again.

  Nowhere to go. Nothing he could do while she was here. Settling his head on her shoulder, he closed his eyes and slept.

  CHAPTER 29

  Vlad studied the ash that drifted off the two bodies. The last two enemies had been in sight of the Corvine entrance, had almost escaped. Riding their machines, they might have gotten out if they’d met up with anyone but Fire.

  Suddenly aware that the swooshing sound he’d been hearing for the past minute had stopped, he looked toward the open gate. The figure hesitated, then came forward, moving slowly on skis.

  “Mr. Sanguinati? It’s Officer Kowalski. I work with Lieutenant Montgomery.”

  He recognized the voice, but he still felt suspicious. “Do humans ski during storms?”

  “No, sir, not by choice. But I heard about the explosion in the Courtyard and was coming to see if I could help when I got caught in the blizzard. My mobile phone is still working, and I got a call through to the station. The lieutenant’s teams are heading for the hospital. Protection for Ms. Corbyn while she’s there.”

  Still trying to work out if there was another message under the words, Vlad looked toward the Wolfgard part of the Courtyard as howls filled the air.

  “Problem?” Kowalski asked.

  “One of the Wolves died.”

  “In the storm?”

  “He was shot by the intruders.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  And Kowalski was genuinely sorry, Vlad realized. He looked at the two snowmobiles that Fire had left untouched. “Do you know how to work these machines?”

  “I’ve ridden on them a few times, so I know enough to drive one.”

  “Then you will show me, and we’ll use the machines to reach the hospital.”

  * * *

  Picking up the steaming mug of tea, Henry walked over to the windows of his studio. Nothing he wanted to see out there. Not tonight. Terra indigene had died today, and some humans had died in the storm that was the Elementals’ response to those deaths—and to the harm done to Meg.

  The intruders had also died, and that was good.

  Now they would see if the humans would resume their wary peace with the terra indigene or if there would be war. He hoped the humans would show some sense. It had been many years since the terra indigene had crushed a human city. If it came to that here, he would regret the deaths of some of these people.

  Shaking his head, Henry sipped his tea. No point stirring up the bees if you weren’t looking for honey.

  On his way back to this part of the Courtyard, he’d found Nathan, exhausted and half frozen, still trying to chase after that Asia. But Tess had dealt with Asia Crane, so Henry shifted from spirit bear to Grizzly and broke the trail for the Wo
lf right up to the back door of the efficiency apartments. The girls had put Nathan’s paws in warm water to melt the ice clumped between his pads, had patted him dry with towels, and given him food and water. Now Nathan and John were curled up in the apartment, asleep, while the girls were at A Little Bite, making food and hot drinks. And Lorne, with Henry’s permission, was in the social center, letting the stranded use the toilets and rest in a warm place for a while.

  Last winter they would have stood behind their locked doors and watched the humans die. But things had changed around the Lakeside Courtyard, and those changes held promise for all of Namid’s children. So he hoped the human government would be wise enough not to choose war.

  * * *

  Meg woke slowly, feeling a rattle and burn in her chest.

  White room. The hated and feared bed. And a figure at the end of the bed.

  “No,” she moaned. Had it been a dream, a delusion?

  “Meg?” The figure leaped toward her, his weird-shaped hands coming down on either side of her head. “Stay awake, Meg. Stay awake!”

  A face out of nightmares, out of visions of dark water and terrible cold. Then the fur receded and she recognized him. “S-Simon?”

  Red flickered in his amber eyes and he snarled at her. “If you ever scare me like this again, I will eat you!” Then he pressed his forehead against her arm and whined.

  Not a dream? She had reached the Courtyard, had been building the life that had swum through the dark dreams? “Where are we?”

  “Hospital.” He raised his head and snarled again. “You stupid female. You fell through the ice and cut your chin!”

  He paced, he panted, he snarled and whined. He threatened to eat her a half dozen times. But when he howled, all kinds of people ran into the room.

  Terror filled her when she saw the man in the white coat—the same kind of coat that had been worn by the Walking Names—but Lieutenant Montgomery was the next person into the room, followed by Vladimir Sanguinati.

  “Ms. Corbyn, I’m Dr. Lorenzo,” the white coat said. “You’re awake, and that’s welcome news.” He slanted a glance at Simon. “Although hospitals are supposed to be quiet zones, even when there is good news.”

  Simon just growled at the doctor.

  “I want to leave,” Meg said, desperate to get away from the bed and the room that felt too much like the compound, like a cage.

  Dr. Lorenzo shook his head. “Considering the condition of the streets, none of us are going anywhere until morning. Besides, you need warmth and rest. Which is why Lieutenant Montgomery, Mr. Sanguinati, and I were talking about moving you to a private room on another floor. It will be quieter, and, frankly, we need the exam rooms down here in emergency.”

  “I agree with Dr. Lorenzo,” Vlad said. “A private room will be less stressful for everyone.”

  “But I want to leave,” Meg said, looking at Simon. Would he understand why she was afraid to be here?

  Simon hesitated, then shook his head. “Your lungs rattle. I can hear them. We’ll stay here until your lungs don’t rattle.”

  So they bundled her up, plunked her in a wheelchair, and took her up to another room, where they tucked her into another bed, gave her warm drinks and a bowl of soup, and then left her with the vampire and the Wolf.

  “Sam?” she asked.

  “He’s fine,” Simon said.

  “He’s a little hoarse from howling for so long,” Vlad said. “But otherwise, he’s fine. After we sent news to the Courtyard that you would be all right, he settled down. He’s still with Grandfather Erebus. They’re watching movies.”

  “Kept him safe,” she whispered.

  “You should have stayed with Erebus too,” Simon growled. “Stupid female. And I do not want to know about you spinning the BOW, because I’m sure I would have to bite you.”

  She blinked at him. Oh. That wasn’t a dream either?

  Vlad chuckled, an earthy sound. “Let it go, Simon. It’s probably best if we don’t know too much about how our Meg ended up in the creek.”

  “Asia,” Meg said. “She came to the apartments. She tried to take Sam. Did she get away?”

  They both shrugged, but she saw the look they exchanged. And she wondered how much special meat was going to be available to the Courtyard’s residents over the next few days.

  CHAPTER 30

  Throughout the night, Monty, Louis, and Kowalski stood shifts outside Meg Corbyn’s hospital room, while Debany and MacDonald ferried medicines to people who needed them and could be reached. At one point, Jester had ridden back to the Courtyard with Vlad, who returned with clothes for Simon and Meg, two more snowmobiles that the Others offered to MacDonald and Debany for their use . . . and Jake Crowgard.

  Monty didn’t ask about the location of the previous owners of the snowmobiles. Maybe they would be filling out DLU forms for those men; maybe not.

  By dawn, news began filtering in.

  Lakeside was cut off for the time being, not only by a record snowfall but by the “glaciers” that blocked every road out of the city. Monty wondered if spot melting to clear a road or two was possible—if anyone dared to approach the Courtyard and ask politely.

  An hour earlier, Officer Debany called to tell him Asia Crane had been found dead in her car. Monty hoped he never heard that much controlled terror in a man’s voice again.

  The shifters and the vampires are the buffer between us and the rest of what lives in the Courtyards, Monty thought. We were given a glimpse yesterday. Let’s hope we’re smart enough to heed the warning.

  He pushed to his feet when he saw Douglas Burke walk toward him, then walk past him a few steps—just far enough so they wouldn’t be directly outside Meg Corbyn’s room.

  “Captain.”

  “Lieutenant.” Burke hesitated. “Thought you should know. Our mayor died in the blizzard.” There was a peculiar, almost fearful note in his voice.

  “He was out in it?” Monty asked.

  “He was in his bedroom, with the door locked and the windows shut. When they found him this morning, the room was filled with snow, floor to ceiling. Medical examiner will have to determine if he froze to death or smothered—or died of some other cause, since there are some suspicious wounds around major arteries and an insufficient amount of blood around the body.” He paused. “The acting mayor wants it known that he will do his utmost to maintain a cordial relationship with the terra indigene.” Another pause. Burke lowered his voice even more and added, “Between you and me, I think the terra indigene connected His Honor’s interest in apprehending Meg Corbyn with the attack on the Courtyard and the abduction attempt. And that’s why they killed him.”

  “But the governor was the one who had pushed for it, sending the orders down the line.” Monty studied his captain’s face and felt chilled. “What else happened?”

  “The governor of the Northeast Region also died last night.”

  “But the governor lives in Hubbney.” The actual name was Hubb NE. A small town that was the hub of government for the Northeast, it was an hour’s train ride north of Toland, and it was hundreds of miles away from Lakeside. “How did he die?” Heart attack? Monty hoped. Or a traffic accident?

  “He froze to death in his bathtub.” Burke’s smile held no humor. “Not only did the water freeze around him so fast he wasn’t able to escape, but it somehow forced its way down his throat and then froze in his lungs. A hideous way to die, I should think.”

  “Not too dissimilar to what might have happened to a woman if she fell through the ice while being pursued by unknown assailants,” Monty said, shuddering.

  “Not too dissimilar,” Burke agreed.

  So the Others had decided the governor was also to blame for the attack and had reached across hundreds of miles to eliminate another enemy.

  “Well,” Burke said. “I’m guessing the hospital has provided a place for their staff and law enforcement to crash, so why don’t you take a couple of hours?”

  Monty tipped his head
toward the door. “It’s my shift.”

  “I’m taking your shift, Lieutenant. Get some rest. You’ve earned it.”

  He was swaying on his feet, so he didn’t argue. But he did wonder which one would be the first to poke his head out the door to get a look at the unfamiliar police officer: the Wolf, the vampire, or the Crow.

  CHAPTER 31

  On the Thaisday after the storm, Monty walked into Howling Good Reads and nodded to Heather as he scanned the front of the store. Then he walked up to the counter, giving her a warm smile.

  “I noticed the Open sign,” he said. He and his men had driven by several times a day once the roads were cleared, checking for that sign. “No customers today?”

  “Not yet,” Heather replied with forced brightness. Then she pointed to the stacks of paper on the counter and the full cart of books. “But there are plenty of orders to bundle up for shipping.”

  You’re not sure the human customers will come back, Monty thought. He had wondered the same thing. Just like he’d wondered if the Others would open any of these stores to humans again. The Lakeside Courtyard was the most progressive Courtyard in the whole of Thaisia, with its human employees and human customers. Granted, humans still had limited access, but it was a positive start that could ripple through the continent and ease a little of the ever-present tension between humans and Others in cities and towns across Thaisia. But the Lakeside mayor and Northeast Region governor aiding and abetting someone the terra indigene considered an enemy could also ripple through the continent, and the storm in Lakeside and the slaughter in Jerzy were grim reminders of how the Others took care of difficulties caused by humans.

  And yet there had been a bright note, and that’s what had brought him to HGR as soon as the store reopened.

  “I’d like a word with Mr. Wolfgard if he’s in,” Monty said.

  “I’ll see if he’s available.” Heather picked up the phone and dialed an extension. “Mr. Wolfgard? Lieutenant Montgomery would like to speak with you.” A pause. “Okay, I’ll tell him.” She smiled at Monty. “He says to go back to the stockroom.”