by Celia Kyle
“Do you think he was targeted? Because he’d know how to stop the spread?”
I shrugged. “It’s a possibility, but there wasn’t any sign of a struggle. He could have just wandered off into the countryside. He’s also a possessive jerk, so if he comes home and finds his shit missing, he’ll come hunting for it. For now, we’ve got journals from a very powerful warlock that might help us out.”
“All right.” Jezze sighed. “I’ll work on this once we get you back to Sorsha’s.” There was a silence, and I sensed the witch’s heated glare. “I’m still mad at you for running off without me.”
I grinned. “I know you love NOLA.”
She sniffed and then laughed. “I like any chance I can get to flash my boobs.”
We were laughing—okay, I was groaning—when Sorsha walked in a few minutes later and gave me Jezze’s same lecture almost word for word. I wondered if they had a psychic link or something.
I mentally whined. I wanted a psychic link tooooo…
Hell, I had to be sick if I was pouting like Bryony.
Sorsha tended my wound, applying a new poultice that managed to smell even more rank yet sweeter than the last. Like flower petals ground into rotten eggs.
Fucked if I was going to ask her what was in the pasty mess. I knew I wouldn’t like the answer.
“You’re back on bed rest for a few days.” The stern healer glared at me when I tried to protest. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard. I warned you to take it easy. Now you get to pay the price.”
“Fine.” Honestly, I was too tired to argue. The longer I stayed awake, the more I regretted being awake. Unless I had Sam by my side. I’d definitely stay awake for his sexy ass. At least long enough to get a little frisky before I passed out.
What can I say? It had been a while and vibrators could only do so much. I’d already burned through five Hitachi Magic Wands.
They loaded me into a wheelchair and I forced myself to swallow my pride and accept that I was too weak to walk. On the good news front, Sorsha’s poultice was already making me feel better. I knew that it didn’t do anything more than mask the symptoms, but at least I wasn’t eyeballing every sharp object and wondering how long it would take me to bleed out if I stabbed myself.
Relief from the pain let my mind clear and would help me rest so I could regain my energy. Something I needed. Desperately. I was Hell damned determined to get back on my feet as soon as possible.
I dozed during the drive to Sorsha’s. The scenery passed in a blur, and not just because I was sick. I let the healer mother me while she and her assistants got me into bed and made me as comfortable as I could be. I wasn’t a big fan of fussing and pampering, but it was nice to just let someone else deal with things for a little while.
I could rest and sleep and…
And I couldn’t escape the darkness even in sleep. The infection crept into my dreams, marring them with gray, blurry bodies and eerie voices that echoed in my mind. They swarmed me, pushing and pulling, dragging me into a sea of sickness and pain. I drowned in them, ethereal hands clawing at my body. They wanted me to join them, welcome them with open arms and lose myself in the waves of so many others.
And fuck, part of me was tempted to dive into the deep, unending shadows and drink in that tainted smoke. It appealed to a part of me, a part that liked to creep out and revel in the pain of others. The part that I kept contained like a feral beast.
The sea of shadows welcomed the beast.
But I fought. I pushed, pulled, kicked, and punched at the watery mass. The beast was a part of me, but it wasn’t me. I crawled—doggy paddled—away and stretched for the surface, straining to reach open air and…
I sucked in a harsh breath, gasping as my eyes popped open. A large shape loomed above me, backlit and imposing, and I inhaled once more. My lips parted, prepared to scream for help. I was too weak to truly fight and there was no way I could win. Not now.
Except with that breath came a familiar scent. One that called to my wolf—soothing and strengthening the beast in equal measure.
Papa Al. I sighed and met his stern expression. His face was a hard, implacable mask, but there was something else in his gaze. A softness that most people didn’t get to see in the North American High Wolf. He was the Alpha of all Alphas but he always had a soft spot for his only pup—me. His scent was thick in the room, and I knew that he’d watched over me as I slept.
“Hey, Papa.” My voice sounded weak even to my own ears.
“Caith.” He brushed my hair back and a small smile curved his lips. “How are you feeling?”
“Oh, I’m golden.” I mirrored his smile. “You know, as long as I don’t have to do anything more than breathe.”
“Good. Stay in bed.” His dominance rolled over me in a slow wave. He wasn’t Papa Al in that moment, but Alpha giving a command to one of his wolves. “No arguments. Not after you ran off to New Orleans like you did.”
Hadn’t he learned that his whole alpha-dominance-thing didn’t work on me? I mean, did he not remember my teenage years? Seriously?
I didn’t remind him his orders didn’t work.
Instead, I flashed a glare at Jezze, my soon-to-be-ex BFF sitting in a chair across the room with her nose tucked in one of Keller’s journals. She must have sensed my stare because she lifted her attention just enough to meet my gaze only to immediately lower it back to the pages. I wasn’t sure if she was avoiding me out of guilt or because she didn’t like seeing me sick.
I was going with guilt.
“So Jezze told you about my little vacay?” I forced a trembling smirk.
Papa Al snorted. “Jezze didn’t rat you out. I had Gregory keeping an eye on you. He reported to me before you got on the plane to NOLA. I nearly came down here to drag you out of the airport myself, but by the time I got word, you were already in the air.”
Based on the level of his growling, I knew someone would be paying for that poor timing.
I flashed another glare at Jezze who continued to avoid my gaze. Dammit. She and Gregory had been a pretty serious thing for a while now. It wasn’t her fault her boyfriend was an evil werewolf spy under Papa Al’s control. So why the guilt? I narrowed my eyes further. The crafty bitch had known her furry-fang-bang was keeping an eye on me and had kept it to herself.
Oh, we were so going to be having a convo about that when I was well enough to kick her ass.
“I don’t need a babysitter, Papa Al,” I whined like a teenager, hoping for a smile.
Yeah, didn’t get one.
“When you stop acting like a child, I’ll stop treating you like one.”
Bastard. I ground my teeth and turned my attention to the wall. I hated it when he talked to me like that. I also hated it when he was right. I was basically a big ball of hate right now.
I knew that I’d been foolish to run off on a whim without telling anyone or asking someone to come along. What if I’d passed out at Keller’s abandoned ranch instead of on a plane? I could have died without anyone even knowing where I was.
No one would have been able to tell Bryony what had happened to his mother.
And didn’t that make me feel like the dumbest, biggest piece of shit in all the realms.
I chewed on my lower lip, angry at myself more than Papa Al, but my stubborn pride tried to push its way to the surface. I refused to admit I needed help. Ever.
“Fine.” I pushed the word past gritted teeth. “I won’t run off again. Okay?” My attention bounced between Jezze and Papa Al. Neither would meet my gaze. I repeated myself. “Okay?”
“Good.” Papa Al nodded. “But I’m leaving a couple of the boys here, just in case.”
I bit my tongue and swallowed the snarky words that leapt to my lips. I hated being babysat, but arguing was a futile endeavor. When I looked at Papa Al, my eyes searching his expression, I was sure there was more than only fatherly concern. Jezze had the same look.
Yet neither of them spoke and damned if that didn’t bug th
e shit out of me.
“Is there something you guys aren’t telling me?”
Suddenly the walls were super interesting to them both. As if they held the secrets to the universe or some shit.
If I had the strength, I’d snap and snarl at them and demand answers. Assholes. I didn’t know what they were keeping from me—if something happened while I was gone or slept—but there was something not being said. But I’d wait. I needed to pick my battles until I got my energy back. This wasn’t a battle I could win.
And I always played to win.
“There’s someone who’d like to see you.” Papa Al still wouldn’t meet my eyes and instead went to the door. He stepped into the hall and waved someone forward.
Esmeralda strode into the room with Bryony clinging to her hand.
I smiled widely and sat up a bit, taking Papa Al’s help when he came forward. I could be brave in front of my kid. I could pretend I wasn’t on my deathbed and thinking about funeral arrangements.
Esmeralda lifted Bry and sat him on the bed next to me. I grabbed his little hand. “Hey kiddo. How’s it going?”
“Fine,” Bryony mumbled, not quite meeting my eyes. He swung his short legs, bouncing them up and down over the edge of the bed. “I missed you.”
I ran my fingers through his hair. “I missed you too, buddy. Sorry I had to go so quickly like that. Momma had some business to take care of.”
He nodded, but still wouldn’t look at me. “Did you stop the bad guys?”
“Not this time. I had to go see a friend I thought could help me out.”
“Is he gonna?”
“Maybe,” I hedged. It wasn’t a lie. His books might help, right? “He wasn’t home, but I’m gonna see if I can find him.”
“Oh. Okay. Are you coming home soon?” The scent of his worry clouded the small room, overriding the scents of the others. I wanted to reassure him, but I didn’t know what to say. I could reassure him that his Mom was invincible and would hop out of this bed in no time, but if I got worse…
I looked at Jezze again and she looked away, burying her nose in Keller’s journal once more.
Yeah, she was keeping something from me, but I wasn’t going to bring it up in front of Bry. He needed to see a united family. Arguing with Jezze would only upset him more.
“Maybe in a couple of days.” I squeezed his hand. “Sorsha wants me to stick around for a little while longer. She’s really good with her medicines. You know that, right?”
Bryony nodded and finally looked up at me, unshed tears clouding his eyes. The kid was too perceptive for his age and I had no doubt that he saw the writing on the wall.
“Can I come see you after school tomorrow?”
“Of course.” I tousled his hair. “You can bring your homework and we can work on it together. How’s that sound?”
“Okay.” He nodded again but then narrowed his eyes. “But not math. You stink at math, Mom.”
I huffed. This was an old argument. “If On High didn’t want us to have calculators, he wouldn’t have allowed humans to invent them.”
Sorsha stepped into the room, her gaze sweeping over the small crowd of visitors. “I’m sorry, but I think it’s time for Caith to get some rest. You can all come back tomorrow.”
Bryony hung his head and I tugged him close to give him a hug. “Be good for Esmeralda.” I pressed a kiss to his temple. “Okay? If she tells me you’ve been bad, you’re gonna answer to me.”
I added a growl to the end so he knew I was super serious.
Of course, the kid knew me better than that. He grinned and giggled. “Okay. I promise.”
Esmeralda helped him hop to the ground and led him from the room. Jezze followed, barely glancing over her shoulder at me.
“See you tomorrow,” she threw the words over her shoulder just before she turned the corner. Tension consumed her voice, but I didn’t stop her. Maybe that was stubborn and petty, but I didn’t like it when my friends kept secrets from me.
Papa Al was the last to leave. He paused in the doorway, glare in place. “A couple of the boys will be here all night.”
“To keep me from breaking out and gallivanting across the countryside?” I smirked. Because, yeah, I’d done that once or twice.
His mouth twisted into a wry grin. “To protect you, Caith dear.”
I snorted. Papa Al’s version of “protection” didn’t only mean from outside enemies. Nah, he’d protect me from what he considered my own foolishness.
Whatever. Jump from the Empire State Building one time and suddenly every decision I made was irresponsible.
Chapter Nine
The next day, Esmeralda brought Bry to the clinic for a visit and homework after school (homework that did not include math). I hated that he had to come to the clinic to see me instead of meeting him at home, but I’d been slipping in an out of consciousness all day. While the bed rest and medication was helping, I knew I needed to remain under Sorsha’s care.
I had Bryony tucked against me, my arm around him while he snuggled into my side. He read to me, his voice firm and sure, and I only had to help him with a word or two here and there. My kid was seriously smart.
We were in the middle of a story when a knock at the door interrupted his narration. I bit back the growl that jumped to my lips, my wolf hating the intrusion. I gave my son a small squeeze and turned my attention to the door. Rush poked his head through the doorway.
“So,” I eyed the big Nordic gel, “if you’re here, does that mean an army of ghouls is about to break down the door? Tell them to come back later. I have to wash my hair.”
Ugh. If I’m being honest, I had to color it too. My roots were growing out and the purple stripes were looking closer to a washed out pink than the vibrant grape Kool-Aid I was used to.
“Nothing so dramatic.” A smile touched Rush’s lips, but not his eyes. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Yes.” I held Bry a bit closer and glared at the gel. “But I’m guessing you wouldn’t be here unless it was important.”
“But, Mom,” Bry drew my gaze. Even when he frowned he was adorable. “We’re reading.”
See? Totally smart. The kid liked reading for Hell’s sake.
“I know, kiddo.” I kissed the top of his head, a wave of love washing over my heart. I drew in his scent and my wolf calmed slightly with the new rush of his innate aroma. “I’m sure this won’t take long. Can you give me a couple minutes?”
Bryony frowned at Rush and didn’t make any move to crawl from the bed. “Mom has a mate. He’s big. And mean. He could take you.”
I sighed. This was what came from my kid getting to know Sam. I loved that Bryony liked my mate and accepted that Sam had a place in my life. I didn’t like how he told every guy he met that I had a mate.
“Bryony Letholdus Finn Eron Percival Alrick Morningstar.” I’m thinking that naming him after all my fathers might have been a mistake. “What did I say?”
He huffed. “But Mooom…”
“Rush is a friend of Sam’s.”
“Oh.” His voice was small and then he—just like his dear kinda-old Mom—looked Rush up and down. “I guess he’s okay then.”
“I am only here to keep your mother safe.” Rush entered the room fully and straightened. “I gave Samkiel my word that I would protect her with my life.”
Bry’s attention turned to me, his expression a little less hesitant this time.
“I think he’s an okay guy,” I whispered. Then, loudly enough for Rush to hear, I added, “for a gel.”
Bry giggled, high-pitched and carefree, and then clambered off the bed. “Okay, but you better finish the story later.”
“Promise.” I made an X over my chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die then get sent to On High.”
That brought on another round of giggles and Bry ran to the door. Rush held it open and I spotted Esmeralda in the hallway waiting for him. While she led my kid to the waiting room, I pushed myself upright in the bed, ready to face
whatever bad news the gel dragged behind him. I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. I’m not a big fan of angels, with the exception of Sam.
“So.” I crossed my arms. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve continued to investigate the ghoul attacks.”
“Any progress?” As much as I hated to admit it, he probably had a few more resources in his back pocket than my gang.
“Some.” He reached into his coat and withdrew a map. He unfolded the page and handed it to me. Red circles marred the drawing of Orlando, marking what I knew were confirmed attacks. They appeared random, without any pattern or similarity between locations. I continued to study the map, hoping I’d find something that pointed to the bad guy’s evil lair. Like a great big arrow that said “bomb here plz.”
“I’ve confirmed it’s a witch or warlock behind the attacks. The mystical energies are all over the area whenever the ghouls appear. The problem is that the energy signature has been masked in some way. It prevents me from tracing it to its source.”
I frowned at the map. “So, nothing helpful.”
I already had a great big pile of unhelpful.
Rush rolled his eyes and glared at me.
Dude. An angel rolled his eyes. That seemed like a very un-gel like thing to do.
“I sent word to On High. Several archangels have been sent to assist with the situation.”
I arched a brow. Archangels were serious business. They were far more powerful than the regular gels, and that was saying something. Gels were powerhouses by anyone’s standards. Sending archangels meant On High was taking the threat seriously. They were the heavyweights coming down to kick ass and take names so the fuckers responsible could get sent down to Uncle Luc.
Shit had just gotten real.
“Did they find anything useful then?” As Lucifer’s niece, I had to be a bit bitchy about anything from On High. It was a thing. Otherwise Uncle Luc would revoke my Mistress o’ Evil card.