‘She was shot,’ Jake replied as he scooped a whimpering Beau off the floor before someone tripped over him.
‘No shit Sherlock,’ she snapped as she tore away the material revealing a large hole in her shoulder, blood spilling out profusely. She grabbed a wad of surgical padding and pressed it hard to the wound. ‘Who the hell shot her?’
‘Her mother,’ Theo replied.
Louisa’s head snapped up to meet Jake’s gaze.
‘It’s true Lou,’ he answered angrily. ‘Isabel West is alive, I saw her with my own eyes.’
Trying to focus on her patient, she looked across at Theo standing on the other side of the island.
‘Theo, hold her tightly here and roll her toward you, I need to look to see if the bullet went straight through.’
He did as he was told and watched as Louisa examined the back of Olivia’s shoulder.
‘There’s no exit wound,’ she shook her head.
‘What does that mean?’ he asked in concern.
‘It means the bullet is still lodged in her shoulder,’ she swore. ‘I’m going to have to take it out. We need to get her to the medical center.’
‘You can’t do that.’
Her mouth fell open as Charles Connell stepped into her line of vision.
‘Mr Connell?’
‘Hello Louisa,’ he smiled at her, ‘it’s been a long time.’
She shook her head trying to focus.
‘After this I’m going to need a really strong drink’ she muttered, ‘but the facts remain the same. I said I’d stitch up some superficial wounds, I never agreed to kitchen surgery. She needs proper medical attention.’
‘Every gunshot wound has to be reported to the police,’ Charles replied.
Her eyes darted around the kitchen before landing back on him.
‘By my count there are three cops standing in the kitchen right now. I think we can consider that well and truly reported.’
‘It’s not that simple,’ he shook his head as he removed his coat and laid it over the back of a nearby chair. ‘Right now Thomas Walcott’s mutilated corpse is lying in the woods. Olivia’s blood is all over that crime scene. Once he is discovered it will raise too many questions.’
‘Mr Connell,’ she answered in frustration, ‘look at her, she’s lost too much blood. She needs a transfusion.’
‘And she’ll get one,’ he began to roll up his sleeve. ‘We’re the same blood type, give her my blood.’
‘This is crazy,’ she muttered as she turned to one of the boxes and rummaged around, coming up with a couple of sealed bags. ‘You’re really lucky I was so thorough when I stole the supplies.’
‘Right, everyone out except Mr Connell and Theo,’ she shooed the others out of the room and slammed the door behind them. ‘Congratulations Theo, you’re now my scrub nurse. Go wash your hands with the bottle of antibacterial soap in the first box of supplies.’
He nodded and moved to the sink. Louisa turned back to Charles and wrapped a tourniquet around his bicep, tapping the inside of his elbow with gloved hands, looking for a vein. Satisfied she’d found a suitable one, she tore open one of the packets and inserted the needle into his vein, taping it firmly to his skin. Inserting the second needle into Olivia’s arm she attached a length of clear plastic tubing and watched as the blood started to flow through evenly.
Olivia obliged her by staying unconscious long enough for Louisa to remove the bullet and close the wound, dressing it tightly and placing her arm in a sling to support her shoulder. While Olivia continued to have an emergency blood transfusion from her father, Louisa took the time to clean and stitch the wounds on Theo’s forearm and the back of Jake’s shoulder. She also dressed and cleaned the one on Captain McAllister’s hand.
Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, she stretched her aching spine and moved back to check on Olivia, who had started to regain consciousness. Satisfied, she removed the needles from both Olivia’s arm and that of her father.
‘Hey Sweetheart,’ Louisa murmured as Olivia’s eyes flickered open and slowly focused on her.
‘What happened?’
‘You got shot honey.’
‘I know that,’ she breathed, gasping in pain as she struggled to sit up. ‘I mean after, where’s my mom?’
‘I don’t know,’ Louisa shook her head, helping Olivia into a sitting position. ‘I’ve been busy fixing everyone up, nobody's had the chance to fill me in yet.’
‘Theo?’
‘I’m right here,’ he moved in closer and took her hand.
Her gaze swept over his shoulder and locked on her father who was watching her, his expression unreadable.
‘Why don’t we give you and Theo a moment,’ Louisa suggested, starting to feel uncomfortable. ‘Mr Connell?’
He nodded and followed Louisa from the kitchen, clicking the door behind him quietly.
She turned to Theo as he cradled her face gently in his hands, taking her lips and kissing her deeply.
‘God,’ he broke away breathing hard and pressing his forehead to hers. ‘I thought I’d lost you Livy. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I didn’t think I’d get to you in time.’
‘But you did,’ she grasped the hand that held her face softly. ‘I saw you, when Nathaniel was coming for me. You put yourself in front of a demon for me.’
‘I’d do it every single time,’ he whispered.
Suddenly, she caught sight of his hand and pulled it away from her face, turning it over to get a better look.
‘What happened?’ she frowned, pushing up his sleeve to look at his arm.
Ribbons of blue and black starting at his palm, were wrapped around his hand and twisted up his wrist and arm like a tattoo.
‘The knife you gave me,’ he muttered, looking down at the now permanent markings on his arm.
‘It did this to you?’
‘It is this,’ he replied. Seeing her confused expression he tried to find the words to explain. ‘I used the knife to break through the circle. It began to melt and it burst into flames. The metal melted and ran up my arm, searing itself into my flesh. It’s a part of me now.’
‘Theo,’ she breathed shaking her head, ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t be,’ he answered, ‘look.’
He stepped back and held out his hand. As it had before in the clearing when he was facing Nathaniel, he felt the metal sliding and twisting down his arm to pool in his hand, once again forming the knife.
Olivia’s breath caught in her throat as she watched in fascination. Theo released his grip on the knife and it disappeared back into his flesh, leaving the strange writhing tattoo.
‘Wow,’ she muttered, staring at his hand.
‘Yeah,’ he replied.
She was about to say something else, but she paused, hearing raised voices in the other room.
‘We’d better go deal with that,’ she sighed. ‘Help me down will you?’
He lifted her gently, trying not to jolt her wounded shoulder as he slid her carefully to the floor.
‘Wait a minute,’ he disappeared into the laundry room and returned with one of his shirts, which fitted easily over her sling. He helped her into it and buttoned it over her torn clothes.
‘Thanks,’ she murmured, taking his hand they made their way to the library.
As she walked into the room everyone fell silent and turned toward her. The fire as it always did, burst cheerfully into flame at her presence. Her father watched in quiet interest at the dancing flames.
‘Olive,’ Jake breathed in relief, ‘are you okay?’
She nodded as she surveyed the other people in the room. Jake was flanked either side by Louisa and Mac who, other than the injury to his hand, seemed no worse for his unexpected initiation into her world.
Her gaze tracked across the room to her father and the pale haired man next to him, finally landing on Deputy Helga Hanson. She looked different. Not only d
id she seem slimmer and more feminine, but standing next to the man her father referred to as Davis, she could see the startling similarities between the two tall elegant blondes.
‘Helga?’ she muttered in confusion.
‘Actually that’s not my name, that was his idea of a joke,’ she threw a sidelong glance at Davis. ‘My name is Danae…Connell.’
‘Connell?’ Olivia’s eyes widened.
She nodded.
‘This is my twin brother Davis,’ she introduced him.
‘It’s nice to finally have the chance to meet my niece,’ he smiled warmly.
‘Niece?’ she repeated, looking to her father.
‘The twins are my younger half brother and sister, we share the same father,’ he told her.
‘I told you before Olivia,’ Danae spoke softly, ‘that I wasn’t watching you because of that deranged idiot Walcott. I was there to protect you from your mother.’
‘You knew,’ she looked at all three of them. ‘You all knew she was alive and you said nothing.’
‘It was complicated Olivia,’ her father replied.
‘So start explaining, I think I deserve that much.’
‘The twins found me about eighteen years ago. It was about that time I started getting small hints that Isabel was still alive. Davis and Danae were my link to the outside world, they helped me to keep an eye on you and search for your mother.’
‘Why did you send me all those things, the doll, the book, Beau?’ she looked down at the puppy that was snuggled on his cushion in front of the fire.
‘Beau?’ he repeated, realizing she meant the dog. ‘It suits him.’
‘Why?’
‘I never wanted to hurt you Olivia,’ he shook his head, ‘but I needed you to remember that night. You were there; you saw everything.’
‘I don’t remember,’ she frowned. ‘I’ve tried and I just can’t.’
He sighed, ‘then this is going to be hard for you to hear.’
‘Just start talking.’
‘I loved your mother very much, we shared everything. As such I was privy to a lot of your family’s secrets. I knew about Nathaniel, I knew where and how he had been trapped. When the murders started back in ‘94 we knew someone was trying to raise the demon. I’d discussed it with both Evie and Alice, but we couldn’t figure out who was responsible for the killings.
I noticed your mother changing, pulling away from me. Then Jimmy was killed and your mother became quieter and more withdrawn. The night of the fire I came home earlier than expected, I wanted to surprise her. I had brought her favorite flowers to try and cheer her up, but when I walked into the kitchen she was in there with Alice. They were fighting. I saw her kill Alice and I couldn’t believe what was happening.
It was then I realized your mother was the killer all along, she was trying to raise the demon. I dropped the flowers and wrestled with her for the knife. In the struggle she was stabbed in the chest. When I looked up the house was on fire. I grabbed you and ran as far and as fast as I could. I just knew I had to get you as far away from Mercy as possible. I was trying to protect you.’
‘She was the murderer all along,’ she shook her head blinking back the tears she wouldn’t allow to fall. ‘She did all those terrible things to those men?’
‘Yes,’ he replied flatly.
‘Why? I don’t understand. I’ve seen the spell Hester used, she didn’t need to kill those men.’
‘She did,’ Theo told her. ‘We already know that if you raise a demon in its true form it can’t be controlled. It will just spread death and destruction, because that is its nature. If your mother hoped to have any control over it she needed to exchange one prison for another, only this time a prison of living flesh. By creating a body for him and forcing him into it, he is bound to her by her magic.’
Charles looked at Theo, grudgingly impressed.
‘He’s right, Isabel isn’t stupid enough to raise a demon in its true form.’
‘Why didn’t you come to me?’ she turned to her father.
‘I wanted to Jelly Bean,’ his voice softened. ‘I wanted to tell you the truth, but you wouldn’t have believed me. You had to find out for yourself.’
‘That’s such a cop out,’ she replied bitterly. ‘So it was alright for me to get blindsided again because you didn’t want to take a chance I would reject you?
You should have come to me. You should have told me the truth from the beginning. I might not have believed you, but then again you’ll never know will you, because you didn’t give me that chance. We could’ve tried to rebuild the trust that was lost between us but now, you’re just another person who’s lied to me my whole life. I can’t trust you now.’
‘Olivia,’ he began.
‘Just get out,’ her voice was barely above a whisper now. She could feel the tears rising in her throat burning to get out, but she wouldn’t fall apart in front of everyone. ‘Just all of you, get out.’
She turned to Theo.
‘Get them out of the house,’ she breathed heavily.
He watched helplessly from the library door as she slowly climbed the stairs, disappearing from view.
‘I’ll go clean up the medical supplies,’ Louisa headed back to the kitchen.
‘God, I need a cigarette,’ Mac blew out a breath, heading out of the room.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Jake followed him.
Charles turned to Theo and handed him a card. It was a plain white business card with nothing but a phone number on it.
‘Take this. If she needs me, call the number on the card. Let it ring twice and hang up, then wait for me to contact you.’
‘I don’t think I’ll be calling you.’
‘Don’t be so quick to judge Theodore, this is only the beginning. Once the shock has worn off Olivia and I need to talk. There are many things she needs to know.’
‘Why did Isabel set Nathaniel free? What is it she wants?’ Theo frowned.
‘She wants what she’s always wanted,’ Charles replied. ‘She wants Infernum.’
‘Infernum?’ Theo started at the reference, his eyes snapping back from the card in his hand to Charles, his gaze narrowing in suspicion. ‘You know what it is, don’t you?’
Charles regarded him for a moment, his expression giving nothing away.
‘Call me when she’s ready to talk.’
He turned and walked out of the room, closely followed by the twins.
Charles stepped out onto the porch and into the cold night air. It had started snowing again. Good, it would cover a lot of the evidence in the clearing. He turned to Mac who was watching him with sharp eyes.
‘Thomas’s body?’
‘I’ll take care of it,’ Mac replied after a moment. ‘You know I should be arresting you.’
‘But you won’t, will you?’ Charles’s mouth curved in amusement.
‘No.’
Charles nodded and jogged comfortably down the steps.
‘What are you going to do now?’ Mac called after him.
He paused and turned back briefly.
‘I’m going to find my wife.’
‘And then?’
‘And then,’ his smile was cold and dangerous, ‘then I’m going to kill her.’
‘And I thought my family was messed up,’ Mac murmured under his breath, as he watched Charles and the twins disappear into the darkness amidst the wild swirling snow.
‘So are you going to stick around?’ Jake asked. ‘Looks like we need a new Chief.’
‘I have a feeling I’ll never be bored,’ Mac took a long drag on his cigarette.
Louisa opened the door and stepped out, pulling her coat tighter against the cold air.
‘I’m going to leave the medical supplies here,’ she sighed. ‘I get the feeling we’ll be needing them again.’
‘That’s probably a safe bet,’ Jake replied. ‘You alright driving back in this?’
‘Oh
please Jake, I took my driving test in the snow,’ she replied indignantly. ‘I’ll be fine.’
He held his hands up in mock surrender.
‘What about you Mac?’ Jake asked.
‘I’m parked about half a mile down the road.’
‘Want me to drop you at your car?’
‘I’d appreciate it,’ he flicked the butt of his cigarette into the darkness.
The three of them stepped down the porch and set off companionably into the snow flurry.
Theo slowly opened the door to the bedroom and found Olivia sitting on the side of the bed. She was watching the rapid waterfall of snowflakes outside the window with a blank expression, while Beau lay curled up at the foot of the bed. He rounded the bed as she looked up at him and everything inside him churned at the absolute devastation in her eyes. He handed her a glass of water and dropped a couple of pills in her hand.
‘Louisa says to take these, it will help the pain in your shoulder.’
She did as she was told, too numb to do anything else. Theo leaned down and unlaced her boots and tugged them off, helping her to lie down without putting too much pressure on her wound. When she was finally settled on her side he kicked his boots off and climbed onto the bed, spooning in behind her and wrapping his arm around her gently.
‘Theo.’
‘Yes.’
‘We let a demon loose and it’s my fault.’
‘It’s not your fault,’
‘I hesitated, I should have stopped my mom while I had the chance.’
‘Of course you hesitated Livy, it was your mother. Anyone else would have done exactly the same thing.’
‘What are we going to do?’
‘We’re going to find them both and we’re going to make it right, whatever it takes,’ he replied softly.
She went quiet again for a while.
‘Theo.’
‘Yes.’
‘My mom’s a murderer,’ her breath caught on the hot ball of misery burning the back of her throat.
‘I know,’ his arms tightened around her, unable to stand her pain. ‘It will be alright.’
‘My mom tried to kill me Theo,’ she whispered as the first tears fell, ‘how is that ever going to be alright?’
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 46