by Cheree Alsop
“Now blow. Like this.” She put her lips to her thumbs and blew gently. A high whistle sounded.
The grass slipped out of little Aleric’s fingers once, twice, and then he figured out how to hold it. He brought the grass to his lips. It took several tries, but with his mother’s encouragement, a tiny, high-pitched whistle came out.
“That’s it!” his mother said, clapping her hands. “You did it! You are so amazing!” She patted his shoulder. “Never give up, Ricky. No matter what happens, never give up. You can do anything.”
A cough wracked her body. She hunched over and put her handkerchief to her lips as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Mama, are you alright?” little Aleric asked.
After a few moments, his mother was able to nod in reply. She sat up and gave him a smile. She put the handkerchief in the front pocket of her dress, but not before he saw the speckles of red that showed on the white cloth.
“Now I’ll make you a crown,” she said.
Little Aleric was easily distracted by her quick braiding. He pulled blades from the grass around them and tried to mimic her movements, his little fingers struggling to perform the graceful actions. His mother slowed so that he could see what she was doing.
Aleric, on the other hand, couldn’t tear his gaze from the handkerchief in her pocket, nor the slight touch of red that still colored her lips. He knew now what the pallor of her skin meant. He wished he could tell his younger self to cherish that moment with her in the sunlight. A few days later would find her confined to a bed. The beatings from his father would increase as his blame of her sickness needed an outlet. But in that moment, that short, precious moment, all that mattered was learning to braid the grass as his mother did.
He watched her fingers, the fingers he loved because they held him so close, combed through his always-tangled hair, made cookies for him in their oven, and tucked the covers around him at night. Her fingers were so perfect and full of grace.
She finished the crown and placed it gently on his head.
“A perfect fit,” she said, delighted.
“Thank you, Mama,” little Aleric said.
“Thank you, Mama,” Aleric echoed.
His mother looked at him then, not at little Aleric, but at him as he watched the memory.
“Never give up, Ricky. No matter what happens, never give up. You can do anything.”
“I miss you, Mama,” he told her.
She nodded. Her brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He was glad he had inherited the same color of irises from her. “I miss you, too, Ricky. But you have people waiting for you. You need to go back.”
The sunlight felt so warm on his shoulders. He wanted to stay there with the scent of the green grass in his nose and the brush of the light breeze against his face.
“I don’t want to leave,” he said.
Her smile was filled with such understanding that he had to blink to keep from crying. She reached up a hand and he felt her fingers on his shoulder.
“Go back, sweetheart.”
He shook his head.
She pushed harder. He felt pain radiate from her touch.
“Go back to them, Ricky. They need you.”
“Let me stay,” he begged.
The memory flickered at the edges. Darkness touched the sunny sky.
“You aren’t done,” his mother said. “I love you.”
Lightning crackled through the dark clouds and agony flooded Aleric’s body. The lightning cracked again and the memory vanished. Aleric struggled to pull in a breath. His mouth was filled with a metallic taste that reminded him of the banshee children. His gave a moan of pain and opened his eyes a crack.
“He’s back,” Nurse Eastwick said.
“Thank Fenrir,” Dartan breathed.
Aleric tipped his head to the side and met the vampire’s gaze.
“If you ever do that again, I’ll kill you myself,” Dartan vowed. There was something in his gaze that said his harsh tone was covering his fear.
“W-what?” Aleric croaked out.
“You died, Wolfie,” Dartan replied. “Your heart stopped.” He motioned to something on Aleric’s other side. “They brought you back.”
It took more effort than Aleric thought it should to turn his head to the other side.
Dr. Worthen was pressing bandages to his shoulder. The pressure made Aleric’s breath catch.
Nurse Eastwick replaced paddles on a stand in the corner. She looked back at him with motherly distress.
“You coded, darling. We thought we lost you.”
Dr. Worthen pressed harder. Aleric let out a groan of pain.
“Sorry,” the doctor said. “This hasn’t been a walk in the park. The wound wouldn’t stop bleeding. We had to cauterize it and then sew it shut, and I’m not convinced it’ll stay that way.”
Aleric closed his eyes.
“Stay with us, Wolfie,” Dartan said, grabbing his hand.
The werewolf let out a slight huff that had to pass for laughter until he could recover enough strength; even that small action brought pain to his shoulder. He opened his eyes again.
“Not…going,” Aleric managed to say.
“Good,” Dartan replied. “That’s what I want to hear.” The vampire crossed his arms in front of his chest. They were still covered with burns, but the skin looked better than it had after the Archdemon’s lair. The thought of sunlight turned Aleric’s mind to the memory.
“Saw…my mom,” Aleric continued.
Dartan’s eyebrows pulled together. Aleric closed his eyes, remembering.
“That’s nice,” Nurse Eastwick said. “Mothers always worry about their children. Trust me; I know.”
A tear leaked from Aleric’s closed eyes. It trailed down the side of his cheek. He nodded in reply to her words.
Something stung his left hand. He glanced down to see Dr. Worthen stitching the gash along his palm.
“I cleaned this one out, too,” the doctor told him. “It was a mess. The next time you meet a demon armed with silver, let the vampire handle it.”
“He’s…worse shape,” Aleric managed to get out.
“I don’t know about that,” Dr. Worthen said, his attention on Aleric’s palm. “He managed to keep his heart beating.”
“No…heartbeat,” Aleric said. He muffled a groan at the pain coursing through his body.
“Yeah, yeah,” Dartan replied. “Vampires are dead and all that. We’ve gone over this. It’s not funny anymore.”
“I think it’s hilarious,” Nurse Eastwick said.
“Don’t take his side,” Dartan told her. “Just because he’s on his deathbed doesn’t mean you have to humor him by laughing at jokes that aren’t funny. It doesn’t help him any.”
“I thought it was funny,” Dr. Worthen said.
“Great,” Dartan told Aleric. “You’ve turned them all against me. How am I supposed to live with that?”
Aleric let out a chuckle of laughter at the vampire’s phrasing that hurt so badly it turned into a gasp of pain. Nurse Eastwick laughed with him and even Dr. Worthen chuckled.
“You really have to think about what you say before you say it,” the doctor suggested.
“You are all ridiculous,” Dartan muttered. He stormed out of the room.
Nurse Eastwick let out a breath in a sigh that ended in more laughter. “I’m just glad we can laugh after all this,” she said.
“I agree,” Dr. Worthen replied. He stood from his seat next to the operating table. “Stitches are done, as long as you take it easy,” he said in a tone directed at Aleric.
Aleric opened his eyes to look at the doctor. “Thank you.”
Dr. Worthen put a hand over his bandaged one. “Thank you, son. You saved Gregory and Therese’s lives, among countless others today.”
A throb of pain pushed through Aleric’s shoulder. He winced. “Not done,” he got out.
“I know,” Dr. Worthen replied. “But you’re done for now. You need to sleep
if this shoulder has any chance. I’m not convinced it’s healing even after the cauterizing. That’s not the course of action I would choose in a normal situation, but with you, the situation is never normal. I’m just glad Dartan knew which blood type to give you. It seems to have helped a great deal.”
“He should know,” Aleric said, his words a bit stronger. “He drank…enough of it.”
“He said that, too,” Dr. Worthen told the werewolf. “You need to get friends that are less hazardous to your health.”
Aleric gave a small smile. “You keep me going,” he said. He put his good hand to the operating table and tried to push up, but both the nurse and doctor held him down.
“You stay put,” Nurse Eastwick scolded. “You’re going to a room to sleep. I’m giving you enough painkillers to knock you out for a while. You need it.”
“Listen to her,” Dr. Worthen put in. “I better not see you wandering these halls for at least a week.”
Just trying to move told Aleric what a bad idea it had been. He settled back on the table.
“Yes, Doctor.”
Dr. Worthen cracked a smile. “I’m glad you’re back with us.”
“Me, too,” Aleric replied.
Nurse Eastwick took the long route through the Emergency Room in order to get him to the D Wing. Aleric couldn’t figure out why until she paused near one of the quieter rooms. Without a word, she opened the door so Aleric could look inside.
Two beds had been pushed together. On them lay Gregory and Therese. The orderlies wore hospital gowns and were hooked up to monitors. They were sleeping, Therese’s head resting on Gregory’s shoulder while his arm held her close.
“Are they alright?” Aleric asked in a whisper.
Nurse Eastwick pulled the door closed gently. “Yes, thanks to you,” she replied. “I just wanted you to understand the impact you had tonight, especially with all the pain I can tell you’re going through even though you’re trying to hide it.” She winked at him. “I’ve been in this business for quite a while. I know what severe pain looks like. The meds should be kicking in soon.” She smiled at him. “I know you and Gregory are friends. He told me about the money you gave him for his ring fund.”
Aleric was quiet as she pushed the bed through the doors toward the D Wing.
“He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone,” he finally said.
The smile that showed on the nurse’s face reminded Aleric of how his mother had looked when he learned how to blow on the grass whistle.
“He had to tell someone; he couldn’t keep it to himself. He said because of you he has enough to get her the ring this weekend.”
The thought that the orderly had been so close to fulfilling his dream of buying Therese a ring and yet nearly been killed with her because of the Archdemon’s greed brought tears to Aleric’s eyes. They could have died in each other’s arms days from becoming an engaged couple. They would have been so close to making their dreams a reality.
Aleric squeezed his closed eyes with his good hand, telling himself that he was just emotional from the pain.
“Are you alright?” Nurse Eastwick asked in a tone that said she guessed how he felt.
Aleric nodded. When he could speak, he said, “I think the painkillers are getting to me.”
“Dark or Light?”
He opened his eyes at the strange question. A glance forward showed the doors to the Dark fae side or the Light. Aleric didn’t know why he said it, but the word, “Dark,” escaped his mouth.
“You sure about that?” the nurse asked with surprise in her voice.
“I’m sure,” Aleric replied.
Chapter Fourteen
Aleric was awakened by the sound of the goblins scrambling about in their cages. The scritching of their claws against the tile floor was enough to set his teeth on edge and make him wonder why he had chosen the Dark fae side.
He pushed up slowly. The movement sent a rush of pain through his shoulder, though it was muted compared to the agony of before. He gave a breath of gratitude for the healing ability of the werewolf.
Aleric slid the I.V. from his arm, remembering to keep the tape to press over the tiny wound so it didn’t bleed. The action reminded him of a small fairy filled with over-enthusiasm and abounding happiness. A smile touched his lips.
He carefully put his feet on the floor. The goblins across the room fell silent at his movements. The sour lemon and mud scent wafting from them made Aleric want to sneeze, but he knew that was the last thing he needed to do with his shoulder. He held his left elbow with his good hand, cradling his arm against his chest to ease the pull on his shoulder as he made his way to the door.
Aleric pushed through the doors to the hallway. A glance out the back door at the end of the hall showed sunlight streaming in through the window. He wondered how long he had slept. Nurse Eastwick had been true to her word about the painkillers and being able to sleep. He wondered if his werewolf metabolism had helped cycle those through his system faster than she had planned. She would certainly be mad that he was up if she caught him.
On impulse, he pushed the door open to the Light fae side.
“Hello, Dr. Wolf,” the massive troll said.
The smile that spread across the troll’s face as he sat in the sunshine next to the selkie made Aleric smile back.
“Hello. It’s good to see you up.”
“Feeling better,” the troll told him. “Happy here.”
“I’m glad,” Aleric replied. He looked at the selkie. “How are you feeling?”
“As good as new,” she said with a warm smile. Someone had gotten her a summer dress. She looked quite comfortable sitting in the windowsill talking with the troll.
“Is there anything I can get you?” Aleric asked.
“We should be asking you the same thing,” the selkie told him. She indicated the bandages across his bare chest with a nod of her head. “Nurse Eastwick told us what happened with the demons. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” the troll grunted. “Demons mean.”
“I’m fine,” Aleric said. His shoulder chose that moment to give an angry throb. He bit back an exclamation and let out a breath through his clenched teeth. “Just fine.”
The selkie didn’t look convinced. “Should I get the nurse?”
Aleric shook his head. “I’m heading up that way. I’ll have her look at it.”
He pushed back through the door.
“Doctor nice,” he heard the troll say, his deep voice carrying up the hall.
“Yes,” the selkie replied in her musical tones. “I’ve never met a werewolf so nice.”
Aleric kept walking. Something tickled at the back of his mind. Instinct willed his feet forward and refused to let him sit down when he wanted to. He reached the Emergency Room and looked inside; it was surprisingly empty besides the goblin bite patients in comas in their beds. A glance in Gregory and Therese’s room showed them gone. By the scent, they hadn’t been up for very long. Aleric grabbed a clean scrubs top from the supply room and eased it on over his injured shoulder. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.
When he made it to the door of the supply room, a sound caught Aleric’s ear. He made his way up the hall that led to the staff breakroom. The commotion of many people came from within. Aleric peeked inside to see the entire staff, including physicians and nurses from other areas of the hospital, crammed in the small space so that there was standing room only. Gregory and Therese sat on the back of the couch wearing their scrubs once more. The sight warmed Aleric’s heart. He shifted his gaze to the television everyone watched.
“…they now have the Archdemon cornered in a building in Fallows. We’ll take you to civilian footage of the damage the demons have done in the wake of their leader.”
The scene shifted to the shaky filming of a phone. The image showed the demons barreling after the Archdemon. They took down cars, the sides of buildings, buses, anything in their wake without care for the humans inside. Bodies lay scattered along the s
treets, fire hydrants shot water into the air, car wrecks and debris were highlighted by the light from the helicopters who followed their path.
The image shifted again. This time, it showed the Archdemon from above as though someone recorded out a window. The demon was huge, his lava skin glowing with angry embers as he stalked up the street, his cloak flowing behind him like an unholy wraith. Humans out late scrambled from their cars and street corners. One, a woman, had bags of groceries in her arms and couldn’t get out of the way fast enough.
The Archdemon grabbed the woman in one of his huge, six-fingered hands, held her to his face, and sucked the soul from her body. When the mist ceased to flow and her head lolled back, he tossed her to the side and continued on.
“He needs to be stopped.”
Everyone turned at the sound of Aleric’s voice.
“Dr. Wolf!” Gregory exclaimed.
The orderly jumped off the couch and ducked under Aleric’s arm. Realizing he probably looked as terrible as he felt, Aleric allowed himself to be led inside. The hospital staff made a path for him and Dartan helped ease him down on the couch.
“You should be sleeping,” the vampire said.
“I could say the same for you,” Aleric replied. “How’s your skin?”
“Toasty,” Dartan answered. “Thanks for asking. It feels worse when you point it out.”
“You need more blood,” Aleric told him.
“You probably need more blood than I do,” Dartan pointed out. He crossed his arms, winced, and let them hang at his sides. “I’m fine.”
“I told you to stay in bed for at least a week,” Dr. Worthen said. “Why in the world are you up? It’s only been a few hours.”
Aleric motioned with his good arm toward the television. “Them.”
The news camera showed helicopters circling the building. Hundreds of police officers, SWAT members, federal agents, and security guards could be seen.
“They’re going to get themselves killed,” Dartan said.
“We can’t let that happen,” Aleric replied.
Nurse Eastwick crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You’re not going anywhere.”