Nick put his fingers in his ears when Marion started sobbing loudly again. When the elderly woman turned away, a sharp pinch on his ass made Nick spin around. “Ow! What the fuck?”
Kris grimaced at him and mouthed, You are so rude. Nick lifted an eyebrow in reply, trying not to laugh.
Kris could just deal. He refused to be polite to Marion. He folded his arms across his chest and tapped his foot impatiently. They waited about five minutes before the surgeon entered the room. “Mrs. Rudolph?” The doctor reached out and took her hand. “I’m Dr. Goldberg. Your daughter had a close call, but we’re doing everything we can to help her pull through this.”
As Nick listened to the doctor talk about Lilly’s injuries, he clenched his fists, feeling like he’d been kicked in the stomach. He never should have agreed to her staying during the fight. It was incredibly stupid of him. But she’d looked so fierce, so determined, he’d been proud she was finally showing some self-confidence. He didn’t want to make the mistake of ordering her around outside the bedroom.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And he’d been arrogant. He’d foolishly believed that he and Kris could protect her from any possible harm. That with himself and Kris and the centaurs to protect her, she’d be safe.
The sight of Lilly’s bleeding body had shocked him to the core. When he and Kris had lifted her from the deck, Lilly’s head had lolled back, her body as limp as a rag doll, her blood pooling on the floor.
Nick didn’t regret picking up the iron sword and plunging it into Zenia when he’d had the opportunity. It was worth the risk of losing his magic to pay that disgusting bitch back for all the evil she’d done Lilly. He’d face whatever the consequences might be. If his hunch was right and Lilly was an immortal half fae, she could still suffer major pain all her life from a wound too serious for sylph magic to heal.
Something Dr. Goldberg said snapped him out of his thoughts. “The stab wound just barely missed her heart.”
Hope seized him. Fae power couldn’t mend damage done to the human heart. The amount of mental energy such strong magic would take was highly likely to destroy any sylph and put him or her into a coma as it had Caterina Delaney, but if Lilly’s wound wasn’t too serious, he could use his powers to restore her to health.
A chill of horror ran through him.
I don’t have those powers anymore. I was never much good at healing, and now I probably have no power. Not after stabbing Zenia with an iron sword. But there’s still Kris. There’s still Kris!
Nick’s head pounded fiercely. Could Kris even do this kind of healing? Was it possible he’d survive? Or would Kris end up in a permanent coma like Caterina?
Dr. Goldberg handed Marion a form to take to the front desk. “Rest assured we’re doing everything we can to see your daughter pulls through without permanent disability.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Nick heard himself say as they went through the door. He braced his arm against the wall outside, knowing that if either Kris or Lilly didn’t make it, a part of him wouldn’t either.
Chapter Thirteen
Lilly looked nearly dead. That was the only thought in Kris’s mind. Her normally ivory skin was as pale as the snow outside. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep tears at bay. He might suck at doing healing magic, but he sure as hell was going to give it a try, even if it knocked him out cold.
He took a deep breath and began to hum as mentally he slammed magic locks and barriers down on the doors of Lilly’s hospital room. Nurses approaching the door would be repelled by magic. When they touched the door handle, they would suddenly remember something they’d forgotten or that they were meant to be somewhere else and wouldn’t open the door. It was one of the only mind-control abilities he had, and it required a fair bit of energy. But it had to be done. He needed privacy.
Nick sat in a chair beside the bed, holding Lilly’s pale hand. Kris walked over and pulled back the sheets and blankets to examine her body. He sucked in a sharp breath. There was more damage here than just a stab wound. It wasn’t just that Lilly’s chest had been sliced open by the sword. There was dark magic in this. Something foul, sickening and evil had been on the sword that stabbed her, coating it like poison, and now it was in her blood and coursing through her veins.
He walked up to her and lifted his hand, then let it hover above her pale face, with its dark under-eye circles. He was so afraid of screwing this up. So afraid of hurting her. But indecision and hesitation on his part were now allies of Zenia and the dark fae.
Nick took Kris’s hands in his and drew him down for a kiss. This one was soft and sweet. Nick’s lips skated over his, raising the hairs along the back of his neck and goose bumps across his skin. “Good luck, lover. You can do this this.” Nick squeezed his hands tightly, giving Kris encouragement with a look from his intense hazel eyes.
Kris took a deep breath and sent up a silent prayer. He held both hands over Lilly’s body, calling upon the power of air that was his to command as a sylph. Like a puff of wind, Kris’s magic began pushing the poison of dark magic up and out of her body, until it held in the air. Oozing red tinged with a sickly green, the dark toxicant hung in the air above Lilly.
Kris drew in a deep breath before singing in Fae, and his air magic sucked up more poison like a vacuum. He breathed a warm breath on Lilly’s wound and watched her body begin to suture itself, watched her tissues begin to heal. Tissues that had yellowed returned to a healthy pink and red.
He closed his eyes and hummed more strongly. Silent, invisible winds tore at his hair, whipping it around and hauling at his clothing. More of the oozing sludge-like poison slid up and out of Lilly’s body and hung nastily in the air. His stomach roiled, but he fought the urge to vomit. He would work this magic no matter how sick it made him. No matter what the consequences, his priority was saving Lilly. He glanced over to see Nick chewing on his bottom lip, concern evident in his expression. Quickly, he looked away. He couldn’t allow Nick’s presence to distract him.
He focused again on the poison in the air and returned to humming. Finally, at Kris’s urging, the vile substance gave a spin like a vortex and flew toward the metal sink on the other side of the room. With a horrible hissing sound, the dark magic went hurtling down the drain.
Kris lost track of the time and his surroundings, his mind and heart completely focused on the small but steady improvement he could feel in Lilly’s heartbeat, and the slow but subtle changes in the layers of tissue in her wound. Gradually, the color returned to her face. Hope rose within him, even as darkness threatened to overtake him. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt as though he’d been working out at the gym for hours. But he refused to let exhaustion overtake him.
Kris touched Lilly with just the tips of his fingers. “Lilly, Lilly, angel, wake up.” He lightly brushed his fingers against her cheek, but she lay still and would not wake. He whispered, “Lilly” one more time before he sank to his knees and collapsed on the cold linoleum floor, faster than Nick could stand to catch him.
Lilly’s dreams were filled with images of two young boys. Dreams of a golden-haired child with a few “feminine” interests, living out his childhood in an orphanage; a young teen slammed against a fireplace by a pack of bullies because of personality quirks he couldn’t help.
Her dreams shifted to focus on a dark-haired, brave little man, a child of seven desperately craving a mother who was always away on holiday.
Lilly coughed and stirred. As she began to awaken, she half remembered her dreams, and she found herself reflecting on what Kris had told her about Nick’s childhood.
At least Lilly’s own mother had been there for her in her early years before she became addicted to gambling. But that had obviously not been the case for Nick. From what Kris had said, Nick’s mother had always been a selfish woman.
It made Lilly’s heart ache to think about it. But she had to admire him. It must take a very strong and determined man to build a life around everything Nick had suffere
d and still be as loving a man as he was. For one magic night, Nick and his lover Kris had made her feel beautiful, precious and valued.
Pain forced Lilly to open her eyes. The smell of blood, cloying and metallic, still surrounded her. Where was she? Her throat ached horribly and felt dry as sand. Lights like three shining suns glowed overhead. As the haze of pain cleared a little, she realized she was in a hospital. She’d been hurt, stabbed; she was in pain.
I’m in some type of hospital. Which means I have a call button somewhere.
Finding it with her fingers, she pushed it and waited. After a few minutes, a slim, dark-haired nurse appeared. Lilly noticed her badge said Maribel Melendez.
“Hello, Lilly. I’m Maribel, ICU nurse. What can I get for you?”
Lilly stretched and winced at the fire-shot of pain that scorched through her chest. “I’m… I’m in a fair bit of pain. Is there any kind of pain medication I could take right now? And I need some water, please.”
The nurse nodded and turned away.
Lilly watched her leave. The longer she was awake, the more she began to remember. What stood out the most was that Nick and Kris had risked everything to save her.
Her nails cut into her palms when she thought of Nick grabbing up the iron sword and driving it into Zenia. He’d touched iron. Did it mean he could no longer conjure objects? Would it mean he could no longer fly? Lilly winced when she remembered how she’d basically accused him of not being a deep enough human being. She’d accused him of being unable to handle a relationship with her, and now she recognized her own arrogance and condescension. She’d been flat-out wrong in her assessment of her lovers. The courage of both men defending her in battle humbled her.
Nurse Maribel reappeared with a glass of water in one hand and a box of tablets in the other. She opened the box and passed two of the painkillers to Lilly.
Lilly swallowed them down with the water quickly; the cool liquid coated her dry throat and made her sigh with the pleasure and relief of it.
She lay staring into space for some time, but as her discomfort eased, thoughts and emotions flooded her.
She began to shiver with repressed rage that had been bottled up for far too long. Rage at all Zenia had done to her life. Sonya had quite possibly killed her real mother, and she’d stalked and humiliated Lilly anonymously for years, all because of a ridiculous idea that she was some sort of fairy princess, which really, in spite of all the amazing magic Kris and Nick had shown her, was still the most impossible thing to believe. And Zenia had tricked her adoptive mother into gambling.
But Zenia was dead. Her stalker was gone. No longer would she have to explain herself to people, try to make them understand why her property was always getting damaged, why she often had to cancel appointments, why she was constantly afraid. There was no longer a barrier in place to keep her from having a boyfriend, or two, if she wanted them. So many thoughts cluttered her mind, but her eyelids started to droop as the pills took effect.
When Lilly resurfaced, it was midmorning. This time, it wasn’t necessary to reorient herself. She remembered everything all too clearly.
Turning her head was a little awkward as the painkillers made her groggy, but otherwise she felt amazing. Kris dozed in the chair beside her, holding her hand. There was blond stubble she’d never seen before on his chin. He looked exhausted, unshaven and unbearably cute. She wanted to kiss him all over.
Where was Nick?
Not wanting to disturb Kris, she shifted slowly, but the movement woke him anyway.
“Are you hurting?”
She thought for a moment, her mind running over all the places where she’d previously felt pain. It seemed impossible she could feel so good. “No, Kris, not at all. It’s too weird. I feel amazing.” She touched her chest. “I can’t believe how amazing I actually feel.”
Kris flashed her a wicked grin. “If you feel that amazing, it’s a pity that bed isn’t big enough for two. Maybe three.”
She glanced around. “Where is Nick, anyway?”
Kris laughed. “I think he’s busy dealing with your mother now. She’s insisting on more of an explanation about your injuries. I kind of pushed him to the café downstairs. Those two need to work things out. Between them.”
Lilly bit her lip. “Thanks for that.”
Kris reached out and tucked one lock of hair behind her ear. “How does your chest feel now, baby?”
“Oh.” She peeked down the front of her nightgown. “I can see a faint scar, but I can’t feel any pain. I don’t know when and how I got it. I’m sure my painkillers must have worn off by now. Have I been dreaming? Am I dreaming now? ”
“No. You aren’t dreaming. A birdman ran you through with a sword tainted with dark magic. He sliced you right open. I had to perform a healing ritual.”
Lilly’s hand went to her mouth. “But you told me how dangerous that was for sylphs. Your friend Caterina is in a coma. Kris, you risked going into a coma for me?”
“Of course I did. When are you going to realize Nick and I both love you? We want to be with you forever. We’d do anything for you.”
She looked down at her hands “I am realizing it.” Looking back up at him, she noticed how sick he looked. “Are you okay after doing that for me? You don’t look good, to be honest. I mean you look good, you always look good, but you’re pale as a sheet and kind of green around the gills.”
“I did pass out, but only for a second or two. Don’t you worry; Nick took care of me.”
“Well, thank you.” It seemed far too little to say, but she didn’t have any other words. “How are you feeling now?”
Kris stood and worked out some of the kinks in his neck. “To be honest, I’ve been better. I’m going to go get some rest and leave you alone to get some more sleep too.” He took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers.
Watching him head toward the door, Lilly tried to get up. She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to kiss him.
Kris turned and pointed a finger at her. “Stay in bed!”
For the next few hours, Lilly drifted in and out of sleep. Then suddenly she was awake and just couldn’t sleep anymore.
She lay there imagining apartment buildings in New York City emptying out, people taking the freeway to the suburbs of Long Island. At home, people would be switching on the news and talking about dinner. If she became seriously involved with Nick and Kris and made a commitment to them, she would go home every night to one of their homes, not to her own townhouse, not to her mother, she’d go home to some amazing magical place. Life would never be remotely ordinary again.
Deep down, in spite of all her stalker…all Zenia…had taken from her, she did believe in love. She did believe in making promises. She’d never had much of one, but she did believe in family.
And she would have to find good, solid, clever ways to make all the odd elements of a three-way relationship balance.
Later that afternoon, Marion came out of Lilly’s room, sobbing loudly, and collapsed in Kris’s arms. “She has bruises on her face and a scar on her chest. I can’t afford plastic surgery for her. And she’s still asleep. She wouldn’t wake up and talk to me.” Marion sobbed some more.
“Don’t worry about that.” Nick knew his voice sounded harsh and uncaring, but Marion’s attempts to manipulate Kris were driving him mad. “I’ll pay for the damn plastic surgery!”
Marion looked offended by his tone of voice and took a few steps back. He shook his head in disgust.
“Can you come see her with me, Kris?” Lilly’s mother whined. “I can’t bear it on my own in that room with her. She’s not responding to me…”
“You two, give me ten minutes alone with her, at least,” Nick demanded. Brushing past Marion, Nick pushed into Lilly’s room.
The covers were pulled up to her chin so he couldn’t see the scar. She looked pale, and there were bruises on her face, but her gorgeous hair was as red and gold as ever under the harsh florescent light.
What
made him the most furious now was that Lilly had only just gained enough self-confidence to begin using her fledgling powers, and he didn’t know what kind of sword she’d been stabbed with. If the sword was iron, she’d have lost her power. Just like he had. It made him want to cry.
Nick sat in the plastic chair near her bed. He fished the bracelet he’d given her so long ago out of his pocket, then lifted her wrist and gently put it on her. “I should have made sure you had this on you. It might have protected you.”
Nick allowed himself to stroke Lilly’s hair and her cheek with the gentlest touch. “I love you, Lilly. I always have, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that I can make a real commitment to you.”
Lilly stirred and opened her eyes. For a moment, she just looked at him. Her eyes widened and then filled with a dreamy happiness. Slowly, beautifully, her smile bloomed. Her sleepy smile could stop his heart, take his breath away.
“Baby, you’re awake. What can I get you? Are you thirsty?”
“Yes. Thanks. The painkillers they gave me dry out my mouth. I keep telling the doctors I don’t need them anymore, but they keep insisting I take them. They don’t believe I can feel as well as I do.”
Nick smiled and crossed to the little metal sink nearby, then poured some water into a glass that sat on the stainless steel sink bench.
He brought it back to her, and she gulped the whole thing down faster than he’d ever seen anyone drink anything. She set the empty glass down on the bedside table and gave him a sheepish look. “Actually, I’ve been pretending to be asleep. I thought you were Mama come back to talk to me again. I know it’s cowardly, but I just don’t want to deal with her at the moment. You were right, Nick, she does sponge off me. I am an enabler. I enable her gambling addiction. And you guys were right about my being a martyr. I felt I owed so much to my mother just for taking care of me when I believed my birth mother abandoned me. Apparently, she’s dead now, my birth mother. At least that’s what Zenia claimed.” Lilly swallowed, and her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. “Funny, I always thought I’d find her one day. That we’d have some kind of reunion.”
Wicked Wonderland Page 18
