“Just go,” Rhys ordered.
“Oh for goddess’ sake,” Nara snapped. “Your friend is dying.”
I gawked at her with round eyes. “What?”
“The old lady,” Nara added impatiently. “She just had a heart attack.”
Mrs. Jepson. Oh crap! I ran inside the building just as the EMTs rolled her into the foyer. She was so still and gray. I stood with the nurses and workers and watched helplessly as they wheeled her toward the main entrance.
The woman behind the desk called out to someone, “The daughter is not picking up her phone.”
I pushed the boxed pie into the hands of the nearest nurse. “Give that to Captain G and Mr. Reeds.” I shifted my attention to the two EMTs. “Can I go with her?”
“Are you a relative?”
“No, but I’m a close friend. Ask them,” I waved toward the front desk. “She doesn’t listen to anyone but me.”
“Miss, that’s no reason to—”
“I have Lauren’s other number,” I lied, my eyes locking eyes with Mrs. Hightower, the highest ranking administrator in the room. “She will take my call.” Another lie. All I knew was her place of work and that her mother was proud of her. “I just want to be there for Mrs. J., so she doesn’t wake up in a strange place and see unfamiliar faces.” That part was true.
Mrs. Hightower nodded curtly and hurried outside after the EMTs. I followed and caught the tail end of her sentence.
“…she took to the girl. She might have a better chance at locating her daughter, too. We’ll keep trying as well.”
“Okay, Mrs. Hightower,” one of the EMTs said, helping his partner push the stretcher with Mrs. J inside the ambulance. He inclined his head toward me and murmured, “Hop in,” then hurried to the driver’s seat.
My eyes met with Rhys’. “I’m going to the hospital with her.”
The EMT with Mrs. J assumed I was talking to him and looked up from adjusting Mrs. J’s straps.
“I heard,” he said, eyeing me curiously. “Get inside and close the door.”
When I boarded the ambulance, Rhys and Nara hopped in, too. It was a tight fit on the narrow bench. If the EMT wondered why I sat close to his seat at the head of the stretcher when I had the entire bench to myself, he didn’t show it. Accommodating invisible people while acting natural was an art I hadn’t mastered yet.
I gripped the handle bar mounted on the wall and braced myself as we took off. Rhys and Nara didn’t seem bothered by the motion of the ambulance. The EMT also seemed to have mastered the art of fiddling around with the machines while the ambulance careened around corners and barreled downhill toward town. Poor Mrs. J looked like she was already dead. Her skin was gray, her lips bluish. An oxygen-reading thingamajigger was on her finger, an oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth, and a blood pressure band hugged her arm.
“She’s not going to make it,” Nara whispered to Rhys.
“She will,” I shot back.
The EMT assumed I was talking to him again and cocked his eyebrows.
“She will make it, right?” I improvised.
His expression gave nothing away. “What’s your name?”
“Cora,” I said.
“Are you studying to be a nurse’s aide?”
“No. I’m a high-school volunteer,” I said.
He nodded. “It’s obvious you care about Mrs. Jepson, Cora, but with someone with her condition and of such advanced age, anything is possible.”
“He’s right,” Nara said. “She’s—”
“Shut up!” The EMT stopped whatever he was doing and studied me with narrowed eyes. “Uh, sorry. That’s me saying, ‘no way’.” That was so lame. “She needs to talk to her daughter before, uh, she gets too sick, or they’ll both regret it.” I glared at Nara.
She smirked. “Why will they regret it?”
I ignored her, my focus shifting to Mrs. J.
“Is she one of your cases?” Nara continued. “I didn’t know you helped Mortals, too.”
“Is she breathing?” I asked, continuing to ignore Nara. Didn’t she get that I couldn’t talk to her without confusing the EMT?
“Yes, she is. You see this?” The guy tapped the sensor on her finger. “It’s called the oximeter. It monitors…”
He pointed out various instruments around the ambulance and answered my questions without acting irritated. He was in the middle of explaining symptoms of a heart attack and how to deal with it when Mrs. J jerked as though having an epileptic seizure. Then she went still.
“What happened?” I screeched.
“Her heart stopped!” the EMT snapped and reached for scissors. He ripped Mrs. J’s gown and bared her wrinkly chest. I never knew the woman had breasts. She was always hunched over in her wheelchair. Then he reached for the defibrillator and warned me to stand back. But that wasn’t the reason I started to panic. Mrs. J’s soul was separating from her body. Slowly as though doing a sit-up.
“Told you her time was up,” Nara said.
I wanted to tell her to shut up again. “She’s going to be alright. She has to.”
The EMT ignored me and charged the paddles of the defibrillator. He pressed them to her chest.
Mrs. J’s body jerked as the electric charge zipped through her. Her soul continued to rise from her body. She was at ninety degrees, sitting up. Looking confused, she turned her head and zeroed in on Rhys and Nara.
They didn’t seem bothered by her scrutiny. Immortality and centuries of watching people die had probably made them numb to death and souls. At least, they didn’t reach for their scythes. My humanity made me celebrate life and hate death. The EMT was performing CPR on Mrs. J.
Her soul didn’t move. She was still studying Nara and Rhys.
“No, no, no, Mrs. J,” I muttered. “Not yet. Go back.”
As though she’d heard me, her eyes turned to me and widened in recognition. I knew the moment she decided something was wrong. Fear flashed in her eyes, and she looked down at her body.
“I can help her,” Dev’s voice reached me as though from far.
I yanked my phone from my pocket. “What?”
“Remember the reason I don’t suck life out of everything? This is why.” I had no idea what he meant, but he slithered out of my phone without explaining. The EMT was busy recharging the paddles. A flash of light at the corner of my eye and I whipped around to see Rhys and Nara pull out their artavo.
“Don’t!” I yelled.
The EMT was about to zap Mrs. J again and assumed I was talking to him. “One more word out of you and I will kick you out of the ambulance!” he snarled.
Dev grabbed Mrs. J’s soul and pulled the two of them back into her body. What the…? What was he doing? A quick look at Nara and Rhys also showed their shock. At least they weren’t pointing their mini scythes at Mrs. J. Then I saw something that gave me hope, or a reason to freak out. Her eyelids fluttered just as the EMT brought the pads toward her chest.
“No!” I pushed his arms away.
He cursed. “Are you crazy?”
“Look at her. She’s okay. She’s coming around.”
He glanced down at Mrs. J. Her eyelids fluttered again.
“See? She’s okay.” I wasn’t sure whether it was Dev making her eyes flutter or Mrs. J. The EMT put his defibrillator away and checked her pulse. I wanted to ask if she was going to be okay, but I didn’t dare. I’d already pissed him off enough.
I reached out and touched Mrs. J’s hand with the tips of my fingers. Her skin was dry and thin, but warm. Before I could lean back, she reached out and grabbed my wrist.
My heart leapt to my throat. She tugged, a little too strong for someone who’d just had a heart attack. Twice. It was probably Dev. “What is it, Mrs. J?”
Her eyes opened, and her mouth moved. I inched closer.
“I saw you,” she whispered.
Okay, so it was her, not Dev, speaking. What was he doing inside her? “Yes, I’m here, Mrs. J. I’m not going anywhere.”
/>
“Angels,” she whispered.
I didn’t dare glance at Rhys and Nara. I gave Mrs. J a tiny smile. A quick glance at the EMT and I caught him frowning. Yeah, I was sure he’d never seen someone recover so fast after a heart attack.
We screeched to a halt in front of the hospital. It was nothing like on TV. No interns and doctors running out to grab the stretcher. Rhys and Nara created a portal on the wall of the ambulance and disappeared through it before the driver opened the back door. It was awkward getting down with Mrs. J clinging to my hand, but I managed.
“She’s not going to leave,” the EMT who’d driven the ambulance reassured her, but she wasn’t having it. Her grip tightened, and once again, I wondered if Dev was the one doing all the physical work.
“I don’t mind going inside with her,” I said.
“I’ll talk to the nurse,” he said.
“You haven’t called her daughter?” the EMT who’d ridden with us said.
“I will.”
They wheeled her inside with me by her side. Unlike outside, inside had a bit more activity. Still not very Grey’s Anatomy. A couple converged on Mrs. J’s stretcher. One EMT passed papers from the nursing home to a nurse while the other explained what had happened. Mrs. J tugged at my hand. I braced myself as I leaned down, expecting her to say she’d seen me, or call me an angel.
“Get her daughter here.” The voice that came out was Dev’s. He sounded weird, like he was in pain. “I can’t hold her down for too long or the urge to take over will be too tempting to resist.” Then the voice changed into Mrs. J’s raspy, shaky voice. “Who are you?”
“It’s Cora, Mrs. J,” I whispered past the fear clumping my throat. “I’m here to make sure you’re okay and ready for Lauren. When she comes, the two of you can finally talk.”
Tears filled her eyes. “An angel?”
Whatever calmed her, I decided. I touched my lips. “Shh. Go inside with the nice people. I’ll be right there after I call Lauren.”
I gently eased my hand from her grip, stepped back, and watched as they wheeled her inside. I glanced over my shoulder at Nara and Rhys, and grinned. Dev wasn’t just possessing Mrs. J. He was holding her soul captive inside her body and buying her time. He and I did the same thing, except I helped the dead while he helped the living. How ironic was that? Maybe helping others was what he’d meant by getting his soul back?
“Come this way,” a nurse said, waving me over.
“I need to call her daughter first.” It was time Nara and Rhys did something useful, instead of shadowing me. They even ignored a few souls moving around the ER. One eyed them, then me and grinned and disappeared through a wall. I pulled out my phone, walked to where they stood, and faked talking on the phone.
“I need your help.”
“Really? After you let Dev possess her,” Nara retorted.
“Dev is detaining her soul until the daughter gets here, Nara. That’s what he’s been doing all these centuries to purify his soul. He’s a good soul.” I looked at Rhys.
“What do you want?”
“Lauren Michaels, Mrs. Jepson’s daughter, works at Portland Art Museum. Find her and bring her here. She hates her mother, but—”
“Leave it to me,” Rhys said.
“Rhys!” Nara snapped. “You can’t enable her by doing her bidding.”
He cut her a side-glance. “She said Dev didn’t betray us.”
“But he just possessed that dying woman’s body. We can’t allow—”
“He’s not possessing her,” I cut her off. A woman seated nearby with her son gave me a weird look. I pressed my cell phone closer to my ear and lowered my voice. “Give him a chance to explain about the past. He was protecting someone else, and right now, he’s helping Mrs. J. He told me we need to hurry and get the daughter here because he can’t hold her in there forever. Does that sound like an evil guy?”
Nara still looked undecided. Not Rhys.
“Okay, Cora,” he said. “I’ll get her daughter. No, Nara. We can discuss your doubts later. Stay here with her.” I was surprised when Nara listened.
He created a portal in the air, and for a brief second, I saw a section of Portland Art Museum before the door closed. Mom had framed some of their artwork and I’d visited with her, so I knew the place well.
Nara still had a suspicious look, but I didn’t try to convince her that Dev was innocent. I found the nurse who’d called me before and she led us—Nara followed me through the door by the registration station—down a short hallway to one of the sectioned exam rooms. She pushed back the corner of the heavy curtain and indicated I go in.
Two people were with Mrs. J. One was taking her blood while the other studied a machine attached to the tubes from her chest and asked her questions. Mrs. J seemed more interested in me than answering his questions. Nara stood near the head of the bed, where no one could bump into her, eyes narrowed on Mrs. J as though expecting Dev to appear. At least she wasn’t holding her artavus.
I was trying to listen to what the doctor was saying when one of the Grimnirs from school appeared beside Nara. Up close, I realized his dark locks were actually braids. Above his right eyebrow was a jagged scar, which added something to a face that would have been merely handsome. He also wore diamond studs. If he noticed me studying him, he didn’t show it. Nara didn’t miss a thing.
“Syn with a Y,” she said, pointing at him. Then she waved my way. “Echo’s girl.
Rude much? I had a name, I wanted to remind her. But then Syn nodded and said, “Nice to finally meet you, Cora,” and I forgave her. He had a deep, rumbling voice. I wondered about his background. Since he was black, I knew he couldn’t be a Druid. Maybe an ancient Nubian high priest.
“You can’t reap the old woman yet,” Nara said.
“Says who?” Syn asked.
“Miss Goody Two Shoes over here.” Nara jerked her head toward me. “She’s playing guardian angel to the dying, too.” She sighed and added in a bored tone, “The old woman needs to talk to her daughter, who hates her guts, so Rhys went to collect her, so they can talk. Blah… blah… blah.”
Syn cursed. “I’m behind schedule.”
Nara chuckled. “You’re always behind schedule. Who’s the woman?”
“None of your business. Why is she worrying about the dying when she has you-know-who to deal with?”
They must be discussing Teléia. Did all Grimnirs know about my business?
Nara shrugged. “Echo insists she shouldn’t change her routine.”
“I liked him better when he kept to himself,” Syn murmured.
“He’s back, bro. Deal with it. You two might be sharing the mic again.”
My interest in their conversation shot up. Echo had mentioned a band made up of Grimnirs. Reapers. Not exactly original, but who cared? They were ravers. They blew off steam by wearing painted masks and playing at raves every few months. Echo had played with them, but stopped. I eavesdropped on their conversation, wishing I could ask them questions without appearing nosy. They were playing tomorrow at some secret location. I was dying to find out where when the nurse returned.
“It’s Cora, right?” she asked, and I nodded. “We’re taking Mrs. Jepson to get some X-rays. We should be done in twenty minutes.”
“I can come with her if she wants me to,” I said.
She glanced down and patted Mrs. J’s hand. “No, she’ll be okay. You’re a brave lady, aren’t you, Mrs. Jepson? A Mrs. Hightower from Moonbeam is here, too. Did you locate her daughter?”
Nara nodded.
“She’s on her way,” I said.
“Good.” She unclasped things at the legs of the bed. Mrs. J gripped my hand briefly and attempted a smile.
“I’ll be right here when you get back,” I reassured her and stepped back. The nurse wheeled her out of the room. Nara and Syn were talking in whispers, but I heard them.
“Have you told Echo about you-know-who?”
“Not unless we have to.” She gla
nced at me. “How long is this going to take?” Her attempt to redirect the conversation was pathetic.
“Who’s you-know-who?” I asked.
They exchanged a glance and shrugged, faking ignorance.
“Teléia?” I asked.
Nara cocked her perfectly trimmed eyebrows. “You know about Teléia?”
“She attacked me a few nights ago. Dev rescued me.”
“No wonder you’re his champion,” she murmured.
“Who’s Dev?” Syn asked.
“A dark soul she’s helping. Can we talk outside?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just slanted me a look that said, “Stay here.” Then she practically pushed him out the partitioned room and disappeared.
Deciding not to let her get to me, I pulled out my cell and called Mom. Dad picked it up. “Dad? How come you’re answering Mom’s phone?”
“Because she’s my wife,” he answered. He could be so lame sometimes. “Are you at the nursing home or on your way home?”
“I’m actually at the hospital. Mrs. J had a heart attack and I rode the ambulance with her. Where’s Mom?”
He sighed. “Why is it you can’t talk to me? I can deal with any crisis just as well as your mother.”
I rolled my eyes. He was a selective listener and always tried to solve whatever problem I had instead of being a sympathetic listener like Mom. “I know, Dad. I really need to talk to Mom.”
“Okay. I hope Mrs. Jackson is okay.” Then I heard him say, “She’s at the hospital and refuses to talk to me.”
“You took Echo to the bar and your friends treated him like a felon,” she teased, but then her voice became serious. “Sweetheart, what is this about the hospital, and who is Mrs. Jackson?”
Just hearing her voice brought all sort of crazy emotions to the surface. My throat tightened and tears rushed to my eyes. “It’s Mrs. Jepson, not Jackson. She had a heart attack, Mom. The ambulance arrived to pick her up just as I got there.”
“Oh dear. Is she going to be okay?”
“I don’t think so. She looks bad. I promised to stay until her daughter gets here.”
“Are you okay? Do you want me to come over and wait with you?”
This was why I’d wanted to talk to her. She always knew what to say to make me feel better. “No, I’ll be fine, Mom. But I left my car at the nursing home.”
Souls (Runes series) Page 24
