by Keller, Tom
"Yeah, right," he exclaimed. "I don’t think I can get one of those. But... hmm... no magic, eh? I think I might have an alternative in mind that will work almost as well. When are you planning to go out again?"
"Barring another sighting, sundown tomorrow," I replied. "Rain should clear out by late afternoon, so I'm guessing, unless it gets hungry again before then, that's the best time to start."
"Okay. Give me the details of the location you think we're dealing with. Then let me make some calls and either I, or someone from the Vegas office, will get back to you in the morning. I'd be there myself but I've got a few more loose ends to tie up here in LA and they're almost as bad. I doubt they'll let me come up early since we've got people out there that can help. But I'll be there soon."
Truth was, I was almost glad he wouldn't be here. He was my son, after all, and even though we were in the same boat, so to speak, I didn't really want to worry about him any more than I had to, which seems almost funny when you think about it. Here we were, talking about fighting Demons, not to mention that he was the protector of our Fae realm, yet I was still worried about him. Hell, he'd been given extra power by Gaea herself and I was still concerned. I guess they never stop being your kids, no matter how old they are, or what profession they're in.
"I understand," I said, giving him the rundown of the area below Cold Creek, as well as where the creature had been sighted tonight. Then added, "I'll wait to hear from you."
"All right, Dad," he said. "I'll talk to you later then... and be careful"
"Always. Oh, one more thing," I replied, a sudden thought jumping into my head. "We may have to lure this thing out to a place of our choosing, so we're going to need to close off the area. Oh, yeah, I need a goat or lamb. Maybe we can lure the damn thing out with food."
There was a pause and I could hear him laughing in the background.
"Let me see what I can do," he said before disconnecting.
Chapter 7
Jen's Tahoe was already in the driveway when I pulled up to the garage. Martin must have dropped off the injured Were and immediately gone back out. I parked the car, headed into the house and made my way to the downstairs bedroom. Neither Charlie nor Alf seemed to be around.
"If this keeps up I'm going to have start charging hospital rates," I said as I scanned the room.
Jen was dressed in light blue hospital scrubs with a face mask on, her gloved hands covered in blood, stitching up her patient, who I could only assume was Cameron. He lay on a cotton sheet with plastic underneath it and the area had been turned into a make-shift operating room. There was a bedside table with instruments and my steamer stand was now holding an IV fluid drip next to a makeshift hazardous material trashcan that was made out of a 5-gallon bucket with a red bag inside. There was even a laptop on a TV stand hooked up to some leads that ran to the patient that appeared to be monitoring his blood pressure and heart rate.
"Give me a minute," she replied without looking up and then went back to stitching up the wound on his side.
I backed out of the room, and after putting my keys on the table, made a new pot of coffee. As it started dripping, I pulled out a mug that said Make It So! and added some creamer. Then, thinking about it, I went back to the cabinet and scrounged through my collection until I found one that said, I'm a Doctor, not a..., just in case she wanted one.
"Is that fresh brewed coffee I smell?" she asked a few minutes later, pulling down her mask as she walked into the kitchen.
"It is," I replied, getting up to grab the mug I'd chosen for her. "How do you take it?"
"Black is fine," she replied, sitting down at the table.
"So how's your patient?" I set the mug down in front of her.
"He'll live," she said as she took a sip. "Oh, that's good.' She took a look at the mug and smiled, stretching her arms. "He lost a lot of blood. The wound was deep, but missed anything vital, and there was no sign of the poison. Martin kept him from shifting until I got here and I was able to get him stabilized."
"He was lucky," replied.
"Yes he was," she agreed. "I doubt he would have survived a wound like yours. I'll have to keep him here overnight, if that's ok. He needs to stay sedated, at least until morning. If he comes to and gets angry, or tries to shift back in this condition, he could pull the stitches. We don’t heal as fast as you, and can become quite emotional when injured. But he ought to be well enough by late morning to be moved."
"If you don’t mind me asking, why didn't you just keep him in Wolf form?"
"It's easier to stabilize him that way, but better to finish the job as a human," she answered. "If it was a minor injury, he would know not to shift, but Cam lost a lot of blood and passed out. If the sedative I gave him wore out too fast and he got angry or confused in Wolf form... Well, shifting changes the shape of the body. If we were in a real hospital I could deal with that, and I would have an anesthesiologist monitoring him the entire time. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary. But he could still pull the stitches or cause other damage, so it was easier to stabilize him first and then let him shift before finishing up with the surgery." She paused and took another sip.
"It's also harder to shift into Wolf form than the other way around. It's not exactly a pleasant experience and you perceive pain differently. You don't think the same as a Wolf. Instinct can overcome reason if you lose control. So there's a far greater chance of shifting back without thinking when you're injured when and you're already in Wolf form. In this case it's better to let him heal as a human."
"Sounds complicated," I remarked.
"I'm used to it," she said as she stood up from the table. "Listen, I need to see to a few things with Cam before I can call it a night. Do you mind if I stay here tonight? I'm going to give him a strong sedative, but I'm also going to want to check on him every few hours, just in case."
"Not a problem," I said. "I have an extra bedroom upstairs, or if you need to be close, you can use the couch. It's pretty comfortable."
"Great," she replied.
"Ok, then," I said, standing. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be back down in 15 or so to see what you need."
"That should be about right," she said, going back to the bedroom to see to her patient.
I went upstairs and took a quick shower, then threw on an old Star Trek t-shirt and a pair of jeans before going back down to the kitchen. I stuck my head in the bedroom and asked Jen if she wanted any more coffee. She was rummaging through her kit and shook her head, so I emptied the pot and got it ready for the morning. Just as I was drying the cups she came out of the bedroom.
"I could use a glass of white wine if you're buying," she said.
"I can do that," I answered. I walked into my pantry and grabbed a bottle of half-dry Riesling. I showed her the bottle as I came back in.
"That's fine," she said as she sat down at the table.
I uncorked the bottle and pulled two glasses out of the cabinet, placed them on the table and filled hers just a bit.
"Care to try it first?" I said.
She picked up the glass and took a sip, sampling the wine in a grand display before replying.
"Perfect," she said with a wink.
"So how's your patient?" I asked, after refilling her glass and pouring some for myself.
"He's healing," she replied. "He was awake for a bit and he knows what happened. I gave him a pretty strong sedative, so he should sleep till morning."
"That's good," I said, taking a drink. "Is Martin coming back by?"
"I called him before you came back down," she replied. "He said he'd be back in the morning."
Can I ask you a question?" she said, taking another sip of her wine."
"Of course."
"Why do you look different now?" she asked.
"Different? How do you mean?"
"Well," she began. "No offence, but when I first met you, you looked... I don’t know, older looking than you do now. I don’t know how to describe it, but you seem young
er."
"Oh," I replied. "I understand. I think it's just a Fae thing. Although, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure why it happens. But the longer you hang around another Fae, the more they kind of blend together. The Fae and human part, that is. I've had similar experiences, but it only seems to happen among Fae that have seen you in both personas, and those that become close emotionally. It doesn't happen around humans; at least not that I've seen. I think it's the magic. I guess you just get used to each other. I don’t really notice it anymore." I'd had the same experience with Meredith.
"So... What?" she asked. "Will you start seeing me as a wolf?"
"No," I said with a laugh. "It doesn’t work that way. Your magic is totally different. Like I said, I don’t really know why it happens. It just does."
"You said it happens when you get close to someone. But we barely know each other."
"But you did save my life," I replied. "Can't get much closer than that. Besides, I do find you attractive, and you have seen me naked."
"Yes I have," she said with a chuckle. Then she took a deep drink and got up from the table.
"I've got some clothes in the car," she said. "Do you mind if I use one of your other showers? I don’t want to disturb Cam any more than I have to."
"No problem," I replied. "Get your stuff and I'll meet you upstairs. I'll get you some clean towels."
I was pulling two towels out of my bathroom cabinet when I heard her call my name.
"In here," I said.
She came into the bedroom before I reached the hallway.
"Nice," she commented.
"I like it," I replied as she looked the room over. I had to admit, the master was nice and big. I had a four poster bed and a sitting area with a fireplace, although it wasn't lit at the moment. And the master bathroom? Well, let's just say that when I rebuilt it I didn’t skimp.
"Holy shit," she said, putting down her bag as she eyed the shower. "You could fit a dozen people in here."
"It's not quite that big," I said with a chuckle.
"Hey," she replied. "I live in an apartment. Everything is bigger than mine. Would you mind if I used it?"
"Go ahead," I said, handing her the two towels I'd gotten for her. Then I went back to the closet and handed her a robe. "I'll give you some privacy."
I went downstairs to finish cleaning up, making a point to check on Jen's patient who was sleeping peacefully. When I was done, I grabbed the wine and glasses and went back upstairs. Hearing the hair dryer, I stopped in front of the master bedroom. I opened the door just a bit.
"You decent?" I asked.
"Come on in," I heard her say, so I went in. I set the wine glasses on the bathroom counter. She was dressed in the robe and turned off the hair dryer when she saw me.
"Thought you might still want this," I said, refilling the glasses before setting the wine down. I started to walk out with mine but she stopped me.
"Where you going?" she asked.
"To give you some privacy," I answered.
"Don't go," she said, then returned to drying her hair.
"I'll wait in the bedroom," I said. I walked over to the sitting area and sat down in one of the chairs. A minute or so later, she came out of the bathroom. The bright white robe accented her thick blonde hair and tan legs as she stood at the arched entrance. I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, especially framed by the light behind her.
"Are you always such a gentleman?" she asked as she tilted her glass and took a drink.
"You're my guest," I said, picking up mine and tilting it in her direction. "I'm just trying to be polite."
"Are all Fae like you?" she asked as she walked around the bed and sat down. "So polite, I mean."
"Probably not," I replied. "But then I was raised differently, so I have an excuse."
That made her laugh.
"But you do find me attractive, right?" she said. "I'm just curious because most guys would have already tried to get in my pants." Then she sipped again, her eyes watching me over the rim. "Am I being too direct again?"
"A bit," I agreed, taking another drink and setting the glass down. "But, then again, you aren’t wearing any. Pants, that is."
"Good point."
"I am a trained observer," I said in jest.
"Are you seeing anyone on a regular basis?" she asked abruptly.
"If you mean am I in a relationship," I replied, "Then no, not at the moment."
"Good," she said, walking up to me and sliding her body between my legs. "I would prefer to avoid... complications." She placed the glass on the table next to mine and sat down on my lap. Turning a bit, she loosened the tie on her robe, placed her hands around my neck, leaned in and kissed me gently. "If I remember correctly, you said you owed me for saving your life. I think now would be a good time to collect," she whispered.
"I think you're right," I agreed. I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her close, cupping her breast before kissing her back. A moment later, I picked her up and carried her to the bed. Placing her gently on the sheets, I took off my shirt before untying her robe and joining he.
****
There was just a hint of light coming from behind the curtains when I woke up. Jen was just coming in from the hallway, dressed only in my t-shirt.
"Everything all right?" I asked.
"I just checked on Cam," she replied. "Sorry if I woke you."
"Don't be," I said. "It was worth it just to see you in my shirt."
She picked up a pillow from the bed and threw it at me, laughing.
"How's he doing?" I asked as she jumped onto the bed.
"He's fine," she answered, as she rolled over and kissed me. "Oh, and your dog is back, too."
"Charlie's here. Damn."
"Why?" she asked. "Is that bad?"
"No," I replied, reaching up under the shirt, rubbing my hands up and down her side. "But yes. Unfortunately, it changes my plans just a bit."
"Oh, I see," she said. "Damn."
"Listen," I began. "About last night ..."
"You don't have to say anything," she interrupted. "I know how it is. You're a..."
"Stop," I said, putting my finger to her lips. "What I was going to say was, after today... well, assuming I'm still here after today... I was thinking it would be nice if we could get together again. Not just for sex, although that was wonderful. But maybe dinner or something. You know, like normal people do when you're not stitching them up. I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this."
"Don’t say things like that," she said, rolling off me and getting off the bed. She crossed her arms as she stood up. "You'll still be here."
"And the other?" I asked, getting out of bed myself.
"Ask me again when it's all over," she replied, taking off my shirt. Then with a final kiss, she turned and went back into the bathroom.
I threw on my jeans and shirt as I heard the shower come on and went downstairs to see what Charlie had been up to.
Chapter 8
"Any luck?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen. He was lapping up water like there was no tomorrow, but stopped long enough to turn his head in my direction when I spoke.
"No," he said before returning to the bowl.
I knew it was no use asking him anything else until he was ready, so I moved over to the coffee pot, hit the start button and returned to the table to wait. A minute later he was apparently finished, because he turned, trotted over and sat down beside me.
"Have you heard from Alf?" I asked.
"He searches for something," he replied. He got up, went to the bedroom and stood at the doorway. "What happened to the Wolf?"
"Got speared by the thing," I said. "Apparently it didn’t like being interrupted when it was eating. Jen says he'll pull through though."
"It has armed itself?"
"Yeah, some type of bladed spear," I replied. "Not that it needed it with that spiked tail."
"Perhaps the Imp is correct after all," he said.
"About wha
t?"
"When I called it a beast, he disagreed. He said not to be fooled. That the Demons of that time were considered to be the same as Gods."
"That's not good," I said. If it had a weapon now, what else about it had changed? Although it had to have been here for a few days, we still didn’t know how it got here. But Jay's information about the other Demon meant that someone probably summoned this one as well. The question was who, and why?
By the time Jen came down I'd already made a couple calls. We weren't the only ones up at the crack of dawn. Michael was following up a lead on an old Mage that looked promising. According to Christopher, he fit the profile of someone who might try such a thing. He was going to let me know when they tracked him down.
Jenn had already spoken with the Weres, nothing had been seen of the Demon since the latest attack. I'd already heard from Jay as well. Someone from the local office would be contacting me later this morning. Other than that, there wasn't much else to do at the moment. Grabbing another coffee and restarting the pot, I went upstairs to shower and change before things got hectic.
I was barely got out of the shower when the phone beeped a text message. It was from Jay. "You're about to get a call," was all it said. Sure enough, a moment later, the phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number.
"This is Robert, I said as I answered.
"Agent Theno here, Mr. Hoskins. I was told you were expecting my call."
Theno was the Agent in Charge of the local office of the EAB. The same bureau within Homeland Security that my son now worked for.
"I just got the message," I replied. "What can I do for you?"
"It's what I can do for you," he replied. "Our agents are at a location of interest in yesterday's incident. I have been told that your presence is requested. Are you available?"
"Of course," I replied. "When and where?"
"Agent Browne will pick you up shortly," he said.
"Fine. I'll want Charlie to come as well," I said.
