by Linda Wisdom
“My friend Maggie made sure I’m very protected when I’m at the hospital,” she assured him.
He nodded his understanding. “Hence the runes and sigils woven into your clothing.”
“The Hellion Guards know everything there is to know about protection charms. Maggie has resources I don’t have access to. Even she didn’t want me to do this.”
“I agree with her,” he stated. His lips twisted in a brief smile. “But if you weren’t the stubborn witch you are, I wouldn’t have met you.”
“It was easy to convince her I was a better choice than a Hellion Guard. After all, I have past history here. It was much easier for me to get accepted into the hospital, and besides, Sera is my friend.” She refused to think of her in the past tense. “I need to know what happened to her. Maybe I can even find her and bring her back from wherever she is.”
He thought for a moment. “If you can get them to make any sense, talk to Panabell or Pepta. I’m sure Sera would have treated them too. And there’s always Amy. No one would notice her. She might know something, even if she doesn’t think she does. She’s always hanging around down there.”
Lili felt guilt at the reminder of the little spirit who needed to find her mother. Even with so much going on, she had no excuse for not doing the right thing for the ghostling who desperately needed her mother. She knew she couldn’t ask Amy about Sera. The tiny wraith was confused enough.
She looked down and noticed dark gray tendrils of shadows snaking their way around Jared’s legs. “You have to go,” she said sadly, wishing she could reach out and protect him against the gloom’s hold on him. She claimed him last night, damn it! She wanted to insist he was hers, not theirs. The desire to drive him to a restaurant, where they could sit and have breakfast, laugh, and talk, raged strong within her. She hated the idea of his being pulled back to the hospital again, where he’d only suffer again.
He winced as the darkness grew tight enough on his legs to cause pain. “I’m being warned that someone’s coming to my cell.” He leaned toward her and brushed his lips across her forehead. He whispered something in his language that didn’t sound as harsh on her ears as it had been before.
“What did you say?” She stared into his face, feeling the pain as he started to melt into the gloom that surrounded him.
He smiled and shook his head even as he winked out of sight. See ya, Doc.
Lili was alone again. The cold damp air enveloped her, chilling her skin. She slowly walked back up the beach toward the parking lot.
Cleo, wearing extra-dark sunglasses, was spread out on the hood.
“You better not have left any claw marks on my baby.” Lili reached inside her SUV and pulled out her coffee tumbler. The liquid was still hot and bracing on her tongue.
“Talk to the paw.” She held up an appendage, offering the witch a wicked smile as long, razor-sharp claws shot out. She lowered it to the metal and etched her name with that painful nails-on-a-chalkboard screech. Lili snarled and covered her ears with her hands. The witch shot an array of sparks toward Cleo that had her jumping up in the air as the scratches disappeared.
“I hate you,” the cat sneered when she landed all feet down. “There was no reason to drag me out here just because you needed to get in touch with your inner witch. I could have stayed home deliberately shedding all over your bed.”
“Not when you’d probably projectile vomit all over my silk comforter. Besides, I wasn’t the one who overindulged on catnip wine last night and maxed out my Visa.” She waited until Cleo crawled her way into the passenger seat.
“Just kill me now or give me a hangover remedy,” the feline moaned, curling up on the seat with her nose tucked into her tail.
“The potion doesn’t work on catnip wine, and you know it. You’ll just have to suck it up and suffer the consequences of your wild night.” She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. She gauged she had just enough time to make it home and get dressed for work.
“I smell the demon on you.” Cleo wrinkled her nose. Her lush fur ruffled. “How come he gets around so much and can’t leave the hospital for good? If I had to smell that musty wizard all the time, I’d be outta there like a puss on a mouse.”
“There are wards in place to ensure he can’t permanently escape. He’s lucky he can use his shadows to leave as he does.” She turned on the heater controls, directing the warm air in her direction as she pulled out of the parking lot.
Cleo curled her lip as she batted her paw at one of the vents, fixing it so the air would flow in her direction.
“Should I have been more specific when I told you that you needed a love life? Call me crazy—on second thought, don’t—but something tells me that a demon inmate in the asylum comes across as more than a little desperate on your part. Oh come on! You think I didn’t know what you two were doing in there last night, even if you slapped a privacy spell on the door?” The cat smirked. “Listen to Auntie Cleo. Get out and meet a nice witch who’s got a halfway normal job. I bet Adam knows some suitable guys. Sure, Jared is hot enough to make me think about lifting my tail, but he’s still a demon with a scary medical record. You need someone dependable instead of a guy who can disappear when you least expect it. I bet he doesn’t even have a decent credit rating.”
Who cares about anything else when he kisses you into insensibility and makes incredible love to you and claims you that very first night? Not that she was going to mention that to Cleo. The cat would have a field day with that piece of information.
Lili reached over and twisted the heater control to a lower temp. No reason for it when she was growing warm all on her own. “Don’t.” She held up a warning hand when Cleo glanced at her action and opened her mouth. “Just don’t.”
For once, the feline did the right thing and kept quiet. Good thing. If she said one more wrong word, Lili wouldn’t have thought twice of making the smart-mouthed cat walk home. And the witch would have made sure it rained on the kitty every step of the way.
Chapter 9
“Houston, we have a problem.” Deisphe grabbed Lili’s arm and pulled her into the hallway before she stepped out of her office.
The witch was almost overbalanced on her heels due to the Were’s strength.
“Okay, I’m here. What’s the trouble?” She had to run to keep up. After looking at the concern on the nurse’s face, she had an idea it had to be something wrong with a capital W.
“An earth witch was brought in about an hour ago. She’s screaming with serious pain that’s twisting her body into a pretzel. I can’t find any signs of trauma, the scanner shows no spells on her, so whatever it is lies so well hidden that our equipment can’t find it. All her stats are off the chart,” Deisphe reported, heading swiftly into the depths of the ER.
Lili skidded to a stop as her head started to spin like an old-fashioned top. She felt the protective runes on her lab coat suddenly kick into high gear, allowing her dizziness to disappear. She knew it had to be due to their new patient.
“Are you okay?” Deisphe grabbed her arm to steady her. She looked into Lili’s eyes, and quickly grasped her wrist, checking her pulse.
“I’m fine now.” She ran her hands down the starched fabric that prickled her palms with magick. “I have a bad feeling that what I’m experiencing is coming from our new patient.”
Lili knew she was right the minute she entered the curtained cubicle shielding the witch.
Just as Deisphe described, the young woman’s body was racked in agony. Her face was mottled red and white with pain while her eyes were wild with agony.
“Her name is Vonnie,” Deisphe said softly. “Neighbors heard her screaming and found her this way. Luckily, they wasted no time calling us. They’re mundanes, but they know what she is, so they knew who to contact.”
“Hey, Vonnie,” Lili said softly. She rested her hand on the woman’s wrist and almost reared back at the amount of heat flowing off her skin, along with something that sparked off her palm. “I’m D
r. Carter. Can you tell me exactly what you’re feeling?”
Vonnie worked her mouth in what looked like painful contortions, but no words escaped her lips.
Lili continued staring into her face. “Move her into one of the closed rooms,” she ordered.
“There are no signs of any contagion,” Deisphe murmured in Lili’s ear.
“That doesn’t mean she isn’t. It could be something we can’t easily detect. Get her moved now. I’ll be right back.” She wasted no time heading for her office.
“I need you now,” she told Cleo, who was curled up on her pillow, her dark glasses still in place.
The cat looked up, ready to say something nasty but the look at the witch’s face told her it was important. She magicked away her dark glasses, and flowed off the small couch.
Lili didn’t say anything as the cat followed her into the room. Lili closed the door behind them. She was glad to see that Deisphe had wasted no time getting her new patient moved and set up.
She knew the closed room’s strong wards would ensure nothing dangerous would have a chance to escape. Looking at Vonnie, she was positive there was something very bad going on. Now the problem was finding out what.
“Oh my.” Cleo hopped onto a chair and stared at the young witch. “She’s very sick.”
“What do you see that I can’t?” Lili knew her furry companion could pick up on things she might not notice.
The feline’s eyes glowed a dark green as her gaze swept over the gurney. “Very olde magick. A strong binding spell has been used that allows the spellcaster to leach her power from her. It is like a treacherous drug. Once you start doing this, you can’t stop. If you can break the first level of this spell, you’ll be able to see the bonds wrapped around her.” She shook her head. “She’s very sick. It’s weakened her a great deal.”
“Whoa,” Deisphe breathed, looking as if she wanted to step out of range. “I’ve heard of binding spells, but one that drains off a witch’s power is new to me.”
Lili searched her memory banks, finally understanding what was said. “Whoever did this was powerful enough to hide his or her handiwork. As Cleo said, it’s very olde and dangerous, since it’s addictive to the caster. It’s like a strong drug. The more you receive, the more you want.” She closed her eyes and willed her magick into her hands until the skin glowed with a strong light. “For now, I just want to ease her agony in hopes she’ll be able to tell us who did this to her.”
“And if she doesn’t know?” the nurse asked.
“Then we’ll play detective.”
Her body received a strong jolt as she placed her palms on her patient.
“Be careful,” Cleo warned a second too late, pointing with her paw. “And stay away from those areas.” She shot dots of multicolored lights to hover over Vonnie. “Don’t touch them at all.”
Lili nodded and continued to work her own magick. She wasn’t vain about her gifts. She knew she was strong, but she soon learned that what she was facing had little to do with her skills. She was thankful she asked Panacea for strength. It looked like she was going to need it.
The witch was drenched in sweat by the time Vonnie started to breathe easier and a hint of normal color had returned to her face.
“Who bound you?” Cleo asked.
“Who’s the doctor here?” Lili glared at the cat. She looked down at Vonnie. “Vonnie, you were bound with a powerful spell that’s been leaching your magick. Do you know who did this to you?”
“No,” Vonnie said weakly, looking as exhausted as Lili felt. “Why would someone bind me? I don’t have any enemies.”
“And steal her power,” Cleo muttered.
“Shush.”
“Oh sure, you drag me in here to figure out what’s going on and now you want me quiet.” The fluffy feline sulked.
Lili sat down and moved closer to the gurney. She still made sure her fingertips didn’t touch the areas that Cleo had highlighted. The cat was arrogant and a pain in the ass, but she knew her ancient magick.
A voice in the back of her mind suggested she bring in Dr. Mortimer, or one of the other wizard doctors on staff, but years working in supe hospitals had taught her that a lot of the wizards didn’t like treating witches and usually shunted their care off to her anyway.
Besides, this was a challenge, and if she could solve it herself without any harm to Vonnie, she’d know she did the right thing keeping it to herself. If it turned out she couldn’t, then she’d waste no time seeking assistance.
“Are you mated, Vonnie?” Deisphe asked. She already knew that Lili didn’t mind if she asked questions.
Vonnie closed her eyes, breathing deeply. “No. But I do share an apartment with my boyfriend. Zane’s a mage second class. He’s very talented and should be a lot further along. All of his teachers are so against him.” She winced as she moved her body a fraction. “It never hurt like this before.”
“How long has this been going on?” Lili inquired, not liking to hear that this wasn’t something new.
“Almost three years. But it’s never been like this.” She bit her bottom lip against the pain punishing her body. “Before it was just some mild headaches or muscle aches that a tisane could handle.”
“How long have you been with Zane?” Cleo chimed in.
“Almost three years.” Vonnie continued to struggle for a breath. “He’s tried to help me, but it doesn’t work. I had to stop working because it got so bad, so he takes care of me.”
All the gears in Lili’s head clicked into place. “I’m sure he does,” she murmured, sharing a telling look with Deisphe and Cleo. She rested her palm just above Vonnie’s forehead. “Peace to you. Sleep like a child. Rest deep in slumber’s arms as I wish it.” She waited until Vonnie’s eyes drifted closed. Her body truly relaxed for the first time.
“Now what?” Deisphe asked softly. “Do you think the boyfriend had something to do with it?”
Lili stood back, idly chewing on a fingernail. “I’d know better if I saw this Zane. Is there a number for him on the intake paperwork?”
Deisphe picked up the computer tablet and viewed the contents. “Luckily, she’d been here before, and we have his cell and wallmail for contact info.”
“Get hold of him and let him know about Vonnie. Ask if he can come in, but don’t let him anywhere near her,” she instructed. “In fact, let’s have her moved up to one of the seclusion rooms. Let me know when he shows up.” She turned her attention to Cleo. “Are you willing to stay with her?” She knew that between the Wereleopard and the cat, her charge would be well protected.
“Of course.” Cleo was arrogant, but she also had a tender heart. “And if this Zane proves to be a problem…” She unsheathed her needle-sharp claws that Lili knew were tipped with a paralyzing poison.
“Remind me not to get into a catfight with you.” Deisphe grinned. “I’ll get Vonnie moved upstairs and then I’ll call the boyfriend. I’ll let you know when he shows up.” She carefully covered up their patient.
Lili was barely out of the ER when Director of Nursing Garrish cornered her.
“I do not know how it was in other hospitals you worked, Dr. Carter, but here at Crying Souls, a nurse is not considered a doctor’s private property,” she snapped. “Deisphe is an important employee of the hospital and as such, needs to be used where she is most required.”
“And for now that is with me,” Lili countered. “I need her assistance with an important patient.”
“Yes, the young witch that was delivered here.” The dragon-shifter’s eyes turned a dark purple that would match her scales if she were in her other form. “No patient needs private nursing or your cat’s assistance,” she sniffed.
Lili thought of acting like the total bitch medical professional she could, but she knew she needed the shifter on her side.
“My diagnosis is that her scum mage of a boyfriend wrapped a potent binding spell on her that also manages to transfer her power to him. I think it started out small,
but she’s been under its control for so long that it’s now slowly destroying her. If I can’t banish that spell, she’ll be dead within a few days,” she confided.
Miss Garrish straightened up, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “And what are you doing about it?”
“I’ve ordered her transferred to a seclusion room and cast a peaceful sleep spell on her. I also asked Deisphe to contact the boyfriend and ask him to come in. I intend to have him properly taken care of if it turns out I’m right and he is behind the spell.”
The Director stared at her so hard that Lili felt as if her gaze could see right down to her bone marrow. It wasn’t a good feeling at all.
“I do not appreciate anyone casting illegal spells,” she said in her rusty voice, “especially arrogant young mages who view themselves as above the law. Inform nurse Deisphe I will require a full accounting once your patient is stable. Naturally, if that mage has done such a thing, you will have him turned over to the authorities.”
Lili released an internal breath of relief as she inclined her head. “No worries there. Thank you.” She started to turn away.
“Dr. Carter.” Lili froze. “Of course, you thought of having lavender scattered in the seclusion room to help with the discomfort.”
Damn! She hadn’t. “No, I hadn’t, Nurse Garrish. Thank you for reminding me.”
“Then I shall pass the suggestion on to Deisphe.” The shifter nodded her dismissal.
Lili made a quick retreat for the lower floor. “Sure, Lili, you’re the big bad doctor in charge and she’s still a nurse who’s supposed to obey you. A nurse who could easily have you for a late-night snack.” She hurried down the stairs and headed down the hallway in the direction of Jared’s cell.
She noted there were a few more lights in the hallway and the air didn’t seem as dank as before.
“It’s not your time for down here,” Turtifo greeted her with a nasty growl as he emerged from the small break room.
