by Linda Wisdom
“Although what?” Lili leaned forward.
“I could be wrong, but I’d say every one of them was fairly new to the hospital. I don’t think any of them had been working there any longer than six months or so.” Her golden eyes darkened. “This isn’t good, is it?”
Lili agreed. “It’s not. I would think even the authorities would feel that number was a bit high.”
“There was no reason for an investigation. It’s not like anything was stolen. The Dragon Lady just bitched about how she’d have to rework schedules and went on how it wouldn’t hurt for them to call in and say they were outta there.” Deisphe took another bite of the rich torte. “You have no idea about your friend? Is that why you came out here?”
“None at all, and yes, that was one of the important reasons for my coming back, but I also felt another need to return to San Francisco.” Deep inside she felt that Sera was the catalyst for her meeting Jared and, she hoped, finding a way to have him released from Dr. Mortimer’s antiquated idea of medical care.
The Were nodded. “Count me in. If there’s anything I can do for you, I’m there, okay?
Lili felt the warmth expand inside her. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“So, on to fun topics. Did you see that new medic handling the portals for the badly wounded?” Deisphe fanned her hand in front of her face. “Talk about smokin’! Plus, he’s a Wereleopard. I’d lift my tail for him anytime.”
The witch laughed so hard she almost choked. “Why do I get the idea it won’t be safe to go into the portal area for a while?” she said once she regained her breath.
“At least have some style while you’re at it!” could be heard from Lili’s bedroom. “You cubs have no idea how to properly seduce a male.”
Deisphe grinned at Lili. “She does hate to be left out of things, doesn’t she?”
She nodded. “When you consider her history, you have to admit she knows all about the opposite sex.”
“Then maybe we both need her expertise. You with your sexy demon and me with my hot snow leopard.” She raised her eyebrows.
“I’m considered sexy now?”
Lili choked on her wine while Deisphe almost dropped her glass. She turned to Lili, accusation running hot.
“He’s been here the whole time?”
Lili almost fell over as Jared helpfully slapped her on the back.
“No,” she rasped. She glared at him.
“A simple thank-you is enough.” He plucked her wineglass out of her hand and drank as he perched on the chair’s arm. “Hello.”
Deisphe nodded. “Teleportation?”
“Shadows,” he replied.
She nodded as she looked at Lili then back at Jared. “I’ve heard of shadow demons. I only saw you once below. You clean up very well. So which is the real you? What I see here or the animal in a cell?”
Lili tensed at the Were’s blunt language.
“A little of both.” He leaned forward and refilled the wineglass, returning it to Lili.
Deisphe looked at her friend. “Have you ever done anything the easy way?”
“Yes, but it didn’t offer as much satisfaction.” She enjoyed the heat of Jared’s body close to hers. She didn’t know why he was here, but her hormones were happy to see him.
Deisphe continued eyeing him closely. “You were at Crieze.”
He nodded.
She looked from one to the other. “You know I’ll do whatever I can to help. So, Jared, why don’t you tell me what goes on with you.”
Lili broke into a broad smile, and she felt the tension leave Jared’s body.
“You going to share any of that torte?” he asked, staring at Lili’s plate.
The evening ended differently than Lili expected, but she judged it a success. She knew she had a new friend and a willing accomplice in Deisphe. As for Jared, she knew time alone would tell.
She didn’t know if Jared was meant to belong in her life or if she would ever learn what happened to Sera. Right now, she felt she was on the right path to both.
***
The chamber was dimly lit with candles that produced uneasy yellow and orange flames. The acrid stench of chemicals was strong in the air, but the room’s occupant was oblivious to the smell.
He sat on a wooden stool, hunched over a long table filled with beakers and burners. Stained fingers trembled as he lifted one of the beakers and carefully poured the coppery red contents into a potion bottle that already contained a thick, bubbling liquid. As he gently sloshed the contents back and forth to blend them, he softly chanted the words that danced around his head. His hair lifted in the charged air that grew stronger the further he reached into his spell.
He smiled at the ear-piercing shriek that rent the air, indicating to him the spell was complete.
The bottle’s contents were pulled up into a hypodermic, and he swiftly injected it into his forearm.
He slumped on the stool and closed his eyes as the cold rush of the drug he’d concocted raced through his blood, filling him with the sensation that midnight lived within him.
He stared at the portal that glittered invitingly. Smiling with anticipation, he stood up and walked toward the opening that would lead him to another place and time, where he felt free to utilize his darker skills.
Chapter 11
Lili sat in the same uncomfortable chair she’d been given each time she had been bidden to Dr. Mortimer’s office. She noticed the fusty atmosphere along with a nose-prickling scent that sent an odd sensation under the surface of her skin.
She knew some doctors used odd concoctions in their own peculiar way of treating themselves. Many of the potions were so old, only the imbiber knew what was in them. The witch wondered what the wizard took to cause the odd aroma in the air.
“I hope you like ginger tea,” Dr. Mortimer said, pouring the liquid into two delicate china cups and handing one to her. “I find it a nice treat in the afternoons.”
“Yes, thank you,” she lied. She knew ginger was excellent for upset stomachs, but since, luckily, she never suffered that particular malady, she didn’t touch the stuff. She hid her reaction as she carefully sipped the hot drink.
“I have studied your notes regarding Pepta and Panabell, and I am pleased with what I read,” he said with a broad smile. “Pepta has always been a…” he paused as his drank his tea. “Well, a bit of a trial.”
Lili couldn’t help smiling at the subtle phrase that didn’t speak the truth about the abrasive nymph. “Thank you, although I don’t feel I’ve done enough for her. It was a shame she had been so badly mistreated before she came here, because it means we can’t use any kind of gentle treatment with her. She would only scoff at that. She needs someone tough to stand up to her. It seems so many suffer when they’ve been exposed to any form of tainted blood. Just as the mundanes can suffer that type of sickness, so can the preternaturals.” She took another sip of her tea. “I wish we could find a true cure for them, but there are so many forms of contaminated blood, it’s not easy to do.”
“So much power in one’s blood,” the doctor murmured almost to himself. “It can heal, it can destroy, and it can bring about so much power in the right spell.”
“A blood spell is always dangerous.” Lili wondered where this conversation was leading. If Dr. Mortimer was going to suggest using any form of blood spell, she’d have to flatly refuse. She always protected her patients by ensuring that any bloody cloths were hexed into ash.
“Yes, Dr. Carter, but you must remember that it can also be helpful.” His faded eyes gleamed as he leaned across his desk. “Sometimes you must think outside the box. To look at all the good something unusual can accomplish.”
I’m staring at a wizard wearing clothes straight out of the Victorian era, and he’s talking about coloring outside the lines. What’s wrong with this picture?
“I’m sorry, Dr. Mortimer, but I must disagree with you,” she said, feeling as if she was stepping through a minefield. And wondering
where this was heading. “Any charm or spell that’s powered by blood can harm the practitioner as much as the victim.”
“But there are no victims,” he argued, seemingly caught up in the subject. “By using such a strong spell, we could find a way to cure the truly ill ones, such as Patient 1172.”
Lili set her cup down. The ginger tea churned around her stomach like a tsunami while bitterness rested on her tongue. She took a deep breath, aware she would have to carefully choose her words because Jared’s existence could depend on it.
“Panabell has responded very well with the new treatment,” she spoke slowly. “And Pepta’s had fewer manic episodes lately.”
“But…” His keen eyes didn’t miss that she had a lot more to say. By his expression, she was already warned he might not like it.
“I’m really thinking of Patient 1172,” she continued. “Personally, Dr. Mortimer, I don’t feel he’s as dangerous as he first was. What I’ve observed of him is a male who’s healed. I don’t see any signs of insanity in his manner.”
The wizard clucked under his tongue as he gifted her with a benign smile. “My dear Dr. Carter, you must always remember that Patient 1172 is a demon. Of all creatures, they know best how to hide their true selves. They lie, cheat, steal, they will cut out your heart without thinking twice, and when they reach their darker selves, they are able to do more. I am afraid Patient 1172 has managed to deceive you into thinking he has changed for the better.” He shook his head, looking the image of a concerned mentor. “No, he is not ready. But I feel he can be made a bit better, once I begin the new therapy by using a special blend of blood.”
Ice traveled down her spine. She saw something wild flickering in his eyes. Something that shouldn’t be in the mild wizard’s manner. “I don’t consider myself unintelligent, Dr. Mortimer, but I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re getting at.” Or why you’re talking about the base of the most dangerous spells of all, in the way someone else would talk about blending coffee.
He continued to smile at her as if she were the dull-witted child even she was starting to think she was.
And why was he bringing up something this unsafe to her? It was a forbidden subject for anyone in the healing field. The kind no one even wanted to whisper for fear they’d be overheard and brought up before the Physics Council. If you were caught using a blood spell, you wouldn’t just lose your healing powers. You’d lose your life.
Lili could tell it was obvious this was something he’d either given great thought to or worse. She feared it was the latter.
“Over the years, I have studied many ancient scrolls written by healers who detailed a wide variety of primeval healing practices,” he explained with the same fervent gleam in his eyes. “Do you know many of them used blood enchantments with great success? They proved that using the life source also gave the charms greater strength for those who required it. You are a gifted healer, Dr. Carter. I knew you would understand what I hope to accomplish here.”
“But we don’t think that way any longer,” she said, doing her best not to sound as if she was arguing. She wondered why he brought the subject up, except that he must have had a good reason and felt he could trust her. A horrifying thought took root in her mind. Why was the doctor considering utilizing blood spells to help their healing process? She knew she wasn’t going to allow him to try it on Panabell and Pepta. Not just because the spells were banned, but because they could also go very wrong.
She spoke slowly and continued to tread carefully as she strove to say what she felt he wanted to hear. “I admit I’m not well versed in that area, Dr. Mortimer. Would it be possible for me to borrow some of your scrolls and read about these processes, so that I could understand them better?” She offered him a gentle smile. Suddenly, she was the student again, someone eager to learn from a master, as the wizard would surely see himself. She didn’t know a wizard yet that didn’t have a mega-ego.
Dr. Mortimer picked up a pipe and tamped the tobacco down. A flick of his fingers had it burning, and the scent of cherry filled the air.
She remained silent, allowing him to ruminate on her words and, hopefully, decide she wasn’t any threat to whatever plan he was hatching.
There was no way this idea is a spur of the moment thing for him. He must have experimented with blood spells before. Oh my Fates, what if he’s behind Sera’s disappearance? Knots tightened in the pit of her stomach as terrifying thoughts raced through her head.
Lili had the unsettling suspicion that Dr. Mortimer might be dabbling in things he shouldn’t, but the idea he was looking to blood spells was unsettling. She knew a majority of the wizard doctors were very conservative. The idea of making use of blood in any kind of healing spell was anathema to their natures.
She also questioned why he brought this up now. What inspired him to dare mention a practice that could have drawn the wrath, not only of the Wizard and Ruling Councils, but even the Physics Council that oversaw all healers? The latter was enough to put fear into the heart of any medical professional.
She felt that the minefield was still out there. Her need to discover just what he was doing grew by the second. By rights she should report him to the Physics Council for just mentioning the use of blood spells, but she didn’t feel she had enough facts to back up an accusation that was an automatic death sentence.
By the time Lili felt ready to scream with frustration, the elderly wizard smiled and gestured with his pipe. “I am pleased you are willing to keep an open mind about my work, Dr. Carter. I am sure you realize there are few of us who understand that there are so many unused avenues to explore in healing the mentally infirm. You may read the scrolls,” he replied. “But I do ask that you not share their contents with anyone else or even mention their being here. You can understand how dangerous that would be.”
Why did she feel as if that danger would be directed more at her, by him, than because of the contents? “Of course.” She kept her tone casual as she carefully inched the scrolls toward her. The paper was heavy to the touch and gave off an odd sensation, as if she were touching something unpleasant and long dead.
“And I ask that you only read them on the premises and not take them home with you,” he requested. “It’s best if they’re kept in as controlled an environment as possible.”
She nodded. “I’ll read them in my office and return them to you as soon as possible.” Lili already knew they weren’t something she wanted in her possession any longer than necessary. She wondered if she’d be able to scan the contents or if there was a spell on the heavy paper that wouldn’t allow it. That was something she’d check out as soon as she could. She stood up, holding the scrolls in one hand. “Thank you for your trust, Dr. Mortimer. I vow to keep the scrolls protected until they’re back in your hands.” She smiled at him.
“I know you will.” He rose at the same time she did. “I have kept you from your duties long enough. And think about what I have said. I do believe we can go a great way if I have your assistance in my research.”
“I will,” she promised, even as she knew there was no way in Hades she’d even consider it.
Lili didn’t waste any time taking the scrolls to her office and locking them in her desk, overlaying the drawer with a major “keep out—or else” spell. Once she finished, she cleansed her hands in salt water then used a lotion on her skin. She collapsed into her chair, feeling exhausted.
“How do I get mixed up in these things?” she muttered to herself.
“Because getting involved is strong in your aura. I don’t know what you put in your desk, but whatever it is, it’s not good for any of us,” Cleo warned her, sitting up tall on her pillow. She lifted a paw and delicately licked it then started hacking. “Damn hair balls,” she muttered in a raspy voice, pointing a paw at the hair ball and torching it. “I don’t know which is worse, them or the ability to lick my ass. Although I must admit, I do have a lovely butt,” she mused, admiring said body part.
“Self-ab
sorbed. Party of one.” Lili pulled her hair up into a ponytail, allowing the curls to drop down to her shoulders.
“What did Dr. Musty want, other than to give you something that smells worse than a month-old dead rat and holds nasty magick?” The cat stared at the desk, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “You shouldn’t have that around you, you know.”
Lili sniffed, but she already knew her sense of smell wasn’t like her diva feline’s olfactory senses. “All I noticed was an old paper smell, although it does feel nasty. What did you detect?”
“I can tell it’s something bad. Like magick that’s gone to a bad place.” She curled back up on her pillow, her plush tail wrapped around her body. “What’s on those scrolls he gave you?”
“I haven’t read them yet. Why, do you want to look at them?” She doubted Dr. Mortimer would expect her cat to read them.
“I’ll stick to my erotica, thank you very much. It’s much more enjoyable than whatever those scrolls hold. I don’t think you should read them, either. They wouldn’t be good for you, just as I bet they weren’t good for him. They changed him, and they’d do that to you too.” Her blue eyes rimmed with gold blazed with fire, a sure sign her magick was flaring. Now she stared at the desk as if it held something deadly.
Lili felt the sickness in her stomach flare up. She already had a pretty good idea what was on the scrolls, while Cleo had to rely on her magick to ferret out the contents. And the cat would absolutely do that. Curiosity couldn’t kill her for doing it, either.
“Anything else your senses tell you?” she asked. “Do you think I can scan them to my computer?”
Cleo thought for a moment. “I’d have to touch them to tell you that and, personally, I don’t care to do so.” She groaned when she caught Lili’s expression. “But you expect me to.”
