by Aileen Erin
“I’ll be fine,” I said. I was sitting in the only chair in the tiny room. The hospital bed took up most of the space. A small table sat beside it with the lamp on dim, providing the only light. There was a small bathroom behind me, and a wall of cabinets took up what room was left.
Raphael quietly snored as the pain meds worked their way through his body. It had taken twenty stitches to fix up the mess that z-Daniel had made. Meredith liked to call him that. Z for zombie.
Only it wasn’t zombie so much as demon. I’d made that known but according to Meredith, d-Daniel sounded more like a stutter and way less cool. If he had to be brought back like that, the least we could give him was a worthy nickname. Again, according to Meredith.
What we called the abomination that Luciana had created didn’t matter to me. What really counted was that Raphael was all right.
“Well, if you’re going to stay in that chair the rest of the night, there are blankets in the cabinets.” Dr. Gonzales moved toward the door. “I’ll be just down the hall. Shout if you need anything.”
I nodded, not looking away from my brother. “Thank you.” I sat there, as still as I could be, until she left. Then, I scooted the chair closer, until I could rest my forehead on the bed.
The wolves had to sense what was wrong with him. I could only smell it when I was this close, but the scent of sulfur surrounded my brother now, and it didn’t take a genius to guess what would happen next. My brother would be just like Daniel. Luciana wouldn’t be satisfied until her twisted magic took everything from me.
What would I have left when she took Raphael?
Goosebumps ran up my arms, and I went to the cabinets on the other side of the bed. It took me three tries, but I found the blankets. The wolves liked to run the air conditioning a little more than I was comfortable with in the infirmary.
Or maybe I was still in shock.
The door opened and light filled the dimly lit room. “Hey,” Teresa said.
Oh God. I’d forced her change. She was going to be mad at me. “Hi.”
“How is he?”
I sank down in the chair with the blanket bundled in my arms. “Not good.”
“I heard Dr. Gonzales cleaned the wound and stitched it.”
I nodded. “She did a great job taking care of him, but she can’t fix this.”
Teresa sniffed and I finally turned and met her gaze. Her eyes were glowing, meaning her wolf was close to the surface. “Is that sulfur?”
Tears welled, and I tried to blink them away. “Yes.”
“Oh shit,” she said as she sat on the end of the bed. “This is really bad.”
“I know.” A single tear managed to slip free, and I quickly brushed it away. I couldn’t break now. I had to be strong.
“Do you think…” Teresa started and stopped. I waited for her question, but I could guess what she was going to ask. I’d been asking myself that same question.
“Do you know what’s going to happen to him?” She said finally.
“I don’t know for sure, but… Did you see Daniel?”
“Yup.”
I gave her a level stare.
“No. No. That can’t happen.”
I shrugged. “That’s my best guess. Although nothing is certain. If I can find a way to stop it, then he could be back to normal in no time.” That was a long shot, but I had hope. I cleared my throat. “Thank you. I’m sorry I used you, but—”
She sliced her hand through the air to cut me off. “Don’t even. God. Whatever you did boosted my power to like the umpteenth degree. I never felt so strong or so fast before.”
I nodded. It had cost me a good dose of energy that I didn’t have to give, but if it had stopped Daniel from killing my brother, then it was worth it. At least now I had a shot at figuring out how to save him. Undoing some nasty magic was far better than trying to fix a ripped out throat. That was impossible to fix.
Thank goodness Teresa wasn’t angry. “Well, I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission.”
“It’s fine. But now I know why Luciana wants you back so badly.”
I sighed. “Yeah.” Would I go back? If she promised to save Raphael, I wouldn’t have a choice.
“I know what those girls said, but take it from me. Trusting Luciana isn’t a good idea. No matter what she promises.”
“But if she can save Raphael…” I reached out, cradling his hand in both of mine. “I don’t know that I could risk his life.”
“Don’t even—”
A cell phone rang, and I recognized Raphael’s ringtone. That was his phone.
“That’s why I came down here. Not just to check on you, but Raphael dropped his phone in the quad and it keeps ringing.” She pulled his small flip phone from her pocket and handed it over. “It says Matt.”
I groaned. He was probably the last person I wanted to deal with right now.
“Is that the douchebag?”
I laughed. “Yeah. That’s the douchebag.”
“Why is he calling your brother?”
“Probably because I don’t have a cell phone.”
“You don’t have a cell phone?”
I took the phone from her and it stopped ringing. Saved by the bell. “You remember the amazing cell reception at the compound.”
“Right. I wasn’t thinking. Of course. Why would you have a cell if you couldn’t use it?”
“Exactly.” I held up the phone. “But this is Raphael’s. He left the compound every day for work so it made sense for him to get one. Clients needed to get in contact with him. But Luciana never let me out of her sight.”
The phone started ringing again. I didn’t bother reading the caller I.D.
“You going to answer that?”
I didn’t want to. Not eve a little. “If he calls again, I’ll pick it up.”
She grinned. “Makes sense.” She motioned back to my brother’s sleeping form. “So how do we help him?”
I leaned back in the chair. “I have no idea. That kind of black magic is so far out of my knowledge base. I’m hoping that the demon didn’t fully infect him, but I won’t know until he wakes up, and I’m not waking him up. Not yet.” I chewed on my lip. “Is Muraco back by any chance?”
She shook her head. “He’s not expected back until the afternoon. Why? What are you thinking?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I’m thinking. But if Raphael needs white magic to fix him—and I have a feeling that’s what he might need—then I’m going to have to go to Peru.”
“All signs are pointing that way. You can break your oath there. You can fix Raphael there. And you can find magic to help us there.”
I nodded. “I noticed that, too. Powerful signs happen in threes. I got told three times in twelve hours that I should be in Peru. I don’t like to ignore the spirits when they shout at me.” I didn’t want to pry, but had to ask her… “Have you seen anything about this?”
She cringed and looked away from me. “Not really anything helpful. I’m sorry. Ever since…you know…it’s been hard. I feel like I’m blocked. It’s probably just psychological, but I’m worried that—”
The phone started ringing and I wanted to chuck it across the room.
“You don’t have to answer it,” Teresa said.
“He’ll just keep calling.” But boy did I not want to answer it. “Hello.” I held my breath as I waited for his response.
“Claudia? Finally. What the hell is going on over there?”
I didn’t know what to say. Or where to start. “A lot is going on.”
“I heard from Luciana. She’s freaking out. Whatever this little rebellious phase is, you should get over it and go home.”
Rebellious phase? He made it sound like he was so much older than me. And he was. At thirty, he was exactly ten years older than me. It made him extra gross for getting engaged to a sixteen year old at twenty-six. Not that the age difference was the problem. It was more his lack of maturity. “I’m not going back to the compound. Not now.
Not ever.”
“But—”
“No.” I nearly shouted the word. “You don’t know what’s been going on down here. And if you do, well then I’m even happier that we never got married. Because that’s not going to happen. Ever.”
He started yelling profanities, and I put the phone away from my ear.
“Hang up,” Teresa said.
“I’m just going to let him calm down for a second,” I whispered to her.
Her gaze narrowed as Matt let another insult fly. “You weren’t kidding. He’s totally a douchebag.”
I smiled, and put the phone back to my ear. “Matt. Stop.” I said the words calmly, and he actually quieted down. “Luciana is up to some bad things. Really evil. I’m going to do my best to stop her, and if you want to show up here and try to get in my way, fine. Good luck trying to get through the wolves, but if you want to try, I can’t stop you. But no matter what you do, you’re not going to change what I’m doing. Not at all.”
He called me a word that I would never repeat, and Teresa snatched the phone from my hand.
She pressed end, and snapped it closed. “And we’re done with that guy. Jeez. I thought I had a bad mouth.”
I laughed. Big, belly-jerking laughs. And boy did I need them. “You do have a bad mouth, but he’s worse.”
“No kidding.” She stood up. “I’m heading to bed. You staying here?”
I nodded. “I can’t leave him. What if he wakes up?” And what if he’s not himself when he wakes up…
“I don’t blame you. When Meredith was sick, I spent a little time in here. I know it’s not the same. She’s not my twin, but it was scary. And I felt responsible for fixing it. Just…” She paused. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You can’t solve everything.”
“Says the girl who’s always rushing in to save the day.”
She snorted. “As my father says, do as I say, not as I do.” She laughed at her own joke. “Try and get some rest.”
She closed the door behind her, and I shook out the blanket, getting as comfortable as I could get.
When I’d woken up, over twenty-four hours ago, I’d thought the day couldn’t get any worse. Luciana was draining me and I was already exhausted and frustrated.
I’d been so wrong. It could always get worse.
I gripped my brother’s hand, and prayed like I’d never prayed before, letting the words slip from my lips as I waited for the sun to rise, and hoping that the new day would dawn with some measure of answer to my prayers.
Chapter Six
“Claudia.”
Something jerked my shoulder and I sat up, blinking the sleep from my eyes. “Oh, God. I fell asleep.”
“Have you been in here all day?” Teresa said. Her hair was piled in a sloppy bun. She wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black T-shirt with a sunburst around the word “orb.” I wondered briefly what that meant before remembering where I was.
The last thing I remembered was laying my head down on Raphael’s bed. I’d been praying, and then nothing. I completely passed out. “What time is it?”
“Just after two.”
I quickly did the math. I’d slept like the dead for almost ten hours. With no dreams. The magic Luciana had cooked up last night must’ve worn her out. My body didn’t seem quite as heavy as it had. “Wow.”
“I came to tell you that Muraco is back. We were going to meet in the library, but I think you need food.” She got that distant look in her eyes, which meant she was probably talking to Dastien via their mate bond. Her aura flashed with hints of amber, and then I was certain they were talking. “Okay. We’re heading to the cafeteria instead.”
My stomach rumbled.
“Come on.” She pulled me out of the chair, and my limbs felt stiff and clumsy. Teresa laughed and pointed to my face. “You have a crease in your cheek from the blanket.”
I rubbed my fingertips over the right side of my face. “I do. I was sleeping hard.” I quickly unbound my long, straight hair. It flowed past my butt when it wasn’t braided, which was why I usually kept it braided. I ran my fingers through it, giving it a rough comb, before quickly braiding it again. I straightened my peasant shirt, and pulled my skirt down, as it had ridden up while I was sleeping.
That would have to do. I’d take the time to shower later.
Before I left, I took one look at my brother and my heart sank. His skin was pale, with a sheen of sweat. “What about… If he wakes up and he’s…”
“Dr. Gonzales is going to come in and watch him. If something changes, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Okay.” I could deal with that. Leaning down, I brushed a kiss across his forehead and was surprised at how cool he felt. “Has Dr. Gonz—”
“I passed her on my way in. She says he’s stable, for now.”
“He hasn’t woken up at all?” I’d expected to wake up when he did, but I’d been sleeping so hard, maybe I’d missed it.
Teresa shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry.”
Fear for my brother and what might happen to him gnawed at me. I brushed his black hair away from his forehead. “I’ll find a way to fix this, Raphael.” It was a promise that I would do anything to keep. I hoped it didn’t mean that I was going back to Luciana, but if that would fix him, then… I turned away from his bed. “Okay. Let’s go.”
We were quiet for a little bit of the walk, but Teresa broke the silence. “I know that it’s going to be tempting to go to Luciana. I just… I’m really afraid of what will happen to you if you do.”
I was afraid, too. But if it came down to it, I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from going to her. “He’s my brother. My twin.”
“I know. And I’d do anything for Axel, but—”
“You don’t understand.” It wasn’t the same. He was my twin. He was all I had left in this world. “He stood by me in that hell of a compound. He wouldn’t leave. He sacrificed so much. And if I have to sacrifice to save his life—”
“No!” She spun, grabbing my hand and pulling me to a stop. “He wouldn’t want you to do that. Even if it meant his life.”
I wrenched my arm away from her. “You’re not a twin. You couldn’t possibly understand what that means.”
“Maybe not, but I know what Luciana is capable of. I went to her trying to save Meredith, and if you remember, that didn’t exactly work out.” She stared me straight in the eye. “If you try to go back to her, I will stop you.” The words were calm and clear, and I knew she wasn’t messing around.
My hands made tight fists. “You’ll stop me?” My voice had gone cold, and I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“I won’t let you put yourself in harm’s way.” Her tone was soft and placating. The guilt at the harsh tone I’d used with her weighed heavy. She was being kind, and how was I repaying that? “If you need protection from yourself, then that’s what I’ll do. What exactly do you think will happen if you go back to her? Because I promise, it’ll be nothing good.”
I knew it wasn’t going to be good. I’d lived there. I knew what she was like. But that didn’t change the position I was in. “I’ll do what it takes to help my brother,” I said softly.
“I get that. But I’m your cousin and I’m going to help you the best way I know how. I’m sorry, but I’m all you’ve got right now.”
The truth of that sunk in, and hit me hard. Oh God. If Raphael dies, I’ll be alone. Truly alone. I bit my bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
“You’re going to be okay, Claudia. I’ve been through my share of tight spots in the last couple of months—ones that I didn’t know how to get out of. But I did. You will, too. You can do this. You can find the answer. Just don’t give up. Don’t go back to that lady. Find another way.”
I met my cousin’s dark brown gaze and found strength in it. In her. I wished I were as strong as her. I had to try to be. I would save my brother. “Then I hope Muraco has something good to tell me because I’m barely hanging on.”
“
If he doesn’t, then we’ll figure it out.” She half-smiled, just a slight tip up on the right side of her mouth. “I’m not really one to quote anything religious, but if all this crazy stuff doesn’t make you believe in some higher being, then I don’t know what will.” She huffed a little laugh. “I’ve found that when God closes a door, there’s usually a window.”
“And if there’s a window, there’s a good chance Tessa is jumping out of it,” Meredith said from behind us.
“Shut up. I was trying to be serious,” Tessa said.
“And I was being literal.”
I raised a brow as I stared at my cousin. “You jumped out of a window?”
“Windows. Plural,” Christopher said.
I turned to see the rest of the group joining us in the center of the quad. Mr. Dawson, Muraco, Donovan, Dastien, and Adrian. Along with Shane, Yvonne, Tiffany, Beth, Elsa, and Cosette. They must’ve left the library at the same time we left Raphael’s room. “For some reason, I’m not surprised to hear that.”
“They’re there for a reason,” Teresa said. “I’m sure you’ll find one or two to jump through before this is over.”
Doubtful. I hated heights. “Literal windows, not going to happen. We’ll see about the metaphorical ones.”
“You’d be surprised what you’re capable of achieving when you put your mind to it,” Teresa said.
“So wise beyond your years, cherie,” Dastien said as he put his arm around her. The group started moving toward the cafeteria again.
“Someone’s gotta be wise in this relationship,” she said as she elbowed him in the stomach.
He groaned dramatically and they started bantering again. I was getting used to this place. To these wolves. Growing up, I never would’ve thought I’d end up here. Even associating with the wolves was off limits, but here I was, living with them.
Life took unexpected twists and turns. It was all I could do to keep up with them lately.
When we entered the cafeteria, I was surprised to see so many people eating. With the between meal times hour, I figured it would’ve been empty, but wolves were nothing if not a hungry bunch. There wasn’t as much food out as they had during the three main meals, but it was more than enough for my purposes.
