by Dana Davis
No one beyond family had a clue about their betrothal. Right now, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea to share, so Zoey lifted a proud chin. “That’s right. We’re getting married.” Jason would know it wasn’t an acceptance on her part. They’d known each other too long.
Becka looked at them as though they had scorpions crawling out of their ears. Her eyes scanned her minions and she huffed, obviously out of nasty retorts. “Let’s go. These two deserve each other.” The trio stormed off.
Zoey smiled but Jason’s face grew serious. “Can I tell you something?” he said.
“Sure.”
His upper lip perspired, accentuating the light stubble there. “I think you’d make the perfect wife for me.”
She sucked on her cheek a moment then smiled. “You might be an okay husband too.”
He chuckled. “Just okay?” One hand gave her rump a squeeze.
She squealed and bounced on the concrete bench then glanced around self-consciously. No one seemed to notice. Thankfully. “Well, you do get high marks for love-making.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, slut.”
She smacked him on the arm and he laughed. She definitely enjoyed the sex, really enjoyed it, but an arranged marriage still made her blood boil.
* * * *
Jason met up with her after her last class and walked her out of the building. He had one more final but she was finished for the semester.
I’m done! Woohoo! “I’m so glad I’m off for a while.” She adjusted her tank top. She wanted to go straight home and curl up in a closet someplace, away from crowds.
“I hear you.” Jason put an arm around her waist as they strolled toward the English building. “Dad’s got me working overtime. I think they didn’t initially let us in on everything about our heritages for fear we’d leave skid marks trying to get away.” They stopped in front of the English building. “This is my stop. Gotta get to that last final.” He kissed her and gave her rump a friendly squeeze. “See you later, sexy. Wish me luck.”
She laughed. “You bet.”
She watched him walk away, much appreciative of his muscular legs in those shorts, before heading toward the parking lot. Sweat trickled down her back, as well as other places, by the time she reached her car, which was at the far end of the lot today. She was almost to her Jeep when something slammed into the back of her head. She felt the impact first, followed by intense pain. The cement came at her hard and fast and she barely managed to roll to avoid slamming her face into it, a technique she’d learned at the dojo. Little spots of light danced around in her vision.
Damn, you really do see stars. As she held her head in her hands, trying to quell the pain, darkness took her into a blessed, painless sleep.
Chapter 16
Zoey Can You Hear Us
“It’s not working.” Daisy sat hard into the chair beside Zoey’s hospital bed, lightheaded from fatigue. It was just past midnight. Her cousin had been in a coma for hours now. “Damnit, Bridge. What if she doesn’t come out of this?”
“We’ll just keep doing the spells.”
Bridgette looked as weary as Daisy felt. They’d both been at healing spells since they got the call from Connie two days ago. They alternated to save energy. Zoey’s body was doing most of the work but healing took energy from a witch too. Daisy and Bridgette had dozed on and off between spells in an attempt to keep from tiring out too quickly. They could keep this schedule up another day, maybe a day and a half, but they’d have to stop for a while and get more than a couple hours sleep.
Comas were tricky. A witch couldn’t see inside a person’s body. Spells simply sped up the body’s healing process. Not even a witch could heal everything, especially when the brain was involved, and the patient had to be able to handle the stress. Too much could do more damage than not, so healing spells had to be cast in tiny bursts. If Daisy ever found out who did this to her young cousin, she’d put the idiot in a coma herself. There had been no witnesses and if the police knew anything, they weren’t sharing.
Zoey breathed on her own, despite the tube in her nose, and an IV dripped slowly and constantly into the back of her left hand. She looked like she had simply fallen asleep. Thankfully, another student had come upon her soon after she was attacked, or who knew how long she might have lain in the parking lot. The poor girl was pale, had lost blood from her head wound, which was nearly healed now thanks to the spells. And, thankfully, no one had become suspicious.
Of course, having a paranormal head of staff here, as well as Zoey’s doctor, Melody Varma, who incidentally was also Daisy’s family doctor, certainly didn’t hurt. Paranormals stuck together, especially in places where they might get found out more easily. Though Zoey no longer needed them, Doctor Varma left the bandages on and changed them herself. She had a reputation as a hands-on doctor and the staff respected her requests. A few of the staff here at Scottsdale General were paranormals. The rest seemed accustomed to people of various beliefs using whatever means they could to improve the health of their loved ones, so no one questioned a few extra people in Zoey’s room mumbling to themselves.
Daisy rested fingers on Zoey’s arm and sent a plea out to the universe. In the short time she’d gotten closer to her cousin, she’d become protective. The girl felt somewhat like a long-lost younger sister, and seeing her like this left a sour feeling in Daisy’s gut.
The place was quiet except for the blipping of Zoey’s monitor and an occasional burst of activity at the nurses’ station. Jason, Connie and George had gone home for the night. The room was too small for everyone. Two witches could do more good than a Wind Mother or a Storyteller. Nevertheless, it had taken several assurances from Doctor Varma before Jason agreed to go home and rest. Poor kid. He’d looked as pale as Zoey when he’d left. The Drydens would return first thing in the morning, and Daisy had promised to call if Zoey so much as twitched an eyelash.
The door opened and Noah pushed inside, back first.
Daisy beat Bridgette to him by only seconds and scooped up a large coffee he carried in a cardboard tray. “Thanks, honey. You’re a lifesaver.” She gave him a brief kiss on the lips.
“Yeah, honey. Thanks.” Bridgette smirked when Daisy slapped at her arm and missed.
“You two suck down any more caffeine, they’re going to dedicate a table to you in the cafeteria. I think they know my name down there.”
Daisy grinned and took a sip, then grimaced at the bitterness. She started to ask if Noah remembered to get more sugar and creamer packets when he held a handful out to her. Grateful, she smiled and liberally applied them to her cup of java.
She rubbed her eyes as she sat again and took in a long breath. The coffee was too hot to gulp so she sipped. After a brief respite, the caffeine began to do its job, so the witches could continue theirs, and they worked through the night, taking short nap and caffeine breaks when needed.
Bridgette and Noah were both dozing in nearby chairs when Daisy uttered the end of another healing spell, this one in Gaelic. Light streamed in through the blinds of the sterile-looking room and a few dust particles fluttered about. It was early dawn, and despite the heat outside, the room was chilly. She shivered and draped the vintage poncho Noah had retrieved from home over her shoulders.
Why do hospitals always keep the a/c on so damn high?
A nurse fluttered in, frowned at the sleeping Noah and Bridgette, did a brief exam of Zoey’s monitor and the IV, then left. Daisy was about to start another spell when the door swung open again and Jason entered. He looked as though he hadn’t slept at all last night and red rimmed his eyes.
“How is she?”
Daisy smiled. “She seems better now.”
He gave a relieved nod. “Can I help with anything?”
He looked so lost and helpless that Daisy wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be all right. She wanted to give him hope. She fought a frantic laugh at that. There would be no hope if the Dream Catcher stayed in a coma. How lon
g could the box go without being fed? It had waited two years for Zoey.
“Just stay close to her. Let her know you’re near.”
Jason nodded and caressed Zoey’s hand, looking as though he might cry at any moment.
Just then, Doctor Varma entered. She held a computer tablet in her hands and glanced at Daisy before heading to the bed. “You shouldn’t overwork yourself, Daisy. I don’t need another patient admitted here.”
“I’m okay. Just tired. How’s she look?” Bridgette and Noah began to stir. Daisy crossed to Noah and gave him a brief caress on the arm before turning back to Doctor Varma.
“Stable.” When they’d brought the girl in, her vitals had been erratic from the head injury, so that gave Daisy some hope. She saw Jason smile for the first time since Zoey was attacked. “Your spells seem to be working.” Doctor Varma ran a hand through her black hair and turned to Daisy. Though they were about the same height, the doctor was much thinner, almost too thin. “But promise me you’ll get some rest. Or I’ll order you out of here and tell the nurses not to let you back in.”
Daisy smirked. “Tough love, Doc?
“If I have to.”
“We’ve been taking turns with her. I can go a couple more hours.” She raised a palm when the doctor opened her mouth to protest. “I promise we won’t overdo it. But she needs us.”
Dark eyes weighed Daisy then moved to Noah and on to Bridgette before resting on Daisy again. “All right. Two more hours. Then all three of you go home and sleep. You got me?”
“Aye, aye, Doc.” Daisy gave a tired salute.
The doctor left mumbling to herself as she tapped a finger on her computer tablet. Not all hospitals had gone digital, but one would be hard pressed to find educated paranormals working with anything but the latest technology.
With Jason watching over Zoey, Daisy took a quick bathroom break and Noah and Bridgette headed downstairs for something to eat. When they returned with donuts and java, she smirked. “Any more of this crap and I’ll be so preserved I’ll outlive Aunt Bonnie.” Daisy’s great-great-aunt was pushing one hundred and twelve years old and, despite a few memory problems, showed no signs of dying anytime soon. “Not to mention I’ll have a huge ass.” She would have to swim extra laps to get rid of the few pounds she was certain she’d gained the past two days eating like this.
They sucked down the sugar and got back to work on the spells, with Noah and Jason watching quietly nearby. During one of Bridgette’s English recitations, Daisy saw something.
“Oh, crap, she moved her finger. Keep going, Bridge.” She leaned over Zoey.
Once Bridgette finished, Daisy got close to the girl’s ear and said her name. Another finger moved and she fought the urge to squeal. She didn’t need caffeine to get her heart racing as she began another spell.
Chapter 17
Stumbling
Someone called Zoey’s name. At least she thought so. Her mind skipped around like Mexican jumping beans, and she couldn’t quite focus long enough to hold a coherent thought. Singing. Touch. She tried to move her fingers, open her eyes, cry out, something, but her body didn’t respond.
Panic swelled, along with a good amount of pain, and her thoughts began to focus. My head. Shit, it hurts. Someone sang to her. No, not singing. Chanting. Cousin Daisy?
After several tries, she managed to move a finger. At least, it felt as though it moved. She couldn’t be certain of anything just now. After what seemed like an eternity but could have been only moments, she moved her finger again.
Time seemed to keep slipping, and she wasn’t certain how much had passed when she managed to wrench her eyes open, only to slam them shut at the bright lights.
“That’s it. We got her back.” Cousin Bridgette?
“Thank the universe.” That time she recognized Daisy’s voice.
She made another attempt to open her eyes, squinting at the pain the lights caused, and tried to sit.
“Uh-uh,” Daisy said. “You stay put.” Hands held her in place. “You’re in the hospital, Zoey.”
Someone sat on the edge of her bed. “You were hurt.” Jason’s voice this time. “Do you know me?”
What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I know you. But what came out was a simple, “Yes.” She was surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded. She found him with her blurred gaze and gave a tired smile. “What happened?”
“Don’t you remember?”
“No.” Her vision cleared but the oxygen tubes irritated her nose and she pulled them out. I can breathe on my own, thank you very much.
Daisy came into her view. Dark smudges stood out beneath those sympathetic eyes, making them appear bruised. Bridgette looked much the same. Noah and Jason only slightly less so. What the hell had happened? Did someone say I’m in a hospital? Yes, I just pulled out oxygen tubes. Another clear tube led from a hanging plastic bag to her left hand, an IV. Focus, Zoey.
“You were attacked.” Bridgette’s voice was low and weary.
Jason took Zoey’s hand, the one without the IV in it. “At school. You don’t remember?”
“No. I remember kissing you.”
He smiled. “Well that’s good.”
“I remember walking to my Jeep. Well almost. I don’t remember getting in.”
“Someone hit you on the head, knocked you out.”
“Did he—was I—”
“No,” Bridgette said. “The bastard didn’t touch you that way, but he got in a good swing to your noggin.”
“Is that why it feels so big? And hurts like hell in a volcano?” Someone attacked me? Jason placed one hand on either side of her shoulders, peering down into her eyes. He looked like he might cry and she desperately wanted to reassure him. “I’m okay. Really.” Despite the pounding in her head, she felt whole. No casts, no broken bones, no other violations. And a slight tingle against her chest. The box. Was it here? No. It was safe at home. But it needed her. Soon, she sent.
“You were in a coma, babe. If not for Daisy and Bridgette—” Jason swiped at a tear and hardened his face.
“Coma?” Shit. “How long?”
“Since day before yesterday.”
Two days? Holy crap! Zoey found Daisy’s gaze again. “You brought me out of a coma?”
The witch motioned to Bridgette and herself. “We did spells to help speed up your healing but your body did the work.”
“Thank you.”
Daisy cocked her head and raised a brow. She offered a tired smile. “Anything for you, Cousin.”
Before anyone could say another word, two nurses rushed into the room. Zoey got the sense they thought a miracle had occurred the way they fussed over her, checking her eyes and asking inane questions about her name and who was president and how many fingers she saw. She started to lie about the fingers as a joke but thought better of it. Jason and her cousins probably wouldn’t appreciate the humor just now. Doctor Varma arrived and did her own litany of tests, declared Zoey stable, and finally quit poking at her. The good doctor then left with the nurses in tow.
“Sheesh. You’d think they never saw a live person before.”
Jason laughed and buried his head in her shoulder. Sobs racked his body.
Her cousins made a discreet exit and she caressed Jason’s hair and back. “I’m okay. Really.” But who’d done this to her? And why?
* * * *
The hospital kept her another day before she was discharged. The police had taken a statement from her yesterday, though she really couldn’t tell them anything they didn’t already know. She didn’t remember seeing anybody. And she hadn’t realized just how serious her condition had been until Daisy fessed up. Without the witches’ help, she might still be in a coma. The box would protect her, keep her alive, but who knew how long she would’ve remained unconscious if not for her cousins. Or maybe the box had something to do with them being there. Either way, if felt damn good to be alive. And awake.
No, it feels fucking fantastic!
Zoey had thanked Doctor Varma several times and promised not to miss any follow-up appointments, but was glad to get out of the sterile and cold environment. She was grateful to be out of that damn hospital gown too. Much less breezy now. Jason pushed her wheelchair, something the hospital staff insisted she leave in, toward the exit. When the automated doors opened, the hot desert breeze felt soothing against her skin and she took in a long breath.
She twisted her head around to look up at her sexy chauffer. “Hey, I need to stop at the store on the way home. I want some chocolate milk.” She’d had a craving for the stuff ever since she’d regained her appetite. All the hospital had was plain milk. Not so good without a plate of Daisy’s cookies.
“No.”
“What?” He didn’t look like he was teasing. Maybe he had to be someplace. “Why?”
“You’re going straight home, missy.” He sounded like his mother, and a bit like Daisy, come to think of it, and Zoey fought the urge to laugh. “I’ll run out after you’re settled and get whatever you want. But you’re going straight home.”
She huffed and slumped back into the wheelchair. “I’m not a baby, Jason. I think I can handle a stop at the grocery store.”
“No.”
“You’re getting way too bossy.”
“Sue me.”
“Can I drive?”
He ignored that and wheeled her to the passenger side of his parent’s SUV.
“Where’s my Jeep?”
“Home. It rides too rough.” He took her balloons and flowers and pushed them into the back.
She held onto the teddy bear he’d bought for her, with its brightly colored “Get Well” shirt, and stood while an attendant took the wheelchair away. “I won’t break.”
Jason helped her into her new ride, kissed her cheek, shut her door, and walked around to climb into the driver’s seat. As they pulled out of the passenger loading area, Zoey kept a frown on her face.
“You’re pouting.” Jason had a smirk on his lips.
She grunted. “I’m not pouting.”
