Fate's Edge: A SkinWalker Novel #6: A DarkWorld Series (DarkWorld: SkinWalker)

by T. G. Ayer

  “He’s flatlining,” someone yelled.

  “Back up, we need some space. Give him some air,” the second medic said, almost shoving Trapper, Wade, and Stavros back.

  “Clear,” shouted the first paramedic.

  The low hard sound of the electric paddles hitting Marsden’s bare chest was the scariest thing I’d ever heard. Not because it was unfamiliar or that it scared me at all. No. It was that the sound of it convinced me that this was the end not only for Marsden, but for me.

  If he died, then my future died with him.

  The resuscitation attempt failed, and each time they repeated it the monotone of the heart monitor persisted in whining its long flat alarm.

  For a moment everyone on the scene was silent, staring at Marsden’s body.

  Then Trapper and Wade turned toward me. Trapper raised a hand and pointed a finger at me, eyes flashing his fury.

  “Arrest her. The charge is now double homicide.”

  Chapter 27

  The ride to the hospital was bumpy and painful, the medication was a waste of time, and Donna was far too nice. She’d been convinced somehow that I was innocent and that Marsden had somehow set the whole thing up because of some unknown need for vengeance.

  She’d battered me with questions about Iain and Justin, and to avoid her probing, I pretended to fall asleep. The arrival of both ambulances at the hospital resulted in a flurry of activity, more so with both Iain and Justin, as well as Marsden’s entourage, arriving and hovering.

  As I was wheeled inside, I heard them pronounce Joseph Marsden dead on arrival, followed closely by the same pronouncement with regard to Stella Alvarez. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to breathe as reality came crashing down on me.

  How was I supposed to get out of this predicament? A double homicide charge? No doubt it would be my responsibility to clear my own name. Innocent until proven guilty was a thing of dreams, like unicorns.

  I was wheeled into triage for the doctors to confirm Donna’s diagnoses and thankfully the woman left almost immediately on another callout. I’d been terribly grateful for her kindness which had tempered the bombardment of fury and violence from Stavros and team.

  But I’d been glad she’d left because I knew one thing. The emergency room doctors would not agree with Donna’s findings.

  A perusal of my scalp left the nurse, Bonnie Larkin, confused to find the wound appearing to be days old and healed with only the thinnest of scars. She cut away the stitches, clicking her tongue at the incompetence of the paramedic.

  When she probed my cheek, she smiled at me. “No damage to the cheekbone, honeypie. When this heals over, you’ll be good as new.” Her forced positivity made me want to cringe, but I smiled despite myself.

  Behind Bonnie, Justin and Iain lurked in the hallway, refusing to stay away.

  The nurse removed the temporary sling and cast and studied my arm, probing the bone all the way from shoulder to wrist. “Well, good thing I didn’t request an urgent spot from x-ray for this arm.” I went through the motions of giving her a questioning look, and she sighed. “Not a darn tooting thing wrong with this arm, sweetcheeks. You’re right as rain. One last thing to check and we can have you on your way.”

  She marked off her chart then lifted my shirt to inspect my abdomen. Here, I suspected she’d agree with Donna’s assessment. Her gasp seemed to echo the paramedic’s response.

  “Now, how in the world did you get these injuries?” Bonnie asked shaking her head. She didn’t appear to require an answer, so I refrained from providing one. She probed again, felt my ribs and confirmed a break, then waved the mobile x-ray over. “Internal bleeding over here. I need the x-ray now.”

  Things moved fairly fast after that, and when they mentioned surgery, I looked over at my brother, more than a little concerned. He hurried over and took Bonnie aside, trying to convince her not to rush the surgery.

  Walkers stayed out of human hospitals as much as possible. One-off emergency care was fine, but ongoing care raised too many red flags. So did surgery. Walkers went to walker doctors mainly because things like DNA tests would put a bullseye on a shifter’s back.

  Not to mention things like invasive surgery.

  Yes, I was bleeding internally, but chances were it would clear up over the next few days. “I’m sorry, sir, but I know what’s best for my patient. Now if you want to remain at her side I suggest you stop getting in my way.”

  Bonnie surged away, like a battleship ready to wreak havoc on the next patient. “What are we going to do?” I asked, my mind turning over possibilities. The cops had left one of their officers to guard my bed, and he remained just outside my cubicle within hearing distance.

  “Don’t be scared, Kai. I’ll get Dad,” Iain said, his tone odd. I studied his face and could only guess what that meant. They were planning something that included bringing my dad to the hospital, probably disguised as a doctor.

  “Try and make it before they put me under,” I said, raising an eyebrow more because that wasn’t going to be possible. Whatever they gave me would be no more effective than a couple aspirin. And when they cut into me to sort out the internal bleeding, I’d be experiencing every single slice of the blade.

  I shuddered.

  Not. Going. To. Happen.

  Iain disappeared soon after and I stared at the ceiling and waited, listening to the cries of the ill and injured. I used my panther hearing to seek out the cops and any Walker Council members lurking about. They came and went but were mostly waiting patiently, insisting they would remain until I came safely out of surgery.

  An hour later they were wheeling me into the first available OR. As the nurse rushed about preparing the surgical instruments and the anesthetic drips, I felt my heart begin to race. The monitor beeped noisily, and one of the nurses patted my arm reassuring me that I was going to be fine. Before I could respond, the OR door opened, and the doctor entered. Although his face was hidden by his mask, one of the nurses frowned.

  “Sorry doctor. We were expecting Dr Keith Fairhall? Are you in the right OR?”

  “Yes, I am. Keith’s been taken ill, and I’m filling in for him.” I squinted at him and sighed with relief.

  The nurse grinned. “What now? Did he try making ceviche again?”

  “You know it,” said my Dad.

  I settled back and relaxed, knowing I’d be in good hands now. Just as the anesthetic was being administered the lights went out, throwing the room into solid darkness for a few precious seconds in which Dad injected me with the proper meds that would knock me out.

  Seconds later the lights were back on. Someone laughed nervously but whatever they said after that was lost to me as I slipped into unconsciousness.

  I woke up in a private hospital room, a different cop standing just outside the open door. Iain was at the window, and Sienna was pacing in front of my bed. I cleared my throat bringing them both to my side.

  “How do you feel?” asked Sienna softly.

  “Much better,” I replied smiling at her. “Where’s dad,” I asked, looking at Iain. I also wanted to ask where Logan was, his presence so conspicuous now that I knew he’d awakened. I felt a tug of disappointment that he hadn’t come to see me. Or called if he hadn’t been able to join Sienna.

  “He’ll be around later. He said everything is one hundred percent so don’t worry about it.”

  I nodded and lay back on my pillow, relieved. And then it hit me.

  I may be fine now, and well on my way to a full recovery. But Marsden and Stella were both dead, and I was going to be held responsible.

  “Where’s Justin?” I asked Iain.

  “Council business. He’s fuming. Trying to speak to Deacon and Teague to see what they think about the whole debacle. He’ll get back to us as soon as he can.”

  I nodded, not feeling overly confident about my future.

  Raised voices in the hallway drew our attention and my panther hearing brought Trapper’s voice to me.

&nb
sp; “All you have is a single cop at her door?” Trapper asked, his voice incredulous.

  I understood his concern. I was a panther alpha. A human cop was like asking a skinny school kid to stop the school quarterback from scoring.

  I could kill him so fast he’d never know what hit him. Not that I’d ever do such a thing. There were plenty of other ways to incapacitate a human other than to end their lives. A concept that was no doubt alien to the Trappers and Stavros of the world.

  Another man spoke, his voice a deep rumble. “I’m quite certain that one cop is sufficient. Besides, Kailin Odel won’t go anywhere. You have my word,” Chief Murdoch replied. The man’s personality was half teddy-bear half-ogre, more especially when it came to people he liked. He’d taken a liking to me after Logan and Saleem had brought me on to consult on a case for them. And from what Mel had told me both the chief and his wife were close to her.

  I didn’t catch Trapper’s response, and neither did the Chief seem to care about sticking around for it. He walked into the room, nodding at the cop who moved away silently, probably glad for the break.

  “My dear girl. What have you gotten yourself into?” Chief Murdoch smiled as he came to stand beside me, his eyes glittering as he studied me from head to toe, then shook his head sadly. “Chloe has assured me that she will come by as soon as she is available. We’re both certain you will need some therapy.”

  I nodded, knowing I’d be only too glad for Chloe Murdoch’s special brand of medicine. Chloe was a mage with the power to absorb a person’s pain and to calm people with just a touch.

  And she was married to a human. The Chief was one hundred percent human, not a drop of mage in him. They made the most adorable couple and seemed strong enough to last until death did them part.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Small talk?” said Wade from the doorway. “She’s a murderer, and you’re making small talk with her as if she’s some innocent kid? Why aren’t you slapping handcuffs on her?”

  The chief turned around and stared at Wade. “Mrs Wade. If you would be so kind as to allow me to do my job, I’d be most grateful.”

  She snorted. “You’re not doing your job. You’re attending to the killer like she’s a victim. I can tell you now that she is far from a victim.”

  Chief Murdoch nodded. “Mrs Wade. I’m not sure what you think you’re going to achieve, but if you continue to harass Miss Odel, I will have my men escort you off the premises.”

  Water’s mouth dropped open for a moment before she closed her mouth with a sharp snap. “You can’t do that,” she growled the words out, not bothering to hide the feline rumble as she lost that bit of control of her cat and allowed it to come through. She seemed to be well aware of Murdoch’s sympathy for supernaturals, though. Which explained why she’d revealed herself to him so quickly.

  “Fine. I’ll leave. But we will be carrying out our own investigation into this double murder. I hope that Miss Odel will be available for questioning as and when we require her.”

  Murdoch inclined his head. “You’re welcome to do whatever it is you feel is necessary Mrs Wade. And in the interim, I will do my job. Now if you will excuse us, you are intruding on these good people’s privacy.

  Wade’s lip curled in disgust as she glared at me and then at Sienna who had stood beside Iain in utter silence, watching the drama play out in front of her.

  When Wade disappeared, Sienna said, “Man, I forgot to bring my popcorn. This is like being in an interactive play. It’s pretty cool.”

  “Glad you’re enjoying it,” I said, giving her a mock glare.

  Sienna wiggled her nose at me and then smiled. “I should get going. You need some rest before tomorrow.”

  “What’s happening tomorrow?” I asked, feeling a sense of impending doom overshadow my thoughts.

  “Tomorrow you have to be taken to the police station to be questioned,” Murdoch spoke, his tone emotionless, as if holding back his own feelings in order not to upset me or fuel my own fury. “The Walker Council are allowed to run their own investigation, and it would be easier if you were at the station instead of all the way over here in a hospital room.”

  “Or so they claim,” mumbled Sienna as she looped the strap of her handbag over her shoulder.

  I grinned at her. “The Walker Council is well aware of how fast one of their own heals. And, sadly, how fast an alpha is capable of healing. They know a lengthy hospital stay won’t make sense, and they are judging from experience how long it will take for me to be capable of moving around with ease. They know I’ll be mobile by tomorrow morning at the very latest.”

  Sienna made a face, her fingers wrapped tightly around the railing at the foot of my hospital bed.

  I nodded at Chief Murdoch, giving him a small smile. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on the man by being demanding or unreasonable, or refusing to cooperate. I knew he was having a hard time after his home had been destroyed by a band of marauding demons. I also knew what it could be like for a human like him to be steeped in the supernatural world and be unable to go public about it.

  So I planned on cooperating as best I could even if all it did was make his life a little easier.

  Murdoch leaned toward me, hands resting on the mattress. “You need anything don’t hesitate to ask. No matter what it is, I’m sure we can help you.”

  I knew what he was saying. He was offering me a way out, a way to safety. But that was also the worst way. It was the route that I would take should I decide to be reckless and selfish. Even so, I’d have to think about it long and hard before agreeing.

  If I ran, I’d leave my parents and Logan to clean up after me, to be responsible for everything that I left behind, to deal with the council’s wrath without my support.

  I wasn’t sure that I could do it.

  Chapter 28

  The evening went well with Iain and Dad making visits to keep up with appearances. I still couldn’t believe my father had managed to get into the OR so efficiently.

  I laughed at the two of them as they hovered. “Well done, you two. Never knew you were so good.”

  Dad grinned. “You know nothing, little one. There are decades of skill and experience behind this homely facade,” he said waving a hand at his body.

  I snorted but held my tongue. We could talk about it only so much. For all we knew, there was a walker sitting outside my hospital room using his specialized hearing to listen in on our conversation. No need to plant a bug or use fancy tech.

  Iain sat beside me on the bed. “Hang in there. We’ll figure this out.”

  I nodded. “Wish Mom was here.”

  “I know, hun. Me too. I’ve left a message for her. Hopefully, she picks it up and replies.”

  I squinted, tilting my head to study his face. It all seemed too secret agent. “You have a system?”

  He smiled. “Foolproof. Been using it for decades without a single problem.”

  “We need to compare notes,” I murmured, feeling the weight of exhaustion finally push down on me.

  Dad snorted. “That would be interesting.” He had brought homemade chicken tagliatelle, and I’d tucked in until I was near bursting. Home food trumped hospital food any day.

  Now though, I was sated, and tired, with my body in overdrive for hours, repairing all the damage Stavros had done with his fists.

  Dad shifted closer and nodded at my abdomen. When I lowered the blanket, he lifted my pajama shirt to inspect the bruises, then palpated my ribs to gauge how well it had begun to knit.

  Only when he’d pulled my shirt back down and tucked the blanket around me did he meet my eyes and give me a nod. His face though was serious. “Is that not a good thing?” I asked.

  He nodded. “It is. You’re healing fine.”

  I yawned loudly and then apologized. “Sorry. I’m just so tired.”

  Dad got up and patted my leg while Iain wriggled further into his chair. I frowned staring over at him, eyebrows raised.

&
nbsp; “I’m staying the night.”

  “Do I need a bodyguard?” I asked, annoyed and concerned at the same time.

  Dad sighed. “The sad truth is we don’t know. This whole setup proves that Marsden and the council have a plan. One that they are slowly putting into play. We don’t know how far they are willing to go.”

  “Marsden shot himself in the chest and said he would testify that I did so in cold blood in order to kill him. I’d say that’s pretty damn far.”

  “Good point. And all the more reason for you to have protection.”

  I nodded. “And the Walker Council’s investigation?” Dad’s gaze shifted back to my eyes, curious now. “If Trapper and Wade and that thug Stavros are going to do their own ‘investigation’,” I signed air quotes as I spoke the word, “surely we have a right to do our own.”

  Iain let out a soft laugh. “Can I say I told you so?” When I glanced at my brother, I saw that he was grinning at Dad. Both Dad and I shook our heads, but he continued, “We’re way ahead of you, sis.”

  “On the DL or does the council know?” I asked, then paused and made a face. “I suppose now they know.” Dad and Iain both nodded grimly.

  “We never planned on keeping that a secret. I’ve already told Chief Murdoch, and he’s happy for us to speak to whoever we want to. Including Stavros.”

  “That’s not going to be easy. The man won’t be very cooperative, that I can bet my life savings on.”

  “Well, he won’t have a choice. He’ll have to talk to us, or Murdoch will arrest him on suspicion of collusion.”

  “He could run,” I suggested.

  Iain shrugged. “Should he run, it will just bolster our case.”

  I nodded and yawned again. Dad leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Sleep well, kiddo. And don’t annoy your brother.”

  I made a face as he retreated to the door, pausing to give me one last glance. Then he was out the door, greeting the cop who was sitting right outside, before striding down the hospital hallway. Corin Odel gave off the air of a man without a worry, but I’d just weighed his shoulders down that much more.