by Cheree Alsop
Aleric nodded toward the screen. “If I don’t go, more people will die.”
“What can you do?” Dr. Worthen asked. “What can anyone do?”
“We need to open the Rift,” Aleric started.
Dartan shook his head, cutting the werewolf off. “No way. You think this is bad? Wait until Queen Ashdava comes through. This’ll be like playing ball against minkies compared to that.” At everyone’s uncomprehending expressions, he sighed. “Playing ball against winged cats is easy.”
“You know that for a fact?” Aleric asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Dartan met his gaze with one of steel. “Don’t change the subject. You can’t open the Rift.”
“I can’t,” Aleric said. “But you can.”
A furrow formed between the vampire’s eyebrows. “You keep saying that, but you’re the one with the key.”
“The key?” Aleric repeated. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You know how to open the Rift,” Dartan insisted. “The banshee kids said so.”
Aleric stared at the vampire. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Dartan stared back. “Elianna said you know where the hole is and that you could get a message to them through it.”
Aleric shook his head, his mind blank. “I have no clue….” His voice faded away as a thought occurred to him. The faint memory of a smell tickled at the back of his mind. He remembered walking through an alley until the tangy scent that left a metallic taste in his mouth stopped him in his tracks. “I know where it is,” he said.
“Yes!” Gregory cheered. He stopped and said, “Wait, why am I celebrating?”
“You jumped the gun,” Dartan told him. “We aren’t quite there yet.” He turned back to Aleric. “Why open the Rift?”
“We need to send the demons back to Blays,” the werewolf replied.
“There’s no way Pravus is going to let them go home,” Dartan argued.
“I know,” Aleric said. “That’s why we’ll be sending them home without him.”
Silence filled the room. So many people watched from one fae to the other that Aleric wondered how their heads stayed connected. He looked around at them. “You’re here because you love your city, right?”
A doctor wearing blue scrubs nodded. “Correct, Dr. Wolf.”
His respect brought a smile to Aleric’s face. “Thank you. Doesn’t it kill you to see your city torn apart like that? To see a woman used and thrown aside?”
“Definitely,” the doctor replied.
Aleric sat up gingerly and rested his arm against the couch. “If I don’t find a way to get rid of Archdemon Pravus, that’s going to be the story of the entire city, used and thrown away like an empty blood bag.” He met Dartan’s gaze. “You and I both know what a good allegory that is.”
Dartan’s expression was grim when he nodded. “But how are you going to do that? I can’t go out there.”
“Not unless you want to look even more barbecued than you do right now,” Aleric replied. When that failed to bring a wry smile to his friend’s face, Aleric continued, “I have to try, and I think I’ll succeed.”
“Why?” Nurse Eastwick asked.
“Because the grims have the Archdemon’s name on their arms.”
He could tell by the humans’ expressions that they had no idea what that meant, but when Aleric’s eyes met Dartan’s, the realization was there.
“You’re right.”
“They only get a name when the person is going to die,” Aleric said, thinking aloud. “If the grims have his name, it’s his time. Their job is to notify the fae creature and give him or her the chance to say their goodbyes. Pravus chose to run instead. My hope is that I can be a part of the reason he’s gone, especially if he continues to hurt people in this city. I have work to do.”
He tried to rise, but his legs wouldn’t respond. Dr. Worthen and Dartan helped him to his feet.
“You have a lot more bark than bite for a werewolf,” Dartan said quietly as he helped his friend to the door.
“We’ll see about that,” Aleric replied. “I need a car.”
“I’ll drive you,” Gregory offered.
“I’ll come with you,” Therese said.
“We’ll bring it around back,” Gregory said to Aleric. “The officers parked it out front, but I keep it out in the back parking lot because the pigeons like to use it for target practice for some reason when it’s in the employee lot.”
“I think it’s the color,” Therese cut in. “I don’t think they like the blue. Pigeons are funny about things.”
“We’ll go get it,” Gregory said taking her hand. “It’s the least we can do to thank you for saving our lives.”
The couple hurried out of the breakroom.
“I’ll meet you at the car,” Nurse Eastwick told him. “I have something for you. Don’t leave.”
“I have some more goblin tests to run,” Dartan said. “I wish I could go with you.”
“The sun would kill you right now,” Aleric replied. “Don’t try. You can do more good here. Hopefully a few of those goblins are a match.”
“I hope so,” Dartan said. “The patients are declining quickly. We’re going to have to go on another hunt.”
“When night falls,” Aleric agreed. A thought occurred to him. “Thanks for shooting Pravus with the tranquilizer gun. You saved my life back there.”
“I was hoping it would keeping him from morphing to fury mode. By the looks of things, it probably slowed him down a bit.” Dartan pulled the small gun from the waistband of his scrubs. “You better hang onto it in. Seeing you seems to have a bad effect on him. Maybe he’s allergic to dogs.”
Aleric snorted. “One can only hope.” He put the gun in his waistband.
Dartan stopped by the door and turned. “I’m glad you’re alright. Try to keep it that way, okay?”
Aleric smiled. “I will.”
He watched his friend leave. The rest of the hospital staff filed out after the vampire. Several of the doctors and nurses wished Aleric good luck on their way out the door.
“Take care of yourself,” an older doctor said.
“I will,” Aleric replied. “Thank you.”
The thought of going after Archdemon Pravus without the vampire at his side was a daunting one, but there was no choice. The Archdemon thought of humans as food. Aleric wouldn’t let the orderlies get anywhere close to the building. Anyone else he brought would be in danger. If he could convince Pravus to return to Blays with the rest of his demon horde, life could return to somewhat normal in Edge City. If not, Aleric wasn’t sure what to do. No matter what, he wouldn’t let the demons hurt anyone else if he could do anything about it.
Aleric made it to the door on his own, but he was definitely pushing it. He didn’t know how he was going to face the Archdemon. All he knew was that he had to try.
As if Dr. Worthen read it on his face, the doctor caught up to him. “Let me walk with you. We have something to talk about.”
Aleric was grateful when the doctor ducked under his good arm and assisted him down the hallway at an easy pace.
“You know, you’ve shown a lot of bravery these past couple of days. I’m not sure if you have to put your life on the line again,” the doctor said.
“No one else knows how to handle demons,” Aleric replied.
“And you do?” Dr. Worthen asked, giving him a pointed look.
Aleric cracked a smile. “As good as the next werewolf, I suppose.”
The doctor grew quiet when they neared the back door. He paused before opening it, forcing Aleric to do the same.
“What the demon said about your feelings for my daughter—”
Aleric ducked out from under his arm, cutting the doctor off. “He was just saying things. You know how demons are. They like to get a rise out of you.”
“I saw the look on your face,” Dr. Worthen replied.
Aleric fell silent.
Dr. Worthen watch
ed him closely. “Nurse Eastwick said you spoke to her for only a few minutes in the hallway.”
Aleric lowered his gaze. He didn’t know what to say. Whenever he thought of Lilian, his heart sped up. Things he saw reminded him of her, the night sky with its twinkling stars made him think of her eyes and the way they had sparkled when she teased him; the quiet echo of her heartbeat followed him when he searched for goblins to save her life; the shallow rise and fall of her chest as she struggled for breath in the bed made him feel as if he, too, was suffocating.
“I can’t explain it,” he said quietly.
“The Archdemon called it ‘werewolves and their petty infatuations’,” Dr. Worthen recalled.
Aleric shook his head. “It’s not like that at all. It’s different. It’s deeper.” He didn’t know what else to say. The words felt too insignificant, especially considering the short time he had known Lilian.
“You know, ever since you showed up, I’ve been reading about wolves. We don’t have werewolves, so I figured if I learned about the wolf side of your heritage, perhaps I could understand you better.”
Aleric stared at the doctor, surprised.
“Wolves generally choose a mate for life,” Dr. Worthen continued. “They seem to have a very strong sense of family. Their packs are made up of their families. Lone wolves are rare; I imagine it’s the same for werewolves, am I right?”
Aleric thought of the pack groups in Blays. Families stuck together, at least those whose mother didn’t die and father tried to sell them out of anger and guilt. He had jumped from pack to pack in Drake City, but had never found one that felt quite like home.
He nodded. “I suppose so.”
“Maybe that’s what you’re doing here,” Dr. Worthen said, his tone musing. “Maybe you’re building your pack around you.”
Aleric opened his mouth to argue, but Dr. Worthen held up a hand.
“If you consider me part of your pack, I’m honored,” the doctor said, his eyes crinkling at the corners with his fatherly smile. “I’ve never been a part of a pack before. It would probably be good for me. I know you’ve made close friends with Dartan, Gregory, and Therese. Nurse Eastwick treats you the same way I’ve seen her treat her boy, Harrison. I suppose, if you think about it like that, we are sort of a family.” A smile touched his lips. “And I never really saw it like that until you came around.”
“Dr. Worthen, I—”
The doctor held up a hand again, cutting him off once more. “Now son, if you are considering adding my Lilian to your pack, which it appears you already have whether you realize it fully or not, I’ll warn you that she is a very independent young woman with goals and dreams.” He paused, considering, then said, “She’s about as stubborn as you are.”
“Sir, I don’t intend to add her to my pack, as you say,” Aleric replied. He felt his cheeks heat and wondered why he was blushing. He never blushed. It wasn’t manly or wolfish. If Dartan saw him, the vampire would probably die laughing, except for the fact that he was already dead. Aleric cleared his throat. “I just want her to get better, that’s all.”
Dr. Worthen nodded, but there was a knowing cast to his gaze and the whisper of a smile touched his mouth when he said, “I’m glad to hear it.”
Gregory pulled the car up outside. Aleric put a hand on the door, anxious to be away from the confusing, embarrassing conversation. He had the door halfway open when Dr. Worthen said, “You know, if that was your intentions, you would have my blessing.”
Aleric looked at him over his shoulder. The doctor’s frank words caught him off guard. Had Dr. Worthen really just given him permission to court his daughter? Aleric barely knew Lilian. The thought was ridiculous. Yet he couldn’t deny the way his chest ached at the thought of her injured and trying to survive the goblin’s venom. He pushed the thought away with the reminder that there were other more serious matters that needed his attention, the first of which was a raging Archdemon angry enough to destroy the entire city.
“I’ve got to go,” Aleric said.
He pushed through the door, holding his injured arm against his chest as he made his way to the car.
Nurse Eastwick hurried out of the door Dr. Worthen held open.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” she said, breathing hard. “I don’t know whose idea it was to store these upstairs instead of with the rest of the medical equipment, but I found one.” She held out what looked like a mesh sack with straps.
“Nurse Tarli told me to move them because she needed the space for the boxes of catheters,” Gregory said.
Nurse Eastwick rolled her eyes. “It’s not her job to be rearranging things. I’ll have a talk with her about it.” She held out the object to Aleric.
He gave it a skeptical look. “What is it?”
“A sling,” she said. “Here.”
She helped him put it around his neck and gently settled his arm into the mesh pouch. She then adjusted the straps so that the sling helped ease the weight from his injured shoulder.
Aleric opened and closed his hand, suddenly realizing that the stitched gash across his palm hurt. He hadn’t felt it with the throbbing of his shoulder. The white bandages around his palm pulled at the motion.
“How’s that?” the nurse asked.
“Much better,” Aleric replied. “Thank you.”
Nurse Eastwick hesitated, then surprised him by giving him a gentle hug. “You take care of yourself and come right back, you hear me?” she asked.
Her motherly tone brought a smile to Aleric’s face. “I will.”
His gaze flickered to Dr. Worthen who waited at the door. “Your pack,” the doctor said.
Nurse Eastwick gave the head doctor a puzzled look. Aleric shook his head and ducked inside the car.
“What was that all about?” Gregory asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“I have no idea,” Aleric replied, putting off the conversation he didn’t want to go into. He watched the hospital until they turned the corner. A part of him wondered if he would survive his encounter with the Archdemon. He wanted to come back. There was a small whisper in the back of his mind when he looked at the building. It said the word ‘home.’
Aleric turned to face forward. Silence filled the vehicle. He could feel the nervous tension from Gregory and Therese. Gregory held out his hand and Therese’s slipped into his. Their fingers intertwined with a familiarity that said the action was second-nature.
“I want you to drop me off a few blocks away,” Aleric told them.
“No way,” Gregory denied. “You’re not going in there alone.”
“You’re not coming with me,” Aleric told the red-head.
Gregory met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “There’s no way we’re leaving you to face that demon by yourself.”
“I’m going to have a conversation with him,” Aleric replied. “I’m not planning to fight him.”
“He didn’t converse well before,” Therese said, looking back at Aleric. “Why would he now? He seemed very stubborn.”
“I can be stubborn, too,” Aleric replied. “I want you both to stay safely out of his reach, especially after last time.”
Gregory gave a visible shudder. “That was the worst feeling I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Therese nodded. “Me, too.” Her hand tightened in Gregory’s, gripping it as though it was her lifeline. “I couldn’t stop it, either.”
Gregory pulled to the side of the road.
“That’s why I don’t want you to come with me,” Aleric pointed out. “Dr. Worthen would never have let you drive me if he thought you wanted to go face the demon. You have too much here.” He put his good hand on Gregory’s shoulder. “You need to take care of Therese.”
Gregory was quiet for a moment. He and Therese looked at each other as though having a silent conversation. There was pleading in the young woman’s eyes along with fear. Aleric hoped Gregory’s sense to protect her would win out over his bravado.
“Fine,�
� the orderly finally said. “We’ll stay. But I want you to take this.” He fumbled inside his glove box and pulled something out. He handed it to Aleric. “It’s a walkie-talkie. I have the other one. If you need us, just call.”
“I will,” Aleric said, touched by the gesture. “Thank you.”
He pushed the door open and slid out. A glance in the sky showed helicopters about two blocks over. It wasn’t a far reach to guess that they surveyed the building where the Archdemon had taken shelter.
Aleric walked around the car and headed across the street toward the alley between two apartment buildings. He could hear televisions on inside the apartments reporting about the demons; on some balconies, he saw people straining to catch a glimpse of the helicopters.
“Testing, testing,” Gregory’s voice said over the walkie-talkie.
Aleric fought back a smile and brought up the one he held. “I can hear you.”
“You’re supposed to say ‘over’ when you’re done talking,” Gregory instructed. “Over.”
Aleric let out a sigh and said, “I can hear you, over.”
“Good, over.”
Aleric clipped the walkie-talkie to his pants and made it through the alley when Gregory’s voice asked, “How’s it looking? Over.”
He pulled the walkie-talkie free. “I haven’t gotten anywhere yet, but I’m worried that if I’m sneaking up on them and you call me on this thing, they might just eat me.” He paused, then remembered to say, “Over.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Gregory replied. “I’ll keep silent, over.”
Aleric grinned and said, “Thank you, over.”
He clipped the walkie-talkie back where it was before and made his way around a pile of garbage in the alley. He couldn’t help the memories of Drake City that warned about gremlins or imps, or even lacuda, the giant snakes that hid in the darkest alleys and devoured children whole. He had only seen one once, and it was enough to make him walk around any alley that smelled remotely of the musky scent of a snake.
He gave the pile a large berth and was relieved when he passed the garbage without it moving, groaning, or growling. It felt strange to think that the garbage was merely that, just a stinking pile of refuse.
