Syndrome of Mortality (Break of Breath Book 2)

by Eden R. Souther

  Marie slid into a seat at the breakfast nook and smiled. “How are you liking it here?”

  “It’s amazing.” Ravin flipped the first of the treats for Michelle. “You have a lovely home. It’s seriously beautiful.” He rested his elbows on the counters. “Thanks for letting me stay. I’ll be the best demonic house-guest you’ve ever had.” He didn’t know if they’d ever had one before. It would be just plain rude to poke around in her mind to find the answer.

  “Or at least I hope I am.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “I don’t know if I could handle second-best.”

  A warm chuckle filled the air. “So far you’re the best, kiddo.” It was surprising to her how her daughter had come to be dating a demon. Though, from what she could tell, Michelle and Ravin had spent a lot of time together. From all she had heard, the demon was a good guy. She watched him work and his efforts smelled good. Even though she would have to run off to work, it would be nice to snag a bite before she ran. “Enjoy the hot tub?”

  “We did. It was nice to have a day to relax and recharge.” Ravin built up a rhythm and quickly had a stack of pancakes that grew rapidly. “How was dinner?” While dinner with her family would have been wonderful, he was grateful to have had the night alone with Michelle. He wouldn’t have traded it for a hundred free dinners.

  “It was a lot of fun. We got to know your friend, Kazun.” She set her mug down and touched the rim with precise fingers. It was clear where Lian got her attentiveness. “He seems like a good kid.” Not to mention how good he was with Lian.

  The last time Marie had seen her younger daughter, she had been scared of any male. The fact she was so comfortable around the young hockey player was soothing for the mother. She was worried that without Michelle, Lian wouldn’t have the chance to flourish.

  Her worries had been eased when she had heard about all the friends she had made in the last year.

  “He’s a puppy dog,” Ravin agreed. “The two of them have really done wonders for each other. I’m really proud that Kaz has come out of his shell. I can’t imagine the depth of the changes that Lian has gone through.” Kazun had barely been able to speak to girls without blushing himself into unconsciousness.

  “I can’t believe that we all got pulled together through that insanity.” It would have been enough to break most people. Saving the world wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. No one talked about the side effects, or the strain it put on people, or the ways it affected the lives of those involved.

  “I’m just glad the girls made it out safe,” she sighed, “I didn’t even hear about the whole ordeal until after it was over. Michelle doesn't like to share when she needs help.” It was one of the hardest things about her daughter to live with.

  Marie got up and stole a pancake from the stack. She winked. “I’m glad Michelle found a man who’ll make her breakfast after a good night. Welcome to the family, kid.” She stole another for good measure, then exited out the door to the garage.

  Ravin chuckled and fetched a glass of milk. He brought the food upstairs. Family. He hadn’t had that in a very long time. No… had he ever had it? Not in the memories he could still recall. Nothing had ever come close to family, yet Marie was so ready to accept him into theirs. It was an honor that he couldn’t begin to repay.

  “The pancakes you requested, my love,” he called as he returned in triumph.

  Michelle accepted the bounty with open arms. While Ravin had made pancakes, she had done her best to pick up their room. Technically it was just hers, but she found it was nice sleeping beside someone. So, he was going to be forced to stay there with her. It wasn’t like anyone would say no to her with such a request. She could always pull the ‘dying’ card.

  “Oh, they smell awesome.” She grinned. “Thanks, man.” She took a bite and let out a loud “Mmmm…” then, flushed the stickiness away with a big gulp of milk. It was a perfect way to start her day.

  “I’m glad you approve.” Ravin sank down onto the bed again. “You did quick work,” he praised and gestured at the tidied room. They hadn’t exactly been careful the night before. In the heat of the moment, neither of them had been concerned about keeping things neat.

  His mind drifted to sadder places as he rolled up a pancake into a burrito for himself. “I’m sorry I can’t go with you to the appointment,” he apologized in a low tone. “I really should be there to support you.” If it was hard for him to be forced to be away from her during that, he could only imagine how difficult the whole process was for her.

  “Lovie’s going with me.” She shrugged and stuffed her face with another pancake. “Besides, you really don’t want to go. You’ll have enough fun with the aftermath.” The last thing she needed was to worry about Ravin trying to punch the doctor. Marie might take it personally

  The worse her bones got, the worse her treatments felt. Last time she had gone, Michelle had wound up screaming. Now that her condition had progressed, she didn't want to imagine what the outcome would now be. It was going to be brutal and Ravin didn’t need to witness it. After it was all said and done, she would let him comfort her, but she didn’t want him to see her in that kind of agony. Especially when there was nothing he could do about it.

  She chased down the last bites of pancake with some milk. “I will message you when I’m done and tell you how it went.”

  Ravin leaned over and kissed her lips. “Thank you. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.” He dug into his bag and found an outfit to wear for work and quickly changed. “I’ll see you after, okay?”

  “See you then.” She nodded and smiled a little.

  He pulled her into a hug, then released her. Ravin gave a confident grin, then disappeared with a small burst of energy.

  Michelle waved as Ravin popped away from the room. Silence settled and dread filled her stomach. Her appointment was drawing near. It was a hop, skip and a jump until show time, and she was finding herself mentally unprepared.

  Everything would be okay. She’d pull through. If there was one thing Michelle was good at, it was getting through terrible situations. This would be painful, but it wasn’t the end of the world. As long as she had her boyfriend and her angel to give her snuggles after, it would all be okay.

  Deciding it was now or never, Michelle got up from her bed and slipped on a pair of comfortable shoes. Her hips were sore as she walked, but in the most delightful way. It was a reminder of good things. She tried her best to hold onto the positives.

  After a good deep breath, Michelle made her way down stairs. Waiting for her was Loviel. He bowed his head slightly and gestured to the living space before him. “You have a beautiful home, Michelle.”

  Michelle wrapped her arms around the angel, holding him tight. His strong embrace held her close. She hid her face into his plain white shirt.

  “It is okay to be scared,” Loviel comforted and rubbed her back.

  She shook her head. “I hate how it feels.” Being weak was the worst. The sickening, squeamish clenching of her stomach made her regret the heavy breakfast. More than anything, she wanted to hold onto Loviel and have him take her far from here. He would if she asked. Knowing that it would do more harm than good, Michelle decided to stay put.

  “Even if your body is failing you, Michelle, you are still strong.” Loviel fixed her with a caring expression. “And if anyone thinks differently, you give them hell for it.”

  A smile appeared on Michelle’s face. “Thanks, Lovie.” She let out a solid sigh and squeezed her partner tight. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

  One moment, they were standing in the entry room of the house, the next they were in the oh-so familiar waiting room of Blackbird Medical Center. It was a charming little space painted with warm and welcoming colors. There were fall-themed paintings on the wall. In the corner was a holoscreen playing a documentary about Dryads.

  It took her a moment to push herself away from Loviel and approach the front desk. Michelle recognized the receptionist immediately.

 
“Hey Camille. I’m here for my appointment.” Michelle tapped her fingers on the counter and shifted her weight from leg to leg nervously.

  A warm motherly smile appeared on Camille’s face. “Well, if it isn’t the infamous Michelle Neilson. I didn’t think I’d see your name on our lists again. Aren’t you staying in that big fancy city?”

  “I got roped into coming home.” Michelle half smiled.

  Camille nodded in understanding and got together the paperwork and handed it to Michelle on a sturdy old-fashioned clipboard. Some inventions never went out of style.

  Michelle took the neatly organized papers and sat down in the far corner beside Loviel, who was glancing through a children’s magazine. At least he was keeping himself entertained. She looked down at the first page. It was a bunch of “how do you feel” questions. Most likely, she decided, they wouldn’t find it funny if she wrote down ‘crappy’.

  On the page with a scale to super happy face to drowning in tears frowny face, she identified her pain at about a five. It was where the cartoon image was getting a slight pout. That seemed about right.

  As she was finishing the final pieces of requested information, a nurse stepped out and called, “Michelle.”

  For a moment, her heart stopped. Michelle looked up at Loviel. It was happening. There was no turning back or running away.

  He stood, offered his hand and a comforting smile.

  Michelle took his proferred hand and pulled herself to her feet, then walked back to the nurse. They took her height and weight before taking her into a what would otherwise seem a luxurious room. There was a big comfortable chair with blankets and pillows. Right next to the plush seat was a double-lined decently-sized trash can. On a table next to the chair was a holoplayer that was quietly letting out gentle music with soft graphics humming above it. There were a menagerie of doctor tools on the opposite side of the room from the ‘haven.’

  This wasn’t Michelle’s first rodeo in this particular room. She sank into the warm seat and gestured for Loviel to take the place beside her. As much as she wished it was her boyfriend, she was glad it was Loviel. He was much more even in his emotions. The last thing she needed was to worry about how Ravin would deal with the situation.

  Loviel squeezed her hand and reminded in a soothing voice, “I am here for you.”

  “Thanks.” Michelle sighed and looked up as the nurse followed in with them.

  The nurse sat on a stool on the opposite end of the room and looked down at her portable holo-device. She typed in the info and hmm’ed. She looked up at Michelle. “It looks like you’ve gained a bit of weight since you were last in here.”

  “Cookies are the devil, I swear, but I figured hey, I’m dying anyway, why not enjoy myself?” Michelle shot, a bit more sharply than she intended.

  Awkward silence followed her comment.

  Nurse Jenny fidgeted and let out a sigh. “The gained weight may have added additional strain on your bones. The doctor will factor this into your medication.”

  “Tell Mom not to go easy on me.” Michelle grinned, but a disappointed look from Loviel made her sigh and tone down the sass. “Sorry. Thanks for the information. I just want to get this over with.”

  Jenny nodded with an apologetic look. The Blackbird Medical Center was one of the few places on the continent that had any treatments for Osteovitrum. The people who came in for the shots were always on edge. After hearing their screams and wiping their tears, she couldn’t imagine the stress of being one of the nurses. Who in their right mind would pick that job? Oh yeah, Jenny would.

  “I’ll go talk to Dr. Neilson and I will be back in a few minutes to give you the shot.” Jenny stood and went out of the room.

  “Why isn’t your mother administering this to you?” Loviel cocked his brow.

  Michelle leaned on him and laid her head on his shoulder. “She can’t. Physically, I mean. Once you see what happens, you’ll understand.” She didn’t say anything else, just cuddled up with her angel and waited for Jenny to return with the dose.

  When the nurse came back, she swabbed the crook of Michelle’s inner arm and said quietly. “This may sting a little.”

  Of course, Michelle knew she was just talking about the needle. That was nothing. There was a soft prick, then stillness. The anticipation was the worst part. It was in her system. Now she was just waiting for the fire to take hold.

  Then, like a blowtorch was lit, pain flared. It started in the very core of her bones. She could feel it, like ants biting at every inch. For the first few moments, she tried to rip into her flesh, but something strong was holding her still. Keeping her safe.

  Her scream was cut off by a gag. She tried to suck in a breath, but her mind went white as suddenly she went from an easy 5 to a 20 on the pain chart.

  Chapter 15

  Loviel gently stroked Michelle’s hair as she slept against him. Once she had the okay from the nurse and her mother, Lovie had taken her home. He sat in silence and kept his human close. Despite his even-keel personality, even he had been shaken. Now he completely understood her reluctance to go. Even though he had taken some of the pain away, she had still fainted.

  It had felt like an eternity, holding her and listening to her cry out in agony. It had taken her thirty minutes to pass out. The nurse had told him that generally it took patients ten at half the dosage. Michelle was a fighter, and he was proud of her.

  He looked at the clock. Ravin would be home from work soon. Loviel could only imagine that the demon was chomping at the bit to be back. Of course, Lovie had sent Ravin a message explaining she had passed out during the treatment so he wouldn’t worry about her lack of communication.

  Michelle let out a tiny snore and Loviel sighed gently. At least she was resting now. With any luck, when she awoke, she would feel a bit better.

  Ravin appeared in front of the two and let out a shaky breath. “She’s okay?” he asked as he sank down on her other side. “Stars, I thought today would never end.” Concern for Michelle had consumed him in his final hours of work.

  “I should have been there for her,” he lamented quietly.

  “Being there would have killed you, Ravin.” Loviel spoke quietly, a slight quiver in his voice. “You are here now for her, and that is all that matters.”

  Ravin’s tail flicked behind him. “If she can’t handle the injections then what are we supposed to do?” His eyes darted up to Loviel’s. “It’s no wonder why she skipped them for so long. I don’t know how she managed them at all.”

  Loviel shook his head. “I don’t know, Ravin.” He laid his head in his hands and gripped tightly at the honey curls. More than anything, he hated not knowing how to help Michelle. After what he had seen at the appointment, he felt even more useless. She was the one person on Eartha he had to protect, and he had to sit back and watch her die.

  The screams still echoed in his ears. Urgency pulsed into his deepest core, but there was nothing he could do. There was an answer, somewhere, but why couldn’t he find it?

  “You have all of Heaven at your back,” Ravin growled. “There has to be something. You angels are supposed to have all the answers. If that’s a lie, then your management needs a new public relations expert because they’re oversold.” His energy flared as his annoyance grew. He did his best to hold back the frustration at the uselessness of his supposed betters.

  Heaven was proving to be utterly inadequate. They couldn’t even manage to save a single human being. Ravin had been able to protect Kazun for almost a year. They hadn’t been able to heal Michelle’s disease in the same time.

  The angel shook his head. “It isn’t that easy, Ravin. I wish it were. Believe me, I do.” His sweet gold eyes were clouded. Though he knew Ravin’s comments weren’t personal, it felt as if they were. It wasn’t as if he wanted to sit back and let Michelle die.

  “There are many protocols that I can’t side-step.” He looked down at Michelle. If there was anyone in the world who deserved a miracle, it was her.
Loviel had put in a miracle request ages ago, but it was still being processed. Due to the fact she cavorted with demons and never went to church, the Angels of Miracles weren’t likely to accept.

  Michelle had an amazing spirit. She was one of the kindest, most fierce and amazing souls that Loviel had ever met, but the bureaucracy had rule and he hated them. So many people needed miracles and thus they had to put a system in place, one that Loviel could honestly say he loathed. Why could they not overlook tradition once for a girl who had saved the world?

  “Well fuck the protocols,” Ravin bit off as loudly as he dared. “It’s all the inane rules that keep you people from doing any real good. Angels could be helping the downtrodden and miserable, but you’re too far up your own asses to do anything. It’s been that way as long as I can remember. I would put money on it that it’s been that way for even longer.”

  Ravin had caused his fair share of misery in the past, but he’d done his part to make up for it. A portion of it had been accomplished by saving the world.

  In a fluid motion, Loviel stood, careful not to wake Michelle. His wings flared and he didn’t look back at Ravin. After what he had been through with Michelle that day, he was finding it hard to stay centered. More than anything, he wanted to fight back, but he knew Ravin was scared. He had to remind himself that what Ravin was saying wasn’t a personal attack against him.

  He kept reminding himself that they were friends. The demon’s words hurt, but he couldn’t let them. One of them had to keep even-headed. It was clear that it wasn’t going to be Ravin.

  Loviel brought his wings in close. His arms crossed and he tried to keep himself together. He wanted to be back in his halls, listening to music. Didn’t he also deserve respite? No, he wasn't doing enough.

  “I’m sure we are just awful,” Loviel muttered quietly, still not turning to face the demon.