by Hazel Hunter
Hugh put down his mug of coffee, smiling. “To say the least.”
“That’s good,” she said, before stuffing more omelette in her mouth.
Two meals, back-to-back. It was turning out to be a fantastic week!
“Must have been a case of autoresuscitation,” Hugh said, considering the coffee in his mug.
Nix swallowed. “Auto what?”
Hugh smiled a little. An alarm started to go off in the back of Nix’s head.
Of course she’d heard of autoresuscitation. It was also called the Lazarus Syndrome. You didn’t revive animals and people and never hear of it. Of course, Hugh was a doctor, so he could have heard of it too. But in all her life, no one had ever said the word to her. Even though she worked in a hospital, she’d been careful. She had learned years ago that it was safer not to be seen. The goth thing had suited that perfectly. Everyone was so used to seeing Nix and Noobie, that no one noticed any more. She was sick of the baggy black clothes. But she was more sick of unwanted attention.
She glanced around the cantina. A few of the nurses dropped their gazes.
They weren’t looking at her, of course. It was Dr. Adorable. Or maybe it was the two of them together, an odd couple to say the least. Again that alarm went off.
“Thank you again for breakfast,” she said. “Noobie and I have to get upstairs.”
Noobie looked up at the mention of his name.
“But I haven’t gotten to my ulterior motive,” Hugh said. He had left a little of his omelette. He picked up a piece. “Does Noobie like eggs and cheese?”
“He’s adorable,” she said, then nearly choked. “I mean, he adores it.”
She felt heat suffuse her face. For his part, Hugh gave no sign he’d noticed.
Hold on. Had he said ulterior motive?
Her heartbeat ratcheted up a notch. “Um, ulterior motive?”
Noobie gobbled up the slice of omelet, making Hugh smile.
“I was wondering if you and Noobie might visit a patient of mine later,” he said. “I’ve got to stop in at the UCLA Medical Center this morning, but maybe this afternoon?”
She deflated a little. “Oh sure, sure.” She drank some coffee so she didn’t have to talk.
“Wonderful,” he said, looking into her eyes, and leaning forward. “So, just for future reference, bribery works?”
She sputtered her coffee, and he had to back up. A nurse, a couple of tables over, laughed out loud. Nix quickly grabbed a napkin.
“Sorry!” she gasped.
But as she tried to wipe his face, she knocked over his coffee. He and Noobie barely got out of the way in time.
“Sorry!” she gasped again.
“It’s okay,” Hugh said, standing. “No harm done.”
Someone cleaning the tables came over and covered the spill on the floor with her rag.
“Sorry,” Nix said to her, trying to help with the napkin.
But the woman warded her off, preferring the rag. Hugh put the dishes on the tray and picked it up. Impossibly, he was still smiling.
“Are we done?” he asked.
Chapter 7
Coven Master Roxandra Albescu fumed. Hugh had been in town for over a month, and only now was he stopping by. A month! And he’d given her very little notice. She fussed in front of the mirror. Her chestnut hair was perfectly coiffed as always, falling in lustrous waves to mid-back. She used only a touch of makeup, knowing she didn’t need it. She’d been initiated into immortality when barely twenty-five. Her clinging dress plunged low in back and front, and her heels would make her almost as tall as him. She stepped back and checked herself: perfect.
The doorbell rang.
She would have to answer it herself, since she’d sent her secretary on an errand as soon as he’d told her that Hugh was on his way. She quickly exited the bedroom, headed down the hall, and crossed the sunken living room. The entire side of the long room was made of glass, taking advantage of the view. From the Hollywood hills you could see all of L.A. to the ocean. She’d founded the coven nearly one hundred years ago as a gated community. Not all of the homes and communal buildings had the incredible view, but hers most definitely did.
Her heels clacked on the marble entry. She pulled open one of the tall double doors. And there he stood, Hugh Colmain.
“Hugh,” she said, purring. “Do come in.”
She stood aside.
“Roxandra,” he said, giving her a peck on the cheek. “Stunning as always.”
As he passed her and moved into the living room, she watched his ass. “You’re looking well,” she said, and closed the door. “Still playing doctor, I see.”
Hands in the white coat’s pockets, he turned to her.
“I know it’s hard to believe,” he said, “but I am a doctor. Aside from everything else, in spite of everything else, I am a doctor.”
“Of course, my darling,” she said, crossing to the bar. “Your usual?”
Hugh was a scotch man. She always made sure to have his favorite single malt.
“No, thank you,” he said. “I’m here on business.”
She nearly stopped and spun on him. But with just the slightest hitch in her gait, she went to the bar anyway. She’d have a martini.
“Really,” she drawled, opening the shaker. “That’s not like you, darling. You used to have manners.”
There was a long silence as she filled the shaker with ice.
“Roxandra, I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us. I don’t know how many times I need to say it. But I’m sorry. I truly am.”
Hugh Colmain, the dedicated doctor. She nearly snorted. She pictured him with his velvet breeches around his ankles and her spread eagle on the hay. On his father’s estate, in the loft of the stables, the medical field had been the furthest thing from his mind––and hers. Their first few decades together had been amazing. She didn’t regret them. She couldn’t. Nor was she sorry she’d initiated him. But this damnable devotion to doctoring, well, it was simply bizarre.
“Ancient history, darling,” she said, pouring the vodka. She capped the shaker. “You’re sure you won’t have one?”
But rather than wait for his answer, she shook the metal container. As he turned to the window and stepped closer to it, she silently damned him. Why come here? She finished with the shaker. Why not just use the telephone if it’s just business? Using the crystal atomizer, she coated the glass with dry vermouth. Then she poured her drink, added an olive, and took a nice, long sip.
It had to have been fifty years since they’d last seen each other. Though Hugh was a Magus Corps general, he wasn’t in the field that much. His gift made him ideal for the Wiccan strongholds for healing. No doubt he traveled from one to another, and the coastal headquarters, but it wasn’t often he visited a coven, especially hers.
“Business?” she asked, sidling into the living room. She passed him and stood just in front of the glass. Even the muted light from the overcast sky would shine through the thin material of her dress. It would leave little doubt as to what lay underneath. Not that Hugh needed that. “What business does the great healer of the Magus Corps have in my backyard?”
“Did you know you have a necromancer in your backyard?”
She gulped her drink a little, before shaking her head.
“Nonsense,” she said.
“I’m certain,” he said. “At Cedars-Sinai.” He pointed down the hill. “Right about there.”
She frowned at him. “I know where it is.” She put a hand on her hip. “And I also know what’s in my backyard. A necromancer? You must be insane.”
Not only was it rare, it was very hard to hide. The thought was preposterous.
“Think about it,” he said. “Where better than a hospital? She works there with her familiar, where they do pet therapy. She blends in, isn’t noticed, and yet has access to just about everything. The doctors are perfectly happy to take credit for lives saved. Relatives aren’t likely to launch an investigation.” He gazed
down toward the hospital. “It’s pretty brilliant when you think about it.”
What was that in his voice? Admiration? Even awe? And what the hell was pet therapy?
“In the unlikely event you’re right,” she said, “what do you want from me?”
“She’ll need a coven,” he said. “If she’s not rogue, that is.”
“Ah,” Roxandra said, her voice brittle. “Of course.” She took another sip, then swirled the olive. “And is that all?”
“I wanted to tell you personally,” he said, his voice strained. “You’re the coven master.”
Rather than toss the rest of the drink in his face, she downed the entire thing and went back to the bar.
“So this is a courtesy call,” she said, beginning to feel the drink. “One professional to another.”
“Roxandra,” he said, following her. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
She filled the shaker with more ice.
“Oh?” she said, spraying the glass with Vermouth. “What does it have to be like?”
“I’ll call you when I know more and have a timeline,” he said, though she didn’t look. Then she heard the front door open and close.
She slammed the atomizer down on the bar. “Damn him!”
How dare he come here? How dare he saunter in and out like it was nothing? She glared out the window. And how dare he tell her she didn’t even know what was going on in her territory! A necromancer of all things! She stomped back to the window and looked down. Not far from the edge of the foothills, she picked out Cedars-Sinai’s complex of buildings. A necromancer? She’d just have to see about that.
Chapter 8
In hindsight, Hugh wasn’t sure what he’d hoped to accomplish. Roxandra had initiated him into immortality, and he was grateful. Unprotected sex had meant that they had shared the sacred potential for creating life. She had stood the very real chance of having their child. Though she hadn’t gotten pregnant, it hadn’t mattered. He had been in love. But as the years had turned, and he’d matured, they’d grown apart. The split, when it finally came, had been difficult and hateful.
Hugh watched the elevator numbers overhead and sighed. He shouldn’t have gone. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. All he’d wanted was exactly what he’d said. To make a personal call on the coven master in whose territory he had business. Though it’d been many years since he’d been in the field, certainly the forms of common courtesy still held.
The elevator stopped at the fourth floor in the north tower, and he got out. As he moved onto the wide bridge between the towers, he saw her. Though several people were seated in the lounge behind her, Phoenix and Noobie were standing at the window. She was gazing down at the street below, through the rain spattered glass. He slowed as he approached, looking at her profile. The soft light was flattering, not that she needed it. Her nose was small and just slightly upturned. Her green eyes, despite her serious expression, were lit a brilliant emerald. He realized with a start that her lips were sensuous. Yet again his mind went back to the moment he’d held her, and he thought about using his gift to truly see her. But Noobie gave him away, nudging her. When she looked over, in a completely unguarded moment, she smiled. Hugh nearly came to a stop. The unvarnished happiness floored him. And for the life of him, he couldn’t ever remember anyone looking at him like that. In an insane moment, he imagined her running into his embrace.
“Hugh!” she said, with a little wave. There was a bounce in her step. Noobie gave a little bark.
“Phoenix!” he said, feeling happiness wash away the meeting with Roxandra. “It’s good…” He’d been about to say ‘good to see you.’ “…of you to come.”
“Oh no,” she said, as they came to a stop in front of each other. “This is what Noobie and I live for.”
For several long moments, he simply looked at her. Slowly her eyebrows rose.
“Um, is everything okay?” she asked.
He blinked.
“Absolutely,” he said. He indicated the north tower behind her. “Shall we?”
She turned, bringing Noobie’s leash a little tighter.
“How did it go at UCLA?” she asked.
His smile faltered a little. “Good,” he said. “Just consultations today.”
“Oh,” she said as they made their way into the main hall. He nodded to the nurse at the first station. “Is there anything I should know about your patient?”
“Complications,” he said quietly as they passed open-doored rooms. “She’s having reconstructive facial surgery after being attacked with a knife. She’s recovering from her second surgery, with two more to go.” Phoenix nodded, looking down as though she were studying the floor. “I think she’s depressed.”
That made Phoenix look up at him, her brows furrowed. “Who attacked her?”
He slowed down as they approached the room. He decided to share the patient’s full history.
“A ‘friend’ who’s in jail now for attempted rape,” he said, coming to a stop outside the patient’s room.
Phoenix’s eyes went wide, and her body tensed. Though Noobie had been looking down the hall, now he looked up at her. Though Hugh glanced at him, he continued. “The latest graft has been hampered with an infection. The setback has got her down.”
“Okay,” Phoenix said. “That’s a specialty for Noobie and I.”
Before Hugh had a chance to ask her what that meant, she was headed through the door with Noobie. He saw her glance at the patient’s name on the whiteboard. She knocked lightly on the open door.
“Come in,” came the neutral reply.
Phoenix poked her head in. “Victoria?”
“Yes.”
“Hi,” Phoenix said, going into the room. “I’m Nix, and this is Noobie.” He trotted in, his nails clicking on the floor. “We were making the rounds and ran into Dr. Gorgeous.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Hugh, as he entered. He couldn’t help but gape at her. “Oh look at him,” Phoenix said. “Like he doesn’t know.”
Victoria actually smiled, which was still hard for her. Phoenix had pitched her humor just right. Maybe it was her specialty.
As Hugh picked up the chart, Victoria brought up the head of her bed. A large white bandage covered the left side of her face. She’d been a lovely girl, and would be again. Only in her early thirties, she had time.
“Therapy dog,” she said, reading Noobie’s vest.
“May I introduce Anubis,” Phoenix said. “Noobie for short.”
“What an unusual name,” Victoria said.
“Noobie,” Phoenix said, taking on a mock serious tone. “Mind your manners. Introduce yourself.” She patted the bed rail. Without hesitation, Noobie stuck his snout between the bed and the lowest rung, while his big eyes peered over it. As he looked between Victoria and Phoenix, his eyebrows waggled. Hugh grinned, and Victoria laughed.
“Oh my god,” she said, reaching for his head. “He’s so cute.”
From there, it was as if they’d been friends forever. Eventually Phoenix had lowered the rail, and Victoria had scratched and then hugged Noobie. When she’d started to get out of bed to sit in the chair, her hospital gown wanted to open in the back. Hugh quietly excused himself and waited just outside.
“There you go,” Phoenix was saying. “Oh yeah, that’s better.” There was quiet for a few moments. “If you let him, he’ll leave his head in your lap all night.”
“I can’t think of anything I’d like better,” Victoria said. “He’s amazing. Did you train him?”
“Ha, no. I think he trained me.”
“Seriously, though, if I wanted a dog like Noobie, like Anubis, where did you get him?”
There was quiet for some time, and Hugh stepped a little closer.
“Well, seriously,” Phoenix said. “He found me. In an alley. When I woke up, he was just there.”
Hugh frowned. That’s not what she’d told him. Not exactly anyway.
“What were you doing waking up in an alley?�
�
Both of their voices had turned serious.
“I had been raped, then beaten unconscious,” Phoenix said quietly.
Hugh went still.
It was silent. Not even the tinkle of Noobie’s tags could be heard.
“When I woke up,” Phoenix said, “Noobie was licking my face.” Hugh heard the clink of the tags. “We’ve been together ever since. He’s seen me through…a lot.”
“Did they have a knife?” Victoria asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“A gun,” Phoenix said. “My next door neighbor. He was going to walk me to the bus stop.” There was a pause. “You?”
“A knife,” Victoria said. “Well, I guess you know that.”
There was silence again.
“Did he rape you?” Phoenix asked.
Was that a tremble in her voice? Hugh realized his hands were jammed in his coat pockets, and they hurt. His jaw ached with the grinding of his teeth.
“No,” Victoria said. “I fought, and I screamed. You can see how that worked out.”
“You know what,” Phoenix said. “I wish I’d fought. The doctor says you’re going to recover just fine. He’s the best you know, so you can believe what he says. But there’s no surgery that gives you back something that’s been taken. You know?”
Hugh stepped away, not able to stand any more.
* * *
• • • • •
* * *
Nix had completely lost track of the hour. Only when the nurse brought in dinner, did she realize it’d gotten dark outside. With apologies for overstaying and promises to come back, she’d given Victoria a quick hug and watched as Noobie got one of his own. Then they were out in the hall.
The dinner cart was making its way down the ward. Exhausted, she leaned her back and head against the wall, and closed her eyes. What a day.
“Burger for your thoughts,” said a familiar voice.
She smiled and opened her eyes. “I’ll bet you say that to all the animal therapists.”
