by Aileen Erin
“Whatever it is, do it,” Shane said. “He’s suffering.”
I’d never seen Dr. Gonzales so nervous. Her shirt was wrinkled and a strand of glossy black hair fell free of her usually immaculate ponytail. “No. I want to be absolutely clear. I’ve been monitoring him all night, but he’s working through the drugs faster and faster. I’m taking a big risk here. I’m using enough sedative to put a full alpha down for a long nap. This could go badly.”
“We won’t hold it against you,” Yvonne said a little too quickly. The older woman stood at the head of Raphael’s bed, gripping one of his hands. Her long, gray hair was pulled into a low bun and her tea-length khaki skirt hung a little askew on her hips. I didn’t think she meant Raphael harm, but she hadn’t even considered the risks Dr. Gonzales mentioned. Why?
“What’s happened?” I asked.
“He went into cardiac arrest early this morning,” Dr. Gonzales said.
“About the time Claudia’s plane took off,” Elsa said.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Had I been wrong to encourage her to go?
“We finally got him more or less stabilized. His heart rate is still high, which means he’ll be lucid and hurting again in a few minutes, unless I try something stronger. Whatever has a hold on him isn’t giving up easily.”
This shouldn’t be happening. This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of it.
A hand grasped my arm, and I opened my eyes. Tiffany stood there, staring at me. She was the one coven member I knew the least about. I’d never really talked to her, but if she was here instead of with Luciana, then it was a good indicator that she was a good witch. “It’s not your fault. We all told Claudia to go.” She waited for that to sink in, and it did, but I still felt responsible for Raphael. For everything. “What Luciana does isn’t in your control. She probably sensed Claudia slipping away, and this is retaliation.”
“I didn’t know that was possible.”
“Many things are possible when you’ve taken a blood oath,” Yvonne said.
Again, Yvonne hadn’t said anything bad exactly, but her tone sent shivers down my spine. I pushed my concerns aside, and focused on Raphael. “What’s in the needle?”
Dr. Gonzales sent me a look that said she was over my hatred of shots. “I had him hooked to an IV earlier, but his thrashing kept ripping it out. The syringe is filled with a sedative, painkiller, some antibiotics, and holy water.”
She’d saved the best for last. “Holy water?”
She shrugged. “It’s a guess, but it could weaken the demon so that the rest of the drugs can do their job.”
Her logic seemed legit, but boy was it odd to think of a doctor shooting a patient up with holy water.
The witches made room for Dr. Gonzales around the bed.
The noise that Raphael made as the mixture went into him was nothing human. We stood frozen as he screamed. His back arched off the bed, and Dr. Gonzales pushed his shoulder down. “Hold him,” she said as she pulled the needle out.
We all moved at once, each grabbing a bit of Raphael to hold him still as he thrashed. He jerked so hard that the bed nearly flipped.
I cringed as he convulsed. This wasn’t right. “Does this happen every time you give him a shot?”
“No.” She blinked twice. “It must be the holy water.”
It took a few minutes for the convulsions to stop, but we kept holding him, unsure what was going to happen next.
The silence in the room was nearly deafening. And then it came.
At first, I thought it was just another rattle in Raphael’s breath, but it wasn’t. The sound built into a soft, slow laugh. Slimy energy ran against my skin. We all let go. I didn’t want to touch anything he was touching.
“He’s already mine.” The rasping voice sounded like sandpaper on a chalkboard. It made my teeth hurt.
That wasn’t Raphael. Not even a little bit. His skin was turning gray, and his eyes had gone from bloodshot to red.
Yvonne knocked into the chair behind her as she crossed herself and started praying.
“He’s mine. Words can’t protect you.”
The demon had full control over my cousin. How was I going to tell Claudia about this? For the first time, I wasn’t sure if her twin could be saved.
Dr. Gonzales stared down at Raphael. “I think if I—” She turned to me. “Watch him.” Her voice was clipped, but held a hint of power as she gave the command. “I’ll be back.”
“Sure,” I said, although I wasn’t sure what else I could do but wait.
Raphael sat up, and we all moved as one to pin him down again. He snapped his teeth at Elsa, and she dodged out of the way. Her face paled as she glanced down at her arm.
“Did he bite you?” Shane asked.
“No. No.” Her voice was wobbly. “He missed.”
“Doctor!” I yelled. “Bring some rope when you come back.”
She rushed back into the room. “Already on it.” She moved around us, setting up the medical restraints and strapping Raphael down. He hissed and clawed. Yelled things that made even my ears bleed.
By the time she was done, we all stood a few feet from the bed watching Raphael. He strained against the bonds, but couldn’t get free. If he got loose, he could probably infect others, and I didn’t want to imagine what that would do to the pack at this point. It couldn’t be allowed to happen.
“Are you going to try another dose?” I asked.
“No. Whatever was done to him, he’s still human. I’ve already pushed his limits farther than I’m comfortable with.”
“So what now?” I asked.
“We pray,” Yvonne said as she pulled a rosary from her pocket.
“Pray?” That seemed like the least helpful thing to do right now.
“We have to wait for Claudia and have faith that she’ll get back in time to save him.”
“But that’s going to take time.” I tried to keep my cool, but I couldn’t stop the urge to head down the feral cages and punch those witches in their faces for this. How could they do this to a member of their own coven? “His skin is gray, his lungs are rattling, and it looks like he’s lost ten pounds since yesterday. He won’t last days.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Shane asked. He crossed his tattooed arms, and his biceps strained against his T-shirt.
“Not yet.” But we had to do something. “What are our options?” I asked Dr. Gonzales.
She shook her head. “Like Yvonne said, pray. Have faith that Claudia gets back in time.”
I chewed on my lip as I thought. “What if we move him closer to Claudia?”
“How? He can’t fly like this. What if he starts convulsing? What if he gets loose? The plane would crash and then…” Dr. Gonzales’ words trailed off. “No. We wait. In the meantime, I’ll do everything I can.”
That wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
Maybe one of my books was hiding a spell that could help. It was a long shot, but worth a try.
I started to leave, and Elsa called out to me. “Where are you going?”
“To figure something out. I can’t sit here and watch him die.” I strode down the stairs, and headed for the dorms.
Between the books I’d dug out of the library and the magic books Claudia had given me what seemed like ages ago, there had to be a few passages on demonic possession. I was ready to read every line if there was the smallest chance I could help Raphael.
***
The squeak of my highlighter against the page was the only noise in my room. Dastien had stopped by at lunchtime with sandwiches and snacks before heading back to the gym. He’d promised some people that he’d spar. He’d wanted me to go with him, but I was too busy to get my ass kicked again.
My eyes were burning as I switched books for the billionth time. All the ones I’d read so far had steered clear of any mention of demons or black magic. I needed more, but short of going back to the compound, that wasn’t happening.
I had no way to help Raphael. No way to def
end us against the demons that Luciana would conjure.
Fear made my pulse race, but I pushed that thought away. I had to focus on one problem at a time. The most immediate one was Raphael.
My best idea so far was somehow shipping him down to Peru. At least then he’d be with Claudia when she found the cure, and she wouldn’t lose a day of travel getting back to Texas.
But that was only saving her a day.
I was digging into a potion-making book when a ringing sound made me jump. It surprised me so much that it took a second to realize it was just my cell phone.
Yet another reminder how far I’ve come from normal.
Since I’d moved to St. Ailbe’s, I seldom carried it on me. Who was going to call? Axel was busy being all collegiate. My parents stopped by sometimes, but we’d settled into a rhythm. They knew where I was, and that I’d call if something came up. In turn, family barbecues with Dastien and the gang were mandatory on Sunday afternoons. It must cost a small fortune to feed all of us once a week, but they did it without complaint.
I reached to my bedside table and picked up my phone, but the number showed as unavailable. I wouldn’t usually answer, but with everything going on… It was better not to risk missing something important.
“Hello,” I said, more like a question than a statement.
“It’s Claudia.”
I sat up quickly. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I think.” She paused, and I let out a breath of relief. Even if the ‘I think’ was a little vague for my liking. “That’s not why I’m calling. You remember the guy I’m engaged to?”
I sure did. I clicked my highlighter shut as I grinned at the memory. When she first told me about him, she’d actually used a curse word. Very out of character for her. “The douchebag you told off the other night. Yeah, I remember. Why?”
“He’s here.” Her voice was soft as she said it, but the implications…
“He’s what?” I wasn’t smiling anymore. “Please, tell me that’s a coincidence.”
“I’m sorry. Luciana told him I was coming, and he managed to beat me here all the way from New York.”
“More direct flights,” I murmured. And holy shit. This was bad. If Luciana knew what we were up to, then… God, I didn’t even want to think about what that could mean.
My mind went to Joseph, Imogene, and Shannon. They couldn’t have, though…
No. They could. I just didn’t want to believe they would. “Okay. So, what do you think? Is it a wash? Should you come home? We can figure something else out. Do some more digging in the library. I’m sure if we put our heads together we’ll find something that can save Raphael. Maybe we should’ve tried harder before shipping you off, but it seemed like the easiest way to save him…” Although that was sounding more and more like wishful thinking.
“No. Muraco’s right. I’ve never learned a thing about fighting demons and I grew up with la Aquelarre. It’s been my life forever. Maybe Luciana has something in her spell room, but—”
Chills ran down my spine. “No one is going in there. Never ever.”
“I’d never ask that of you. But I could—”
Was she out of her mind? “No! We both know she’s after your powers. She managed to strip me of mine, and now that you’ve left, she wants yours just as bad. You can’t go anywhere near her.” The problem was, we didn’t have a ton of options. It wasn’t just the fight with Luciana. Raphael’s life was on the line. As crazy as it might be, this quest was still her best option. “I don’t like the sound of this douchebag being in Peru with you.”
“I know. But we all agreed. This is the best chance we have to save Raphael and stop Luciana.”
“Right. Well, stay away from him.”
“Thanks. I’ll be okay. I’ve protected myself from Matt for years, but his being here isn’t a good sign. I wanted to warn you. I’m not sure who is spying on us, but… Maybe look into Beth, Tiffany, and Yvonne.”
“Yeah, I had the same thought. There’s something about Yvonne.” Maybe I wanted it to be her or any of the coven members, but my instincts said the pack could just as easily be the problem. “I don’t know. And there are a few wolves who aren’t acting right. They should be following Mr. Dawson’s orders, but they’re being shifty.”
“They are shifters.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Bad use of the word.” I sighed. “I don’t want you to worry, but Raphael—”
“He didn’t… He’s not…” She could barely say the words.
“No. He’s still alive,” I said quickly.
“Thank God.” Relief was thick in her voice.
“He’s hanging in, but he’s in worse shape tonight than he was this morning. You just do your best, and then come home fast. I’ve got a feeling if you’re not back soon, well…” I tried to pick my next words carefully, but the fact was Raphael wasn’t doing well. “I’m not sure what you’ll come back to.”
“I know. I’m going to move as fast as I can.”
“The thing is… He’s fading faster than Dr. Gonzales expected. I’m wondering if it might make sense to get him to you. That way by the time you find his cure, he’s there. She says we can’t put him on a plane—he’s not stable enough for that—” Dr. Gonzales was right. If he got loose in a confined space, he could kill everyone and crash the plane. “—but I can get a few wolves and maybe a couple of your brujos to drive him down to Peru. It’ll take a few days, but could work out timing-wise. Then, once he’s okay, you all fly back together.” Raphael was running out of time, and if something happened on the road, they could pull over. Maybe it wasn’t the best plan, but it was better than nothing.
“Who would drive him down?”
“Adrian and Shane for sure. And then I was thinking maybe Beth, and one or two more wolves. I have to see who else might be up for it. Who we can spare right now.”
“Okay. I agree. Drive him down and I’ll move as quickly as I can.”
I hated to put more pressure on her, but if it were my brother, I’d want to know. “Just stay safe, Claudia. You can do this. I know you can. Call me if you need anything.”
“Same to you. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have more information. Call me if anything changes with Raphael.”
“Of course.”
“Bye.”
I started to put the phone back, and then thought better of it. I shoved it in my pocket, as I headed out. These books weren’t getting me anywhere. Short of going back to Luciana’s den of depravity, I wasn’t going to find anything on the magic she was using. And that so wasn’t happening. Not yet.
Hopefully not ever.
If I was going to get Raphael moved, I needed to start working on it now. My gut told me he didn’t have a minute to spare, and I wasn’t going to ignore it.
Chapter Four
One glance out the window told me that the Cazadores were patrolling campus again. We were still on lockdown, but since I was known to fight against the witches, the Cazadores let me move around. They kind of had to. Their leader had tried commanding me to stay indoors a few nights ago, and it hadn’t gone his way. Since then, they steered clear of me. I was pretty sure I made them uncomfortable, but that was definitely the least of my worries.
I stashed a few vials of my newest potion in my pockets—just in case something happened—before going in search of Dastien.
I went to the gym first, thinking our group would be there, but I didn’t see Dastien or anyone else among the guys sparring. They didn’t pay much attention to me as they fought, moving so quickly that their movement was hard to track.
Where was everyone? I thought about using the bond to find Dastien, but I hated to use that as a crutch. I wanted to be able to find him on my own.
The next logical place to look was the cafeteria. But again, only some Cazadores and alphas milling about, and no Dastien. No Meredith or Donovan or Adrian either.
So odd. If they were done working out, why hadn’t they come to get me?
&
nbsp; I grabbed a drink and a cookie and finally gave in, opening the bond wide. Where are you?
The library.
As soon as he said the words, an image of him standing in front of the shelves as he scanned the spines of books came through the bond.
The library was on the first floor of the admin building. I started to head that way, but kept the connection open with Dastien. You didn’t come get me when you were done? My voice had a hint of whine. I hated that. I took a big bite of cookie. Chocolate chip with a hint of salt. God, the Were cooks were amazing.
I checked in. You were on the phone. I figured you’d find me when you were done.
Which was what I’d done, so no point in getting annoyed. But why was I feeling needy all of a sudden?
I started up the three stairs to the entrance of the admin building.
Maybe because you were traumatized and you need to give yourself time to heal.
I nearly tripped. Sometimes it still surprised me that he could dig into my thoughts. Right. Well, it stinks.
I pushed through the door to the library. Everyone sat at study tables. Meredith and Donovan huddled over a book. When a chunk of pink hair fell into her eyes, Donovan tucked it back behind her ear. Chris was tapping a pencil against the table as he worked through his volume. His wavy blonde hair was getting long and poofing out. Chris was the most introverted of the group, even if he did like to flirt a little. I couldn’t believe he’d actually kissed me once. That all seemed like forever ago.
Dastien stood off to the side waiting for me. He leaned casually against the bookcase, and grinned, showing his dimples. I rolled my eyes at how easily he got to me. Just one look and I was toast. “I sure hope you’re right, because otherwise…” If I got any more addicted to him, I’d lose my mind.
“I’m always right.”
I snorted. He liked to think so.
Adrian glanced up from his book. His short, black hair was gelled just enough to be perfectly mussed and spiky. “What is he right about?”
