by Kaye Draper
I found Oisin in my room when I got back, somehow freshly showered and fully dressed in record time. He was wearing his hunting clothes—head to toe black form-fitting pants and shirt made of some sort of amazingly supple and indestructible fabric. Con was pulling on a pair of jeans as he blinked sleep from his eyes.
"Do you really think that's going to be necessary?" I asked the fae as he sat down to lace up his calf-length boots. He looked like an androgynous runway model playing dress up as an assassin. "We're just going to go sign Gabbi out. Not face down an army of orcs."
He regarded me from under his long auburn lashes. "With you, Gesa, it's best to be prepared."
I snorted. "It's not that bad," I muttered under my breath, going to put on my sneakers just to make a point. I didn't need boots. Or my weapons. We were in the middle of clan territory and we were just going to the treatment facility.
Con laid a hand on my back as he dropped a kiss on my cheek. "Maybe you should take your gun."
I glared at him.
He sighed, picked up my holster and buckled it on his waist before slipping my Godsdamned gun into it. He just chuckled at my death glare and slipped a hoodie over his t-shirt, hiding the gun.
Oisin stood and paced over to me, pulling me down into a wicked kiss. "You are so naive. We love you for it though, darling."
I growled at him, even if a part of me was possessively pleased that I had him back by my side. I hadn't liked being away from him all night. Which was fucking pathetic.
"Are you sure we should take Hisashi?" I asked, searching his eyes. "Maybe we should keep him out of...emotional things for a while."
The door opened and Kaimana breezed in, wearing pants for once. I glanced at her beautiful round ass encased in the denim I'd bought her as she turned to close the door. Down gryphon. For fuck's sake.
"He shouldn't be alone," Oisin said softly, drawing my attention back to the conversation. "He needs to stay near us so we can help him if he needs it."
I raised an eyebrow at the suddenly helpful and caring fae. "Are you drunk?"
I halted his reply, waving at Kaimana. "Kai can stay here with him. It really doesn't take five people to sign someone out of the hospital."
Kaimana turned back and crossed her arms over her chest. Glaring at me, she stomped a foot. It did not escape me that she was wearing boots like Oisin's. And she had my fucking knife strapped to her hip. Assholes. All of them.
Kai paced up to me and gave me a stubborn look. She patted her chest, then mine. Forcefully.
"Jesus, Buddha and Odin, I'm just going to pick up my sister. Everybody calm the fuck down."
The door opened and Hisashi strolled in, wearing jeans and a well-worn leather jacket he'd probably picked up at a thrift store. At least he wasn't armored up like a soldier.
"Look," I continued. "I don't need all of you to come. Just...stay here."
"I'm going with you," the fox said firmly.
I rolled my eyes. "Not you too. Hisashi, just stay here and get your equilibrium back. One of these assholes can stay with you," I said gesturing to my motley crew. "Or I can go alone."
He clenched his jaw. "I'm not an invalid, Gesa. And you need us."
I threw up my hands. "I'm not helpless. I can sign paperwork and drive a car. It's not like we're gonna—"
I glared at the fox. "What the fuck is that?"
He glanced down at the inside of his jacket as he adjusted something. "What? This?" He pulled out a beautiful sai, the tips honed to a deadly gleaming beauty. "I've got the pair. My mom gave them to me. I had the jacket altered so they practically fall into my hands." He showed me the flaps inside each side of the jacket. "Pretty cool, huh?"
I growled. "I am not a walking danger magnet!"
They all stared at me with varying looks of resignation and humor.
"Fuck all of you," I said, heading toward the door. "If you get arrested for carrying weapons around in the middle of a hospital, I'm not bailing you out. You can just stay here in the middle ages and rot."
Kaimana patted my shoulder condescendingly.
Cheney knocked at the door. "Miss Gesa, your car is ready."
Chapter 8
The Eagle Feather Rehabilitation Center was a snazzy place, located outside of town, surrounded by picturesque views of open plains dotted with wildflowers. The mountains were just visible in the distance. A perfect place for creatures who were one part land and one part sky. The road leading to the facility was a country road made of gravel. A big, well-tended ornamental garden with a hedge maze stretched out behind it, a haven for people who needed to restore their balance.
There was a larger center closer to town, where the humans in the area went for treatment. Supes with mental or emotional issues needed a whole different approach. And they couldn't be held with humans, for the safety—and sanity—of the weaker species.
I parked my mom's shiny green SUV in the handicapped space closest to the doors. Just in case we had to leave in a hurry. Sucking in a deep breath, I got out and headed toward the building, my own posse of crazies following behind.
We stepped through the first set of sliding doors at the entrance and I pressed the buzzer. When I told the receptionist I was there for Gabbi, she informed me in a snide voice that Gabbi wasn't allowed to have visitors. "I'm her sister, and the head of the Lionheart clan," I said in a low voice. "Open the fucking door and let me see my sister or I will make you wish you called in sick today, lady."
The doors finally unlocked and swooshed open. The chubby matron at the desk came out and met us in the hallway. "One visitor is all I can allow. The rest of you will have to wait in the lobby," her eyes flicked over my motley crew of supes—and one token human—and her lips compressed to a thin line.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I waved the others over to the waiting area. "Read a Cosmo or something. I'll be right back."
Con shook his head, his soft smile amused at my irritation. Oisin strolled toward one of the overstuffed chairs, trailing a finger over a potted plant, which seemed to straighten up at his touch. "Is there coffee in this place, sweetheart?"
The desk lady was not amused. "Room 102," she said curtly, turning to go get Oisin his coffee. Or to go back to her work. I didn't care which.
I glanced at the wall for directions to the room number she indicated. The place was laid out like a sun, with hallways that branched out from the circle of the main entry area. I headed down one hallway, taking in the surroundings. At least it wasn't a shithole. The clean, tasteful decor was obviously reinforced and sturdier than in a human institution. But it didn't look institutional. The council sure didn't spare any money when they built their jail.
I scowled as I wondered how many of the residents here hadn't done anything more than piss off a council member.
When I reached room 102, I knocked at the door and stepped inside.
Gabbi was sitting on the edge of a narrow bed done up in a butterfly comforter and silk sheets. She had taped up photos of beautiful things all over the room, and I wondered just how the fuck long she'd been here.
She was wearing a baggy pair of boring gray sweats, and her long hair hung listlessly from a half-hearted ponytail.
She was staring into space when I walked in. She lifted her head and stared at me as if she couldn't really understand what she was seeing. Her Adam’s apple bobbed in her long throat as she swallowed back tears. Her gold eyes widened, and she gripped the edge of her comforter, her big knuckles going white. "Gesa?" Her deep voice broke.
I smiled at her, all the warm memories of my little sister rushing back like a slap in the face. I had always protected her from the bullies. Maybe that's where my protective streak started. But this time I failed. This time I wasn't there for her when she needed me. "Hey there."
She lunged off the bed and threw herself at me, nearly squeezing the life out of me as she buried her face in my shoulder and let out a half-laugh, half-sob. "You came."
I patted her back, feeling her broa
d shoulders shake. "Well, duh. Of course I did. God fucking knows our own mother couldn't be bothered."
Gabbi stepped back and wiped at her damp eyes. "She couldn't lose face with the council. But...she sent you, didn't she?"
I growled at the realization that my mother was even more shrewd than I'd given her credit for. She knew I wouldn't let Gabbi suffer. So, she rescued her daughter from the institution without ever stepping foot inside. This was all going to be blamed on me—the spiky and unpredictable black sheep. And I didn't fucking care.
"Where are your clothes? Get your stuff. We're going."
She stared up at me, shaking her head. "We can't just walk out of here, Gesa. You know that."
I put my hands on my hips and prayed for patience. "Gabbi, get dressed."
She plucked at her shapeless sweats. "I'd love to. But they took all my things."
She sounded nonchalant. But I could hear the hurt in her voice, just like when we were in grade school and a bunch of bullies took her purse and smashed all her makeup. "What the fuck have they done to you?" I ground out.
She dropped back to sit on the bed, all her energy seeming to flow right out of her, broad shoulders slumping. "They're curing my 'deviant behavior,' of course."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're a gryphon, Gabbi. You could have shifted and murdered them all anytime you want."
She shook her head and her golden eyes bore into mine. "That wouldn't solve anything. Besides, they gave me some sort of drug—put it in my food and drinks. I can't shift. I can't even call up much of my strength. And my senses are almost human."
Her expression shifted to a glare. "And when I find out who the fuck they got those drugs from—"
The door opened and Oisin darted inside, closing the door gently to avoid making a sound. He turned and leaned against the panel with a wicked grin. His eyes fell on Gabbi and he tilted his head, green eyes taking in my sister.
I knew this was Oisin we were talking about, but I braced myself all the same. I'd spent years beating people senseless for making comments.
"So, this is your sister," Oisin said with a smile. "Now I understand all the fuss."
I narrowed my eyes at him as he paced closer. "Hello, Gabbi, is it? I'm Oisin, your sister's pride alpha." He held out a slender hand as I willed his head to catch fire. Pride alpha? As in the leader of my merry band of fuck-buddies? He wished.
Gabbi studied the fae with a bit of a smile twitching at the corner of her lips and a perfectly plucked brow raised. "I'm Gabriella." She gave a wry frown. "Or Gabriel, if the staff is in hearing range."
Oisin grinned. "Gabriella is a beautiful name, love." He shook her hand and then stepped away to go press his ear to the door.
"What the fuck are you doing, Oisin?" I demanded.
He waved me away and concentrated on listening at the door.
Gabbi chuckled and I turned back to her to find her grinning at me like a jackass. "Mom said you'd shacked up with 'some degenerate in the city.' I should have realized what she meant was 'the most beautiful fae I've ever seen.'" She wrapped a hand around her middle as genuine laughter lit up her face. "Not really your type, though, Gesa."
Oisin straightened and came over to us again. He bowed toward Gabbi with a hand over his heart. "I'll take that as a compliment."
She cackled. "Believe me, it was."
"Oisin," I said again, my tone demanding to know why he was in here.
He flashed me a wicked green smirk. "I had a lovely chat with Gertrude at the front desk."
I scoffed and muttered, "I'll just bet you did."
He ignored me and continued. "She told me that our sweet Gabbi here can't be signed out until the physicians complete their paperwork on the assessments they've been doing and declare her fit to leave. Otherwise it will be documented as leaving against medical orders—which won't help her case with the gryphon population at large."
Gabbi shook her head. "Assholes said I'm a danger to myself and others and can't make my own decisions 'pending further assessment.'"
I growled and Oisin patted my arm. "Don't worry. The doctor is coming down now to speak with us and make his final decision." He grinned. "I thought you might want me here."
I laughed. "Fuck yes, I do."
Gabbi glanced between us, perplexed at why I was so overjoyed at the fae's show of support.
"Just go with it," I said to her, as a soft knock sounded at the door and a man in a long white lab coat strolled in holding a folder full of paperwork.
She glanced at the doctor. "Dr. Vogul," she said in a terse voice. "What can I do for you?"
I wasn’t surprised to find that the doctor was also a gryphon. But I was disappointed. What kind of asshole could use power-stunting drugs on his own kind?
He gave Gabbi a look that had "condescending prick" written all over it. Typical male gryphon bullshit. "I understand your sister here wants to sign you out. I'm sorry to tell you this, but based on your recent behavior, I think you need to stay with us a bit longer."
I crossed my arms stared daggers at him. Maybe I should have brought my knife after all. "And just what kind of behavior can she possibly get up to when you have her drugged, you quack?"
He glanced at me over the top of his glasses and shook his head. "This is exactly the kind of negative influence Mr. Lionheart does not need at this juncture."
Gabbi snorted. "I asked for my damned clothes back. You call that behavior?"
The doctor tapped the folder on the palm of his hand, clearly wanting to just get this over with and move on. "Male gryphons do not wear dresses, Gabriel. It is important that you address whatever trauma is at the root of this deviant behavior before it spills over into something more dangerous."
I clenched my fist, ready to just knock the asshole out to shut him up. What was this, the nineteen-fifties?
But Oisin saved me the trouble. And robbed me of the satisfaction, the jerk.
My fae glided closer to the doctor, tilting his head to get the man to meet his eyes. Then he smiled, a ripple of magic dancing over my skin as he did his thing. "I believe you looked at the wrong file," the fae said softly, his musical voice happy and light. "I'm sure what you meant to say was that Miss Lionheart here—Gabriella—is in glowing health and ready to go home."
The doctor nodded, eyes vacant. "Yes."
Oisin took the folder from the man's limp hands and opened it to leaf through the forms. He took out a couple of pages and passed them to me. Then he pulled out a page with a signature line and handed it back to the doctor. "Fill that out. Put down that Gabriella Lionheart is a pillar of mental health and fortitude and a great asset to her clan and community."
The doctor scrawled out what he was told and signed it with a flourish. Oisin handed it to me. "Take a picture of that with your phone, darling."
I fumbled to do as told, handing him back the form when I was done. He tucked the paper back into the folder and handed it to the doctor. "There, now. All set. Go tell the lovely Gertrude to give Gabbi's clothes to the dark-skinned human in the waiting room because she is leaving." The doctor turned to go do as he was told, his motions mechanical. "Oh," Oisin called after him. "And make sure she puts the coffee in to-go cups."
The door closed and Oisin turned back to me, letting out a breath. "Tear up those test forms, will you love?"
I did as told, tossing the crap into the nearest trash can. I started to speak and Oisin held up a hand. "Just a minute. I have to make sure he gets his orders out. And... there." He let out a gusty sigh and slumped slightly. Then he straightened and winked at Gabbi. "We'll have you out of here in a jiffy, sweetheart."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't flirt with my sister."
He grinned and came to take my hands. "Just being cordial, love. You know you are my one and only."
I shook my head. "Yeah. Me. And Hisashi. And Con. And Kaimana. Have you ever met anyone you don't want to rub up against naked?"
Gabbi chuckled.
Oisin put a hand to
his chest as if offended. "Wounded."
The door opened and Con stuck his head in. "Uh...hi? I was told to bring these to you." He stepped inside and held out a pile of clothes and a small pink purse.
Gabbi squealed and jumped up off the bed to take the items from my confused human. "Thank you! Oh my Gods. I can be myself again."
She stripped off right there, in typical shifter fashion. I turned around to avoid seeing my sister's dangly bits. Con studied the wall. Oisin silently laughed at me as he held the purse Gabbi shoved at him.
"So much better," Gabbi breathed. We all turned to find her wearing a soft pink sweater dress and what must be a high-quality push-up bra and some cutlets, given her newly transformed chest. She shook out her long golden hair and grabbed the purse from Oisin. "There has to be lip gloss in here. I swear to fuck if they took my makeup, I'm going to kick those bitches in the twat."
I shook my head at my sister as she put her life back in order. Lip gloss and mascara hastily applied, she grabbed her purse, gave me a wink and headed to the door. "Um...I'm Concord," Con said, sticking out a hand.
Gabbi tossed her hair over her shoulder and took his hand. Her eyes darted between Con and I. "Are you...no way. Gesa is he yours too?"
I pushed past them. "Yeah, yeah. Pride, yadda, yadda. Human blah, blah, blah. Move your ass."
“And they always gripe at me for not following gender roles,” Gabbi said with a laugh.
I ignored her as Oisin and Con followed us out the door and down the hall, where Hisashi paced while Kaimana leafed through a magazine. The fox and the octopus both froze when they saw us headed toward them. Then Hisashi grinned. "Bout damned time. Couldn't you have your family reunion after we get out of here? This place feels fucking awful."
Kaimana stood and walked up to Gabbi, blue eyes boring into Gabbi's startled gold ones. Then she smiled and pulled my sister into a bone-crushing hug. Gabbi laughed and hesitantly patted Kai on the back. "Oh...um...okay. Hi."
I pried my octopus off my sister. "This is Kaimana. She's a hugger."
