Born of Fire

Shahara paused in the doorway of her sister’s hospital room that had cost her in ways Tessa had no idea of. Tessa lay on the bed looking so pale and weak. Her blond hair was mussed while the bruises still marred the beauty of her face. Several different types of monitors beeped and whirred. One to monitor her kidneys which had been damaged during her beating, and Shahara wasn’t sure about the others. All she knew was that they terrified her.

But even more horrifying than their presence was the fear that the doctors would order them removed for lack of payment, and condemn Tessa to the slow, agonizing death their mother had suffered.

At twenty-four, Tessa was almost the exact duplicate of their father. When not in pain, her green eyes sparkled with life and her curly blond hair was often unruly. Shahara had spent countless hours with Tessa as a child experimenting with different hair ointments and gels to try and tame it into a style. They’d finally admitted defeat and just grown it out long.

Shahara swallowed. She loved her siblings more than her life.

Still unaware of her presence, Tessa was lying on her bed while her boyfriend, Thad, sat next to her holding her hand. Only inches separated their faces and he stroked her cheek tenderly with his left hand.

A strange ache pressed against her chest as she watched them. How she longed to have someone look at her like that. To touch her cheek and make her smile even while her life was falling apart.

But those dreams were for fools. Nothing in life ever lasted.

Watching the two of them, she began to feel like an intruder.

What was she doing here?

Tessa didn’t need her prudish sister around. Besides, she made Thad extremely nervous. He always acted like he was afraid she’d throw him to the ground, handcuff him, and arrest him.

Backing away, she turned to leave.

“Shay?” Tessa called. “Is that you?”

With a deep breath, she forced herself to reverse course and enter the room. “Hi.” She moved to kiss Tessa’s forehead. “I wanted to check on you. And,” she held up the plastic bag in her hand, “I brought you some things I thought might help you get better.”

Grabbing the bag, Tessa beamed.

Shahara looked away from her battered face as rage whipped through her. She couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting her sister that way. God help those beasts when she got her hands on them.

And she would get her hands on them. There was no doubt about it.

Thad laughed as Tessa held up her ragged childhood doll. “You even brought Molly?”

Shahara shrugged. “I know you don’t sleep well without her nearby.”

Her sister smiled warmly. “Thank you. You’re the best sister ever.”

“Don’t let Kasen hear that or she’ll punch you.”

Tessa laughed.

A nurse walked in with an injector. “It’s time for her vitals. Will you please wait outside?”

Shahara led the way.

As Thad opened the door for her, his hand brushed against her shoulder. She immediately shied away.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled in a sheepish apology.

Embarrassed herself by the action, Shahara put two arms’ length between them. “It’s all right.”

They stood on opposite sides of the hallway for several awkward minutes before Thad spoke again. “So where did you get the money?”

She watched as a group of doctors and nurses conferred down the hallway and tried to imagine Syn with his lethal air in such a refined group, wearing their scrubs.

It just somehow didn’t work in her mind.

“Caillen paid them off.”

“No, not the loaners. For the hospital. Caillen told me he didn’t have the money for both.”

Frowning, she turned her full attention to him. “They haven’t been paid yet.” She was still waiting for payment from Merjack.

“That’s not what they told me. I tried to pay part of it when I arrived, but the clerk told me the balance was paid in full.”

Now that didn’t make sense. “They must have made a mistake.”

He shrugged. “Maybe. Since I wasn’t family, she wouldn’t tell me anything more than that.”

Could Caillen have come up with the money and just not had time to tell her?

Excusing herself from Thad, she went to check.

To her relief, the line inside the spartan business office was short and she only had to wait five minutes before a pinched-faced clerk motioned her forward.

Shahara stepped up to the waist-high counter.

The woman looked bored and irritable as if she’d been here way too long and wanted to go home. “Patient name?”

“Tessa Dagan.”

She typed it in. “And how may I help you?”

“I need to know how much we owe.”

“And you are?”

“Seax Shahara Dagan. I’m the one responsible for the bill.”

The woman huffed as if annoyed with Shahara’s presence. “I’ve already gone through this with a man. Can’t you people understand? The account is paid. You don’t owe any money.”

Shahara stared at the billing clerk in disbelief. It couldn’t be. “That can’t be right. Please. Check again.”

The woman turned her computer screen to face Shahara. “You can see for yourself. Tessa Dagan’s account was paid in full three days ago by Sheridan Belask. He also left an open balance in the event we needed more for her treatments, and gave her and her family credit for the cafeteria and hospital store should you need something.”

Shahara blanched. Sheridan Belask?