Eidolon shot his brother a troubled look, not knowing how to respond. Wraith said shit like that just to get a reaction, and it was sometimes hard to tell what kind of reaction the guy wanted. Fortunately, Wraith shifted the focus when he held up a vial of green liquid.
“Think fast.” Grinning, he tossed the vial to Eidolon, never mind that the priceless potion, taken from a lactating acid sprite, wouldn’t be available again for another thousand years. “Busted my balls to get that. Had to seduce a Charnel Apostle and kill three of her knights, but hey, all in a day’s work.”
The ER doors slid open, dislodging Wraith. Shade strode in, dressed in black BDUs and ready for his medic shift. He clapped Wraith on the back.
“How was Mongolia?”
“Cold. Bad food. Mongolians taste like yaks.”
“Didn’t take long to get the Neural Mana,” Shade noted.
“Twenty-four hours. You so busy with—what’s that human’s name? Runa? That you didn’t notice I was gone?”
Eidolon cocked an eyebrow. Shade was rarely with any female long enough to discuss her, so this was interesting. Interesting, too, that Eidolon hadn’t known about her. Then again, Shade and Wraith had always shared a deeper connection than what Eidolon shared with his brothers.
“Nah. She walked in on me when I was with Vantha and Ailarca.” Shade shrugged. “I asked Runa if she wanted to join us, but she freaked and took off. I have a feeling she won’t want to see me again.”
“Imagine that,” Eidolon said.
Wraith rolled his eyes. “Oh, look. E’s moral values rear their ugly heads.”
“We’re all cursed in one way or another,” Shade drawled. He turned to Eidolon. “Have you heard from Gem?”
“Not a word.” And he was starting to worry—and not just because the twenty-four-hour deadline Gem had given was nearly up and somehow he had to convince her to give him more time.
He hadn’t heard from her or Yuri since they left together after Luc had come out of surgery. Nor had he heard from Tayla, though he hadn’t expected to. Still, her genetic issue would only worsen. Her lab work had come back, leaving more questions than answers. The DNA hadn’t been identifiable, something that torqued him beyond belief. He’d been adding to the hospital’s genetic database for years, requiring that every species, breed, and race of creature that came through the doors be catalogued. But there were thousands of species in the underworld, and only a fraction had been seen at UG. Obviously, none of Tayla’s sire’s species had been treated.
One thing had been conclusive, however. The demon genes were aggressive, and if she didn’t address the issue soon, it would be too late.
“Wraith,” he said tiredly, “you missed a lot.” He gestured for his brothers to follow him, and they ducked into the empty break room.
Shade plucked the ever-present pack of gum out of his shirt pocket while Wraith went straight for the coffee pot. “What’s up? Did one of you nail Gem?”
“No.” Eidolon dragged a hand through his hair. “Gem thinks her parents were taken by The Aegis, but not for the black market. Whoever has them is using them for leverage. They want her to perform the surgeries and organ removals. Apparently, the operation is growing, and they need more help.”
“Fuckers,” Wraith muttered, still facing away as he poured his coffee.
A tic pulsed in Shade’s jaw, and when he spoke, his tone was glacial. “They got Nancy.”
Wraith spared no love for the nurse, but when something pained Shade, Wraith took it to heart. “Is she dust?”
“Extremely.”
Without spilling a drop of coffee, Wraith swung around in a fluid, predatory motion that, even after all these years, still surprised Eidolon. Because despite Wraith’s I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude and childish fits, he was a lethal sonofabitch with expertise in every ancient and modern fighting technique known to man or demon. He wasn’t about to let anyone hurt him ever again.
“I told you we should have killed the Aegi bitch,” Wraith growled.
“She had nothing to do with it, and she doesn’t know anything.” Eidolon was sure of that. She’d been too shocked by what had been done to Nancy.
Shade let out a harsh laugh. “Sounds like someone is thinking with his dick.”
“Finally.” A thread of amusement shot through Wraith’s still-irate rumble. “Damned inconvenient timing, though.”
No shit.
All he could think about was Tayla, no matter how hard he tried to shake her from his mind and off his skin.
A beeper went off—Shade’s, which meant an ambulance run. Palming the device, he glanced at it, then shook his head and did a double-take. “Fuck me.”
Wraith peered over Shade’s shoulder. “Nope, wrong brother.” He bared his teeth at Eidolon in a cold smile. “Looks like your little slayer misses you. Got herself all beat up and in need of a lift to the hospital.”