“Where were they going?” My rage-meter was simmering on high to explosive, but I finally managed to scale back the threat of detonation. Camille was right. I needed to be in control and focused if I was to help rather than hinder.
“We aren’t sure. Delilah will have more info when we get to the hospital. I’ve set the home phone to be forwarded to my cell in case the . . . the demons call about her.”
Damn it. If I weren’t a vampire, I could wake up at any time, just like normal people. Once again, for the first time in a while, I cursed my nature. “I can’t stand this, Camille. I’m going to panic and if I panic, I’ll lose it.”
We entered the kitchen. Smoky was there, and Morio and Shade, and they turned to me, their faces a show of sadness and support. Trillian came in from the back porch, shaking his head.
“Nothing on the property. I looked everywhere, just in case.” He stopped when he saw me and automatically opened his arms. The gesture hit me, and I started to cry. I leaned into his hug, and he patted my back.
“Come on, girl, we need you strong. Cry later. Revenge and rescue, now,” he whispered in my ear, and slapped me on the back.
I sniffled, and he handed me a tissue. As I wiped away the blood streaming from my eyes and blew my nose, I forced the panic and guilt to subside.
“There now,” Smoky said. “Let’s get going. Hanna, you take Maggie and stay down in Menolly’s lair. I don’t want either of you in danger. Iris and Bruce will be up here with the babies in a few minutes and they will join you. Vanzir and Rozurial will meet us at the hospital.”
Darynal popped in from the living room. He was dressed for hunting, it looked like, at least—Otherworld style. “I’m going to help. I don’t know your streets, but I’m useful in a fight.”
I started to protest but stopped. We needed all the help we could get. And that meant I was calling Roman as soon as we were in the cars.
“Fine. Shade and Darynal can ride with me. Camille, are we ready?”
She nodded. “Let’s get a move on.”
As Hanna opened the kitchen door to usher in Iris, Bruce, and the three babies, we headed for the front door, and all I could think about was how long I could stretch out the demons’ deaths, as soon as we had Nerissa home safe again.
*
The medical wing of the FH-CSI had grown over the past couple of years to encompass everything a hospital could do, only it was geared toward Fae and Supes. The front door to the building led to a long hall, with the police headquarters to the left, then we passed an elevator leading to the floors belowground, and then on into the medical wing.
Mallen, an elf and the chief resident in charge ever since Sharah had been called home, was waiting for us. He held up his hand and picked up the phone.
“Yugi? They’re here.” As he hung up, he motioned for us to follow him. “Chase was hurt badly, but he should make a full recovery, I think. The Shelakig’s poison hit deep, and he got it from both pincers and from the sting. Those creatures are like a fully loaded armored tank.”
“How did you know what it was that attacked him?” Camille glanced over at me, her face lined with worry. We had almost lost Chase once before when he was helping us fight the demons. The man had proved his courage far more than once.
“He managed to give us a description before he passed out. He was conscious when we got to him.” Mallen paused. “Menolly, you should know now that—before he fainted—Chase told us that they hadn’t hurt Nerissa.”
My heart leaped and I could have kissed the elf right there. I nodded, trying to summon the courage to believe that she was still unharmed, wherever they had taken her.
As he stopped in front of Room 200 and pushed open the door, the sound of machines jolted me back to the last time we had visited anyone here. I had said my good-byes to Chrysandra, a waitress who had become my friend as well as my employee, when she was killed during the burning of my bar. Wincing from the memories, I followed Mallen, and the others entered after me.
Chase was in a bed, under sheets so white they blinded me. His face was pale and he was sweating. Four IVs fed into his arms, an oxygen mask was strapped to his face, and he had electrodes plastered on his chest. I noticed restraints on his wrists. A nurse watched over him closely. All of this told me our detective wasn’t out of the woods just yet, not with that close supervision. But his eyes were open and he struggled to sit up as we entered the room. The nurse put a stop to it by simply pushing him back against the bed with a stern look.
“You stay put. The last thing you want to do is encourage that venom to move farther through your body. Until we have neutralized all of it, you’re not going anywhere.” Mallen pulled out a pen and glanced over his chart, then moved to examine the IVs.