Page 62 of Cold Curses

We met up with Theo and Gwen, offered the evidence bag and reported what we’d learned from the convenience store.

Gwen rubbed her temples. “We are in for, as my aunt Grace would say, a heap of hurt.”

“Yep,” I agreed. “Any luck with the video?”

“Not so far, but we’re going to keep canvassing. The forensic folks have control of the scene now,” she said. “So we’re thinking about heading to the hospital.”

I checked the time. Dawn would be closing in soon, and Icouldn’t put off a hospital visit any longer. “Good idea,” I said. “Do you want to ride with us?”

“I’ve got my vehicle,” she said. “We’ll meet you there.”

“Let’s go check on your girl,” Connor said, and we began that trek together.

* * *

Theo and Gwen had beaten us to the hospital, and waited just outside the entrance.

“You okay?” I asked Theo. It had been only a week since he’d been helped inside a medical facility, his broken arm cleaned of magic residue and casted. Demons and wards were picking off my friends one by one.

“I’m fine,” he said. He held up his casted arm, made a fist in support.

We were quiet as we walked inside. The lobby smelled as all medical lobbies seemed to—sterile and slightly plastic and tinged with human fear.

“Elevators,” Gwen said.

We traversed the wide lobby and took an elevator to the eighth floor. Then there were was another long hallway and a skywalk as we journeyed across the medical complex. It was late, and the buildings were virtually empty.

When we reached the next building, Gwen pushed through a set of double doors and then into a small wing that buzzed with magic. There were supernaturals here, I surmised, and caught sight of a river nymph in a medical gown and bootees shuffling around a corner. The staff seemed to be a mix of human and supernatural, and the central hub of workstations looked shiny and new.

“They still take sups in the ER,” Theo explained, “but they’re testing the concept of a supernatural ward for nonemergency illnesses.”

For which shifters and vampires weren’t the target audience. Vampires were immortal and had quick healing abilities, and shifters could shift themselves into relative health.

We followed Gwen to the right and into a small waiting room, and we were immediately engulfed in people. Mom and Dad. Aunt Mallory and Uncle Catcher. Roger and Petra. Clint Howard, who had a bandage on his cheek, but was otherwise up and moving. Alexei wasn’t here, and I figured he was in the room with Lulu. Or maybe outside trying to sweat out his anger. But Dan was, and he gave a wave.

They’d all come to see her. And the tears began in earnest now.

“Come here,” said Dad, tall and lean and still in his trademark black suit.

He and I had the same green eyes and blond hair, although his was straight to his shoulders. He embraced me, and I got a chance to let go of some of the guilt and fear I’d been holding in.

After a moment, I stepped back, swiped away tears. “Thanks,” I said, still a little watery.

“Always,” he said, and my mother took his place, squeezing me tightly.

“You are so brave,” she said, and kissed my temple.

“Do they know anything?” I asked.

“You guessed correctly,” she said. “It’s magical, not physical.”

But something crossed her face, and I knew there was more. I braced myself for the blow. “What else?”

“She’s stable now,” Uncle Catcher said.

He was as tall as my dad, but more muscled; his hair was buzzed and his eyes a pale green. He rarely smiled, but he loved his family beyond measure.

“Okay,” I said. “But?”