Page 117 of The Tracker's Revenge

“No, Mom. What are you doing?! Get away from here.”

“Shh,shh, it’s all right, sweetheart. You’re safe.”

My heart pounded. My lungs pumped as fast as a mouse’s. Desperately, I glanced around and found that I was in a sterile hospital room. Lucia and Daniella stood behind Mom, looking pale and worried under the fluorescent lights.

“W-where... where...”

Mom’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Daniella gently nudged her out of the way and took her place. She smiled and eased me back onto the pillow, her healer bedside manner on like a badge.

“I’m sure you have a thousand questions,” she said. “Let me anticipate a few while you take a deep breath.”

Her brown eyes, so much like mine, were full of reassuring energy, which redirected my attention to my agitated state. Part of me felt like lashing out, demanding to know everything, but my sister’s way had always had a calming effect on me.

I took a few deep breaths and nodded.

“Good,” Dani said. “Let’s see... you’ve been in the hospital for a few days. You were in bad shape, but you’re all right now. Damien was also in bad shape, but he has also recovered.” A smile stretched her lips, but her eyes were untouched by it.

That meant there was bad news, and I braced myself for it, holding my breath.

“Your friends are outside,” she added. “They want to see you. Let me get them.”

I exhaled, and the fist of dread that had been squeezing my heart let go.

Lucia stepped closer. “Hey, sis. Gave us quite the scare. First Mom then you. I wonder who’s next?”

“Shoosh, girl,” Mom said. “No one else will be next. C’mon, let’s go get you something to eat. We’ll be back, sweetheart. Lucia hasn’t left your side since yesterday.”

That surprised me. Lucia smiled sheepishly, avoiding eye contact at all cost. Tears welled up in my eyes. As the youngest, she always seemed to expect all the attention and acted like she didn’t need any of us. It was nice to know she cared.

They followed Dani out of the room, and a moment later Jake walked in. He took three huge strides across the room and wrapped me in a tight hug.

“Toni!”

“Jake.” The tears that had pooled in my eyes spilled as his warmth enveloped me. “You’re all right. Thank God.”

Through the haze of my tears, I saw Eric as he approached the foot of the bed. He nodded once, his gaze appearing as flat as Dani’s had.

Jake freed me from his embrace and, his eyes roving over my face, caressed my cheek.

“She got away,” I said. “With the vessel.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s not your fault.”

“Damien, he’s alive.” A hysterical bark of laughter escaped me.

Eric’s blue eyes came alive for a second. “That bastard is harder to kill than a cockroach.”

I was about to say something, then paused, glancing toward the door. “Where’s Rosalina?”

Jake and Eric exchanged loaded glances.

My heart started drumming out of control. “Where the hell is Rosalina?” I demanded.

“When... when we got back to the cabin, you were both gone. Blaze, Damien, led us to you. We fought the hybrids and killed them. After we found you and Damien, we searched that entire place, but we couldn’t find her. Toni, I’m sorry,” his clear eyes lowered to the floor, “we don’t know where she is.”

Pain like hot fire tore through my heart, and I screamed and screamed and screamed, batting Jake’s arm away as he tried to restrain me. I clawed at the sheets, threw them to the floor, and staggered out of the bed as Jake uselessly tried to stop me.

“Rosalina,” I called.