Dark Descent - [Nyx Fortuna 02] (5 page)

I stayed at the hospital, but they wouldn’t let me see her. I sat in the waiting room on a hard orange plastic chair. Jenny and Alex sat opposite me. Jenny was stone-faced and silent, but Alex rocked back and forth.

I wondered if it was too much for him. He’d been a mess when I had found him imprisoned in the Driftless, but he’d improved once he’d reunited with his sister. Elizabeth’s hospitalization might send him back over the edge.

He started muttering something under his breath.

“Alex, what is it?” I asked. I touched his shoulder, but his gaze was cloudy. He was in another world.

“It’s okay. Elizabeth will be okay.” He shook his head and then his eyes cleared. “The Fates will find a way,” he said.

“What does that mean?” I asked, but he remained silent. I had an awful feeling Alex was trying to tell me my aunts were involved somehow.

My fault, my fault, my fault
ran through my head on a continuous loop.

“Talbot, you should go home,” I said.

“I don’t think I should leave you,” he replied. He went outside to call his dad. I barely noticed when he came back. It could have been an hour or a day.

“Nyx, snap out of it,” Talbot said.

“I need to see her. They won’t let me. I want to see Elizabeth.” I was ready to tear the place apart to get my way. Some of that must have been evident in my voice because Talbot grabbed my arm.

“Calm down,” he said. “I’ll get you in after visiting hours are over.”

I finally caught his meaning. We were going to use magic to sneak into Elizabeth’s room. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

I gave him a jerky nod. “Understood.”

Before we could implement the plan, a nurse came out. “She’s awake and asking for her brother.”

Alex jumped to his feet. “That’s me.”

“I’m going with you,” Jenny said.

I tried to follow, but the nurse stopped me. “And you are?”

“Her boyfriend,” I lied.

“You’re Nyx?” she replied. “Then it’s
ex
-boyfriend, isn’t it? I’m afraid she doesn’t want to see you.”

I watched, stunned, as she led Alex and Jenny away.

“Talbot, is there any place I can take her? Someone who could speed the healing?”

“You know the Houses don’t like to get involved in the affairs of mortals,” he said. He avoided my eyes.

“I gave her a bloodstone,” I said. “Why wasn’t she wearing it?”

“She must have been,” he said, “or it would have been much worse for her. The bloodstone probably saved her life.”

His words made me feel a tiny bit better. “So you know someone who might be able to help her?”

He hesitated. “Maybe,” he said. “He’s hard to find. And if he’ll do it, it will be expensive.”

“I have the money,” I said.

He grimaced. “You don’t even know how much money we’re talking about.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’ll get it.”

“It may take me a few days to find him,” Talbot warned.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said. And neither was Elizabeth—not if I could help it.

When they finally allowed visitors, Jenny and Alex went in first. An hour later, Jenny came out. “Go home, Nyx,” she said. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

“Like I’d believe anything you say. I’m not leaving until I see her.”

“Of course you won’t,” she said. “Because you’re such a prick you don’t care about her feelings. You just care about your own.” I’d killed Jenny’s boyfriend, Gaston. He was a bastard who had enjoyed hurting women, but that didn’t stop Jenny from hating my guts.

“I want to see her,” I said. My voice cracked. “That’s all. Just to make sure she’s okay.”

“She’s not okay,” Jenny said viciously. “And it’s your fault.”

“My fault? I didn’t start the fire.”

“You seriously didn’t smell the magic in the theater?”

“What are you talking about?” There had been something off about the fire, but I’d been too worried about Elizabeth to pay close attention.

She crossed her arms over her chest but didn’t say anything.

“Jenny, if you noticed something, please tell me,” I begged, but she remained mum.

The burn unit waiting room emptied out as the night went on. I curled up in one of the chairs but couldn’t sleep. Around two, Talbot tapped me on the shoulder. “I found him.”

I worked a kink from my neck and the wraith scar twinged. “Where is he?”

“Outside,” he replied. “He won’t come in until he talks to you first.”

I followed Talbot to the parking lot, where a man in an oversized coat, heavy for this time of year, stood smoking a cigarette. The man’s jittery movements made his shadow dance.

When the streetlight cast his profile into sharp relief, it revealed the scar marking one side of his face. His right profile was elegant, handsome even, but his left side looked like someone had slammed it into a hot waffle iron.

My footsteps slowed. “I know him,” I said to Talbot in a low voice. I held up the emerald frog on the chain around my neck. “He gave me this.”

“Why?” Talbot said. “How?”

“I think he knew my mother.”

“Don’t pester him about it,” Talbot replied. “He’s skittish enough already.”

To prove his point, the man wheeled and walked in the opposite direction.

“Hey, wait up!” I sprinted over to him and grabbed him by the arm. He was still wearing the same mangy fedora and the black trench coat he’d had on when we’d first met.

He put up a hand like he thought I was going to hit him.

“Please,” I said as soothingly as possible. “I need your help. My girlfriend”—I cleared my throat—“my
ex
-girlfriend has been hurt, pretty badly. Please help her.”

“Your eyes,” he said. “Your mother’s eyes.”

I desperately wanted to ask him about my mother, about how he knew her, but I knew if I did, he’d run.

“Will you help her?”

He nodded.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

His throat worked. “No names,” he finally croaked. “Just get me into her room. Can you do that?”

I used a handy little obscura spell on the scarred man and me. Talbot opted to wait in the hallway to play lookout.

Elizabeth had a private room. Everything was cool and dark and still, including the figure in the bed. She was covered in bandages. The only sound in the room was the hum of the machines on one side of the bed. The IV made a plopping noise and the scarred man flinched.

Under her layers of bandages, Elizabeth was still. So still that I panicked. “Is she…?”

“She’s sedated. For the pain,” he said.

I exhaled shakily.

“Now get rid of the obscura spell,” the scarred man said. “It’s making me itchy.”

I didn’t bother to object. I needed to keep him happy so he would heal her. I reversed the spell on him but left mine in place.

He was so nervous that he was practically tap-dancing. The injuries to his face must have occurred in a similar fire.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “If this is too much for you…”

“You are kind,” he said.

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

“Sometimes it is,” he said. “But I’m fine.” He seemed to be telling the truth. His hands were steady as he reached for Elizabeth’s limp ones.

“Leave us,” he said. “Come back in fifteen minutes. Not a second less.”

“You won’t hurt her?” I was reluctant to leave, because after all, what did I really know about him?

“I give you my word that no harm will fall upon her while she’s under my care,” he said.

The pledge reassured me enough that I did as he asked and joined Talbot in the hallway. I tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped, since the obsura spell still rendered me invisible.

“Damn it, Nyx,” he whispered. “You scared the hell out of me. Anything yet?”

“He kicked me out,” I said. “Are you sure about this guy? He told me to come back in fifteen minutes.”

“He’s the best healer in Minneapolis,” Talbot assured me. “If he can’t help her, no one can.”

I paced until the clock ran out and then ran back to her room.

“She’s awake,” I whispered.

“I did my best,” the scarred man said, “but there was a lot of damage to her face.”

“I don’t care,” I said. “She’s better, right?”

He nodded. “Much.”

Elizabeth still hadn’t looked at me and I realized my obscura spell was still in place. I broke the spell and approached her bedside. He had removed the bandages. The blackened skin and bubbling blisters were gone, but in their place was a large purple scar that ran from cheekbone to chin.

“Nyx, what happened?” she asked.

“There was a fire,” I said. “You’re in the hospital.”

“Fire?” Her gaze cleared as she remembered. She put a hand up to her cheek. “I want to see.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” I said. “You need to rest.”

“Bring me a mirror or I’ll get out of bed and get one myself.”

I stomped into the bathroom and yanked the small mirror off the wall. It had been bolted into the drywall and it left a gaping hole.

I carried it to her bed and held it up in front of her.

She looked into it for a long moment. “I’ve seen enough,” she finally said. The spark of mischief in her green eyes was gone, stamped out by fate.

“I don’t care what you look like.” I meant it, but she took it the wrong way.

“Just go.”

“You don’t mean that,” I said. There was a burgeoning sense of dread in the pit of my stomach, which told me she did mean it.

“But I do. I never want to see you again,” she said evenly.

“Elizabeth, please don’t do this,” I said.

“I don’t love you,” she continued. “I never loved you. It was all to save Alex.”

She was telling me exactly what I’d feared most.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. I already knew she didn’t love me, but I wanted to help her anyway. I hadn’t been able to save Amalie.

“You never once thought the same thing yourself?” she asked. “After everything? I betrayed you to your aunts, lied to you since the moment we met. You don’t think it’s possible? You’re so full of yourself. You think because you’re gorgeous, that I couldn’t be faking it? Well, I was.”

It was the cruelest thing anyone had ever said to me, but her words held an undeniable ring of truth.

“I’ll leave you alone,” I said dully. “But if you ever need anything…”

“I won’t,” she replied.

I took the mirror with me and as soon as I was out of her room, threw it against the wall. The sound of shattering glass brought an orderly running.

“Sorry, it slipped,” I told him. “This should cover it.” I handed him a hundred-dollar bill.

He pocketed the cash and went off to find a broom.

The scarred man put a hand on my shoulder. “She could change her mind.”

“She won’t.”

I dug the rest of the cash out of my pockets and handed it to him. “Thank you.”

I didn’t wait to see where he went. I made it back to Talbot in a daze. “We’ve got to get her out of here.”

“Out of the hospital?”

“Out of the city,” I answered. “Hell, maybe out of the country?”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“The Fates had a hand in this somehow,” I said. “She won’t be safe here. She hasn’t been safe since she met me.”

“What can I do to help?”

“We have to get her out of the city. Tonight.”

My plan was a simple one, but there were two very crucial factors that had to work or it would fall apart.

He nodded.

“Let’s go find Alex.”

He was hunched over in one of the orange chairs. For a minute, I thought he was asleep, but when he heard our footsteps, he sat up and wiped his eyes.

“Any news?” he asked.

“Where’s Jenny?” I hedged. Alex was unpredictable, but he was our only hope.

“She went home to get some sleep,” he said. “Tell me what’s going on with Elizabeth.” His voice had taken on a ragged tone.

Talbot and I exchanged glances.

“She’s much better,” I said. “But we need your help, Alex.”

We outlined the plan: Get a car and get Elizabeth out of town. The Abernathys were wealthy, so money wasn’t an issue.

“Do you think you can do it?” I asked.

His feet tapped out a jumpy tune on the faded tile.

“Alex, maybe Jenny…”

His gaze sharpened and the tapping stopped. “Not Jenny!” he yelled. Then, in a softer voice, he added, “I can do this, Nyx. We have a place in—”

“Don’t tell me,” I said. “This is good-bye.”

“What about a car?” Talbot asked.

Elizabeth’s red Lexus was too conspicuous. So was my purple Caddy. I could buy something, but nothing was open this time of night and my gut told me to get her out of Minneapolis. I was stumped.

“I have a car,” Alex said softly. He jumped to his feet, suddenly galvanized. “I’ll go get it. I have the keys and everything.” He gave me a mischievous grin. “Elizabeth doesn’t know I took them.”

He started to rush off, but I stopped him. “No, Alex,” I said. “It might raise suspicion if you go. Talbot can get in and out of there without anybody noticing. Right, Talbot?”

“Right,” my friend said.

Alex handed him the keys. “It’s in the garage,” he said. “I bought it right before I”—he gulped and continued—“before Gaston kidnapped me.”

For the next hour, the only sound was Alex’s tap-dancing feet as we waited. Finally, Talbot came back. “It’s parked in patient loading,” he said. He handed Alex the key.

“Take care of her,” I said to Alex. I held out my hand. He grabbed it and then folded me into a tight hug.

“Thanks, Nyx,” he said. He slid something into the pocket of my leather jacket.

“What’s that, Alex?” I asked.

He was already in the corridor leading to his sister’s room. “Just a little thank-you,” he said. “Are you coming to say good-bye?”

I shook my head. “Already been said.”

“I’ll go with him,” Talbot said. “I can manage a cloaking spell, so that the night shift won’t notice them.”

My throat was too tight to speak, so I just nodded.

I stayed in the waiting room, waiting breathlessly for the sound of an alarm, but it was quiet.

Talbot came back into the waiting room. “They’re gone,” he said in a low voice. “Alex said he’d get a message to you when they made it out safely.”