is that I pretty much depleted my power getting you back here,” he went on. “I need to replenish it before I try something like that. Not to mention that after I summon it, I will have to face off against my brothers.”
“Okay,” she said. “So how do we refill you?”
“It’s not as easy as filling up a car at a gas station,” he said. “I need a source, a strong source.”
A source of pain, she thought, not surprised he chose to leave that part unspoken.
“Oh my Lord,” a woman at the next table said suddenly.
“Such a shame,” her husband said.
They were watching the television, which showed overhead footage of a pile-up on the interstate.
“Oh dear,” Jessica said, shaking her head.
That was one thing she hadn’t missed about the mortal world. She might have been a prisoner, but at least in her little cottage loop there had been no tragedy.
15
Cullen
Cullen watched the events unfold on the screen, an idea forming.
“Well, they won’t take them to Tyler Hospital,” the old woman at the table next to them was saying. “An accident that bad, doesn’t matter that it’s nearby. They’ll take them up to Springton for sure.”
“Yep,” her husband said “Yep, yep. Terrible shame.”
Springton Hospital was nearby.
The tag at the bottom of the screen had the story labeled as “breaking news,” which meant he still had time, if they hurried.
“Are you finished with your coffee?” he asked Jessica as politely as he could.
“Yes,” she said.
He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and threw a hundred-dollar bill on the table.
“Let’s go,” he said.
She stood and allowed him to take her hand.
“Keep the change,” he called to their suspicious-looking waitress as they jogged out the door.
“You thought of something, didn’t you?” Jessica asked.
“Yes,” he said, hating to tell her what. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” she replied “Why?”
“I’m going to drive a little fast, but I’ll be in control,” he said. “Are you okay with that?”
“Sure, but won’t we just get pulled over?” she asked.
“No one will notice us,” he said.
She arched her eyebrows, but didn’t argue.
He took that as a yes and pulled out of the lot with a squeal of rubber. Once he was on the road, he summoned some of his magic to shroud the car in obscurity, making them almost invisible to the other drivers.
The stores and trees flew past. In no time, they were headed up the main road that led to Springton.
“What are we doing?” Jessica asked.
“You’ll see when we get there,” he said, hoping that would be good enough.
A few minutes later, he swung the car into a spot in the visitor lot and they hopped out and headed toward the emergency room entrance.
“I’ll need to take care of something here,” he said as they headed in. “You can grab yourself a soda in the lounge if you want.”
He probably wasn’t going to shake her, but it was worth a try. His plan would be easier to pull off without her.
“Sure,” she said, surprising him.
Cullen watched her head over to the vending machines.
He moved ahead and checked out the waiting room.
There was a typical fog of anxiety here, some of it low-level, some sharp enough to feed him a little.
He scanned the room.
A woman held a small child in her lap and read to her while they waited.
A middle-aged couple held hands, both teary-eyed. They must have had a kid in the accident. He made a mental note to check back on them later. That could be useful.
An older man with a white mustache and a cap that said WORLD’S GREATEST GRANDPA sat alone, leaning forward over a wooden cane.
A group of people sat in the center area, too close together for him to be sure how many of them were there together and how many had come separately.
He had to find something more useful.
He headed slowly down the first of the two hallways that led out of the communal space.
A grim-looking nurse passed by him, a mist of misery clinging to her.
He closed his eyes, but the news she carried wasn’t what he was looking for.
He kept walking, knowing sooner or later someone would send him back.
Two orderlies pushed a stretcher with a woman on it. She looked shaken but otherwise okay. She surprised him by locking eyes with him for a moment before the men disappeared with her.
He continued until he saw an exit sign and then turned back, spotting another nurse walking down the hallway not too far ahead of him.
He