reeve things. Come on, sweetheart. Come on out. Please."
She swallowed and took my hand. I helped her from under the table.
"That's my girl. Come."
"What kind of magic was that?"
"The forbidden kind. You can never tell anyone I used it or I'll be in trouble." The power words commanded the magic itself. They were primal words. It wasn't enough to know them, one had to own them and there were no do-overs: one conquered them or died. The most accomplished mages had two or three. I had six and I didn't want to explain why. They were my weapon of last resort.
"Your back..."
"I know."
There was only one place within reach that offered stronger protection than my apartment: the Order. Under the Order lay the vault. Its wards were impenetrable, and its armored door would take a focused fire from a howitzer to break.
I tried the phone. Still out. There would be no pickup for us from the Order.
A fifteen-minute run separated us from the Order's building. Twenty with the kid in tow. Piece of cake. I could do this. I just needed something to dull the pain. Just for a little bit. And then I'd be fine.
There was a regeneration kit in the bathroom. I took a step toward the door. A streak of heat ran up my spine and exploded into a jagged hot pain in the base of my neck. It ripped at my bones, twisted my tendons, and dragged me down to my knees. I hit the floor hard, dug my saber into the wood, and clung to it, struggling to stay upright. I had a kid to protect.
The room melted out of focus. The walls sprouted fuzz and bent, like waves threatening to drown me. I smelled my own blood. Julie grabbed my arm and sobbed. "You gotta get up. Come on! Don't you die! Don't die!"
"It will be okay," I whispered. "It will be okay."
The magic drained from the world. The tech flared, bringing with it a new burst of pain.
I had to guard the door. It was all I could do.
I WAS DRIFTING IN AND OUT, CLAWING MY WAY through the fog into consciousness, when I felt someone approach. I slashed on instinct and missed.
"You're a fucking mess," Curran's voice said.
Rescued by the Beast Lord. Oh the irony.
"Will she be okay?" Julie's voice asked.
"Yeah," he said. I felt myself being lifted as Curran scooped me off the floor. "She'll be fine. Come with me. You're safe now."
THE BED WAS UNBELIEVABLY COMFORTABLE. FOR A blissfully long moment I rested, half-drowned in the luxury of soft sheets. The pain had receded, still there, lurking in the small of my back, but dulled and accompanied by the soothing warmth of well-done medmagic. I was alive. That simple fact made me unbelievably happy. As I snuggled deeper into the pillow, I saw a sliver of white on the blanket next to me. I reached over and touched Slayer's blade.
"Awake, my lady fair?" said a familiar voice. Doolittle. The self-proclaimed physician to all things Pack and wild. He sat in a chair by a reading lamp, an ancient, dog-eared paperback on his lap. He hadn't changed a bit - still the same blue-black skin, the same gray hair, and the same small smile. He had patched me up twice during the Red Point Stalker investigation, and there was no better medmage in Atlanta.
I hugged my pillow. "We meet again, Doctor."
"Indeed we do."
"There was a girl with me?"
"She's downstairs. Being entertained by Derek. I daresay she much enjoys his company."
Derek of the huge brown eyes and the knockdown smile. Poor Red didn't stand a chance.
"What was wrong with me?" I didn't insult him by asking about my bloody clothes. I knew he'd burned them.
"You were poisoned. You do test my skills every time we meet."
"I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."
He shook his head. "I didn't. You were saved by the flare. The deep magic makes all spells more potent. Including those of your humble medmage."
Icy claws skittered up my spine. "Was it really that close?"
He nodded.
I had almost died. I could think of a number of times I had almost died, but never before while a child depended on me for protection. Great going, Kate. You just had to stand there with your back to the window. Dumbass.
As soon as I could walk, I had to find a safe place for Julie. The thought of those long claws ripping into her was too much for me.
"Where am I?"
"In the Pack's