and stumbled over to Angel, who was on her knees, shaking her head, looking absolutely bewildered.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
She squinted up at me. “What happened? I don’t remember anything from when we first came in the door.” She looked over at Raven, then at Herne. “What…did I do something?”
I winced as I tried to help her stand, but I was too sore for her to put weight on my shoulder, so I pulled over one of the bar stools that was now scattered on the floor.
“Here, use this for leverage.”
She struggled, but managed to get to her feet. “What happened?”
“That damned thing possessed you and blasted me with a bolt of energy that sent me flying across the room.” I winced again.
“Oh crap, oh Ember! I’m sorry—”
“Save it,” Herne barked. “Let me make sure I get every piece of this thing. Go see how Raven is.” He was peering behind the bar, trying to find any piece of the Reaver that he might have missed.
I groaned, leaning on the bar for support as I limped over to Raven, followed by Angel. Angel helped her stand and sat her down on one of the chairs that was still intact. A moment later, the room suddenly brightened—both in energy and literally as the lights flared up again—and Herne let out a sigh of relief.
“I think I got everything,” he said, turning to the three of us. “You look rough around the edges.”
“Which one of us are you talking to?” I asked, wincing as my side spasmed. “Oh gods, I hurt like hell. I must have bruised myself.”
“All three. Man, you look like you had an all-night bender.” He strode over to stand beside us, a worried look on his face. When he turned to me, he blanched. “You’re bleeding. Ember, what’s going on? Let me see your side.”
“What?” I asked, glancing down. And then I saw where the blood on my hands came from. A piece of wood about four inches long was sticking out of my side. “Crap. Herne?”
He examined it. “We have to get you to a medic. Angel, are you all right?”
She nodded. “I feel a little out of it but I’m all right, basically. I’ll stay with Raven, you take Ember to the clinic.”
“No, you’re all coming with me,” he said. “Tell the bar owner to lock the front door and don’t even bother with anything tonight. I’ll check back tomorrow.”
Angel trudged outside as Herne gathered me in his arms. “I’ll carry you. Just relax.”
“I can’t do much else.” I leaned my head against his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief as we left the bar. Angel and Raven were talking to someone and then they caught up, Raven walking like she was eighty years old—at least eighty human years. We all looked ragtag around the edges, and we smelled like soot.
As Herne maneuvered me into the back seat, then helped Raven into the front, I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and just go to sleep. With Angel driving my car, we eased out of the parking lot and off toward the nearest urgent care facility. All the way there, I kept slipping in and out of consciousness. By the time we got there, I let myself fall into a deep sleep, and I didn’t even feel Herne carrying me out of the car and into the building.
Chapter Thirteen
By the time I was patched up—I needed twenty stitches, and got a warning from the healer to quit playing vampire hunter, and we didn’t correct him—Herne had called for Viktor to pick up Yutani and meet us at the clinic.
“I’ll take Raven home first. Yutani, if you would drive her car there, please? Viktor, stay with Ember and Angel until we return. Then I’ll drive Ember and Angel home. Yutani, you can drive Ember’s car and follow behind. Viktor, meet us at their house so you can take Yutani back home.”
It was a quiet ride and I didn’t remember much of it. Being slung across the room by the Reaver had not only knocked the wind out of me, but given me a mild concussion. The doctor had said I’d be fine with a good night’s sleep, though for the next few days, I was off of active duty—no more bar brawls, whether it be with a ghost or anybody corporeal. I’d split the stitches if I got physical.
The traffic was light and we made good time. Herne pulled into the driveway, with