The emergency room was packed with mostly injury cases, but also sick people, as we went inside. Far more than I was imagining, and the excited nervousness of the crazy mission slightly waned as I took in the misery in the room and empathy replaced it.

  The security guard manning the desk looked annoyed as the fifteen of us walked in, none of us looking sick, but he suddenly grew extremely interested in the paperwork on his desk as I felt Maria’s magic at work. He didn’t make a peep about taking our temperature or using the anti-microbial hand sanitizer, or even signing in.

  The seating was in several rows of back-to-back chairs, forming five aisles of people in the center, and a sixth row of chairs along two of the side walls. So that was two aisles each, if the outer row was considered one too.

  “Raine, first two aisles, Caroline next two. I’ll take the fifth aisle and the outer row.”

  Raine winked in agreement, while Caroline replied, “Good a plan as any.”

  I headed toward the back, with the lush platinum blonde beauty at my side with her phone out. Celestine looked a little nervous but quite determined as she started to record as we reached the aisle. The first person was an older woman who appeared to be in an inordinate amount of pain in a wheelchair parked next to the last seat.

  I smiled in what I hoped looked a kind way as I squatted down a little.

  “Hi. I’m Glen. Would you mind if I took a look?”

  She looked confused, a little overwhelmed by the pain, but nodded. I didn’t give a crap about the hospital’s consent, and I had no guilt about Maria influencing them to stay out of our way while we healed these people, but I wouldn’t heal anyone without consent. Unless it was life or death, and they were unconscious. Anyone that bad off would already be in a bed, taken in by ambulance.

  The magic flowed to my right hand, pooled, and flowed out with the intent of healing and diagnosing. Unlike my telekinesis, it was not entirely invisible, as a small aura of light connected us, that was nonetheless bright enough to be seen even in the sunlight coming through the window. The first thing I did was feed her a little energy and completely cut off the pain, which had her eyes focusing and the pain draining from them.

  She looked entirely flabbergasted, perhaps a little afraid, but also far too happy being out of pain to object to the strange happening.

  I smiled as I started healing the problems, feeding her body with the energy it needed to fix them simultaneously, “You broke your hip, I can’t believe you didn’t take an ambulance in. You also have heart, spine, and kidney problems, and a nasty case of arthritis.” As well as twenty other smaller issues.

  She looked annoyed, “Ambulances are expensive, young man. What exactly are you doing?”

  “Healing you, with magic,” I turned my head slightly, “She’s going to need at least two, Celestine.”

  The women opened her mouth to ask two what, no doubt, but closed it again as Celestine pulled out two high density ration bars from her small side pack and handed them to the woman.

  I explained, “I’m giving you the energy your body needs to fix it all, but I can’t replace the mass burn off without food consumption. Please eat.”

  By that time about half the people in the fifth aisle had their phones out and were recording me healing the woman, with looks of disbelief and fear on their faces, but also hope that they’d somehow get to be next.

  The older woman chowed down as I asked, and my magic even sped up her digestion and spread the nutrients where they needed to go most.

  She asked, “What are you?”

  I smiled, “Would you believe a warlock? I’m here with my coven to heal the people in this hospital with our magic, and finally reveal to the world our existence.”

  She was quiet after that, her scent told me she wasn’t sure how to react, and that she may have been doubting her senses and sanity.

  There was a small ruckus up front, a matronly looking nurse demanding to know what the hell Raine was doing to her patients, and she threatened to call the cops. Maria suggested she call the media instead, and the woman walked off with a purpose.

  We hoped if enough people called the news station reporting healing miracles at the hospital, that eventually they’d believe it enough to send a camera crew and street correspondent down. If it didn’t work the plan was a bust, except we could still post the videos online and then invade a news station. Hopefully that wouldn’t be necessary.

  When I withdrew my magic, the woman blinked in shock, and slowly stood up. She was also opening and closing her hands, and raising her arms up, bending her knees, then she laughed.

  “I haven’t felt this good since my thirties. Nothing hurts right now, which I haven’t been able to say for going on twenty years.”

  I nodded, “Just eat about three thousand calories a day for the next two, then go back to your normal diet. You’re not dehydrated, but you should definitely drink a few extra glasses today.”

  The woman nodded in a daze, then said, “I don’t know what just happened here, but thank you,” then she grabbed her purse and left.

  The next person was a preteen girl in a sports uniform, so I looked at the woman in her thirties sitting next to her, and I raised an eyebrow with a gentle smile.

  She cleared her throat, “Go ahead.”

  The magic told me the preteen had sprained her ankle and left hand, probably catching herself and landing badly for that second one, after the first had happened during whatever sport game she played. That only took a few seconds to fix, no food or water required.

  Then I just kept going. Almost everyone but the truly young had a host of secondary issues that I cleared up too, not just the trauma that had brought them to the ER.

  A funny thing happened, something I didn’t expect. By the time we’d cleared the room out, the media had arrived, but there were also three lines of people waiting to be healed, that weren’t in the room to begin with. Word had spread, and patients had left the inner ER room to be healed by us instead, and people were walking down to the ER from their hospital rooms.

  Including the terminal wards, kids and adults with stage four cancers and totally beaten down by the treatments. Most in wheelchairs pushed by their family members, and even a few orderlies were getting in on that action.

  There were even a couple of doctors and nurses checking on the people after they were healed, it was a very surreal thing on their end of things, and not all that far from that on mine.

  After the third news crew showed up, one from three different stations, Astra got their attention and started her spiel as planned, while I focused on healing the next person. We’d long since ran out of ration bars, but the hospital was providing food and water for us now.

  She started out with the positive things, healing and what other things we’d be capable of helping with. Then she moved on to the hard part, telling a world of almost eight billion humans that the witches and warlocks were dangerous. And that the covens needed to evolve to alleviate that danger. That it was her hope humanity would help pressure them, socially and not violently, to make those changes.

  Then she addressed the witches directly, telling them that if their matriarch flat out refused the idea of a deeper coven bond and becoming a closer-knit family of witches and a warlock, that they probably have reasons for that. Dark secrets, intentions, and that they were likely being used, not cared for. That those witches should leave the coven, and start a new one. Why else wouldn’t they want to deepen the bond, when it would protect everyone in the coven from being subverted either internally or externally?

  It'd be like not picking up a ballistic shield, when you had thousands of guns pointed your way.

  Then she went over the website, and how to register and find other likeminded witches that wanted to protect themselves and form a coven on family intimacy and mutual empathy and protection. She also explained the website held two coven rites, the stronger one that her coven used, and a weaker one that would still be more than sufficient in safeguarding the members.

  All the things we’d discussed, so I felt no need to regurgitate it, but then the press started to ask questions when she finished up.

  A reporter asked, “Let me get this straight, you’re asking humanity to witness and pressure, but not act against an extinction level threat that your species represents?”

  Astra smiled confidently, “There’s a lot to unpack in that question and comment. Yes, witness and social pressure. They’ve never been in the world’s eye before, and in the end they’re just like you, humans but with powers. The covens will resist the necessary change, because what they’re doing now has worked for countless millennia. Of course, in this new age of understanding, our power has grown significantly, as has our understanding of the human mind. We’re in an age where one bad witch or warlock could control hundreds of others, and to unbalance the world’s magic if it happens enough. It’s easy to guard against, but only if they evolve. Instead of wary allies bonded lightly, my race must grow and become a close-knit family who values their coven sisters. That’s all it will take, to counter the threat.

  “The humans represent an extinction level threat as well, but you don’t see us taking away your nuclear arsenals, do you? Or hunting you all down? We live on the planet too, we don’t want to see it destroyed. We decided healing, showing what we can do, and revealing the truth in peace and hope was the right path to follow. If we hunted down those foolish enough to form mega-covens, that would simply hasten the end as more and more become desperate enough to grasp for power for survival. It’s counterintuitive, that that power will be the means of their destruction.

  “So, I’d imagine if humans hunted us, then the same result may occur. Though, maybe not.”

  The reporter asked, “Why not?”

  Astra blushed, “Well, because we don’t need more power, to counter a human level threat. Any other questions? I’m afraid the covens in the area won’t be happy with us for today’s revelations. We really should be leaving soon, before they start arriving.”

  I started to heal the whole line, since we seemed to be done with the need to take things slowly, and anyone standing in line wanted to be healed, which was enough consent for me. My magic reached out to the end of it. Both Raine and Caroline followed my example. It was a lot faster, even if we had to pause a couple of times to get everyone fed at once while Astra continued the interview.

  The reporter opened his mouth to ask a follow up question, “Are you saying we’re no danger to you at all, our weapons?” he asked in disbelief.

  Astra shrugged, “I don’t wish to harp on it, since we’re no danger to you in that way. If we wanted to rule humanity, we would be already. Let’s just say even if you had my address, you’d find it exceedingly difficult to locate it, or even see it. You can’t fight what you can’t see. Let’s move on, please, the last thing I want is violence between the races. I came here today to help all these people, to show we can be a help, and to ask for your help. Not exchange threats or measure weapons.”

  Another asked, “How can we contact you, after you leave?”

  Astra answered, “You have the website, there are contact details on it. We may contact you in a few days, depending on if there are unanswered questions that should be addressed as the coverage develops. I’m sure you’ll all think of a thousand questions you should’ve asked, when the shock wears off and the so-called intellectuals tear apart this interview online.”

  A reporter asked, “Are you single?”

  Astra laughed, “No. Next question.”

  I wasn’t exactly jealous, but the question did annoy me.

  The other reporters gave the guy a disbelieving look, then one turned back and asked, “What about these shifters and pixies, how do they fit in, and are there any more supernatural races?”

  Astra waved, “Shifters and pixies aren’t a danger to humans as individuals or to the world, unless attacked of course. I only mentioned them earlier because of the second part of your question, I knew you’d ask that one eventually, and I wasn’t going to lie or hide the truth. I can honestly say those three are the only humanoid magical races, that are human below the magic, just as much as you are.

  “Other things exist, spirits, life from other dimensions which humans call demons, angels, loa, or a great number of other things. But no, as far as living on the planet Earth alongside humanity in our realm or dimension, that’s it. Witches and warlocks, shifters, and pixies. It’s even likely your viewers know one or two of them.”

  He followed up, “Do you interact with those beings?”

  Astra shook her head, “Ironically humanity does far more than we do, and its exceeding rare when a human benefits from it and comes out ahead in a bargain. It’s not a good idea, they can be capricious, and it’s frowned upon. I won’t say it doesn’t happen, no more than you can say humans don’t kill humans, but it’s not exactly smart and it’s rare. As I said before, our race is basically like humans with magic, so we share some foibles and have our outliers. Such outliers if dangerous are dealt with, much how you deal with the human criminal element in your society. Witches involved in such things are usually loners, which is exceedingly rare for us, as we’re wired to crave the company and safety of a coven. One more question, and we should go. Everyone in the hospital has been healed.”

  I’d just finished up in fact, the more experienced witches finishing a few seconds before I did.

  One asked, “How will we know when the danger of the extinction event is past?”

  Astra smiled, “We’ll let you know. When enough covens evolve their bond to remove the threat, our pixie will know when that point of safety is reached.”

  Sela grinned and waved, and the ways she posed cutely for the cameras almost made me laugh.

  Then Astra thanked them for coming, and ignored the questions fired at our backs as we exfiltrated the hospital. Rue cast a spell to make us unnoticeable. They’d see us and go around us, but wouldn’t really register us in their minds, and anyone following would quickly lose our trail.

  Rue said, “I’m not picking up anything.”

  I said, “I don’t think we were live, they were just recording to edit a story for later. As Sela said yesterday, the press might not even post our story or Astra’s statement in full one time. I imagine some of the videos the patients took are going viral right now, but maybe none of the covens or their servants have run across it yet.”

  I couldn’t think of another reason not even one coven had arrived. We’d been at the hospital for almost ninety minutes, and the media a good forty of that.

  Celestine nodded, “We’ll have the four videos uploaded by the time we’re out of the city. The files are ridiculously large, and our phones are processing and shrinking them now.”

  I chuckled.

  Chapter Five

  Celestine was pasted against my side, our pounding hearts slowing in the aftermath. Apparently watching me heal all those people had gotten the deeply empathetic and lush goddess going, because she’d been all over me as soon as we got back. She was usually sensual and inviting, but that time for our first time she’d ridden me hard and aggressively, which had been hot as hell.

  She sighed in contentment as she snuggled in deeper, in no hurry to get to our second round at the moment, so I shamelessly enjoyed the heat and lush silken feel of her body against mine as we wallowed in the post coital bliss.

  She had a similar body type to Astra, the only other witch in the coven who was ripely lush with a body built for sin, if not quite as lush as Astra, it was so close it barely mattered, and my friend with benefits knew how to give pleasure to a man with it.

  She had a long and straight curtain of platinum blonde hair, with warm blue eyes, and as I already said before, she was extremely empathetic and kind at heart. A lot like Astra that way as well. Unlike my other friends with benefits, she slept with me about half as much but was a marathon sex multiple orgasm goddess when she did, as opposed to Raine, iris, and Caroline who tended to just do quickies. Usually with us, we went at least four rounds.

  Like the others, she also didn’t want to share her heart with a group, and wanted a mate all her own, and I couldn’t argue. She certainly deserved it.

  She said softly, “I had this sexy white teddy I was going to wear for you the next time I seduced you, but I needed it too badly to wait.”

  I snickered, “Not complaining, and something to look forward to in a week’s time. Can I ask?”

  She giggled, “Your empathy. You’re a strong man, confident and protective of us all, but today was the first day I saw just how strongly your moved to help others, even strangers. That strength gentled, really got me wet.”

  I shrugged, “You and Astra must be rubbing off on me. You two are the most empathic people I’ve ever met.”

  She snorted, “Humble too.”

  I teased, “Yes, being humble is one of my best qualities, and what makes me stand out from the lesser mortals.”

  She giggled, “Actually, I was thinking it was your beautiful fat cock.”

  I laughed, “A pleasure to serve.”

  She kissed me languidly, and then sighed in satisfaction as I rolled her onto her back, took my place, and slid back into her heated depths with a hiss of pleasure.

  “You’re a dangerous man, Glen,” she said breathily, as I started to work my way in and out at a casual pace. One that I could maintain indefinitely, so that I could give her orgasms in the double digits before I took my pleasure from her ripe body for the second time. I also enjoyed gazing into her blue eyes, while watching her double D breasts bounce and jiggle riotously in the bottom of my vision.

  “Who, me?”

  She bit her lip, “Yes, you. Harder, please,” she said so seductively I twitched in her depths, “I know what you’re doing, and normally I’d be all about that, but right now I need you to fuck me,” as she wrapped her legs around me, and ground up into me with a hip roll while I filled her with authority.