“Like you giving her the ring so she’d be safe?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Tell me what happened there.”

  Simon began to explain what they’d faced in that other world: How the demon wove a spell based on the night the Tabernacle burned, how it was rapidly morphing into an Archfiend, how Chaffin had help him kill the monster.

  There was increased activity next door.

  “She’s seizing,” someone called out.

  Simon’s voice faltered, then he closed his eyes and began to pray.

  † ~ ‡ ~ †

  It seemed to be hours before the voices on the other side of the curtain were less strident. He could still hear a beeping noise, a rapid one, and he guessed that was probably a heart monitor. So far they hadn’t had to use a defibrillator, which meant there was still hope.

  To his relief, Riley remained with him and held his hand, staying silent as he went through every prayer he could think of. His rosary was in his jeans pocket, but he hadn’t taken the time to pull it out. Her presence helped and when he whispered that to her, she gave him a tired smile.

  “She’ll fight to survive,” she said. “Katia never gives up. Even when sometimes she should.”

  He looked over at his former girlfriend now. “She can be stubborn, but she can be so kind. So strong.”

  “Have you told her how much you care for her, or are you being the strong and stupidly silent type?”

  His smile came despite the desperate circumstances. “I sort of hinted how I felt about her when I gave her my presents. I think I blew her mind with that. You know me, way too serious when I shouldn’t be. I just should have kissed her.”

  Riley raised an eyebrow. “Knowing Katia, the fact you didn’t was probably wise. Her last boyfriend was a jerk. She hasn’t given me details, but from what I heard, he’s a master at gaslighting.”

  That explained a lot. “There are a few of us out there.”

  “Not just guys, either.” He nodded at that. “Maybe once she’s feeling better, you should lay it all out, let her know where your heart is. Then it’s up to her to decide if you’re worthy.”

  He sighed, understanding. “If I’m worthy. God, that’s the truth.”

  “You are,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I should know. And if she’s smart, she’ll see you are truly a wonderful guy, the best she’ll ever meet.”

  Simon closed his eyes for a second, letting all that sink in. When he opened them again, a nurse was at his side. She was young, only a few years older than him, with light blonde hair. Her name tag said she was Heather. She looked worried, but not panicked, which was good since she’d probably been working on his friend in the next cubicle.

  “Okay, let’s see what you’ve got going on.”

  “Just a few demon wounds. Nothing important,” he said, though some of them really did need attention. “If you’re needed for Katia, I can wait.”

  “No, they have her covered.” Heather checked out the damage. As the inspection progressed, she helped him pull off his T-shirt to check the wounds on his back, ones he hadn’t even realized were there. Chest bare, he shivered, and it wasn’t because the clinic was particularly chilly.

  “I’ll get hot water to clean these, then we’ll treat them with Holy Water. A couple of these are deep. I’m not sure if they’ll need sutures or not. Doc Carmela will let us know if that’s the case.”

  “How’s my friend doing?” he asked, searching the nurse’s face for any sign of hope.

  “She’s in rough shape, but you got her here in time.” Heather patted the only part of his arm that wasn’t bleeding. “The doc will be here in a bit. You can ask her for more details.”

  Then she slipped past the curtain to get supplies.

  “She’s alive, that’s all that matters,” Riley said. “They make them tough in Kansas.”

  They do.

  Dr. Carmela arrived a few moments later, all brisk business and no smile. She reached his gurney and was about to examine one of the deeper wounds, then paused as her eyes rose to meet his.

  “How is she?” Simon asked, his heart thudding in his chest.

  “Better.”

  “That’s all you can tell me?” he said, astounded.

  “There are patient privacy rules we have to follow.”

  Riley cut in. “I’m Journeyman Breman’s emergency contact and the Guild’s form she signed allows me to make any medical decisions regarding her care,” she said. “I can have a copy of that agreement sent to you.”

  Carmela’s eyes went to Simon and then back to her because clearly that agreement didn’t cover him.

  “Please act like there’s no one else here,” Riley added. “Because whatever you tell me I’ll just pass on to him.”

  This was stupid. They worked together. Katia had saved his life. He just needed to know if she was going to live.

  The doctor gave in. “Okay, Journeyman Breman’s heart is beating too fast and too erratically, her breathing is labored, and her blood pressure is in stroke range. If what the summoner says is true, her electrolytes are seriously effed up, which is why she’s in this condition. Given the symptoms I’m seeing, I tend to agree.”

  She began scrutinizing the biggest wound, then paused again.

  “But, if we can get those ’lytes back at the levels they should be, her vital signs will improve. Her wounds aren’t that serious, so she has a good chance of recovery. She’s still not stable, so we’ll keep an eye on her, keep giving her fluids and oxygen while we wait for the lab results. I considered transferring her to Emory, but honestly I think the journey would be too much for her.”

  “Thank you,” he said. The doctor hadn’t given them platitudes, only honesty.

  “Same here,” Riley said, gathering up her trapping bag.

  “You’re both welcome.”

  Riley gave him a gentle squeeze on his arm before departing. As the heart monitor tapped a fast rhythm in the cubicle next door, Carmela set about working on his wounds, one by one.

  † ~ ‡ ~ †

  It’d taken a bit of persuasion, but Simon had been allowed into Katia’s cubicle and that’s where he’d remained. His demonic injuries had been treated with Holy Water, and the few from the fiend’s sword had been sutured. Given that he’d taken on a Four with that kind of power, he’d been damned lucky.

  Three hours had passed and Katia’s vitals still sucked, but at least her breathing had improved. This reminded him of his time in the hospital after he’d been nearly gutted by a Three. Those memories were still too raw, especially after the demon’s hellish illusion. That thing had been too cunning.

  Simon bowed his head, rosary in hand.

  “My prayer is for Katia Allyson Breman, who is gravely ill. She walks in the Light, just as you command. May You guide the hands of those tasked with her care. Let Your healing power flow through her, bringing relief from pain, bringing restoration of her health. Amen.”

  One of the nurses entered the cubicle a brief time later.

  “I’m going to turn off the sound on the heart monitor. We can still see the readings at the front desk, but it can get hard to listen to if you’re watching over someone you care for.”

  “Thank you.”

  That silence was unnerving at first, but the green line continued to move across the screen. Her heart rate was 124 now, which was an improvement. Seeing her lying there wired up to so much equipment, oxygen cannula in her nose, made him feel powerless.

  A section of her hair, in the front, was white now, stark against the usual black. It hadn’t been there before she’d entered the other realm.

  Left on his own, Simon offered every prayer he could think of, some twice. He’d just finished one when his mother joined him at the bedside.

  He’d called her earlier, let her know he’d been injured, but would be fine. And then he’d asked if she could pray for Katia. She’d said she’d spread the word throughout the family, and he knew that multiple prayers were headed heavenward tonight.

  Now she was here because Jeanine Adler would never let any of her children suffer on their own.

  “Son,” she said, then leaned over and gave him a kiss on his forehead. “You look like you’re hurting.”

  “I am.” And not just because of the wounds.

  Then she studied the monitors, the various I.V. solutions, and finally the patient lying on the stretcher.

  “What were her vitals when she came in?”

  He said he didn’t know, but they were better now.

  “How did this happen?”

  He straightened up, his back reminding him of the bandages.

  “A Four cast a spell on me. I thought I was back at the Tabernacle. I was dying, Mom. I felt it all over again.” Moisture built in his eyes now. “Katia grounded the spell. She saved me.”

  His mother’s arms went around him, and he received a gentle hug. The scent of her light perfume was like being at home again.

  Safe. Loved. All the things he’d always taken for granted until that night when he’d almost died.

  “May God bless her for being there for you,” his mother said. “Everything you’ve told me about her says she’s a wonderful soul.”

  He nodded, then wiped away tears with a bandaged hand.

  “Oh, and when she wakes up, you should warn her that she’s now officially a member of the Adler clan. No way she gets out of that.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll tell her. I’m not sure she’ll realize what that means.”

  “She’ll find out soon enough. Bring her over for a meal, will you? If she can stand up to Dee, she’ll be fine with the rest of us.”

  “I will. How is Dee doing?”

  “She’s okay. She told me what happened with you two. It sounded impossible, but she says it was for real.”

  “It was. I never thought she’d get caught up in that.”

  He knew he’d always feel guilty for that horror.

  “She knows. That whole nightmare might have been a catalyst for her to make some personal changes. We’ll see,” Jeanine said, smoothing a hand across his hair. “I’m guessing that you want to stay here until your friend wakes.”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “When you’re ready to come home, let me know.”

  “I will.”

  He received a kiss on the forehead right before she left him to continue his vigil. He heard her speaking to someone at the front desk, the doctor, posing the type of questions a nurse practitioner would ask.

  After the response, her tone said she was pleased with her son’s current medical status. She wouldn’t be able to find out much about Katia’s illness, not with patient privacy rules, but now they realized she was in the medical field that might ease the way.

  “You have to get better,” he said, looking down at his friend. “You’ve been invited for supper at my parents’ place. You’ll get to meet my younger sibs. They’re . . . unforgettable.” He chuckled at the irony of that statement. “All of us Adlers are. And now you’re an honorary one. Sorry about that.”

  When there was no response, he bowed his head and began his prayers anew.

  † ~ ‡ ~ †

  A soft, murmuring voice slowly brought Katia back to consciousness. It sounded weary, desperate even. And then it cracked with emotion.

  It was Simon’s voice. He had lived.

  The need for sleep kept tugging at her, but she tried to fight it. There was movement near her now.

  “How is she doing?” he asked.

  “I’m liking what I’m seeing,” someone replied. A doctor or nurse perhaps. There were other noises and then steady pressure on her arm. A blood pressure cuff Finally, it deflated.

  “Oh, good, her blood pressure has improved, though still much higher than it should be. Her pulse is slowing down. Her kidneys are in decent shape, and her heart rhythm is less erratic now.”

  “Thank God,” Simon whispered and then the soft murmuring began anew.

  That he was praying for her recovery told her everything she needed to know about Simon Adler’s generous heart. In time, she’d have to figure out what to do about his deep feelings for her. But not right now.

  First, she needed to heal.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Katia found herself surrounded by white curtains on three sides, like you’d find in an emergency room. She was on a gurney, and it wasn’t all that comfortable. On her right was a cardiac monitor mounted on a pole which displayed her heart’s rhythm, pulse, blood pressure and other numbers she didn’t recognize. Another pole had an I.V. bag, along with two smaller bags attached to it. On her left was another pole, and another I.V. The more of those the worse off you were, at least that was what her grandmother had always said.

  It was then she realized that someone’s hand rested on her left arm, a hand with a bandage on it.

  Simon.

  He’d stayed with her, though she had no idea how many hours had passed. When she shifted position to ease a cramp in her back, he sat up, blinking those tired blue eyes.

  “Katia?” he said, putting so much hope in that one word.

  “Uh huh.” Then she coughed, which only made her head hurt, a dull thumping that she found annoying.

  “Thank you, God!” he said, then pulled himself fully upright. His face was red and had a sheen of sweat on it. From the number of bandages on his arms, the demon had nailed him, repeatedly.

  Bits of memories surfaced—the battle with the fiend, the Tabernacle illusion which had been far too real. Simon screaming in agony.

  “Please tell me that goddamned Mezmer’s dead.”

  “It is. I sliced off its head.” Then he grinned. “One swipe and it was history,” he said, mimicking that move, barely missing one of her I.V. stands.

  Katia grinned back at him. “Damn, I’m sorry I missed that.”

  “You were napping on the job. What can I say?” he said, shaking his head.

  That rated a laugh.

  Then he sobered. “We did it, Katia. We made it out alive.”

  They had.

  “You were right about Chaffin. He showed up just when we needed him. He forced the demon to remove the ring. We would have died otherwise. I didn’t know if you knew that or not.”

  “I thought I heard him, but I was pretty out of it. Please tell me he stayed there.” Because returning to his world would cost him his magic, and maybe his life.

  “He did.”

  “Good. She’ll take care of him. Maybe he can help their world heal.” Katia paused, eyeing their surroundings. “Are we in a hospital?”

  “Nope, this is the trapper’s clinic,” Simon said. “You were in bad shape, and this was closer. It helps that the doc is used to dealing with weird stuff.”

  “Weird stuff?”

  “It has to do with your electrolytes. She can explain it much better than me.”

  “I’m not dying, am I?”

  He shook his head. “Not anymore.”

  Not anymore?

  He didn’t usually exaggerate, which meant it’d been a near thing. What was odd was that he kept staring at her hair. Before she could ask about that, the privacy curtain pulled back and a brunette entered the cubicle. She was probably in her forties, wore teal scrubs, and her name tag announced this was the doctor herself.

  “Hi,” Katia said.

  “Hey! Look at you, all awake and everything. I’m Doctor Carmela Wilson. And this is a significant improvement over what you were like when you arrived.”

  “Which was?”

  “Comatose with bi-geminal PVCs, which means your heart was skipping beats like mad. Tachycardia, which is your pulse racing. And you had sky-high blood pressure and labored breathing. Plus, you decided to have a seizure right after you hit our front door.”

  “Seizure?” she said, giving Simon a quick look. He nodded.

  “Yup. You have a history of them?” Katia shook her head. “Well, that’s good news, at least. In short, you were damned sick and trying hard to die on us. Exactly what I’d expect since you are seriously anemic, and your electrolytes were totally out of whack.”

  “Is ‘out of whack’ an actual medical term?”

  The doc chuckled. “In this case, yes. According to a certain senior summoner, you have an affinity for sucking up magical spells and then grounding them. While that is great, your body has no clue how to handle that awesome superpower, so you burned through electrolytes like mad. Which is why you ended up here. Plus, you got a few demon wounds, but that’s normal for you guys.”

  Superpower?

  This lady was a total kick. No wonder the trappers spoke of her with a special kind of reverence. She rocked.

  The doc pushed a button and the blood pressure cuff on Katia’s right arm automatically inflated. “What’s your usual B/P?”

  “One hundred over sixty something.”

  Carmela waited a bit and then announced, “Well, now it’s one-sixty-six over ninety-eight. Much better than before, but still too high for you.”

  Taking all that in, Katia eyed the heart monitor which was happily plugging away at one hundred and sixteen beats per minute. It was usually in the upper sixties.

  “After I.V. fluids with some electrolyte chasers, you’re slowly getting back to where you should be. Your B/P and heart rate will return to normal fairly soon. Summoner Alexander says that if you don’t channel anymore magic, at least until you’ve learned how to do that without killing yourself, you’ll be fine.”

  “Huh.”

  “You know, that was pretty much my response when he dropped all that on me. I’ve never seen this kind of thing before, so we treated the electrolyte imbalances and that did the trick. I’d like to give you a pint of blood unless you have religious issues against that.”

  “No issues. Go for it. The anemia thing might explain why I’ve been so damned tired recently.”