Bridget was going red, trying not to laugh.
“Well. Good. That’s good,” Apollo stammered, his expression refocusing. “What?”
Bas put the phone down. “What did Kenna want, Apollo?”
“Um. Kenna? Oh! She said that the victims who are in comas or sick have all been moved into the Trinity Centre at St. James. The doctors are worried it’s contagious, so they have been quarantined until the researchers can figure it out. Kian got in contact with the hospital, and they have agreed to let us look at those who are affected,” Apollo said. He rubbed his eyes. “That’s a dirty trick using that photo for evil.”
“It worked, didn’t it? And who is we? Are you coming with us?” Bas asked.
“I’m an alchemist getting a chance to snoop about a research hospital ward. Of course I am coming. Reeve and Charlotte are going to meet us there.”
Bas turned to Bridget. “Come on, sweetheart. We have a hospital to get to.”
“Promise me that you aren’t going to do something dumb like try and pull all the creature’s hooks out of them like yesterday, or I’m not going anywhere,” Bridget said stubbornly. Bas hesitated a beat too long, and her eyes narrowed. “No, Bas. There has to be a better way to do it than you going into their minds like that.”
Bas rubbed his neck. “I’ve been trying to think of one.”
“You are a magician. I’m sure you will be able to figure it out. I won’t let you get hurt again,” Bridget said, eyes blazing.
Bas couldn’t handle causing her any worry, so he relented. “Okay, I promise I’ll try to think of something. Charlotte is really good with magical sigils. She might have an idea.”
Apollo snorted. “As far as I can see, the only hooks Bas has to worry about are the ones you have him in, Bridget.”
Bas opened his mouth to tell Apollo to fuck off, but Bridget beat him to it.
“Is Lachlan going to be at the hospital? I really didn’t get a chance to thank him for helping me yesterday,” she asked sweetly.
“No. I don’t know. Probably not.” Apollo squirmed. He realized a beat too late she was teasing him. He made a frustrated noise, turned on his heels, and strode off. “I’ll meet you in the garage!”
Bas pulled Bridget in for a kiss. This woman was everything.
“What was that for?” she asked, cheeks flushed.
“For worrying about me and for dealing with my drama queen brother with grace.” Bas kissed her once more and took her hand. “We better not keep him waiting, or he will leave without us.”
Bas hated hospitals.He had avoided them as much as he could in his life because the psychic whammy that radiated out of them hurt him to be around.
Unfortunately, in this case, it was unavoidable. He let Apollo drive so he could sit in the back and hold Bridget’s hand. Her warm touch just made him think about what they had done in the library, and that made him smile.
“What is that grin about?” Bridget whispered.
Bas shot her the memory of her coming, and she whacked him in the chest. “You asked.”
“Time and a place,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
It’s helping to distract me from thinking about hospitals because I hate them,he replied. There were some conversations he didn’t need to have in front of Apollo.
I’m thinking about it too. I’m just being more subtle about it,Bridget admitted, squeezing his hand a little tighter.
“Are you going to be okay going into this place?” she asked aloud.
“Yeah, I’ll just put up my mental shields really tight and try and get out of there as quickly as possible.”
Apollo looked at them in the rearview mirror. “We wouldn’t make you go if it wasn’t important, little brother. Reeve and Charlotte should be ready for us, and we have reserved parking. Any time you need out, just say so.”
Bas frowned. “I wish you both would stop thinking I’m made of glass.”
“You hurt yourself yesterday. We are allowed to be worried. Right, Apollo?” Bridget said.
