Ricky chuckled. “I know, I know. There’s never been anything like you, hero. Back from the not-quite dead, and still not-quite alive.
“Nothing like Lu-lala either. I’m as game as you are to let you do this without blunting the pain. I’ll, of course, take notes, so the next time you stumble into my house bleeding from a hundred bites and cuts, I can remind you that you’re more interested in enduring discomfort than actually healing so you can be some use to Lu when she wakes up.”
“Don’t start making sense, Crossroads,” I said, as I eased myself down into the wooden chair near the head of the bed. “It will destroy my opinion of you.”
“I’ll see if I have anything stronger than aspirin.” She walked out of the room and closed the door halfway to give us a bit of privacy.
The sounds of voices outside rose and fell, but I tuned it out. This was neutral ground. If they really started a fight, Ricky could shut it down fast.
I smoothed Lu’s hair off her forehead and rested my elbow on my thigh, head in my hand. I put my other hand over hers, closed my eyes, and tried to stay awake.
“…better if you just lie down. They want to have a conversation. It’s going to take a while.”
I lifted my head, which felt like it weighed a million pounds. “What?” I asked.
Val, looking faded and tired, leaned against the wall by the night stand. His wolf was barely an outline, sleeping, I thought, at his feet. Val waved to the glass of water and pills. “Pain killers. Ricky said they wouldn’t knock you out, but since you were already asleep…” He shrugged.
I rolled my shoulders to try and get the kink out of my neck. Instead, I got a cramp under my shoulder blade.
“For fuck’s sake,” I growled.
“Water, pill. At least you have a way to dull the pain,” Val said.
I fumbled with the pills, drank them down, finishing off the water in one go.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Out there? I don’t know. The werewolves are arguing with Ricky about whether or not they’re going back in after Abbi tonight.”
I rubbed at my eyes. “Not that. With you and Lula in the cave.”
“That was some amazing shit I did,” he said with a wan smile. “You’re welcome.”
“You possessed my wife.”
“I dove in there and went three rounds with the mother of all Hush. She was tying Lula up. She was going to kill her, Brogan.”
I swallowed. “I know. I couldn’t… I couldn’t do anything. Couldn’t move.”
Val pointed at my mouth. “She did more than just bind your lips. She has her hooks in you.”
“And Lu?”
He shook his head. “I cut through the ribbons she was spinning. I think just jumping into Lu cut most of the bindings.”
“How did you get out? Away?”
He tipped his head to one side in question.
“We’ve… She’s been possessed before,” I told him. “Ghosts. Usually they won’t or can’t leave. I have to drag them out of her. It’s painful. For everyone.”
“I woke up in this room,” Val said. “I was in wolf form. Instinct is to get in the clear, get away from something that might harm me.”
I looked down at Lu.
“She was unconscious when I fought Mother Hush,” he said. “But I don’t think she was injured. Not badly injured.”
“And Abbi?”
