Chapter Seven
Esme
“Here.” Lilith handed Leon a bottle of vodka to help take the edge off.
He’d been stabbed in the shoulder, close to an area where there looked to be a bullet scar.
I finished stapling him up and bandaging the wound.
“I can’t believe someone tried to stab you.” I looked at Charles and then back at Leon to make sure he was all set. I handed him some pain reliever and told him to take as needed. I knew I wasn’t technically allowed to prescribe anything, but this wasn’t exactly a legal job, and he’d needed it.
He thanked me and went back to drinking to help with the pain, ignoring the pills.
Charles had been silent since they had arrived. I’d been hanging out with Rose, sipping tea while chatting about a book she’d been dying to read when Lilith and Charles stormed in with the bleeding Leon. We went to the medical room immediately and I got started on fixing him. Thankfully that one stab wound was it, and the man who attempted to hurt Charles—that Leon had jumped in front of—had been taken to the police station and charged with assault.
“Things are getting nasty out there,” I commented, and Leon scoffed.
“People are acting out in fear; it’s never good when they do that,” Lilith commented and leaned in to rest her head on Leon’s good shoulder. She was not all smiles now. She was concerned and scary serious.
“Is there anything that can be done?” I asked. It had been a question I’d been wondering lately, and I hadn’t been able to come up with a solution. No matter what those with powers said or did, there would be those who wouldn’t accept them. They’d fear them, even the good ones. It was times like this that made me nervous that people would lash out and become the monsters that they are being made out to be.
“I think it just has to run its course. We keep helping as best as we can,” Leon answered and turned his head to kiss Lilith’s forehead.
“War is coming, and it’s not going to be pretty.” Lilith sighed, and the whole room turned solemn.
War. It did seem imminent right now.
“I wonder if that person you guys have been looking for is behind all this madness—creating their army from the chaos.” I voiced my thought aloud, and they all looked at the floor or the wall.
“No clue,” Charles said, and then there was silence.
I wished the bad guy would just make his presence known, and then they could fight them, ending this whole thing. I had faith in these people. In the end, I know everything will be righted. Something or someone will bring them all together.
After that depressing conversation, we moved to the chill room and watched a movie. I shared a big blanket with Rose while Lilith snuggled Leon and Charles sat in the chair by himself. Halfway through the movie, AJ joined us and we just enjoyed relaxing for a change.
I spent my second day off cleaning my apartment and read two of the books Rose recommended. They were about the world of fae. I had been so consumed by the story of love and sacrifice I’d gotten the audiobook so I could listen to the hunter with the artist’s soul and the high lords that loved her while I cleaned.
It may be fantasy, but the love between the two characters was the type of love I’d always dreamed of. They both would sacrifice their very lives so the other could be happy. They loved strong and would do anything for each other. They cherished each other and had accepted every strength and flaw equally. Embracing both.
The next day I was working the second shift, so I tried to sleep during the night but sort of failed.
I walked into work with a smile on my face even though I’d only slept for five hours.
Melissa Ann was off today so that was a bummer, but it happened, and I was friendly with the other nurses and doctors, so it was still going to be a nice day. Today I was helping out in the maternity ward. While I loved being around all the pregnant ladies and babies, it made my heart hurt sometimes. I always thought I’d have kids, but the reality that I might not live long enough to see them grow up made me too scared to have them.
Still, I helped deliver two babies, and was there for the three women who were in the postpartum care rooms with their newborns. It was sweet watching the new parents fawn over their bundle of joy while trying not to freak out over every squeak and snort. I’d had to go into their room more than once to ease their worry.
I was sitting at the nurse’s station, doing the never-ending paperwork and thinking that I needed to get out more. I wanted to start dating again. I had kissed a lot of frogs, but if I wanted to find a prince, I’d probably have to kiss some more.
“Daydreaming at work. How very Esme of you.”
“Speaking of frogs,” I mumbled and tipped my face toward Dorian. I’d passed him once in the halls earlier—he’d been called in to do a complicated delivery. He’d been in that operation room for hours, as far as I knew, but the woman and baby were okay, so that was all that mattered now.
“Frogs?” He raised his eyebrows, and I looked over his appearance. His hair was messier than usual, and his five-o’clock shadow looked more like a seven o’clock one. But his eyes were stuck on me, waiting for me to answer his question.
“I’m tired of kissing frogs while looking for a prince. You are not my prince, so you are definitely a frog in this story,” I said, still feeling that bravado inside me that I’d had days before. I was a changed woman, and there was no going back. He didn’t laugh or make fun of my words to him; he simply held my stare before leaning in.
“I’m definitely not the prince in this story and never will be the good guy, especially where you are concerned.” His low timbre made shivers dance across my skin. I heard him loud and clear, and I completely agreed with him, but the way his eyes were boring into me made my stomach flutter.
