“If this fire was Nyx’s doing, he needs to know she’s struck the first blow on an innocent. Lake and Jamie are innocents in this fight. If Nyx is going to come at you and your family by treacherous means, it could be a violation of the terms of their bet. As I understand it, she is only allowed to provoke you directly, not through innocents. She came at you by putting Lake and Jamie in harm’s way. We may be able to entice the underworld to stand with you to level the playing field. Remember, Dash, sometimes luck will come to you in ways you never expect. You have assets to deploy to protect those you love but use them wisely. Now, let’s go inside.”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. The idea that my Keir could be injured had my heart pounding as Lilith’s blood surged through my veins. I had no ideawhat or whoI’d be when this was over,but I would have my revenge on Nyx if she or her followers had anything to do with the explosion.
Leaving to check on my family filled my thoughts. “I’ll come right back, I swear. I just need to check on them.”
Lilith refused to allow me to leave. “You still have a lot of my blood cycling through your body, Dash. It’s not something you’ve experienced before, though I’m not dumb enough to think you didn’t get a taste of Keir. Imagine yourself in a hospital right now with the scent of blood everywhere? Hell, I’m not sure I’m strong enough to resist sampling the goods as old as I am, and I refuse to let you do something you’ll regret. My goddaughter needs her fathers to be guilt-free.”
We watched from the tree branch as the firefighters came out of the mortuary and began putting away their equipment. They left one small engine and four firefighters, “In case there’s a flare-up,” the fire chief explained to his crew. We heard him easily.
The gas company finished capping the gas line from the street to the funeral home as we went around the back of the building, and I attempted to force open the warped metal door.
“How hot was this fucking fire?” It took both of us to shove it open so we could get inside, and neither of us was a slouch when it came to strength.
Once we entered the mortuary, I saw the devastation. I never wanted Keir to see what had happened to his business and childhood home. No doubt there were memories in those walls he wouldn’t want to lose, so as long as he didn’t see the damage, he could carry them in his heart.
“I don’t want to bring Dearly here, Lilith.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame you. Use your nose, Dash. Who was it?”
I sniffed along the walk-in, and the memory of the scent hit me. “It’s Nyx. She blew up the walk-in and closed the portal on purpose.”
Lilith chuckled. “Good job. Now, go run off some of that energy before you check on your husband and surrogate. I’ve got somewhere else to be. Let me know how they are, please.”
I nodded and we went our separate ways. I ran back to the parking lot where I’d left my SUV, not surprised to see the demon still sitting inside with the cooler on its lap. “Thanks for watching my vehicle, Arad.” It was then I noticed I’d left the keys in the ignition.
I moved the cooler from its lap and Arad gave me a concerned look. “Where is your Brokorol, Key?”
That was a good question. I hadn’t seen Brok or Er’on since I’d been to Hades. They hadn’t returned with us when we left for the wedding. “Go look around the underworld for me and see if you can find him, will you? I could have used him today.”
Arad nodded and disappeared. I drove toward the hospital in Sacramento, scared shitless of what I might find out when I arrived.
Twenty-eight minutes later, I parked in the parking lot, having chosen to drive instead of run, but hitting traffic as I got closer to the city. I was still sort of jacked on Lilith’s blood, but I swore to myself I wouldn’t do anything crazy. I had to know the condition of my family.
I stopped at the information desk. “I’m looking for Keir Dearly and Lake Gryner. They were brought in a couple of hours ago.”
The older woman staffing the information desk pecked something on the desktop keyboard before she turned her attention to me. “You are?”
“Dashiell Clegg-Dearly.” I reached into my back pocket to retrieve my wallet, fishing out my driver’s license and nearly flung it at her head.
“Are you the uncle?” Her arched eyebrow pissed me off.
I held up my left hand and stared into her eyes. “I’m the husband and the other father. Do you have a problem with that?”
I growled at the older woman, tamping down the part of me that wanted to twist her head around so she could see while I kicked her ass. The fear in her eyes as she continued to stare at me was oddly satisfying. “Room numbers?”
I hoped my eyes were spinning like pinwheels as I’d seen in all the old-time vampire movies when the Count hypnotized his prey. I was sure her blood wouldn’t be appetizing at all.
Breaking the stare after a long moment, the woman quickly jotted something on the paper, shoving it at me before she put a small tent card on the counter that read:On break. Please proceed to the emergency room desk for patient information.It was amazing to me that she could move that fast.
I opened the paper to see I needed to go to the fifth floor—the maternity floor—so I decided to take the stairs to burn off a little more vampire energy. I felt like I’d done five lines of cocaine, drank a pot of coffee, and driven a Panigale V4 R off the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I couldn’t begin to imagine how I’d feel if I drank both of those bags of blood. It was un-fucking-believable.
I stepped out of the stairwell, not even winded from taking the stairs so quickly. I walked to an intercom on the wall outside thematernity wing and pressed thehelpbutton. “Maternity. How may I help you?”
“Hi. I’m here for Lake Gryner. I’m one of the fathers of the baby she’s carrying.” I waited, and finally, someone responded. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Dearly is the father, and he’s with Ms. Gryner. Take a seat in the waiting room. We’ll notify Mr. Dearly he has a visitor.”
My first thought was to rip the fucking wood-and-glass doors from the entrance, storm down the hallway, and tear the heart out of whoever was sitting at the desk to answer that fucking black box.
They didn’t know who they were dealing with, but I’d be happy to show them.
