“We know next to nothing about the Shapeshifters. They say they don’t have magic, just science, but I don’t know what to think,” Elias said.
“If you get the chance to learn about them, or the magic they used here, please include me. I don’t want to go up against any magic-user that can so effectively hide a person.”
I strode across the room and hugged Cindy. “I know some of your people did it for money, but the appreciation is no less for it. They’ve worked round the clock trying to find her, and we won’t forget that.”
“I’ll tell them.” She shook Elias’s hand and left the room to collect her coven and go home.
“Let’s go!” Elias called from across the room. I grabbed the keys to the motorcycles we’d rented, and we ran for the door. It hadn’t been easy to secure a rental for the bikes I’d gotten. I wanted us to be able to take Riley for a ride along the coastal roads but wanted her to be comfortable. The available bikes were mostly sports bikes or scooters. I’d finally found a man that owned two cruising bikes and he’d agreed to rent them to us for the week. Our week was almost over, but we had the bikes.
I skidded to a stop and turned back, sticking my head in the door. “Cindy,” I called. “Can you call the Junta and let them know to expect my call after we get Riley?”
She yelled that she would, and I took off.
The weekend traffic caused us to take an hour to get to the hospital. In our eagerness to see our wife, we weaved around cars and generally made ourselves a nuisance on the roads, but we would’ve been much longer getting to her if we hadn’t.
The hospital looked much like the ones I’d observed in the States. Doctors and medical staff bustled around while patients and visitors walked to and fro. We rushed into the emergency room entrance and headed straight for an information desk.
I got there a split second ahead of Elias, so I got to be the husband. “My wife was brought in, unconscious. She was at a nearby temple.”
The clerk smiled and thankfully spoke English. “Her name?”
“Riley Effler.”
She typed her name into a computer. “She’s in room E4.” She motioned to the doors we should walk through. “It’s through there, follow the blue line to get to the emergency rooms and E4 is on the left.”
Elias clapped my shoulder and squeezed as we followed her directions. With our ability to move fast, it was agonizing to force ourselves to walk at a normal pace. We had to keep up appearances.
Riley lay in a stark white hospital bed and wore a sickly green hospital gown. Her soft red hair fanned around her head on the pillow. I choked up when I saw how pale she was. Elias flashed beside her and touched the dark blue circles under her closed eyes with his thumbs.
Axoular sat beside her, head down on the mattress.
“How is she?” I hurried to the bed, on the side opposite Axoular. Her hands were cold, and she barely moved. “She’s freezing.”
“I know. It worries me. I’m scared she’s in a deeper sleep than before. She burned for a long time.”
Elias sat beside her on the bed, near Axoular. “Why’d you let her do that?”
“She didn’t give me a choice. I would’ve gladly done what she did, and honestly could’ve done it better. Though, she did a fantastic job for someone so new.”
“Tell us exactly what happened and why you couldn’t keep this from happening.” If he didn’t give a satisfactory answer, I’d kill him myself.
“We can’t talk here. They can be anywhere, but I paid attention as we left that temple. Being in that place, I can’t mistake that smell. I’ve already smelled them here. They followed us, but they can’t do anything about it here. We need to get her out of here.”
“Have they said anything about moving her? That would be my first move if I was trying to get her away from us.”
“No, not yet. They’re shorthanded, I think. She’s only been seen by a nurse.”
“What did you tell them?” Elias asked.
“The paramedics had the hospital gown on the rig. The nurse didn’t ask why she’d been changed into it, and I didn’t volunteer any information. At this point, I don’t think they realize she’s totally naked under there. That’ll raise some questions.”
I’d have to try to exert calm over the staff when we carried her out. “First, Axoular, go out and try to get a cab waiting.”
He nodded and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Elias poked through the cabinets until he found another hospital gown. He lifted her up and I put the gown on her backward. We maneuvered her until it covered her and there was no risk of flashing any of the people in the hospital and raising a further alarm.
“I’ll carry her,” Elias said. “You do your thing if we run into anyone.”
