Chapter 1
Corbin
I lounged on the couch,which was plush and comfortable. Crow, my familiar, was perched on the back of it, keeping an eye on the good doctor. Not that he was going anywhere.
“I’ve never visited a shrink before.”
The doctor grunted a bit, and I corrected myself. “A psychiatrist, I mean. I guess ‘shrink’ is offensive.”
We were both silent for a moment before I continued. “You probably start by asking about family. My family is wonderful—I have a supportive and kind adoptive father, and although my brothers can be idiots, we would all do anything for each other. They all have mates, including my father, although I’m not sure Jude knows it yet. I’m not jealous, if that’s what you’re thinking. I know my future holds a mate for me as well, although there are… complications. He isn’t exactly what I thought he’d be.”
There was a shifting in the doctor’s chair that human ears probably wouldn’t have even picked up on.
“That isn’t to say he isn’t perfect. He really is.” Crow cawed in agreement, and I smiled. “I just don’t foresee things being easy, because he’s death.”
The doctor made a muffled sound, and I hummed in agreement.
“Yes, I do meanactualdeath, but I’m sure we’ll be able to work through that.” I sighed. “But that’s kind of skirting the issue, isn’t it? Because if you’re asking about family, I only told you about my adopted family. I never knew my father, but I had many years with my mother, and I think those years fundamentally shaped who I am today.”
Crow made a soft sound, sensing my sadness.
“She was beautiful, intelligent, and kind. We lived in a small village, and my mother was respected and revered as a midwife and healer. She had some sight, as well. I still think, to this day, that she foresaw what was coming.”
I was lost in my thoughts for a moment, the doctor quietly waiting. My mother had always assured me that my father’s people would find me and care for me when she died. She told me that death was not an ending, it was a new beginning, and I needed to remember that she was not forever gone. I was young, and her death seemed like something far in the future. I hadn’t realized how soon it would come.
“She wasn’t called a witch, you know. She hid her sight, and she healed with tonics and lotions. Even the doctors of the time used herbs for healing, so it was not so far-fetched. She said she was a doctor’s widow, so her knowledge seemed plausible.
“Of course, powerful and capable women in that time often found themselves in conflict with men in power. Eventually a doctor came into town. He seemed to respect her at first, and eventually he even proposed to her. She turned him down. She didn’t like his aura, she told me. I could sense the wrongness in him, too, so I didn’t argue. I wonder if she knew, even as she turned him away, what would happen.”
The doctor fidgeted again, and I sighed. Yes, I suppose it was all rather maudlin, and it was so far in the past.
“To sum up, there was no burning at the stake or anything so horrible. The townspeople didn’t rally against her. He didn’tturn everyone’s minds and hearts against her. She saved a child from getting run over by a carriage, and she was knocked unconscious. She had extensive bruising and some broken bones, but nothing she couldn’t heal on her own. But the townspeople were worried, and they called for the doctor. I asked them not to, but I was only a child.”
Crow cawed again, ruffling her feathers. She sensed my anger, and she shared in it.
“Can you guess what happened? He ‘treated’ her by taking her into surgery, and she bled out on the operating table. Everyone mourned her, and the doctor talked about how severe her internal injuries were, how she couldn’t have been saved, but how she died a hero for saving a child’s life.”
The doctor made a noise of distress.
“Yes, he lied. He took advantage of his position of power to get rid of her. He let her die on that operating table. He said he wanted to save her, but I knew the truth, and I made him admit it before I killed him.”
The doctor whimpered at that, and I looked over at him. His eyes were wide with fear, the rag in his mouth soaked with spit, and I could see he had been working at the zip ties on his wrists and ankles. It would do him no good.
I got up, walked towards him, and kneeled down in front of him. Crow flew over onto my shoulder.
“So you can guess how distressing I find it when people in power, particularly doctors in power, take advantage of those that they’re supposed to help. You can guess how… angry that makes me. Brings back all that trauma, you know?”
The doctor whimpered again, and I thought he might be trying to plead behind the gag.
“I’m not sure if talking it out really helped, but don’t worry—I’m sure by the time I’m done with you, I’ll feel much better.”
I stood up and went over to grab my bag, taking out some of my tools. Crow flew over and landed on the doctor’s shoulder as he whimpered again. Crow cawed in his ear, and he flinched.
“Crow has been ever so patient, don’t you think? She deserves a treat. Did you know eyes are soft and rich in nutrients? They’re something of a delicacy for most animals.”
The doctor began crying, his whimpering getting louder.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to deal with tears for long. And as for making noise… Well, you made sure that no one can hear what goes on in this office, so we have all the time in the world, doctor. All the time in the world.”
