Page 36 of Monsters and Mocha

“Good. Get up to the second floor as soon as you can.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fransten followed the nurse from the room, and Darby turned her attention immediately to their patient. She worked as quickly as she dared, but keeping the sutures neat and even and ensuring the surgery was properly finished was a task that could not be rushed. More time than she had expected had passed by the time she was finally done and the patient was being wheeled away to the recovery room.

I haven’t heard anything from upstairs. Hopefully that means Dr. Fransten has everything handled.

She gave her hands a thorough scrubbing and was just stepping out into the hall, when the sound of familiar footsteps caused her to freeze. She pulled a fake smile to her face as Lacey appeared around the corner.

“Shelton.” Lacey’s nose wrinkled with disdain. “I see you’ve finally been deemed competent to be away from Fransten’s side for once.”

“So it seems.” Darby worked to keep her voice cheerful and ignore the suspicions that Fitz and Henry had planted in the back of her mind.

Lacey wouldn’t try to kill me. It would be too much extra work, and she’s not the kind to get her own hands dirty.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” She folded her hands together to hide the trembling in her fingers that would not come under control.

“Like you’re⁠—”

Lacey’s words were interrupted by the sound of crashing glass in the room behind them. A second later, a fiery flash of light erupted with a bang from the room behind them. Darby dove forward, knocking Lacey to the ground as the wall exploded in a barrage of debris and flames. The sharp, acrid scent of burning chemicals filled the air, and a series of smaller, less violent explosions followed.

Darby threw herself over Lacey, shielding her as best she could while covering her own neck and head. The explosions were over in a matter of moments, but the roar of flames grew steadily louder. The air filled with smoke and heat.

She pushed herself up, crying out at a sharp pain in her calf. A glance over her shoulder confirmed that a piece of the debris had sliced clear through her skirts and into the muscle. She wiggled her foot.

If I can still move it, that means the damage can’t be too severe, thank Deus. But we have to get everyone out of here.

“Lacey!” She coughed as the smoke filled her lungs. “Come on, we need to go.”

“I—I can’t.” Lacey’s voice was tight with pain. “My leg is stuck.”

Darby turned, fully this time, and let out a soft curse. Lacey’s right leg was trapped under a large piece of twisted metal just inches from where Darby’s leg had been. The flames around them pressed closer, and in the distance Darby could hear the sound of the church bells.

She pushed herself to her feet, hissing in pain as she limped to the side just enough to give Lacey room to sit up. A maze of smoke and debris stood between them and the front doors.

“You’ll have to leave me here.”

Darby looked down. Lacey’s eyes were wide in her pale, drawn face. Beads of sweat that matched the ones on Darby’s own forehead dripped down onto her nose.

“I’m not leaving you.”

Even if she was the one who poisoned the chocolate, I can’t just let her die like this.

“There’s no point in both of us dying!”

“We’re not dying. I’m going to get you out of here.” Darby, shoving the pain from her leg to the back of her mind, squatted beside the metal debris and grabbed hold, gritting her teeth as the hot metal burned her fingers.

“You can’t; it’s too heavy.”

Darby barked out something between a laugh and a grunt as she lifted the metal and threw it to the side. “Not for my man arms.” She held out a hand. “Up you get.”

Lacey’s eyes watered, but she pressed her lips together and said nothing. She stumbled into Darby’s side as soon as she stood. “I can’t walk.”

Darby crouched in front of Lacey. “Climb on.”

“What? I’m not⁠—”