Heir of Night (The Thorne Hill)

“Infected or possessed?” I ask, wiping a big smear of blood off his cheek.

“Infected. His blood wasn’t rancid, and his eyes weren’t black. No one else fell under War’s influence.” Lucas puts a hand on my stomach. “It’s taken care of. Now, let’s get you to the hospital.”

“There’s only a few hours of dark left.” I close my eyes. “I went from feeling War’s influence, to watching him create a demon, to hiding in the basement because of a mass shooter. Can we just go home?” My eyes fill with tears, and I look at Lucas. “I can’t handle a hospital right now.”

Confliction takes over his face, and he pulls me to him, hugging me tightly and running his hand up and down my back. “We have to do what’s best for the baby. Are you in pain?”

“Not right now.”

He rakes his fingers through my hair and sighs but doesn’t take in more air after. Sighing, breathing, blinking, and even yawning are habits some vampires never break. Lucas often inhales and exhales when he’s up and moving around, since those movements are second nature. But when he’s asleep, he looks quite dead.

“I want to go home.”

“I’d feel better knowing everything is okay,” he tells me. “I also want to keep your stress down. Can you see if the midwife can meet you in an hour? We’ll go straight home to Thorne Hill.”

“And leave the hellhound with me?” Eliza huffs.

“I prefer to have her with me,” I tell them both. “And my familiars in our house.”

Lucas nods but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he looks at Abby, hoping she’ll be the voice of reason. It wasn’t that long ago Lucas forgot fevers make humans hotter than normal. He’s been reading every pregnancy book and blog he can find, yet there’s still so much we don’t know, especially since I’m a Nephilim.

“Have you had any spotting?” Abby asks, and I shake my head. “How’s your back now?”

“It’s sore, like I’ve been on my feet too long,” I admit. “I’m not trying to downplay anything,” I say “If I need to go to the hospital, I will.”

“I think it would be wise,” Abby says, looking almost guilty. “It would give you both peace of mind. Phil is still there and can order you an ultrasound. If we can get a tech to do it, it might not raise questions.”

“Isn’t he a doctor?” Eliza questions. “Why would it raise questions?”

“He’s a urologist who specializes in male urinary tract issues,” Abby answers. “Though it’s not out of the question for one to order an ultrasound. I’ll come with.”

“Go home,” I tell her. “You’ve had a long night too.”

“It’s fine,” she insists. “Penny is staying the night with Mom—Nancy—so I’ll be going home to an empty house and don’t really want to be alone tonight.” She wrinkles his nose. “I’ll go home with Phil once he’s done checking on his patient.”

I can feel my heart immediately speed up at the thought of going to the hospital. As Lucas said not long ago, I yelled at War. I should be able to handle going to the hospital and getting looked at. No one is going to lock me up. No one is going to lay a finger on me if Lucas thinks they’ll hurt me.

He won’t leave my side.

“Okay.” I bob my head up and down. “I’ll go.”

And I will…if War doesn’t get in our way first.

Chapter 24

“Chicago police are still left scrambling after an unusual string of violence.”

I look at the TV and telekinetically turn it off, unable to hear any more of the new reports on the path of destruction War left in his wake. The ER receptionist looks up, wondering who turned off the TV, and is startled to see no one is by it. After Abby was able to talk to Phil, we realized trying to sneak into the ER for another ultrasound wasn’t going to happen tonight.

Instead, Maryellen, the coven’s midwife, was able to arrange for me to meet her at the hospital in Thorne Hill. Several witches are nurses here, and she spoke with one who floats around between departments and is going to try and meet us. This particular witch isn’t part of my coven but understands my aversion to traditional medicine, thinking I’m more of a traditional pagan witch, wanting to treat myself with herbs and crystals.

“Breathe, my love.” Lucas runs his hand up and down my thigh. I let out a slow breath, nodding my head. We’re waiting for Maryellen to get here since she regularly works with one of the OB doctors, sending patients her way when medical intervention is necessary. It’s the middle of the night, and there’s hardly anyone else in here, thankfully. A couple came in with a puking child right after we sat down, and I had to elbow Lucas a few times to make him stop giving the kid a death-stare. I’m not going to catch whatever he has from across the waiting room.