I shake my head. “She won’t be able to get a call if she’s at the Academy. I can send Freya and Pandora.” They stayed at the house in case anyone from the Grand Coven stopped by to make sure I was holding up my end of the deal. My familiars would let them in so they could have a look around and see that my windows weren’t covered. A vampire couldn’t be living with me.
“I’ll call for them.” I close my eyes but as soon as I try to put out a message to my familiars, I’m hit with a horrible pain, just like when I telekinetically took the phone out of Lucas’s hand.
I scream, feeling like my entire body has been plunged into boiling hot water. Lucas grabs a hold of me, clutching me until the pain passes. Once I stop shaking, he inspects my wrist. The darkness has traveled farther up my arm.
“Every time you use magic it gets worse.” He touches the dark vein. “It’s as if the virus is feeding off your powers.” He holds my phone up to my face to get it to unlock with the facial recognition. “I’m calling Kristy and having her get a hold of Tabatha.”
“Lucas, I can’t risk her.”
“And I’m not going to sit here and watch you die.” He gets up, stepping out of the room so I won’t be able to try and stop him, and calls her. Abby takes a step back and sits on the register under the window. Her eyes flit from me to Binx.
“Told you he wasn’t really a cat,” I say, struggling to get each word out.
“I know, but I had no idea he looked like that. Do your others?”
I nod. “Pretty cool, huh?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Do you have to go back to the ER?”
“No,” she says. “My shift ended.”
“You can go home.” Binx moves to my side, resting his head on my arm.
“No, I’m not leaving you. I just need to call Phil and let him know I’ll be late.”
“What are you going to tell him?” I curl my fingers through Binx’s fur.
“The truth. Well, not that you’re infected with a demon virus and we’re trying to get a witch-doctor to cure you, but I’ll tell him you’re really sick.”
“Thanks, Abby.”
“You’re my sister.”
Lucas comes back into the room, brows furrowed with trepidation. “I spoke with Tabatha, and she’s on her way. We need to take Callie back to my house.”
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Abby argues. “She’s weak.”
“She is, and she will continue to get weaker.”
“Can’t they come here and treat her? I’ll close the door.”
“No. Tabatha told me that Evander has been researching this demon since we first ran into it a few nights ago. He has a lead, but if it’s true…” He sits on the edge of the bed, looking down at me with glossy eyes. “If it’s true, we don’t have much time.”
“What is it, Lucas?” Eliza snaps, unable to hide the fear in her voice.
Lucas tears his eyes away from mine, looking pained. “Pestilence.”
Chapter 31
“Pestilence?” Eliza echoes. “I…I don’t understand.”
“Like the Horseman?” Abby asks, voice shaking.
“Yes.”
“Wait a minute.” Abby is terrified and trying to hold it together. “One of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse has poisoned my sister?”
“Not the horseman directly, but a demon with connections who wants to bring them forth from Hell.” Lucas turns back to me. “The demon said something to you…that you might be strong enough?”
“It said it’d been waiting for one that was worthy, and then it kept asking me what I am.” Wincing, I sit up. “Demons say that kind of stuff all the time, though. They want you to feel special so you’ll let them in.” I close my eyes, thinking back. “It did say it didn’t want to take me to Hell as its bride but do the opposite…whatever that means.”
“It wants to break the seals.”
“Great,” I groan as another shudder of pain goes through me.
“I’m not following.” Poor Abby sounds like she’s going to cry.
“Break the seals, the Four can come out and start an apocalypse,” Lucas explains quickly.
“Oh. That wouldn’t be good.” Now she looks like she might pass out.
“Don’t worry,” I tell her and push myself up even more. “We won’t let that happen. I already killed that demon. And if any more try, I’ll kill them too.” I cough up mucus. “Well, once I’m better.”
Abby takes in a deep breath and sits back on the register. “Why do you have to take Callie out of the hospital, though? She’s sick, and at least here I can try to treat her symptoms.”
“The virus is demonic. Witches have the power to vanquish and banish demons. The right spell might be enough to weaken the virus if not kill it completely.”
“Holy shit.” Abby puts her head in her hands. “She still needs supportive care. That fever is going to burn her up. And I still don’t understand how the virus works…is she contagious?”
“I don’t know,” Lucas answers honestly. “She can’t infect me, though, if she is.”
“Right…you’re a vampire.” Abby closes her eyes and thinks. “Okay…you need supplies.”
“Supplies?” I ask.
“IVs and medication. If the virus is killed but you still have the freaking bubonic plague, you’re going to need a strong dose of antibiotics.”
“Can you go get some?” Eliza asks.
“It’s not as easy as it is in movies to steal medical supplies. Things are accounted for, especially the medication. When things go missing, someone will get the blame.” Abby chews on her lips and then looks at Lucas. “You can do that hypnotism thing, right?”
“Yes,” he answers.
“Come with me then. I have a plan.”
“Are you comfortable?” Lucas smooths the blankets over my legs. I’m back at his house, tucked in bed.
“As much as I can be.” I force a smile and my eyes fall shut. The little movement I did to get from the hospital to the house wore me out, and Lucas carried me most of the time. Abby puts on gloves and wipes the IV port on my arm with an alcohol wipe, disinfecting it before hooking another up.
“I need to hang it,” she tells Lucas, holding the bag up. “I should have had you steal a pump.”
“How high?” Lucas asks.
“About where I’ve got it.”
“I’ll find something.” Lucas kisses my forehead and leaves the room.
“Thank you again, Abby.” I turn on my side and bring my legs to my chest. Everything feels wrong inside my body. My stomach is full of acid. My muscles are deteriorating. There’s fire inside my lungs, and my head might crack open from the pressure at any moment.
Dying is awful.
It took twenty or so minutes for Abby to get everything she needs to take care of me here, and then another twenty to get back to Lucas’s house. Tabatha, Evander, and Kristy are all on their way, and should be here within a half hour. I want to sleep until then.
“Stop thanking me and I’ll stop apologizing.”
“Deal.”
“How are things coming on your house?” she asks and I know it’s to calm her nerves.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t had a chance to look.” The chills are back and I tighten the blanket around my shoulders. I don’t remember how long it’s been since we had dinner at Abby’s house. Days? A week? It feels like so long ago. “Maybe I’ll go home and find it’s almost done.”
“I don’t think that’ll happen,” Abby laughs. “Unless you use magic. Can you use magic?”
“Not for a whole house reno like that. But I use magic to help me clean and cook.”
Lucas returns and punches a long nail into the wall with his bare hands. Abby hangs the IV bag and then lays out the rest of the medication. She takes my vitals and records them in a notebook.
“You’re a good doctor,” I tell her, eyes feeling heavy.
“I try.” She yawns and runs her ha
nd over her face.
“You’re welcome to any of the guest rooms,” Lucas says. “And there are clean clothes in the closet. I don’t think Callie would mind sharing.”