SIX
Within the first few seconds of Sebastian regaining consciousness, he regretted it. Everything from his toes to his forehead, especially his forehead, was throbbing. His eyes opened slowly, taking in the room around him. This bed was not his. The room was large and open. Tall windows covered in sheer white curtains lined the wall closest to the bed. It looked to be early morning by the color of the light. Sebastian tried carefully to sit up, but the pain in his arm was enough to make him give up that venture. Slowly, he remembered the attack in the alley as he lifted his aching arm to look at the medical bandage affixed to his bicep. He was shirtless, and a little investigating revealed he was wearing only underwear. He glanced around the room and was just considering attempting to get up again when Victoria opened the door. “Oh,” she said, “you’re awake.”
“Where…” Sebastian cleared his throat when the first word cracked and stuttered out. “Where am I?”
Victoria walked to the side table and poured a glass of water which she carried over to him. “You’re at Temple. You’re being treated like royalty.”
Sebastian glanced around and realized he was in a guest room. “How long have I been here?” asked Sebastian, taking a careful drink from the glass Victoria held to his mouth.
“Since last night. Aspen and Mars carried you and the mortal in here. It looked like they pulled you out of a burning building or something.” Victoria’s face creased as she looked at Sebastian. “Aspen said you were attacked.”
Sebastian thought back to the events of the night before, trying to remember details. “Yes. How is Alex?”
Victoria looked confused. “Alex?”
“The mortal.”
Victoria tilted her head to one side, surprised by his personal interest. “You know her?”
Sebastian sighed as he lay back down, irritated he was still weak. “It’s a long story, but yes. So does Russell.”
Victoria thought about grilling him for information, but decided better of it when she saw the pallor of his skin and the way he rubbed his temples as he lay back on the pillows. “She’s not good,” Victoria said. “Aspen says your blood got on her.”
Sebastian’s brow furrowed as he recalled Aspen yelling something similar at him before he’d blacked out. “Yeah, I remember Aspen saying something about that…I think. I don’t get it. Why did that cause problems? That’s pretty normal.”
Victoria stood and walked to the window facing the coming dawn. “It wasn’t your blood that was the problem.” Victoria turned to face Sebastian. “Aspen got her blood on the mortal as well.”
Sebastian lay staring at the ceiling. “But…what does that mean?”
Victoria shrugged. “No one knows. It’s never happened before. Obviously, whatever it is, it isn’t good. She’s conscious, but her vitals are very unstable. Mom’s got her best medical people in there with her now, including Garrett. They’ve pulled the crash cart for her already once.”
Sebastian lifted his good arm to rub a hand over his face. “Shit.” He sat up in bed again and threw back the covers, fighting a wave of nausea as he lowered his feet to the floor.
Victoria rushed to his bed, her wavy, dark hair swinging behind her. “What are you doing, Sebastian? Get back in bed! You have a lot of demon poison in you, and you’re still weak!”
Sebastian shook his head as he lowered his feet carefully to the ground. “No. I need to go see her. It’s my fault she’s here.”
Victoria moved to the chest of drawers against one wall. After tossing a pair of sweats on the bed, Victoria rushed to Sebastian’s side as he slowly stood, pulling the pants on over his underwear. After he got the sweatshirt on and zipped it up the front, Victoria slipped under his arm and held hers around his back to help him stand. “How do you know her?”
Sebastian sighed as he and Victoria walked slowly and shakily across the floor toward the door of the bedroom. “You know the project I’ve been working on?” Victoria nodded. “Has mom told you much about it?”
“Only what you told me yourself. You’re working on an alternative to having so much mortal contact associated with our job.” Victoria reached forward to open the door for Sebastian. “I know how much you hate the downside of what we do.”
Sebastian and Victoria stepped into the hall. Now Sebastian recognized his surroundings. He was down the hall from his mother’s office and the entrance of the lobby. Victoria led him in the opposite direction, deeper into the hall. As they walked slowly toward their destination, Sebastian said, “I found a way.”
Victoria stopped, making Sebastian stop mid-step. She turned to look at him, shock etched on her face. “You did it?”
Sebastian was still flying high enough on his limited success to smile broadly at Victoria’s reaction, even though it made the pain intensify behind his eyes. “Yes.”
Victoria’s large brown eyes lit up as it dawned on her what this would mean. She grasped Sebastian around the chest in a hug, and he returned it, his chin resting on her hair. Victoria leaned back, exuberant. “If you weren’t sick, I’d probably tackle you right now, so you’re lucky.” She laughed out loud. “Jupiter, I cannot believe you figured it out! Does it work?”
Sebastian and Victoria started walking down the hall again as he explained. “I’ve only tested it the one time. I managed to service four mortals.”
Victoria gasped. “Four mortals? In one night?”
Sebastian nodded. “Yes.”
Victoria’s steps slowed as she considered this information. “How in the world did you manage it? What did you use?”
“It’s too confusing to go into now, but it works. I have to work on it some more, and there are some risks involved. That’s where Alex comes in.” He placed a hand on Victoria’s arm, and she turned to face him. “Alex nearly busted me. I ran into her again before the demon attack at the coffee shop. She thinks I was trying to drug people.”
Victoria smiled and considered before she said, “Well, you kind of were.”
Sebastian shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. “No, you don’t understand. She thought I was trying to give people a date rape drug. She thinks I’m a rapist.”
Victoria took a slow step back as she lifted a hand to cover her mouth, chuckling in spite of herself. “Oh, good Jupiter.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “It’s not funny.”
Victoria laughed out loud now, throwing her head back. “Well, no, it wouldn’t normally be, for anyone else. But for you. If she had any idea how much you go out of your way to avoid hurting mortals.”
Sebastian sighed. “Well, she thinks I’m a bad guy. She started a scene in the coffee shop, I ditched her. She followed me…” Sebastian suddenly remembered Aspen had been following him. He narrowed his eyes.
Victoria stopped laughing, watching Sebastian. “What?” She went serious. “What is it?”
Sebastian was saved from a response by a door opening to their right, startling them both. Psyche stepped out. Her eyebrows rose as she looked at the scene in front of her. “Sebastian!” Psyche turned to Victoria. “Why on earth is he out of bed?”
Sebastian lifted a palm to take Psyche’s hand. “Don’t be upset with her. I insisted to come and see how Al-…the mortal is doing.”
Psyche pursed her lips, noticing how weak Sebastian looked, and sighed. “I suppose I know you well enough to know whose idea this was. Okay. You may go see her, but I want to see you in my office briefly in ten minutes. Then you are to go back to bed.” Her chin wobbled, destroying her professional demeanor. She took her son in her arms, turning her face into his chest. “I was so worried,” she whispered.
Sebastian hugged his mother, ignoring the pain in his arm and head. They held each other for a minute before Psyche pulled back, wiping her eyes. “Go on then” she said, turning to head back down the hall to her office. I’ll see you shortly.”
Victoria waited until they heard the door to Psyche’s office click shut before she turned to her brother. “Whew. You got off easy.”
Sebastian grinned. “She must have really been worried.” Victoria turned to the door of Alex’s room, and gently turned the handle. The door swung open silently as Sebastian and Victoria entered the room. The scene here could not have been more different from Sebastian’s room. A nurse entered notes on a chart next to the medical equipment that lined the walls and enclosed the single bed in the room on which Alex lay. The curtains on the windows were drawn, the shades pulled down, enclosing the room in darkness. Beeps sounded from one of the machines periodically. Russell sat in a chair next to the bed. He stood and approached Victoria and Sebastian as he saw them enter.
“Hey, buddy!” Russell’s blue eyes looked Sebastian up and down. “Are you alright? You looked like hell when they brought you in.”
“Yeah?” Sebastian replied. “Good thing I don’t remember it then.” He looked to the bed where Alex’s figure lay like a little, white snow drift, covered in blankets. “How is she?”
Russell shook his head and exhaled loudly. “You can imagine my surprise when they walked in carrying her! Holy crap! After seeing you both come in the way you did, you about sent me to the Afterlife early.” Russell turned to look over his shoulder at the sleeping form of Alex. “She’s bad, man. Real bad.” His voice lowered as he glanced at Victoria. “Aspen said it was a lower demon?”
Sebastian nodded, his face serious. “It came out of an alley I was trying to get through to avoid Alex. I ran into her at Sacred Grounds. Given our last meeting, I’m sure you can figure it didn’t go well.”
Russell snickered. “She’s got balls all right.”
Sebastian smiled but shook his head. “Well, she lost them real fast. A storm rolled in bringing this nasty demon with it. I think she about died from fright. She thought I was a turd before, but that’s probably nothing compared to now.”
Victoria frowned as she looked up at Sebastian. “That doesn’t explain what Aspen was doing there.”
Sebastian said, “I know. I’ll need to talk with her soon. You said Mars brought us back?”
“That’s right. He said you were in a hell of a fix. The mortal was convulsing, and you were passed out. Aspen was injured and on her own with the two of you. Fortunately, Mars flew in there and helped her get you two. He pulled a few godly tricks out of his sleeves, of course.”
Sebastian turned back to the bed. He was expected in his mother’s office any minute, and there was something he had to do. “Hey, you guys. Can I catch up with you later?”
Victoria followed Sebastian’s gaze and tucked her arm into Russell’s, turning for the door. “Sure. We’ll meet you back in your room later. I’ll bring you some ice cream.”
Russell chuckled. “Ice cream? Whatever. Bring the man a beer.”
Sebastian suppressed a smile as his siblings left the room. He turned back to the bed. As he approached Alex, he was shocked by how lifeless she looked. She had been thin and pale when he met her, but now she seemed downright fragile. Her skin was ashen, reminding him of death. Her strawberry blonde hair fanned out on the pillow she laid on, looking like fire that lost its vibrancy. The blankets on the bed seemed to swallow her.
Sebastian was distracted by the nurse whose name tag read “Bridgett”. He cleared his throat. “Ma’am?” Bridgett turned, grinning at Sebastian, the interest he’d come to expect in the opposite sex lit up her eyes. “Would it be possible for you to leave us for a moment?”
Bridgett pushed her hair back off her shoulder and beamed a two-hundred-watt smile at Sebastian as she tossed her hip. “Sure, honey. You just push that there button if you need anything at all, hear me?” she said in her southern drawl. She left the room in her white nurse’s shoes, only the click of the door indicating when she’d gone.
Sebastian took a shaky breath and lowered himself carefully into the chair Russell vacated when he left. This was partially to be closer to Alex and partially because he was weak from the short trip to Alex’s room, though he’d never admit that in front of his brethren.
He shook his head as he thought of the demon attack that had nearly taken the life of a mortal. He could die in shame knowing Aspen saved his hide and a mortal’s life while he’d been powerless to stop it. The Golden Arrows had spent so many years in peace, he wasn’t prepared for war. Aspen had been. Of course, Mars was the god of war, so they were prepared for anything. Sebastian found himself admitting he could learn a thing or two from the Lead Arrows.
Sebastian looked down at Alex’s face. One of the tubes going into her arm was carrying blood that ran through a machine for a transfusion. He’d never considered before the blood of both Arrows introduced at the same time might be toxic to a mortal. Sebastian jumped as Alex stirred in her sleep before turning her head toward him on the pillow and going still.
Sebastian sighed as he placed his hands together on the edge of the bed. He was responsible for the horrible incident that brought Alex here. He thought back to their disastrous first meeting. If he hadn’t messed up that last tablet, she’d be with the love of her life right now, courtesy of Russell. Instead, she was lying in a strange room, struggling to stay alive. Sebastian wondered if she had family. He wondered where she worked. People in the mortal world were probably starting to become concerned about Alex. She likely had a job. She looked about twenty-five or so. Maybe she was a student.
Sebastian lowered his forehead to his hands as he prayed to the gods to spare the mortal’s life and forgive him for dragging an innocent into danger. When he finished, he looked into her pale face. He sighed as he sat back, wiping his hands across his face. He was exhausted already, but there was another business matter to see to. He stood slowly, pressing the nurse’s button as he turned to the door. He thought of the interrogation to come and groaned. Knowing Mars, groveling would be involved. Sebastian ground his teeth as he walked out the door and turned down the hall.