Page 32 of Rites of Passage

You’re right,Brimstone mused.He reminds me of that creature.

A hedgehog?

A cactus.

Mae made a face.That’s a plant.

Hellreaver spoke.You obviously haven’t seen the ones where we come from.

Mae shuddered.And I don’t want to after that statement.

“By the way, why do you even need an infirmary?”

“A magical fight produces the kind of injuries that would raise eyebrows in a regular hospital, so sorcerers and witches generally prefer to get treated by their covens,” the aide said. “Most coven healers are licensed healthcare professionals who work both sides of the divide, in the human healthcare system and ours. Anything that can be done in a hospital, we can do here.”

His statement sobered Mae. She wondered how often the infirmary had been filled to capacity following clashes with the Dark Council, all while she and ordinary humans went blissfully about their lives. Luckily, the place was currently empty, bar the medical witch on duty. Abraham introduced them to her and explained what Mae wanted to do.

The witch appraised her with a guarded look, the guinea pig on her shoulder twitching his whiskers curiously. “Where would you like the body?”

“One of the operating rooms would be great.”

The witch wheeled out the remains of the dead sorcerer from the cold storage and brought the body into the first room.

“Have you performed an autopsy yet?” Mae asked.

The witch shook her head. “We don’t normally carry out autopsies.”

“Mind if I do one?” Mae lifted the duffel bag she’d brought with her and placed it on a counter. She’d gone past Grandview General that morning and snuck into the autopsy labs to ‘borrow’ some equipment.

The witch glanced uneasily at Abraham.

“Bryony said to give her carte blanche,” the aide confirmed.

The woman shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

Mae laid out her instruments on a tray before turning to the table where the body lay. She eyed the dead man for a moment before placing a hand an inch above his belly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Magic swirled in her veins, warming her blood.

“What’s she doing?” the medical witch whispered.

“Examining his magic core,” Abraham murmured.

The witch sucked in air. “She can do that?!”

“Apparently, yes,” the aide said, troubled.

Mae shut them out and focused. Goosebumps broke out on her skin an instant later. Her suspicion had been correct.

The dead man’s core was smashed to pieces.

From the faint traces of magic that still lingered on the twisted fragments, it had happened at the time of his death. She frowned.

Is that from Nikolai’s power? Or did being possessed by a ghoul render it fragile?

A light flashed weakly in the darkness of her mind. Mae’s pulse stuttered.

There was something else there. Something she hadn’t expected to feel. Her breath shuddered out of her when she opened her eyes.

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