Page 54 of Aberrant Monsters
“No, but your government is aware of its existence and tolerates it. We help the citizens of the Underbelly the best we can, and we also work with the Order from time to time.”
I knew enough about infernals to know they never did anything without getting something in return. Unless having a hospital in this specific location was what they needed and what they were getting in return for any assistance they provided.
I needed to know. “What’s in it for you?”
He gave me a close-lipped smile. “The satisfaction of knowing that we’re helping—” His head whipped up as if startled by a sound, but he recovered quickly. “I’m here from four in the afternoon if you need more blood extracted.” He snapped off his latex gloves and threw them in the bin. “You can see yourself out.”
He left, taking my blood with him and leaving the door ajar.
I hopped off the bed and followed, peering out in time to see him step into an elevator down the corridor that I was certain hadn’t been there earlier. He had his head down, tapping stuff into his phone, so he didn’t see me as the door closed on him and vanished.
Yeah, the whole elevator just vanished.
There was more to this place than met the eye. I hated not having proper answers, but I loved a mystery. I stepped back into the examination room and snapped pictures of the symbols on the walls before heading to the exit.
The hospital and its mystery would have to wait.
The sun was about to set, and Telarion and I had an eldritch to track.
fifteen
Ihad to duck into an alley, back pressed to the wall, as Telarion pulled free of the cage of my body.
He stood with his back to me for long seconds, shoulders tense. “I don’t want it,” he growled.
“What?”
“Blood in a bag.”
I adjusted the strap of my pack. “Why not? It’s my blood.”
He whipped round to glare at me. “It’s. In. A. Bag.” He bared his teeth. “I’m not a fucking pet. You don’t get to tame me. We had a deal, and you’ll deliver it the natural way.”
All my good intentions about olive branches and apologies flew out the metaphorical window. “There isnothingnatural about this relationship.”
He whipped toward me, crowding me with his immense frame, forcing me to look up to maintain eye contact.
Flecks of gold bloomed in his emerald eyes, mesmerizing and terrifying because of their alienness.
He scraped his talon across my jugular, the pressure a fraction away from a bite. “From the vein, August.” He replaced his talon with his thick tongue, licking up the column of my neck and sending a shudder through me. “From the fucking vein.”
He was being obnoxious and deliberately argumentative when I knew he had it in him to be reasonable.
“Why are you being like this? Why does it matter if it’s bagged or from the vein?”
His jaw ticked and then he backed away, deflating in size until he looked almost normal. “We have an eldritch to track and I still have to feed, so let’s be quick about this.”
The subject was closed.
For now at least.
* * *
Three hourslater we were back on Crow’s Path after having scoped out the surrounding blocks and finding not a single streak of residue that matched the eldritch I was looking for.
“I should get back home and report to Quentin.” I turned away from Telarion. “You can go do your thing now.” I headed for the train station, desperate to get away from him.
He’d been terse, growly, and overall difficult, which ticked me off. I’m not sure why I’d envisioned us as a crime-fighting team—the rift walker and her monster, out on the streets looking for…more monsters.
