Page 2 of Fangs and Family
‘Sara, be fair. The poor man probably crapped his pants seeing the Forest God in all his horned glory,’ I said, passing her the patient’s records.
‘I am fair. You accepted it all with no issues, even sleeping with a vampire and letting him bite you. Which was, by the way, the most stupid thing you’ve ever done. So why can’t the new councillor candidate accept the obvious, especially whenthe obviousis standing in front of him, surrounded by fireflies and magic? It’s ridiculous that Leszek has to repeat this circus every four years.’ She said, taking the files.
I didn’t comment. Sara was right, but she was also very wrong. I didn’t want to dwell on my strange relationship with Adam, Leszek’s second, and the vampire who, for several weeks, became my bodyguard, taking it far too seriously.
‘Just go fix some people and call when you need me.’ I said as she closed the door, and Sara sent me one of her blinding smiles in reply.
I loved her. She was my best friend and the best doctor I knew. Sara was now the Soul Shepherd, a woman with the rare ability to anchor a soul to a physical body so it could be healed or killed. Her power had no limits. Any spirit, even the gods themselves, submitted to her touch. Gods were especially attracted to her, like moths to a flame. That’s how she ended up bound to what the university books described as Leshy, an ancient and atavistic Forest Deity worshipped by prehistoric Slavic tribes.
We knew him as Leszek.
Since learning about the Nether, I’d always hoped there was something in me, a grain of magic, some unknown lineage, that would allow me to see Gedania and the legends of old, but I was all human with no magic of my own, so the mirror city of Gdansk, and that part of Sara’s life, was forever closed to me. I had to stand in the corner and watch, envious and excluded. All because I was ‘normal,’ or as ‘normal’ as a thirty-two-year-old divorcée from a broken home could be. Just an ordinary woman who was heading straight toward a midlife crisis, who’d just happened to befriend a Seer, when all I’d known about Sara was that her ‘hunches’ were always correct.
‘Nina, there’s a man here insisting on seeing you.’ One of the wolf twins said as he shoved his head inside the office.
‘Tell him to go to triage. I’ll be there shortly,’ I answered, putting the stack of papers together.
‘He’s not a patient. He looks like a junkie but says he’s your brother.’ He said it so casually, but I felt my heart drop. I hadn’t seen Pawel in ages, and before that, he’d dipped in and out of my life, mainly to ask for money or hide from whoever wanted to beat him bloody.
‘Fine, let him in.’ I said, preparing myself for another one of those conversations. One where he’d beg, and I’d refuse before he angrily stormed off. I loved my brother, but sometimes love isn’t enough to save a lost soul.
It was less than a minute before he rushed into the room, looking exactly how the wolf had described him, twitchy and nervous. His raven black hair, whilst the same colour as mine, was lank and greasy. His washed-out blue eyes were in stark contrast to my almost black irises, but the deep, dark circles under his eyes made them stand out more than usual.Is he here to ask for methadone2?I wondered, trying to hold back another sigh. My estranged younger brother, whom I loved and hated, nervously paced around my office, and the space suddenly felt too small.
‘Hey, how’s life?’ he asked, dropping onto the chair across from me.
‘What do you want?’ I asked curtly.
I didn’t have time for his games or excuses. He’d already extorted enough money over the years to pay off the mortgage for a small house, even in a city as expensive as Gdansk.
‘Aren’t you happy to see me? How long has it been, Sis? Feels like ages. And look, I find out you’re in charge of such a posh place. That friendship with the blonde doc must have finally paid off,’ he rambled, fumbling in his jacket pocket before pulling out a silver locket. ‘Look what I have for you today.’
The necklace looked old, with a dark patina obscuring the engraved silver, but there was something vaguely repulsive about it that forced me to avert my eyes.Why the fuck did he have to bring silver? I thought, gritting my teeth.
The hospital policy was that all silver, jewellery or otherwise, should be removed before entering the premises. Just in case our shifter staff needed to examine you. Not that such a little thing could truly harm them; if something didn’t kill a shifter instantly, they would likely recover, but my recent experiences told me you could never be too careful. Besides, why expose them or any of the Elder Races to a potentially lethal metal?
‘Put that back in your pocket. Who did you steal it from, and why did you bring it to me?’ I snapped, feeling as if something was screaming from inside, trying to crawl out of its silver prison. ‘I don’t want it. You should trash it or pawn it. Just get rid of it.’ I added, gesturing to him to take the thing away. ‘Now tell me what you want and leave. I have work to do.’
The hurt expression on his face played on my conscience, but I couldn’t give in. It was always the same with Pawel. Some small talk, a gift that left me feeling guilty, and finally, the request for money, a prescription, or sometimes both.
‘Twenty-thousand zlotych, or the equivalent in dollars or euros. I remember you saying you had around five thousand dollars in a foreign bank account that you’d squirrelled away after the repossession agent sold your flat. I know it’s a lot, sis, but I really need it. I’ll pay you back, I promise. I’ve got a big gig coming, but right now, I have to let the heat cool off,’ he said, looking at me with those sad puppy eyes that always tugged at my heartstrings.
How the hell did he remember I had that account?I’d kept it secret for years. An old habit I picked up after my gambling, cheating, now ex-husband left me broke. That was my untouchable money, my insurance policy to never feel helpless and at someone’s mercy again.
Mom, why did you make me promise to look after Pawel? Just why?I thought, and the only explanation was that she never knew her little angel would grow up like our father; always in trouble, always running with the wrong crowd.
‘No. I don’t know who told you that, but I don’t have that kind of money, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you. Enough is enough, Pawel.’
‘Can’t you ask Sara? I know who she’s married to. I’m sure her husband wouldn’t even notice if she borrowed a bit of his fortune. I really am in trouble, Sis. I need you. Please, Nina, I really need you this time. They’re going to hurt me really, really bad if I don’t hide. You know I love you, and I wouldn’t come if I wasn’t in dire need. I know you are getting better, and I’m trying not to be a burden, but I really need your help,’ he begged, standing up and walking toward me until he crouched beside my chair. ‘Please, you don’t want to see me here as a patient, do you?’
Emotional blackmail?It was much better than his previous begging, but I was adamant I wouldn’t listen. Not this time. No matter how much this useless brother of mine hurt me.
‘Get out.’ I rasped, closing my eyes, trying to ward off tears. ‘Just get out. I never want to see you again.’ I felt something fracture inside. Maybe it was the last vestiges of trust or hope that we’d ever be a family again, but I felt the last fibres of our familial bond snap, and now the twenty-five-year-old man next to me felt like a stranger.
‘Nina, c’mon, don’t be like this,’ he pleaded, placing his head on my knees like he used to do when we were children. ‘I don’t have anyone else. We have only each other, same as always. Don’t do this to me, sis.’ Pawel was so very, very wrong about that. He’d always had me, but I’d had no one, not until Sara found me crying in the storeroom and helped me piece my shattered life back together.
‘Get out, Pawel. Don’t come to me or call me, and don’t even think about asking my friends for money. You’re an adult now, and I’ve had enough of being responsible for your bad choices.’ I stood up and pushed him away. I saw the understanding dawn in his eyes, and genuine emotion leaked out for the first time. Not anger this time, more like understanding and… fear.
‘I’m sorry, Nina. For everything, I… I wish things were different. You are right. I’m sorry, sis, I love you. You deserve better than a brother like me,’ he said and turned away, walking out of the office.
