Page 61 of Aleko
Sebastian came in and set the box down on the swinging, over-the-bed table.
“I’m back,” he said, wearily, but there was a triumphant gleam in his eye. “And I brought the family.”
Alex looked back to the doorway where Killian and Hudson were standing.
“We’re home,” said Hudson, trying to look cheerful.
Alex took a shuddering breath and felt as if lungs finally moved.
“I’m glad,” said Alex. “But there’s nothing we can do. The doctors... I can’t... There’s nothing.” He was helpless.
“It’s all right,” said Killian. “We have a plan.”
“And an Egyptologist,” said Sebastian.
“Hello,” said a girl, arriving to stand next to Hudson. “I’m Yazmin Hunter-Blake.”
Alex had no response, but it didn’t seem to matter. The family was already in the room and unpacking things. They didn’t seem to need anything from him, and Alex could only be grateful. Heknew he should contribute or ask why they were doing anything, but he felt incapable of even doing that much.
Alex watched duly as the girl Sebastian said was their new Egyptologist bent over the spell with Hudson. He felt like he ought to be thinking something, but every time he tried to focus, his thoughts slipped away again.
Where was Lia? Was she sorry? Was she hurt? Why had she done it? He tried to cut off that train of thought and harden his heart over the aching hole where Lia ought to be.
“I don’t know,” said the girl, her accent daintily British. It was very upper crust. “You have more familiarity with wolf magic than I do.”
The hospital chair was uncomfortable, but if Alex stood up, he felt like he would be crowding the already full room.
“But you’re better with magic overall,” said Hudson.
Killian was staring out the window. He’d sent Sebastian to look for something, but Alex didn’t know what.
“The translation could go either way,” said Yazmin.
“Well, that’s the question,” said Hudson. “Do we want to try for a translation, or do we want to do it in the original Latin?”
“I think we have to go for the Latin,” said the girl. “It’s got the greatest chance of success. But it assumes that he can manage the Latin.”
Hudson stole a look at Alex, and Alex tried to smile.
“He’s usually good with Latin,” said Hudson, turning back to the girl. But the two of them promptly shared a look that Alex couldn’t interpret. That was new. Hudson didn’t usually have outside friends. Alex didn’t think Hudson had even dated for the last couple of years. Sebastian had started calling him a monk.
“All right, but I’m still concerned about this part.” She pointed to something on the scroll.
“That just means blood,” said Hudson with a shrug.
“Yes, thank you,” she said sharply. “I meant that I’mconcerned for your safety.”
“Hmm. It doesn’t exactly specify a quantity, does it?” asked Hudson, looking more closely at the scroll.
“Precisely!”
“Killian—” began Hudson.
“Don’t ask me,” snarled Killian, and Alex looked at him in surprise. Killian took a ragged breath. “I don’t know anything about the spell. They didn’t give me any additional instructions.”
Killian was holding on, but he looked as broken as Alex felt.
“OK,” said Hudson carefully.
