Page 44 of From the Shadows
Maybe it would be best to wait and hear it from?—
Whatdo you mean?he screamed in his mind. Tell me!
Another long pause.The team counted seventy-five or more vampires there. They swarmed our people the moment they set foot in the ballroom. Ranna led the charge and… and they gutted her.
No.Ranna was the fiercest warrior of them all. She was a nearly indestructible tank of a woman when she was in her wendigo form.Is she…. Please, tell me she’s not.
No, but it was a very close call. Diego did something he’s never done before, and that’s taken a toll on his body. He grabbed her and misted eight miles to the nearest hospital. Then he returned to the fight. The doctors and nurses worked on Ranna for twelve hours before her healing finally kicked in. She should be okay, but she’s likely to be out of commission for a long while. It was a lot of damage, even for one of her species.
And what about Diego? Is he all right? I didn’t know he could mist with a passenger.
He’s never done it before, and I haven’t heard of a vampire who could. I think it would be best to hear the rest from him when they get home. May I suggest putting together something for them to eat and drink? Also, if you could, maybe run hot baths in each of their rooms so they can get the viscera off them and sleep after? I wouldn’t expect them for breakfast or lunch. They probably won’t wake until dinnertime.
Of course. I’ll start right now. Thank you, Ms. Connelly.
Shay…. Please, call me Patrice or Empatia. You’re one of us, and you need to remember that always.
Yes, ma’am. Will I be running a bath for Ranna?
She’ll be staying at the hospital overnight. Her family is sending a shaman to treat her, as our medical facilities don’t have the magic theirs do.
Magic?
A wendigo is a magical melding of spirits. They’re probably the closest thing to a werewolf you’ll find in our world. Well, except for actual werewolves, but those are rare since the parvovirus ravaged their packs.
Parvo? Holy crap.I thought werewolves were immune to human diseases?
They are, but parvovirus affects dogs, coyotes, and wolves. After the initial infection, it spread rapidly. The wolves, being haughty and proud, told no one, assuming they would become immune to it eventually. They didn’t, and it spread so fast, it ravaged their population. When only a few thousand remained, theyfinally asked for help. Had they done so sooner, so many lives could have been spared.
But they’ll rebound, right?
That remains to be seen. Many adult males were rendered sterile, so fathering new children will fall to the very young or very old. And the young will need several years to see if they’re capable of it.A sigh.This is why secrets can be deadly, Shay. We need to be upfront with each other if we’re going to survive in this world.
What was she talking about? Shay had always been honest. Hadn’t he? Well, no. He’d told the others, but not Ms. Con—Patrice.
He placed Jeremy on the chair, then put a blanket over him. Once he was certain his young charge was comfortable, he went into the kitchen and threw together a charcuterie board with slices of meat, cheese, and a few different spreads, then put out some of the bread he’d baked earlier in the day. Once he was satisfied with the light meal, he hurried to the rooms and drew baths, ensuring each of them had fresh towels and washcloths. He also scented the waters to their specifications. Once that was done, he went back to the living room, bundled Jeremy up, and carried him to his room, where he placed him under the heat lamp.
Finally, when the house was quiet, he made his way back to the great room, where he took a seat, then drew in a deep breath.
Empatia? When you have time, I’d like to tell you a story about a stupid young man who let himself fall under the sway of an older man who turned on him and nearly killed him.
Shay could somehow feel she was smiling.I’m multitalented. I can deal with many conversations at the same time. I’ll be continuing to monitor the team who just left the hospital and are on their way home. They’re exhausted and starving, so I’m sure they’ll make short work of your repast. In the meantime, I’d like to hear your story. Ah, and Hal just brought tea. He says he’ll bring some for you shortly.
Shay realized he’d not really given Empatia the due she was deserved. She had really been there for the team. She took care of their mental health, by sitting and talking with them. Telling themthat there was nothing wrong with how they felt and that they could always confide in her.
Ask you a question?
Anything you’d like.
Why do you do this job?
She was quiet for a few moments.
I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be nosey.
No, it’s not that at all. Just trying to figure out how to say what I want to. Mr. Biggs approached me after he suffered a great loss. His family was killed by a paranormal, and he needed someone who could understand. A human psychologist couldn’t know the depths some paranormal beings could sink to. Being a paranormal myself, I could. At first, I’m ashamed to say, I thought he wanted revenge. What he actually wanted was justice. Not just for himself, but for anyone who needed it. He put his money where his mouth was and created this group. He understood what he was asking and knew the toll it could take, both physically and emotionally, and asked Dr. Oliver and I if we could help. Of course, we said yes.
Is it hard? Working with so many different types of people?
