Dr. Wolf, the Fae Rift Series Book 2- Demon Spiral (12 page)

“Did you get the tranquilizers?”

“Huh, oh, yes!” Dr. Indley replied. “Here.” She held out the black box she had been carrying. “I had to run all the way to Stride to get it, but I found one. I have two more on order. Dr. Worthen said the hospital will reimburse me for them. I’ll bring the others as soon as they arrive.”

“As soon as what arrives?” Dartan asked, walking through the door.

“New tranquilizers,” Aleric replied. “Seeing as we left the last one with the medusa.”

Dartan gave a visible shudder. “Don’t remind me.” He smiled at Dr. Indley. “And how are you, Gorgeous?”

She blushed prettily and was about to hug him when she saw the state of his burned skin beneath his scrubs.

“Oh my goodness, what happened to you? You poor thing! Has anyone been properly caring for these?” she asked.

Dartan met Aleric’s gaze over her shoulder. “No, they haven’t. I’ve been wasting away in the D Wing slaving over goblin serum without a moment to think about it.”

“Oh dear!” she exclaimed. “We’d better go take care of you right now.”

Dartan lifted his eyebrows at Aleric. The werewolf rolled his eyes in return as the vampire followed Dr. Indley through the doors.

“I’m sure we could find some salve or other that would help you,” Dr. Indley’s voice faded away down the hall.

“That’s it. You lost her.”

Aleric spun at the sound of Gregory’s voice.

“How did you get to be so sneaky?” he asked.

Gregory held up his foot. “Sneakers, but that’s beside the point. You let that vampire steal your girl.”

“Again, Dr. Indley is not my girl.”

“She could be,” Gregory shot back.

Aleric shook his head. “I don’t want her to be.”

Nurse Eastwick poked her head out of the closest sectioned room. “Our Dr. Wolf has his eyes on someone else.”

Aleric gaped at her.

“Oh, come on, Doctor. I saw the way you looked at Lilian the first time you two spoke, and you were mooning over her in her room not too long ago.”

“I wasn’t mooning,” Aleric said, embarrassed that he had been caught.

“Call it what you want,” the nurse replied. She stepped back into the room where she had been working. “Your eyes don’t lie.”

Aleric turned to find Gregory giving his eyes a very close look.

“Give me some space,” the werewolf told him. “It’s none of your business.”

“Lilian’s beautiful,” Gregory said. At that same moment, Therese came around the corner. “Of course, nobody’s as beautiful as my Therese,” he said quickly.

“You’re so sweet,” she replied. She gave him a big kiss on the cheek, then quickly wiped off the lipstick she left. “We’re not supposed to do that. Professional relationship only. That’s what we promised Dr. Worthen.” She gave Aleric an apologetic look. “I just can’t help it, though. When Greggie starts talking sweet, I can’t control myself.”

Unsure what else to say, Aleric went with, “I can’t say I blame you.” Uncomfortable at the situation, he hefted the case Dr. Indley had given him. “I’ve got to go.”

He left quickly through the door. He stopped in the breakroom and grabbed a few things he felt sure the nursing staff wouldn’t miss. When he passed the door to the D Wing, he heard Dr. Indley doting over Dartan’s wounds.

“You poor thing. I can’t believe you’ve been suffering like this all day.”

“It’s been difficult, but it doesn’t hurt nearly as bad now that you’re here. It must be your beauty; everything else pales in comparison, even my pain.”

Aleric shook his head as he pushed the back door open. He walked down the street carrying the case in one hand. With the vampire around, he would be lucky to ever get a girl even if he wanted one.

“Where are you going, Dr. Wolf?” a voice asked.

Aleric smiled at the heads that poked out of the alley.

“I’m off to hunt goblins. Want to come?” he teased.

“Ew, goblins,” Grimma said.

“No thanks,” Grimsli echoed. “You should stay away from them.”

“I would,” Aleric told the grims. “But I need to catch them to help the people they’ve bitten.”

“How do you catch them?” Grimma asked, her eyes wide.

He hefted the gun case. “I’ve got a tranquilizer gun. That way they can’t bite me.”

“Good idea,” Grimsli said, his expression solemn. “We wouldn’t want to see you on our list.”

Aleric stared at them. “Do you have a list here?”

The twins looked at each other for a moment. Aleric’s heart pounded as he glanced from one to the other.

Grimsli was the first to crack. “No,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t think it works here. But you should have seen your face!”

Grimma was giggling.

“Laugh away,” Aleric told them. “Maybe I won’t give you the treats I brought.”

Wide smiles filled their faces.

“What treats?” Grimma asked. The little girl hopped from foot to foot as though she couldn’t contain her excitement.

Grimsli watched Aleric silently as though worried that the werewolf was playing a cruel joke on them.

Aleric held out the bag he had grabbed in the breakroom. Grimma took it and immediately sat on the cement floor of the alley to see what was inside.

“Apples!” she exclaimed. “Peanuts and two chocolate bars!” Her mouth formed an O and she held up an orange square. “Cheese!”

“Cheese,” Grimsli repeated. He reached out a hand. Grimma set the square on it as though the single, plastic-wrapped piece of cheese was solid gold.

“You guys like cheese, huh?” Aleric said, amused by their reaction. He thought they would be more excited about the chocolate.

“Cheese is the greatest thing in Blays,” Grimma said.

Grimsli nodded as he carefully divided the square down the center so that both halves were even. “It’s our favorite thing ever.”

Aleric looked past them at the alley. The twins had turned the cardboard boxes into something akin to a house. The inside looked surprisingly comfortable. He pulled the two blankets off his shoulder. If anyone at the hospital missed them, he would replace them; but from what he had seen, the hospital had plenty of the same type.

“These will help keep you warm,” Aleric told the twins. He set the blankets in the cardboard hut along with several bottles of water. He looked back to see the children taking bites out of the cheese so small they would have done a pixie proud. “Enjoy,” he told them with a warm smile.

“We are,” Grimsli replied.

The twins waved and Aleric continued on his path.

The sun was close to setting. Aleric hoped the Mayor’s crew would have the gargoyles delivered before the sun went down completely. Everything hindered on them getting the lamps on the creatures before night took over.

But given the state Lilian was in, Aleric didn’t dare to wait if there was any chance to find the goblin that had bit her. Gregory’s car hadn’t been delivered yet, so his only choice was to go on foot.

The thought that lingered in the back of his mind was the fact that with nightfall also came the release of the Archdemon. Without the sun to keep him in his chamber, the Archdemon, along with his ogres and goblins, would be freed once more into the city. Aleric knew the Archdemon would be out for both revenge and to find a way to open the Rift. The problem was that Aleric had no idea how to stop him.

“Give me the case.”

Aleric looked at the man who waited in the shadows of the alley he passed. The diming sunlight reflected off the barrel of the gun he held within the sleeve of his hoodie.

“You don’t want this case,” Aleric told him.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” the man replied. “Put it on the ground and slide it over here.”

Aleric could smell the scent of fear on the man. He heard the staccato pounding of the gunman’s heartbeat that was far faster than it should have been in a controlled situation.

Aleric stepped into the alley. The gunman backed up in surprise.

“What are you doing? I said slide the case over. Don’t walk toward me or I’ll shoot you.”

“I don’t think you will,” Aleric said.

He listened to the man’s heartbeat speed up. The scent of his fear was bitter in the air.

The man’s eyes widened. “You’re that wolf guy who’s on TV!”

Aleric nodded. “Yeah. I’m the wolf guy.”

The man’s gun wavered. “I-I was afraid I’d run into one of you.”

Aleric lifted his shoulders. “I guess you did.” He held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”

The man shook his head. “I want the case.”

Aleric held the man’s gaze. “Do you really want to rob me right now? You think that’s a good idea?”

“W-why wouldn’t it be?” the man asked.

Aleric pointed up at the darkening sky. “Wolf guy, remember? As soon as it’s dark, I’m turning into a wolf and I’ll hunt you down. There’s nowhere you can hide from a werewolf.”

The man’s eyes widened. His hands shook visibly.

“So I’ll tell you what you’re going to do,” Aleric continued. “You’re going to give me the gun and leave. If I ever hear of you robbing anybody else, anywhere, I will hunt you down and tear you to pieces. Do you understand?”

The man nodded.

Aleric held out a hand. The man set the gun in it.

“Thank you for being rational,” Aleric told him. “I didn’t want to eat anybody tonight. Human has a bad flavor, you know?”

“Uh, y-yeah,” the man replied. “We do.” He took several steps backwards.

“You won’t forget, will you?” Aleric asked. At the man’s questioning look, he said, “No more stealing from people, right? Or you’ll get eaten.”

“Oh, right,” the man said quickly. “No more stealing. I promise.”

The man backed up to the end of the alley without looking away from Aleric as though he feared the werewolf would phase to wolf form and chase him down. As soon as he turned the corner, Aleric heard him run.

“Making the world safer one thug at a time,” Aleric said to himself. He pushed the gun into his waistband.

Chapter Twelve

Aleric returned to the hospital just before nightfall. The three goblins he carried didn’t feel like nearly enough compared to the amount of victims lying in beds waiting for the antidote. He was almost to the building when voices called out to him.

“Dr. Wolf, wait!” Grimsli said in a voice just above a whisper as though he was afraid to be heard.

“Don’t go over there!” Grimma said loud enough that her brother hushed her.

Aleric was surprised to hear the grim children so far from their alley home. He hurried over to where they waited two streets away from the hospital. The siblings hid within the shadow of an apartment building.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“We saw them,” Grimma said.

Grimsli nodded. “We had to warn you.”

“Who did you see?” Aleric pressed.

“The demons, lots of them. They’re headed to the hospital.”

Aleric felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. “The demons are heading to the hospital?”

Grimsli nodded again. “Yes. They’re going through the shadows. I heard them say when the sun is down they’ll attack.”

Aleric looked up. The sky was gray edging on nightfall. It would be dark within the half hour.

“I’ve got to go,” he told them.

“Don’t go!” Grimma pleaded.

Aleric could hear the terror in her voice. He dropped to his knees in front of the twins and put a hand on the little girl’s arm. “I need you both to stay safe. Keep as far away from the demons as possible. Can you do that?”

She nodded.

Aleric met Grimsli’s gaze. “You need to protect each other. Please take your sister back to your alley. It’s up to you to keep her safe. I’ll find you there as soon as this is over, okay?”

Grimsli looked as though he didn’t want to agree, but there was courage in his little face when he looked from Aleric to his sister.

“We’ll keep each other safe,” he promised, his voice wavering just a little bit.

Aleric ruffled his hair. “I knew I could count on you. I’ll meet you at the alley after this; I promise.”

Grimma looked as though she wanted to cry, but when her brother held out his hand, she took it.

“I’ll bring more cheese,” Aleric told them.

That appeared to make them feel better. Grimsli whispered something to his sister and she smiled at him. They both headed back in the direction of the alley.

Aleric took off running.

He ran through the Emergency Room’s sliding front doors, something he had never done before. The glass Forsythe had shattered had been replaced. It felt like so long ago to Aleric when he had pitted himself against one demon. Now there were countless of them heading to the hospital.

“Call the police,” he shouted.

Nurse Tarli poked her head out of one of the sectioned rooms. “I’ll do it.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Aleric muttered. He forced a nod. “Thank you. I need to speak to Commissioner Oaks right away.”

At the sound of his voice, Gregory and Dr. Worthen appeared.

“Is everything alright?” Dr. Worthen asked.

Aleric shook his head. “Demons are coming. Lots of them.”

Dartan shoved through the back doors in time to hear Aleric’s words. The vampire stopped short. “The Archdemon?” he asked.

Aleric nodded. “The grims saw them. They’re on the way. As soon as it’s dark, they’ll have this place surrounded. We’re in trouble.”

“You know grims?” Dartan asked.

Aleric gave him an exasperated look. “That’s what you heard? We’re in trouble. If we can’t defend this hospital, everyone in it is at risk.” He waved his hand to indicate the room in which they stood. At the same time, Orderly Therese came around the corner and screamed. Aleric realized he was still holding the three goblins.

“Here,” he said, handing them to Gregory. “Can you take care of these? I need to talk to Dartan.”

“I’ve got it,” Gregory said. He took the goblins as easily as if they were boxes of gloves. He hefted them appreciatively. “Nice specimens.”

“Disgusting.” Therese gave a visible shudder. “I don’t know if I can ever let you touch me with those hands again.”

“I’ll wash them,” Gregory replied, pushing through the doors Dartan had entered.

“It won’t help,” Therese told him. She followed him down the hall.

Aleric turned back to Dartan and Dr. Worthen. “How do we stop a demon horde?”

“That’s your question?” Dr. Worthen replied. “You’re supposed to be the one with the solutions. That’s what I hired you for.”

“You never officially hired me,” Aleric told him.

“You’re right,” Dr. Worthen said. “I guess I can’t fire you.”

“I’d recommend waiting until the demons are taken care of,” Dartan suggested. “Wolfie might come in handy if he can ever come up with a good enough idea.”

Aleric rolled his eyes. “We need to get serious,” he said. “What do demons hate?”

“Tranquilizers,” Dr. Worthen said. “Only getting enough of them for the amount of demons you’re talking about would be impossible at such short notice.”

“Light,” Dartan suggested. “The stronger the demon, the more sunlight bothers him. We know Archdemon Pravus is highly affected by sunlight.”

Aleric nodded. “That’s why they’re waiting until it’s fully night. They’ll be at their strongest.”

“Any chance we could use the lights from the gargoyles?” Dr. Worthen suggested. “The beasts were delivered to the back lot. The UV lamps appear to be keeping them in their stone form. Would they work on the demons?”

Aleric shook his head. “There’s not enough of them.”

“What do they want?” Dr. Worthen asked.

Aleric and Dartan exchanged a look. Aleric told the doctor, “He wants us to open the Fae Rift so they can let their queen through.”

“A demon queen? Here?” Dr. Worthen said. “Why?”

“She’ll continue what the vampires failed to do; she’ll control the human race and set up this world as her domain.”

“Why the human world?” the doctor asked.

It was Dartan who answered, “Demons are like vampires but instead of drinking blood, they live on souls. In Blays, such a thing is regulated. They are allowed to feed on certain animals, and not to the point of that animal’s death; however, like vampires craving human or fae blood, demons crave human and fae souls.”

There was guilt in his voice as if admitting such a thing was difficult. He shook his head. “They’re stronger when they’ve fed. If they’ve had any chance to prey on humans here in Edge City, we’re going to be in trouble.”

“Dr. Wolf, I’ve got Commissioner Oaks on the phone,” Nurse Tarli said. She handed Aleric the telephone.

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me,” Aleric told her.

The nurse glared at him and stalked away.

Aleric held the phone up to his ear. “Commissioner Oaks.”

“You’ve had quite the day,” the Commissioner’s deep voice said.

“It’s about to get even more interesting,” Aleric told him. “We have a demon horde heading to attack the hospital, and they’re led by an Archdemon.”

“What’s an Archdemon?” the Commissioner asked.

“A demon that’s about twice as big and twice as ugly,” Aleric replied. “We need troops to surround the hospital until either sunrise or we figure out how to defeat them.”

“When are they supposed to reach the hospital?” Commissioner Oaks asked.

“Within the next ten minutes or so.”

The Commissioner let out a breath. “You cut these things close, Dr. Wolf. We’re on our way.”

“Thank you,” Aleric replied. He hung up the phone. “The police are heading over,” he told Dartan and Dr. Worthen. “Maybe we have a chance.”

“What can they do?” Dr. Worthen asked. “Will bullets hurt them?”

“Possibly, a little,” Aleric answered. “But if they’re shot, they could go into fury mode. We don’t need two dozen demons raging out like Forsythe, not to mention angering the ogres and goblins.”

Dr. Worthen shook his head quickly. “Tranquilizers, then, or the officers’ stun guns.”

“They work,” Dartan agreed, “But I doubt they’ll have much of an impact on the Archdemon, and he’s the one we need to stop. Stop him and the others will follow. Demons won’t go against their Archdemon’s command.”

The sound of cars pulling up turned Aleric’s head. He could hear men and women talking on their radios.

“Officers are already arriving. Some must have been close by. We need to go out there.” He pulled both guns from his waistband and handed them to Dartan. “In case things get out of hand.”

“Where on Blays did you get a handgun?” Dartan asked in surprise.

“The better question is, who in Edge City doesn’t have one,” Aleric replied.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Dartan shot back.

“It makes perfect sense,” Aleric said. “You had to be there. The world is a safer place. Stay in here and protect the patients.”

Dartan looked furious at his command. “I’m not going to stay in here and let you get devoured out there.”

“You’re not in any condition to be out there. Look at you. Your skin is still bubbly and burnt. The moonlight would probably burn you in your condition.”

Dartan crossed his arms, let out a hiss at the pain, and lowered them again with the guns in each hand. “Just the same. I’m going with you.”

“I should have given the gun to Dr. Worthen,” Aleric said.

“I agree,” Dr. Worthen said. “If things get out of hand, I’ll shoot the big demon right between the eyes.”

Aleric and Dartan stared at him.

“That’s right,” Dr. Worthen told them. “I was in the military and I can shoot the ace out of a playing card a league away. So give me the gun.”

“Did you hear what I said about riling them up?” Aleric asked.

“It’ll be dead, not riled up,” Dr. Worthen pointed out.

Aleric shook his head. “A bullet’s not going to kill it. We need sunlight, and that’s not for another eight hours. Our only chance to protect the hospital is to talk them down until we can figure out how to deal with them.”

He heard the reverberations of Commissioner Oaks’ deep voice.

“The Commissioner’s here,” he told Dartan and Dr. Worthen. “Stay inside, please. I can handle this.”

He walked to the doors.

“He can hear the Commissioner’s voice from in here?” Aleric heard Dr. Worthen ask Dartan.

“Either that or he’s just trying to keep us inside like children,” the vampire replied, his voice thick with frustration.

Aleric walked outside to see the Commissioner instructing his officers to park their cars nose to end in front of the Emergency Room to protect it. In the distance, surging forward with the growing darkness, Aleric felt as much as saw the oncoming demons.

“They’re here,” he said, keeping his voice level.

Every officer within hearing turned to look in the same direction Aleric was facing.

“Those shadows?” the Commissioner asked.

“Those aren’t shadows,” Aleric replied.

He put a hand on the closest car and vaulted over it. He had to give the officers credit. They knew how to create a tight vehicle wall.

The Police Commissioner clambered over and reached Aleric’s side.

“What do we do?”

Aleric glanced over his shoulder at the hospital. “Keep your men behind the cars. If things get ugly, I don’t want the demons to start sucking souls.” He met the Commissioner’s gaze. “It’s as horrible as it sounds. We don’t want any of the demons to go into fury mode. I don’t feel having the guns out is a good idea. If anyone decides to shoot, it could be the end of every person in this hospital.”

The Commissioner stared at him. “So why are we here?”

Aleric gave it to him straight. “Because we are the only barrier between these demons and the patients waiting in those beds. If I can’t persuade them to leave, you may be the only line of defense. If that’s the case, do whatever you can. Stun guns might help, but that many demons in fury mode may wipe Edge City off the map.”

“Commissioner, the helicopters are here,” an officer said from behind them.

At that moment, lights flooded past the hospital and surrounding buildings to illuminate the street. Aleric held up a hand to shield the light from his eyes.

“Aleric Bayne.”

The voice made the hair rise on the back of Aleric’s neck. “Get behind the cars, Commissioner Oaks,” the werewolf said quietly.

As soon as the Commissioner was clear, Aleric turned to see the demons and other Dark fae pouring out of the alleys to fill the road in front of the hospital. The light from the helicopters illuminated them sharply against the shadows. There were more of them than Aleric remembered. The ogres with the demons lumbered to a stop, their beady eyes never leaving Aleric.

“Pravus the Putrid,” Aleric said.

The Archdemon’s glowing eyes narrowed. “You know why I’m here.”

“You need antibiotics?” Aleric suggested. “I hear there’s a flu going around that’s horrible. Your eyes are bloodshot and your breath is atrocious. As a doctor, I’d recommend—”