Return of the Fae (15 page)

The troll nodded. “Just hurry. I don’t want to be here if he comes back.”

Ty sprinted to his car. He’d lost more time than he’d expected. Parris would be expecting him in less than five minutes, it would be at least that long before he’d even be able to get downtown.

Before he could open the door, Zander appeared, leaning on the car like a side kick from West Side Story.

“I don’t have time for this now,” Ty growled, not looking directly at the Fae. He reached for the door handle. The car moved back six inches. “Stop playing.”

“Just trying to get your attention. You don’t have time to go home. Parris needs you.” Zander touched Ty’s arm. “Look, I know you’re mad, but you need to listen to me now.”

“The last time I listened to you I almost died.” Ty jerked away.

“You didn’t need me. You had Derek. She needed me.”

“Or at least that’s what she told you.” Ty let the words hang. He’d known it wasn’t the Fae’s fault. Yet still, he felt betrayed. Zander should have been protecting him, not Rowena. He blew out a breath. “We still don’t have time for this right now. I’ll go to Parris. If you’re playing with me, this will be the last time I ever trust you.”

“She needs you. Toki made me come. I told her you wouldn’t listen.” Zander kicked a rock with his toe. If Toki showed as a five-year-old, he looked more like a rebellious teenager, ripped jeans and matching basketball shoes. He nodded across the street. “I’ll stay with Henry if you want. He seems scared.”

Ty frowned, glancing across the street. “Something has him spooked, that’s for sure.” He set his jaw ready to decline the help and a vision of Parris standing in front of April’s floated through his mind. He made the decision. “Fine. You stay here. I’ll send Derek when I can. He’ll take the two of you to The Council. Maybe Angel can figure out what’s going on with Henry. He has a bit of a thing for her.”

He reached for the car door handle again, stopped short and looked back. “Anything else?”

“Just get to Parris. Toki won’t forgive me if you’re late.” Zander grinned at Ty’s outstretched hand. “Go ahead, I’m not moving the car anymore.”

Ty climbed into the driver’s seat. He rolled down the window and watched Zander cross the street. He’d missed the Fae. The guy had a wicked sense of humor and a great three point shot. They’d played so many pickup games in front of the house, Ty’s dad had to replace the hoop three times. Zander turned, feeling Ty’s thoughts. He walked backwards now and called as he disappeared under the step where Henry hid. “I’m sorry.”

Ty gunned the engine and drove off toward April’s. He called Derek on the car phone, explaining what he needed from the condo, telling him to meet him at April’s. Fear grew in the pit of his stomach. Toki wouldn’t call the cavalry unless Parris needed him. He sped the car a bit faster.

It only took one circle around the house before he found a parking spot. Clicking the remote lock on his keychain, Ty took off to find April’s again. All these houses looked the same. After finding the right house, his attention was diverted by a dark sedan slowing on the street. The same car that had pulled out when the cab arrived. The car Henry described. The car Alex drove. Ty froze, trying to see the driver. Trying to convince himself it wasn’t the smart, funny intern from the office. He couldn’t have been oblivious to the wolf in sheep clothing right under his nose.

He half-heartedly smiled, wondering if there was anything useful in Alex Cabot’s personnel file Ty could use to track him down. Or Derek could use. Ty was the brawn, Derek the brain, at least where computers and records came into the picture. Derek would find any clue tying Alex to Coven X. Maybe they’d just caught a break.

Whistling he bounded up the steps and opened the door. “Parris? April? Where are you?”

He glanced around the small foyer, walking into the living room. The room was ablaze in candle light. There must be over a hundred burning candles, causing Ty’s eyes to water. Either they’d interrupted a romantic evening, or…he glanced at the bowl in the middle of the chalk circle. Someone casting a spell. “Damn,” he whispered. He’d liked April. She’d seemed like a good kid. If she was capable of doing such an advanced spell, she had to be a member of Coven X for him not to notice her power.

“Ty?” Parris’ voice came from upstairs. “Are you here?”

He left the altar and headed up the hallway to find the staircase. Taking the stairs two at a time, he found himself in front of an open door way. April lay on her bed, whiter than the sheets Parris tried to keep over the girl.

“What the heck?” Ty focused on April’s face. Her eyes were closed and sweat pooled on her reddened cheeks.

Parris looked up at him. “I found her like this. Burning up and unable to talk.” She glanced at the door, “Did you see the living room?”

“Someone did a pretty powerful spell. Maybe she’s reacting?” Ty glanced around the room. Typical college kid. Posters of the Eiffel Tower, London Bridge, the Great Wall of China, and what appeared to be Tibet covered her walls. “She travels a lot?”

Parris smiled sadly, pressing a washcloth on April’s face. “Those are goal vacations. For when she’s done with school.”

“We’re taking her to a hospital.” Ty walked over and lifted April into his arms. “Grab her purse. Maybe she’s having a reaction to something she took.”

Parris looked at him like he was joking.

“We have to rule out the human causes first, even though we found the spell.”

At the bottom of the stairs, they paused when the door opened. Derek walked in, a bag slung over his shoulder.

“What the hell?” Derek muttered.

“Not the half of it.” Ty nodded his head toward the living room. “Take care of that would you?”

Derek looked at the woman in Ty’s arms. “You know she was playing with this stuff?”

Parris shook her head. “April doesn’t believe in woo woo. We’ve talked about the subject many times. She may look hard ass, but deep down, she follows her religion faithfully. She was raised strict Baptist. This kind of stuff borders on devil worship for her. I haven’t even told her about my new status. I didn’t want it to affect our working relationship or our friendship. Hell, I didn’t think she’d even believe me.”

“Someone believes,” Derek took a deep breath in, “and tried to heal her. Are you sure you want to take her to a human hospital?”

Ty tightened his lips, looking down at the unconscious April. “I don’t think we have a choice. She needs fluids.”

“I’ll start to clean this up so she can come back safely. Any idea who did this?” Derek sat the bag on a chair and started unloading supplies.

The face from the sedan floated through Ty’s memories. There was no other choice, Alex had to be involved. “Look, once you get done here, there are a couple things I need you to do. Henry and Zander are waiting at Parris’ condo to be picked up and taken into The Council Center. Henry’s spooked and needs debriefing.”

Derek nodded, watching Ty walk out onto the porch. “Hey, what’s the second thing?”

Ty didn’t even turn as he walked toward the street in the direction of the car. He called back to Derek, “I need that report on my intern, Alex Cabot.”

Chapter 16

Telling the future is a risky practice. A rare witch is able to see the future events clearly in dreams or visions. The vision is clouded in their personal understanding. They see the future for themselves, telling another person, however, holds risks. Adding another’s awareness to the process could change the prediction. Avoid fortunetelling at all costs. Never let your fairy companion tell your future. They can change time to fit their wishes. –The Academy of Witchcraft Manual, Volume 3, Page 1502.

As soon as the trio entered the emergency room, nurses intercepted them and rushed April into a treatment room where Parris and Ty couldn’t follow. Parris searched through April’s purse as she tried to complete the forms stuffed on a clipboard she’d been given. She found April’s parents’ number, and tucked it into her own purse. She needed to make sure April didn’t need magical intervention before the parents swarmed the hospital and the house. She felt sick not calling them. What if April died? She looked up at Ty.

“She’s not dying.” Ty read her mind. “She’s sick, but I’m pretty sure something else is going on with her. She felt like her body fought something when I held her. I couldn’t read her at all. That in itself is odd but may be a result of the fact she wasn’t conscious. That can mess with the reading.”

“Good to know. So you can’t hook into my dreams.” Parris said the statement casually, inside glad to know limitation of his power.

Ty put his arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck and sending chills running down her body. “When it comes to you, I only see what you want me to. Dreams, thoughts, feelings. You, my dear, are developing a strong shield.”

Parris smiled and completed the paperwork. No drugs in April’s purse were stronger than the over-the-counter pain reliever she took after a long shift. For that, Parris was thankful.

After turning in the forms at the front desk, the couple sat in the waiting room, not touching, not doing anything, only waiting. Parris couldn’t even think of picking up one of the year old magazines and flipping through the pages. She knew she wouldn’t read. And she didn’t want to talk.

Ty’s phone buzzed. He answered the call. Parris could only hear his side of the conversation. The anger rolling off of him caught her attention fast.

“What did you do to her?” she heard Ty ask.

Frowning, now he had her entire attention. “Who is it?” She tapped him on the leg, trying to get his attention.

Ty shook his head at her, ignoring her question. “You were sent here to spy on me? Or on Parris? What was April, collateral damage?”

“That’s the person who hurt her? Give me the phone.” When Parris tried to grab Ty’s cell, he stood and walked away. She started to follow him when a doctor called her name.

“Parris McCall?” The doctor wore a white coat with his name embroidered on the pocket, Dr. Mark Sellers, over blue scrubs. Dr. Sellers, who must have been all of twenty-five, called her name again, “Parris McCall?”

Parris took one last look at Ty through the glass door of the entry. He was now waving his free arm in gestures she couldn’t decipher as he stood outside the waiting room yelling into the phone. She sighed. “I’m Parris. What’s going on with April?”

The doctor ushered her over to a table set up in a private corner of the room. “Your friend has you listed as her emergency contact on her prior medical records, so I guess I can tell you her condition.”

You better tell me
. She took a deep breath and calming herself before she answered. “She’s my friend. What’s going on with her?”

The doctor smiled. Actually smiled. Parris felt confused. This wasn’t the reaction she expected.

“I’d say from the ultra sound she’s three months along. She hasn’t been taking very good care of herself. She’s dehydrated and we have her on IV-fluids but I’m sure the baby’s fine.” Dr. Sellers leaned back in the chair. “Kids are like parasites. They take what they need, even if it hurts the mother. I’m sure once we get her stabilized and on a better eating and drinking regiment, this morning sickness will pass.”

“April’s pregnant?” Parris sat back, stunned. The last guy April dated had been a year ago. A doctoral student, he moved to California ending their relationship. How could she be pregnant?

“You didn’t know?” The doctor frowned, then his pager buzzed. Grabbing the device off his coat, he glanced at the code. “Sorry. Maybe your friend was being careful. Sometimes women wait until the first trimester to announce, just in case. She can leave when the IV’s are done. No need to admit her, however, it would be best if someone stayed with her tonight.”

Parris sank back watching the doctor disappear behind a doorway. Now she was glad she hadn’t gone with her first instinct and called April’s parents. The Baptist minister dad and stay at home mom would be stunned at the news of their daughter’s condition. Mad, angry, hurt. If April wasn’t planning on keeping the baby, maybe she hadn’t said anything until she was sure. A touch on her shoulder broke her thoughts.

“How is she?” Ty slipped into the chair the doctor vacated, pulling in closer. “What did the doctor say? Flu?”

“I think you know better.” Parris watched Ty’s face. “Who were you talking to?”

Ty shook his head. “Not here.”

“But–” Parris started and Ty put his hand up like a shield from her questions.