The Werevamp Diaries: Moon Beam Dream (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 5) (6 page)

“S
o how’s she doing?” Rhiannon asked a few days later as she followed Prieto through the winding twists and turns to Red’s cell.  She glanced at the time on her cell phone, thinking that Sandy would probably be giving Remy his bedtime bottle about now. 

The angel remained stoic, staring straight ahead as he walked in long stiff steps across the stone hallway. “She’s not better.”

Rolling her eyes, Rhiannon shook her head and snorted. “Yeah, funny how that works with curses.”

They found Red in the same meditative position as before, though this time she was sitting atop her bed with a mountain of blankets across her shoulders.  When they walked in, she opened bloodshot eyes, then raised a tissue to blow her irritated red nose.

“Why don’t you have this thing on?” Rhia asked, crossing the room and switching the knob on the floor heater Prieto had provided.

“It’s loud.” She shrugged, then unfolded her legs and scooted to the head of the bed so that the doctor could examine her.

The loud part made sense.  It did make a lot of noise, and she suspected from the last time she was here that Red was trying to use her supersonic humming to knock out the block on her powers.  “Thanks, Prieto,” she told the angel with a wave of her hand over her shoulder.  “We’re good now.  Feel free to stand outside the door while you wait.”

She didn’t look back at him, but heard his footsteps as he exited the room. 

“You know, I think if it were possible to break out of this place, someone would have done it before,” she whispered, then stuck the thermometer in her patient’s mouth before she could respond. 

“It is possible to break out,” Red said a few minutes later. “I’ve done it once. But the magic they’re using now is tricky.”

Rhia drew back, eyes wide. “You broke out?  When?”

The thin woman shrugged her shoulders. “I only made it as far as the gate.  Doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying.”

“If you made it out, why didn’t you, you know... go ahead with your process and all?”

She wasn’t sure why it was hard for her to say it.  The phoenix wanted to die, and she had the power to do it.  But the very idea grated against all that Rhiannon worked for as a doctor.  It was her job to save lives, not end them.

“I wasn’t sick then.  I had goals other than dying in mind.”

It was clear that Red wasn’t going to share any more.  When Rhiannon put the stethoscope to her chest, she could hear a little wheezing down deep in the woman’s lungs.  “Deep breath and hold it.  Now let go.  Are you having trouble breathing?”

Red nodded. “When I try to sleep it gets worse.  Its better if I prop myself up a little.”

She motioned her onto her stomach, then began tapping on the back of her chest to try to loosen the congestion.  “What about pain?”

“My fingers and toes.  It’s like a burning sensation.  Also my back.  It’s like a sudden spasm, but it’s deep.  The pills you left help some, but I’m almost out.”

“Already?  Okay, I’ll make you some more.  I’ll also leave these.” She rummaged through her bag and emerged with a prescription pill bottle. “This is strong stuff, and it will make you loopy.  But I guess since you probably won’t be driving a motor vehicle that’s not an issue.”

“Ugh.” She frowned as she sat up. “I don’t like the idea of losing my senses.”

“Well, which don’t you like more, losing your senses or living with pain?”

“Touché.”

Rhiannon smiled. “That’s what I thought.  I’ve been thinking we could try acupuncture too, if you’re interested.  But I believe for it to work best we should have someone examine your aura.  If I can map the curse, maybe I can block it...”

Red shook her head as she closed her eyes and leaned back against her pillows. “It doesn’t work that way.  I mean, who am I to argue with you, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“You’ve known someone who went through this before, haven’t you?”

Her eyes snapped open and one corner of her mouth lifted. “In a manner of speaking, yes, I have.”

“Well, let’s see how this goes.  I have an associate of mine researching your case.  If you could tell me more about the curse, maybe we could come up with something.  Or the person who put the curse on you.  Can we go after them?”

Pulling her blankets up to her chin, Red turned over so that her back was facing Rhiannon. “Thank you for what you’re doing.  I do appreciate it.”

She bit her lip and stared at her patient with a frown.  Clearly she’d been dismissed.  Not a few seconds later, the door to her cell opened.  Prieto stood there waiting, and she found her annoyance building as she realized the angel had been listening to them.  Grabbing up her bag, she left the cell and followed him back to the place where they would transport.

Prieto deposited her at her apartment without much conversation.  When he disappeared, Rhiannon tossed her doctor’s bag onto the kitchen table and then opened the refrigerator in search of sustenance.  A warm smile spread across her face when she saw a box from her favorite Thai restaurant.  The handwritten note on the front read: From Sandy with Love.

“That man...” Her insides tingled with a warm glow of affection.  She didn’t bother heating up the food, just grabbed a fork and started eating like a starving person.  Chewing a huge bite, Rhiannon made her way down the hallway towards the bedroom.  She paused when she heard Sandy’s voice.

“Wee, wee, wee!”

It was all she could do to stop herself from giggling as she peered around the corner to find her super sexy boyfriend sitting on the bed, her nephew lying on his back in front of him.  He was walking his fingers up Remy’s body towards his neck, sending the baby into a fit of hysterical laughter.

“What are you laughing at, you silly boy?” Sandy said in mock-anger as he lifted Remy and then rolled onto his back to hold the boy up in the air as if flying. “Look at Remy!  Oh no, he’s gonna crash!” He lowered her nephew down until his nose touched Sandy’s. “Boink!”

Again Remy fell into peals of laughter.

“Seems like I might be interrupting boys’ night.”

“Hey!” Sandy sat up quickly, perching Remy across his arm. “Auntie Rhia’s home.”

The kiss her boyfriend gave her was sweet yet with a touch of promise for more.  Remy meanwhile reached out for her fork, trying to bring it to his drooling mouth. “What are you doing?  Are you trying to eat my supper?” She smacked an open-mouth kiss to his chubby cheek, making a sucking sound.  More baby laughter had her giggling, too.

“I thought he’d be asleep,” she told Sandy before stuffing the last bite of Thai into her mouth.

“Well, we were waiting for you.  I thought you’d want to say goodnight.”

“Aw.” She leaned in and gave her boyfriend another kiss. “Thanks, babe.  Want me to put him down?”

“Nah, he’s ready to pass out now, so you go sit and I’ll be in there in a few.”

True to his word, Sandy wasn’t more than five minutes putting Remy to sleep.  Of course, he had the powers she didn’t to settle the little one down.  She was sitting on the couch, enjoying a small bowl of ice cream when he approached, brushing her hair aside to nuzzle her neck.

“Everything okay?”

“Oh, I’m just worried about this case.  I don’t have any idea how to help this patient.” Even though Prieto had indicated she should keep the matter confidential, her relationship with Sandy was important enough that she’d shared with him a few of the basics about Red’s situation. 

“Tough one, huh?”

She nodded, licking her spoon, then tapping it against her lips.  “Yeah, tough.  I keep waiting for a
Grey’s Anatomy
moment.  You know, the doctors always get that brilliant and totally unorthodox idea to save the patient.  But I’ve got nothing.”

He sat down beside her and pulled her back into his arms, letting her rest her against his chest. “There aren’t always magical solutions available... pun intended.”

“I don’t want to think about it right now.  Now, I just want to sit here with you.”

“You got it, sweetheart.”

T
he days passed in a blur for Rhiannon, turning to weeks and then a month.  Learning to be a surrogate mommy on the fly wasn’t easy, especially for a practicing doctor/vet.  Thank goodness she had Sandy to help, or she wasn’t sure what she would have done.  As it was, she was starting to think maybe Rhetta wasn’t coming back...

... that was, until now.  She fingered the note, rubbing her thumb along the bottom crease.

Dear Rhia –

I hope Remy isn’t giving you any trouble.  I’ll bet you’re plenty pissed off at me, and I probably deserve it.  Please, just hold on a little longer.  I promise I’ll be back soon.

Rhetta

“Well, what do you think of this, eh, Rembo?  Mommy says she’ll be home soon.” The tot was on her lap, fussing and slapping his hands onto the table and drooling into her leg.  Taking him up into her arms, she headed for the refrigerator to start warming a bottle.  A clap of thunder shook the apartment.  It had been dark and gloomy all day.

About that time, a magical little tinkling sound filled the air, and a pile of sand appeared before her, transforming from feet up into the body of her lover.  Sandy had a grin on his face that turned even bigger when he saw the two of them. 

“Now that’s a pleasant sight to come home to.”

Rhia stared at him a minute, the jiggly baby crooked across one arm and the bottle held up in the other hand.  Something about the way he said “home” made her belly flip-flop.  It seemed as if they’d been playing house for the last few weeks, stand-in parents to little Remy.  And part of her liked it, longed for it on a more permanent basis. 

Yes, they’d joked about getting married one day, but she’d never let herself think of it as a true possibility.  Sandy deserved a real family.  She loved him so much that she couldn’t bear to think of denying him that. 

“So how was work?” Although he was a Sandman by night, during the day he was a part-time door greeter at the local superstore.  It was a job she always thought was better reserved for the senior citizen crowd, but Sandy rocked it and loved it.  He was a people person at heart.

“Busy, but not bad.”

He sat down at the table and opened up a little paper bag, carefully removing the contents.  She started drooling immediately.  He removed not one, not two, but three fancily-boxed cupcakes, each of a different variety. 

Licking her lips, she plopped down in the chair next to his and leaned Remy back into the crook of her arm.  “You are too good to me, Bartholomew.”

“Yes, I am.  But rest assured, you’ll owe me.”

She snorted a laugh, while she tried to aim the bottle nipple at the baby’s mouth, but he kept slapping it away and whining.  Glancing up at Sandy. “And I always pay my debts, too.”

She fought with the little one a few minutes, then exhaled a grumble and dropped her hand limp at her side, the bottle held loose in her fingers.  And that was when Remy let loose a full-fledged wail, stretching his arms and legs out and tilting his head back so that he could scream even louder.

“Remy, please just eat.  You need to go to bed,” she begged, standing and bouncing him in her arms.  But the baby was having none of that.  Tears were pouring down his face which was contorted into a bright red frown.  “This kid’s been a terror all day.  Even the lavender hasn’t helped.”

Sandy reached out to take him from her, and when he did, the little one hiccupped a few times then stared as if mesmerized. “Hey.” He spoke close to Remy’s face, his tone stern. “Why are you giving Auntie Rhia a hard time?  Do we need to have a man-to-man talk?”

The infant giggled even as he rubbed at his red-rimmed eyes with both fists, a clear signal he needed to sleep. 

“He just keeps fighting it.  Hasn’t taken a nap all day long.”  Lightening flashed outside the window, followed closely by loud thunder.  “Maybe he’s got cabin fever.  I know I get edgy being stuck indoors.”

Sandy nodded, then carried the baby across the room to retrieve a plate and a fork.  He handed them to her then gently pushed her down to sit.  “Enjoy your cupcakes.” 

And then he left the room with both baby and bottle.  Rhiannon took her time eating each cupcake, starting with the red velvet-cream cheese and ending with the coconut-cherry.  Tilting her head back, she swallowed the last bite and sighed in heavenly delight. 

“Ahem.”

With a huge grin, she turned and faced Sandy.  He was in the entryway between the hallway and the kitchen, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.  “Thank you so much, babe.  That was delicious.”

He only nodded. “Good.  Seems like you needed it.”

“Where’s Remy?  Don’t tell me you got him to go to sleep.”

“Look for yourself.”

She tiptoed into the bedroom and towards the crib in the far corner.  Her nephew was sound asleep, issuing a little baby snore with each breath.  She reached a hand out, tempted to caress his beautiful little head, but stopped just short, not wanting to take the chance she’d wake him. 

When she reentered the kitche,n she saw Sandy reading the note she’d left open on the kitchen table.  He flicked it aside and offered her a sympathetic grin.  “Well, at least she’s alive.”

“Pfft, screw her.  She needs to get her ass back here and take care of her baby.”

“C’mon,” he said, coming up behind her and kneading his fingers into her tight shoulders. “That’s not exactly fair.  We don’t know what it is she had to take care of.  She was clearly nervous that night she arrived.  She came to you for help and...”

“Oh no.” Pivoting, she shook her finger at him. “She did not come to me for help.  Coming to me for help would have involved her telling me what was going on.  Giving me the chance to use my abilities and resources for her.  She came to me because she’s selfish.  She came to me to use me to cover for the mess she’s gotten herself into.”

“Rhiannon, she...”

She slapped his hand away when he reached for her, interrupting his words again. “No, you don’t know her, Sandy.  You are a great guy, and you always see the best in people so you can’t know, but she’s a bitch.”

She stared at him until he raised his hands in a sign of surrender, then started cleaning up the paper and crumbs left behind by her muffins.  Rhia watched him, feeling a little guilty for being so stern with him.  But that didn’t mean she regretted her thoughts or her words.