Page 6 of Demon Hunter

My mind races. A fake company is easy, but a fake hospital? Somewhere capable of trauma care that they’d be willing to release him to? “Yes, but it’ll take me time. Six hours at least, and that wouldn’t really stand up to any suspicions.”

Ian, finally catching on, says, “If he’s critical, they won’t let you transfer him anyway. And six hours—” He stops, but we all know what he was going to say. Six hours is a long time for someone who’s in critical condition. A lot can happen.

“It will be harder, but I can work on him in the hospital,” Marc says dismissively, as though we’re talking about knitting a scarf. “I’ll need to make the changes more gradual. Instead of healing him all at once, just a boost to his natural healing ability.”

The ragged gasp of relief that tears from me is painful. “You can do that?”

He sighs. “Why must you humans always question me?”

Gabe laughs, but there’s nothing happy about it. It’s a tearful sob. “The doctor emailed me some forms, and one of them will give permission for you to stay with him until I get there. Go, now. I’ll call as soon as I’ve sent them back to her—ten minutes.”

“Pick me up,” I repeat. “I’m in my car on?—”

“I can find you,” Marc scoffs. “Am I also to play taxi for you, Gabe?”

There’s a brief hesitation, then Gabe reluctantly says, “No. The doctor knows I’m in Illinois. I can’t turn up too early.”

“We’ll keep you informed,” Ian promises. “Dyl, we’re coming for you now.”

I open my mouth to reply, then shriek as they appear on the road in front of my car.

“Dylan!” Gabe yells. “What?—”

“I’m fine. Marc and Ian are here. Do those forms now, because we’ll be there in ten seconds.” I end the call and take a deep breath.

Here goes nothing.

Chapter 3

Dylan

I don’t knowwhat I was expecting teleporting to be like, but this isn’t it. If I wasn’t so worried about Matt, I’d be disappointed. Where were the swirly lights and the popping noises as we disappeared and reappeared? Where was the spinning darkness of inter-whatever travel? Where was the intense sickness as my body rejected being disassembled and reassembled, or whatever the process is?

Instead, I simply went from standing beside my car to standing… somewhere else. I look out at a parking lot, then turn around to face the building behind me. There aren’t many people around, and nobody’s paying attention to us—luckily—but there’s a nifty sign above the door proclaiming this Renown Regional Medical Center.

Great. Ian and I head toward the door, our minds on the same track.

“Where are you going?” Marc asks from behind us. “They said you can’t see him until they have Gabe’s forms.” There’s a slightly mocking edge to his voice, as though forms are a stupid idea. He might have a point there.

“It’s a big building,” I snap. “We need to find where he is, even if they make us wait.”

Marc smirks in a way that finally makes me understand what Matt means when he says he wants to punch Marc’s smile off his face. “He’s on the fourth floor, on the left side of the building, toward the front…” His eyes track up in that direction. “Three rooms in. There’s a nurse monitoring him at the moment.” The smirk fades from his face, and he meets Ian’s gaze. “You need to be prepared. There’s a machine breathing for him and a lot of tubes.”

My knees turn to jelly, but I manage to stay upright. Marc said he was going to save him. The machine is only temporary.

Ian, his face ash-pale in the poor lighting, sets his jaw and swallows hard. “You can still heal him, though?”

Marc nods, and I blink back my tears. Dammit. Dammit, dammit. I can’t cry. Not if Ian doesn’t. All this time Matt wanted to tell his family, and I can’t give us away now and deny him that. He gets to choose to do this.

Because now that the worst has happened, I know it would have been better for them to know. Who was I kidding, thinking that keeping us a secret meant it would be easier? That I could avoid getting involved with another family and maybe not have to go throughlosinganother family?

What if Matt hadn’t had his phone? If he’d been identified some other way, and Gabe had been notified? They’d have let me know eventually, but I wouldn’t be here now. I’d be sitting at home, scared out of my fucking mind and not knowing who to call.

So yeah, when Matt wakes up, I’ll tell him to talk to his family. Fuck, he can talk to his mailman, for all I care. The world can know. Because I don’t ever want to be in a position where he’s hurt and nobody thinks to call me, and I don’teveragain want to have to hide what I feel for him.

Ian’s phone rings, and he snatches it to his ear. “Gabe?” His eyes close. “Thanks. See you soon.”

I head for the doors.

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