Page 6 of The Devil's Embrace

Nimble fingers brushed sticky strands of hair off his forehead, and Calix blinked, momentarily pulled back to the light. He didn’t know what he expected to see, but the intense pair of pink eyes weren’t it.

“Finally awake?” the owner of the pink eyes spoke, and his voice was familiar, instantly setting Cal on edge.

Had he been dreaming of that voice? Telling him to…do something?

Repeat…something?

His hand twitched at his side, but even that little movement caused shooting pain throughout his body, and he whimpered.

There was a flash in those eyes, almost like interest mixed with something more terrifying. Something soulless and black.

But before Calix could pick it apart, his vision winked out, and he disappeared into the abyss all over again.

* * *

“Stand back!”

“Make room!”

“He’s coming to, Doctor.”

Calix groaned and then hissed at the sudden onslaught of agony in his lower region. He shifted in a poor attempt to rid himself of it, but all that did was make it ten times worse.

Someone shushed him, someone close, and when he growled defensively and lifted his head to curse at whoever was there, the word got caught in his throat.

“Detective Valimir, are you with me?” A pair of ethereal pink eyes held his for a moment, and when he got no response, his worried expression deepened. “The drugs are still in his system, and he’s most likely in shock. Has a room been prepared?”

“Yes, Doctor,” a different voice, this one female, spoke on Calix’s opposite side, and his head rolled to face her. She wasn’t as attractive as the pink-eyed man, but that same look of concern was painted over her face.

And pity.

Calix bristled the second he identified that emotion, trying—and failing—to sit up. He fell back onto the gurney, finally processing that’s what he was lying on and that he was currently being wheeled down a bright white hallway.

“Detective,” the pink-eyed doctor called out to him, waiting until he had his attention once more. “You’re at the hospital right now. I know this may be difficult, but I really need you to try and focus and tell me where it hurts, all right? Can you do that for me?”

Calix frowned and wet his throat, a bit surprised by how raspy he sounded when he asked, “Hurts?”

Well.

His throat certainly didn’t feel great. It felt like he’d been screaming for a week straight.

He hadn’t…had he?

Actually…

“What,” he coughed, winced, and tried again, “What happened?”

The doctor wore a pinched expression and then glanced over him toward the female nurse accompanying them. “Make sure the officers wait until I’ve done a full examination. He’s still too confused at the moment to answer any of their questions.”

“Yes, of course, Doctor.” They reached a wide-open doorway, and she let go of the gurney, bowing to the pink-eyed man before turning on her heel and speeding off, no doubt to follow his order.

Which had been strange.

“Officers?” Calix waited while the doctor brought him into a large private room, closed the doors behind them, and returned to his side. When he tried to sit up a second time, the doctor placed a gentle hand on the center of his chest.

“I wouldn’t.” He gave him a serious look. “I apologize if this seems intrusive to you, Detective, but I have to ask in order to properly do my job. I’m sure a man in your position understands that well enough to sympathize with me, no matter how…embarrassing it may be to talk about.”

“Embarrassing?” Calix really wished he knew what the hell was going on.

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