Page 54 of Destined for Shadows
Bartol’s attention fell to Cori’s left hand, lying limply next to her on the stretcher. It was pale and more fragile than glass. Her index finger twitched. As if pulled by a force stronger than him, he found himself taking hold of that hand. He rubbed the palm gently with his thumb. Cori was unconscious and weak right now, which somehow made it easier to touch her. At least, that’s what he told himself.
He bowed his head, wondering what life would be like without her in it. Almost from the moment he’d left Purgatory, she’d been around to constantly needle and challenge him. Most of the time, he wanted to throttle her for it, but in the deep, dark recesses of his mind a part of him enjoyed her attention. She gave him something he’d feared he’d lost forever—hope. It was a powerful thing for a man who could no longer remember why he wanted to live. For so long, he’d gone through the motions of life because suicide wasn’t an option. Taking things one day at a time was all he could do.
“Bartol,” she called out his name in a weak whisper.
He looked up, surprised to find Cori’s eyes open and staring at him. “I’m here.”
She gasped in a breath through the breathing mask. “You should see your face.”
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you care.” The corners of her eyes crinkled with amusement. “I told you so.”
He stiffened. “I’ve never wanted to see you suffer harm.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” she said, voice fading. She squeezed his hand, and then her eyes drifted shut. The cunning woman knew how to end the conversation before he could respond. He would expect no less of her.
The ambulance came to a halt a moment later, and the EMTs began moving. Bartol forced himself to let go of Cori and climb out of the vehicle. He watched while they unloaded her, making certain they took care as they did it. A flurry of activity surrounded her once they got her into the emergency room, and they tried to force him away. He turned invisible, not bothering to soothe their minds about how that happened. After a moment of confusion over where he might have gone, they turned their attention back to Cori.
Bartol paced the floor. It seemed like a lifetime went by as doctors worked to determine the extent of her injuries and decide on a course of action. She was given several pints of blood, and after they confirmed none of her vital organs had been damaged, they closed the wounds. Melena showed up at some point, pacing around the hallway outside. Since she could not turn invisible, he left Cori just long enough to give the sensor an update. Then he resumed his watch.
Lucas and Micah arrived about the time the doctors finished patching Cori up. While Lucas always appeared perfectly groomed and dressed, his brother was a different matter. Micah had long, blond hair and wore casual jeans and a t-shirt. He was in a band, though the only time Bartol had heard him sing was at Lucas and Melena’s wedding party. The nephilim had an impressive voice on him. But today, the only thing that mattered was his ability to heal Cori.
“The doctors just left,” Bartol said, then updated the brothers on all that had occurred at the hospital.
Micah compelled the medical staff to stay away and moved next to Cori to examine her. His gaze turned unfocused as he used his abilities to scan inside her body. For several minutes, he stood quiet and still.
“Her injuries are not too bad,” he said after his expression cleared.
Bartol stood next to him. “She’s been in quite a lot of pain, and she’s been unconscious most of the time.”
“Trauma will do that to a person, but I can help with that.” He gestured at Bartol. “I will need you to hold her down while I work.”
“Any part of her in particular?” he asked the nephilim. He placed his hands where Micah directed, trying to put the right amount of pressure without hurting Cori. When he glanced up, he noted both brothers had amusement in their gazes. “What?”
“You didn’t even hesitate to touch her,” Lucas said.
Bartol sighed. “She’s not even conscious.”
Micah chuckled. “She’s been awake the whole time I’ve been here, but she’s been keeping her eyes closed.”
“What? She can’t be…” His gaze shot to Cori as she slowly lifted her lids. “Why would you do that?”
She gave him a weak smile. “I figured pretending to sleep would make you more comfortable around me, and you might stay longer.”
“You thought I’d leave you?”
Cori’s brows drew together, and he noted a hint of vulnerability in her gaze. She spoke softly, “You had no reason to stay.”
Bartol didn’t know how to reply to that. How could she think he’d leave her alone with strangers while she was injured and vulnerable? It was so absurd that he refused to address it further. He turned his attention to Micah and gestured at Cori. “You can begin healing her now.”
As the nephilim began to use his healing powers, she jerked under his hands. The process could be quite painful, especially the first time when the patient didn’t know what to expect. Bartol called her name to draw her gaze to his and murmured reassurances until she relaxed.
“I will not leave you until you’re better,” he promised.
She blinked. “Thank you.”
“It is nothing, but you will have to cook me several dinners for this and deliver them to my door.”
