Page 45 of Magic and Medicine

I thought nothing about life, sex or otherwise, could make me blush, but as I shared each gory detail, the memory of his body left me bright red and stuttering. Maybe that’s why I rushed out of the house without stopping for a proper farewell.

The inquisition continued in the car, concentrating on my feelings now that we had some privacy, but eventually, Nina’s questioning wound to a halt.

‘I’m happy for you. It’s about time you found someone who cares for you, makes you walk like a cross-eyed duck, and smile so radiantly oncoming vehicles are blinded. Even if it is some mobster that’s horny in more than the traditional sense.’ Nina never failed to be brutally honest with me, but if she was making jokes, then I had her tentative approval.

‘Yeah, trust me to take the weirdest fish in the sea to bed. He is nice, Nina. Well, nice in that weird, burn-the-world-for-your-smile kind of way, but still… I like him.’

‘Shouldn’t you make sure he likes you too before you jump on his dick?’ She said in her usual brazen manner, and I shrugged.

‘It would have happened, eventually. The attraction between us was too visceral to be ignored, but I don’t know, I can’t boss him around, and I… I think I like it.’ I said, but my thoughts drifted to my past relationships with men. Leszek was the first to make my heart flutter and didn’t abuse me or become a submissive puddle under my feet. ‘Maybe I got lucky this time,’ I murmured, and Nina laughed.

The road from the island was rarely used but was straight as a rod and very picturesque, with the trees dispersing the light, taking us along the banks of the Motlawa River. I paid little attention to my surroundings, especially since it was only us and a single car on the other side of the road. Suddenly, the vehicle swerved, aimed in a direction that would push us into the water. My vision blurred, the future flashing through my mind, directing my hands. Somehow, with the smell of a burning clutch, I turned the car in time to avoid the collision.

‘What the fuck was that?’ I asked, looking at Nina, her pale complexion turning an interesting shade of green as I brought the car under control before slamming on the brakes to see what had happened to the other vehicle.

We both stared for a full second. Somehow, the driver had avoided ending up in the river, smashing headlong into a tree and crushing the front of their car. That was all it took for our instincts to kick in, and we leapt out, snatching up my grab bag from the boot and checking the area for danger. As I headed to the crashed vehicle, Nina threw out a warning triangle and called the emergency services. Much to my relief, only one person was inside, so I reached through the broken window to check for signs of life.

‘Hello, can you hear me? ’ I asked, shaking my head to clear the strange sound I’d been hearing since running over. It faded a notch, and I reached toward the man’s face. With no signs of breathing, his head hanging limply, I had to restore his airway, hoping the airbag had prevented any spinal damage as I tilted his head back, relieved when he gasped, dragging in the much-needed breath.

‘The song, make it stop,’ he pleaded while blood trickled out of his ear, and I worried there was a severe head injury. I registered this, but getting him out of danger was critical, so for now, I ignored it.

‘Rescue is on the way, and you forgot to turn off the engine.’ Nina commented, reaching past and taking the key out of the ignition, but smoke still rose from the bonnet, and I redoubled my efforts.

‘Take the fire extinguisher from my boot and try to smother the flames,’ I said, weighing the man’s life against the chance of Nina and me being hurt, a decision drilled into every first responder, but one never easy to make. I wasn’t sure how much time we had left, so taking a deep breath just as Veronica taught me, I willed my magic to reveal a glimpse of the following minutes, cursing as I saw the explosion and the death of anyone nearby.

‘Fuck! Nina, we need him out right now!’ I shouted, and hands grabbed me by the shoulders.

‘Get away. I’ll do it.’ My surprise allowed Jarek to pull me away and reach for the door. I didn’t know where he came from, but the muscular young wolf had a better chance of getting the driver to safety.

‘Hurry,’ I said, hearing the sirens of an approaching ambulance, knowing that heralded the flames bursting to life in my vision. Jarek’s body transformed into a half-man, half-beast, but before I could say anything, he snarled.

‘I’ll handle it, so get to safety.’ As metal tore, I fell back, watching my assistant carelessly throw the door into the distance. I shook my head at the casual display of strength, watching as he ripped the seat belt from its anchor and dragged the unmoving driver to safety.

I pointed to a place that would be unaffected by the explosion and shouted, ‘Put him here, Jarek! Nina, check his pulse while I see if he’s still breathing.’ We worked as a well-oiled machine, the sound of the ambulance arriving barely registered.

‘What the fuck is that? Sara, what the fuck!’ I forgot Jarek had shifted, and looking at the faces of Rysiek and Damian, I knew they would never forget the experience.

‘Change,’ I said to the wolf, fretting about what to do before Nina saved the day.

‘Oh, don’t be such babies, you two. We’ll explain later. This man needs help, so stop standing here like a pair of limp pricks at an orgy and help us.’ The team looked at me, and I smiled gently.

‘Please,’ That was all it took; Nina’s swearing and my calm courtesy reassured the paramedics, the years of trust and dealing with all kinds of weirdness overriding any shock or fear. The boys jumped in, and if Nina and I were a well-oiled machine, the four of us were nothing short of miracle workers, not even flinching at the explosion of the car. Within minutes, the driver was stable and loaded into the ambulance.

‘We are not done with you. You owe us beer and an explanation, so see you after work. Oh, and just so you know, we are taking him to your hospital.’ Damian shouted when they shut the doors, pulling faces at the firefighters as they extinguished the roaring flames behind us. It took several minutes to answer the police, with a promise to give a statement later to escape the scene, and without further trouble, we arrived at the hospital.

The Emergency Department was chaotic as always, and after a brief handover, I took charge while Nina directed her nurses with a mastery of the battle-worn general. I heard our car crash victim was in the neurosurgical ward. Something he said didn’t sit well in my mind. Eventually, curiosity got the better of me, so I went to check on him. Still, I could not see him being told his wife had arrived, requesting time alone with her husband.

I stepped into the lift, too lazy to walk down the several flights of stairs, when I heard the crash bell coming from the ward. My hand slammed the button that held open the doors when years of conditioning kicked in, pushing me forward. Someone was dying, and I could help, screamed my instincts, but the sound of someone coughing impatiently broke through the compulsion. It is not your ward, and you are not the only doctor in this hospital, I thought before letting the door slide shut, only to be overwhelmed by a sudden sense of foreboding, the lights flickering and going out.

I leapt to the side, pushing my back to the wall, the hollow laugh from my previous position telling me I’d done the right thing. The lights flickered back on, and the man who’d coughed so impatiently looked straight at me, a brown semitransparent globe in his hand, the soft glow it emitted swirling in a slow, hypnotic pattern.

‘Sara, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Your lover’s wards were difficult to overcome, but as you can see, I have ways to break even the strongest of spells.’ The voice was eerily familiar, but I still gasped when he removed his facemask, revealing the face from my vision.

‘Who are you?’ I asked, and he performed a mocking bow.

‘Nikolai Rostov, and, in anticipation of your next question. Yes, I’m here to draw a veil over today’s incident and maybe clear the air between us if you’re receptive. I would like to apologise for my associate; her actions contradict my plans, and the last thing I want is your animosity. You have piqued my master’s curiosity, Soul Shepherd, so I am here to extend a polite invitation.’ He said, licking his lips, the action predatory and nauseatingly eager.

I didn’t know who this she or his master were, but I was betting from what Rostov said that they were responsible for my latest near-death experiences.

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