Loren shot to her feet from where she had been sitting on the edge of her bed, cradling her phone in her hands. Bandit now stood before her, facing Darien, and upon seeing Darien note the look of agony on Loren’s face, the Familiar opened his mouth just wide enough for the keys to plunk to the floor in a puddle of drool.
Darien raised an eyebrow at Bandit.Really?
The dog merely smacked his chops, looking rather pleased with himself.
“You devil, you,” Darien mumbled.
I learn from the best,the spirit replied.
You certainly do, don’t you?Darien shot back.
And then he faced Loren, who was shifting from foot to foot and twisting her phone in her hands. She had changed out of her school uniform and was now wearing a leopard-print tank and denim shorts. “Tell me what’s going on, Rookie. Why are you upset?” He took note of the purse that was sitting on her bed, along with a thin stack of papers. “And why does it look like you’re going somewhere?”
She wouldn’t make eye contact with him, and her face began to redden as the seconds ticked by.
Darien leaned against the doorjamb. “Don’t tell me you’re still grieving over that last flick. The guy married the girl, and they got their happily-ever-after. What more can we expect?”
She shot him an irritated look. “I need to go to the hospital.” Before Darien could speak, she added, “Don’t worry, I planned on telling your watchdog before I left.” Max, who was supposed to watch her the moment Darien left the house.
Darien frowned. “Why do you need to go to the hospital?”
“I need to get bloodwork done,” she replied thickly. “Several times a year, and the appointment is nonnegotiable. When they call, I have to go—no questions asked. I also need this,” she gestured to the medical tattoo on her forearm, “touched up. The ink is fading.” That explained why she was in such distress. Tattoos created from magical ink were incredibly painful. Even Darien had never had any interest in getting one done, and that was coming from someone who welcomed pain—and often found himself seeking it out, for it made him feel like he was alive instead of just existing.
“When do you have to be there?” he asked.
“In an hour,” she mumbled, unlocking her phone with her fingerprint. “I need to call a cab—”
“No cab,” Darien cut in. “I’ll take you.”
A startled look crossed her face. “You don’t have to—”
“Would you let me do this for you?” He shrugged away from the doorframe and backed into the hallway. “Please.”
Loren was shaking her head. “But—” She struggled for words, and he waited until she finally managed to stammer, “You already do too much for me.”
“Do I look like I’m complaining?” He disappeared down the hallway without another word. A moment later, he heard Loren zip her purse shut and hurry to catch up with him.
Regardless of how fast Darien was walking down the stairs, Bandit beat him to the door.
“You really are a sly devil, aren’t you?” Darien said to his Familiar as Bandit disappeared into his shadow. The spirit merely ignored him. “I guess you have a thing for the pretty ones, too.”
21
Loren sat in the backseat of Darien’s car, sandwiched between Jack and Tanner. Maximus was in the passenger seat, conversing quietly with Darien as he wove through traffic so swiftly, they were almost clipping other vehicles.
They were taking her to Angelthene General. When Darien had offered to accompany her to the hospital, she hadn’t expected anyone else to want to tag along, for obvious reasons. Bloodwork wasn’t exactly a party to anyone—well, except maybe vampires. But when Tanner had suggested Loren see his mother for the tests, Darien had extended the offer to Tanner to come with, and soon Jack and Max were expressing their extreme boredom of sitting around at home and wanted to come along for the ride.
Loren was starting to feel lightheaded. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast—the bowl of cereal she hadn’t finished—and the anxiety sweeping through her veins wasn’t helping any.
She fumbled around in her purse until she found a half-empty paper bag of Tongue Twisters, Skull Splitters, and partially melted Witch Wafers crumpled up at the bottom. She ate what was left of the candy she’d purchased from the sweets shop on campus before they made it to the hospital and met up with Tanner’s mother, Doctor Atlas.
“Alright, Loren,” the doctor said as she led the way to the examination table in a private room. The room felt even smaller with Darien, Jack, Tanner, and Max all crammed inside it. But Loren couldn’t find it in her to ask them to leave. She appreciated the company, even if it did unnerve her to have four extra pairs of eyes on her.Maleeyes, no less. Male,bounty huntereyes. “Let’s get these blood tests out of the way, shall we?”
Loren took a seat on the examination table, paper crinkling beneath her. She was wearing denim shorts, so there was nothing to stop her sweaty legs from clinging to the crepe. It was strange to be in a private room for these tests; she’d never experienced such… dare she call itluxury?
Doctor Atlas took a seat on a rolling chair and slid herself over to the examination table. “You seem to have a long medical history but no official diagnosis. How have you been feeling since your last tests?”
“A little worse,” Loren admitted with a mumble. “But I would guess my stress levels have a lot to do with it.”
