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“What’s wrong? You okay?”
“I don’t know,” he said, his voice husky. “I feel . . . strange. It started just a few minutes ago. I’m . . . it’s hard to think—the room—” And then he let out a low groan and slumped against the door.
Peyton and I rushed over to his side just in time to catch him and keep him from sliding to the floor. His eyes were open, but he was unresponsive.
“Crap, help me get him onto the sofa in the living room. Then go call Rhiannon and ask her where Leo is—he’s the healer.”
As Peyton helped me carry Kaylin to the sofa, I stared at his open eyes, rolled back in his head, and wondered if he was dead. We got him onto the couch and knelt by his side, feeling for his heartbeat. There it was, slow and steady. I shook him by the shoulder but nothing, no response.
“I’ll get Rhiannon,” Peyton said, springing to her feet.
“She’s out back, clearing the sidewalks.” I turned back to Kaylin as she raced off. “Kaylin, Kaylin? Can you hear me? Dude, wake up!”
Frustrated and scared, I felt for his pulse again. It was slow and even, and he didn’t seem to be clammy or showing any other sign of a heart attack. I grabbed an afghan off the back of the rocking chair and spread it over him, not wanting to take a chance on shock. If he’d had an allergic reaction, he wouldn’t be breathing—I knew that much from experience. I carried an EpiPen wherever I went.
Rhiannon came on the run, shedding her jacket and gloves along the way. She pulled off her boots, then nimbly raced over to my side and slid down beside me.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. He just came into the parlor and said he didn’t feel good and then collapsed. No sign of shock, no clammy skin, his heartbeat sounds good. I have no clue as to what’s going on.”
“We need Leo. I called him on his cell. He’s out doing errands for Geoffrey, but he’s just finishing up at the post office and will be here as soon as he can. Peyton, can you go into the herb room and find the smelling salts? My mother kept them around ‘just in case,’ as she used to say.”
“Sure.” Peyton headed out of the room.
“Good idea. If they don’t bring him around, then I don’t know what will.” Medicine was a tricky subject with Supernaturals—the magic-born, Weres, the Fae; some meds that worked wonders on the yummanii would kill us, and herbs that would barely touch one of their illnesses might be a miracle cure in our systems. We didn’t dare give Kaylin anything until we knew more about what was going on. Because he was part demon, it could react badly on him.
But the smelling salts had no effect and so the three of us sat beside him, waiting for ten minutes until Leo came bounding through the door.
“How is he? Has his condition changed any?” Leo motioned for us to move and began to examine Kaylin. Besides his job working as a day-runner for Geoffrey, Leo was a healer and skilled with herbcraft. He asked Peyton to bring him the first-aid kit and slid the thermometer under Kaylin’s tongue, then glanced at it, shaking his head.
After a few moments, he sat back, looking puzzled. “I haven’t a clue as to what’s wrong with him. This is weird. There’s no sign of any problem other than the fact that he’s comatose. His temperature is normal. I don’t know—should we take him to the hospital?”
“I suppose we could, but . . . I have a feeling that what we’re dealing with isn’t medical—at least not in the traditional sense. I’m going to fetch Lainule. She can come help us for once.” I put on my leather jacket and slid my keys in my pocket. “I’ll be back soon. I have my cell—keep an eye on him and call me if there’s any change.”
“How are you going to find the Queen of Rivers and Rushes? She keeps out of sight, you know.” Rhiannon frowned. “I don’t think I like her much.”
“Don’t worry. I know where she is.” With that, I slammed out of the door and jumped into Favonis, heading for Dovetail Lake, where Lainule kept her displaced Court.
The drive down was uneventful, even if I did pour on the speed. Fuck the cops. If they tried to stop me, they could face Geoffrey’s wrath. He ruled the town, anyway, and I had a feeling that the vampire would be willing to do a lot of minor favors for me as long as I asked with respect.
But nobody bothered me and I swung into Dovetail Lake and skidded to a stop in the parking lot. Jumping out of the car, I caught my balance as I nearly fell on my butt, sliding on the slick snow that covered chunky ice below.
“Lainule! I know you’re out here. I know you can hear me. I need to talk to you now! We need your help and I’ll keep shouting so everybody and their brother can hear me until you show yourself.”
The Summer Queen didn’t like people knowing where she hid out. It was dangerous, and I knew I could get a rise out of her that way. Of course, she’d be pissed at me but right now, I didn’t care.
Sure enough, within a moment there was a shimmer in the tattered remains of summer’s rushes next to the lake, and one of her guards stepped out of the decrepit vegetation.
“What do you need?” He gave me an icy stare, but I ignored it.
“I need the Queen’s help. It’s an emergency.” I wasn’t going to tell him anything that might lead him to decide I really didn’t need to see Lainule.
He paused, studying my face, then nodded for me to follow him. As I slipped through the portal in the dying reeds, a soft breeze swept around me and I found myself staring at a clear sky, pale blue with faint tendrils of sunlight breaking through a haze of distant clouds. The reeds disappeared and I was on the shores of a gorgeous lake, while a meadow spread out to the side. The grass was dry and soft, and butterflies wisped by on thin wings.
Lainule was sitting on a patchwork blanket by the water, staring silently into the gentle ripples. She looked up as I knelt beside her.
“Cicely—I did not summon you.”
