Page 70 of Huntress

“Nothing heals better than a good, restorative soup,” one of them said before they left.

“No meat,” Grady had told them. “The captain doesn’t eat it.” That earned her some strange looks, but they smiled and went on their way.

“Can you bring more blankets?” Marley asked after checking on Morgan. The sniper was shivering with shock.

“Yes, ma’am.” One of the women bustled out of the room.

“Elsie, will you sit down before you fall down?!” Marley snapped. “You’re not doing anyone any good pacing around like that.”

“My nerves won’t settle, we haven’t finished the fight. The other piper is still out there, and somebody needs to get those sirens turned off. Aren’t they bothering anyone else?” She wrung her hands. Sitting still wasn’t an option, not while knowing he could come seeking his revenge at any moment.

“There’s another one?” The nurse dropped the I.V. bag she was bringing to Marley, her face gone pale, hands shaking. Her eyes darted over to the demon in the corner as though hoping he’d be the one to save them again, but the wolfhound hadn’t moved since he’d arrived.

Elsie’s squad barely reacted. Grady stared off into space, and Banks had an arm slung over his eyes.

“Yes, there’s another one, but we’re useless against it right now,” Trenton said. “Come on, Boss, simmer down and give Marley time to heal everyone.”

“A-are we safe here?” the nurse asked. Nobody wanted to answer. This room was both the safest and most dangerous place in the whole nest. If the piper came calling, this was exactly the room he’d target.

“Where are the witches?” Elsie asked. “I never had time to ask what happened with them, Perrie?”

“I may have put a sleeping spell on them. They got a call over the radio about dinner, but it must have been a code because one of them brought me to the kitchen as a distraction while the others blocked the barrier. I didn’t notice right away, and I’m sorry about that. If I’d been paying closer attention–” The strawberry blond ducked her head.

“That’s not your fault. If the pipers had a code in place, they’d already planned ahead.”

“I know they were following orders, but when I figured out what they’d done, I panicked and hit ‘em pretty hard. They’re going to wake up with huge headaches.” Perrie twisted her fingers together.

“Good for you. It’s no less than they deserve for turning on us.” Marley grinned. Elsie nodded, chewing her lip. She’d considered putting the witches to use, powering the healing spells and placing a barrier around the hunter’s headquarters building, but that wouldn’t be happening now.

“You did the right thing,” Elsie assured her. The woman retrieving blankets returned, rushing them over to Morgan and helping Marley cover him. “I’m going to turn the sirens off and take a look around. Also, I need to contact the marshal.”

“Elsie–” Marley gritted her teeth. “Do not make me sedate you!”

“Hold on, miss,” the portly woman who’d brought blankets said kindly. She pulled a dark brown T-shirt off her shoulder and handed it over. “Put this on, dear, or you might catch a cold.”

Elsie blinked and looked down at herself. She’d forgotten that she wore nothing but a bra that was fighting for its life at this point. Her torn body, crusted with drying blood, was on full display.

“Thank you.” She pulled it on; the process slow and painful. “I’m fine, Marley. I’ll check in soon.”

“You are not fine, you’re a stubborn pain in the ass!”

Morgan rolled to the side and hurled blood-tinted vomit all over the floor. Marley shot over to him, throwing an exasperated look over her shoulder.

“Do not leave this room or so help me–” She reached Morgan and pushed the hair out of his face. “He’s still too cold!”

Elsie slid into the hallway, waving a dismissive hand at her cranky healer. Morgan, Trisse and Steve needed her more than anyone else. Besides, she couldn’t think with the constant wailing of those damned evacuation sirens.

Her steps were shorter, more careful than usual; her entire body was tender and sore. It took a few minutes before Marley’s complaints faded into the distance.

The hallway was long and cold, with polished floors splattered with blood and covered in the dirt her squad had dragged in. She paused and opened several doors, each containing nothing interesting. A janitorial closet, a couple of low-level offices, and a smelly gym with plenty of equipment. At the end, she turned left, choosing based on the number of magical signatures heading that way.

Elsie closed another door when she heard rhythmic clicking behind her, and she sighed, turning to watch him come. He moved how she felt; stiff and guarded, like every movement made him want to lie down and sleep for a month, but still he’d come.

“You should have stayed and rested,” she scolded gently when he paused in front of her. The demon shifted into his human form. He held an arm to his chest, shoulders caved in and unable to stand straight.

“And you shouldn’t have left without me,” he chided in return. He stepped into her space, forcing her to look up at him. His dark eyes hid his thoughts, while the wall around his mind hid his emotions, but there was no threat in his body language.

“I’ve managed to get through my entire life without a moody, borderline obsessive shadow following me around. What’s the matter, Mutt? Was Marley mean to you?” she joked, turning and continuing her walk.