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Holding back her own involvement, knowing they didn’t need to know the danger she imposed, she focused on what she could explain in the moment. That they might understand. “Something is happening in Lost Beach, and it’s accelerating. I don’t know who or what Vann is, or his friends, but I know they’re here to help. We can help them by doing what we do best, and making sure that they can get back out there and finish this.”
The entire room watched her. Each other. The oddity no one uttered aloud, or Wade would have an overwhelming number of employees on his panel.
Eryn released a bursting sigh. “We can keep working ourselves to the bone every night. Going home grieving over more dead patients we couldn’t save. We can keep pretending our wild animal population is out of control.”
While the rest looked down at the ground and let it sink in, considering the heavy ethical compromise she pleaded for, Karen pushed her shoulders back and stood tall. “I’d like a real day off now and again.”
After a long sigh, cheeks puffed out with the exhale, Holden nodded at Eryn. “We’ve got you. Anyone who has a problem can come talk to me.”
One by one, her colleagues shifted into gear, and closed the surgery.
Eryn stayed with Vann until Quinn and Bennett joined them in the recovery room. She softly said she’d be right back, and returned in her street clothes. No sense in changing into fresh scrubs, as she wasn’t leaving Vann’s side.
Vann was stirring when she got back.
Quinn and Bennett were still at his bedside. When she came close, they moved aside for her.
Someone had cleaned most of the blood off him. The monitors all hummed normally.
“Private security, huh?” she whispered as she rubbed her thumb along his jaw and settled her hand on his cheek.
Vann reached up and covered her hand with his. His voice a low growl, he murmured, “Let’s go home.”
“Soon,” she said.
Quinn patted his foot. “Unless you want to walk out of here with your ass hanging out of that hospital gown…”
Vann cringed with his eyes closed.
“Ryan will be here soon with a change of clothes for you. Lexi and Astrid are fixing a feast. Your dad’s team is discreetly making sure your house is more secure than a troll’s butthole.”
“Astrid’s here? Isla?”
“She’s not good at staying away when things get tense. Your house is a freaking fortress, so she’s got a safe place to stay with the baby. As soon as you were hurt, she was on the move.”
At the news of his entire team here for him, his lips curled into a sappy smile. “Are they making pizza? I want mine with jalapenos and jam. And bacon,” he said hoarsely, his eyes still closed. “Get some cheddar and sour cream potato chips for Eryn.” At the effort, fatigue slackened his expression, and he fell back to sleep.
Eryn sat on the side of the bed and kept her hand laced with his. Quietly, she asked Quinn and Bennett, “What are you guys?”
They looked at each other.
The silence outside the door was hollow. Not many other patients today. None unnatural, anyway. Tisiphone had wanted her entirely occupied by this death.
Eryn ran her fingers along the length of Vann’s forearm, his veins plump compared to the dehydrated, thin scrap of self he’d been only an hour ago, dying in her arms. Now, he was comparable to a week post-op.
Would he have survived without care? A human wouldn’t have made it to the ambulance.
Her mind flashed through a million possibilities. Lexi was right. If Eryn was unique, how many others out there had gifts of their own?
Something told her Vann hadn’t bargained away his soul for power. Not even benevolently.
Eryn wrapped her palm around his wrist, resting her fingertips on his pulse and feeling the steady beat, as he recovered how only a monster could.
“You know what did this.” Bennett watched her without moving. A gentleness… and a threat.
“I do.”
An entire conversation passed between Quinn and Bennett that Eryn wasn’t going to be allowed in on.
