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“So there’s no lingering magic I have to worry about?”
“Not that I can sense, but if you give me a hand—”
“You’re not going anywhere except to hospital.”
“But—”
“I trust your instincts,” she said, and then added somewhat wryly, “And that is a statement I never thought I’d be uttering.”
It certainly wasn’t one I’d ever expected to hear, especially given her initial skepticism when it came to my abilities.
She pushed to her feet and then looked around. “Jen, she’s over here.”
Jen was one of the ambulance crew and in no time at all had me treated, bundled onto a stretcher, and whisked away to the hospital for a full checkup.
Thankfully, the cut on my leg only required a couple of stitches and my foot was, as I’d surmised, uncut. But I was certainly gathering a good selection of bruises.
I caught a cab home, and Belle met me at the door, ushering me in before handing me the biggest revitalization tonic I’d ever seen. It was probably also one of the foulest smelling.
“That’s just your heightened sense of smell kicking in,” she said. “It’s no worse than usual, I assure you.”
I wasn’t so certain of that given the gleam in her eyes, but nevertheless shut my eyes and gulped the thing down. It tasted as bad as it smelled.
I shuddered and thrust the empty glass at her. “You lie.”
She chuckled softly. “One of these days you’ll stop believing me when I say things like that, and I’ll have to start making them palatable.”
I snorted softly. In truth, adding sweeteners to most potions actually diluted their potency. It was possible to use Manuka honey—which was well known for its restorative properties—but Belle was old-school like her mom when it came to potions. The thicker and fouler, the better they worked.
I hobbled toward the stairs and slowly started up; despite my caution, my calf ached in protest. The painkillers they’d given me were beginning to wear off.
“Have you heard anything from Aiden or Monty?” Belle stayed behind me, obviously intent on catching me should I fall—although given her sprained ankle, I wasn’t sure how she’d manage that without sending us both tumbling. “Do you know if they caught the Manananggal?”
“No, and I’m thinking that’s not a good thing.”
“Unless they’ve got her cornered and are waiting for daylight. Given her magical strength, that would be the prudent choice.”
I couldn’t help grinning. “Prudent isn’t a word I associate with Monty.”
Belle chuckled. “That is for sure. But Aiden’s not one to take unnecessary risks.”
Especially when it came to his heart… I pushed the thought away and dropped down onto my bed. “I think I’ll have to park behind the coffee machine tomorrow. I’m not going to be much use for anything else.”
Belle raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t the doctors tell you to rest up?”
“They told you the exact same thing—are you?”
Her grin flashed. “When it comes to orneriness, we’re both as bad as each other. I’ll do the coffee, you handle the cakes. Penny and Celia can handle the rest.”
“Sounds like a plan.” My phone rang, the tone telling me it was Aiden. A ridiculous surge of happiness hit.
“It’s hardly ri
diculous when you’re in love with the man.” Belle tapped my shoulder. “I’ll leave you be. Don’t spend all night talking dirty to him—you need to sleep.”
“Spoilsport.” I hit the answer button as she left. “Did you kill the Manananggal?”
“No. How badly were you hurt this time?”
