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On our fourth day at the hospital, Jackson’s boss at the Aegis Task Force sent over a detective to take our statements about the shooting. I tried to keep them from waking Jack, but the agent was more concerned with tossing his weight around, demanding full accounts from us both, than human decency.
Jackson and I gave him the run down as best we could, filling in the gaps for each other, careful to avoid casting doubt on our abilities. If they took the investigation away from us, we’d lose all control over the flow of information. The High Council would hear the killer had my face, and immediately assume the worst.
In the end, the detective promised to post extra patrols around the city. Someone had to watch the normals while we were out of commission. He also offered to help us if we needed extra hands hunting down information. Help that we politely declined. The Council didn’t need to know that Shado’s search through my annex had yielded exactly zero results.
I had books on demons, illusions spells, even Native American skinwalkers, but none of their powers matched the kind of power this creature had. This shapeshifter had gotten inside my wards without setting them off, and she seemed to have access to the memories of whoever she transformed into.
How else would she be able to pull off such a flawless Ingrid? That illusion was so complete I’d never doubted it. Who else had she been? Why was she doing it? Why torture me like this?
We couldn’t go back to my house or Jackson’s apartment until we had answers. I made Tate take Shado home every night for the same reason. There was no telling who might be in danger. If the shapeshifter was willing to kill Nadia and Ingrid because they’d seen them following me, then I had no doubt they’d be willing to go after my family.
After toying with the idea for days, only one place came to mind that might keep us safe, and it was the last place that I’d ever want to go. There were too many bad memories hiding inside its walls. But we were out of time, and I couldn’t think of any better place.
Jackson’s surgery scars had shrunk to three small lines just below his ribs, and the patchwork of bruises across his abdomen were already starting to fade. Isaac’s nurses knew enough to keep them bandaged to avoid suspicion, but Jackson could move and walk just fine. We were running out of reasons to keep him in a hospital gown.
“Earth to Rebekah,” Jackson chuckled, drawing my attention from the window.
I blinked at him and smiled. “What?”
“I asked you a question.”
“Sorry.” I lifted my feet from where I had them propped up on his bed. “What was your question?”
“I asked why you looked so grim. You’ve been staring out that window for an hour.”
I shrugged and folded one leg under me. “Just thinking about things. How are you feeling?”
He rolled his eyes. “Like my wife is hiding something from me.”
“I’m not. I’m just trying to make a plan for how we get you home,” I said, leaning on the side of the bed.
“I would’ve thought you’d be happy to get out of here.” He sighed, stifling a yawn behind his fist. “You haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days.”
“I sleep fine.” I shrugged. “The recliner’s comf—”
“You’re a bad liar.” He chuckled.
“I’m fine, Jack. You just worry about getting your energy back up.” I brushed my index finger along the side of his hand. Magic sparked along my skin, and a vision rose from the depths of my mind. I flinched out of habit. It was the same vision as before. Nothing had changed.
“I’m sorry,” he said, shifting his hand to his chest.
I frowned, sitting up straighter. “For what?”
“Your visions. I see what they do to you. I wish I could make them stop.” He sighed. “I wish I could make everything better.”
Perching on the edge of the bed beside him, I lifted his hand from his chest and kissed his knuckles. “I love you for that. But it’s not your job to make everything better. This is my curse. I have to learn to deal with it.”
He squeezed my fingers. “Will you tell me what you see?”
I dropped his hand and slipped off the bed, shaking my head. “No. It doesn’t matter what I see.”
Jackson sat up on the bed. “I know it scares you, but I’m not afraid, Rebekah. We’ve all gotta die someday.”
“No, it doesn’t matter because I’m not going to let it happen. I will die before I let that vision come true,” I said, turning to face the window again. My hands shook and my heart raced.
“Bex, calm down,” he said, swinging his legs off the bed. “I just wanted to—”
“It’s fine. I just don’t want to get into something that’s not going to happen. There’s no point in it. No point in dredging it up.” A lump of ice formed in my throat. I couldn’t breathe.
