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Again, Yvonne hadn’t said anything bad exactly, but her tone sent shivers down my spine. I pushed my concerns aside, and focused on Raphael. “What’s in the needle?”
Dr. Gonzales sent me a look that said she was over my hatred of shots. “I had him hooked to an IV earlier, but his thrashing kept ripping it out. The syringe is filled with a sedative, painkiller, some antibiotics, and holy water.”
She’d saved the best for last. “Holy water?”
She shrugged. “It’s a guess, but it could weaken the demon so that the rest of the drugs can do their job.”
Her logic seemed legit, but boy was it odd to think of a doctor shooting a patient up with holy water.
The witches made room for Dr. Gonzales around the bed.
The noise that Raphael made as the mixture went into him was nothing human. We stood frozen as he screamed. His back arched off the bed, and Dr. Gonzales pushed his shoulder down. “Hold him,” she said as she pulled the needle out.
We all moved at once, each grabbing a bit of Raphael to hold him still as he thrashed. He jerked so hard that the bed nearly flipped.
I cringed as he convulsed. This wasn’t right. “Does this happen every time you give him a shot?”
“No.” She blinked twice. “It must be the holy water.”
It took a few minutes for the convulsions to stop, but we kept holding him, unsure what was going to happen next.
The silence in the room was nearly deafening. And then it came.
At first, I thought it was just another rattle in Raphael’s breath, but it wasn’t. The sound built into a soft, slow laugh. Slimy energy ran against my skin. We all let go. I didn’t want to touch anything he was touching.
“He’s already mine.” The rasping voice sounded like sandpaper on a chalkboard. It made my teeth hurt.
That wasn’t Raphael. Not even a little bit. His skin was turning gray, and his eyes had gone from bloodshot to red.
Yvonne knocked into the chair behind her as she crossed herself and started praying.
“He’s mine. Words can’t protect you.”
The demon had full control over my cousin. How was I going to tell Claudia about this? For the first time, I wasn’t sure if her twin could be saved.
Dr. Gonzales stared down at Raphael. “I think if I—” She turned to me. “Watch him.” Her voice was clipped, but held a hint of power as she gave the command. “I’ll be back.”
“Sure,” I said, although I wasn’t sure what else I could do but wait.
Raphael sat up, and we all moved as one to pin him down again. He snapped his teeth at Elsa, and she dodged out of the way. Her face paled as she glanced down at her arm.
“Did he bite you?” Shane asked.
“No. No.” Her voice was wobbly. “He missed.”
“Doctor!” I yelled. “Bring some rope when you come back.”
She rushed back into the room. “Already on it.” She moved around us, setting up the medical restraints and strapping Raphael down. He hissed and clawed. Yelled things that made even my ears bleed.
By the time she was done, we all stood a few feet from the bed watching Raphael. He strained against the bonds, but couldn’t get free. If he got loose, he could probably infect others, and I didn’t want to imagine what that would do to the pack at this point. It couldn’t be allowed to happen.
“Are you going to try another dose?” I asked.
“No. Whatever was done to him, he’s still human. I’ve already pushed his limits farther than I’m comfortable with.”
“So what now?” I asked.
“We pray,” Yvonne said as she pulled a rosary from her pocket.
