Chapter 23

Alex, Fran and I arrived at the hospital within fifteen minutes of the call. Dr. Davidson was waiting for us outside the bay doors. He looked rather nervous as we approached him.

“Glen, how are you?” I asked hugging him close.

“I am well sweet Raelyn. Aurora sends her love as well, and wants to see you when time permits.” Glen gently stated hugging me tight.

“Davidson, what's going on?” Fran and Alex asked simultaneously.

“We've already had eight ambulances through the doors. There are four more coming last I heard. Michael asked that I call the three of you in to assist. Most of the patients coming in are minor injuries, however we have a few more serious cases. Five of the eight so far show symptoms similar to Dimitri's cause of death, just not as severe.” Davidson replied.

I took a deep breath, knowing that tonight's fun and laughter had now come to an end. I was determined not to allow another person to die like Dimitri had. We were going to get to the bottom of who was causing all of this one way or another.

Fran pulled my from my revelry with a simple touch to my arm.

“Are you up to this Rae?” she whispered.

“I don't have much of a choice now do I?” I replied voice with with sorrow and anger.

“Mon couer if this is too much for you, go back to the house, we can make due without you. We all understand.” Alex whispered softly in my ear as he kissed my temple.

“NO!” I stated stomping my foot. “They are not going to win by having me run scared from doing what I love! I am going to do everything in my power to save these people, then I am going to find out who these people are causing all this harm, and make them pay for it!” I looked fiercely at those around me.

Just as I finished this statement, Michael walked out before any of the others could respond. I have known Michael for a few years now, and I still found myself uneasy around him for some reason, maybe due to the fact that he had wanted to date me when we first met and he had tried to break Dimitri and I up. Who knows?, All I knew at this moment was that I only wanted to heal the people inside and figure out who was at fault for all of this.

“How nice to see the three of you. Have you enjoyed your time away?” Michael asked nonchalantly.

“It has not been a vacation Michael. Raelyn and I were recovering from injuries. Alex is paired with Raelyn at work and with her being out Dr. Davidson kept Alex off until she returned. We would have much rather been here than go through that accident again.” Fran responded.

“Let's get inside and get to work.” Alex ordered making sure he stayed close to me.

I could feel the tension in his voice and radiating off his skin. It wasn't often that Alex became this tense. I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason for Alex's tension though. There was no danger to Fran, Davidson, or myself, yet by Alex's protective stance and edge in his voice I knew that something wasn't quite right. I pushed it aside and walked through the bay doors. Davidson, Alex, Fran, and Michael followed behind me quietly.

I went straight to work, getting report from Lynne and heading into trauma two. Lynne had already began infusing blood so I reassessed the patient and checked his vitals. Thankfully he was stable, guarded but stabilized.

Alex was behind me just observing my actions. It seemed that he was almost afraid to speak to me. I went through the motions with every patient. Checking vitals, assessing the problems, discussing treatment with the Docs and the patient, giving medications, and dressing wounds. I stayed busy, not bothering to look at the clock or get too personal with any of the patients.

It wasn't until Fran pulled me into the break room that I realized I had been running for almost eight straight hours. I sat down in the chair with a loud thud and let out a long deep breath.

“Rae, are you alright?” Fran asked touching my shoulder again.

“Yeah I'm okay. Just have to keep moving, if I keep moving then I don't have time to think about what happened to Dimi, or about Aurora, or of what could have happened to these innocent people Fran. When does it stop? I'm so tired of everyone around us either getting hurt or killed.” I cried lowering my head.

It was just about time to head home when we got a call stating that another trauma was coming in. I looked at Alex and Fran and told them to go I'd stay and help Michael and Davidson get things under control then I'd be home.

It was just at shift change and a man came in by ambulance that had been in a car accident. I had taken the dispatch call from the paramedics on duty. After I wrote down the information and prepared Trauma bay 1 for the arrival, I felt strange and went into the bathroom to take a good look at myself in the mirror. It was not a moment too soon because the amulet which I kept hidden under my scrubs flared into a glorious purple light and then proceeded to glow for another few minutes. Just as I got it under control....or rather it stopped glowing, the ambulance showed up and there was no time to think about what had just happened.

By the time I got into the trauma room everyone else had taken their place, so I snatched up a pad of paper and began to record the actions of the doctors and the nurses. Michael was in the middle of the fray doing chest compressions. This gave me a curious ability to watch what was going on with the trauma without getting in the middle of it. When I looked at the patient I got the shock of my life. His whole body was glowing green. I wondered for a second if anyone else could see what I could see but no one commented on it, and I could bet good cash money that if the staff saw a man pulsating pea green light someone would have said something about it by now.

“Elf” I whispered to myself. And then I realized what I had said. The man was part elf. That meant among other things his metabolism would be faster. He would not eat meat of any kind. And his heart rate would naturally be a little higher than for a normal human. How I knew this was a mystery, but I could bet it might have something to do with my amulet going crazy just a few minutes ago.

I noticed another thing. Michael's skin seemed dull somehow. I saw how his nostrils flair and his lips unconsciously retract whenever he was handed a towel or bandage with blood on it. He seemed disgusted to be there but couldn't find a way to properly excuse himself from this code.

“You don't want to be here.” I whispered to no one.

House supervisors didn't usually help with codes in the ER. They did on other parts of the hospital but not where I lived and played. So it was unusual for me to be able to watch Michael work. I kept my head down and didn't let him see that I was watching him. Something was wrong about him and I wanted to know what it was.

The doctor asked me what time he administered the last dose of epinephrine, and I was jolted out of my revelry to answer him. Just for a second Michael looked hard at me and then and there I knew. He wasn't human. He was something else. I watched him turn away from me and noticed a muted black glow coming from underneath his scrubs. Either no one else noticed, or like the man on the table, no one else could see it. He had an amulet like mine but his was blatantly evil. I needed to get home to Alex and Fran. I needed to tell them what I knew.

When the patient's vital signs were stable, everyone left the room and I said I'd stay to clean up. I straightened the room and then adjusted the IVs a bit to fit the man's metabolism and wrote vegan meals only on his dietary orders. After grabbing my stuff from my locker, I walked into the parking lot, jumped into my Shelby Mustang and flew home.

When I got there the house was in chaos. I heard the screaming and I flew upstairs as fast as my feet would carry me. Four armed Vampire guards stood in front of the room.

“Let me in.” I ordered. Lightening flashed across the sky and thunder boomed as though it were originating in the mansion. The whole house shook.

Alex came through the door. I rushed up to him giving him a huge hug.

“What is it? What's wrong with Fran?” I asked throwing my body weight forward assuming that Alex would let me into Fran's room. Alex stopped me.

“You can't go in there right now Raelyn.”Alex said, sorrow coloring his voice. He didn't want to do this. Fran screamed long and loud.

“What the hell could you possibly mean by that?” I shouted.

“Calm down Rae, destroying the house with one of your storms isn't going to help Fran.” Alex said calmly trying to stroke my shoulder. I pulled away from him as though I had been burned.

“Who is that? Is that Fran screaming?” I asked worry marring my lovely features.

“Yes.” Alex admitted. “Its Fran.”

“Alex, what the hell is wrong with her?”

“I don't know Rae and that's the truth. None of us know including Micah. I have to get back in there. They need a nurse but you must stay here.”

“Micha? What does Micha have to do with this? And by who's order am I not allowed to see my best friend?!” I shouted.

“By mine.” Paul answered. “Raelyn don't be a child about this. I promise when we know something we will tell you, but right now you are taking up precious time that Alex, Dimitri and I don't have. Be a good girl and stay out of the way. Come my son, it is about to get bad again.”

Alex gave me a sidelong glance wishing desperately that he could calm my fears, but the blood curdling screams cut him short and both he and Paul fled back into the room and slammed the door shut. I was left standing by myself feeling useless in the hallway. I dissolved into tears.

Fran screamed for the entire night and most of the morning of the next day. The staff at the mansion brought up a lounge couch for me since I would not move from in front of Fran's door. When I was cold they brought me a blanket. I would not accept water or food. I did not move from where I was. I did not stop crying. The staff was afraid for my health and my sanity.

“One problem at a time.” Paul ordered. “I knew Raelyn would do this. There is nothing to be done for it except hope that Fran can pull through this before Raelyn makes herself sick.” Paul said out loud to no one in particular.

The screaming went on for another five full hours. Dimitri had just come back from the sanctuary where Micah was doing no better than Raelyn. He checked with Paul who sorely needed to rest and eat. They had long ago given up trying to keep Alex ignorant of what was happening. They needed his nursing skills too much to play games. Alex was slumped over in a high backed chair taking a nap before another bout of screaming began again. A light started glowing from behind the headboard of the bed Fran was laying in. It grew stronger and passed through the wall. It hovered over Fran a minute and then settled over the floor beside the bed.

Paul woke up Alex and Dimitri had just come back into the room.

“What is that?” Alex whispered. Paul only shook his head. He didn't know either.

The light grew and formed a body. A man stepped out of the blinding light and addressed them.

“How is it children of Lilith come to oversee one of our passings?”

Paul bowed to the floor. We are not Children of Lilith my Lord. We do not drink the blood of humans as the devils do. My lord....”

“Uriel” the man finished. “I am pleased. But you do not answer my question. How is it that one of our children struggle to change in this house among vampires?”

Dimitri answered. “She was trying to become a defender my Lord Uriel. She has been given a charge to guard. She was told that using her heritage might help her in this matter.”

“Was she not told she is too old for such a change?” Uriel's eyes glittered dangerously.

“No my Lord she was not told because we didn't know.” Dimitri answered.

“I see. Well. Please explain to me why this child is fragmented? The change is impossible when her spirit is in one place and her body is in another. Are you trying to torture her?”

Fran started screaming again all the men in the room braced themselves for the unending blood curdling sound.

“No, no sweet child. Be at peace. Do not be afraid. Rest.” Uriel soothed. Fran immediately stopped and her body relaxed.

“Thank you dear Uriel.” Paul said raggedly.

“I swear on my life Lord Uriel to torture was not our intention.” Alex said with conviction.

“I see you mean that.” The archangel's eyes glittered dangerously. “It is good for you that I see this truth. I was sent here to obliterate anyone who had designs to harm this child of ours. Your life would have certainly been the price. Do you know where her spirit rests?”

“I will get it my Lord.” Dimitri said and then disappeared.

Dimitri headed back to the sanctuary knowing that he would have to justify taking her from Micah. In such a short time Dimitri had seen this love grow so strongly between Micah and Fran that Dimitri finally understood just how much love Raelyn had for Alex and himself. No one could just turn it off. It didn't work that way. Nor would it ever.

Micah held Fran's body. He looked like someone had been beating him for hours.

“Give her to me.” Dimitri ordered.

Micah was exhausted. He was slow picking up what Dimitri was saying.

“Micah!” Dimitri shouted. “We have an archangel standing at Fran's bedside and you DO NOT keep them waiting. Give her to me. I think he will help us!”

Micah handed Fran to Dimitri after pressing a long kiss on her forehead.

“Now go back to the shop and wait!” Dimitri ordered. “You have been gone too long and you put all of our lives in peril!” In a second Dimitri was gone with Fran.

Micah dragged his body up from the grass he'd been sitting on for two days and pushed himself through the portal. It had only been ten minutes since he left. He sat down in his chair and did not move. He could not go to the Valhalla mansion and endanger them all. He knew the waiting would surely kill him.

Dimitri entered the room with that part of Fran which had been in the Sanctuary and Uriel immediately smiled.

“Ah here is what I need. Give it to me.” Dimitri handed Fran over to the archangel and Uriel laid Fran's spirit over her body where it sunk down and disappeared. Uriel began to hum a song. More like a chant and although it made Alex , Paul, and Dimitri wince yet it did nothing more.

“You have told the truth, child of Valhalla. If any of you had drank human blood within the past month the song I sing would have destroyed you. The song may be unpleasant, but I will not harm you with it.”

Uriel began to sing words of the Nephilium now touching Fran on the forehead.

Fran had been trapped behind the iron door in darkness for almost two days. She screamed at first so that someone would come and rescue her from this deathly hot prison. But then something changed and the room became a smoldering oven and it felt like she was being roasted alive. The floors, the walls, the ceiling were some kind of metal and all of it was scorching hot. It burned her hands and feet and finally her behind and thighs when she fell to the floor. She had third degree burns all over her body and the air was scorching her lungs. After awhile she got used to the heat and she screamed only when she could not stand it any longer....which happened to be a lot by her reckoning.

It happened slowly. First the room began to cool by degrees and then a pattern of glyphs appeared on the door. Then she heard a song so sweet and beautiful that it made her cry. Then there was a voice so heart breakingly beautiful that she thought her whole body would melt from the enormity of the sound. And then the pattern on the door made sense. She had been screaming for nothing. She knew now no one could hear her. The lock had always been on the inside. She touched the glyphs in order, the floor was cool to the touch now. And the door sprung open. Glorious light beamed into her face and blinded her eyes.

Fran's body lifted off of the bed and the sheets fell away from her. Her body was nude and it started to sparkle and turn. She lifted one foot and arched her back and easily wings burst from her back and gloriously spread behind her. Winking light started at the top of her head and made its way down her body. The scroll work she so lovingly admired in Micah appeared on the right side of her face crossed over behind her neck and swirled and decorated the left side of her arm and breast. It was gold. Then her skin began to change to the palest cerulean blue. She shook her head once and her normally brown curls turned a deep royal blue but there were pink highlights and where the blue and red met there was a deep royal purple. Wings follow hair so her white wings shivered and the blue started at the top of her wing and floated down the feathers until they ended gloriously in their shining golden tips. She looked at Alex and Paul and was not in the least bit embarrassed. She smiled at them. “Thank you.” She whispered and then looked at Uriel.

“My Lord Uriel I am honored by your presence here.” She said smiling happily.

“I am glad to be of service sweet Nephilium child.” Uriel bowed slightly in greeting.

“There is another My Lord of whom we must speak before you take your leave. If you could please.” Fran asked.

“This is quicker my child.” Uriel touched Fran's forehead. “A changeling?” Uriel asked astonished.

“No my Lord look again. Not a changeling....Nephilium.....turned!” she stated emphatically.

Uriel touched Fran's forehead again. “Oh I see. This too has gone on for far too long. I must warn you we may not be able to save him if he has drank too much human blood. The conversion would kill him. We do not suffer one such as he to live.”

“Please see what information you can tell us about his condition my Lord. Although I am amazed that you have been so derelict in your duties where he is concerned. How is it that you have let him live in the hands of our enemies and done nothing to save him?”

“Fran!” Paul hissed keeping his eyes on Uriel. “You are speaking to an archangel! I'm sure my Lord Uriel knows what his duty is!”

Fran arched an eyebrow at Uriel and waited. Angel or not they had left Micah to suffer at the hands of his worst enemies and had not even tried to find him when he disappeared. Fran was angry.

“Peace Paul. The child is right. We have wronged Micah and then I compounded the problem by threatening his life in front of his mate. She is well within her right to scold. I am sorry my lady, we will do what is within our power to help, and we will give you all of the information we can.”

“Thank you.” Fran whispered sarcastically. “Humph! Now all we have to do is stay alive, avoid the council, vampires that want us dead and the ancients until then.”

“Fran.” Alex warned. “Don't push this!”

Uriel laughed. It was like the sound of water rushing over a waterfall.

“Peace Defender. I think the Almighty Himself had something to do with your creation! None of us are so bold without his personal touch. You are yet minutess old and you seek to discipline me! This is too rich! I will be watching you!” He said delightedly as he faded away.

Fran's body floated down to the bed. Her wings disappeared. Her skin turned flesh color and she wrapped herself up in the sheets and immediately fell asleep. A few hours later an old man came to visit her. She woke up to greet him.

“Klennan cagora amunnun racht Thotiel...” Fran said in the language of their race returning to Micah his rightful name. I have loved you for all eternity Thotiel it what it translated into.

“Eil Ay klennan racht lee leahnd.” Micah told her kissing her face, her hands, her lips.

My heart is yours for eternity, beloved, is what he had told her.

“It is a language that I have never heard before.” said Paul as he began to leave.

“It is the language of the Nephilium.” Dimitri told him.

“We did it my love.” Fran said wearily touching her finger to his lips.

“Just barely.” Micah said. “Fran I am so sorry....”

“Ssshhh my love it is worth it now. I can feel so much and understand so much more.....”

Author's Note

*This is my first time writing for others to read, so please feel free to comment and/or critique. All feedback welcomed!*