The Prius gave one final, rattling gasp and died forever the moment Cassie cut the engine. She sat in the driver's seat, hands still gripping the wheel, waiting for her nerves to settle. Four miles of tense driving—every rattle from the crushed hood, every shimmy in the busted alignment making her certain the car would give out in the middle of the road. She'd kept one eye on the rearview mirror the entire way, expecting flashing blue lights at any second.
The streets had been mercifully empty until she hit town. Then came the strollers—late-night wanderers who stopped to gawk at the mangled front end. She kept her eyes forward and her foot steady on the accelerator, nursing the dying car through each intersection while pretending not to notice their stares.
Now, safely parked behind the shop, she released her grip on the steering wheel and let out a shuddering breath. She'd made it home. Barely.
She just hoped Charlie would, too.
Grabbing her satchel and Charlie's jacket from the passenger seat, she climbed the stairs to her apartment, each step heavier than the last. The weight of the night pressed down on her shoulders—Kevin's blood still under her fingernails, Charlie out there hunting a demon alone, and the only thing she could do was hide the evidence of it all.
The door clicked shut behind her, barely a whisper in the quiet apartment. She eased her shoes off one at a time, setting them down without a sound. Every muscle in her body screamed for a hot shower and bed, but she needed a moment's respite first—just five minutes in the bathroom to collect herself.
She'd made it three steps toward the hallway when Kevin's voice drifted from the couch, soft and laced with pain.
"Cassie?"
She turned and came swiftly to his side. Kneeling beside him, she brushed some dirty hair off his forehead. "Hey, lil brother. How are you feeling?"
Groaning, he managed a weak smile. "I feel like I was in a threesome with Freddy Krueger and Edward Scissorhands."
"Now that's a visual I'm going to be stuck with for a while." She shook her head, bemused by his attempt at humor.
The response amused him enough that he started to laugh, but it turned into a painful cough.
She placed her hand on his chest to steady him. "Try not to laugh, please. The powders and wraps worked well, but any sudden movement could tear at them, and you'd start bleeding again."
"How bad is it?"
Cassie wanted to soften her reply, but he deserved a straight answer. "It's bad—bad enough that I should have taken you to the hospital immediately. I have it under control for now, but at some point, you will need a real doctor and most definitely surgery."
"Cancel the half-marathon I had planned for next week. Got it."
His forced humor did not sit well with her. "This isn't funny, Kevin. You are in bad shape. You're likely going to be in a wheelchair for a while."
She paused, torn about whether to continue, but he needed to know the facts. Her words came out choked with regret. "Maybe indefinitely."
Silence answered her. She saw that he was staring blankly at the ceiling. She waited while Kevin absorbed her prognosis.
When he finally spoke, it wasn't about him. "Where's Charlie?"
She paused. He expected an honest answer again, but she feared his reaction. Placing her hand back on his chest as a precaution, Cassie spoke as evenly as possible. "She's hunting the thing that attacked you."
His response was not what she expected: "I figured that's why she wasn't here, hovering over me." His chest fell as he exhaled heavily.
"She's prepared, Kevin." Her tone carried assurance. "She's better than that thing by a mile! She'll be fine, and she will come back." I hope.
"You didn't see this thing, Cassie." Kevin turned his head toward her, pleading. "It's like a wolf, only larger and intelligent. It's nothing like I've ever imagined."
"I finally got to see what Charlie really looks like. I felt power from her, unlike anything I could sense when she's in her human form." She leaned closer, her voice filled with wonder. "She's evolving so fast."
"But not enough." He grumbled. "That thing might be stronger than any animal on Earth. It moved quickly, too, like a cheetah. Charlie would need wings to beat that thing."
Cassie couldn't hide a quick chuckle. With air whistling between her lips, she placed a hand on his shoulder, guiding his gaze to her. "Then you gotta believe me; she's definitely going to kick that thing's ass."
He studied her, confused, before his eyes widened, comprehending her meaning. "Wait. She…has wings?"
"They appeared while I was training her on the roof." Her tone carried a hint of pride for Charlie.
"Wings," Kevin repeated. Quickly, his surprise dissolved back to worry as he shook his head. "But no experience with them."
"She's going to be fine, Kevin!" Cassie squeezed his shoulder softly, repeating her belief. "Please don't be scared for her."
"You're not?"
She stopped short, then nodded. "I'm scared to death for her. But I also have faith in her. I know you do, too, so focus on that and try not to worry."
"I can't help it. She's my partner. We should be hunting that thing together." Kevin stopped, swallowing hard. "And I love her."
"I know." She pressed her lips together. "And you'll get the chance to tell her that, I promise you!"
"I hope so." His eyes closed, and exhaustion finally took over. He sank back onto the pillow, his voice weak and angry. "I feel so useless."
"You're not useless." She placed her palm on his forehead, relieved to feel no obvious fever—the powder magic seemed to be working. Cassie knew she'd have to thank her mentors for training her well. Despite this, she had to know his reasons. "Kevin? Why wouldn't you let me take you to the hospital?"
"I'm safer here. With you. With Charlie." He explained, his voice fading in and out as his eyes closed. "At the hospital, if that thing really wanted to finish the job, innocent people could have been killed."
"Always thinking of others over yourself." She softly cursed and admired her brother in one breath.
"Charlie opened my eyes to so much. That magic…your powers…are real. I knew you'd save me, sis." He reached out, and she gripped his hand.
"I did good, didn't I?" She boasted softly.
"You did." His lips lifted slightly, but then they dropped into a frown. He fluttered his eyes open, turning his head her way, puzzled. "But—How did we get back here? I don't remember anything."
"Like I said, Charlie's evolving. It's not just the wings, either. She teleported both of you here. It was amazing."
"Teleported? Like in sci-fi movies? Damn. I wonder what's next?" He grinned, then coughed hard, and she pressed down on his chest again. When he settled, Kevin requested, "Water?"
Nodding, Cassie went to the kitchen, filled a plastic cup halfway, and brought it back. With her help, he took slow sips before resting his head back on the pillow. "Thanks."
"Can I get you anything else?"
Nodding slightly, Kevin shakily inquired, "Do you think it's safe enough to move to the bedroom? This couch isn't exactly five-star accommodations." He winked through his scrunched-up, pain-filled face. "No offense to the host's interior decorating choices."
She frowned. "I don't know if it's a good idea."
"Do you know if it's not a good idea?"
She groaned but had to admit a point. If he had the strength to joke so much, then maybe he had just enough to make it down the hall. Smacking her lips with a decision, Cassie pulled the quilt off of him and draped it at the end of the couch. "Okay, but we're going to do this very slowly. If I see any sign of bleeding, or you get woozy, we're turning around."
"Even if we're more than halfway?"
"When you're better," she growled with a thin smile, "I'm going to put you back in traction."
Cassie helped support her brother for the next five minutes as they moved toward the bedroom. Once inside, she gently eased him onto the bed, lying him on his side so she could check the bandages. When she finished, she was satisfied that the movement hadn't caused any noticeable tears, and the little bleeding she saw was manageable. She pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.
Still, she could tell by his moans that the move had been excruciating. "I'm going to mix up a concoction to help you sleep. It'll be a mixture of Motrin and some powders to help you rest and promote your body's natural healing. Is that okay?"
"Thank you for asking. Yes, please. But will you please let me know when Charlie gets back safely?"
"I promise." She stood. "I'll be right back."
Cassie moved to the kitchen and got to work. She ground up three maximum-strength pills using the pestle, mixing them with two of her magic powders. Then, she stirred the mixture into lukewarm water, watching it turn cloudy.
Then, with a burst of inspiration, she remembered the lemons. Opening the fridge, she grabbed the zip-lock bag from the crisper, fished out one, and sliced it on the cutting board. The juice squeezed into the bitter mixture—anything to help with the bitter taste of the powders.
Ten minutes later, after giving him the medicine and waiting until his breathing settled into a pattern that resembled sleep, she stood carefully and slipped out of the bedroom.
Returning to the kitchen, she turned on the kettle for some chamomile tea. Her movements were automatic, almost zombie-like, as she filled the cup, steeped the bag, and set it on the table. When she finally sat down, she didn't touch it.
Instead, she buried her face in her hands and broke.