headed for the door, holding her stomach.
And then the pulse burst .
She staggered, slamming against the wall. Her dinnertime snack of yogurt and granola rose into her throat. She took slow, shallow breaths, trying to hold off the urge to vomit—and failed. The sour tang of bile flooded her mouth.
There was something in the hospital, and James was alone outside.
She spat into the trash can, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and threw open the door.
James was not waiting for Elise outside.
For a second, all she could do was stare at the naked man standing where her aspis should have been. He wasn’t breathing. In fact, he didn’t look like he was alive at all. A toe tag dragged on the ground beside him.
She would have been sure he was a corpse, except that he was standing, and staring, and drooling. Corpses couldn’t drool.
Someone whispered behind Elise. “ Take care of her .”
She spun, but the hall behind her stretched empty. A light flickered several feet down.
A heavy weight slammed into Elise’s side, and all the breath rushed out of her body. She struck the floor an instant later. Pain exploded in her shoulder.
Elise squirmed out from under his body, freeing her legs so that her foot could lash out. The kick landed in his face. He reeled, unable to get his balance. Another kick, and he collapsed.
His shoulders twitched, and a shudder ran through his body. His mouth flopped open, and his tongue rolled out, covered in thick green mucous.
“Elise,” he said from the floor. His mouth didn’t move to articulate the words, and the voice was garbled and echoing. He almost sounded…feminine. “I wish you hadn’t become involved.”
She stared. “ What ?”
The hallway lights flickered once, and went out completely.
Elise backtracked and hit the wall. She blinked rapidly, trying to make out shapes in the darkness, but the only light came from around the corner, and it wasn’t enough.
Something moved, slipping across the floor, scraping on the linoleum.
She spun, trying to face the source of the noise. It moved behind her, and she raised her fists. “Who’s there?” Elise said, trying to sound calm. Adrenaline sang through her veins.
More noises. Almost like…claws.
To her right.
She twisted, but not quickly enough. Pain flamed across her torso.
She cried out, clutching her stomach. Elise could almost see bulbous eyes sparkle in the darkness, but it darted away before she could focus.
She threw herself at the motion and barreled into something living.
They rolled. Elise punched blindly and was rewarded with the shriek of something inhuman, something terrible. Another fiend. She threw her body weight to roll it over, grabbing at what she hoped was its neck and pressing against the linoleum.
“Who do you work for?” she demanded.
It choked.
Something struck the back of Elise’s head. A gong chimed in her skull, shooting pain down her spine, and she fell.
The fiend scrabbled away. It sounded like the footsteps moved all around her, up and down, inside her skull.
The noise faded. She floated in a sea of her own pulse, trying to feel her limbs. Her fingers twitched, and then her toes. Thank God .
Where had they gone?
“Elise?”
Lights flared on. Elise moaned, covering her eyes. The pressure in her head had suddenly disappeared, and despite the pain in every inch of her body, she felt better. The fiends—and the body—were gone.
“James,” she groaned. “Help me up.” He kneeled by her side and lifted her into a sitting position.
“Are you okay?” he asked, touching her arms, her forehead, her shoulders, her neck. When his fingers brushed the back of her head, she flinched.
“Yeah,” Elise groaned. “But…don’t touch that again. Where did you go?”
“A nurse passed and I had to ask her where the bathroom was to allay suspicion,” he said. “I doubled back as soon as I could. How bad are you hurt?”
“I could be a hell of a lot worse.” She parted
And then the pulse burst .
She staggered, slamming against the wall. Her dinnertime snack of yogurt and granola rose into her throat. She took slow, shallow breaths, trying to hold off the urge to vomit—and failed. The sour tang of bile flooded her mouth.
There was something in the hospital, and James was alone outside.
She spat into the trash can, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and threw open the door.
James was not waiting for Elise outside.
For a second, all she could do was stare at the naked man standing where her aspis should have been. He wasn’t breathing. In fact, he didn’t look like he was alive at all. A toe tag dragged on the ground beside him.
She would have been sure he was a corpse, except that he was standing, and staring, and drooling. Corpses couldn’t drool.
Someone whispered behind Elise. “ Take care of her .”
She spun, but the hall behind her stretched empty. A light flickered several feet down.
A heavy weight slammed into Elise’s side, and all the breath rushed out of her body. She struck the floor an instant later. Pain exploded in her shoulder.
Elise squirmed out from under his body, freeing her legs so that her foot could lash out. The kick landed in his face. He reeled, unable to get his balance. Another kick, and he collapsed.
His shoulders twitched, and a shudder ran through his body. His mouth flopped open, and his tongue rolled out, covered in thick green mucous.
“Elise,” he said from the floor. His mouth didn’t move to articulate the words, and the voice was garbled and echoing. He almost sounded…feminine. “I wish you hadn’t become involved.”
She stared. “ What ?”
The hallway lights flickered once, and went out completely.
Elise backtracked and hit the wall. She blinked rapidly, trying to make out shapes in the darkness, but the only light came from around the corner, and it wasn’t enough.
Something moved, slipping across the floor, scraping on the linoleum.
She spun, trying to face the source of the noise. It moved behind her, and she raised her fists. “Who’s there?” Elise said, trying to sound calm. Adrenaline sang through her veins.
More noises. Almost like…claws.
To her right.
She twisted, but not quickly enough. Pain flamed across her torso.
She cried out, clutching her stomach. Elise could almost see bulbous eyes sparkle in the darkness, but it darted away before she could focus.
She threw herself at the motion and barreled into something living.
They rolled. Elise punched blindly and was rewarded with the shriek of something inhuman, something terrible. Another fiend. She threw her body weight to roll it over, grabbing at what she hoped was its neck and pressing against the linoleum.
“Who do you work for?” she demanded.
It choked.
Something struck the back of Elise’s head. A gong chimed in her skull, shooting pain down her spine, and she fell.
The fiend scrabbled away. It sounded like the footsteps moved all around her, up and down, inside her skull.
The noise faded. She floated in a sea of her own pulse, trying to feel her limbs. Her fingers twitched, and then her toes. Thank God .
Where had they gone?
“Elise?”
Lights flared on. Elise moaned, covering her eyes. The pressure in her head had suddenly disappeared, and despite the pain in every inch of her body, she felt better. The fiends—and the body—were gone.
“James,” she groaned. “Help me up.” He kneeled by her side and lifted her into a sitting position.
“Are you okay?” he asked, touching her arms, her forehead, her shoulders, her neck. When his fingers brushed the back of her head, she flinched.
“Yeah,” Elise groaned. “But…don’t touch that again. Where did you go?”
“A nurse passed and I had to ask her where the bathroom was to allay suspicion,” he said. “I doubled back as soon as I could. How bad are you hurt?”
“I could be a hell of a lot worse.” She parted
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