Nightmare City

I turned in my sleep, and it was as if I hadn’t moved in years. My body just didn’t want to cooperate. Oh, why did everything have to hurt so much? Unable to take it, I opened my eyes.

The room was dark, but I knew immediately that it wasn’t mine. The smell was wrong, harsh and antiseptic. Was I still in the hospital?

That’s right, I’d been shot, hadn’t I? That old hunter had caught Gabriel and I off guard. Then some awful things happened... What was it? My head hurt so much...

“Let me get the light.” a voice said gently, and the lamp next to me turned on.

Gabriel sat next to me, looking just the way he always did, though a bit more tired. The light was dim and the shadows on his face made him seem thinner, as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

His outline blurred as tears sprang to my eyes. “Thank God...” I gasped. “it was all just a dream.” None of that terrible nightmare had happened. I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, letting out a small sob.

When I bent my elbow, I felt pain. I looked at my right arm. When had I gotten an IV?

“I’m sorry.” Gabriel whispered, taking my wrist in his hand and gently lowering my arm. “It’s my fault that you’re here again.”

“It... it happened?” I whispered fearfully. “Th-the house?”

“It’s gone. There’s nothing left.”

I felt the tears returning. It was so hard to breathe...

He squeezed my hand, making shushing noises as he reached up with his other hand, wiping my cheek. “You were hurt very badly, because of me.” I started to shake my head, but he shushed again. “It’s going to take more time till you fully heal, you woke up too soon. Let your body rest a bit more.”

I shook my head, I didn’t want to go back to sleep. I felt like I’d already slept a century. I wanted to get up, out of this bed. I wanted to grab him, to make sure he was really here. I grasped his sleeve weakly.

His voice was so soft though, calming and gentle. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake.”

“No...” I whispered as exhaustion washed over me. “You’ll leave again...”

“I promise I’ll be here the very second you wake up.” he assured me.

My consciousness slipped away from me, and I heard his voice echo in my head. ‘I won’t ever leave you.’

Did he really say that, or was I dreaming already? It was wrong, somehow I felt that this shouldn’t be.

It definitely shouldn’t be.

********

Mom just kept crying. She was smiling, and so relieved, but tears streamed down her face, getting my blanket all wet. “I was really gone for a second there, wasn’t I?” I asked.

Chris sat in a chair placed at the foot of the bed, leaning his arms and head by my feet. “Try more than a week. You scared the crap out of us, Evie.”

“What are you doing all the way down there?” I asked. “Where’s my hug?” Mom had hugged me about five times since I woke up.

“If I hug you right now, I’m going to break you all over again.” he teased.

“I’m not that fragile.” I pushed myself up more on the stack of pillows supporting me. The back of my head throbbed, but there was no more pain. “How much longer am I going to be trapped here?”

“They want to do one more MRI, to make sure the swelling is really gone.” Mom brushed the hair away from my forehead, her fingers tracing the spot I had hit when I fell down the stairs.

“You’ll need a cane for a couple of weeks, while you build the muscle in your leg back up.” Chris said. Apparently I had also torn a muscle in my calf during my trip down the stairs.

“Man, I really did a number on myself, didn’t I?”

Mom hugged me again, fiercely this time. “You hush up right now. That fire was not your fault. You were scared, it’s only natural you would slip and fall.”

“Have the Police come by?” I asked nervously.

“A couple of days after you got here.” Chris answered. “They spoke to Gabriel.”

I glanced at Gabriel, over my mother’s arm. He was facing the window, hands in his pockets. He had been standing there since I awoke, not saying a word, just looking through the blinds at the sunset.

“They’re convinced it was just a gas leak,” Chris continued, he gave me a meaningful look. Well, of course, a few minutes with Gabriel and they would have been convinced the fire was started by elves.

“Gabriel, when was the last time you changed?” My mother asked him. “You haven’t been sleeping here, have you?”

He didn’t answer her, so Chris spoke up. “You know that’s not allowed, Mom, he crashes at Jeff’s place with me.” I stared at Chris hard, I could tell when he was lying. Mom let me go, apparently satisfied.

My eyes strayed back over to Gabriel. His posture was relaxed, but his expression was set in determination. Had he really been sleeping here? Was it every night or just sometimes? It was my fault if he had no other place to go.

I put a hand on Mom’s arm. “I’m starving, can you go check when they’re going to feed me?”

“I just hope they haven’t forgotten about you.” Mom exclaimed. She stood up and headed towards the door. “They wouldn’t have known you were awake at all if we hadn’t told them.”

I caught Chris’ eye and jerked my head towards the door. He got up as well and followed Mom out. “I could use some caffeine, I think I’m becoming addicted to the coffee here.”

Once they were gone, Gabriel turned away from the window. He walked a few steps towards me, then stopped. He pulled one hand out of his pocket and ran it through his hair, pausing halfway and leaving it there.

I looked down at my hands, which were fidgeting with themselves in my lap.

“I understand everything now.”
“I understand everything now.”

Our eyes met at the same time. “You go first.” I told him.

He dropped his hand from his hair, gesturing towards me. “No, you go ahead.”

I looked back down at my hands. “What happened... back at the house...” I closed my eyes briefly as the memory assaulted me. “I don’t want to go through something like that again.”

“I agree.” he said, his voice tight. “You shouldn’t have gone through that alone in the first place.” He held up a hand and strode over to the door. He turned the lock on the handle. “It’s my fault you got dragged into this.”

“No, it’s my fault.” I said quietly, my head bowed. He turned towards the bed, then went very still. “I went into that house on my own.” My voice began to tremble. “When- when I saw what she had done to you, I-I couldn’t think of anything else but to get rid of her. I did-dn’t care about my own safety, or what was going to happen afterwards. Without you, there wasn’t anything left for me.”

My fingers clenched, grasping my blanket tightly. “I realize now, that it’s wrong for me to feel that way.”

“What do you mean?” His tone was utterly lifeless.

I summoned up my paltry strength and looked up at him. “I’ve grown so attached to you, and I didn’t realize it, I didn’t want to realize it. Now that I finally understand, I can’t continue the way we were. Now that the house is gone, there’s no reason for us to force ourselves into each other’s presence any longer.”

His expression was stony. “If that’s the way you feel.”

I nodded. “We should stop getting in each other’s way.” I stared at him for a long moment. “It’s your turn now.”

He seemed to visibly collect his thoughts. “Lucien’s body was found. His office building was also set on fire, most likely by Katrina. Only the top few floors were affected, so the building is mostly fine.” He paused a moment, then continued. “As his last living relative, I split his assets with his wife 50/50. I signed the paperwork the other day. I get the brownstone and a hefty share of liquid funds, and Alice will keep the office. She’ll be taking over Lucien’s position with his partners. She was actually a very successful lawyer before she married.”

“You don’t have to rely on Katrina’s inheritance any more.” I gave him a weak smile. “You can finally live by yourself. With the house and the apartment building gone, I’ll probably move back in with Mom. Until I can get my own place.”

His fingers flexed, clenching into a fist, then relaxing again. “Now that Lucien’s gone, and Katrina’s finally dead, I don’t have anything else keeping me here.”

His dark brown eyes were boring right into me, as if challenging me for a reply. The pressure was so intense that I turned away, towards the window. “That means you’re free to do whatever you like.” I forced my mouth into a broader smile. “I’m happy for you.”

A draft tickled my cheek and I turned back. The door was ajar and Gabriel was gone. “I’m glad I won’t be a burden to you any more.” I said to the empty room.

********

I kept my pace to a swift walk down the hallway, even though I wanted to tear right through the hospital and out the closest exit.

Chris and Vivian were ahead of me, walking in the opposite direction, back towards Evangeline’s room. “We’ve just got the best news.” Chris said, his expression actually friendly for once. He held a small stack of papers in his hand.

I ignored him, walking past. He grabbed my shoulder hard enough to stop me. “What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

I looked at him, then at Vivian. “I should have gone first.” I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and continued on down the hall.

********

“Evie, great news! After you’re done with your MRI, you’re free to go!” Chris exclaimed brightly. “I’ve got your discharge paperwork right here.”

“Thank goodness, I’m getting sick of this bed.” I gave him my most cheerful smile.

His expression sobered immediately as he looked at me. “Are you all right?”

“Just a little tired,” I lied.

Mom reclaimed her spot next to the bed. “It’s no wonder, with all the tests and x-rays they’ve put you through.” She kissed the uninjured spot on my forehead.

“Where did Gabriel go?” Chris asked me.

I shrugged as nonchalantly as my body would let me. “I dunno, he’s probably got a lot of things to take care of.”

“There’s something strange about that man,” Mom said suspiciously. “He’s been here every day and I’ve only seen him change clothes once. He hardly sleeps, and I’m sure he hasn’t eaten a thing while he was here.”

“That’s not too strange.” Chris spoke up. “He was worried about Evie, we all were. I know I had a hard time eating.”

“Why are you defending him?” I asked suddenly. “And what happened to ‘Gabrielle’?”

“Nothing.” Chris looked conflicted. “Maybe I found out I have something in common with him, that’s all.”

My eyebrows knitted together. “What?”

There was a knock on the door and my heart shot up into my throat. Chris opened the door and Desyre stood on the other side, carrying a large bouquet of blue roses. “Is there room in here for one more visitor?” She asked.

********

Even after I had left the hospital, it wasn’t like I had anywhere to go. I ran for a long time, but didn’t end up anywhere. I took a break in an alley, wanting some modicum of solitude in this crowded city.

“Stupid.” I whispered harshly. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.” I banged the back of my head against the brick wall, hearing a loud crack as it protested such ill treatment.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen. The caller ID was showing ‘Unknown’. I swiped one finger across the screen and held it up to my ear. “Who is this?”

“You’re so stupid.” a female voice answered in dismay.

“Callie, how did you get this number?”

“From you, about three months from now. I hope you’re happy with yourself.” she chided me.

“What are you going on about this time?”

She sighed. “You’re so stupid.”

“And you’re being cryptic. Again.”

“I’m talking about Angie.”

“You’re the fortune teller, what was I supposed to do?”

“Well, for starters, running away was the worst choice you could have possibly made.”

“If you don’t have anything useful to say, then I’m hanging up.”

“Go back while you still have a chance. If you hurry, you’ll make it in time.”

“Make it in time for what?” There was a click in my ear, followed by silence. Blast that infernal woman!

Something was going to happen to Evangeline, that’s the only reason Callie would call me. She sure as hell wasn’t going to call for my own benefit.

I had to get back to the hospital.

********

I ran most of the way, faster than I really should have been. No one spared me an extra glance, though. God, I didn’t think I could love this city enough.

Once I was inside of the hospital I cloaked myself with influence, so as not to draw the much more sharp-eyed attention of the nurses and staff as I raced through the corridors. I took the stairs, the elevators were much too slow. I reached Evangeline’s room and entered without knocking.

It was empty.

I blinked slowly in surprise. Where had she gone?

My phone vibrated again. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen. It was a text from Callie. ‘Too late.’

I shoved the phone back into my pocket as frustration rose up inside of me. My heart started beating faster and my chest tightened strangely. It was fear. For once I was afraid of something happening to someone other than myself.

I began to search the room, looking for some clue to Evangeline’s location. The bed was made neatly, but there was something sticking out from under the top of the blanket.

I pulled out a small white envelop, my name written on the front. It wasn’t Evangeline’s handwriting, but I recognized it. I tore it open, my eyes darting over the contents of the paper inside.

I have kidnapped your princess.
If you want her back in one piece,
then come and fetch her yourself.
If you can.

Desyre

I crushed the paper in one hand. I pulled out my cellphone and brought up the call log.

“Tell me where she is.” I ordered as soon as the line picked up.

“Oh sure, now you want to talk to me.” Callie replied irritably.