Sherrilyn Kenyon - Dream Chaser

"Hang on, I'll take you to one." She opened her mouth to protest.

Julian held his hand up to silence her before she could even start. "It's a safe place, called Sanctuary. The hospital ward was set up just for situations like this. It's a place where those who aren't quite human can go to for help. It'll have everything you need, and there won't be any questions about where either one of you came from."

That made her feel much better. "Good. 'Cause unless he starts healing by himself immediately, he needs surgery . . . quickly. Or he will die."

Death was a possibility she'd like to avoid.

Julian looked down at the blood-soaked bed and winced. "I should have taken you there before I messed up the comforter. It's what I get for trying to pass as a human all the time. Sometimes I forget my own powers."

The next thing she knew, they were in what appeared to be a doctor's office. The entire interior was made of steel, except for the white-tiled floors and white walls that were lined with glass-covered shelves of medicine. There was also a padded steel examining bed next to three trays covered with surgical and examination tools. As promised, it held everything needed to tend to Xypher.

Julian stood beside her, holding Xypher in his arms. No small feat since the man was a couple of inches taller than him.

"I'm so disoriented," Simone breathed as a wave of dizziness hit her. She put her arm out against the case closest to her to get her bearings.

Ignoring her, Julian bellowed, "Carson?"

A door on her left opened to reveal a tall. Native American man who glared at them. His long black hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail and his features were sharp, reminding her of a bird of prey. "Don't yell. I have extremely sensitive hearing."

"Sorry," Julian said quickly. "But we have a situation. Carson, meet Simone. Simone, meet Carson. He's a surgeon."

"Oh, thank God," she said, grate fill there was another doctor here. "I only operate on the dead."

Carson didn't comment on that. Instead, his dark gaze went to Xypher. "And the guy bleeding would be . . . ?"

"A Dream-Hunter."

Carson's jaw dropped at Julian's answer, "They bleed on the human plane?"

"Apparently so and rather badly."

Carson gave a curt nod before he crossed the room to open a door behind them. "Bring him in here and put him on the table."

Julian didn't hesitate to obey.

Simone followed Julian into a bare operating room. Like the outer room, it was clean and sterile with steel furniture and large lamps over the surgical table. It looked like any operating room she'd ever seen and she was impressed with the quality of the state-of-the-art tools and monitors. In fact, she knew several hospitals that would kill to be this up-to-date.

While Julian placed Xypher on the table, she headed to the small room on her right where a prep sink waited so that she could scrub down.

Carson entered right behind her. "You look like you know what you're doing."

"I'm an ME and I thought you might need an assistant for surgery." She dried her hands on one of the green towels that were stacked on a table beside the sink.

He inclined his head before he began scrubbing his hands, too. "Good woman. My usual assistant is off today."

Julian came to the doorway. His clothes were covered in blood. "If neither of you needs me, I'm heading back to my house to do damage control on the bed . . . and pray none of my neighbors saw the major battle we had in the street with our friendly neighborhood demon."

Carson snorted. "Please, no more getting caught on videotape and God save us from Webcams. I swear I hate this modem age."

Simone ignored his caustic comment as she met Julian's gaze. "Good luck and thank you for all your help."

Julian smiled at her, then vanished while Carson wheeled a table of instruments back toward the other room.

"Don't we need a mask and scrubs?" Simone asked him.

He shook his head. "I wash my hands out of habit. Basically your friend here should be immune to the typical genus that can kill a human. What will infect him would be things we couldn't protect against anyway."

"Oh." Simone moved to the opposite side of the table and helped to remove her temporary pressure bandage from Xypher's side. She was a bit surprised that Carson didn't remove Xypher's jeans, but he seemed content to leave him partially dressed.

Since she'd never operated on anyone, never mind someone who wasn't exactly human, she kept her backseat surgeon under wraps. Obviously the man knew what he was doing or Julian wouldn't have brought them here. Not to mention, no one would have paid for all this equipment unless they knew how to use it.

Right?

She hoped so. Stepping back, she watched as Carson opened him up and started working on the wound. She cringed at the damage done. His arteries and tissue were a nightmare.

Poor man ... or whatever he was.

A twinge of guilt went through her as she considered the way he'd put himself between the demon and her. He'd taken the brunt of the fight—just like he'd done in the alley so that she wouldn't be harmed.

In spite of all his gruff bluster, he had heart and at least a basic code of decency. That realization softened her toward him. He actually wasn't that bad. And as she stared at him, a part of her was warmed by his consideration.

Carson reached for a clamp on the stainless steel tray. "What was he cut with?"

"A short sword."

He shook his head. "It looks more like a chain saw got him. Look at the damage here." He held the skin back so that she could get a full view.

Simone reached for another clamp to hand him since Xypher was bleeding so badly. Carson was right. It was awful. “I don't know if this helps or matters, but the man wielding the sword was some kind of demon."

"Do you know from what pantheon?"

This had to be the most screwed-up conversation she'd ever had. There weren't many people you could tell about a demon appealing in the street and then attacking you who would accept it with such a simple question. It should be interrupted with laughter.

And lots of alcohol.

"Uh, no. But Xypher called him Kaiaphas."

Carson cursed.

Simone looked up at the unexpected anger the name caused. "You know him?"

"Part Greek, part Sumerian, all pissed off. It's a wonder any of you survived. But the real question is, why did he attack you guys? It's not his normal style."

"What do you mean?"

"Kaiaphas is a doleodai. A bound demon. He can't act on his own, he has to be commanded by someone."

That was an interesting tidbit. Simone wanted to laugh at the absurdity of everything that had happened to her since lunch. "How on earth did I get caught up in this? All I wanted to do was check out a simple crime scene and go home. No ... I take that back. All I wanted was to have a ham and cheese sandwich with an old friend. Now I've been dragged into the middle of some Greek-god conflict and it's not even, dinnertime yet. I can't wait to see what happens next."

Carson smiled, "I've had those days." "Sure you have."

"No, really. You should follow me around and document all the weirdness I get dragged into."

"Such as?"

He took the clamp from her hand. "Well, there was the time Marvin, our former mascot monkey, ran from his owner. Wren—he's a tiger that can take human form—and went upstairs to sleep with the dragon. Turns out our resident dragon is allergic to monkeys—who knew or could imagine that? Max broke out with a rash in areas I still cringe over, and if you mention the word 'monkey' to him to this day, he shoots fire at you. Then there was the time when . . . oh, I better not tell that. If Dev catches wind of it, he'll rip my heart out and eat it."

Simone stepped back at everything he was telling her. No ... it couldn't be.