Shadow Kissed 03 - Shadowman

happened?”
    â€œOh, shit,” Zoe said, “if it isn’t Princess Die.”
    â€œNice to see you, too, Zoe.”
    â€œAbigail is starving and your Dr. Patel is bent on looking at Ms. Mathews’s boo-boo.”
    Dr. Patel was unwrapping Layla’s field dressing, murmuring, “Not bad at all.”
    â€œZoe,” Talia said, “will you please wait outside?”
    â€œI’m not going anywhere.”
    Talia took a deep breath, for strength, Layla guessed. “I’m not asking.”
    That’s when Layla noticed that Zoe was shaking, her gaze filling with resentment as she looked at Talia. “You did this to Abigail. Made her sick. Made her use Shadow. She wouldn’t be this bad off if it weren’t for you. Abigail saved your life, and you’re letting her go hungry.”
    â€œShe has the absolute best care. We’ve done and are doing everything possible for her. Every recourse has been taken. You know this is true, because you’ve been by her side the whole time,” Talia answered. “Dr. Patel will be up shortly. Sooner, if you leave now and let us take care of Layla.”
    With a slap, Zoe upended a tray of tools, which clattered to the floor. She glared her anger at them, burning Talia the longest.
    Nobody moved, though Layla almost opened her mouth to tell the doctor to put a Band-Aid on her leg and take care of Abigail. The pain emanating from Zoe was palpable.
    â€œThis won’t take but a few minutes,” Dr. Patel assured her.
    Zoe stuck up her chin and stalked out, her hands fisted at her sides.
    The door hadn’t slid shut when Talia rounded on the doctor. “How bad is Layla?”
    Dr. Patel cleared his voice. “She’s got an ugly scrape, that’s all. I’ll keep an eye on her, just in case. Adam seemed inordinately concerned when he called about it as well.”
    Probably because she was supposed to die any minute now.
    Layla felt the moment Talia finally settled her gaze on her, and she was immediately filled with a pressing, bright warmth. It was a mixed-up feeling, so sharp and sweet as to be near pain.
    And Khan? Where was he?
    â€œI promised my father that we’d keep you alive,” Talia said. “Don’t make a liar out of me.”
    â€œI’m not dying,” Layla said.
    â€œEver,” Patel added, deadpan.
    â€œWell, that’s good news,” Talia said, grinning.
    Layla forced her gaze back on the table. She concentrated on the microstriations in the metal to get her mind off the pressure in her heart. Reincarnation. A family. After all these years.
    And somehow too late.
    â€œBut I still plan to keep you inside and out of harm’s way for the rest of the day,” Talia said.
    So Talia knew, too. Damn Khan. It seemed he’d filled everyone in, but her.
    â€œYou could meet the kids—” Talia’s voice broke. “If you want, I mean.”
    Talia Thorne’s children. Her little boys. The shadow hanging over Segue.
    The fullness in Layla’s chest turned painful, cutting off all her air so that the beat of her heart drummed loud in her head.
    A baby smell sweetened the clinic’s air. It was a mother smell, too. She concentrated on the pain of her scrapes, let it burn, burn, burn, so she wouldn’t embarrass herself. If they were trying to wreck her, completely demolish her, they were doing a fantastic job. Meet the kids, but sorry, any time now you’re going to die.
    â€œOr not,” Talia said. “That’s okay, too.”
    But Layla could hear the hurt in Talia’s voice.
    Layla’s face heated. Her eyes and nose pricked, ready to embarrass her. Damn it. The pressure in her chest was going to kill her if she didn’t do something.
    With a cough, she cleared the thickness blocking her voice. “No, really, I’d love to meet them. That would be . . . just . . . great. And then, if you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow a camera.”

Chapter 11
    Khan stood back from the angels as they lowered the gate into a cavern in the mountains not far from Segue. How clever of the angels to find a place inaccessible to humanity, as well as ever steeped in Shadow. Places like this, where darkness had long reigned, hovered on the edge of the Otherworld, its cave-dwelling creatures as skittish and wary of light as the fae. kat-a-kat-a-kat . The gate demanded, Open me!
    And how foolish to put a gate to Hell at