39. Bella – Returns to the Clinic
Chapter thirty-nine
Bella – Returns to the Clinic
Fog and mist follow us all the way back to the clinic. Finn looks up from the patient charts spread across the table when we arrive.
“Well,” he says slowly, taking in Darius and Charlie, the satchel, and my expression, “that looks medically terrible.”
“It might save lives,” I reply. “Straight up magic.”
“Hmm.”
Darius removes his coat carefully while fog swirls against the clinic windows. He still looks unfairly elegant. It’s honestly irritating.
Finn notices my expression immediately. “You’re doing the face again.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“The emotionally compromised face when you look at him.”
Darius tries not to react. Charlie sighs dramatically. The yearning remains severe.
“Thank you, Charlie,” Darius says. “At least someone here acknowledges reality.”
Traitors. Every single one of them.
I set Lucy’s satchel on the table and begin unpacking dark bottles, dried herbs, wrapped capsules, and handwritten instructions that somehow smell faintly like smoke.
Finn stares. He blinks once. Then nods thoughtfully.
“I guess we moved past normal medicine three crises ago.”
He’s probably right. I hand him one of the silver-black bottles.
“Lucy says this slows progression in infected humans. Early stages only. It reduces the pull toward The Wilds and suppresses the whispers.”
Finn uncorks it carefully and recoils immediately.
“Good God. It reeks.”
“She said if it smelled pleasant it probably wasn’t magical.”
Darius leans against the counter watching us quietly.
“There are capsules for the vampires as well,” I say, lowering my voice slightly. “Lucy thinks it may slow frenzy symptoms and stabilize them from attacking.”
Finn looks between us slowly.
“So let me clarify.” He points vaguely toward the satchel. “Our current island survival plan is herbs, vampire quarantine, and magical vibes?”
Charlie rests his head dramatically on Finn’s knee. Bella and the vampire are trying their best. The witch, too.
Finn scratches behind Charlie’s ears absently, not knowing exactly what he said but agreeing.
“You’re right, Charlie,” I say quietly.
Darius’ receives two texts instantly. We look at him while he reads them.
“Marcus worsened again,” he says quietly.
My stomach churns as I see him close his eyes for a moment and concentrate. His dark eyes then settle on mine.
“I can hear his heartbeat from here. It’s true. I need to return to The Cliffs. With these capsules.”
“I’m coming,” I say automatically.
“No.”
I blink. “No?”
“Bella—”
“I’m the doctor. I should be there to help.”
“You are human.”
“Yes, thank you, we’ve established that repeatedly. Mortal doctor in the flesh.”
Finn quietly slides farther away from the argument like a man avoiding an incoming weather system.
Darius steps closer to me.
“He is becoming unstable.”
“And Marcus is my patient. We have Lucy’s magic to administer and test.”
“Marcus is also a starving predator. You are prey.”
“And I’m still going.”
His eyes darken slightly. Heavens above, that look should not affect me as much as it does.
“You don’t understand the risk,” he says quietly.
“No,” I fire back immediately, “I understand it perfectly. That’s why I should be there. The whole island is at risk, Darius.”
Silence ensues, heavy and tense. Charlie looks between us. Ah. The stubborn mating ritual resumes.
“Charlie!” I hiss.
Darius closes his eyes briefly like he’s reconsidering all of his life choices. Then he looks back at me.
“I clearly can’t make you change your mind. You stay beside or behind me at all times.”
“That sounds vaguely threatening.”
“It is entirely threatening.”
“Fine,” I reply.
His gaze lingers on me one second too long. And something warm flashes briefly beneath all that tension and fear and exhaustion.
Possessiveness. Protectiveness. Something older and more dangerous.
Finn notices it immediately and quietly looks away like he values his continued survival.
Darius reaches for the black cloth bundle Lucy prepared for the vampires. “If this fails,” he says quietly, “everything changes tonight.”
The room falls silent.
If the vampires of The Cliffs lose control—
Bloodhaven Cove will descend into chaos and could die with them.