Chapter 13
Hugo
As if seeing it in slow motion, I watched as what looked like half of Phia’s face exploded in a blast of red and gore. So much bloody gore.
My feet moved toward her as her body crumpled to the ground. I heard someone scream her name, and it took a moment for me to realize it was me, my own voice, screaming in horror, calling out her name as I tried to catch her in my arms.
I went down with her, her body falling half on top of me as I grabbed onto her, trying to… trying to stop… stop something. Stop this? Stop the blood? Help her lie down so she was comfortable until help arrived?
Blood spilled over her face, dripping down her neck, down her body, dripping all over me. There was so much of it, I didn’t know what to do.
I knelt beside her, still yelling, although I didn’t even know what was coming out of my mouth. Her body was lying over my legs, but I couldn’t see. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I grabbed her shoulder, turning her face toward me, and I gasped.
“Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.”
Half her face was gone, and she was covered in so much blood and other… gooey things that I felt bile coming up my throat.
“Hugo! HUGO!”
Hearing Zaos screaming my name through our link snapped me out of it enough to yell back, “What!”
“Take your shield stick out of your pocket and snap it.”
“What?” This time my voice sounded more… or rather, less panicked. Maybe. Or maybe it just sounded terrified.
“Take out your shield stick and snap it. Please, mezelie. You need to get in a safe place. Cover yourself with a shield. Right fucking now.”
I blinked a few more times before I finally understood what he was saying.
Right. Someone… shot Phia, and I was still out here ripe for the taking.
I reached into my pocket, found the stick—one of the many things Zay made me carry on my person every single day—snapped it, and a huge shield covered both of us.
“Done. But, Zay, Phia… she’s… she’s…”
“I know, baby. I felt your pain when it happened. I’m on my way. Can you… can you check her pulse?”
I looked at her face again, and her one eye, the only one that was left, was blank. I knew it was futile, but… I reached over and felt for her pulse. Nothing. I felt nothing.
“She’s not… there’s not… she’s…”
“Okay. It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. Take a deep breath for me.”
I tried to do what he asked, but all I could smell was blood, and I started gagging.
Phia was still on my lap. We were both covered in… her blood, and I was pretty sure there was a piece of her, uh, skull stuck to my shirt. The bile threatened to come out again.
“Hugo!”
Jett’s voice called out from the bar’s back door, and I swung around, yelling, “Stay back! There’s someone with a gun! Get back inside.” I saw Quinn behind Jett, so I yelled, “Get him back inside, Quinn. I’m safe in a shield.”
Jett tried to make a run for me, but Quinn grabbed him around the waist, hauled a kicking, flailing, and yelling Jett back inside, and slammed the door.
I breathed a little easier.
At least until I caught sight of Phia again.
My eyes filled with tears as I stared down at her… at her lifeless body.
“I’m almost there.”
It somehow felt like no time and an eternity had passed when Zay appeared at the alleyway’s entrance. I could see a silvery haze around him, and relief flooded my system. He was inside a shield as well.
He ran for me, and for one second, I thought his shield was going to bounce right off of mine, but then I saw his incubus magic fly out around him, encompass his shield, and then wrap its way around mine.
When our shields touched, instead of bouncing off each other, they sort of melded together.
I had no idea how he’d done it when his shield had been made with his Uncle Del’s magic, but I didn’t care at that moment.
Obviously, he knew how to manipulate it, and all I cared about was having him beside me.
And then Zay squatted on the ground and pulled me into his arms. I went easily, and before I could stop it, tears began running down my face.
“Shhh… I’ve got you. You’re safe. You’re okay.”
I cried and sniffled for another minute before a group of policemen with their guns out came rushing onto the scene.
Zaos called out, “I’m under orders from Alecander Gillman-Ellwood from the BCA to protect this man until you clear the entire area.
” My viramore held something up, and it took me a moment to realize it was some kind of weird official document from Alec himself.
What, did he just have that on hand? I mean…
I supposed he did. The entire Ellwood family was nothing if not prepared for disaster.
And they’d taken even more precautions with Zay since he didn’t live on coven land. He probably had loads of things like that just lying around somewhere or perhaps hidden in a secret compartment in his car.
I wonder if I have secret documents in my car? Is there a secret hiding place?
Zay gave me a strange look, like he probably overheard me and was thinking what the actual fuck, but he was too busy handling the police to pay much attention.
Zay continued, “You should’ve already received a call from Alecander Gillman-Ellwood himself. You have your orders.”
The man who I supposed was in charge examined us for a few seconds before giving Zaos a nod and barking out orders. He left three officers to watch over us while the rest searched for the shooter. Each of them placed a shield over themselves too.
Hm. Did everyone in this city have Uncle Del’s spells or something?
Zaos very gently and carefully moved Phia off my legs and placed her on the ground beside us. He swallowed thickly before facing me.
He cupped my cheeks for a moment, kissed my forehead, and pulled me into his chest as he examined Phia without touching her. I could feel his magic poking and prodding me while it also looked her over.
Holy shit. I’d just watched someone die. Right in front of me.
I probably had her blood splattered all over me, not to mention whatever else was on my body and clothes.
Holy fucking shit. Phia was dead. She’d been shot.
I gasped and shot up to look into Zay’s eyes. “Oh god, Kian. What’re we gonna tell Kian?”
“Shhh.” He gently tugged me back down. “It’s alright. Don’t worry about him right now, okay? Let’s just concentrate on staying calm. We’ll talk to the police, go home, and figure it out from there, okay?”
Before either of us could agree or come up with a better plan, I heard Ailin’s voice yell, “Let me through. Now. I need to see my grandsons. Move it, asshole, or I’ll blast you straight into Brinnswick Forest.”
I heard more yelling, more voices joining in, and then I felt a wave of energy—magic?—flowing through the alley, and even though I knew Ailin was beyond pissed off, I had no doubt this soothing, earthy magic floating around me was his.
The policemen almost immediately moved out of his way when they felt just how powerful the scary but kind witch was. As soon as they parted, Ailin ran straight for us with Sebastian only half a step behind.
“Zay. Hugo. Are you okay?” Ailin asked as he knelt beside our shield.
I nodded at him, and Zay turned us so he could see his grandfathers without letting me go. “We’re not injured, but Phia…” He trailed off as he pointed at her. “She’s… she’s gone.”
“Fuck me,” Ailin muttered.
“Oh no. Poor Phia…” Sebastian shook his head. “Poor Kian.” He cringed and looked at Ailin, and although neither said anything out loud, I had no doubt they were communicating through their bond.
“Zay,” Sebastian said. “We already cleared the area and found no shooter. Some of your aunts and uncles are here, guarding the entire area. Your dads are on their way. Can you drop the shield so we can get you two cleaned up, home, and behind your wards?”
Zay took a deep breath before whispering to me, “Is that okay with you?”
I nodded. I could admit to myself that I was a little terrified of dropping the shield, but I trusted Zay, and I trusted his grandparents and the rest of the family. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that they wouldn’t risk us if there was even a small chance the shooter was still in the vicinity.
“You sure?”
“Y-yeah. Let’s do this so we can go home.”
Zay asked his grandparents, “We can leave now? Don’t we have to give statements?”
“The BCA has officially taken over the case, so you two can give your statements to one of your aunts or uncles once we have you in a safe location. We’re gonna need Hugo’s clothes before I can clean him up with my magic, though. They’re evidence.”
I glanced at Phia, at the body on the ground. “Wh-what about Phia?”
Sebastian seemed to soften. “We have people coming to take care of her. Our crime scene techs need to collect evidence before we can do anything. They’re the ones who need your clothes, Hugo.”
I blanched at that. They wanted me to strip in the middle of the street?
Before I could panic too badly, Ailin added, “There’s an ambulance at the end of the alley. You can change in there. They have some scrubs you can put on.”
I nodded, and Zay asked, “You ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I think.”
He kissed my forehead, then dropped the shield, and before I could even take a breath, Sebastian and Ailin were wrapped around us both, hugging us as if their lives depended on it. Before I could stop myself, I had my face buried against Sebastian’s shoulder, sobbing again.
“Shh. I’ve got you. You’re safe, sweetie. You’re safe.”
A moment later, Ailin whispered somewhere behind me, “We’ve got you, kiddo. We’re gonna keep you safe.”
I nodded, and after a few minutes, I finally calmed down enough to let Zay walk me to the ambulance. I changed out of my bloodied and dirtied clothes, and then some crime scene techs swabbed me for… I didn’t even know what. Maybe I had blood on my skin too?
Then Ailin did some magic, his green energy flowing around me, and when he pulled back, I felt… clean. Like completely and totally clean. I was definitely okay with that.
I grimaced, though, when he had to do the same to himself, Zay, and Sebastian since they’d hugged me and gotten blood on themselves.
It took longer than I wanted, and by the time I was finally inside a car and wrapped up in Zay’s arms, I was shaking and exhausted, and I just wanted to go to sleep.
And the night wasn’t even close to being over yet.