Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) Read online

  I slipped into darkness, but when I opened my eyes, I was still in the back of the ambulance. I assumed only a few minutes had passed. If Ethano had captured me once again, I knew I had to get away. I flailed as the men attempted to hold me down.

  A frown formed between Ethano’s brows. “Holy crap! How’s she still conscious?”

  “Adrenaline rush. Give her another dose.”

  Sweat beaded my forehead. “Another dose of what?” I bit my lip as he injected something into the port of my IV. I kicked Ethano across the ambulance, and when the other one came at me, I easily threw him too. “Stop this ambulance!” I demanded. “I want out now!” I was having trouble thinking straight. All I knew was that I had to get away from Ethano, the man who’d made my life a living nightmare. As I lunged, the man flung his arm up, as if he had any chance of fending off my oncoming blow. I could easily have taken the guys on, but my headache reared its ugly head, and I was blinded by pain. Brilliant bursts of light dotted my vision, and a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me.

  “The drugs! They’re finally kicking in,” Ethano said.

  “It’s not drugs!” I said. “It’s these mind-blowing headaches.”

  Exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I slowly closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  The sharp smell of disinfectant made me gag. I was lying in bed, dressed in one of those ugly, backless, blue hospital gowns. I opened my eyes and looked around at my surroundings. Everything was so sterile and clean, and the place was dimly lit. There was some furniture in the small room, including a bedside table and a vinyl mauve chair. There I saw a large window with mauve curtains, a telephone on the dresser, and a bathroom in the corner of the room.

  When I saw the Band-Aid on my arm the medic hadn’t used for the IV, I knew a healthcare worker must’ve drawn blood. That’s not good—not good at all. It was then I realized that Ethano wasn’t in the ambulance with me. I looked up, and relief washed over me as I came to the conclusion that I’d hallucinated that bad dream. I worried now, though, that I’d be on my way to a psyche ward any minute.

  A nurse in white scrubs, with her hair pulled into a tight gray bun, walked in. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  “Like somebody’s been pounding my head with a hammer.” My throat was dry, and it was hard to swallow.

  The nurse held a glass of water to my lips so I could take a sip through the straw. “It’ll take some time to come down,” she said.

  “Come down?” I shook my head, not grasping the meaning of her words. “But the baby,” I whispered. “Is the baby okay?”

  “The baby’s fine and has a strong heartbeat,” she informed me.

  I let out the biggest sigh of relief I could muster.

  “Doing drugs when you’re pregnant is unacceptable,” she lectured. “Don’t you care about the health of your baby?”

  I shrugged off her scolding voice because I knew how off base she was. “Of course I care about my baby. I love him with all my heart and would never dream of putting myself in an altered state.” I yanked at my arms and suddenly realized I couldn’t move them; for one reason or another, I’d been restrained.

  “Please remain calm, Miss Larker.” She used my maiden name, which wasn’t surprising, since the modern world didn’t recognize my marriage with Victor.

  The nurse already thought I was on drugs, so I wasn’t about to try to explain my real name and how I got it. “Why am I strapped down?” I asked, noticing the soft, padded wrist restraints on my hands. I wiggled my arms and tried desperately to free myself. No matter how much effort I exerted, I couldn’t break free. What happened to my Immortal strength? I wondered.

  Her eyes didn’t leave her clipboard as she scribbled something. “You became violent in the ER.”

  “Really?” I mumbled in disbelief. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.”

  “You don’t remember beating up half the staff?” she hissed.

  I shook my head. “No! I’d never do that. I’d never hurt anyone!” Visions flooded my head as I remembered fighting with the medics in the back of the ambulance. I never acted like that, so I had to have been out of my mind. I spent my life trying to help people, not harm them, and I couldn’t believe I’d hurt someone.

  “You were hallucinating, high on drugs. They made you belligerent, uncontrollable, and dangerous to our staff.”

  How dare she judge me like that? I’ve never done drugs a day in my life. “Like I told you, I don’t do drugs,” I snapped. She’d already labeled me as a pregnant mom high on crack, and the thought that anyone would think of me like that made my heart sink. Her eyes narrowed, and I could sense her anger at my out-of-control behavior.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “You had a bad trip. Your eyes were as red as fire, and you threw the attending doctor away from you like a ragdoll.”

  I blew out a breath. I had no idea how to explain what had happened. Then it dawned on me: Back through the portal, when my emotions peaked and I was in danger, I was able to conjure unspeakable powers. Clearly, I had felt out of control and in danger in the ER, but my powers hadn’t kicked in. Otherwise, I really would have hurt someone. Why didn’t my powers emerge when my emotions surged? Why didn’t I have my strength? I thought. “Why can’t I remember more?” I asked out loud.

  She shook her head in disgust. “I go through this at least once a night. Drugs impair memory and cause paranoia and anxiety. You were...chemically detached from reality.”

  I pressed my lips together at her accusation. “But I’m not a substance abuser.”

  “Ah, the classic case of denial. I’ve seen this a million times. Screenings don’t lie though. In a short time, we’ll know exactly what street drug you took,” she said in a condescending voice.

  Heat flushed my cheeks, and I was again enraged at her. “You had no right to take blood from me without my consent.”

  She cocked her head. “If you have nothing to hide, why do you care?”

  “I’m fine now,” I told the nurse. “Can you please take these restraints off me?”

  She stared at me with cold, green eyes, as if evaluating my mental state.

  I didn’t need her permission to be free, for I knew I could simply compel her. “Take the restraints off me now.”

  Her pupils dilated as I gave the command. “I can’t do that,” she said.

  It didn’t work, and I was dumbfounded. As I wondered why I couldn’t compel her, a memory emerged. I saw a thin, African-American woman with short, curly hair, dressed in white scrubs. When she attempted to hold down my arm in the emergency room, I remembered seeing her blue ring. It wasn’t as bulky as the one worn by the man in the minimart, but the blue stone was exactly the same. For some reason, their energy drained mine, which was the likely reason why my powers didn’t explode in the ER. I surmised that I’d caused such a stir with my strength that she showed up to paralyze my powers. I wondered if she even knew who I was. Whoever she was, though, she had to be in the vicinity, as I still couldn’t compel the nurse.

  Another thought infuriated me: They must’ve drugged me with horse-strength tranquilizers and sedatives. I’m pregnant! What’s wrong with them? I glanced up at the nurse. “What kind of sedatives was I given? Are they dangerous to the baby?”

  “You’re worried about the drugs we gave you?” She huffed. “You oughtta be more concerned about the drugs you took. Aren’t you worried about birth defects?”

  I refused to answer her question. I hadn’t done anything wrong, hadn’t taken any drugs in any way, shape, or form. My problem stemmed from something completely different, something no modern-day human would understand. Sight, the special gift all human-turned-Immortal had after a year, was in the process of being bestowed upon me. It would allow me to see the future, but as it settled in, the energy was colliding with the energy from my other Immortal powers. It was something of a cosmic clash going on inside me, and my body was having a hard time adjusting. I feared
that in the long run, all those internal battles would kill me. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to deliver my baby safely, before my life was snatched from me, and that hurt me more than anything. My baby deserved a shot at life. Even if I didn’t make it, I had to figure out a way to prolong my life, if only long enough to allow Alexander to take his first breath.

  “How do we go about getting these restraints off?” I asked in a calm manner.

  “Can you tell me your name and where you are?”

  I rolled my eyes. “My name is Sarah Larker, and I’m obviously at Mercy Hospital. I was at my friend’s house and must’ve collapsed. I’m sure Beth called 911.”

  “Who is Ethano? Is he someone who hurt you in your past?” she asked.

  Ethano? The name made me shudder. “Yes...but how do you know that?”

  “You mumbled much about him, claimed he tried to kill you on numerous occasions, and there was something about him wanting your baby.”

  I swallowed, wondering what I’d told them in my deluded state.

  “You also mentioned something about an ancient sacrifice, a candlelit temple, and dozens of priests in hooded robes,” she said. “Because he needed a queen to obtain shape-shifter abilities.” She paused, stifling a mocking laugh, then continued, “Miss Larker, do you consider yourself to be a queen from another world, another dimension? And do you think an Immortal king kidnapped you and forced you to marry him?”

  I bit my lip hard, realizing how crazy and drug-induced my story must have sounded. “I guess I was just...delusional,” I fibbed. “Obviously, you can’t believe a word I said.”

  The lie seemed to pacify her, and she nodded, as if relieved to hear that I’d come back to reality. “I’ll send Dr. Meyers in to evaluate you as soon as possible. After that, you’ll have to follow up with the psychiatrist.” She made another note on her clipboard, then walked out.

  I suddenly heard Victor’s voice from down the hall, demanding to know directions to my room. My heart jumped when he walked in wearing a black leather coat, with his dark locks in disarray. My eyes instantly caught his beautiful gaze. “Boy, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

  “Sarah!” he said, then rushed over and cupped my face, sending shivers down my spine. “What did they do to you, love?” he asked, glancing down at my bindings.

  “Uh...well, this was necessary so I wouldn’t hurt anyone. Did you find Della?” I asked, even though the grim look on his face confirmed his answer before he spoke it.

  “No,” he said.

  “Sarah!” Charles said as he burst into the room. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh my gosh!” Liz yelled as she walked in. “Why are you tied up? What kind of hospital ties up a poor, innocent woman? Talk about medical malpractice. I’m gonna sue this place!”

  “Apparently, I tried to take out half the staff,” I said, wincing.

  She let out a long breath and shook her head at the straps that held me prisoner. “I don’t believe this. I wanna talk to somebody in charge!”

  “They thought I was high on drugs, so they sedated me. I can’t really blame them, but I’m worried it might have hurt the baby.”

  “You’re Immortal,” Charles said. “Hopefully, your body warded them off before they even reached the baby.”

  I glanced up at Victor for validation, and when he nodded, the tension in my shoulders released.

  Victor untied the restraints, and I jumped into his arms. He embraced me in a tight hug. “Are you okay?” he desperately asked.

  “I’m fine now that you’re here.” I squeezed him tighter.

  Anger rose in his features as he massaged my red wrists. “How can we stay in a world that treats you in this manner?”

  “I’m not a queen in this world, Victor. They really were just doing their jobs, and—”

  “But you’re a pregnant woman and should be respected, held in the highest regard.”

  I squeezed his hands and whispered, “They drew blood from me.”

  Liz touched my shoulder. “Charles and I are on top of it. We’ll find the lab and some white coats so we can sneak in.” She nudged him. “Right, baby?”

  Charles’s eyes were bloodshot, and I knew how worried he was about Della. He reached for Liz’s hand, and they headed out the door. I knew Liz would get those vials of blood back, come hell or high water.

  I gazed up at Victor, staring into the grim lines of his face. “I couldn’t break free from the restraints, and I couldn’t compel the nurse to let me go,” I said, and we both knew what that meant. “In my delirium, I swear I saw a woman with short, black, curly hair, wearing the same blue ring as the man I met in the minimart.” I let out a sigh. “Then again, I also thought I saw Ethano, and that was only a hallucination.”

  “Indeed. If it had really been Ethano, he would have already swept you away, back through the portal,” Victor reasoned. “My powers are paralyzed, so the woman you saw must be nearby. We have to find her.”

  “Let’s go then,” I said.

  “Not so fast, Miss Larker,” a man in long brown coat said, then flashed a badge at me. “I’m Detective Franson, and this is my partner, Detective Mara.”

  I held out my hand. “Uh...it’s nice to meet you, Detectives, but we were just—”

  “Sarah is in no condition to be questioned,” Victor said. “I will not allow an interrogation, not in her delicate condition. She’s been through enough for one night.”

  “May I have your name, sir?” Detective Franson asked.

  “He’s my boyfriend,” I explained. “His name is Victor Fesque.” I couldn’t tell them Victor was my husband. For starters, I didn’t have a marriage certificate; our marriage wasn’t even legal in California, and there was no way I could even begin to explain that Victor was really a king from Tastia. After all, I’d just been freed from my bonds, and I had no desire to be wrapped up in a straightjacket and tossed in a rubber room.

  “We’re not here about Sarah’s alleged drug abuse,” the woman said. “We were already in the hospital to check up on an assault case, and we thought we could save making a trip to your house since you’re already here.”

  I cocked a brow and wondered what I had done to warrant police attention.

  “We’re here to question you about a robbery that happened on Wednesday December twentieth,” Detective Franson said. “Where were you around five p.m. that day, Miss Larker?”

  “Not robbing a bank, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said, carefully choosing my words since he hadn’t mentioned the minimart. “I was home, and Victor and my sister can both corroborate my story.”

  Victor shook his head in confusion. “What’s this about?”

  The woman inched closer and met my gaze. “Sarah, you were identified as a witness in a robbery that took place at John’s Minimart on 5th and Stanton. The witness recognized you from television. He says you were there and that you were shot.”

  “Shot?” I laughed. “Do I look like I was shot?”

  “The witness mentioned that you are pregnant,” Detective Franson, “and the nurse we just spoke to confirmed that.”

  “What ever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality, Detective?” I questioned. “That nurse is not allowed to give you information about my health or medical situation. Maybe I should take legal action.”

  Detective Mara met my gaze. “I know a simple way to clear this right up.”

  I arched a brow at her. “How?”

  She continued. “May we send in a nurse to examine you for a gunshot wound?”

  “No! I will not allow it!” Victor said. “As I said, Sarah has been through enough, and—”

  Detective Franson looked at him and smirked, interrupting him to ask, “Gee. It sounds to me like you and your girlfriend must have something to hide.”

  I didn’t like the way he was talking to Victor, and I was growing weary of being treated like a prime suspect. “Do you have a court order, some kind of warrant or something?”

  “No.
It’d be completely voluntary.”

  I stared at the man long and hard. “I’m pregnant. Don’t you think I would have sought medical treatment if I were shot?”

  “We just want to eliminate you as the witness we are seeking,” Detective Franson said.

  Victor broadened his stance. “I won’t allow you to treat Sarah like this.”

  I gripped his hand. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. If it’ll get me off their little list, I’m all for it.” I wasn’t in the least bit intimidated by the detectives. I knew I could easily refuse the exam, but since it would clear me, I decided not to. The last thing I needed was the police breathing down my neck, thinking I was their prime witness in a robbery. There were plenty of other witnesses who had seen the gunman. I would never be able to explain how I’d survived a gunshot without any medical treatment or a single scar, so it was best to get myself off the hook as soon as possible.

  Detective Mara waited for my answer. “Well?”

  I nodded. “If you can kindly ask Detective Franson to leave, I’ll let you look. Just please don’t send that wretched nurse in here to examine me. She already thinks I’m a crack-head, and she reminds me of that old grouch from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

  “Not a problem,” Detective Mara said.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask Victor some questions out in the hallway,” Detective Franson chimed in.

  “I will try to be of help,” Victor said, leading him out of the hospital room.

  “Looks like it’s just us girls,” Detective Marta said, snapping on a pair of latex gloves.

  “Right. Can we just hurry up and get this over with? I have nothing to hide.”

  Lifting my hospital gown, she started to gently examine my body. “You’re quite the celebrity since you came back from the dead, Miss Larker,” she said. “Have you been enjoying the limelight?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Hmm. Well, what about your work? Did you enjoy being a paranormal researcher?”

  I smiled as all the memories flooded back. “Absolutely.”

  “What did you hate the most about it?”

  “Skeptics. I loathe skeptics.”