Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

            But the four men . . .

            I blanched as I found the expected sickly green—only, it was fading, flickering about the edges and missing entirely from their legs and heads. “When was the last time they had their chakras balanced?” I asked, trying to hide my alarm. Holy crap on toast, they were more naked than a half-starved undead vampire.

            “Two hours,” Cassie whispered, her almost terrified expression fixed on them.

            Two hours? Shocked, I swung my bag around and let it drop heavily on the nearby counter. “I’m calling Vivian again,” I said as I reached for the landline phone by one of the nightstands. “Maybe she’ll answer if I use a hospital phone.”

            “Rachel?” Bis warbled, and I turned at Cassie’s gasp.

            “Oh no,” Trent said, and I followed his gaze to one of the men. He was in convulsions.

            “Kylie!” Cassie shouted, lurching to his side. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare leave me! Rachel, do somethin’!”

            A soft buzzing alarm rose from the nearby machinery, a louder version of it echoing in from the hall. Jenks took to the air as the door slammed open and three nurses raced in. Bis went white, not in fear, but to blend in with the walls, his wings tightly wrapped around himself to become nearly invisible. My second sight vanished. I needed to be in the here and now.

            “Who are you?” the largest aide said as the other two registered our presence and shoved us out of their thoughts to focus on Kylie.

            Trent inched closer to me, a silent presence as I fumbled for words. “He just went into convulsions,” I said. “His last chakra is almost still,” I added, stating the obvious.

            “Out,” the nurse said, pointing, but I was riveted to the spot as the other two did a quick triage, one taking samples and readings, calling them out as the other recorded them.

            Until they both stopped and backed up.

            “What are you doing? Save him!” Cassie demanded, but the oldest nurse with gray hair and a calm acceptance shook her head, putting her arm over Cassie to draw her away.

            “I’m sorry,” she said as the last nurse, young and trying not to show it, took Kylie’s hand.

            “Sorry?” I echoed, shocked. Were they going to let him die?

            Trent stepped forward, his brow furrowed. “If it’s a matter of insurance—”

            The nurse who had asked us to leave looked insulted, but it was the old one still trying to get Cassie to move who answered. “Mr. Kylie has a no-heroic-efforts request.”

            “Well, fuck that!” Cassie exclaimed. “Kylie, don’t you dare,” she said, shoving the nurse’s arm off her and giving him a shake. “Kylie!”

            Sighing, the older nurse pulled the white curtain around Kylie’s bed to hide Cassie shouting at him. “I’m sorry, but you need to leave,” she said to us, her eyes narrowing upon Jenks as if we had brought in a pet. “Immediate family only.”

            Lips set, I stuffed my hand in my pocket for the ring. Sorry, Vivian. . . .

            “If you could move to the hall?” the nurse said, her large size firmly between us and Kylie.

            “I’m not waiting for Vivian,” I said. “Trent, could you get everyone in a corner? I don’t know how this works, and I want everyone in a circle.”

            “You need to leave,” the large nurse said again, and Trent stepped forward, his most coaxing smile in place.

            “Cassie?” I took the ring in hand. Tap a line. Say the words, I thought. “I can’t break the curse with you beside him. Ma’am?” I added as the older nurse frowned at me. “If you could?”

            Cassie shoved the curtain aside, wild with hope as she took the nurse’s arm and tried to drag her away. “Come on,” she said, tugging at her. “We have to get out of the way so Rachel can uncurse them. She found the cure. Move!”

            The young nurse beside Trent paled. “You’re Rachel Morgan,” she said, and the large nurse trying to herd us out hesitated. “You did this?” she added, clearly frightened. “You froze their chakras?”