Amber Smoke Read online

  Air blew through the room, carrying with it the invigorating scent of citrus.

  “Can you feel him calling to you, pulling you home?”

  Eva brushed the twirling hair out of her face. “Who?”

  Another gust swept the room, adding hints of vanilla and lavender.

  “Your fates are intertwined. You must not deny your warrior’s heart.”

  A third blast of wind encircled Eva with an earthy scent.

  “He is the only force great enough to offer protection from the madness that lurks within your new power. Without him, it will steal pieces of your mind until you are scattered and lost like so many of us who came before you.”

  Eva shouted against the air roaring through the empty room. “You have the wrong person. I don’t have any powers.”

  Laughter trickled through gusts of wind and Eva closed her eyes.

  “Open your eyes, new Oracle. Find your warrior. Discover your abilities. Your new life awaits!”

  Twenty-Three

  “Eva, can you hear me? Eva, try to relax. Everything is okay.”

  “Mom?” Eva croaked.

  “She stepped out for just a moment, but she’ll be right back. My name is Maya. You’re in the hospital. I’m a nurse. Can you open your eyes for me?”

  Eva slowly unpinched her eyelids.

  “There we go. Now this is going to be a bit bright, so bear with me.”

  Light from the nurse’s small flashlight flooded Eva’s vision, taking her back to the white room and the chilling laughter. “I saw that before, that light. It was in my dream.”

  “Don’t try to get up.”

  “That light,” Eva emphasized, “I saw it.”

  “I’m not surprised. I’ve been coming in with it and checking on you like clockwork.”

  Eva groped blindly at the thin, scratchy blanket. “Do you have my glasses?”

  “Oh, yes. Here they are.” The nurse placed the plastic frames in her palm.

  “Is everything okay? With me, I mean.” She looked around, taking inventory of the various beeping machines. “I’m hooked up to a lot of stuff.”

  “You’ll be fine.” She typed a few notes on her laptop before continuing. “But we should really get the doctor in here to go over everything.” She closed the computer and set it on the counter next to the door. “I’ll go see if I can find her. In the meantime, take my advice and try to relax.”

  “I will.” Eva smiled weakly.

  “Eva? Oh, thank God!” Lori burst through the door before it closed all the way. “I went to go get some more coffee and…” Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you’re awake. Everything’s going to be okay.” Exhaustion poured from her voice.

  “Why am I here? Was I in an accident?” Eva searched her mom’s tired expression for an explanation.

  “You don’t remember what happened?”

  Eva shook her head. The muscles in her neck were sore and tight, and she massaged them with her hand.

  Lori opened her mouth to speak, but a hollow knock interrupted her.

  “Come in,” Eva called instinctually.

  The door opened and a tall dark-haired man walked through. His five o’clock shadow enhanced his strong jaw. “Hi, Eva, Ms. Kostas.” He nodded in Lori’s direction.

  “Detective, this is probably not the best time. She just woke up.”

  “No, it’s okay, Mom,” Eva said, patting Lori’s arm.

  He approached the foot of the bed and hesitantly put a hand on the railing. “I rode in the ambulance with you. You’re looking much better. But, I can come back later. I understand if you’re not ready to talk yet.” His kind smile lifted the corner of his eyes.

  “I don’t know what it is you want to talk to me about, but I’m good to talk now.”

  “Eva, this is Detective Graham. He and his partner are the men who’ve been handling your case. I’ll be just outside the door if you need me.” Lori walked to James and put a hand on his shoulder. “She doesn’t remember anything. Please go easy on her.”

  Eva waited for the door to close to ask her first question. “Mom said you’re handling my case? Did I do something wrong?”

  “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Eva didn’t need time to think. Her actions felt like they’d happened only moments before. “I met Bridget at a party. Why aren’t you answering me?”

  “You’ve been unconscious for three days. I need to figure out how much you remember about what actually happened.”

  “Three days. I’ve been in here for three days?” Her heart beat wildly in her chest. “Why? What happened?”

  “You were abducted after you left the party,” he said, matter-of-factly.

  Snippets of memories flashed before her eyes. She gulped air and squeezed the bedrails to keep the room from spinning.

  “Eva, are you okay?”

  “There’s someone in the backseat.” She closed her eyes against the repeating images and steadied her breathing. Familiar laughter seeped into her ears, and she blocked it out along with the memories of her abduction.

  “Yes, he hid there and waited for you to leave the party. I can stop if you need me to.”

  She relaxed her grip. “No, no it’s fine.”

  “Do you remember anything else?”

  She shook her head.

  “Is it okay if I show you some pictures?” She nodded and he handed her his phone. “Just scroll to the left. If you see anything that looks familiar, or if it’s too much, let me know.”

  “That’s the inside of my car,” she said, recognizing the first image.

  “Do you see anything missing or out of place.”

  She studied the picture. “No. It looks the same as it always does.” She hesitated before tapping the screen for the next photo, not wanting to trigger another avalanche of memories.

  “Is this a picture of Bill?”

  “Yes, your mother’s boyfriend. No one’s seen him since the night we found you.”

  Scream for me! A wild voice rumbled through her mind, and a shadowed wild-eyed face threatened to break through her hazy recollection. Scream for me! The voice echoed.

  “It wasn’t Bill.”

  “Do you remember someone else?”

  “No, I can’t remember who. I just know it wasn’t him.” Laughter tickled at her throat and spilled out of her lips. “I’m sorry. This isn’t funny. I…I don’t know where that came from.”

  “It’s okay, Eva. This is stressful. I can’t imagine how I would react if I were in your place. No one expects you to handle this a certain way.” His tone was soft.

  “Thank you.”

  She held his gaze, and he swiftly darted his eyes. “Just doing my job.”

  “But really, thank you. Waking up in the hospital. Finding all of this out. I feel like I’m going crazy.”

  “You’re not crazy. Whoever did this, he’s crazy.”

  “You said that no one’s seen Bill since you found me.” She placed the phone face down on her lap. “Where exactly did you find me?”

  “Actually, I didn’t find you.” He left the foot of the bed and circled to the side. He picked up the phone from Eva’s lap and skipped ahead a few pictures. “He found you. At least he claimed to.”

  She took the phone and examined the young man pictured. The familiar, delirious chuckle rippled through her thoughts. You must not deny your warrior’s heart. Eva covered her eyes with her hand and massaged her temple with her thumb. Laughter shook her torso, and she choked it before it burst out of her mouth.

  “I need a break. I’m sorry, Detective.”

  “Knock, knock.” A smiling Bridget opened the door. “Oh, I didn’t know anyone was in here with you. I’ll come back when you’re finished.”

  “No, Bridge. Don’t go,” Eva said, relieved by her friend’s excellent timing.

  “Yes, please stay. We were just finishing up.” James took the phone from Eva and stepped away from t
he bed, allowing Bridget space to squeeze by. “If you remember anything else, your mom knows how to reach me. Thank you for your time.” He lingered awkwardly for a moment before leaving.

  “Swoon,” Bridget said as soon as the door closed. “I’d lie in that hospital bed too if I knew he was going to come check on me.” They laughed and she climbed onto the bed and curled up next to Eva. Her bright orange sweats looked out of place against the sterility of the hospital room. “But seriously, Eva. You okay?”

  “I’ll be a lot better once I get out of this place and have time to process everything. I can’t believe what’s happening.”

  Bridget held her hand and Eva leaned against her.

  “Your mom’s talking to the lab coats out there. They’re saying you’re some kind of miracle,” Bridget said, removing a piece of lint from Eva’s gown.

  “A miracle?”

  “Yep. One of the doctors said that he’s never seen anyone heal so quickly. At least that’s what they were discussing out there.”

  Bridget’s shoulder shook, and Eva sat up to face her friend.

  “I thought you were dead,” she sobbed. “I didn’t want to say anything to your mom, but I never thought they would find you. I’m so sorry for not believing in you. I’m a horrible person and a horrible friend.”

  “No you’re not. I couldn’t have picked a better person to be best friends with.” Eva wrapped Bridget in a hug, and they cried together.

  “Oh God,” Bridget sniffled. “This is not attractive.” They let go of each other, and used the rough blanket to wipe their faces. “We can’t be all puffy faced. Not with Hot Detective in the building.” She smiled.

  Lori entered the room with the doctor in tow, and Bridget hopped off of the bed.

  “Welcome back, Eva.” The woman looked like every other doctor she’d ever seen: long white coat, light green pants, and a disinterested and almost inconvenienced look on her face. Her rehearsed smile revealed teeth matching the clean white of the walls. “Your mom tells me that you’re having a hard time remembering what happened. That’s not uncommon after a traumatic experience, but we’ll keep an eye on it. Overall, how are you feeling?”

  She shrugged. “I’m a little sore, and my muscles are kind of tight. Other than that, I feel fine.”

  “What about your arm? The tattoo. Any swelling or pain?”

  “Tattoo?” Her hand flew to the bandage covering her left forearm. She tore at it until the gauze fell in pieces on the bed. The charcoal tree gleamed in the fluorescent lighting. Her stomach churned and the unsettling laughter invaded her thoughts.

  “W…What is this?” Her eyes filled with tears as the voice thundered between her temples.

  Fight for your life!

  The room spun, then went dark.

  Twenty-Four

  Eva came to a moment later to the sound of voices and the feel of the doctor’s gloved hand against her cheek. The doctor stiffened. “I assumed that you knew about the tattoo.”

  “Well, she didn’t. Not yet,” Bridget said defensively. “Thanks for totally fucking up that reveal.”

  “Dr. Cole, can I talk to you outside for a moment?” Lori left the room without waiting for the doctor’s reply.

  Bridget flipped her hair and glared at the closing door. “Can you believe that doctor? What a total bitch.”

  “How did I get this?” Eva stared at her arm, ignoring the snot creeping down her upper lip.

  “Don’t worry about that. Just put the tape back over it and concentrate on getting your strength back.” She collected the chunks of gauze and unsuccessfully tried to reapply them over the tattoo.

  “I have my strength back, Bridget. Right now, I need you to answer my question. How did I get this giant tree on my arm?”

  Bridget dropped her smile and chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Whoever took you, he did it. But not just to you, to his other victim too.”

  “There’s someone else with this tattoo? Where are they?”

  “Dead,” Bridget said with a squeak.

  “This is too much. I’ve got to get out of here.” The pounding behind her eyes returned as she yanked back the thin blankets. “I can’t sit in this bed for another minute.”

  “Just wait, okay? Here.” Bridget picked up Eva’s contact case and handed it to her. “Put your contacts in, and I’ll freshen up your face with a little makeup and tjuz your awful bedhead. We’re in the twenty-first century. You can get that tattoo removed in, like, five seconds. Besides, if you let it get to you, he wins.”

  “What do I do?” Eva took off her glasses and stuck her contacts in her eyes.

  “Let me handle everything. You’ll feel so much better after you know you look good. It always works for me. Now hand me those wretched goggles, and I’ll put them in my purse.”

  Laughter flooded Eva’s thoughts, and she clenched her fists against the pain that followed. It rocketed through her head, making her stomach turn.

  “Oh my God. Eva, your hand,” Bridget said, balling up the bed sheet.

  Her eyes focused on the tenderness pricking her palm. She relaxed her fist, and shards of thick plastic clattered to the floor.

  “My head. It hurts so bad.”

  “Must be some headache. Open your hand all the way,” Bridget instructed, dabbing gently at the cuts. She reached behind the bed and pressed the nurse’s call button. “Someone will be here in a few seconds to clean this up and get you some pain meds.”

  The nurse rushed in the room and to Eva’s side. “Looks like you’ve got a nasty cut there.” She snatched gloves out of her pocket and put them on with ease before hunching over to inspect Eva’s palm. “It’s deep. You might need stitches for these. How did it happen?”

  “There was a shooting pain in my head, and I guess I squeezed my glasses really hard.”

  Bridget handed paper towels to the nurse. “At least you’re already in the hospital. This is one of the best places to be if you’re going to get hurt.”

  Maya folded the paper and pressed it hard against Eva’s hand. Eva flinched and tried to pull away.

  “Sorry, I know it hurts. I’m applying pressure to get the bleeding to slow, and then I’ll have the doctor come in and take a look at it.” She pulled back the paper towels and the kind expression fell from her face. “What the—”

  “What? What is it?” Eva straightened her posture and looked at her hand. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “No way,” Bridget said, frozen in place.

  Raw pink stared at Eva from several deep gashes in her palm. Tan skin rushed together to close the wounds. Panic gripped Eva’s body, and she yanked her hand back to her chest.

  “I…I think I should call the doctor now,” Maya said, backing up slowly.

  “Wait, no. I think I’m going to be sick. I need your help.” Eva jumped off the bed and pulled the nurse toward the bathroom with her. As they got to the door, Eva shoved the nurse in first and slammed the door behind her, keeping it shut with strength that surprised her. “I’m sorry,” Eva called out.

  “What the fuck was that?” Bridget shouted.

  “Keep your voice down!” Eva hissed. “And help me. I can’t hold this door for much longer.” Maya pushed against the inside of the door, and Eva’s feet slid on the tile floor as she forced her weight against it.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “The bed. It has wheels. Push it over here.”

  Bridget rushed to the bed and pushed it toward Eva. “It’s a lot heavier than it looks.”

  “Just hurry!”

  The nurse pounded against the door. Her shouts were muffled behind the thick wood.

  Bridget slid the foot of the bed next to the door, and Eva grabbed it. “On three, I pull and you push as hard as you can. Ready?” Bridget nodded and Eva started the countdown. “One, two, three!” Eva pulled hard, and the heavy bed rolled into place in front of the door. “Now lock the wheels on your side.” They stomped on the levers and slowly backed away from the b
ed.

  Bridget swept a shaking hand through her hair. “What is going on?”

  “I didn’t know what else to do. You saw my hand.”

  “Yeah, since when have you been able to heal yourself?”

  “How the hell am I supposed to know? I just woke up! I wasn’t like this a few days ago.” Eva brought her hand closer to her face and rubbed her smooth palm with her fingers.

  “And since when do we take hostages?”

  “Do you have any idea what they would do to me if we let her go get the doctor?” Eva glanced at the door. It shook against the nurse’s escape attempts.

  “Oh my God. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” Bridget said, frantically pacing around the room.

  “Bridget, you have to calm down. You’re not helping.”

  “Calm down? How the fuck am I supposed to do that after everything that’s happened?”

  Eva walked to Bridget and held her trembling hands in hers. “We have to get out of here. There’s no way we can explain any of this.”

  Bridget took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “But what about your headaches and this…” She turned Eva’s hand so her palm faced up. “Something crazy is happening. Aren’t you worried there’s something seriously wrong?”

  “We need to go. I need to figure out what’s going on with me. I can’t do that if I’m locked up in a room, and there’s no way they’re going to let me leave after they see all this and talk to the nurse.”

  Bridget thought about it for a moment before speaking. “Fine, but you’re not leaving without me.”

  “Bridge—”

  “Don’t try to talk me out of it. We’ve been friends for way too long, and I care about you too much to just abandon you. Besides, I helped you commit what I’m pretty sure is a felony. I’d say we’re already in this together.”

  “You’re amazing, Bridge.” Eva hugged her tight.

  “But first we have to get you out of that open back catastrophe they call a gown.” Bridget hurried to the oversized purse she’d dropped by the door. “Sweats or jeans?” She pawed through it before holding up the two options. “Which one do you think Olivia Pope would recommend for fleeing the authorities?”