Page 11 of Autumn L.A.W

He ran across the grass and dropped to his knees between them, his face doing a rapid-fire slideshow of panic and concern.

Sahara lifted a weak hand. “Hello, Lieutenant Monroe.”

Cal hovered over them like he didn’t know who to check first. “What’s going on? Are you hurt? Poisoned? Did something collapse again?”

“No collapse,” Lioness said brightly, or it would’ve been brightly, if her voice hadn’t sounded like a dying accordion. “Just an ancient curse.”

Cal blinked. “I’m sorry… a what?”

“Hush!” Sahara whisper-yelled, then grabbed her head and groaned.

“A curse,” Lioness whispered.

Sahara gave up trying to deny it with silence. “Ancient Egyptian. Very inconvenient.”

Lioness patted his arm. “She means it sucks.”

Cal stared at them both, trying to decide if they were joking. Then Lioness’s knees sagged sideways, and all his firefighter instincts kicked in at once.

“Okay, that’s it. Both of you get up. Now. I’m taking you to a hospital.”

“No!” Sahara and Lioness said together, then groaned at the volume.

Cal froze. “Why not?”

“Because they can’t help,” Sahara said. “And Rayna will kill us if we go. She’s our boss this quarter.”

“You have quarterly bosses? Never mind. You can explain later—or not. The important thing is that we get you some help before it spreads.”

Lioness waved a limp hand. “Not contagious, just nasty. It hates magic users. You’re safe. Probably.”

“Probably?”

Sahara grabbed his sleeve. “Cal. We need to get to the mansion.”

He hesitated. “You live in a mansion-mansion?”

“Yes,” they chorused, too weak to lie.

Cal exhaled like a man who knew he was about to make the worst decision of his week. “Fine. But you’re both getting in the car before you pass out.”

He hooked one arm under Lioness’s shoulders. She sagged into the support, too drained to pretend she didn’t love being carried by a strong firefighter who smelled faintly of cedar.

“I’m heavier than I look,” Sahara warned.

“You weigh as much as a pillow,” Cal said, lifting her anyway.

Sahara laughed weakly and immediately regretted it. “Ow. No laughing. Everything sloshes.”

Cal helped them both into the SUV, buckled them in, then floored the engine.

Lioness slumped sideways, cheek against the cool window. “Cal?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re a good man. Does Cal stand for Calvin?”

“Nope. Caleb. It means dog in Hebrew.”