"Angels," she whispered.

I didn't dare glance at Rhys and Nara. I gave Mrs. J a tiny smile. A quick glance at the EMT and I caught him frowning. Yeah, I was sure he'd never seen someone recover so fast after a heart attack.

We screeched to a halt in front of the hospital. It was nothing like on TV. No interns and doctors running out to grab the stretcher. Rhys and Nara created a portal on the wall of the ambulance and disappeared through it before the driver opened the back door. It was awkward getting down with Mrs. J clinging to my hand, but I managed.

"She's not going to leave," the EMT who'd driven the ambulance reassured her, but she wasn't having it. Her grip tightened, and once again, I wondered if Dev was the one doing all the physical work.

"I don't mind going inside with her," I said.

"I'll talk to the nurse," he said.

"You haven't called her daughter?" the EMT who'd ridden with us said.

"I will."

They wheeled her inside with me by her side. Unlike outside, inside had a bit more activity. Still not very Grey's Anatomy. A couple converged on Mrs. J's stretcher. One EMT passed papers from the nursing home to a nurse while the other explained what had happened. Mrs. J tugged at my hand. I braced myself as I leaned down, expecting her to say she'd seen me, or call me an angel.

"Get her daughter here." The voice that came out was Dev's. He sounded weird, like he was in pain. "I can't hold her down for too long or the urge to take over will be too tempting to resist." Then the voice changed into Mrs. J's raspy, shaky voice. "Who are you?"

"It's Cora, Mrs. J," I whispered past the fear clumping my throat. "I'm here to make sure you're okay and ready for Lauren. When she comes, the two of you can finally talk."

Tears filled her eyes. "An angel?"

Whatever calmed her, I decided. I touched my lips. "Shh. Go inside with the nice people. I'll be right there after I call Lauren."

I gently eased my hand from her grip, stepped back, and watched as they wheeled her inside. I glanced over my shoulder at Nara and Rhys, and grinned. Dev wasn't just possessing Mrs. J. He was holding her soul captive inside her body and buying her time. He and I did the same thing, except I helped the dead while he helped the living. How ironic was that? Maybe helping others was what he'd meant by getting his soul back?

"Come this way," a nurse said, waving me over.

"I need to call her daughter first." It was time Nara and Rhys did something useful, instead of shadowing me. They even ignored a few souls moving around the ER. One eyed them, then me and grinned and disappeared through a wall. I pulled out my phone, walked to where they stood, and faked talking on the phone.

"I need your help."

"Really? After you let Dev possess her," Nara retorted.

"Dev is detaining her soul until the daughter gets here, Nara. That's what he's been doing all these centuries to purify his soul. He's a good soul." I looked at Rhys.

"What do you want?"

"Lauren Michaels, Mrs. Jepson's daughter, works at Portland Art Museum. Find her and bring her here. She hates her mother, but-"

"Leave it to me," Rhys said.

"Rhys!" Nara snapped. "You can't enable her by doing her bidding."

He cut her a side-glance. "She said Dev didn't betray us."

"But he just possessed that dying woman's body. We can't allow-"

"He's not possessing her," I cut her off. A woman seated nearby with her son gave me a weird look. I pressed my cell phone closer to my ear and lowered my voice. "Give him a chance to explain about the past. He was protecting someone else, and right now, he's helping Mrs. J. He told me we need to hurry and get the daughter here because he can't hold her in there forever. Does that sound like an evil guy?"

Nara still looked undecided. Not Rhys.

"Okay, Cora," he said. "I'll get her daughter. No, Nara. We can discuss your doubts later. Stay here with her." I was surprised when Nara listened.

He created a portal in the air, and for a brief second, I saw a section of Portland Art Museum before the door closed. Mom had framed some of their artwork and I'd visited with her, so I knew the place well.

Nara still had a suspicious look, but I didn't try to convince her that Dev was innocent. I found the nurse who'd called me before and she led us-Nara followed me through the door by the registration station-down a short hallway to one of the sectioned exam rooms. She pushed back the corner of the heavy curtain and indicated I go in.

Two people were with Mrs. J. One was taking her blood while the other studied a machine attached to the tubes from her chest and asked her questions. Mrs. J seemed more interested in me than answering his questions. Nara stood near the head of the bed, where no one could bump into her, eyes narrowed on Mrs. J as though expecting Dev to appear. At least she wasn't holding her artavus.

I was trying to listen to what the doctor was saying when one of the Grimnirs from school appeared beside Nara. Up close, I realized his dark locks were actually braids. Above his right eyebrow was a jagged scar, which added something to a face that would have been merely handsome. He also wore diamond studs. If he noticed me studying him, he didn't show it. Nara didn't miss a thing.

"Syn with a Y," she said, pointing at him. Then she waved my way. "Echo's girl.

Rude much? I had a name, I wanted to remind her. But then Syn nodded and said, "Nice to finally meet you, Cora," and I forgave her. He had a deep, rumbling voice. I wondered about his background. Since he was black, I knew he couldn't be a Druid. Maybe an ancient Nubian high priest.

"You can't reap the old woman yet," Nara said.

"Says who?" Syn asked.

"Miss Goody Two Shoes over here." Nara jerked her head toward me. "She's playing guardian angel to the dying, too." She sighed and added in a bored tone, "The old woman needs to talk to her daughter, who hates her guts, so Rhys went to collect her, so they can talk. Blah... blah... blah."

Syn cursed. "I'm behind schedule."

Nara chuckled. "You're always behind schedule. Who's the woman?"

"None of your business. Why is she worrying about the dying when she has you-know-who to deal with?"

They must be discussing Teleia. Did all Grimnirs know about my business?

Nara shrugged. "Echo insists she shouldn't change her routine."

"I liked him better when he kept to himself," Syn murmured.

"He's back, bro. Deal with it. You two might be sharing the mic again."

My interest in their conversation shot up. Echo had mentioned a band made up of Grimnirs. Reapers. Not exactly original, but who cared? They were ravers. They blew off steam by wearing painted masks and playing at raves every few months. Echo had played with them, but stopped. I eavesdropped on their conversation, wishing I could ask them questions without appearing nosy. They were playing tomorrow at some secret location. I was dying to find out where when the nurse returned.

"It's Cora, right?" she asked, and I nodded. "We're taking Mrs. Jepson to get some X-rays. We should be done in twenty minutes."

"I can come with her if she wants me to," I said.

She glanced down and patted Mrs. J's hand. "No, she'll be okay. You're a brave lady, aren't you, Mrs. Jepson? A Mrs. Hightower from Moonbeam is here, too. Did you locate her daughter?"

Nara nodded.

"She's on her way," I said.

"Good." She unclasped things at the legs of the bed. Mrs. J gripped my hand briefly and attempted a smile.

"I'll be right here when you get back," I reassured her and stepped back. The nurse wheeled her out of the room. Nara and Syn were talking in whispers, but I heard them.

"Have you told Echo about you-know-who?"

"Not unless we have to." She glanced at me. "How long is this going to take?" Her attempt to redirect the conversation was pathetic.

"Who's you-know-who?" I asked.

They exchanged a glance and shrugged, faking ignorance.

"Teleia?" I asked.

Nara cocked her perfectly trimmed eyebrows. "You know about Teleia?"

"She attacked me a few nights ago. Dev rescued me."

"No wonder you're his champion," she murmured.

"Who's Dev?" Syn asked.

"A dark soul she's helping. Can we talk outside?" She didn't wait for an answer, just slanted me a look that said, "Stay here." Then she practically pushed him out the partitioned room and disappeared.

Deciding not to let her get to me, I pulled out my cell and called Mom. Dad picked it up. "Dad? How come you're answering Mom's phone?"

"Because she's my wife," he answered. He could be so lame sometimes. "Are you at the nursing home or on your way home?"

"I'm actually at the hospital. Mrs. J had a heart attack and I rode the ambulance with her. Where's Mom?"

He sighed. "Why is it you can't talk to me? I can deal with any crisis just as well as your mother."

I rolled my eyes. He was a selective listener and always tried to solve whatever problem I had instead of being a sympathetic listener like Mom. "I know, Dad. I really need to talk to Mom."

"Okay. I hope Mrs. Jackson is okay." Then I heard him say, "She's at the hospital and refuses to talk to me."

"You took Echo to the bar and your friends treated him like a felon," she teased, but then her voice became serious. "Sweetheart, what is this about the hospital, and who is Mrs. Jackson?"

Just hearing her voice brought all sort of crazy emotions to the surface. My throat tightened and tears rushed to my eyes. "It's Mrs. Jepson, not Jackson. She had a heart attack, Mom. The ambulance arrived to pick her up just as I got there."

"Oh dear. Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't think so. She looks bad. I promised to stay until her daughter gets here."

"Are you okay? Do you want me to come over and wait with you?"

This was why I'd wanted to talk to her. She always knew what to say to make me feel better. "No, I'll be fine, Mom. But I left my car at the nursing home."

"We can pick it up, and when you're ready to come home, I'll pick you up too."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll text you when I'm done here."

"Um, sweetheart? I don't want to sound pushy, but don't you think that you need a break from volunteering at the nursing home for a couple of weeks? Losing friends takes a toll on everyone. Between Raine's father and Mrs. J's condition, I think that's a lot to take on."

I was probably going to quit working at the nursing home anyway. Mrs. Jepson's soul had seen me and if she survived, she'd start asking questions I couldn't answer. And hiding every time a resident at the home died wouldn't work either because souls always found me.

"I think that's, uh..." The door opened and Rhys walked in with a short, curvy woman I recognized from the pictures Mrs. J kept by her bed. Her arm was wrapped around his like they'd known each other forever. How did they get here so fast? "That's a good idea, Mom. I'll text you." I hung up and stood.

"This is Cora Jemison," Rhys said and indicated me with a nod. "She's been taking good care of your mother." He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on her knuckles. "Cora is family, so be nice to her."

She giggled, which was revolting coming from a middle-aged woman who looked twice his age. Her makeup was over the top even though she was in great shape and dressed well.

"Dinner later?" she asked breathlessly, staring at his face with cougar lust.

"Wouldn't miss it." He looked at me and winked, then left. The smile disappeared from Lauren's face as soon as the door closed behind him.

"Cora Jemison," she said, studying me with narrowed eyes, hands clasped in front of her. "I've heard so much about you from the nursing home staff and figured you were some lonely, middle-aged woman out to con Mom out of her life savings. How old are you?"

I tried not to be offended, but I'd disliked her before she arrived. "Eighteen."

"How are you related to Rhys?"

My annoyance shot up. It was sweet of Rhys to claim me, but I wasn't explaining Druid loyalty to this woman. She hadn't even asked about her mother. "They're running tests on your mother, but she should be back any minute now."

"Are you really related to him?"

"No." Figure that out, you cow. "Your mother is really proud of you. She always talks about your accomplishments, your loving family, and wonderful children. She said your oldest, Sierra, got a full ride to the University of Portland and your son is a gifted-"

Lauren laughed and not in a nice way. "I'm getting divorced, and Sierra just dropped out of college to drive around the country with her loser rock star wannabe boyfriend while Vaughn, my gifted son, is undergoing therapy because of an addiction to online gaming. He might not graduate from high school." She sat and waved me back to my chair. "Don't let that old woman fool you into thinking she's nice. She doesn't care about me or what's happening in my life. She started this vicious cycle by screwing up my life, and now I'm doing exactly the same to my children."

I blinked. Wow. She had to be in her forties or fifties and she still blamed her mother for all her problems. "Maybe she needs an occasional update-"

"And she'll get it today, so she knows exactly what her selfishness has done to my family."

Okay, the closure I had hoped for was so not going to happen. But that didn't mean I couldn't try. "She's changed."

"No, she hasn't. Is she ever nice to you? Has she ever thanked you for reading to her or bringing her homemade pies? Oh yeah, I do get updates from Moonbeam. She has a mean streak in her, and I have enough to deal with without putting up with her bullshit."

Mrs. J wasn't the thanking-people type, but her daughter was horrible. "Your mother is dying, Mrs. Michaels."

Lauren scoffed at the idea. "My mother is too mean to die. I'd bet she faked a heart attack to get me here. Well, here I am. Thanks to Rhys. The man is charming and persistent."

The door opened, and we both stood as they wheeled Mrs. J inside. She still looked frail and pale. I glanced at the daughter's face to see her reaction. She frowned as she stared down at her mother. I couldn't tell whether she still believed Mrs. J had faked a heart attack. I didn't know what caused the rift between them, but no one could look at a woman this ill and stayed unmoved.

When Lauren moved closer to the bed and whispered in a shaky voice, "Momma? It's Lauren. I came as soon as I heard," I became optimistic.

The nurses left the room, and I followed. I continued to the waiting room. Rhys and Nara were talking in low voices a few feet away, but I heard them as I got closer.

"We have to tell him the truth as soon as he gets back," Rhys said.