Hear No (Hidden Evil, #1) (6 page)

They entered a second common area. The three patients were dressed in uniform white and under the close watch of three orderlies that resembled bouncers. One of the patients was a beautiful girl no older than nineteen while the other two were middle-aged men. The girl sat in a cozy chair, knitting, while the men were watching television.

As Kaylee stepped into the area, the girl in the corner lazy boy chair looked up. Her eyes were deep blue, a shade that riveted Kaylee’s attention.

The girl wasn’t looking at her, she realized. She was looking
past
her.

Kaylee glanced back.

“Her name is Amira. She’s deaf and suffers hallucinations,” Evan whispered. “She’s supposed to be in Tier One but refuses to leave this floor. I guess she’s comfortable. We haven’t been able to diagnose her yet, partially because she rarely speaks. Brain MRIs only tell us so much, and she won’t tell us the rest.”

Shadowman was crowding her. Kaylee shrugged and took a step forward to see if the strange sense eased. It didn’t.

“Stay right here. I’m going to check in with Father. Sometimes he sends me on tours then realizes he can’t work the cappuccino machine,” Evan said. He moved away, towards a nurse’s desk.

Kaylee shivered. She didn’t move, afraid of distracting any of the patients. 

Amira was staring in the direction where Kaylee felt the presence. 

She turned around. Nothing out of the ordinary was there. Her eyes lingered on the nearest orderly then on Evan, who leaned over the nurse’s desk in the far corner to reach the phone.

“You see him.” The voice was awkwardly loud, as if the speaker wasn’t able to gauge the volume at which she spoke.

Kaylee jerked and faced Amira, who had left the corner and stood a few feet away. She clutched her knitting project, her eyes wide. Her features and height gave her the appearance of a model.

“I, um …” Kaylee stopped, recalling that the girl couldn’t hear.

Amira’s gaze dropped to her lips.

“Can you read lips?” Kaylee asked. Her face grew warm, and she hoped she wasn’t offending the woman.

Amira nodded.

“Can you see … him?” Kaylee mouthed the words.

Another nod. “I hear him. You’re keeping him here.” The loud voice drew the attention of the bouncer and patients.

Kaylee shifted uncomfortably. She placed a finger to her mouth to shush the girl, not wanting to end up locked in the basement with the rest of the crazies if overheard.

“What is it?” she mouthed again.

Amira’s gaze was past her. She followed the movement of something invisible, something Kaylee felt shift from behind her to beside her to in front of her. Shadowman was between them, only Kaylee couldn’t see it.

“No!” Amira said. She was staring into the space between them, oblivious of Kaylee.

“No what?” Kaylee asked uneasily.

The woman tilted her head, as if listening.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.

Kaylee inched back, not understanding what was going on.

“No!” Amira’s face flushed. She shook her head.

Shadowman shoved her back a few steps. Amira slapped at him, and Kaylee backpedaled.

Suddenly, Amira’s gaze sharpened and settled on Kaylee. She gripped her knitting needles.

From the corner of her eye, Kaylee saw an orderly headed their way.

“You have to go,” Amira said, a mix of anger and sorrow in her voice. “I’m sorry. It’s the only way.”

“Evan –” Kaylee started to turn.

The orderly reached for Amira and suddenly was flying across the room, flung by the invisible Shadowman. He slammed into a wall.

Kaylee stared, shocked.

“I’m sorry,” Amira said.

Kaylee whirled and saw the woman had the knitting needles raised. They plunged downward, and Kaylee stifled a scream. Hot pain tore through her shoulder.

Stumbling away, Kaylee looked around wildly for somewhere to hide from the needle-wielding maniac. Amira chased after her, needles raised and tears on her face.

Suddenly, she stopped and spun. Seconds later, she flew upward and smashed into the ceiling.

Flailing, she stayed there, pinned in place by something invisible.

Warmth flowed down Kaylee’s arm. She looked from the inhuman sight of Amira stuck to the ceiling to her arm. Her white shirt was soaked.

 Someone tried to kill her. Someone invisible had flung a football player sized man across the room and pinned a deaf girl to the ceiling.

Kaylee touched the blood, her ears roaring. She was bleeding.

What the hell just happened? Had she not woken up this morning after all?

“Place your hand over the wound to stop the blood.”

Disoriented, she realized someone dressed all in black stood before her. He was tall and wide with a voice that didn’t sound quite right. She looked up.

Shadowman had no face.

She slid into a faint.

Chapter Six

Shocked when Shadowman dropped her instead of killing her, Amira sprinted back to her room. Her heart was racing, the only sound after the chaos in the common area. She slammed her door closed and grabbed a handful of moonstones. She sank against the door, waiting for the Shadowman to come for her.

With tears on her face, she huddled in the corner of her room.

What horrified her more? That Shadowman had found her, or that she’d done the unthinkable and possibly killed someone? She now understood the duality of his stone. He was a fallen guardian, not just a fallen angel. It meant his life was connected to that of the human to which he was assigned, hence the two energies possessed by the stone.

His human was innocent, adorable even, with ears that stuck out from silky blond hair, delicate facial features and large, wise blue eyes.

And Amira had tried to take her life.

She sobbed into her hands. Human life was the most sacred of the sacred for an angel. As a first gen, she wasn’t far removed from the Other Side. She stood in awe of the humans in general, more so knowing how much adversity they faced. She was facing her own, and there were times when she didn’t think she was going to survive.

After a few minutes, she realized Shadowman wasn’t coming. Had she succeeded in murdering his host?

What did that mean for her own soul? Killing was forbidden.

She pulled out the two-toned stone from her velvet pouch and held it. Her heart prayed the girl she hurt was okay, while logically, she knew that Shadowman’s host was going to have to die in order to banish him to Hell, where he couldn’t hurt anyone and most importantly, couldn’t start the chain of events that would unleash the Apocalypse on the planet.

Was destroying one life worth saving so many others?

She squeezed the stone.

Both were alive – Shadowman and the woman. The woman was unconscious, while Shadowman hovered over her. Amira sat up straighter, suddenly intrigued about the link between the two. She knew if the host died, Shadowman went to Hell.

It wasn’t possible for a demon to be concerned for a human, but where demons operated much like angels – out of instinct - Shadowman was cognizant of how his existence was dependent on the woman’s.

As she watched, she calmed, seeing something else.

Angels only saw good. Demons only saw evil. Humans were blessed with the ability to see both and the free will to choose between them.

Shadowman saw both. He stepped away from the woman when Evan reappeared, knowing the fifth gen meant to help. He was sentient, which meant he understood his life depended on that of his host. He took a form when necessary and understood who posed a threat to his anchor and who could help. How far would he go to protect his host?

The two-toned stone was one of balance. It was half his, half the woman’s.

She sensed the vibrations of footsteps then the sensation of someone inserting a key into the lock above her head.

Amira’s eyes snapped open, and the thought fled.

She shoved the stones into the velvet pouch and tossed it under the bed then rose and waited.

The orderly that entered appeared stressed and held a syringe. He pointed to his mouth.

“This will calm you down,” he mouthed.

Amira nodded and swallowed hard. She understood that actions had consequences and right now, they thought she really was crazy after stabbing someone. While scared, she’d never in her life hurt or tried to hurt anyone.

She held out her arm, trembling. The orderly was kind and quick. He was her favorite of them all, the one who helped her set out her moonstones originally and who checked up on her once a day.

“Thank you,” she said the words.

At his nod, she knew he understood. He took her arm and led her to the bed.

Already, the drugs were taking hold. Amira sank onto the bed and soon, darkness floated across her mind. Her last thought was of Shadowman’s host again.

What if the stone led me to her for a reason?

Chapter Seven

Kaylee awoke with a jolt, grateful it was another nightmare.

Except that she didn’t have fluorescent lighting or tan walls at her apartment. She twisted her head to see a small tray of medical items on a low counter nearby. She sat and groaned, pain radiating down her arm.

Her left arm was in a sling.

“You okay?” Evan asked, poking his head in at the sound of her pain.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “My head feels … heavy and my arm hurts.”

“No surprise there.” He slid on gloves and crossed to her. His expert gaze took in the bandage around her shoulder before he peered into her eyes. “We gave you a shot of painkillers and antibiotics. You’ll be groggy for a day or two. The good news is that she missed anything important.”

“So that really happened?” Kaylee asked. She checked out her bandages, unable to see the damage beneath thick white gauze.

“About that.” He rested a hand on her thigh absently, frowning. “
What
happened? I checked the surveillance video, and there’s a weird gap.”

Kaylee hesitated. What did she say? That Amira had seen the Shadowman, had a conversation with him then tried to kill her?

That
she
had seen the Shadowman?

“I don’t know,” Kaylee said finally. “She was talking to like, someone who wasn’t there then she stabbed me.”

“We didn’t have her pegged for the violent kind at all.” Evan was puzzled. “She’s been docile and gentle since arriving a few weeks ago. This is very uncharacteristic for someone like her.”

“Oh, god, can I have a shirt?” Kaylee asked, realizing she was wearing a bra and skirt.

“Sure. Yours was ruined. I have my workout clothes here. They’re clean,” he added quickly. “I do laundry here sometimes.” Faint pink spread across his face. “Father hates that.”

Kaylee almost laughed, startled by the admission that the man who would inherit a medical empire did his laundry at work.

Evan brought over a soft t-shirt and helped her into it. Moving her shoulder hurt, though the pain was warm and distant. She could barely feel her arm. He repositioned her sling. She sighed, exhausted by the small movements.

“We have a few extra rooms. You’re welcome to stay here for the night,” Evan said.

She sought the most diplomatic response she could muster. “I respect your work and your father’s dedication, but I will never live it down if I stay in a mental health center tonight.”

He laughed. “Yeah your boss wasn’t about to wait for you.”

“He took the car?”

“Yeah.”

Son of a bitch.
Another reason to despise Mike. “I’ll get a cab.”

“Put these on. I’m a little obsessive about clothes matching,” Evan said. “You can’t leave here in a dress skirt and t-shirt.” He placed a pair of workout pants on a chair. “I’ll see if I can get you a cab.”

He closed the door and left her in peace.

Kaylee sighed.
This isn’t happening. I didn’t go to a nuthouse and get attacked by a patient.

She wriggled out of her skirt and into the pants. The clothing was far more comfortable. She tried to fix her hair but stopped when her left arm wouldn’t work right.

The presence crept up behind her again. She twisted, heartbeat soaring.

He
wasn’t visible, but she knew he was there.

“What do you want?” she whispered.

“I saved your life,” the hiss responded.

She was seeing
and
hearing things now?

“Um, who are you talking to?” asked a voice behind her.

She faced the open door, where Evan stood waiting.

“No one. Myself,” she answered.

“There aren’t any cabs this late. It’s a three hour drive anyway,” Evan said.

“Oh. How late is it?”

“Almost eight.”

Kaylee calculated how long it would take for Mike to wrap up his meeting and return back to the office.

“Mike … Mr. Harrison didn’t send the car back for me?” she asked.

“No. He asked if you were okay and left.”

I can’t stay here.
Whether it was the drugs or her sudden fear of mental health centers, Kaylee felt like she was near tears. Evan’s face softened into a warm smile.

“Look, I’ll drive you home,” he said. “I planned on working late, but it is Thursday. I normally start my weekends Thursday night with a trip to the Bow Bar.”

Kaylee’s brow furrowed. The Bow – short for Rainbow – Bar was a well-known gay hotspot in DC.

It would figure the most pleasant, attractive man she’d met in years was gay.

“I’d owe you forever,” she said.

“I owe you. Your boss is probably going to sue us for what happened.”

“Only if it gets his name in the paper,” she said wryly. “He is all about Mike Harrison.”

“I got that impression. My father didn’t care for him too much anyway. Maybe you can represent us in court.” Evan winked.

“This time next year, yes.”

“You okay on your feet?”

She nodded.

“You’ll be stiff tomorrow.” He held up her purse and two pill bottles. “More antibiotics and painkillers. If it gets unbearable, call me, and I’ll write you a new script. I told your boss you needed a few days off.”