He felt himself hauled to his feet and he gazed down on the Noble, a bronze hand holding him steady lest his legs give out.
“
How? How is it possible?
”
he asked, wincing at the pain across his chest.
Fernando cocked his head, listening to something outside mortal range. Turning back, the Noble grabbed a bruised arm and pulled his friend into the street.
“
C
’
mon. My car
’
s this way.
”
Gasping in the effort to still the pain while filling his lungs, he hugged his arms across his chest as he tried to keep up. It was not long before he was ordered into a titanium convertible
BMW Z4 Roadster
, its interior open to the sky. He groaned out a sigh as he let the fine leather take his weight. Beside him Fernando started the engine, pulling out of the parking spot with a screech of the tires in a tight U-turn. Gripping the door handle a flurry of questions bombarded his mind. He blurted out the most pressing one.
“
Why are you here?
”
He grimaced at the pain from his lower lip. Sucking on it, his tongue tasted blood from the split.
“Saving your sorry ass,” replied the Chosen as he swerved the Beemer around a double parked vehicle, forcing the oncoming traffic to hit their brakes. “Shit,” muttered the Noble. “Can’
t people drive here?
”
He gunned the engine until they were forced to halt at a red light.
Fernando turned to face his friend. A mixture of disgust and pity filled his dark brown eyes before facing forward with the turning of the traffic light to green.
Fernando
’
s answer disturbed him and he frowned. He was already beholden to the Noble for saving his life and for ensuring he would not be Destroyed so long as the Angel served the Chosen in the capacity he had excelled in
–
death. He had been the Chosen
’
s assassin. That was all over now. He could not even defend himself against two Vampires.
“
How did you find me?
”
He hated how tired his voice sounded.
Missing the amber light Fernando had to wait to turn north on University.
“
By sheer dumb luck,
”
answered the Noble.
“
I was out searching for a bite when I saw the commotion. I figured what a better way than with a ruffian. I wasn
’
t expecting a run in with two Vampires about to make the Angel into a nice light snack.
”
He winced at Fernando
’
s bluntness.
“By the way, you owe me a meal,” stated the Chosen.
His eyes widened before he recognized the glint in the Noble
’
s
eye.
“
How do you—”
His voice caught in agony as Fernando spun the car north before the oncoming traffic could register the
change to green. Closing his eyes he gripped the door handle, the centrifugal force sending stabs of red heat. Once the car straightened
out the pressure released but the pain did not.
“How badly hurt are you?” asked Fernando with a mixture of annoyance and worry.
“I don’
t know,
”
he breathed. Each breath was agony.
“We’
ll be at the hotel soon.
”
Fernando focused on driving.
“
When Notus said you were now mortal Bridget and I could not believe it. Once Chosen always Chosen. No one has ever been changed back, as far as we know, and we checked. We also knew we had to come. Ha, here we are.
”
He pulled the car to the front door of a luxurious hotel that was across from the
Royal Ontario Museum
.
A valet opened the passenger door, his bored expression replaced with shock. Ignoring the valet he gingerly exited the low riding vehicle and stood on the sidewalk staring at the location that had changed his existence. Fernando threw the keys to the valet as he rounded the sloped rear of the car. Taking his arm, the Noble led him into the hotel, its grandeur lost in the rush to the elevator.
It was strange to be manhandled by the Noble and to suffer his silences but he was grateful to have an empty elevator and the time to try and catch his painful breath. It was also strange that even though he was no longer Chosen he could still sense the seething emotions from the immortal standing beside him. It was not as strong as before. It was more of an undercurrent that nudged at his consciousness. His attention was driven away from the sensation as the elevator came to a stop, causing him to wince. Panting in pain he followed the Noble down the brightly lit hall to a door that admitted Bridget.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. Tears filled her eyes as she sped over to him, appearing before him in a blink of an eye. “
Let
’
s get you inside.
”
She took over from her Chosen, guiding him into a suite fit for royalty. He would have been impressed by the fine décor had it not been for Bridget guiding him to a tan brocade sofa.
“When Fernando informed me that he found you I was thrilled,” explained Bridget as she helped him to sit. “But when he said you were attacked by Vampires I was worried.”
Relaxing into the sofa, he gazed up at Britain
’
s Mistress. Concern creased her pale brow. Her knowledge of the incident made it clear why Fernando had been so quiet in the car. Despite being mortal he was relieved to be with them.
“Let me see your neck,” ordered Bridget. She walked around to the back of the couch to stand behind him.
“They didn’
t bite me,
”
he replied. The idea of how close he had truly come to having his life drunk out of him sent a chill up his spine.
Ignoring him, Bridget swept his hair to one side and turned his head from side to side. He suffered the inspection lest a greater argument ensue but it was the motion that made him wince. He knew better than to say no to her.
“That’
s a relief,
”
she announced. She walked around to face him. It was then he noticed the simple style of a black and pink
floral summer dress hugging her petite form. Blonde hair spilled in waves around her heart shaped face. Pulling the locks back, she magically transformed her appearance into one of greater efficiency
and maturity as she twisted her hair into a self held bun. She turned to watch Fernando walk in with a bucket of ice and offered her Chosen a sad smile. He responded with a nod, dark eyes flashing in annoyance before turning towards the suite
’
s hall to the bathroom.
“Where else are you hurt?” asked Bridget, returning her attention to her patient.
“I’
m fine.
”
He immediately regretted the lie when the Noble returned with a facecloth filled with ice. Taking it from Fernando, Bridget sat down on the couch and pressed the cold pack against his split lower lip. The sensation made him pull back. His ribs, protesting the movement, making him gasp.
“You’
re fine, my ass,
”
muttered Fernando as he sat on the lounge chair across from him.
“
I
’
ve seen you worse, but you didn
’
t try and lie about it.
”
The accusation stung. Having Fernando save him from Violet
’
s ministrations forced him to reveal all his precious secrets to the Chosen. It was hard to lie about iron
’
s effects on him when the evidence was carved, pierced and whipped into him. Now he sat before the Mistress and Master of the Chosen of Britain, his lip split and Gods know what else damage that proclaimed him mortal. Lifting a hand, he took the cold pack from Bridget and glanced at the blood on the white terrycloth before pressing it back onto his numb lip. The relief from the cold almost convinced him the wound was healed, but when he touched his tongue to the cut the pain flared back into life.
Bridget stood back, finger to her lip, as she studied him. Her scrutiny made him nervous and he stared at the find sand coloured broadloom.
“What happened to you, Gwyn?” she asked in all seriousness. She sat on the arm of Fernando’
s chair.
He knew the question was coming and grimaced.
“
I don
’
t know.
”
He closed his eyes to the memories.
“
I was on the roof of the museum, chasing the Vampire who stole my sword, when suddenly there was a tingling sensation and then nothing. I woke up, several days later, in a hospital with Notus saying I was no longer Chosen.
”
“Vampires managed to take your sword from you?” asked Fernando, incredulously.
He glared at the Noble. He knew what Fernando was thinking and sought to correct it.
“
I had lent it for the exhibit. Vampires stole it from there.
”
Fernando made a disparaging sound as he shook his head sending shoulder length brown locks to fall in his face. Gracefully, the Noble swept his hair back with a tanned hand.
“
What I want to know is why you are still mortal? You can
’
t very well continue to be mortal. Just look at you. As the Angel you could have easily taken down two insignificant Vampires, but now,
”
Fernando shook his head,
“
you
’
re a target for every Vampire in the Americas. Why hasn
’
t Notus fixed this problem?
”
Always the one to cut to the heart of the matter, Fernando pierced his. Unable to match gazes with the Noble, he turned his head.
“
I asked him,
”
he said quietly.
Silence impacted in the room.
“He denied you?” Bridget’
s stunned whisper grew in indignation with each syllable, forcing her to her feet.
Uncomfortable with her accusation and his surprising reflexive
need to defend Notus, he rose from the couch with the intent to pace away his agitation. Ice pack discarded on the glass end table, chips spilled from the cloth. Pushing to stand, pain flared across his chest, stealing his breath and forcing him to hunch over.
“You’
re hurt,
”
exclaimed Bridget, coming to his side.
Grimacing, he straightened in the hopes his lungs would pull in much needed air. Bridget tugged at his leather jacket in an effort to remove it.
“
Why didn
’
t you say something?
”