“Human.”
Things felt strange—but they smelled familiar. Too familiar.
“Human.”
Something hit my face, hard. I blinked, and saw a frizzy blond halo looking down. “Human?”
“Tired,” I whispered, but I wasn’t sure I made a sound.
“Human, do you want my blood?”
I blinked my eyes open. There were two Y-connected IV sets over me, draining red fluid in. “Blood?”
“That’s mortal blood. I am offering you more.” A skinny wrist blotted out the emergency room lights. A red gash appeared on it, and then blood on this, bright red, like a seam.
I closed my lips firmly.
“I will not force you.” Anna’s strong fingers grabbed my chin, twisted my head, and made me focus my attention on her. “But if you die, I will be very upset.”
My vision faded, and she disappeared. “Ti?” I asked. “Anna?” I looked around. County’s emergency room was full; I could hear screaming children, crying mothers, the clamor of twenty different languages, all the hustle and bustle of life and death around me.
And I was just another stab wound on a Saturday night.
I flagged down a nurse by attempting to crawl out of bed. “Call Meaty. On Y4.”
She looked unsure. Of course she was, I’d just given her the name of a person she’d never met, and a location she’d never been to.
“Extension six-sixty. It’s important. Tell him Edie Spence is here,” I pleaded.
She could have ignored me, but she didn’t. I saw her go for a phone as I relaxed back into bed.