Elemental Thief

Chapter 24

Made of air, it was easy for Ridley to sneak into Lumina Private Hospital. Finding out which room Archer was in took a little more effort, but she drifted around for a while, listening to snippets of hospital employees' conversations, until eventually she heard the words 'Alastair Davenport's son.' She twirled around a corner on a gust of air, and followed a woman in a suit and several security guards. "No, we've been told to keep the press away," the woman said. "I don't care that people have nothing better to do with their time than follow the lives of the city's rich and famous, but if I see anyone with a camera on the twelfth floor, I'm holding the entire team responsible."

Twelfth floor. Ridley turned back, heading for the nearest elevator.

She didn't have to wait long before the doors slid open, someone stepped out, and another few people stepped in. As the numbers blinked their way up toward number twelve, she couldn't help remembering the words stuck to the outside of her window: STAY AWAY FROM ARCHER DAVENPORT. Believe me, she silently answered the unknown author of the note. I'd like nothing more than to stay away from him. What was more important, though, was the safety of innocent people. If she had to spend a little more time with Archer in order to ensure that outcome, then so be it.

She found him in a private ward, of course. No sharing for Archer Davenport. She watched him through the glass pane of the door, but before she could figure out exactly how to get through it without raising anyone's attention, a nurse came toward her. Ridley moved out of the way, and once the door was open, it was easy to follow the nurse inside. She was a pretty young woman, and when she stopped beside Archer's bed, she gave him a dazzling smile. "You called, Mr. Davenport?"

Mr. Davenport. Ridley would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't been looking around the room to make sure no one else was here. "Have you found out yet when I can leave?" Archer asked in a tone that suggested he'd asked this same question a dozen times already.

"Uh, no, I'm sorry. Your doctor is still waiting for the results of some tests. You're probably fine, but he needs to be certain that you don't have—"

"Is my sister still out there?" Archer craned his neck to see past the nurse through the open doorway, his face twisting into a grimace. "Please can you—"

"No, I'm afraid she isn't, sir. Visiting hours are over. But, uh ..." The nurse twisted a stray strand of hair around her finger. "It's almost the end of my shift, so I can come back in a few minutes and keep you company if you'd like." At that, Ridley did turn her invisible eyes toward the ceiling. Unbelievable, she thought.

Archer fell back against his pillows with a groan, shutting his eyes. His breaths became quicker, shorter. "No, thank you. But if you could up the pain meds, that would be great."

"Sir, you've already received as much as—"

"Yes, okay. Thank you. That's all then." He raised one hand—covered in a plaster cast—as if to dismiss her.

"Okay. All right." Somewhat reluctantly, the nurse turned away from the bed and left the room. She pulled the door closed behind her, and as it clicked shut, Ridley pushed a flurry of air away from her and across the room to drop the blind over the door's glass pane.

Archer opened his eyes and frowned at the closed blind, swinging gently back and forth against the door. But he must have thought it was nothing more than an accident, because instead of calling the nurse back or looking around the room with suspicion, he simply turned his head toward the window and stared out, his brow furrowing.

Ridley followed his gaze. Up here on the twelfth floor, they could just see over the top of the wall. Not much of the world beyond was visible, but Ridley could see the afternoon sun streaming through breaks in the clouds, lighting up the tops of the tallest ruined buildings that remained. Her encounter with the elemental magic out there came to mind, but she did her best to push the memory away. She didn't like thinking of how utterly out of control she'd been while magic tossed her around.