Angels of Mercy by Laura J. Underwood

Author:Laura J. Underwood [Underwood, Laura J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781945941191
Published: 2019-05-26T22:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Sally was asleep when Katie looked in on the elderly woman. The doctor assured Katie that Sally was in stable condition, and that he wanted to keep her for a few days. Out in the hall, Katie heard two nurses going on about the madness that had afflicted patients in one ward. Something about a small green Martian with pointed ears and lots of sharp teeth that kept inverting the bedpans. She shivered just to think what they really had seen. The Erl-King’s goblins were spreading, and there was little doubt that the hospital might find itself a target of faery mischief.

Just to be sure, Katie slipped one of the packets of nails and red thread she’d taken to carrying in her own pockets into Sally’s bedtable drawer and another under the pillow, hoping they would help. Tom saw her, but he said nothing. Merely nodded as though he approved, and even suggested fixing a vase with a few branches of rowan among the flowers to sit by the bed. Katie made a mental note to herself to cut some mountain ash before dark.

From the hospital, they made their way towards the center of Mercyville. A sense of unease permeated the air here. People moving about the town square looked careworn and nervous. Reverend Williams stood in front of the Mercyville Baptist Church, hands on hips, looking up at the spire. Katie managed a quick glance at it as she drove by, and saw what looked like several brassieres and girdles strung together, waving in the wind like a banner. The Mountain Laurel Diner’s windows caught her attention as well. Pies had been smeared on the inside, and what looked like a rope of link sausages dangled over the door. Maggie Sue could be seen swiping her way through the meringue and scowling. The general store had suffered as well, and the grocer. All around Mercyville were signs of faery mischief. Even the angels surrounding the concrete trunk had suffered the indignation of having ripe tomatoes smeared in their faces. A watermelon capped the point of the flaming sword.

“They’ve been very busy,” Tom said, shaking his head.

“Look what they’ve done,” Katie muttered. “The whole town...”

“We’ll have to spread the word then,” Tom said. “Red thread, rowan and horseshoe nails must be put everywhere.”

“These people are not going to believe us,” she said, aiming the truck towards the alley entrance that would take her to the parking area behind the library.

“Believe us or not, the town must be protected,” he said. “It’s not even midsummer’s eve yet. That’s when it will be the worse.”

Worse? she lamented inwardly. What could be worse than what she was seeing right now? She pulled the truck into a space, noticing that toilet paper had been used to decorate some of the gargoyles. Tom was first out of the truck. He glanced back at Katie.

“I know a back way into the cellar,” he said. “I’ll meet you there.”

Katie nodded. They had already discussed the fact that Durgan would have fits if he saw Tom entering the front door and heading for staff sanctioned areas.

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