"Half a day, or nothing," he says, and I can see in his eyes I have no room left with which to negotiate. I swallow and nod.
"Very well," he grumbles, adding in my terms. He hands the scroll back to me as Tom comes in.
The monitor is still beeping, louder now. Tom looks between me and Asher. "Only family is allowed in here," he says.
"I am family," Asher says, smiling.
Tom looks to me as if to make sure this is okay. I nod and he shrugs and checks the monitors, his face paling when he sees the readouts. "I need to get the doctor. Be right back."
He scurries out, and I look down at the scroll, reading through the changes. My mother's body begins to seize and the doctor rushes in with two nurses. They tell us to get out of the way, and Asher and I fall back to give them space. He hands me a quill with a sharp edge that looks more like a knife, and leans over to whisper in my ear. "It takes blood to bind us."
I turn away from the hospital staff and place the scroll on a rolling table, then slice my arm with the quill. The cut stings and my eyes water as the pen's sharp tip soaks up the blood. I find the spot meant for my name, and with my own fresh blood, I sign.
The moment I dot the 'i' in Arianna, the machines attached to my mother fall silent. I suck in my breath as a hot flash of pain burns the inside of my right wrist. I push up the cuff of my sweatshirt and see a raised symbol forming in my flesh.
Asher flashes his own wrist. "You belong to us now," he says ominously. He takes the scroll from my hand and tucks it into his suit, then bows. "I'll give you today to wrap up your earthly affairs. Tonight you will make your new home in hell."
I look over at my mom, who is still lying in bed lifeless, but there is color in her face that wasn't there before. She looks healthier. More alive. The doctor and nurses examine her, perplexed expressions on their faces.
"Your mother has stabilized, against all odds," the doctor says. "I've never seen anything like it."
When I turn to say something to Asher, he's already gone. Instead, I go to my mother and hold her hand, feeling a sickening dread at what I've just done, but also a strange kind of hope. If she lives, if she comes back into her body restored, healed, and no longer in pain, then it was worth it.
I hope.
***
I spend the next few hours thinking of a cover story for my impending absence that won't make me sound insane. And I wonder at the logistics. Do I keep my apartment for if and when my mother heals? Pack it up? What are the social protocols for absconding to hell after making a deal with a vampire demon?
When I leave the hospital and head to The Roxy, I'm prepared, but it's still not easy when I tell them I'm resigning.
There are hugs and tears and Shari pulls me aside and stashes an envelope full of money into my bag. "Take care of yourself, girl. And don't be a stranger. Free food for life, right here."
I hug her and kiss her cheek. "Thank you."
Es is at work that day, and she hears the news first. The news being my fake story about how that rich stranger who came into The Roxy the other night offered me a high paying job with his law firm after finding out about my interest in law, but it means international travel and being gone for a long time. "It also means the best health insurance. My mom will be taken care of, and I'll be able to support her when she recovers," I explain.
Es is a sobbing mess, hugging me and making me promise to keep in touch. An idea occurs to me and I smile. "How would you and Pete like to move into my apartment while I'm gone? I know you hate your roommate. This would give you privacy, and I need someone to look after it. You can have my room."
Her eyes light up, even through the smudged makeup. "That would be... amazing. But are you sure? It has all of your things. And your mom's... "
"I'm sure. I don't want to leave it empty while I'm gone. Take it. You'd be doing me a favor." She already has a key, so I just tell her I'm leaving that night, and I'll pack up my room so she has space for her things.
We hug again and I leave, my heart heavy from the goodbyes. Is there Wi-Fi in this hell world, I wonder? Will I ever see my mother and friends again? My contract negotiation skills might have gotten me what I wanted, but that doesn't mean the princes will honor it once I'm in their world. They could do anything they want to me once I'm there, and no one would ever know. My attention is drawn to the strange new mark on my wrist. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I can almost feel the power in my skin tying me to the princes and my new life, binding me to them for all eternity. The thought that this might be the final goodbye nearly cripples me, but I can't let Es see that. I have to stay strong, just a little while longer.
I don't know what to expect, or what to bring. I pack up my room, put the boxes in my mom's, and shove a few things into my own bag to take with me. Mostly the sentimental items I can't replace, plus my favorite jeans and shirts and a sweatshirt.
My thoughts drift to Fen as I wait for Asher to arrive. I would have liked to say goodbye, but I have no way of contacting him. I tried looking for him last time I was at the hospital, to no avail. I consider leaving a note for Es to give him, just in case he pops back around while I'm gone, but what would it say? Sorry I missed you. Living in hell now. Wish you were here?
That probably won't work. So I just send a silent message out to him, thanking him for his help and wishing him well, wherever he might be.