Chapter 2
The doctor lifted Lily onto a sofa and began checking her again.
I stood beside him, rubbing her tiny hand between mine.
“Her lungs are clear,” he said after listening to her chest. “That’s good. The fever is likely viral, but she’s dehydrated. I want to bring it down and monitor her breathing.”
“Does she need a hospital?”
“Possibly. For the moment, moving her may be more dangerous than keeping her here. Let’s see how she responds.”
Victor stood several feet away, staring at the locket.
It lay against Lily’s small chest, catching the muted light.
I turned toward him.
“You know what that symbol means.”
He did not deny it.
“What is it?” I demanded.
His gaze shifted to my face.
“It belonged to a group of families.”
“What kind of group?”
“A promise made between people who believed they could protect one another.”
“That sounds very poetic.”
“It was not.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
The doctor glanced at us before returning his attention to Lily. Victor seemed to notice.
“Not here,” he said.
“I’m not leaving her.”
“Then we wait.”
He walked to the other side of the room and spoke quietly with his security team.
I stayed beside Lily.
Minutes passed.
The sounds from above became distant and indistinct. The alarm stopped. The doctor gave Lily medicine, then showed me how to press a damp cloth against the back of her neck.
My hands shook so badly that I almost dropped it.
“You’re doing fine,” he said.
“I brought her into a house that was attacked.”
“You brought her somewhere warm.”
“I should have taken her to the emergency room.”
May you like
“With what money?” The question came from Victor.
I looked over my shoulder.
