Raven's Heir | ONC 2021 honourable mention

14 - Thunderstorm

"Lou?" Matt and I rushed to the landlord's side. The fear he might be unconscious and hurt flooded my stomach with icy dread. It was replaced by nauseating relief when he groaned and reached for his head, where a bloody scratch and a nasty swelling marred his temple.

But his mind seemed preoccupied with different matters. "Why did this monster abduct Theo?"

"Monster?" It took a moment to penetrate he meant the Raven Lord. "Sir Guillaume is not a monster, merely a spectre, and an friendly one at that. He offered to help Theo find his bearings in the ghost world. Hold still and let me check that wound, please."

Mister Mortimer jumped from the windowsill to rub his head against his master's chest. Lou cradled him in his arms while I took the tissue Matt handed me and dabbed at the blood running from the gash. It was half the length of my thumb, and the bruise might cause a serious headache. "Watch my finger, please."

Lou's grey eyes followed my index, the pupils narrowing when he turned his face towards the ceiling light. They were both the same size and not dilated, though. To double check, I repeated the experiment. "You're lucky, seems you got off without a concussion. But we should clean and bandage the wound before you get some rest."

He sat up, suppressing another groan, and fingered his bruised temple. "Shouldn't we rescue Theo first?"

I was tempted to tell him our otherworldly friend was beyond rescue and should be the least of his worries, but only shook my head. "He's safe and in excellent company. Guillaume will teach him a few useful skills—he has several centuries of experience at spooking." Plus, he showed the ravens how to cross walls, so teaching his far-distant relative how to float should be a piece of cake for the ancient charmer.

Matt offered Lou a hand and pulled him to his feet. "We only discovered Theo is a ghost today. But Sandrine is right, you need rest. We will brief you tomorrow when you feel better."

Lou pulled a face and took a wobbly step towards the door, his complexion pale enough to rival our deceased architect friend. Matt grabbed his right elbow, and I rushed to his left side to offer my support. "Where do you keep a first aid kit?"

"At the reception."

That made sense.

The way down the two flights of stairs became an awkward adventure. Almost a head taller than Matt and I, Lou rested his considerable weight on our shoulders. Mister Mortimer, who kept weaving his path between our legs, didn't help our task. We had made it around the last bend when the front door opened and let in a waft of muggy air.

"What happened to you, dear?" Alice rushed to Lou's side, eyes wide in alarm. While she fussed over the injury, her friend Catherine dived behind the reception desk and retrieved a large white box marked with a red cross.

Lou slumped down in a lounge chair. "I'm not dying yet, you know? I've just seen a ghost and hit my head."

"Oh, you met our dear friend, Sir Willy? Isn't he an extraordinary medieval gentleman? So civilised." A deep blush coloured Alice's cheeks, and Catherine chuckled while she dabbed a disinfectant onto the victim's temple. Mister Mortimer jumped into his lap and curled into a purring fluff ball.

All the attention seemed to embarrass Lou, and he reached out to me with a pleading glance. "San, what about Theo? Could you check on him, please?"

Matt and I exchanged a look. "Sure, we're on our way. Please get some rest, just in case you have a concussion after all."

"I'm in expert hands here, don't worry. Catherine, there should be an ice pack in the fridge in my office. Would you mind retrieving it?" His attempt at a lopsided grin convinced me he was recovering fast.