covencraft 04 - dry spells (36 page)

“Yvonne is coming for you,” Paris repeated. “I know her. I trust her.”

“This better not be like that time you trusted Veronica,” Jade said wryly.

“Fair enough,” Paris replied. Jade could hear the dry amusement in his voice. “But, no. Yvonne - I trust her.”

“Okay,” Jade replied. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. I’m hanging up now.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Yeah. Tell Lily to stay with Bruce, ‘kay? I don’t… he shouldn’t be alone. I don’t want him to be alone.”

She could feel Lily’s agreement coming through their connection, fast and fierce. She would stay with Bruce. Now that Lily knew Jade was back, she would keep Bruce company. Give him extra coffee.

“Not too much,” Jade said automatically.

“What?” Paris asked.

“Lily. She can’t give Bruce too much coffee. It makes his tail twitch.”

“Of course,” Paris replied.

“Okay,” Jade repeated. “So, I’m hanging up now.”

“Jade, I-”

A moment of silence stretched out over the phone where Jade didn’t hang up, but Paris didn’t say anything further. She could hear him breathing in her ear - his inhales and exhales regular and even.

“Yeah, okay. Me too, I guess. Bye,” Jade said quickly, pulling the phone from her ear and hitting the ‘END’ button. She handed it back to Caroline. “Someone’s coming to get me.”

Caroline nodded, taking the bottle of water from her husband-boyfriend-whatever. “Here you are, dear. Some water.”

Jade reached out, her hand shaking as it clutched the bottle. She had to juggle the box Medusa had given her awkwardly as she tried to open the water with Caroline hovering.

“Why don’t we stay with you while you wait?”

Oh, Jesus, that’ll be awkward
, thought Jade. She just wanted to sit down, on the curb and drink her water. Wait for this Yvonne person. “Uh, that’s not… I mean, I’m okay.” At Caroline and David’s look, Jade continued. “I know it looks bad, but it’s like, a cosplay thing,” Jade said, lying quickly. “I swear. I’m just going to sit. But, thanks for the water. And the phone.” She nodded.

Caroline gave her a pitying look. “Wouldn’t you feel better with company?”

Fuck no,
was the immediate response in Jade’s mind. “Oh, you know, it’s not necessary. I’m just gonna cop a squat.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Sit. Wait. I’m okay. Totally fine.”

Caroline looked like she might dart forward and hug her. Jade immediately centered her body, preparing for the assault.

“I think she wants to wait alone, Cari. Come on.”

David - Dave, if Jade could take such liberties in her mind - was Jade’s bro for life now. His lips curled in an approximation of a smile and he slowly stared moving away, pulling Caroline along with him.

“If you’re sure? I don’t like leaving you alone.”

“I’m good,” Jade said, giving her a thumbs up from around the water bottle. “Thanks for the water, though, and the phone.” Fuck, she’d already said that. Jade let her knees buckle and sank down to sit on the curb. Caroline let David pull her away, watching Jade over her shoulder until she and her husband-boyfriend-whatever disappeared into the crowd.

Jade took a sip of water. She could still taste whatever liquid it was that she’d had in the demon tiki bar, something chemical and foreign. She was just going to wait. On the curb. She could be any young woman out for an evening waiting for a cab or a friend. Not some witch just back from the Dearth. Not someone who was bleeding from the leg and the arm. Not someone who could still feel the lingering icy touch of demon runes on her shoulder. She took another drink of water. And waited.

#

After Jade hung up, Paris stared at his phone for a moment before realizing he needed to move.

“I have to go,” he said, hearing the words come out of his mouth and knowing the absurdity of them.

Lily nodded and he turned to her, the first time he’d looked at her since he’d heard Jade on the phone. She’d come into the room while he’d been on the phone; her own magic, usually so quiet and almost timid, bursting forth in her anxiety and relief. A strange dual-tone. The skin around her eyes was tight, as though someone had attached wires to her face and pulled them harshly.

“I’ll take Bruce home.”

Bruce had been curled up under Paris’ desk, sighing and huffing at his feet while he worked, but when Paris had been on the phone with Jade, Bruce’s snout had come out from under the desk and rested on Paris’ foot. Serpentine eyes watched him carefully, and at one point, Bruce had placed a talon on Paris’ leg; his posture like he could hear his mistress over the phone - attentive and focused. At Lily’s voice, he lumbered out, his tail swishing happily. Like a dog about to get a treat. He plopped down next to Lily and touched his tongue to her briefly.

“Pffffft.”

“Yeah, bud, she’s coming home. You can sleep in your own room again.” Lily exhaled and turned to Paris. “And you’ll go get Jade.” She said the words as though she needed to hear them herself.

“I will.” He took a moment to roam his eyes over Lily. “Is she… can you tell if she’s all right?”

“I think so?” Lily frowned. “I can’t…” She touched her head. “I don’t want to push. If Jade pushes me, it’s okay, but when I push her…” She shook her head, as though clearing it. “I think she’s okay.”

“All right. You take Bruce and I’ll go to Jade.”

Lily gave him two thumbs up. “Plan!” she confirmed, sounding more calm than he felt. She pressed her palms together in front of her chest and took a deep breath, opening her eyes to find him watching her. “I know Jade hates yoga and meditation, but it helps, you know?”

He didn’t, but nodded anyway, grabbing his cell phone and then patting his pockets. He felt like he shouldn’t just leave, without any kind of preparation, but he couldn’t imagine what else he would require. Lily darted forward and hugged him quickly, the grapefruit scent of her magic enveloping him for a moment.

“Be safe. And pass that hug along to Jade.”

“She doesn’t like to be touched,” he said inanely, knowing he’d already had this conversation with her.

“She won’t mind if it’s you,” Lily replied, steady and sure.

He felt oddly shaky and nervous as he left the Covenstead, feeling like there was something he was forgetting or something he needed to do. As he walked out the entrance of the Covenstead, he thought of that old adverb
speak of the devil
. Or think in his case.

Sakkara was on the front steps.

“What are you doing here?” His voice came out like a hiss, sounding more like a snake than his usual self.

“I’m under a glamor,” she said, dismissively. “No one can see me. I felt my hex break. Jade is back.”

“No thanks to you,” he shot back, attempting to brush past her. She stopped him with a hand on his arm. He hated that he could still be so affected by the touch of her hand.

“If she’s back, she must have been successful.”

“I don’t know how she’s back,” Paris replied, his tone stony. “Only that she’s back and she requires assistance.”

“She must have the object.”

“I don’t care!” he roared. With Sakkara under a glamor, she was invisible to other Coven members. Paris saw several witches watch him warily. To their eyes, he was arguing with empty space. For all he knew of her, he may as well be.

“I’ll go with you.” Her chin jutted out. He had no doubt she expected to accompany him.

“You shall walk up the pyramids of Egypt,” he countered, his voice low and dangerous. “I’m going to see Jade: to bring her home, to release her from the Coven, whatever she wishes.” His chest clenched at the thought, but he truly did not know what he expected to find when he met Jade. Would she still want to be part of the Coven? Was she hurt irreparably after her time in the Dearth? Would she trust him? “But you? You,” he repeated, leaning into her space, “shall say here. And wait.”

Sakkara inhaled, her shoulders squaring. “My mistress-“

“I care nothing for your mistress. I care nothing for you,” Paris interrupted. The words weren’t entirely true, but he said them anyway. The woman before him? He could not reconcile her with the memory of his mother.

Sakkara’s lips thinned. “Don’t be foolish. There are things beyond your knowledge. There is magic beyond your abilities here.”

“Maybe so,” Paris agreed. “But if you ever cared for me - as a witch, as
your
son - you’ll stay away from Jade.”

Her eyes, so similar to his, narrowed. “Bring me the Osiris box, and I shall.”

“If Jade agrees, I’ll give you the Osiris box.” He sneered the words like they were a curse. If Jade gave it to him willingly, he would toss it at Sakkara’s, like an aluminum can. Disposable and nearly worthless.

“And if she does not?”

“I will not steal from her. She traveled to the Dearth to get it. She earned it. If she wants, I’ll help her cremate it, though I doubt she’ll need assistance from me.”

A displeased expression twisted Sakkara’s face. “Be reasonable. If she’s returned, she’s obtained the Osiris Box. You have no use for it..”

“You’d better hope she’s generous enough to hand it over.”

“You would stand by her and fight your own mother?” Sakkara asked, imperiously.

“Yes.”

Sakkara shook her head, a displeased look on her face. “Your youth and naivety are luxuries you cannot afford to indulge. You need to think like a Coven Leader. Jade could be a powerful tool for you, but you’ll waste her if you coddle and cosset her. I knew she would be strong enough to survive both the journey and the errand. You should be thinking of what else she can do for your Coven, not be dropping everything here and rushing to her side.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Paris said, disgusted. He moved past her, down the steps of the Covenstead.

“A Coven Leader has to make difficult choices. Choices that other witches would balk at,” she continued, her voice rising as he strode away from her. “You have the luxury of judging me now because I made those choices.”

He turned to face her, looking up at her form the bottom of the steps. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

“No. You don’t. And Goddess willing, you never will.”

She spat something out in a horrid language - a vulgar, filthy sound - and then disappeared out of his sight. He jangled his car keys in his hand as his eyes roamed over the place where she’d just been before he turned away again, intent on getting to Jade.

#

Jade still hadn’t gotten used to the loud sound of tortillas popping by the time the limousine pulled up. The tortilla machine had just belched out its jarring noise again when a delicate looking woman stepped out of the rear of the limo and headed directly for Jade. Her strawberry blonde hair was perfectly pulled back in some kind of up do. Jade just knew if that woman turned around, there wouldn’t be a bobby pin in sight. They’d all be hidden expertly in her hair. Jade guessed the woman was slightly younger than herself. Shorter too, by a couple of inches. Maybe three. She wore a dark business suit, well-tailored to her trim figure. She didn’t look left or right as she shut the door of the limo behind her and made a beeline for Jade.

“Hello, Jade. My name is Yvonne. I believe you were expecting me.”

Jade nodded. She wondered as she pushed to her feet, still holding onto the box Medusa had given her and the mostly full bottle of water, if Yvonne would try to help her.

She did not.

She stood patiently, unmoving, as Jade labored to stand. Jade dropped the bottle of water and Yvonne didn’t dart forward to help, didn’t offer a weak and strange smile, didn’t say meaningless things. She waited calmly and silently. It was just what Jade needed. She didn’t want to be coddled, she didn’t want someone to fawn over her. If she heard a kind word, she thought she might cry. Yvonne waited until Jade had her feet under her and then gestured to the limousine. Jade limped over, finding her injured leg hurting more now. The bottoms of her feet were also more tender. She could feel indentations in the pavement; small, uneven places where the concrete came together.

Yvonne went around the other side of the car and let herself into the backseat. Once they were both settled inside with the door shut, she knocked sharply on the dark glass that separated them from the driver.

“What size shoe are you?” she asked, picking up a small, well-stuffed purse from the footwell and pulling out a cellphone.

“A ten,” Jade replied automatically.

Yvonne nodded and then dialed her phone. She settled into her seat, holding the phone to her ear. She ordered a pair of spa flip-flops in a size ten and then looked Jade up and down. Jade wanted to curl over her wounds, hoping Yvonne didn’t mean to take her to the hospital. Yvonne paused for a moment and ordered a set of yoga clothes in a size eight and a sports bra in a 34C. Jade wanted to cross her arms over her chest and simultaneously give Yvonne a high-five for getting her sizing correct. Yvonne hung up the phone and tucked it back in her purse with precision. Jade stole a glance and saw she had one of those purse organizers: lip balm, phone, little flashlight, keys. Yvonne had everything in its place.

She settled back, leaving a comfortable distance between herself and Jade. Jade ran her hands over the fabric of her leggings, creating a soft, warm friction on the fabric and making her palms slightly numb. She felt anxious and restless. Not one to normally feel the need for small talk, she desperately wished Yvonne would say something, anything, just to fill the silence. The car lurched slightly forward as they set off.

“Where are we going?” she asked, looking out the tinted window. She could see out, but didn’t doubt that outsiders wouldn’t be able to see in.

“I work at a hotel that specializes in catering to supernaturals,” Yvonne answered smoothly. “A room has been reserved for you.”

“This a normal day for you?” Jade said dryly at Yvonne’s calm tone.

Yvonne smiled. “My hotel caters to celebrities and supernaturals.” She turned to Jade and raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “This doesn’t even register on my weird-o-meter.”

Even in her state, Jade had to smile back. “Seen some crazy shit?”