2 Hungry, Hungry Hoodoo (5 page)

“That’s one way to do it.”

“There was no other way.”

He opened his mouth to say something and everything went black.

I was lounging on the bench in the center of the hedge maze, staring up at the night sky and waiting for Cheney. Jasmine from the garden drifted in the breeze and made a strand of my hair flutter. Someday this would be mine. I would be welcome here.

“You ready?” Cheney’s voice came from above me.

I smiled, not looking at him. “No. Do you ever just enjoy all of this? You have so much, but you never stop and see it.”

“
I
don’t enjoy it? You hate it here.”

“No, I hate it in there.” I pointed in the direction of the palace. “I like it here.”

He picked up my feet and sat on the bench, resting my legs across his. “My dad will come around. We just have to give him time.”

My relaxation began to dissolve. “I don’t want to talk about your father.”

“Well, the two of you have that in common. He doesn’t want to talk about you either.”

This was all so much harder than I’d thought it would be. “Why do you like me?”

“What?” he said with a half laugh.

“Why do you like me? We’re so different. Your life would be so much easier without me.”

“I’ve had an easy life and I can tell you one thing for certain. I would rather fight with you than be anywhere else.”

“What if I’m not always here?”

“I will always find you.” He patted my leg. “This sort of talk is ridiculous. Don’t let my father get in your head. So long as we both love one another, we will always find a way to be together.”

A flood of sticky warmth flowing down over my mouth woke me up. I retched and my stomach rolled over and heaved out my breakfast. It mixed with the blood pouring from my nose. It felt like I’d been hit with a bat.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian’s voice drifted into my thoughts.

“Do I look okay?” I croaked.

“Get Cheney,” he said to someone.

I braced my arms against the ground as my stomach continued to purge itself.

“Another memory,” Sebastian said.

“They’re getting worse. You said they wouldn’t keep getting worse,” Cheney said as he reached down and scooped my hair out of my face.

“That was my best guess.”

“This has to stop. Before they kill her.”

When I was confident I had nothing left in my stomach, I rolled over onto my back, letting the cool air wash over my face. “Who’s going to kill me now?”

Cheney knelt beside me and ran a damp cloth over my face. “No one. What did you remember this time?”

“Us, talking in the maze after you spoke to your father.”

He smiled. “I remember that. I told you we’d find a way to be together. I was right.” His eyes flickered to the maze. “What the hell happened there?”

I covered my eyes with my arm to block out the light. “I got out.”

“I can see that.” He chuckled. “Let’s get you back inside.” He gently lifted me to him and a moment later I felt him lower me onto the bed.

“We can’t stop the memories, Cheney. Too many spells have been cast. We didn’t let things happen naturally. They’re going to keep coming.”

“Maybe we can repress them again.”

I shook my head. “No more spells. I need to remember. I want to remember. Let’s just hope it doesn’t kill me.”

“Memories don’t kill people.”

“Memories don’t make most people bleed.” I bit my lip and tried to think of a good way to bring up what had been on my mind since he took the throne. “Maybe we should try to break the bond.”

Cheney lifted my arm from my eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t need the protection of the bond anymore, and it won’t change anything between us, right? I’m tired of everything in my life being riddled with magic. I want to feel my own
real
feelings and remember in my own time. You must understand that.”

He looked back toward the door. “It’s not possible. This sort of bond can’t be broken.”

“It’s just magic, Cheney. Any spell can be broken.” I took his hand. “Please consider it.”

“We’ll see.” He kissed my forehead. “I have to get back to work. Are you okay?”

I nodded. “Fine.”.

“Why are you in bed?” Katrina’s voice made me smile. My headache was all but gone. “I’ve been waiting and waiting for, like, ever.” She plopped down on the edge of my bed. “Entertain me, monkey.”

“When did you get here?” I sat up, stretching my arms over my head.

“About an hour ago. Oh my gosh, you should see the room Cheney put me in. Swank. I think
I
might be in love with him.”

I laughed. “Good lord, don’t tell him that. That’s the last thing his ego needs.”

“So why are you in bed?” she repeated. “Are you sick? Is that blood?” She leaned in closer, pointing at the left side of my mouth.

I wiped my thumb across the corner of my lips. “Yeah. I had a memory.”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “And you blacked out and hit your head?”

“No. They just … some of them can be painful.”

Her mouth fell open. “Then why the hell are we casting spells to make you remember?”

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. “I need to remember, Kat. There isn’t a choice.”

“Sure there is. Who cares what happened? You have a nice, smoking hot husband who looks at you like you walk on water, you live in a freaking castle, and you have the greatest friends in the world. You don’t need to remember jack.”

“I’m not trying to remember Jack. I am trying to remember Selene.”

“Ha ha,” she said. “Funny.”

I shrugged and nodded toward the door. “You want to see the castle?”

“Hell yeah.” She followed me out of the room.

I walked her through the wings I was familiar with, but the more we saw the quieter she became. “What’s wrong with you?” I said.

“You’re too fancy for us now. I’m afraid to touch anything. I might break it and your husband will kick me out and then you’ll forget us little people.”

I laughed. “I assure you I’m the same as I ever was. You’ve been here before.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t see the library or the billiard room or ballroom or–”

I waved her off. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. That isn’t me though.” I slung my arm over her shoulder. “I think we could use a drink.”

“Yes. Liquor me up and find a handsome elf to take advantage of me.”

I laughed again.

“The two of you are having far too much fun. Surely we can find work for you to do,” Sebastian said behind us.

“Hey, Sebastian. How have you been?” Katrina gave him a half wave.

He cleared his throat. “Very well, thank you.” Sebastian folded his hands behind his back then released them, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I see our queen is doing much better with you here.”

What on earth had gotten into Sebastian? “I’ve been perfectly fine.”

His voice returned to normal when he looked at me. “If by ‘fine’ you mean sulking. I haven’t heard you laugh like that for—”

“Weeks,” Cheney supplied, coming from the other direction. “I’m glad to see you arrived safely, Katrina.” He gave her a bow and ran his hand down my arm, twining his fingers with mine. “Where are the two of you headed?”

“I’m about to get her liquored up and find her a–” Katrina stomped on my foot and I stifled a laugh.

Sebastian and Cheney gave us odd looks.

“Would the two of you be interested in dinner?” Sebastian said, his eyes lingering on Katrina.

I glanced at Cheney and an almost imperceptible smile tilted his lips. “Dinner is a wonderful idea, Sebastian,” he said, tugging my hand, leading me down the hallway toward the dining room.

“Sebastian is acting weird,” I said loud enough for only Cheney to hear.

Cheney nodded. “You don’t think he likes …” He raised an eyebrow.

I glanced behind us. Sebastian and Kat were walking side by side, and Kat was describing her favorite sitcom in detail and randomly tossing out quotes. Sebastian’s hands were once again folded behind his back, and his eyes were trained to the floor. “They have nothing in common.”

Cheney shrugged. “I’ve known him a long time and I’ve never seen him invite anyone to dinner.”

I smiled. “They’d be sort of cute together.”

Cheney’s eyes flickered to mine. “Until she grows old and leaves him to carry on alone for thousands of years. It cannot work between humans and elves. It is best that races maintain some … distance.” There was an ever-so-slight disapproving tone to his voice.

My smile melted away and I looked at my feet. My friends would all grow old and leave me. Was this Cheney’s way of telling me I should distance myself from them? It wasn’t going to happen. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I struggled to keep my voice relaxed.

Cheney shook his head. “Just that Sebastian knows better than to set his sights on a human girl. Don’t get your hopes up—or hers.”

I forced a smile. “Just like you knew better than to set your sights on a half-elf?”

His chin lifted slightly. “That wasn’t meant to be a statement about us.”

I pushed back my irritation. “Let me make one more point then I’ll drop it.” He watched me cautiously. “If elves and humans were never together, I wouldn’t be here.”

He blinked a couple times, and I let go of his hand and took a seat at the huge table. We’d have to shout to talk to each other. I was about to say something when Sebastian seemed to arrive at the same conclusion.

“Why don’t we sit in the garden?” he suggested.

“Wonderful idea,” I said and smiled as I stood. Katrina and Sebastian headed out of the opulent room. Cheney caught my arm before I could make it to the door.

“I didn’t think about it like that. It isn’t like I would prevent the romance if they chose it. It’s just—”

I raised an eyebrow. “More trouble than it’s worth?”

His eyes narrowed. “I can’t win this discussion with you, can I?”

“Your actions have to reflect what you say you believe, or you’ll never unite the people. Sebastian’s your biggest supporter. You’ve sold him on this idea that all of us are the same. You can’t take it back just because he decides he likes a human.”

“Maybe he’s just being polite. You may have started an argument for no reason.” He put his hand on my waist as we walked toward the door.

“Or maybe Katrina has no interest in him.”

“Now you just want to argue.”

I laughed and he pulled me to a stop. “I’ll think about what you said—and you see? This is why I need you.” His lips brushed against mine. “Why we shouldn’t break the bond.”

I pulled back. “But the bond was just a precaution. We were together before it. We’ll still be together after, right?”

“Let’s hope we never have to find out. Come on. We’ve kept them waiting long enough.”

“Tonight was fun,” Katrina said, stretching across her bed. “But you haven’t told me what’s happening. Why did I move to the castle? Why do the others have bodyguards? And what happened to your studio?”

“Someone set it on fire.” I traced an invisible pattern on the comforter. “And took Michael.”