covencraft 04 - dry spells (38 page)

She also wanted to knock Sakkara across the face with it when she next saw her. Jade chose to focus on that image instead, using it to block out that of the Dearth with its endless, strange sky. She blocked out thoughts of Seth with his ears and swishing tail. She blocked out thoughts of Medusa’s tear-stained face as she cried in Jade’s arms. She blocked out the understanding that she knew all too well how the Gorgon felt.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Though Paris knew modern travel was incredibly fast compared to its historical counterparts, he’d never so deeply felt the length of time it took to get places until now. Finally, at the hotel where Jade waited, Paris was anxious and jittery. He made his way to the front desk and asked for Yvonne. She looked the same as he remembered and yet not. She was older, now, yet in his mind, she’d likely forever be the same young girl he knew from summer camp.

“Hello, Paris.”

“Yvonne. Thank you for…”
For helping Jade, for taking my call, for being someone to rely on in a tumultuous time
.

Yvonne smiled when his words drifted away. “I’m always happy to help the Coven. It’s done so much for me.”

Her words were slightly sad and made him pause. Sakkara had been instrumental in helping Yvonne make a life for herself outside the Coven. He worried now if, like all things attached to her, it entailed more than he understood.

Yvonne handed him a keycard, rattled off a room number and then handed him a first aid kit.

“What’s this for?” he asked, feeling dread in his stomach.

“Jade will require it. She’s not seriously injured. At least, it didn’t appear so.”

Paris took the kit and the card. “She said she didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

Yvonne wobbled her hand. “Want, need.” Her shoulders shrugged. “It’s not my place to say. I can tell you, we have a doctor on staff if she changes her mind. He’s quite good. Clinical, but good.”

Paris nodded. “Thank you.” He paused, taking a breath. “How did she seem?”

Yvonne pursed her lips. “Injured,” she said bluntly. “Capable.” Yvonne shrugged. “I don’t know enough about her to say more than that. She didn’t seem like she would run screaming from the hotel causing a scene, nor did she seem like the type to cheat at cards, both of which are what I’m usually looking for.”

“Fair enough.” He was stalling and he knew it. He wanted to go to Jade, but didn’t know what he would do when he got there. Yvonne reached across the small counter and squeezed his hand.

“It’s time for my rounds in the casino. I’m on call if you need me.”

It was the impetus he needed to get moving. He managed a brisk smile and turned from the desk. The elevator ride was solitary. No other patrons at this time of night; no doubt they were all at any one of the numerous casinos or restaurants close by. The floor was quiet as he stepped off the elevator and he had one last moment of trepidation before he found the numbered door behind which was Jade. The card slid through the lock with a soft
whoosh
and he let himself in.

The room appeared empty. He could see a pair of flip flops next to the door, but nothing appeared disturbed.

“Jade?”

He was met by silence. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him quietly. There was no indication anyone was in the room. He made his way past the sitting room and then, hesitantly, into the bedroom. The bed appeared disturbed - pillows slightly askew and duvet missing. His eyes travelled knowingly to the closet doors which were firmly shut. He crossed over silently, and as quietly as he could, knocked on the slatted wood.

“Jade?”

There was a shuffling sound, and then a loud
thwack
followed by a curse; she’d clearly hit some part of herself against the door. He took a step back, waiting patiently until the doors slid slowly apart.

There she was, blinking up at him owlishly. She’d gone missing while running and he wasn’t sure what he expected, but she was still in her running clothes, though they were worse for the wear. Her jacket had both sleeves torn off and her ponytail was losing hair - strands loose in a halo around her head. There was something strange about her neck, a discoloration or injury; he couldn’t tell from the angle he was at.

“Hey.” She didn’t appear surprised or perturbed to see him. She pushed herself to her feet, standing hunched over inside the closet. He could see a bandage made of cloth on one arm, stained with blood, and then noted her left thigh was also bloody. She favored it as she stood, shifting her weight to her right foot.

“Hello.” Paris took a step back and only then did she creep out of the closet, her eyes darting around a bit as she did.

He made a move toward her, to touch her or hug her, or something. He didn’t know what. She flinched backward into the closet.

“I don’t know why I just did that,” she said, meeting his eyes. Her shoulders dropped slightly, no longer occupying the space around her ears.

“It’s fine.” He kept his voice low and even.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“I know,” he replied. “Are you okay?”

It was such an absurd question and he felt somewhat better when her right brow shot up and she eyeballed him like he was mad.

“Foolish question, I suppose,” he said dryly.

“I’ll say.” She shook her head as though clearing it. “I must have fallen asleep. How long has it been since we talked?”

“Five and a half hours.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She took a long deep breath and then exhaled. “And how long was I gone?”

“A week.”

She made a face but nodded again. Her hand came up to her neck. “I lost my talisman. The one you gave me.”

“All right,” he replied.

“I mean, I didn’t lose it. I had to trade it.”

Paris nodded. “I understand,” he said, though he didn’t.
Traded it how
, he wanted to know.
Traded it for what?
He realized, though, he didn’t need to know. If Jade had traded it, she’d had reason. Standing before him, she looked dejected. He couldn’t help but say, “I’ll make you another.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

She blinked, her eyes bright. “Okay.” Her expression turned suddenly sharp and shrewd and he felt the full force of her gaze against his. “Where is your mother?”

A frisson of shame shot through him at her tone. Shame for Sakkara, shame for being related to her. “At the Coven.”

“She knows I’m back?”

Paris nodded once tersely. “She does.”

“You know she’s bat-shit crazy, right?” Jade eyed him sideways, as if afraid of his response.

He nodded again. “Yes.”

Jade’s shoulders relaxed.

“How do you feel?” Paris asked.

“Tired. Grimy.” Her eyes darted over to the bathroom. “Can you… I mean, it sounds dumb, but…”

“I don’t mind, whatever it is,” he said quickly.

“Could you, like, keep watch? While I showered? I wanted to take one earlier, but…” Her eyes moved around the room. “I didn’t know if your creepy momma would show up or demons or something else. I mean, who knows right? Demons and gorgons and oh my.” She laughed, the sound hollow and sad. “But I… I need a shower. Hazmat level: Immediate shower.”

“I can do that. Perhaps I could order you some food?”

She touched her stomach with one hand and made another face. “Maybe just some toast?”

“Coffee?”

She made a more complicated face. “The brain says yes, but the body says no.”

“Must be serious.”

“I guess a week in the Dearth will do that to you.”

Paris wanted to ask her more. He wanted to ask what she’d experienced, what happened, if the demon Seth had been with her the entire time. If Jade had faced the Gorgon, and if so, how? Instead, he only moved toward the small table where the phone sat.

“Toast. No coffee. Anything else?”

Jade shook her head. “A bottle of water?”

“Do you need anything for your shower?”

No. There’s fancy hotel shit in the bathroom. Soap, shampoo. Tiny jars. Yvonne, she was nice to me. She brought me clothes and stuff.”

“She’s a nice person,” Paris agreed.

Jade nodded, eyes darting from him to the bathroom door and back again.

“Okay. So. Shower. And then toast. And then we deal with your bat-shit crazy mother.”

Paris wondered what that would entail, but found he wasn’t at all worried on Sakkara’s behalf. “I’ll order coffee in case you change your mind.”

Jade raised both her hands in an awkward thumbs-up gesture. She hesitated and then launched herself at him, hugging him tight.

“Thanks for coming.” Her voice was slightly gruff and before he could get over his surprise and embrace her back, she had pivoted and was already heading toward the bathroom door, locking it shut. He stared at it for a moment before giving himself a shake and picking up the phone to order room service. Belatedly, he realized he still had the first aid kit in his hand. He set it down on the small desk, wondering if he should knock on the door and hand it to Jade or keep it for when she came out. In the end, he simply let it be and made himself busy ordering food and texting Callie, Henri, and finally, Lily.

Lily sent back a picture of her and Bruce. Bruce was lounging in front of the fireplace at Jade’s cottage, his tongue lolling out, Lily just behind him, clearly holding the camera. Bruce looked more content than he’d been over the last days, but Paris frowned when he saw Bruce had a strange, discolored patch on his neck. He couldn’t tell if it was the same injured patch he’d had when Jade had been dreaming of Lily or if it was new. It was no doubt related. If Bruce had an injury, it meant Jade had one as well. He didn’t have long to think about it before the bathroom door opened and Jade came out in a yoga suit, a towel wrapped around her head. His eyes darted down to her neck again, seeing the blemished area - struck through with blue and red.

Marble.

Stone.

The words came unbidden to his mind and his heart stuttered at them. He wanted to reach forward and run his fingers against the mark, wondering if he would feel skin or stone. Wondering if it was permanent.

Jade hitched the collar up and Paris realized he’d been caught staring.

“I can cross ‘Face Gorgon’ off my lifetime bucket list,” Jade said, her tone aiming for levity but falling flat. “It might go away, I don’t know.”

“Neither do I.”

Jade shrugged. “Them’s the breaks, I guess.” She jerked her chin at his phone. “Coven stuff?”

“Bruce,” Paris said easily, holding up his phone. Jade came over with a bright look on her face and took his phone.

“Aw, look at him. Big sook. He looks tired. Is he tired?” She looked up at him and he found himself relieved to see her familiar black-rimmed grey eyes instead of Lily’s sharp green.

“He seems to know you’re back,” Paris said. His eyes darted from her pale, somewhat blotchy face back to her neck.

Jade reached up, touching it self-consciously and he looked away, back to his phone. “He’s been loitering in my office. I can’t get a thing done,” he teased.

“Is he being a pest?” Jade asked, her tone worried.

“Not at all,” Paris assured quickly. “He missed you.”
I missed you
, he thought, the words unsaid.

Jade’s eyes zeroed in on the first aid kit. “Score. I totally need some bandages.”

She snagged the kit and as she moved over to the bed, he noticed her slight limp. She hesitated for a second, her eyes darting toward the bathroom.

“I kind of have to take my pants off for this, sooooo,” she drawled, shuffling sideways to the bathroom.

Paris wanted to help her. He wanted to go over her injuries so he could see for himself she was all right, but he respected her desire for privacy. “The room service will be coming shortly. It would probably be best if you went in the bathroom and I wait for them out here.”

A grateful look crossed her face and she disappeared in the bathroom again for several long minutes. True to his words, the room service did arrive and he passed the time taking the trays and setting out the items on the small coffee table in the sitting area. Jade came back from the bathroom just as he was setting out her toast and pouring her a cup of coffee in case she changed her mind. Her hair towel was gone and the wet strands hung down her shoulders, leaving damp patches on her top. She snatched a piece of buttered toast, crunching down loudly.

“Toast,” she said with a sigh. “So simple and yet so tasty.”

He added two creams to her coffee before pouring himself a cup of tea with three spoons of sugar. Jade took her coffee and her toast and limped over to the bed, sitting down gently so as not to spill her coffee. She set the small plate of toast down on the bed as she sniffed delicately over the rim of the coffee cup before taking a careful sip; the sip of someone who wasn’t sure something would stay down. She paused, taking stock of herself and then took another small sip, following it up with another bite of toast.

“You should dry your hair. You’ll catch cold if you don’t.”

Jade made a face. “I’m tired and while this is a nice hotel, and by nice I mean, ‘holy shit I am so stealing the hand cream, shampoo and conditioner when I leave,’ the hair dryers here are…” She wrinkled her nose. “It’ll take forever. It’s too much of a hassle.”

“I could… that is, if you don’t mind. I’ve a spell for that.”

Jade swallowed her toast. “Oh. Okay.”

Paris approached her slowly, somehow afraid if he moved too quickly, she would dart away from him. She popped the last bite of toast in her mouth and set her coffee cup down on the nightstand.

“What do I have to do?”

“Nothing. Just relax.”

She took in a breath and he could hear her lungs shaking and warbling as she did. Jade was perched on the edge of the bed and he stood just off to the side, raising his hands above her head. As he said the words of the spell, he ran his hands a bare millimeter over her hair, not actually touching it as he moved. Water steamed off and she shivered. After five more passes, her hair was dry, albeit slightly frizzy.