Cold Burn of Magic
Page 83
“What happened?” Claudia demanded in a sharp voice. “Where’s Grant?”
I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “Sleeping with the fishes—permanently.”
Claudia stared at the bridge, obviously confused. But then her lips puckered into a silent oh. Everyone else stopped talking, and more than a few peered over the side of the bridge, their hands on their swords, looking for the lochness. I knew they wouldn’t see the monster.
Finally, Angelo cleared his throat. “I hate to point out the obvious, but Lila and Devon need medical attention. We need to get them into the vehicles now.”
Mo looked at me. “Is that okay with you, kid? Because I would say that you have more than fulfilled your contract with the Sinclair Family.”
Claudia stiffened at his words, but she couldn’t deny them.
I looked around at everyone gathered on the bridge. Claudia, Reginald, Angelo, Felix, Mo, and finally Devon, who was staring at me with a mixture of hope and wariness in his eyes. And something else that I didn’t want to think too much about right now.
“Yeah, take me back to the mansion,” I said. “Take me home.”
The rest of the night was a blur. Mo scooped me up into his arms and loaded me into one of the SUVs. Devon and Felix insisted on riding with me, with Mo in the front and Reginald driving. Mo kept up a steady stream of chatter the entire ride back to the mansion. Even Felix couldn’t get a word in, for a change.
Back at the mansion, Mo carried me up to the infirmary, where Angelo and Felix poured stitch-sting over my wounds. Devon was in another room, getting his throat and other injuries looked at, and Angelo and Felix went back and forth between us. I asked about Devon, but Felix said that he was fine and not to worry.
Once I was healed, I took a shower and put on the pajamas that Felix brought me. Mo helped me back to my room, and I collapsed into bed.
The sun streaming in through the windows woke me the next morning. Thinking of Tiny and his beloved sunspots, I dozed for a while longer, but eventually, it got too bright and warm to sleep. So I threw back the covers, sat up, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and groaned, as a hundred small aches and pains flared to life in my body. All of my stab wounds were healed, but cuts and scrapes still dotted my hands and arms, not to mention my sore feet and the pulled muscles in my legs from running around barefoot for so long and so hard—
A faint zip-zip-zipping sounded, and something blurred across the room before stopping right in front of my face.
“Finally!” Oscar snapped, his arms crossed over his chest, his wings twitching in indignation. “I was wondering whether or not you were ever going to wake up.”
I winced. “Do you have to shout? I was in a fight last night, in case you haven’t heard.”
“Oh, I heard all right. The whole mansion has heard. It’s all anyone can talk about. Grant and what he did, and you and what you did.”
“So everyone’s gossiping about me,” I muttered. “Terrific.”
He shrugged. “It goes with the territory, cupcake. Now, come on. We need to get you dressed. Claudia wants to see you.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea, but you are not going to keep her waiting. So, come on. Rise and shine.”
I groaned again, but Oscar darted around me like an annoying bee, poking and prodding me until I finally got up. I stumbled into the bathroom and took a hot shower, trying to work some of the kinks out of my body.
When I finished, I shrugged into a thick white robe and stepped into the bedroom. Oscar had already made the bed, and another black pantsuit lay on top of the comforter.
“What’s that for?” I asked, fingering the fabric, which was even nicer than the one I’d worn to the dinner last night.
“Claudia sent it up for you, so you’re putting it on.”
“Can’t I just wear shorts and a T-shirt?” I whined.
“No,” he snapped back. “Not if you want any of that before you go.”
Oscar fluttered to one side and held out his hand. Trays of food had been arranged on the table in front of the TV. Steaming plates of scrambled eggs, hash browns, chocolate chip pancakes, cherry Danishes, and, of course, a mound of bacon. My stomach rumbled, and my mouth watered in anticipation.
I took a step forward, but Oscar darted in front of me, blocking my path and crossing his arms over his chest again.
“No,” he said. “Not one bite until you put your suit on.”
“You drive a hard bargain, pixie.”
He grinned. “So I’ve been told. Now, put your clothes on, and eat some bacon like a good girl.”
“Yes, master,” I grumbled, but I was smiling.
And so was he.
Oscar kept nagging at me to hurry, but I took my sweet time with breakfast, savoring every single bite. Despite what had happened last night, I had a sneaking suspicion that Claudia was going to boot me out today. After all, with Grant dead, she didn’t need me to protect Devon anymore, and I wanted at least one more good meal before I left. I thought about stuffing what was left of the food, especially the bacon, into one of my suitcases, but I decided against it. For now.
When I was finally ready, I buckled my mom’s sword and scabbard to my black belt and followed Oscar to the library.
“Claudia will be with you in a minute,” he said.
“Thanks,” I muttered. “I think.”
He grinned, then zipped down the hall and around the corner.
I entered the library, but Claudia wasn’t sitting at her desk, so I went over to the doors that overlooked the balcony, admiring the view. That was something else I would never get tired of here.
I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “Sleeping with the fishes—permanently.”
Claudia stared at the bridge, obviously confused. But then her lips puckered into a silent oh. Everyone else stopped talking, and more than a few peered over the side of the bridge, their hands on their swords, looking for the lochness. I knew they wouldn’t see the monster.
Finally, Angelo cleared his throat. “I hate to point out the obvious, but Lila and Devon need medical attention. We need to get them into the vehicles now.”
Mo looked at me. “Is that okay with you, kid? Because I would say that you have more than fulfilled your contract with the Sinclair Family.”
Claudia stiffened at his words, but she couldn’t deny them.
I looked around at everyone gathered on the bridge. Claudia, Reginald, Angelo, Felix, Mo, and finally Devon, who was staring at me with a mixture of hope and wariness in his eyes. And something else that I didn’t want to think too much about right now.
“Yeah, take me back to the mansion,” I said. “Take me home.”
The rest of the night was a blur. Mo scooped me up into his arms and loaded me into one of the SUVs. Devon and Felix insisted on riding with me, with Mo in the front and Reginald driving. Mo kept up a steady stream of chatter the entire ride back to the mansion. Even Felix couldn’t get a word in, for a change.
Back at the mansion, Mo carried me up to the infirmary, where Angelo and Felix poured stitch-sting over my wounds. Devon was in another room, getting his throat and other injuries looked at, and Angelo and Felix went back and forth between us. I asked about Devon, but Felix said that he was fine and not to worry.
Once I was healed, I took a shower and put on the pajamas that Felix brought me. Mo helped me back to my room, and I collapsed into bed.
The sun streaming in through the windows woke me the next morning. Thinking of Tiny and his beloved sunspots, I dozed for a while longer, but eventually, it got too bright and warm to sleep. So I threw back the covers, sat up, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and groaned, as a hundred small aches and pains flared to life in my body. All of my stab wounds were healed, but cuts and scrapes still dotted my hands and arms, not to mention my sore feet and the pulled muscles in my legs from running around barefoot for so long and so hard—
A faint zip-zip-zipping sounded, and something blurred across the room before stopping right in front of my face.
“Finally!” Oscar snapped, his arms crossed over his chest, his wings twitching in indignation. “I was wondering whether or not you were ever going to wake up.”
I winced. “Do you have to shout? I was in a fight last night, in case you haven’t heard.”
“Oh, I heard all right. The whole mansion has heard. It’s all anyone can talk about. Grant and what he did, and you and what you did.”
“So everyone’s gossiping about me,” I muttered. “Terrific.”
He shrugged. “It goes with the territory, cupcake. Now, come on. We need to get you dressed. Claudia wants to see you.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea, but you are not going to keep her waiting. So, come on. Rise and shine.”
I groaned again, but Oscar darted around me like an annoying bee, poking and prodding me until I finally got up. I stumbled into the bathroom and took a hot shower, trying to work some of the kinks out of my body.
When I finished, I shrugged into a thick white robe and stepped into the bedroom. Oscar had already made the bed, and another black pantsuit lay on top of the comforter.
“What’s that for?” I asked, fingering the fabric, which was even nicer than the one I’d worn to the dinner last night.
“Claudia sent it up for you, so you’re putting it on.”
“Can’t I just wear shorts and a T-shirt?” I whined.
“No,” he snapped back. “Not if you want any of that before you go.”
Oscar fluttered to one side and held out his hand. Trays of food had been arranged on the table in front of the TV. Steaming plates of scrambled eggs, hash browns, chocolate chip pancakes, cherry Danishes, and, of course, a mound of bacon. My stomach rumbled, and my mouth watered in anticipation.
I took a step forward, but Oscar darted in front of me, blocking my path and crossing his arms over his chest again.
“No,” he said. “Not one bite until you put your suit on.”
“You drive a hard bargain, pixie.”
He grinned. “So I’ve been told. Now, put your clothes on, and eat some bacon like a good girl.”
“Yes, master,” I grumbled, but I was smiling.
And so was he.
Oscar kept nagging at me to hurry, but I took my sweet time with breakfast, savoring every single bite. Despite what had happened last night, I had a sneaking suspicion that Claudia was going to boot me out today. After all, with Grant dead, she didn’t need me to protect Devon anymore, and I wanted at least one more good meal before I left. I thought about stuffing what was left of the food, especially the bacon, into one of my suitcases, but I decided against it. For now.
When I was finally ready, I buckled my mom’s sword and scabbard to my black belt and followed Oscar to the library.
“Claudia will be with you in a minute,” he said.
“Thanks,” I muttered. “I think.”
He grinned, then zipped down the hall and around the corner.
I entered the library, but Claudia wasn’t sitting at her desk, so I went over to the doors that overlooked the balcony, admiring the view. That was something else I would never get tired of here.
