Thirteen
Page 64
Paige turned her attention to Sean. He was coming down those steps, looking neither left nor right. He was the one who needed them both now. She watched him flinch when an engine roared off to the left, then shake his head as if embarrassed by how jumpy he was.
She hurried over to them. Her first smile was for Savannah, but she barely seemed to notice it, her attention focused on her brother. Paige gave him a hug and murmured that the car was near, that someone else would get his luggage. Savannah had let go of his arm and stepped back, as if relinquishing him to Paige’s care. Savannah met her gaze then, passing her a small, tired smile and mouthing “thanks” as Paige bustled Sean to the car.
Paige got him seated inside, with a glass of ice water and a shot of brandy. He picked up the brandy, stared into the amber for a moment, and downed it in one gulp. Then his lips twisted in a ghost of a smile.
“That’s better.”
Paige took out the bottle.
He held up his hand. “No, I shouldn’t …” A pause. “Maybe one more. Thank you.”
As she poured, she realized Savannah wasn’t getting into the SUV. She turned to see her still standing there.
Paige gave the brandy to Sean, then stepped back and closed the door. She barely had time to put her arms out before Savannah fell into them.
“I’m sorry for what happened,” Paige whispered. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
Savannah shook her head. “I’m glad you weren’t there. You’re lousy in a fight.”
Paige sputtered a laugh. “Thank you.” She pulled back to look up at her. “How are you doing?”
“Fine.” She tried for a smile, then swallowed and shook her head. “Not fine.”
She collapsed against Paige again and she hugged her as tightly as she could. Yes, the little girl was all grown up, but she still needed her. At least, for a while longer.
TWENTY-SEVEN
I would gladly have stayed asleep for a few hours. But it felt as if I’d barely drifted off on the ride from the airport before Paige was shaking my shoulder.
We were already parked and she and I were the only ones left in the vehicle. Outside, Benicio was telling Sean how sorry he was to hear of Thomas’s passing.
“We didn’t often see eye-to-eye,” Benicio was saying, his voice low. “But I’ve known him since I was a boy. He’ll leave a hole in our world that won’t soon be filled.”
I got my bearings and climbed out after Paige. Benicio left Sean and came over to me.
“We’ll get this sorted, Savannah,” he said. “You’ll be vindicated and avenged. You have my word on that.”
Vindicated and avenged. A couple of weeks ago, I’d have been burning for just that. Now the words seemed empty. I didn’t want justice with a flaming sword. I wanted peace and resolution. Fix this crisis. Fix our world.
We headed for the doors, Benicio’s longtime bodyguards, Troy and Griffin, moving in to flank us, Paige and Sean staying behind with the other guards.
“Troy will be with you for a few days, Savannah,” Benicio said. “Until we get this matter sorted.”
I glanced over at Troy, who mouthed, “Lucky you.”
“As much as I’m sure Troy would love to baby-sit me,” I said, rolling my eyes at him behind Benicio’s back, “he should stay with you. You could be targeted—”
“I’ll have Griffin and two of my backup men. I could be a target—you will be a target.”
“You’re twenty-one now, aren’t you?” Troy said.
“I am.”
“Good, then I can take you drinking.”
“Only if you can do it in the executive lounge,” Benicio said. “You’re going to be on lockdown for a while.”
Troy leaned behind Benicio to motion that we’d discuss it later and I had to laugh. Benicio sighed and shook his head. Griffin glanced back for Paige and Sean, but they hadn’t caught up yet, so we got on the elevator and he punched the button.
“Paige tells me your spells are coming back,” Benicio said as the doors closed.
“On and off. I’m dealing with it.”
I’m dealing with it. Shocking how casual that sounded. Even more shocking how casual it felt. My powers blew hot and cold, completely beyond my control, but I was learning to work with it. Maybe learning to live with it.
“I’d like you to reconsider that ritual Adam found,” Benicio said.
I almost asked “What ritual?” Then I remembered: the one Adam had dug up to restore my powers.
“He says there’s a time limit,” Benicio said. “I don’t want you getting so caught up in this crisis that you lose sight of that.”
“I’ll put it in my calendar.”
“I’m serious, Savannah. Adam said you’re holding off because you think your powers were taken to help you control them. But given what just happened, you need to consider the possibility that’s a lie. A trick. The demons have spies. They could have known Adam was on the verge of finding that ritual and made sure you wouldn’t use it.”
I looked over at him. “I am taking it seriously. I just … I’m fine for now. We’ll watch this space, okay?”
He nodded. Then he reached into his pocket. “It seems Adam is quite concerned that you’ll suffer separation anxiety, being away from your cell phone for too long. I’ve replaced it—again.”
“Thanks. I’ll try not to fall into a sewer or get kidnapped again.”
I opened the phone. There was already a text from Adam, checking in. I was about to text back when the elevator reached its destination. We stepped out onto the floor that housed the medical ward.
Sean arrived a moment later and caught up with us. “Is Bryce still unconscious?” he asked Benicio.
“Yes, but I can have them wake him if you’d like.”
Sean shook his head. “I’ll just sit with him.”
When we got to the room, though, the doctors were busy with Bryce and asked us to wait outside. I ducked into a nearby office to call Adam.
“Hey,” I said when he answered. “Did I catch you in the middle of a top-secret break-and-enter?”
“I wish. Everything’s moving slowly here. Very slowly. I’m getting plenty of rest. So what’s up there?”
She hurried over to them. Her first smile was for Savannah, but she barely seemed to notice it, her attention focused on her brother. Paige gave him a hug and murmured that the car was near, that someone else would get his luggage. Savannah had let go of his arm and stepped back, as if relinquishing him to Paige’s care. Savannah met her gaze then, passing her a small, tired smile and mouthing “thanks” as Paige bustled Sean to the car.
Paige got him seated inside, with a glass of ice water and a shot of brandy. He picked up the brandy, stared into the amber for a moment, and downed it in one gulp. Then his lips twisted in a ghost of a smile.
“That’s better.”
Paige took out the bottle.
He held up his hand. “No, I shouldn’t …” A pause. “Maybe one more. Thank you.”
As she poured, she realized Savannah wasn’t getting into the SUV. She turned to see her still standing there.
Paige gave the brandy to Sean, then stepped back and closed the door. She barely had time to put her arms out before Savannah fell into them.
“I’m sorry for what happened,” Paige whispered. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
Savannah shook her head. “I’m glad you weren’t there. You’re lousy in a fight.”
Paige sputtered a laugh. “Thank you.” She pulled back to look up at her. “How are you doing?”
“Fine.” She tried for a smile, then swallowed and shook her head. “Not fine.”
She collapsed against Paige again and she hugged her as tightly as she could. Yes, the little girl was all grown up, but she still needed her. At least, for a while longer.
TWENTY-SEVEN
I would gladly have stayed asleep for a few hours. But it felt as if I’d barely drifted off on the ride from the airport before Paige was shaking my shoulder.
We were already parked and she and I were the only ones left in the vehicle. Outside, Benicio was telling Sean how sorry he was to hear of Thomas’s passing.
“We didn’t often see eye-to-eye,” Benicio was saying, his voice low. “But I’ve known him since I was a boy. He’ll leave a hole in our world that won’t soon be filled.”
I got my bearings and climbed out after Paige. Benicio left Sean and came over to me.
“We’ll get this sorted, Savannah,” he said. “You’ll be vindicated and avenged. You have my word on that.”
Vindicated and avenged. A couple of weeks ago, I’d have been burning for just that. Now the words seemed empty. I didn’t want justice with a flaming sword. I wanted peace and resolution. Fix this crisis. Fix our world.
We headed for the doors, Benicio’s longtime bodyguards, Troy and Griffin, moving in to flank us, Paige and Sean staying behind with the other guards.
“Troy will be with you for a few days, Savannah,” Benicio said. “Until we get this matter sorted.”
I glanced over at Troy, who mouthed, “Lucky you.”
“As much as I’m sure Troy would love to baby-sit me,” I said, rolling my eyes at him behind Benicio’s back, “he should stay with you. You could be targeted—”
“I’ll have Griffin and two of my backup men. I could be a target—you will be a target.”
“You’re twenty-one now, aren’t you?” Troy said.
“I am.”
“Good, then I can take you drinking.”
“Only if you can do it in the executive lounge,” Benicio said. “You’re going to be on lockdown for a while.”
Troy leaned behind Benicio to motion that we’d discuss it later and I had to laugh. Benicio sighed and shook his head. Griffin glanced back for Paige and Sean, but they hadn’t caught up yet, so we got on the elevator and he punched the button.
“Paige tells me your spells are coming back,” Benicio said as the doors closed.
“On and off. I’m dealing with it.”
I’m dealing with it. Shocking how casual that sounded. Even more shocking how casual it felt. My powers blew hot and cold, completely beyond my control, but I was learning to work with it. Maybe learning to live with it.
“I’d like you to reconsider that ritual Adam found,” Benicio said.
I almost asked “What ritual?” Then I remembered: the one Adam had dug up to restore my powers.
“He says there’s a time limit,” Benicio said. “I don’t want you getting so caught up in this crisis that you lose sight of that.”
“I’ll put it in my calendar.”
“I’m serious, Savannah. Adam said you’re holding off because you think your powers were taken to help you control them. But given what just happened, you need to consider the possibility that’s a lie. A trick. The demons have spies. They could have known Adam was on the verge of finding that ritual and made sure you wouldn’t use it.”
I looked over at him. “I am taking it seriously. I just … I’m fine for now. We’ll watch this space, okay?”
He nodded. Then he reached into his pocket. “It seems Adam is quite concerned that you’ll suffer separation anxiety, being away from your cell phone for too long. I’ve replaced it—again.”
“Thanks. I’ll try not to fall into a sewer or get kidnapped again.”
I opened the phone. There was already a text from Adam, checking in. I was about to text back when the elevator reached its destination. We stepped out onto the floor that housed the medical ward.
Sean arrived a moment later and caught up with us. “Is Bryce still unconscious?” he asked Benicio.
“Yes, but I can have them wake him if you’d like.”
Sean shook his head. “I’ll just sit with him.”
When we got to the room, though, the doctors were busy with Bryce and asked us to wait outside. I ducked into a nearby office to call Adam.
“Hey,” I said when he answered. “Did I catch you in the middle of a top-secret break-and-enter?”
“I wish. Everything’s moving slowly here. Very slowly. I’m getting plenty of rest. So what’s up there?”
