The Plague Doctor (The Paranormal University Files: Skylar Book 4)

by Vivienne Savage

  Jada kissed Ama’s beak and scratched behind her ears. “I love you more than myself, Ama. Please don’t be angry at your father.”

  At the door, Jada paused just outside the threshold with both hands in the pockets of her charcoal slacks. “Hey, Skylar?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for this. I…You didn’t owe me anything, and I know you did it for her but—”

  “I did it for everyone. You included. It doesn’t excuse you hitting him, or Gabriel fibbing about his attraction to me, but everybody suffers when a family breaks up. I can’t promise Gabriel will listen to me, but I’ll do my best to convince him we should put it all behind us.”

  “Still, thank you.” Jada didn’t move, but I sensed something—fae intuition at work—that told me what to do. I leaned forward and hugged her tight, because last year’s shit was behind us, and holding on to animosity and anger would only cause more harm.

  22

  The Infallible Argument

  Ama and I waited on the couch together for Gabriel to return from work. Breakfast for three was ready on the table, flawlessly timed because I’d texted Stark and asked him to let me know when Gabriel was preparing to leave. Then I begged him to hold Gabriel up for an extra ten minutes until I finished making the goldberry topping in the saucepan.

  King Oberon was the man.

  And so was Stark, even if he did ask me to do him a solid in return by hooking him up with a hot faerie girl.

  Shit. I’d try. There weren’t many like me, willing and open to dating outside our species, but I’d do my best. Gabriel could have been a human, vampire, or even a mage, and I’d love him just as much. Not that mages weren’t cool with me. I just didn’t think I could handle a Gabe armed with more than illusion magic and shapeshifting.

  When the door opened, Gabriel trudged inside and set his backpack on the floor. He kicked out of his shoes without noticing us. Then he sniffed.

  Ama chirped, jerking his attention from the kitchen counter to the couch where we sat facing him. He stared at us for a good long while, Ama cuddled on me. Then he opened the door and stepped back outside. He came in again a second later, tilted his head and watched us again.

  “Huh?”

  “You’re not asleep, and you’re in the right apartment,” I said, laughing. The moment I rose from the couch, Ama launched toward him like an orange and green bullet. She landed on his chest with her clawed feet then crawled up to bump her beak against his lower lip. My heart melted.

  This was the reunion they should have had when Dain brought her home.

  “Hey, girl.” All signs of drowsiness melted away as he stroked her face and nuzzled her cheek with his. “You two are getting along now?”

  “Yeah…I think so.”

  Ama peeked up at him and smiled a smile that was not birdlike at all, equal parts adorable and creepy. It would take me weeks to adapt to sylvan-Ama.

  “I’m glad. Really fucking glad,” Gabriel said, chuckling when she nipped playfully at his fingers and preened his knuckles. He came over and slouched beside me on the sofa. “I love you two.”

  “I know you do. And that’s why we need to have a talk. After you eat, though.”

  His brows squished together. “Okay. Uh, the tone of that is kind of worrying me though. Can you assuage my anxiety and give me a conversation topic?”

  “Nothing awful. Just family stuff.”

  “Family stuff,” he repeated, staring at me. Then something happened to his aura and it lit up in so many colors of frustration and terror and happiness, joy overwhelming the fear. I knew, before he could even voice it, where his mind went. And I hated having to crush that assumption. But as soon as I realized what he was thinking, an emotion that I’d call the pure embodiment of stress and guilt, speckled with shame, swept through any bit of happiness he’d experienced.

  “I’m not pregnant.”

  “I didn’t say that.” His expression remained neutral, but the colors dimmed.

  “But you were thinking it.”

  Gabriel sighed. “Guilty. It passed through my mind, and kind of terrified the shit out of me.”

  “I know. We’re not ready for that. One day, maybe after we’ve graduated and I’ve worked a few years with my license.”

  “Agreed.”

  So much for that being a stressful argument.

  I kissed him, with Ama between us, though she bumped her head up for attention. I kissed her feathered face and relished every second of affection.

  “So, what’s the news?”

  “Like I said, after you eat.”

  I served him a pile of pancakes, a mountain of venison sausage, and poured a generous amount of goldberry syrup over it all. For Ama, I made a little plate on the table and covered it with little biscuits of dried fruit, a scrambled egg, and a side of veggies and oats.

  I had made a bird breakfast. Two birds, technically, if I counted Gabriel, who ate voraciously. Afterward, I took our plates away.

  “Okay,” he said upon my return. “Hit me with this news that you thought was going to ruin my appetite. I’m ready.”

  “I think you should make up with Jada.”

  “No.”

  “Gabe, really?”

  “After all the shit she did? Sky.” He gave me a look.

  “She helped you search for Ama.”

  “Yeah, but that’s different.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know! I just—it just is! Why do you even care if I make up with her?”

  “Because Ama cares.”

  “Huh?”

  Before I could lose my nerve, I told him everything. I laid out what I did, both the glamour on Ama, our conversation, and inviting Jada to his apartment.

  Afterward, Gabe sat there for a long time, staring at the faerie parrot on the coffee table. “I thought I smelled her,” he said quietly, “but I figured it was my imagination because of the long day.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  “Yeah. What the actual fuck though, Sky? You turned my bird human.”

  “Sidhe, technically.” I took out my phone to show him the selfie I’d taken with Ama and Jada as proof. “I needed to fix things and this was the only way I could think of. Are you mad I did it or mad I did it without you here?”

  “I’m—” He sighed. “No, I’m not mad. Confused. A little, I dunno, hurt? But not mad.” He stroked a finger down Ama’s wings. “I’m not sure if I’d want to see her as a…as a person.”

  “Well, if you ever do, if you ever feel the need—or even the want—to talk to her in a different way, then let me know. I can always cast the glamour again, if she agrees to it.”

  “Thank you. This…” He took my phone, activating the screen, and smiled. “She’s beautiful, but I prefer her like this. Thank you for helping mend things, Sky.”

  “I knew what it would do to you if Ama had to leave, and I hated that I was the cause. Besides, I wanted to know just as much as you did how to fix things between us. I just had to do it my way.”

  “Which is exactly why I love you.”

  He leaned in and kissed me. Ama didn’t nip or squawk angrily.

  “So, about Jada.”

  “Goddammit, Sky.” Gabriel slouched back away from me.

  “She helped you search for Ama.”

  “I know.” Ama squirmed onto his lap and cuddled close, inviting him to continue stroking her. He scratched her face with his thumbnail while she made content bird sounds. Neither of us spoke for a while, minutes passing as we doted on his feathered child, scratching her itchy places and breaking the unopened shafts of her new feathers. Each new feather sparkled in the light.

  “You told me over the summer that you miss her and how things used to be when you were friends. Remember?”

  “I know, I—”

  “You said you two were close like us, and you—hold on, lemme do this verbatim.” I dragged in a deep breath, letting it fill to the bottom of my lungs before I said in Gabriel’s voice in a pe
rfect Mimicry glamour, “Not your fault, Sky. I miss how it used to be though, you know? Gaming with her late at night. Checking out stupid B-list horror movies. The shit I do with you, but without sex and stuff.”

  He scowled so hard Ama chirped out a laugh. I’d told her to leave it to me, that I could wear Gabriel down, and I knew I won when he made that face. Call it a faerie gift, but people had trouble turning us down when we decided to be persuasive. “You really want me to make up with her? I mean, both of you?”

  “She’s a huge part of your life. Your childhood friend. If it were me and Mindi, I’d want to at least try before I gave up on that many years of friendship.”

  “She spied on us.” He frowned. “And she treated you like shit. Hell, she was weird to me too in the months before you came along, and fuck if I even know why. Friends don’t treat friends like that.”

  “She did treat us awful, but I think I understand her better now. Meeting her parents sort of opened my eyes about her character.”

  “Yeah. They’re dicks.” He sighed and tilted his head back against the couch. Ama crawled over to me and rubbed her face against mine while I soaked up the love and not getting bitten. “It’s weird but—please don’t take this wrong, Sky—but I do still miss hanging out with her sometimes. I figured as time went on, that’d go away.”

  “Not gonna lie, I was…” I squirmed, embarrassed. “I was a little jealous and insecure when you first called Jada to help out, but then I realized how stupid of me it was to feel that way. Because I trust you.”

  “Sky—”

  “No, I do. And after spending the afternoon with her, really talking with her, I’d actually like to get to know her better myself. Think about it, okay? Don’t write her out of your life just yet.”

  “I won’t.” He squeezed me close to his chest. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see my two favorite girls getting along. If Ama really wants to see Jada again that much, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll talk to her, okay?”

  “That’s all we ask.”

  23

  Group Texts are the Work of Satan

  Unaware of how much normal people loathed group texts, I awakened Friday afternoon to find a flood of messages on my phone, initiated by Liadan with Holly as her conspirator.

  Still half-asleep, with one of Gabriel’s arms anchored around me, I scrolled through them all. They had a dilemma. Friday was Lia and Pilar’s day to visit their charges, and they were short one sentinel. No one seemed to think I counted anymore.

  By the time I reached the bottom of the thirty-message text, they’d concluded that Anji would make a valid substitute, I was still invited to tag along, and Alistair was coming for additional backup.

  Great.

  “Where ya goin’?” Gabriel mumbled drowsily as I tossed back the covers.

  “It’s Friday.”

  “And?” He yanked me in tight against him again and kissed my neck, his hips grinding against my bare ass from behind.

  Did I mention we never slept with clothes on anymore since Sam was never around now?

  “Gabe,” I said in warning. “I have to shower and get re—”

  He stroked my thigh, and one of my legs decided to raise of its own volition, and then he slipped hard and ready against my core, gliding back and forth, bumping deliciously.

  He caught my ear lobe with his teeth, and I shivered, wiggling against him.

  I would have told him to make it quick, but the best part of waking up beside Gabriel each afternoon never had anything to do with speed. Aching, I anticipated the first stroke, but he teased with his fingers instead, his hand between my thighs rolling and strumming the small bundle of nerves he’d just been teasing with the head of his dick.

  I groaned into the pillow. “You’re awful.”

  “I’m wonderful.” To emphasize that, he slid into me in a single thrust. I edged up on the bed, moving my hips to the rhythm he set. His hand glided over my stomach and pressed against me, holding me in place when he stilled.

  “Don’t stop now,” I panted.

  “But I’m awful,” he said, mocking me.

  “Gabe—”

  “Maybe I should take my awful dick and go to work ear—”

  “If you don’t fuck me like you mean it, I swear I’ll turn you into a toad.”

  His laughter stirred my sleep-mussed hair, then he squeezed my breast and teased my nipples, tweaking them hard as pebbles. “I love it when you threaten me during sex.” He slid out, slowly, tediously, dragging inch after inch before barreling in again. “Fuck, I love you,” he whispered against my cheek. “So much.”

  He held me close and tight, making love to me for longer than we had time to ourselves, given he had to report for evening shift duty, and my friends were waiting on me.

  Despite all the responsibilities waiting for us, I didn’t want it to end, thriving on each caress of his fingers over my body. When orgasm slammed into me, Gabriel climaxed seconds later, my name the only sound on his lips.

  Everyone was waiting next to Holden’s Misery Machine, as Pilar had dubbed it, when I arrived almost thirty minutes late, my hair still wet from the shower I’d shared with Gabriel. I hurried up to them and tried to ignore their knowing looks.

  “Somebody got wreeeeeecked,” Holden drawled out.

  Fuck! Did it show that much? Heat surged to my face, and because lying outright was so difficult for a fae, I didn’t even try. “Shut up,” I said instead.

  Liadan giggled while Pilar shot me a death glare.

  “Did you really hold us up just to have sex?”

  “Just because you’re not getting any—”

  “I get plenty, just not when others are waiting for me,” Pilar shot back in typical Pilar fashion, and the argument was so ridiculous I burst out laughing despite wanting to challenge her.

  “Okay, you both have big fairy balls. We get it. Can we go now?” Holden interrupted.

  I expected her to snap at him, but instead, her expression softened and her irritation melted. “You’re right. It was only thirty minutes and I am overreacting. Lo siento, Sky. We should go.”

  “Agreed.” I stole a glance at the others, as if to ask “Are you guys seeing this?” and saw I definitely wasn’t the only person startled by Pilar’s swift attitude adjustment. Holden had a magical hold over her that we lacked after two years of friendship.

  We piled into the van and each took our seats, stopping along the way for Holly’s usual BubbleBlood from Bathory’s and milkshakes for the rest of us from an adjacent fast food restaurant. We lost another fifteen minutes in the drive-thru at Portillo’s, but it was worth it. Holden was always hungry and I’d skipped breakfast in favor of boning my mate. We slurped down thick cake shakes and stuffed our faces with juicy Italian beefs along the way.

  Holden slipped his hospital parking pass into the windshield as the rest of us disembarked from the van, stretching and carrying our trash.

  “I’m so stuffed I don’t know if I can fight off bad guys to save any of you,” Anji declared.

  “Ugh, me either.” I burped. A large cake shake had been a bad idea. “I just want to curl up somewhere under a blanket and sleep.”

  Anji shot me a look, playfully nudging me with her elbow. “Maybe if you actually slept some at home. So, how did Operation Ama go?”

  “Oh, yeah! You haven’t mentioned that.” Holden’s expression sobered into genuine concern. “Everything is okay, right? Yesterday Pilar mentioned you were going to try out a Beast-to-Man on her.”

  “Yeah. I did it. Annnnnd…” I dragged out my cell phone and flipped to the photo of Jada, Ama, and me on the sofa. Revealing the screen to my friends resulted in a plethora of expressions ranging from shock to delight.

  “She’s gorgeous!” Lia cried.

  “I love her makeup,” Pilar said. “Whichever one of you dreamed it up did fantastic.”

  “Whoa, why is Jada there?” asked Holly.

  Anji scrunched up her nose. “Uh, for real. Why is s
he there?”

  “Because Ama asked to see her. Jada raised her, you know, and it isn’t fair for Ama to be denied visiting her mother.”

  A moment of silence followed that made me wonder if my friends thought I was absolutely, one hundred percent crazy to take a bird’s preferences into account. Even Lia—albeit briefly—appeared stunned.

  Finally, Pilar spoke. “I’m happy to see you were all able to work past your differences. Very wise of you.”

  “Me, too,” Lia said quickly. “It’ll be good for Ama and you three in the long run. Everything went okay?”

  “It went better than I expected. Gabriel was a little pissed, but once I gave my reasons, he relaxed about it. Honestly, I felt like an asshole for going behind his back but I just took a chance.”

  “Sometimes taking a chance is all we have,” Holden replied solemnly. “Glad it worked out for you, Sparkle-toes. Now, let’s get some work done. Who’s with me and Pilar?”

  “I’ll go with you,” Anji volunteered.

  “I’m with Holly and Lia,” Alistair said, giving Holly lovestruck eyes that no one missed. They may as well have been Brienne and Tormund from Game of Thrones, the way she failed to hide her ew face. “What about you, Sky?”

  “Oh, I’ll just wander around aimlessly as usual, spreading love, trust, and faerie dust.”

  “Sounds good.” Holden clapped me on the shoulder. “Let’s roll out.”

  The baby boy in NICU looked so much healthier, flushed with warm color and chunkier than I remembered. Glowing with cheer, his mother chatted with an on-duty nurse while her son slept nearby.

  “You’re gonna have a great life,” I told him. He opened his eyes and smiled at me. Most humans never realized that those random baby smiles weren’t because of gas, but because a faerie was nearby.