by L. M. Pruitt
I elbowed Theo in the ribs. “What Theo meant to say was, what has Rian done now? Because I’m going to agree with Theo that whatever’s got you so pissed off, is probably got something to do with Rian?”
Elizabeth stewed in silence for a few more minutes, which I spent trying to stop Theo from getting me naked. Not like I didn’t want to get naked on a bed with Theo, but no way in hell was it happening with Elizabeth in the room. “Jackson and I were just talking in a room full of other people.” Elizabeth uncrossed her legs and surged up, apparently too angry to sit still. Since I’d seen her sit still for hours on end, she was pretty pissed. “I mean, you’d think I did a bump and grind on his lap the way Rian reacted.”
Theo started to laugh, but another elbow to the ribs switched it to a gasping cough. I smiled at Elizabeth, pretending nothing about this conversation was weird at all. “Elizabeth, sweetie, were you laughing with Jackson?”
She gave me a strange look but answered the question. “He’s a funny guy.”
I nodded and considered elbowing Theo again just to make sure he got the message. “Did you smile, and maybe touch his arm, or stand a little close?”
Elizabeth gave me another look. Planting her hands on her hips, she tapped her foot. “Am I missing the point here?”
I cocked my head to look at Theo, who raised his eyes to the ceiling feigning total innocence. Yeah, right. “This, Theo, is why children should go to school with other children.”
“New Orleans is lousy with Catholic schools. Although we should start narrowing our choices down, so we can get on a waiting list.” Theo rolled out of the way of my elbow and I fell over on the bed. I remembered to keep the robe closed, although Theo still did his damnedest to get inside.
“Hello, can we focus here?” Elizabeth threw her hands in the air. I struggled to sit back up and put a few inches between me and Theo’s wandering hands. “What’s the big deal?”
I pursed my lips, screwing my face up in concentration. “How best to say this?” Theo finally decided to join the conversation, and chose that moment to say something appropriate.
“Elizabeth, Jackson’s flirting with you. You, not knowing any better, were flirting back. Rian got a little pissy and handled it, although apparently not in the best way.”
“So, Rian’s allowed to get pissy if I flirt with someone, but if he looks down Margot’s shirt, I’m supposed to smile and ask if he wants another cup of tea?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly.” If Theo was smart, he wouldn’t say anything even close, but he’d probably keep talking and stick his foot in his mouth. “I would say perhaps you and Rian should sit down and talk things out.”
Yep, he went there. I would have felt bad for him, but he should’ve known better.
“Right, because he’s been so reasonable the past few days. Never mind everybody else is under a tremendous amount of stress as well, or I can’t have a mood change without wondering if I’m going to be cleaning up potting soil.” Elizabeth probably would have ranted for a good half hour or so if I hadn’t stood up and started getting dressed, and talking.
“Elizabeth, don’t listen to Theo. He’s a great guy, but he’s a guy.” I looked over my shoulder at him where he lay sprawled on the bed. “Sorry, but it’s true.”
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious, do continue.”
“Anyway, Elizabeth, you can be angry at Rian for being a controlling ass, which is pretty much what he’s being. Or….” I trailed off, flopping back down on the bed next to Theo. “You can get even.”
“Get even?” You could see her mind working, trying to puzzle out my suggestion. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Rian is going out of his way to make you angry. You do the same thing.” I paused. “What makes him angry?”
Comprehension dawned. “Apparently, me talking to Jackson.”
“I’d bet you talking to any guy makes Rian angry.” Theo shrugged and I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. “There are a few guys around this place, last time I looked.”
“Right.” Elizabeth stared off into space for a moment. I would have felt sorry for Rian, except I’m a girl, and girls need to stick together. She smiled, with a hint of devilishness. Rian was in so much trouble. “I’m leaving now.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t go back to bed, or sleep, and don’t think I don’t know the difference.” Her mind was already someplace else as she left the room, and it wasn’t a happy place for Rian.
“Do you really think she doesn’t realize Rian’s in love with her?” I turned to look at Theo, slid off the bed, and crossed the room to lock the door. I thought about his words for a moment, taking the time to pull my shirt off. I slid the jeans over my hips and down my legs, leaving them puddled on the floor.
“It’s possible. Kind of like she doesn’t realize she’s going to be so caught up in making Rian miserable, she’s really not going to wonder why we’re not downstairs for another half hour or so.”
Theo grinned, sat and pulled his own shirt off. “She’s a smart girl. She may realize it.” I slid into his lap, pushing my fingers through his hair. He sighed and I shifted closer.
“Right about the time she realizes Rian’s in love with her.” I shrieked when Theo suddenly rolled, and I found myself pinned to the bed.
“Well, in that case, we’ve got plenty of time.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Deep breaths in, deep breaths out. After twenty something years breathing should be something I’d figured out how to do, but the smallest things can throw even the most basic of instincts off. Small things like having the spirit of your dead mother pop up in the room with you.
She looked identical to the pictures downstairs. Like she’d been frozen in time, and stepped out of the frame.
“You summoned me, Jude?”
I swallowed a few times. Even though I’d been expecting her, I really hadn’t. I’d been much more prepared to fail than succeed when I’d found the spell in Gillian’s book. “Yes, I did. Gillian didn’t get to tell me a lot of things, and I thought maybe you might lend a helping hand.”
“Gillian was far more active in your education than in mine, Jude. I would be willing to lay odds you’re already a great deal more progressed after two weeks than I was after ten years.”
“Maybe, maybe not – either way, there must be things you know and I don’t. If you’ve been watching me, you’d know what those things are.” I would keep trying until I either got what I wanted, or I got a good reason why I couldn’t have what I wanted. I really needed to get what I wanted, but I’d take the good reason if I had to.
“Gillian left you everything you need to finish this battle. I see no reason to go against whatever information she’s provided you.” Oh, definite tension. I could deal with tension, usually because I helped instigate it.
As long as she didn’t do some crazy ghost thing and I ended up walking around with my head doing three-sixties the rest of my life.
“Are you really going to tell me there’s no way you can help?” I didn’t pretend to be disgusted and annoyed. “You owe me that much.”
Anger sparked in her eyes. “I gave you life.”
“And then gave up. I wasn’t the most important thing for you and I should have been.” I dropped into an arm chair, pretending disinterest at an invisible breeze whipping Martha’s hair and dress around. As long as she kept the wind to a minimum, we’d be good.
“I wasn’t strong enough to raise you by myself, and the Council forbade Gillian be involved.” The tears running down her face were silvery, almost transparent. “I needed to be with your father.”
“You wanted to be with my father. There’s a difference.” Maybe I was being cruel but found I didn’t really care. “You were old enough to understand you don’t always get what you want.”
“No, you would have been old enough. The only thing I ever wanted was love.” Her voice sounded slightly calmer, the invisible wind slackening o
ff. She had better control of her emotions than I did.
Which might be a result of the whole being dead thing.
“If you tell me Gillian didn’t love you, I’ll break all those speaking ill of the dead rules and call you a liar.” I crossed my arms over my chest and waited. “Really? That’s what I thought, too.”
“You’re very mouthy. I would think the nuns took care of such things.”
“I would think my mother, Gillian’s daughter, would have a little more flippin’ spine to her.”
“We’ll never see eye to eye, Jude. My death made sure of that.”
“Well, whose fault is that, I wonder?” Yeah, I was getting angry. The sarcasm ramped up right along with my temper.
“Hart’s, for killing your father.”
“Really? I would say yours, for dying.” I leaned forward, my forearms braced against the chair arms. “It was a selfish choice, and nothing you can say will change my mind. If I’m ever in the same situation, I can promise I will do things differently.”
“I hope you never have to test your resolve.” Martha rolled her shoulders like she had a knot between them. “Now, because it seems to be the only way to make you happy, ask your questions. I’ll answer what I can.”
I pulled out the sheet of paper I’d tucked between the pages of Gillian’s book. “This will take a while.”
“Jude, I have all the time in the world.”
“You contacted your dead mother.”
“This is the reason I didn’t tell you. I knew you would flip out.” I looked up from stirring the potion and winced at the look on Theo’s face. “That look is what I was trying to avoid.”
“You contacted your dead mother.”
I risked another look at his face and saw an angry flush creeping up his neck. “We had a really nice question and answer session after we got bitchy with each other for a moment.”
Theo closed his eyes and it didn’t take a genius to guess he was silently counting to ten, or twenty. His eyes were closed a really long time. “You are aware of all of the number of things which might have gone wrong?”
“Probably better than you, Theo. Remember, I used to run the psychic con, so I had a list of things that could ‘potentially’ go wrong. A disclaimer, of sorts, for whenever someone wanted to try a séance. Usually all you had to do was bring up the Exorcist and people changed their minds.” I turned the burner on the stove off and moved the pot so the potion would cool slightly before I started the bottling process. If I’d done things right, you tossed a bottle on someone and they went up in flames.
“Jude.” Theo took another deep breath, the flush on his cheeks dying away. His voice grew calmer, although unsteady. “Jude, in the future, let someone know what you’re doing. It would be appreciated.”
I waited, sure he had more to say. After a minute, I made the come on gesture. Might as well go ahead and get the beat down over with. “Well? Go on, get it out.”
“That’s it. Just let someone know so we have an idea of when to get worried.” Theo eyed the steam wafting up from the pot and leaned over to sniff. “Smells good. Must be deadly.”
“That’s all you’re going to say? Two minutes ago you looked like you were going to blow a vein, and now you’re commenting on the aroma of my weapons?”
“I knew this stuff had to be deadly. The stuff that’s good for you always smells bad and the bad stuff always smells good.” Theo picked up a filled bottle, hefting it in his hand to test the weight. “Kind of like broccoli. Smells disgusting while cooking, but is really high in vitamins.”
I shook my head. “You’re crazy, aren’t you? I’m going to wake up one day and realize you’ve gone completely around the bend and it took me a while to notice.”
“Well, as long as you take fifty or sixty years, I’m good. When you lock me up, please make sure the padded room is a color other than white. White is so institutional.”
“I’ll make sure Elizabeth takes down that little memo.” I picked up a ladle and funnel and started filling bottles. Theo picked up another funnel and ladle, working the side of the counter opposite me.
“Elizabeth is loyal to you, but she’s a smart cookie. She won’t tell you not to do something, but she’ll make sure all the bases are covered in case something goes wrong.”
“In other words, she’s a junior politician.” Between the two of us, this wasn’t going to take as long as I’d anticipated. Which meant, either I could go upstairs and take a nap with Theo, or I could round up the kids and get some practice time in. I knew which one I was going to do.
Theo chuckled, filling bottles quickly and efficiently. “I prefer to think of it as the mother to a teenage daughter. I don’t think she’ll have any problems keeping Celia in line when she gets older.”
“Well, if she ever gets a clue, she’ll have Rian to help out with things.” I paused for a moment, wondering. “Do you think we should give things a little push or let time and nature take their courses?”
“Let’s give it a few months. If she’s still clueless, you can sit her down and give her a talk about the birds and bees.”
“Right, because I’m going to look forward to that with all the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning.”
“Are we talking a Catholic kid or a Baptist kid? Catholics have to throw some guilt in with all the happiness.”
“Of course, otherwise they wouldn’t be Catholic.” I started corking bottles, being careful to not thump them too hard. I didn’t want to test one on myself. “So, what were your plans for the rest of the night?”
Theo walked around the counter to place the pot in the sink and filled it with water. “Well, what did you have in mind?” I heard the water cut off behind me, and then Theo slid his arms around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. His little exhales gave me the tingles, in a really good way.
“Well, I thought about taking a nap.” Theo’s chuckle reverberated through his chest, and I smiled. Yeah, he knew what kind of nap I meant.
“I’m a little tired. How about I head on upstairs and you join me when you’re done here?” Without waiting for an answer, he kissed the top of my head and headed for the door.
I corked the last few bottles then gave the counter a quick wipe down, eager to follow him. I didn’t bother to lock the door behind me. We’d found out, unless I was with them the door wouldn’t open for anyone. Got to love a built in security system.
I turned one of the dozen or so corners before I got to the stairs, and let out a shriek. Clapping a hand over my chest, I gasped, “Jesus, Lies. You can’t just stand around basements and not make any noise. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” Lies shuffled her feet, eyes trained on the floor. She wore another one of the clothes combinations I liked to call S.I.T.-slut in training. “Did you need help doing anything?”
“No, I’m just heading upstairs.” She brushed the hair out of her face with her right hand. Not her left. Crap.
A rustle sounded behind me but before I did more than register the sound, someone grabbed me and pinned my arms against my sides. I struggled furiously when a cloth was pressed against my nose, and I gagged, breathing in a sickly sweet smell.
Then nothing but darkness.
Chapter Thirty-Two
An odd part of me wanted to wake up and the rest of me wanted to stay asleep. The oddness came from the part of me wanting to wake up. I don’t have one. There’s usually just the part wanting to stay asleep. The wake up part was remarkably loud, and annoying.
“Wake up, you stupid bitch!” Okay, not an internal thought. Before I could process anything else, something knocked the wind out of me completely, or rather, kicked the wind out of me. I already knew what the pain in my ribs meant.
“Hart won’t be happy if you hurt her to the point where she’s useless.” Nice, a somewhat saner person. I noticed whoever spoke didn’t say to stop hurting me. Just to make sure I could still be of some use when the punishment ended.
Li
ttle bits and pieces of memory floated back, helped along by the pain radiating out from my ribs. I don’t think whoever kicked me broke anything but I wouldn’t be running marathons anytime soon. I’d been making potions. Theo had scolded me. I’d headed upstairs.
Stairs. Basement. Guile. Fuck.
I opened my eyes and sure enough there sat the ice princess. She’d changed back into her normal demure debutante clothes, but no way would you mistake her for normal if you got a look at her eyes. I knew she’d hated me but I hadn’t realized how deep the feeling went.
Or how crazy it made her.
I moved to sit up and pain burst through me again, bringing tears to my eyes. The little bitch kicked like a mule. Someone moved to my left and I risked doing more damage to my ribs with a quick turn. Christophe’s face was an inch from mine, kissable close.
Except I didn’t want to kiss him. I wanted to punch his aristocratic nose.
“Allow me to help you sit up, Prophecy.” He eased me up, shifting me until my back braced against the wall. It hurt to sit and put a little extra strain on my breathing.
“Don’t call her that, Christophe. She’s nothing but a common whore. Great-grandmother Lisette said so.”
Christophe ignored her, an incredibly brave, or stupid, thing to do. I voted for stupid. “Can I do anything else to make you more comfortable while we wait, Prophecy?”
I stared at him like he’d grown a second head, or lost a few thousand brain cells. “Christophe. What makes you think we’re all going to sit down and have a nice little chat over tea about our ideological differences?”
You could almost see the wheels turning in his head. I’m not sure how functional those wheels were, but I would guess not very. “Guile and I were asked to bring you here, so you and Hart can discuss things. Work out an accord without further bloodshed.”
“Christophe, I’ve met your mother. She seems very normal. So please, tell me what the hell you’re smoking to make you think all Hart wants to do with me is talk?”
