Wicked Chill (Away From Whipplethorn Book Four)
Page 39
There, still in his chair, was the human. He’d pulled down his paper mask and his mouth was hanging loose. His brown eyes fixed upon us. A little shiver went through me. A pleasure just as strong as it was the first time when Tess saw me. There’s nothing like being seen. Nothing.
Lysander was shaking. I took his hands and lowered the violin. “Say something.”
“Hello?” It was pretty tentative, but it worked.
The human blinked and said something in Italian. Lysander translated. The human thought he was going crazy with grief.
“No, no. You’re not crazy,” I said. “We’re fairies and we’ve come to help your wife.”
“You speak English,” said the human.
“And German. Well, sort of. We brought Gianna an antidote for the venom she got in her neck.”
“You can’t help her. She’s dying. The doctor he say so.”
“He’s a human,” I said.
He frowned.
“No offense, but this is a fairy illness. Your medicine can’t touch it. That’s where we come in.” I reached down and touched Gianna’s lip. It was already pinking up. “See. Her color is getting better.”
The human leaned over and put his enormous eye so close an eyelash knocked me backward on to her chin.
“She…she…her lip.”
“Give it a few minutes. Just watch as the antidote spreads.”
Lysander jumped down to the chin and pulled me to my feet. “He saw me. I’m seen.”
“Merry Christmas.” I hugged him and kissed his tear-streaked cheek.
“Did you know this would happen?”
“I hoped it would. You can’t predict humans, but I have a pretty good track record.”
Lysander grabbed me, practically crushing me in his arms, and then he kissed me. Not a peck and not a little bit, but a full on kiss. It lasted so long I worried about breathing, but it was wonderful and warm and happiness. Like being seen, but closer.
“Thank you,” he said.
“You’re welcome.”
The chin under us shook and we had to catch our balance.
“She moved,” said the human, “and her face…it’s so nice again.”
“Give it some time, but I think she’ll recover,” I said.
“I don’t understand this thing that has happened,” he said. “Where did you come from? How did you know about Gianna?”
“It doesn’t matter right now. You’ll understand everything in time.”
Lysander gave me a wry look and I shrugged, “Well, maybe not everything.”
“How can I thank you for this miracle?” the human asked.
Another little shiver went through me. I’d been seen, too, for the first time since Paris. A human was seeing me, a human with technology.
“Do you have a phone?” I asked, then biting my lip.
“But of course.” He pulled a silver cellphone out of his pocket and touched the screen. A family picture of him, Gianna, and the two kids I’d seen at the cathedral lit up. “Why do you ask?”
“I want you to call someone for me.” Now I was shaking.
“Yes. I will do it. What is the number?” he asked.
I gave him Judd’s cell number and waited as he dialed and then held it up. It rang three times and then a big voice said, “Yeah?”
“Judd!” I yelled.
There was a hesitation and then, “Matilda? Matilda, is that you?”
“It’s me!”
“Tess! It’s Matilda!” yelled Judd.
I stood in front of the phone, shaking, laughing, crying. All the voices I’d longed for, had such fears for, were there all in a rush of joy. Marie, Tess, Judd, Rebecca, Evan, and even Earl and Stanley. A million questions and a million answers. It was over and just beginning all at the same time.
THE END
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