“Thanks. I am starving. You need to stay back so that I don’t accidentally eat you.”
He grinned widely and leaned even closer. “You tease but I don’t think you’re ever going to fulfill your promises.”
I held my breath while I edged away. “I need to get to class.”
“You said that.”
I nodded, shook my head and then spun around, running away from him for the second time in two days.
Chapter 28
Mage
I didn’t think very much about it, simply stepped into Darkside for a moment then back into Dayside on the road outside of Rosewood that wound down the mountain. I was inside the boundary where shifting of large vehicles through Darkside was forcibly prohibited. Penny’s Darksider would have to go through me before he left.
“You’re being an idiot,” I mumbled, but held my position, legs apart, waiting for the screeching truck and wild-eyed Darksider. The sound of the truck rumbling in the distance grew louder, but not that loud, not even when it followed the curve of the road into view. He slowed down as soon as he saw me and then pulled over in the grass before he shut off the engine.
I had to walk up the road to him while he got out of the truck, his body bulky, mangled, but not too bad considering his origin. He would be considered handsome for a Darksider. Some witches disliked pretty boys like myself and Ian, said we lacked character, strength, virility. I can’t say how utterly heartbreaking it was to hear such slurs from the mouths of Darkside witches.
“What can I do for you?” His voice was even, well-modulated, his eyes bright with intelligence and amusement.
Lovely, he found me amusing. “I want to see what packages she had delivered.”
He raised his eyebrows and smiled wider. “I guarantee privacy to my clients. I’m sure you understand.”
I stared at him. He sounded so sane and rational. I rubbed my chin. “I’m always looking for reliable transporters. Would you be interested in a very well-paying job?”
He barked a laugh, his lips curling over very nice teeth. “I have more work than I can handle. Thanks all the same.”
“They come with extremely good benefits.”
His eyebrows quirked. “Ah, the irresistible Huntsman offer of sanity in exchange for services. I’m not in the market for sanity just now.”
I stared at him. “I can see that. Penny told me about you, all about her exotic deliveryman whom she gave whiskey to in exchange for ghost stories.”
His smile faded. “I see.”
I struggled not to clench my jaw, to stay calm, rational, at least as sane as this Darksider. “Do you?”
He shook his head. “Penny is…”
I waited, pressing my palms against the sides of my pants, staying very still and calm.
“I can’t discuss my clients. You underst…”
I took a step forward, arms swinging up and bringing green flame swords to life in my hands. They sparked and sizzled from the strength of my irritation.
He cocked his head. “You do not wish to fight me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I do.”
He smiled a little bit, a dark smile of near anticipation before he shook his head with regret. “You see, I am her friend. She needs friends. She values relationships with people, witches, mages, even weasels and rabbits. I am not going to hurt you, because you are her friend, and hurting you would hurt her. I do not hurt Penny Lane in any way. Do you understand?”
I gritted my teeth and with a hiss put out the fire swords. “You won’t fight me. You’ll stand there and let me slaughter you and then Penny will know that I’m a brutal beast.
You play dirty, even for a Darksider.”
He laughed, shaking his head like this was extremely amusing to him. “I do,” he finally said when his chuckles subsided. “I play very dirty. Did you want anything else? A package delivered, perhaps? The first one is free.”
“And subsequent ones? What does Penny pay you for her deliveries? I didn’t notice any money changing hands.”
His smile became tight. “I do not discuss clients.”
I nodded. “Oh, right. I forgot. If I’m your client, will you give me hugs and swing me around, too, because I’ve always wanted to be petted by a Darksider.”
His smile stayed on his ugly face, solid, immovable. “If you would like.”
I laughed. “A Darksider with a sense of humor, you must have a very peculiar sense of humor if you like Penny Lane. Maybe you’re the one who gave it to her. Do the two of you watch Telenovelas together as well?”
He sighed. “Does she still enjoy those? I don’t think those were the exact influence her personality required.”
“What influence do you think someone like Penny Lane needs?”
He studied me, walking forward until we were only two feet apart then walked around me, inhaling deeply like he was smelling me. How Darksiders even had a sense of smell after living in Darkside, I had no idea.
He came to stop in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder. His hand was heavy, like it was made of rocks instead of flesh. “Penny Lane requires affection, protection, and imagination. She’s…”
“Beautiful.”
He cocked his head as though that was strange, pulling his hand off my shoulder and sniffing his fingers. “Ridiculous, infuriating, a monkey that will pull your hair as she rides on your back. Dangerous, so full of craving, aching, needing to be adored that I’m not sure she will ever be satisfied.”
“You say that she needs love? A witch?”
He studied me for a long time. “You are not ideal,” he finally said, his brows lowering.
“Excuse me? I thought you said that you weren’t going to…”
He attacked, a simple strike at my throat that bounced off my shield. Being around Penny I almost forgot that I had one. His other hand swirled a complex pattern that weakened my shield while he struck me again, grabbing my throat in his enormous hand.
I stood there with his hand around my throat. I’m not exactly a pacifist, but he’d brought up a very good point. This Darksider was Penny Lane’s friend. She’d told me about him when she’d been rambling on in the grip of the fear, the curse. She hadn’t been nearly as sick since then. Maybe it had to do with all the spells I put on her as we drove, maybe she was getting used to it from prolonged exposure, or maybe it had something to do with holding my hand, pulling my energy into her, comfort, taken and given.
I let him choke me until the edges of my vision went dark. Finally, he dropped his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, peering at me. “Avarice, violence, greed, and those eyes, the green in them like the rising of Heliotrope in the East.” He studied me for a long while before he finally nodded tersely. “If she chooses you, we’ll have to make the most of it. There are advantages to being… green.” He said that last with a sly smile before he stepped away from me. He dusted his hands on his pants as thought my immaculate skin might contaminate his Darkside fingers, fingers he’d touched Penny with, sliding them through her golden strands when she didn’t notice.
“You don’t want her?”
“I’m not a dragon that collects pretty objects. I’m a deliveryman. My business is arranging and fulfilling the needs of others.”
I frowned at him. “You do want her.”
He continued towards his truck.
I stood there watching him go filled with the strangest mix of anxiety and relief. He wasn’t claiming her even though he’d known her longer and she clearly preferred him over me. Why didn’t he claim her, take her to Darkside as his bride? If she was an aberration, she was priceless, but perhaps he didn’t have the resources to protect her, a witch who could love. Whatever else I was, I had the resources to protect a precious commodity. Whether or not I had the capacity to love her, I couldn’t say.
Chapter 29
Witch
By the time I got to English class, I was out of breath, and my heart pounded hard in my chest. Signore had picked up my delivery
, the first delivery of its kind I’d made in so long. What were the odds of that happening?
I sat through the class in a daze, not hearing the teacher or noticing when class was over until Wit came over and sat on my desk.
“Penny, what did you think of the Chemistry captain on Saturday night? Is Drake finally living up to his reputation?”
She glanced at a straight-haired brunette and they shared malicious smiles although the other girl looked a little bit sick.
“Yeah, he’s pretty awesome. I’ve got to get to class.”
I started to stand, but Wit pushed me back down, her arm strong, firm. She leaned back, tossed her hair and pursed her luscious lips. “I feel like you’re at a disadvantage from being the new girl and not understanding the history, the dynamic of someone like Drake Huntsman. I think that you’re going to take his interest personally instead of for what it really is.”
I unwrapped a lollipop and put it in my mouth. “I’m sorry, what personal interest?”
Her smile grew tighter while I stared at her with large, dewy eyes. “Drake’s sudden fame in Freshman year was unexpected. We were all surprised. I was dating Ian at the time. We go way back. After we broke up, I went out with Drake, but it turns out he didn’t like being with just one girl, in fact, he had girls lined up begging to give him whatever he wanted, so why be with just one girl, even a girl like me?” She leaned over me, like a vulture about to peck out my face. “Do you know what someone like Drake does with girls?”
My stomach tightened and I gripped the edge of the desk but didn’t answer. I didn’t like her being so close. I didn’t like the look on her face or the way that anger poured off her, anger and something else, something thick and cloying.
I swallowed while nausea swirled in my stomach. I shook my head. “It’s none of my business.”
She shrugged, her perfectly tailored little jacket over her clearly overwhelming assets.
“It wouldn’t be anyone’s business, except that he likes to publicly objectify the poor things so everyone can be entertained by Drake’s special treat. Girls will do anything to prove their love to someone like him.”
I bolted out of my chair and barely made it to the garbage can before I threw up. I heard Wit and her friend laughing as they left me to it.
I staggered upright and went straight to my room. This day wasn’t going to happen.
When I got to Lilac Stories, Professor Vale was coming out. “Why aren’t you in class?”
“I threw up in English. I’m sick. I need to lay down and never ever get out of bed again.”
She put her hand on my shoulder and steered me into my room. Once there she checked my temperature, looked in my mouth, eyes, felt my neck, and then shook her head.
“It’s not a communicable illness, but you do seem exhausted and dehydrated. I’m going to bring you soup for lunch but try to rest now.”
I nodded and waited until she brought me a glass of water. After she left I took off my uniform, put on my robe, and snuggled with Señor Mort.
That’s what he was waiting for, me to love him so much that I would do anything for him, publicly, ruining any chance I ever had with a nice mage, if I could find one of those. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow.
I woke up to knocking on my door. It wasn’t loud but it went on and on and on until I groaned and rolled out of bed. It must be Professor Vale and the soup. I was so hungry, I was going to eat Señor Mort, fur and all if I didn’t eat something else. My stomach lurched.
I took a deep breath and swung open the door with a wide smile then froze when I saw Zach holding a tray of soup and breadsticks. I chewed on my lip as I stared at the boy who was in love with a poster, the boy I’d decided to marry before I knew him.
“Penny, are you feeling better?”
I smiled at him sickly and backed up while he came through the door, arranging the tray on my table.
“I am starving. Thanks so much for bringing food. Will you taste it for me?”
He smiled at me, a nice smile that crinkling his eyes while he dipped his fingers in the soup and popped a carrot in his mouth. “Very healthy. Maybe I shouldn’t mention it when you’re sick, but the other night when I was with Drake and Ian, they knocked over a candy store and I brought back a bunch of stuff for you. You have to watch out for glass though.”
He frowned slightly while I sat down and ate. It was finished too soon and then my breadsticks were too.
“Mmm. Wait, what? You knocked over a candy store?”
He shook his head. “I think that Ian threw Drake through the window. While we were there, I thought of you and…”
“You stole candy? That’s so sweet if completely wrong.”
He shook his head. “Oh, we paid for it along with the rest of the damages. We always pay for it. Drake will split the bill three ways like usual.”
Drake. I bent over the table and put my head in the soup bowl moaning.
“Hey, are you really sick?” Zach put his hand on my shoulder and I took my face out of the soup bowl and laid it on his shoulder instead.
“Zach, have you seen what Drake makes girls do in public?”
He stiffened. “Um, what?”
“I hate men. They’re so disgusting.”
“Did Ian… Did Drake…”
I shook my head vehemently, still buried in his shirt. “No, no, no, no, no!”
He patted my shoulder awkwardly. “Drake was really worried about you yesterday when you didn’t come out of your room all day. We all were. If you were sick, you should have told someone so we could bring you soup. Professor Vale insisted that you just needed some time alone.”
I lifted my head slowly as I stared at Zach who was pathetic for loving a poster, but probably not as pathetic as me who felt irrationally betrayed by something Drake may or may not have done years ago. That’s what the sickness was, me thinking of Drake with other girls even though I already knew that Drake was that kind of person. Drake was the irresistible type who ruined women. Big surprise. Of course, if he was the type to do that, what was going to stop him from informing the school about Signore Ludi maybe get him in trouble and keep me from seeing him again, just for fun?
I chewed on my lip. “How was your drunken spree, did you have a bar fight? Did someone smash a chair over someone’s head? I always wanted to see that.”
He smiled slightly as he rubbed my forehead with his finger. “You have soup.” He stuck it in his mouth and I saw Drake’s teeth, his smile, him sucking on my fingers as he made a scene in public just because he could.
I swallowed and rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand. “Sorry. I think I got it on your shirt.”
He smiled and shrugged. “Not a big deal. No, I don’t think we smashed any chairs. If you ever come along I’ll make sure to smash all the chairs.”
I nodded and lay over on the table, head on my arm. “Zach, don’t you have classes?”
“It’s lunch, and after lunch I’m supposed to be your riding tutor, so I don’t have anywhere to be.”
I stared at him. “Do you have any easy video games that I could play?”
He grinned widely. “I have my old Nintendo DS and all my old games. They’re classics. I’ll set it up for you.”
I followed him out of my room after putting Señor Mort back in his cage and then realized that I wasn’t wearing very much. I grabbed a quilt off the bed all tangled vines and voluptuous roses and wrapped it around the robe that liked to fall off my shoulders before I went out and sat on the couch.
He sat beside me and showed me how the controllers worked, and explained that the goal was to squash mushrooms and collect gold coins. It was fairly straightforward, and he just sat there telling me what to do, gesturing kind of wildly when I was supposed to jump over the abyss then throwing himself back in anguish when I fell to my death.
I giggled because he was as dramatic about Luigi as I was about telenovelas.
I played video games after Zach l
eft me to go to his afternoon classes, and then fell asleep because apparently I really was sick and not just nauseous from the Drake thing.
That made me feel slightly better because it was ridiculous for me to care at all, not to mention have a physical reaction like that.
I woke up when Zach took the controller out of my hands.
I stretched and sat up, almost feeling better. I caught Zach’s hand. “Thanks, Zach. For a guy in love with a poster, you have a lot of compassion.”
He sighed. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to go on and on about her the other night. I’m such a loser.”
I laughed. “She’s a cool poster, Zach. No shame! Let your freak flag fly, isn’t that it?”
He perched on the edge of the couch and leaned over to me. “Do you really not mind me talking about it? It drives Viney insane.”
I shrugged. “I’m already insane.”
He licked his lips and leaned closer like he was about to reveal state secrets. “Pitch hasn’t been heard of or seen for over a year. She just disappeared without a trace, and her alchemist stopped supplying around that same time, but recently, someone received an order they made with Pitch’s supplier so there’s a buzz that maybe Pitch is back, or maybe not, I don’t want to get all crazy for nothing, but it seems strange that Pitch’s alchemist would be working again if Pitch wasn’t coming back. What do you think?”
I stared at him while I tried to process this new development. Zach was totally mental. I smiled at him and patted his shoulder. “Wow. That’s really exciting. Can you contact the supplier directly to find out if they’re still working with Pitch or if she left the country or something?”
He sighed. “It’s like a black hole.”
“Pitch black.”
He gave me a dirty look while I tried not to giggle. “The supplier is incredibly particular about the kinds of hurters he supplies, and the only link we actually have between him and Pitch is that he makes what she uses, and no one else makes hurters exactly like that.”
“Oooh, maybe the supplier and Pitch are secret lovers, but there’s some kind of obstacle, a curse or a secret, maybe a dead body. They had to go underground to be together but then their love child needs an operation, so the supplier has to have some quick cash. Meanwhile, the mafia is tracking their movements and their only hope is in black market hearts for the baby.”
Darkly Sweet Page 27
