Reach for You by Pat Esden (30)

CHAPTER 31

—From the Scroll of Zitherod
Translation by Dr. Rupert Bancroft Walpole

 

 

 

Dad and I only got scrapes and bruises from our fall into the Pirate’s Coffin. Mother twisted an ankle. We were all lucky, except for Jaquith. He broke a wrist.

Of course, there was Chase. If he’d gotten hurt in the fall no one would have been able to tell. He was acting like everyone else was worse off, but he was a mass of crusted blood, bruises, and gashes.

We made our way from the Coffin to the beach and up the stairs to the clifftop. As we started across the lawn to the house, Kate and Grandfather came flying out to meet us.

Grandfather gave Mother a huge hug. He clapped Dad on the back. “Bravo,” he said. “Well done. Beyond well done! Simply outstanding.” He glanced at Jaquith. “Looks like an introduction is in order.”

Kate rushed over to Chase and me. “Take him straight up to the Orchid Room,” she snapped. “Get him undressed and into bed. Use pillows to elevate his head and shoulders.” She scanned my body, pausing on my tattered sarong and various abrasions before returning to my face. “You do feel well enough to do that, right?”

I nodded. Maybe I should have been offended by her brusque commands or concerned about my aches and pains, or even felt like popping a bottle of champagne and celebrating our success. But the truth was, all I wanted to do was make sure Chase was going to be okay and to be with him.

Without taking a breath, Kate went on. “Laura will give you a washbasin. Sponge him off, but be careful. I’ll get Selena and be right up. We’ll need to get his nose realigned. That gash in his arm is pretty nasty, too.”

Chase rested one hand on my shoulder to steady himself as we went into the house and up the servants’ stairs. Considering how many bedrooms there were in Moonhill, I was surprised Kate picked the Orchid Room. Its pristine white rugs and pink satin bedding were hardly the best choice for a makeshift emergency room. It was, however, next to my room and I was grateful to her for that.

Chase helped me get his boots off and his various belts and weapons. But after that he slumped down on the bed, his energy gone.

My stomach went queasy when I peeled off his blood-splattered pants and saw deep whip marks across one of his thighs. I got him situated in bed and pulled a light sheet up over his lower half. Using the washbasin and a sponge, I dabbed dirt and blood off his face, then moved on to his arms. He winced when I got near the larger wounds, but mostly he lay quiet. In fact, it wasn’t until I was sponging his chest that he spoke at all.

“Annie,” he whispered. His voice was deep and hoarse. “You’re not going to leave?”

I kissed his shoulder. “I imagine Kate and Selena will want me out of the way when they work on your nose. But I’ll stay if you want.”

His hand captured mine, pressing it and the sponge I was holding tight against his chest. “That’s not what I mean. I don’t want to wake up and find out that you and your parents have gone home.”

“Ah—you’re talking about home to our house in Vermont?” My head whirred under the weight of my exhaustion and the enormity of the question. “I don’t think we will. Certainly not until the Sons of Ophiuchus threat is over.” I met his gaze. “You don’t even know about that yet. But, no, not right away. I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it. I’m taking a class in London this fall. I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” I took a deep breath, surprised by how the question had upended me.

He closed his eyes and mumbled, “London’s a long ways away.”

I looked down at his hand, still lying on top of mine. He was right about London. It felt like a zillion miles away. But it also was the only thing in my future that I was sure of, the only guidepost for me to move toward. “Once I finish taking classes and become a licensed fine art appraiser, I’ll be able to live and work pretty much anywhere,” I said. But it was as much for me as for him. He’d already drifted off.

Not long after that, Kate and Selena arrived. As I’d thought, they ordered me out of the room. Selena whispered they were going to give Chase something and that he’d be knocked out until probably late afternoon. I was grateful for that. His genie blood would quicken his healing, but he needed to rest, without dreams or nightmares.

“Go on.” Selena shoved me toward the door. “Take a break and get cleaned up. Have something to eat. Laura’s setting up a breakfast buffet on the terrace. I’ll let you know when we’re done.”

It was a little before ten when I went downstairs to get something to eat. I’d showered and put on my favorite jeans and a comfy shirt. Even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t have lain down to rest. I was far too wired for that. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. Mother wasn’t there, but Dad and Jaquith had also changed and gathered on the porch along with Grandfather and the Professor. They sat on various chairs and chaises, breakfast plates and coffees balanced on their laps or resting on side tables.

I grabbed a coffee and blueberry muffin from the buffet, and settled into an empty chair, listening while I took a long sip.

“I still say, I should have gone with Tibbs’s idea and brought the black powder gun and a pocketful of cherry pits,” Dad said. “Then I could have taken care of Malphic for good. If the gun didn’t misfire, that is.”

Jaquith set his fork on the arm of his chair. Someone had bandaged his wrist and given him brand-new cargo shorts and an L.L. Bean polo shirt to wear. The clothes looked small and awkward on such a rough-and-ready man, especially since I was only used to seeing him in a eunuch’s robe. He wiped a dab of scrambled egg off his lips with the back of his hand, then spoke up. “Even if it worked, a gun wouldn’t have done you any good. It’s true, a pit can kill a full-blooded genie, but it requires a specific variety cherry—one that happens to be extinct.”

Dad sighed. “So much for that idea.”

“I’m sure it’s for the best,” Grandfather added.

The Professor leaned forward, hands on his knees. “I once found some ancient cherry pits at a dig site in North Africa. They were a horribly early variety, absolutely amazing. If I recall right they were in some sort of ceremonial bowl along with the remains of a slingshot.”

Jaquith sat back. “That’s not exactly good news, given my present condition.”

“So sorry,” the Professor said. “I forgot about your situation. But surely being possessed wouldn’t make you susceptible to that sort of weapon?”

Grandfather peered over his coffee cup at Jaquith. “You’re a hundred percent certain that Zea’s intentions aren’t malevolent?”

Jaquith nodded. “I’ve read a great deal about the High Magus. He is an enlightened djinn—devoted to magic and peace. To be honest, I feel better than I have in years.”

“Interesting,” Grandfather said. The jangle of a ringtone came from his pocket. He pulled out his phone. “Hello?”

Everyone quieted, so he could talk.

“Yes, I’m aware of who you are. Jeffrey White as in the Sons of Ophiuchus, correct?” Grandfather said.

I cocked my head, intent on catching every word.

Grandfather raised his eyebrows, telegraphing his surprise. “Dinner, you say. Might I suggest Bar Harbor? Yes. A private room. Yes, we are aware she is a hexad. Perhaps you could expand upon that subject. In exchange, I could provide you with adequate information to solve the unfortunate situation with that boy and his brother. My granddaughter feels horrible.” Grandfather glanced at all of us and winked. “What do you say we leave the rest of this conversation until this evening? I’ll make the reservations for five. We can have a few brandies beforehand. Great. I look forward to chatting with you.”

As Grandfather tucked his phone away, I glanced at Dad. “I’ve been thinking about Lotli and the energy-sucking thing. When we were at the yacht club and Selena was helping Lotli across the boardroom, do you remember how exhausted Selena looked?”

Dad set his coffee cup down. “I thought she was worn-out from scrying. But I think you’re on to something.”

“Sounds very plausible to me,” Grandfather said. He gave me a smile. “Fortunately, between that phone call and your clever move with sending Vephra after the poison ring, I don’t believe we’ll be seeing Lotli again. Unfortunately, Malphic is another story. I’m quite certain there’s something else rattling around in his head.”

I nodded and the last words Malphic had said echoed in my mind: “We who were cast out return, live in blood and bone of those who are great.” What the heck had he meant by that?

The Professor got up from his chair and smiled at Jaquith. “I very much suspect the world has changed a great deal since you were last here. Perhaps you’d enjoy finishing your coffee in the library? I could introduce you to our audiovisual selections—and show you a few catalogues of mens’ clothing, if you’d like.”

Jaquith’s eyes met the Professor’s. His scarred cheek dimpled and his upper lip lifted into a lopsided smile. “I’d like that very much.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. It truly was surreal how normal everything felt, though in truth it all was very odd.