“What were you doing?” Herman asked, feeling the sick taste of jealousy rise to her throat. It was happening all over again.
“Herman,” Margaret whispered as though just remembering she was there. “It’s not what it looks like …”
“It never fucking is with you!” Beyond angry, those same words echoed in her head from her discovery that Nina was pregnant. “He’s got blood on his hand,” Herman said, pointing toward the door, “and you’ve got it running between your legs. Please don’t try to tell me he didn’t touch you.”
“Yes, he touched me!” Margaret yelled back. “He shoved his whole fucking hand up me to pull out a tampon that this stupid cunt stuck up me with a dildo, and it fucking hurt! I feel like I’ve just given birth. Are you happy?”
Herman’s mouth hung open. She didn’t know what to say.
“Did Stephen look satisfied when he walked out of here?” Margaret went on. “I thought he was going to kill her!”
Margaret collapsed on the floor, crying. Margaret, who was always the reasonable one, who always managed to say the right thing, who always made it through every crisis without shedding a tear, was a complete blubbering mess. Herman stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do next. She knew Stephen had been angry, but this?
The other woman, the one from the limo, recovered from her gagging, rose to her knees, and groped around for her clothes. She slipped her dress over her head—it didn’t flatten the hair that stood straight out at all angles—and turned to Margaret.
“Fucked up,” she croaked, shaking her head. “That was … Good luck.” She staggered out the door carrying her shoes.
Herman took a deep breath and watched Margaret haul herself onto the bed.
Margaret sniffed and wiped her nose on her t-shirt. “I’m worried about Stephen. I’ve never seen him like that before. What happened this morning to get him so mad? It can’t only have been me.”
“It wasn’t,” Herman said. She related the discussion with her father, and how Stephen had stormed out of the room.
“That must be why he’s gone to Antigua. Tarmien will help him find a way to work it out.”
“He said he’d be back tonight. Will he transport himself to and from?”
Margaret nodded. “That’s what worries me. He’s never used magic to go that distance before. I don’t know what it will do to him. I have to call his parents and make sure he’s okay.”
“Why don’t you get cleaned up first?” Herman suggested.
Margaret looked down at herself and then back to Herman.
“I’m so sorry. I was panicking.”
A huge sob escaped her, and Herman put her arm around her friend. “It’s okay,” she said.
“You really are the best thing that has ever happened to him. Don’t ever forget that.”
Herman shook her head. “Maybe my dad’s right. Maybe I am delusional to keep forgiving him.”
Margaret sat back and stared at her, tears mixed with the remainder of last night’s makeup running down her cheeks.
“Don’t listen to your dad on this one, Herman. Stephen loves you with all his heart. He wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t begged him to. It kills him to hurt you.”
Herman regarded her for a moment. The sincerity in Margaret’s eyes didn’t change the fact that Stephen had once again rocked her faith in him. She got up and walked to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to my room while you get cleaned up.”
“No! You can’t.” She stood, holding a bloody towel between her legs.
“Why not?”
“If Stephen is still there, you don’t want to go into the room.”
“Why not?” Herman repeated. “You said yourself he doesn’t want to hurt me.”
“Enough that he would hurt himself first. It’s not safe for either of you right now. Let him calm down. At least wait until I find out whether he made it to his parents’ house safely.”
“Fine.” Herman sat on the end of the bed. “I’ll wait here.”
Margaret had just shut the door to the bathroom when her cell phone rang. She came back out and answered it; it was Tarmien. She put the phone on speaker so Herman could hear.
“Stephen wanted me to let you know he’s here,” he said. “He called me before he came.”
“Is he okay?” Margaret asked.
“I’ve checked his vitals, and he seems all right. He estimated before he came that it would take three to four hours before he wakes up. The farther we travel by this means, the longer we’re unconscious.”
“I know,” Margaret said. “Could you call me when he wakes up? I want to know that he’s come out of the transport okay.”
“I will. Or he will call you himself,” Tarmien assured her. “Can you tell me anything about why he came here?”
“I’d rather let him tell you,” Margaret said, her cheeks reddening.
“Is everyone there okay? Herman? The baby? You?”
“Yeah, we’re all fine.”
“Good. We’ll be in touch,” he said. “Bye for now.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Margaret said, hanging up the phone.
“Right. I’m going to my room. Are you still coming to the mall?”
“I’ll come, if you want me there.”
“Sure. I’m going to need someone to stay between me and my father.” She walked out feeling bad that she hadn’t said thank you to the other woman for offering her moral support. But with the memory of Stephen’s bloody hand, coupled with her nightmare and what she had seen the night before on the dance floor and then Stephen’s confession afterward, she headed for her room with far less regret.
CHAPTER 14
Herman was waiting in line with Chad for the Mindbender roller coaster at the West Edmonton Mall when Margaret received Stephen’s call. Five hours had passed since she’d spoken to Tarmien, and she was beginning to worry again. She saw Stephen’s number come up on her phone and walked away from George and his sister-in-law as she answered it.
“How are you feeling?”
“When I woke up I was completely paralyzed for about twenty minutes, but now I’m okay. At least the twenty minutes gave me a chance to talk to my dad.”
“Do you think you should take a plane back?”
“No,” he said sharply. “I’ll be fine. How are you doing?”
“I’m a bit sore, but otherwise I’ll live.” She stared up at the ride’s loops and drops and thought it could have been worse.
“I’m sorry about this morning. My behavior was reprehensible.”
“I understand you had reason to be angry. Herman told me what George said.”
“It was more than anger. I found out a few things, but nothing I want to talk about on the phone.” He took a deep breath. “Herman … Is she still speaking to me? She must have figured out what I did.”
“Yeah. I put the blame on myself for asking you to do it. I didn’t really give you much choice in the matter.”
“I’m assuming you didn’t give her the details.”
“No,” Margaret said, shaking her head for emphasis, even though she was speaking on the phone.
“Is Herman still talking to you?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “I don’t know how much more she’s going to put up with though. She loves you, but I think she’s getting pushed to her limits.”
“I know,” he said. “Can I talk to her now?”
“She’s with Chad. They’re about to get on the roller coaster.”
“I won’t disturb her then.”
“Did you come up with any solutions about what to do with Nina?”
“Yes. There’s nothing in the wording of the curse about where she has to serve the family, only that she has to. I’ve asked my parents to keep her here in Antigua.”
“I wonder what Nina will think of that arrangement.”
“I don’t really care one way or an
other,” Stephen said. “I have to keep her safe, and apart from having her on tour with us where I can keep an eye on her, this is the only other way. George is bound to figure out where we live eventually, and if she stays there, she’s as good as dead.”
“Do you think Nina is a danger to Herman?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“Well then, at least you can go home at Christmas and not have to see her,” Margaret pointed out.
“I think she’ll end up having the baby in Antigua, unless I fly her back to Canada just before. Then Charlie can give her the hysterectomy and she can move on.”
“You know that might mean you’re not going to see the baby.”
“I know. But if it comes down to a choice between the baby and Herman … Maybe I can be part of my daughter’s life when she’s old enough to know me and not be completely dependent on Nina. But I can’t live without Herman for that long. Hell, knowing I have to spend a day away from her is killing me.”
“It’s obvious that she feels the same way. She’s doing her best to be cheerful for Chad’s sake, but she’s having a hard time.”
“Tell her to expect me in our room later. I’ll call you before I come to make sure you’re at the hotel. I just want to talk to my dad and spend a few more hours here, to make sure I’m up to the trip home.”
“Don’t rush it,” Margaret warned him.
“Don’t worry.”
“Shall I tell George that you’re sending Nina away?”
“I’ll tell him myself,” Stephen said. “I’ll call him tonight when I wake up. He doesn’t plan to leave town until tomorrow anyway.”
“Okay.”
“Tell Chad I’m sorry I wasn’t there today, please? And see if we can get together tomorrow.”
“I will.”
“I’ll see you soon. Again, I apologize for this morning.”
“No worries,” Margaret said. “I’m sorry too. See you later.”
When she returned to George and Beryl, she spoke to Herman’s aunt about the possibility of Chad spending some time with Herman and Stephen the next day.
“That would be lovely,” Aunt Beryl said. George didn’t look as happy at the prospect, since he wouldn’t be there.
“Stephen wants to talk to you later,” Margaret told him.
“Why isn’t he here now?” asked George. He had barely spoken a word to her since they arrived at the mall. She was surprised he hadn’t asked before.
“He had some business to take care of. He’ll be back tonight.”
“It had better not be too late, I’ve got a date.”
His sister-in-law turned sharply and looked at him.
“With a business associate,” he finished.
Herman seemed happier and more relaxed knowing Stephen had called. The group had lunch and spent half of the afternoon in the wave pool at the mall before going their separate ways, with a plan in place to get together the next day. Chad said goodbye to his father, and there was a moment when Margaret felt sorry for the man, holding his son, not knowing when he would see him again.
Over dinner, Margaret told Herman about Stephen’s plans for Nina and the logistics of having her in Antigua. Herman agreed that while it would be nice not to have her in Kingston, it also would have been nice to spend some of the holidays with his parents. On the brighter side, Herman thought it might be an opportunity for Chad to come to visit them at home.
As their appetizers and then their meals came—as they drank wine and talked, it seemed to Margaret that everything was going to be all right between herself and Herman. By the time dessert arrived, they were laughing together as though nothing had happened. Then over coffee, Herman reached across the table and touched Margaret’s hand only to pull back like she’d been stung. When Margaret asked her what was wrong, Herman withdrew, refusing to say anything but that she suddenly had a headache. While her explanation seemed unlikely, Margaret suggested they return to the hotel as soon as they could settle the bill.
They waited for Stephen’s call in his and Herman’s room; the younger girl erected a barrier of silence between them. Sitting with Herman was the opposite of being around Stephen and knowing exactly what he was thinking. Margaret didn’t like it a bit.
When her phone rang and she saw it was Stephen, she answered it on speaker.
“I’m going to leave here in about three minutes,” he said. “The transfer is instantaneous even at this distance, so be ready and have the bed cleared off for me.”
“How long until you wake up?” Margaret asked.
“Dad said it took about two hours and forty minutes before I opened my eyes. I spent twenty minutes not being able to move, and another twenty before I was able to sit up.”
“Got it,” Margaret said.
“Is Herman there?”
“I’m here,” Herman said quietly.
“I’m sorry, my love.” He sighed. “And I can’t wait to see you.”
“We’ll talk when you wake up.”
“You’ll see me in two or three minutes.”
They said goodbye, and Margaret turned off the phone.
“Do you want me to be here when he comes?” Margaret asked.
“You may as well stay. Have you been in the room when he’s appeared before?”
“Only once. There’s a really weird whistling sound, and suddenly he’s just there.”
“I’d appreciate it if you stayed, I think.”
“It’ll be okay,” Margaret assured her. She wanted to touch her, but the incident—whatever that was—at dinner made her pull back.
They stood side by side facing the bed in silence. The sound began like the air released from a balloon with the neck stretched out to the sides and built to the shriek of a heartily blown football whistle. As the sound began to fade, Stephen appeared, just like that, his hands on his chest, crossed at the wrists. Margaret felt Herman shiver, though they stood a foot apart. It was disconcerting to see him there, appearing to be asleep but knowing he couldn’t be woken.
“Do you want to check his heart rate or shall I?” Margaret asked.
“I’ll do it.” Herman put her hand lightly on his chest first, to check his breathing. “Just like he’s sleeping,” she muttered, echoing Margaret’s thoughts. Then she put her fingertips to his inner wrist and watched the clock for a full minute.
“Fifty-five beats a minute. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Margaret answered. “Do you want to do anything until he wakes up? We have at least two hours.”
“I think I’ll lie down with him,” Herman said, looking at her prostrate lover.
“I’ll be in my room if you need me.” Margaret walked toward the door.
“Thank you,” Herman said. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it earlier, but thank you for your support today. I don’t think I could have made it through the day without you.”
Margaret stood and looked at her for a moment before she spoke.
“Anything for you, Herman,” she said softly.
As Herman reclined on the bed beside Stephen, a pillow under her head and her hand over his, Margaret turned and left.
CHAPTER 15
.
Herman woke up to warm, incandescent lamplight and the sound of Stephen whispering her name on the bed beside her.
“Stephen!” she whispered back, lifting her head so that she was in his line of sight. His eyes focused on her, but he didn’t move otherwise. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” he said in a slow whisper. “Most of my facial muscles aren’t working yet but if they were, I’d smile. You don’t have to whisper.”
He closed his eyes and swallowed.
“Do your functions come back in stages or all at once?” Herman asked in a normal voice.
“Stages,” he said, louder, but still in a whisper. He opened his eyes again. “You’re beautiful.” The corner of his mouth twitched.
“So are you.”
“What time is it?”
She glanced at the clock. “Nine twenty-five.”
“That’s better.” He swallowed again. “You have a captive audience. You can say or do anything to me,” he said. His speech was faster and louder now. Almost normal.
“Can you feel anything?” she asked, touching his cheek.
“I can there. Go lower.”
She ran her fingertip down his throat to his collarbone. Past that, he told her to stop.
“That’s as far as the feeling goes,” he said. He grimaced and then smiled. “It comes back quickly.”
“I guess then if I’m going to have my way with you, I’d better hurry up.”
He blinked but said nothing.
“The question is, do I give you a piece of ass or a piece of my mind?” she said, propping her head on her hand, unsure what she wanted to say to him anyway.
“Talk to me about this morning.”
“What about it? I was hurt at first. I still am, I guess. I said something to Margaret that I didn’t mean.”
The light caught the opal-like rainbow finish on a button on his shirt. She reached up with her free hand and moved it, watching the colors dance across its surface as she hesitated. Finally she decided to get on with it. “I told Margaret that I wondered if my dad was right, and I shouldn’t put up with the emotional shit you put me through. But I know I can’t live without you, so I have no choice.” She dropped the button and shifted her gaze to his face. “I’m completely addicted to you.”
“Addictions are not good things.”
“And sometimes I feel like you’re not good for me.” She sighed. “I wonder if I’m being naïve—half the time for believing you, and the rest of the time because I can’t handle the things you do. Your way of life is so foreign to everything I learned growing up.”
“I think it’s foreign to most people,” he said with a frown.
“True. Not many people are as privileged to have money, talent, and beauty as you are.”
“That’s not the only reason I live the way I do. It’s a choice. My father could have had the same, but he chose to stay home and live apart from society and the people who would try to take advantage of him. I need more of a challenge.”
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