by LJ Rivers
“Uhm.” I hadn’t even taken the time to look at the menu, so I ordered an ‘Old Smokey’ burger, which was what I’d had last time. Brendan ordered a burger, too, ‘The Journeyman’.
“Coming right up.” The waitress nodded and shimmied off.
Brendan traced the rim of his glass with his index finger. “Any new visions lately? Perhaps one of me with a gold medal around my neck?”
I glanced at the byzantine-weaved necklace he was wearing. Gold, silver, nothing at all; either way, it worked for me, though it was nice to see him wearing Mum’s gift. “Ha! My visions are usually filled with blood and despair, so count yourself lucky not to have taken part in any. But I haven’t had a vision for a while, no.”
“What about the—?” He lowered his voice. “The chalice. Have you tried connecting with the Lady again?”
That was something I had done, almost every day for the past two weeks. “I can’t establish a connection. It sounds strange when I say it, as if it’s some sort of mobile phone reception issue. But right now, it just feels like an old artifact and nothing more. If only she could speak to me again, maybe she could help me make sense of what Auberon is planning, because there has to be something.”
“I agree. You can’t tell him you have the chalice, Ru. He might try to stop you from contacting her.”
“He already knows I have it. It sort of slipped out when we were in that cave on Bardsey.”
“Oh.”
Oh, indeed.
“I haven’t told him where I’m keeping it, though, and I don’t intend to. Sure, I guess I stole it from him, but it feels as if it’s just as much mine as it is his.”
Our waitress returned with our food, and I was happy for the reprieve. I had spent a lot of time trying to come to terms with who my father really was and what he had done. Finding out that The Lady of the Lake herself was my grandmother was another revelation that had taken me a while to wrap my head around. Even though it felt as if all of the secrets were out, I didn’t trust that they were. Mum and I had spent many nights discussing Auberon’s intentions as well as my lineage. The fact that I had both Merlin’s and Morgana’s blood in me worried my mum the most. She was sure Auberon had actively sought her out to create a child who was both. And with everything I had learned, I had come to believe that, too.
Across from me, Brendan was already halfway through his giant burger, whereas I had only nibbled at mine. Not because it wasn’t delicious, which it was, but my mind was spinning webs, constantly getting tangled up in other thoughts and unanswered questions.
“Teagan says hi, by the way,” Brendan said between bites.
“Say hi back. How is she? And Oliver?”
“They’re doing great. In fact, they’re on their way to France with our parents. Who would’ve thought, huh? They’re doing a round trip and then coming to see me in Montpellier.”
Oliver had used his mind tricks on Brendan and Teagan’s parents to con them for their money when he was running from a team of Harvesters. Even though it was originally Teagan’s idea, none of us had really thought their parents would accept him back into their home. Despite all odds, they had made up. I only hoped it was real, and not some manipulation on Oliver’s part.
“I’m glad to hear it.” And happy that the conversation had taken a different turn.
We ate and chatted about everything and nothing for a while longer. We even opted for dessert this time. I scooped up the last of my crème brûlée and let it melt in my mouth.
“Want to get out of here?” Brendan asked, his eyes drawing me in.
My lips quirked up to one side. “Your flat is nearly empty, right?”
“Chris is the only one staying there for the summer, and he’s mostly out, anyway.”
“Sounds perfect.” I put my spoon down and finished my drink. “There are too many people in my flat, so what say I spend the night at yours?”
“Waitress!” Brendan waved his hand in the air and rubbed his fingers together.
Fifteen minutes later, we stepped into Brendan’s room, arms already wrapped around one another. His lips grazed my ear and his fingers laced through my tresses. He kissed my neck and my collarbone, then lifted me off my feet, the door closing shut behind us by the wave of my hand. His breath was heavy, and his muscles rubbed against my chest as he held me close.
My legs went around his waist, and he carried me to the bed. Somewhere inside, my fire was kindling, responding to my racing heart. I grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, our lips connecting in a fervent dance. He bent over me, and the soft mattress hugged my back.
“You’re a little hot,” he mumbled.
“Just a little?” I said, halfway between a giggle and a moan.
“I mean, your skin is. You, Ruby Ruby, are the hottest creature in this world or any other.”
I laughed and called my fire back, though it was still very much present in my veins.
Brendan’s breath caressed my chest as he stroked a finger down the neckline of my top, then he carefully brushed it aside to expose my breast. I sucked in a breath when his tongue gently licked at my nipple. My hands went for his belt, but I couldn’t for the life of me unbuckle it, so I flicked my fingers at it instead, using my telekinesis to open the buckle and pull the belt through the loops. The buckle clanked against the wall as his lips once again found mine. Soft, warm, and wanting. I craned my neck and closed my eyes, my mind, for once, filled with only a single thought.
“I want you,” I whispered.
We lay wrapped up in his sheets, my legs resting over his, my head on his shoulder. His skin glistened with sweat. I wanted to hold on to that moment for as long as possible, knowing the separation was inevitable.
“You’re making it difficult for a man to ever leave your side,” he said. “But we both should get some sleep soon.”
“Soon.” I quelled a yawn, though sleep was creeping up on me.
“When are you going to the hospital tomorrow?” Brendan asked, his voice fading.
“Not sure. Ten-ish, maybe.”
“I’ll have time to go with you then, if I leave straight from there to the airport. Duncan’s offered to give me a lift.”
“Nice of him.” I drew tiny circles on his chest, curling his chest hairs around my finger, then rested my hand on his skin and let the yawn escape. “I’ll miss you when you leave,” I murmured.
He hugged me tight, and my eyes drifted shut. “We’ve been apart before, but I missed you then, and I’ll miss you now.”
Chapter Eight
“Whoa! Careful with that, mate,” Brendan said. “Could take a man’s eye out.”
The construction worker held his hand up and the stack of rusty iron rebars, maybe fifteen feet long, swayed on his impressively broad shoulder. “Sorry, mate!” He turned back, and once again almost hit Brendan.
“What is this? A bleedin’ Benny Hill scene?”
I laughed and pulled my boyfriend aside. “Come on, B. It wasn’t that close. Besides, I thought you were used to ducking and weaving away from protruding metal?”
“Not shite of those dimensions.” His voice had lost the initial annoyed tone, and he smiled at me. “I mean, look at him, he should enter those Strongman competitions.”
The sturdy man entered the gate to Ravenscourt Baptist Church, where his colleague sat on the steps, enjoying his morning coffee. With a thunderous crash, he dumped his heavy load and sat down. The two of them quickly engaged in banter about what had happened, both laughing and pointing at the two of us.
Brendan and I crossed the street and continued to Ravenscourt Park. According to a text from Charlie, she and the others would meet us at the main entrance to the hospital. They sat in the lobby when we came through the sliding doors.
Charlie stood and greeted me with a hug. “The flat was kind of quiet this morning. Jen stayed with Nick all night.” She put on a sultry look. “Someone else’s room was empty, too.”
“Why, Miss Hargraves, I’m sure I ha
ve no idea what you mean,” I said in my best Scarlett O’Hara voice.
“Oh, please. Spare us, will you?” Gemma tiptoed over and threw her arms around us. “Actually, don’t spare anything, Ru! I want all the hot and heavy details.”
“Gem!” Charlie exclaimed. “Google ‘social antennae’, would you?”
All three of us burst out laughing and ran to the stairs to catch up with the boys.
The nurse behind the desk kept punching her computer keyboard, while I waited patiently. The others had gone to the small family lounge next to her office, as we figured only one of us would be allowed to visit Nick at a time. And, only one of us had healing magic. Finally, she peeked over her glasses. “Yes?” One word, one syllable, oodles of mistrust.
“I’m here to visit Nick—”
“Good morning, Ruby,” a warm voice said behind me.
“Ainsley, I’m so glad to see you. How’s Nick doing?”
The nurse tutted and returned to punishing the keys.
The Goblin doctor gave me a hug, and I leaned down to accept it. “Please come with me. We finally got in touch with Mr Thompson’s parents last night, who gave their approval for Miss Lune to visit. She has been with him all night.”
We strolled through the corridor towards his room, and Ainsley showed me the journal on his tablet.
“He’s been extremely lucky, in fact. According to this, he was flirting with death when he arrived yesterday. I visited him last night, just before I went home, and lo-and-behold—all the serious injuries had vanished.”
I tried to keep my voice calm and collected, joining his charade. “That’s astonishing. In your professional opinion, doctor, would you say it’s likely his health would continue to improve during the day?”
He tapped on the screen, entering numbers in rows and columns. A red circle in the upper corner, next to Nick’s name, changed colour as he moved a slider underneath all the numbers. When the circle had a shade of greenish yellow, he stopped. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all. According to his journal, I would say he might even be discharged this afternoon.”
We passed the doors to rooms two-one-two and two-one-four. I stopped at the next one, while Ainsley kept walking. “Have a pleasant day, Ruby.”
“You too, Ainsley. And thank you.”
He started whistling and added a couple of skips to his step.
I opened the door slowly, inserting my head to see if any of my friends were awake.
“Come to Grandma, little Red, so I can taste you better,” Jen whispered, half an inch from my ear. She grinned, showing teeth, when I flinched and smacked my shoulder in the door. “Did you actually believe you could sneak up on a wolf?”
I stared at her sharp canines. “My, what a big mouth you have, Grandma! Please don’t eat me.” I entered the room and Jen’s warm embrace. Letting go of the banter, I glanced at the bed. “How is he?”
“Ready for you to fulfil Dr Crawford’s projections, I would say. If that’s OK by you?” Her predatory eyes turned into those of a doe. “Please?”
I kissed her on the tip of her nose. “With saucer-eyes like yours, how could I refuse?”
Nick was fast asleep, aided by a constant drip of morphine from an IV bag hanging next to his bed. I pointed at the little valve underneath the translucent bag.
“You’ll want to stop the flow when I’m done, unless you want to spend the rest of the day with Nick high as a kite.”
“Fun as it sounds, I kinda like him best sober.”
I recalled our first encounter with Jen’s boyfriend. Jen, Charlie, and I had gone to the Old Willow, what soon became our regular pub on campus, one of the first nights after I arrived in London last September. Nick had been totally wasted, and talked loudly about how Mags didn’t belong in England. He even said the only good thing about Mags were their—our—blood. Jen hated him. Brendan had stopped a brewing fight between the two of them, promising that sober Nick was actually a nice guy.
And here we were, early June the next year, and Jen couldn’t hide her love for her man. “So much for first impressions,” I mumbled.
“Huh?”
I winked at her. “Nothing. Just be ready with the valve in a few seconds.”
Calling on my healing powers was always a pleasure. Like hungry puppies running for their feeding bowls, the magic inside me came rushing at my command. I folded Nick’s duvet off his chest and placed my already warm hand on him. For a few seconds, he kept breathing calmly, before suddenly drawing his lungs full. He arched his body off the mattress and opened his eyes. As he fell back, he turned to meet my gaze.
“Wow! There really is nothing on earth that can hold a candle to that feeling.”
I snapped my fingers at Jen. “I think now is a good time, don’t you, Nurse Lune?”
“Most definitely, Dr Morgan.”
“What do you mean?” Nick started, then turned to see what Jen was doing. “Oh, right. Well, that stuff is nothing compared to your magic, Ru. If you could bottle it and sell—”
“Nick!” I poked my index finger in his ribs. “That’s not funny.”
He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, leaving them dangling. “Sure it is.”
“OK, maybe a little.”
The door opened, and Ainsley entered. “So, how are we doing today, young man?” He tapped his tablet. “IV closed, the message says here. I figured I would have a look before ‘Nurse Ratched’ comes galloping down the hall.”
“I don’t know what could have happened, doctor,” Jen said, playing along with the unnecessary, but quite fun, panto.
Ainsley put on a more serious expression. “I have to keep you here for a little while longer, Mr Thompson. Red tape and all that. When it’s done, you can go home. I reckon two or three hours, tops.”
Jen opened a wardrobe next to Nick’s bed. “That gives me just about enough time to find a clean outfit.” She pulled out a pair of blood-spattered jeans and a black shirt that looked like it had fought a tiger, and lost. “Care to go shopping, Red?”
“There’s really no need, babe,” Nick protested. “It’s only until I get home and—”
“Now listen, mon cher. I’ll not have you walk outside that door looking like a zombie. And another thing,” she waved her finger at him. “Never, ever try to keep me from shopping.”
Nick held his palms up. “Forget I said anything.”
Jen stuffed his ruined clothes in the bin by the door and tied a knot on the plastic liner. She went back to his bed and gave him a kiss. “Forgotten. Now, smile when the lovely nurse comes to feed you, and I’ll come get you in a while.”
She pushed Nick back on the bed and turned to me and Ainsley. “Thank you. Both of you.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” the Goblin said. “Those footsteps you hear out in the hall tell me I should be on my way. I’ll give you a ring when the lad is ready to go home.”
As he exited, he met the nurse in the doorway. Ainsley nodded at Nick. “I’ll run this one through the mill. He’s ready to go home.”
“Oh? But he was—”
“—extremely lucky. Give him some breakfast, would you, Nurse Rathford?”
“Of course, Dr Crawford.” She stared after him, then entered the room. It wasn’t the grumpy one from the front desk, but a smiling, mother-like woman. “Would you like some porridge, perhaps? Or maybe blueberry pancakes?”
“Really?” Nick asked. “That’s an actual option? Pancakes, defo!”
“Seems you’re in excellent hands,” Jen said. “Ready, Ru?”
“I am. Oh, and Nick? Brendan wanted to say goodbye; I’ll send him in.” I took Jen’s outstretched arm and followed her out of the room.
Brendan joined the rest of us outside the main entrance ten minutes later.
“Sorry, mate, but we must get going,” Duncan said.
“Two minutes.” Brendan put his hands in his pockets and swayed a little back and forth on his feet.
Duncan nodded, gave Gemm
a a kiss, and went to fetch his car.
It was only a few weeks, I thought, but I couldn’t ignore the lump in my throat.
Brendan slumped his shoulders and met my gaze. “I hate the circumstances, but love the fact that I got more time with you before I left for France.”
Charlie winked at me behind his back and made a shooing motion to the other girls. “We’ll wait by the gate.”
“Be right there.” I waved to invite Brendan closer, and he took his hands out of his pockets and into mine. “I’ll miss you like crazy, but last night made it a teeny, tiny bit easier.”
He pulled me close. “I love you, Ruby Ruby.”
As I started to respond, he shut me up with a long, warm kiss. When our lips finally parted, I was heaving for air. “And I you.”
Duncan pulled up, and Brendan jumped in the car. He closed the door and opened the window so I could lean in for one more kiss.
“Give my love to Teagan, will you?”
“Deal.”
They sped off, tyres screeching.
Crap!
I missed him already.
The girls were looking at Jen’s phone when I joined them outside the hospital gate.
“There’s a Primark at the mall over at Hammersmith,” Jen said. “And though I’m dying to scratch my spending itch, I need some grub before I can focus on shopping. Anyone up for a bite or five?”
“Count me in,” said Gemma.
With Brendan’s delicious mushroom omelette still in my belly, I had no urgent need for a refill. Still, I could always find room for some tea and maybe a scone.
The mall was only a ten-minute walk from the hospital. There were dozens of eating options inside, and we chose a cosy Italian place, mainly because it had an outdoor seating area on the second floor. From our table, we could just see the top of Hammersmith Bridge.
I shuddered at the memories of the last time I had entered the tunnel underneath the bridge, on my way down to The Forge to fight in a cage. I had done it to help Duncan pay off his gambling debt, thinking my magical powers would help me. How wrong I had been. I could still feel the numbing sensation of the human blood, forcing its way into my veins. By some miracle, I’d survived, even without my powers, but I had no desire to revisit the independent Mag community below Hammersmith any time soon.