by C. T. Adams
Chapter Twenty
THE GAS STATION was open. It sat at the corner of a major intersection, across the street from an adult video store on one side and a paint and body shop on the other. It was close enough to dark that they’d turned on not only their sign but every light they had, so that every inch of the lot was illuminated as brightly as if it were midday.
Rick followed Josette through a glass door that had been modified by adding heavy security bars. Inside, the tiny convenience store four or five other customers were walking its narrow aisles, picking up junk food and various sundries while they stopped for gas.
Rick made his way quickly to the toiletries. As long as he was here he would pick up a few things. He particularly wanted a toothbrush, toothpaste, razors, and a comb. He hadn’t missed the worried look the old man behind the counter had given him. He didn’t blame the man. He knew he looked both scruffy and dangerous. He just hoped that nobody noticed the gun. If that happened things would get ugly quick.
Concentrating slightly, he used the slightest touch of illusion to hide the weapon. He kicked himself for not having thought of it sooner. It was the kind of stupid, rookie mistake he had no business making.
He moved from the toiletries to the far end of the store where the high ticket travel items were displayed: there were stuffed toys, souvenir T-shirts and tote bags, travel pillows, inexpensive nylon duffels, and more. He half-listened as Josette charmed the man behind the counter into letting her use his phone book, while he selected a clean T-shirt in his size and one of the duffels in navy blue.
Josette turned to Rick and smiled. “The cab will be here in about ten minutes. I want a hotel room.”
“A room?” Rick moved to take his spot in the line and pay for his purchases.
“Absolutely. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to drop. I need to eat, clean up, and change clothes before I go anywhere or do anything else.” She passed the telephone book across the counter, nodding her thanks to the cashier.
“Are we going to have time for that?”
“Sadly, yes. Raphael said the plane doesn’t leave until this evening.” She sighed. “Did you get me a toothbrush?”
He wasn’t used to thinking for two anymore. “Sorry. I didn’t think about it.”
She grabbed a small plastic basket from a stack next to the door. Keeping the phone to her ear she moved away, gathering items from the various aisles as she arranged for their lodging.
They paid for their purchases just as their cab pulled up at the front door. Thanking the cashier again for his help, Josette hurried outside. When she gave the cabbie the address of an elegant chain hotel, just across the street from the convention center, the man’s raised his eyebrows, but didn’t argue once she handed a hundred over the seat. They might as well make use of the money they had, and they’d certainly paid the price to earn a little pampering.
It wasn’t that long a drive in terms of distance, but the change in setting was startling. Gone were the security bars and boarded-up windows; they were replaced with tasteful landscaping. The cars parked and driving on the streets transitioned from aging and rusted vehicles to brand-new shiny luxury cars and SUVs.
A doorman stepped up to greet them as the cab pulled to a stop in front of the hotel. He opened the car door for Josette, who stepped gracefully out and opened her purse. Taking a look around, she nodded in satisfaction before pulling out a pair of tens for a generous tip. She strode confidently through the glass doors leading into a well-lit lobby, deliberately ignoring the scandalized looks they drew at their appearance.
“May I help you?” The uniformed attendant behind the reception desk greeted them. The words were polite, but his tone was cold as he very deliberately looked down his beakish nose at them. Rick’s eyes narrowed, and irritation flooded him. But Josette spoke quickly and pushed magic at him gently, very obviously hoping to avert a scene that would do them no good at all.
“It has been a very long and difficult day.” Her smile was a baring of teeth that was meant to intimidate. “Our private plane had engine trouble and our bags were sent ahead of us. We’re stranded here for the next few hours.” She set her bag on the counter, noting with satisfaction the attendant’s raised eyebrow when he recognized the brand. “I know it’s short notice, but we need a room.” She opened the purse and withdrew her wallet. Pulling her driver’s license and credit card from their plastic sleeves she pushed them across the dark marble countertop.
“One moment please.” As the attendant walked over to the computer, carrying the small squares of plastic, Rick added his own brand of persuasive magic to hers ever so delicately. He watched the muscles in the clerk’s shoulders relax beneath the stiff navy blue blazer he wore. When the approval for the credit card went through he returned, carrying their paperwork and wearing his best professional smile.
“We have a room with a king-size bed available if that would be suitable? Or would you prefer a larger suite?”
“The king room will do nicely. We’re hoping to freshen up a bit while they make the necessary repairs.”
“Of course.” He tapped a manicured finger next to the line for her signature. “Basic toiletries are provided. There is a coffeemaker in the room as well. The restaurant opens for breakfast at 6:00. Room service will be available at that time as well.” He glanced a second time at their clothing, but this time with sympathy, rather than prejudice. “Our clothing store might be able to replace your…garments. Anything can be charged to your room if that’s more convenient.” He gathered up the papers she signed, deftly separating the various copies before passing the pink carbon, along with her credit card and identification back to her.
“Your room number.” He pointed to the number on the page. “It’s on the twelfth floor. When you get off the elevator, take a left. It will be the fourth door on your left side.” He passed one of the two plastic room keys to Josette and held the second out for Rick. “If there is anything you need, please feel free to call us here at the desk.”
“Thank you very much. We’ll keep that in mind.” Rick took the proffered card from the man’s hand, barely managing not to sound surly. It was unfortunate that magic should have been necessary. It was annoying how some people responded to such useless trappings as proper clothing. They strode across the lobby to the elevator, the flip-flopping of Josette’s sandals on the marble floor echoing oddly through the empty space.
The silence in the elevator as they rode up was broken only by the irritable tapping of his toe, and the whir of the motor. When the bell dinged, and the doors whooshed smoothly open he finally confided in a harsh whisper. “I hate snobs.”
Josette sighed. “I can’t blame him for wondering whether we could pay for the room. I mean, look at us.” She gestured at the mirror that hung on the hallway wall.
Rick winced. His ill-fitting clothes were filthy from the floor of the rail car, he had a two-day stubble, and while the untucked T-shirt partially obscured the holster and gun, it was still fairly visible when he moved.
“You have a point.”
“Thank you.” She turned and walked down the corridor to their left, her rubber sandals sinking soundlessly into thick plush of the tan and turquoise patterned carpet. It was too thick to even allow the flips to flop. When she reached the fourth door she slid the card key into its slot. When the light flashed green, Rick opened the door, holding it open for her.
It was a nice room, not elaborate, but definitely comfortable. The walls were papered in textured linen, the carpet and drapes a deep tan. The furnishings were of heavy dark wood, polished to a warm sheen. The king-size bed took up most of the room. It’s bedspread was tan, off white, and brown stripes that exactly matched the fabric of the chairs that flanked a circular table in the corner beneath the window. Josette crossed the room to look at the view. Rick, meanwhile, made his way to the bathroom.
“DO YOU NEED in here? I’m going to take a shower?”
“Go ahead, I can wait.” Josett
e sprawled out on top of the king-size bed listening to Rick hum to himself as the water began running in the shower. There was a folder on top of the nightstand. She supposed it probably had the room service menu. She needed to eat. Rick needed to eat. The sun was going down on the first night of the full moon. She didn’t doubt that as powerful alphas, she and Rick could control their beasts. But eating a meal heavy in protein would help. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the least bit hungry. In fact, the thought of food was a little bit nauseating.
It was nerves. All the time and effort she’d spent, and here she was, back where she started. They were no closer to saving her friends, and they’d lost Ellen in the process. People could use every platitude they wished about it not being her fault, but she knew better. She should have removed Ellen from the home as soon as she met Ray. One call to Angelique, the head of the raptors, would have been all it would have taken. But instead, she worried about appearances and relied on the judgment of others.
Tears stung her eyes once more. She closed them, fighting not to cry because once she started she wouldn’t be able to stop. She was so afraid, and so unutterably weary. But from now on, she was going to rely on her own instincts…her own reaction to—
—reaction to the news.
He was standing in a greenhouse, hat in hand. Shifting nervously from foot to foot as his brother entered and spoke. “What do you mean, she escaped and cannot be found?” The words were spoken in Spanish, but Josette translated them in her mind. She couldn’t see the face of the speaker, he had his back to the man whose mind she was in. He appeared to be busy tending an exotic plant of some sort. “You had the Sazi’s bruja in the palm of your hand in the motel, you and how many of my men? And yet still, somehow, she survives. And she managed to kill Maja in the process!”
The body began to tremble, when he spoke, his voice was unsteady, “Paolo, brother…I—”
“Do not call me brother, Ernesto.” The man refused to turn and look at his sibling, and spat on the floor. It was as though he considered the other man beneath his contempt. “I will not have the shame you have brought on yourself spread to the rest of our family. We have a calling to serve her. To protect her is our sole purpose for living.”
“I will go back—”
“No. That job is for others now.”
Ernesto felt the rush of power behind and above him, heard the gentle rustle of leaves. He spun around, and might have cried out, but the giant anaconda had wrapped him in its coils quicker than the eye could see.
He tried to fight, but the coils tightened inexorably, crushing the bones and breath from his body. His vision narrowed, darkened. The last thing he saw was his brother casually trimming dead leaves from his favorite plant with a pair of garden shears.
Josette sat upright in the bed, gasping for air. Her lungs burned as though starved for oxygen. It took a long moment before she fully recognized that she was in an elegantly appointed hotel room. She stared at the textured wallpaper and striped satin chairs, deliberately reminding herself that it had only been a vision. Another real-time one, it felt like. But she was in Albuquerque, not in the Colombian jungle. Yes, it was Colombia. She knew that now.
But this was reality. She was alive in this hotel, with Rick. She reached over to grab the television remote from the bedside table. With the press of a button she turned on the flat-screened television in its dark wood armoire. She entered the number for the weather channel, seeing for herself the date and time. But still the tears came. So many deaths, and all because of her damned gift.
Rick stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel around his waist, using another to rub his hair dry. He stopped just inside the main room. Nostrils flaring, he turned to Josette.
“Josie, are you all right?” He crossed over to the bed in two quick steps, letting the towels drop to the floor in his haste.
“A vision.” She gasped out the words. “It was just a stupid vision.” She looked up at him through tears. Stupid, so stupid. Ernesto had been her enemy—had come in force to the hotel with the express purpose of killing her. She had killed so many snakes just like him just as casually as Roberto had in the name of self-preservation. It made no sense to be this upset by his death. And yet, she was. Rick had reminded her of what she’d lost.
“Mon Dieu… I have become a monster.”
“What?” He touched her face gently. “You’re not a monster.”
She shook her head. “You asked at the gas station what I’d become…who I’d become. That’s my answer. I’ve become a monster. But I’m not willing to stay one.”
Rick sat down on the bed beside her. Gently, he pulled her into his arms. She rested her head against his chest, small rough chest hairs, tickling her cheek as she breathed in the mingled scents of soap and skin as he held her close, stroking her hair with one hand.
She felt him lean down and kiss the top of her head. “Better?”
She nodded, still not trusting her voice.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
He nodded once, without pushing. “Okay.”
Josette wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. His complete acceptance and kindness was exactly what she needed right now. She knew of no one else in her life capable of allowing her to talk, or not talk about the things she saw in her visions. Rick alone seemed to accept that for the space of the visions she lived that reality, the perceptions and emotions she experienced were just as intense and real as any she had in the here and now.
“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” She breathed the words against his drying skin.
“Oh, about half as much as I love you.” He reached down to take her chin in his hand. Ever so gently he tilted her head up so that he could claim a kiss. “Let’s order some food and rent a movie on pay-per-view. It’ll take your mind off things.”
“All right.” She agreed. “But first I have to call Raphael and let him know where we are.”
She used the hotel phone to dial the number. When no one answered after the third ring she left a message for him, just Cerise’s name and the name of the hotel.
They chose a cartoon from Pixar and were cuddled up together naked under the covers laughing when the food arrived. Giggling, Josette ducked into the bathroom, leaving Rick to wrap himself in the sheets and deal with the room service attendant.
The almond trout was heavenly. It had been cooked to perfection, and the tastes melted on her tongue. She was savoring a large bite, her mouth full, when the phone rang.
Rick reached across her to pick up the receiver. “Hello? Oh hi, Raphael.”
Josette set down her fork and moved her tray to the table. Coming up behind Rick, she snuggled against his back. She could hear his heartbeat speed at her touch. She could also hear every word of the telephone conversation.
“I’ve got someone dealing with your paperwork issue right now, Rick, but it’s going to take a few hours. We’ve arranged for your tickets on Delta, leaving at 9:00 A.M. tomorrow. I know I said this evening, but we couldn’t nail down the connecting flight. You’ll have a short layover in Atlanta. You should get to Daytona Beach at around 5:30.”
“5:30 tomorrow?” She couldn’t keep her voice from cracking. They would be cutting it so terribly close. Especially since they had to find the fourth book, buried a hundred years ago beneath the bricks of a lighthouse.
Raphael sighed. “I know. I know. It’s later than I’d like, too, but I swear it’s the best we can do. You wouldn’t believe the hell I had to go through just to manage that.”
“I’m sorry.” Josette spoke up, knowing he’d be able to hear. “I don’t mean to criticize. It’s just that—” She stopped, unsure what to say. She didn’t need to worry people any further. They’d just have to get the book quickly.
“I know. I’m worried about them, too. Cat even offered to buy a frigging jet if it would help, but Tatya swears that they’ve got everything under control for now, that we just need to get you th
ere before sunset tomorrow.” He continued. “Amber says to thank you—the siphoning worked perfectly. They’ve been able to maintain an acceptable level of power by constantly pulling and then feeding it back to them. Antonie’s wife is a little tired, but is hanging in there. The main thing is to make sure that you’re rested up and at full strength when you arrive. So, stay at the hotel tonight. Get a good night’s sleep. I’ll send Carly over in the morning.”
“Raphael,” Josette spoke softly. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”
“You’d do the same for me. Hell, you practically did by putting me in touch with Carly. I figure we’re even.”
“Not even close. But thank you.”
“No problem. Now you two get to bed, and try to get at least a little sleep. Otherwise Amber will have my head.”
He hung up while they were laughing.
Josette and Rick finished their meals and left the trays in the hall for pick up along with their completed breakfast selections. Unfortunately, the clothing shop closed before they could buy anything, so they’d have to rely on Raphael coming through in a pinch. Rick decided to watch one of the many CSI shows on the television. Josette took a shower. The two of them were cuddled together in bed by nine and asleep by ten with a wake-up call scheduled for 6:00 A.M.
Chapter Twenty-one
JOSETTE WOKE AT 5:00, spooned tightly in Rick’s arms. His breath tickled where it ruffled the hair by her ear. His heart beat slow and strong against her back. Moving carefully so as not to wake him, she shifted out from beneath his grasp. He made grumbly noises in his sleep, but settled down deeper beneath the covers.
Stifling a chuckle, she padded over to the bathroom. She made use of the facilities, then started running herself a hot bubble bath using the bottle provided by the hotel. She did it not because she needed to get clean, just because she wanted one. The past few days had been incredibly long and stressful. The day ahead promised more of the same. While she had the luxury of time and unlimited hot water, she wanted to do something nice for herself.