Vivi sighed. “No, I really don’t.”
The combination of Dionne’s arrival and the noise and music and color around us as we walked was like having a parent turn on a bedroom light after a bad dream. I didn’t know what Dionne had done when she showed up, but somehow she’d made it better. Her presence seemed to promise safety.
Also, she had a thermos of hot chai.
We settled into chairs near Tamar’s tent at Free Radicals. Their other campmates must have either been in bed or off playing. I was just glad the area was empty. My adrenaline was running out, leaving me so exhausted I couldn’t think. I gratefully accepted Dionne’s offer of tea and let her fill my mug. It was steaming, redolent with spices, and laced with sweetened condensed milk. It felt good on my ravaged throat.
“You got a fuck of a problem out there.” She sounded so calm.
“Tell me about it,” I said. “Thanks for coming. As you can see, we need the firepower.”
She leaned back in her chair, resting her ankle on the other knee and drinking right out of the thermos. “It’s juicy, this one. Couldn’t resist seeing for myself.”
Vivi washed down some chips with a mouthful of chai. “What did you do out there? Those things, they just vanished.”
“Took a gamble.” She shrugged. “It’s tough for noncorps to be physical here. And a bunch of them? No. Something gotta be boosting them, you know? Like an extension cord from somewhere else. I just yanked the cord hard enough to make ‘em pound sand back to where they came from. They’d fry their circuits trying to stick around on their own. I was right, they ain’t shit. Just low-level bogeys, more scare than bite.”
My brain was a dial tone. God, I was tired. I hurt. I was stiff. It was getting chilly. I could barely keep my eyes open. “I wasn’t even scared.”
She looked me over with a sympathetic smile. “You poor thing. You got whomped pretty hard, huh?”
My hand flopped in a dismissive wave. “Eh. Should’ve seen the other guy.”
That made her laugh. It was a throaty, unrestrained sound. “I’ll bet. Just the same, we all gotta get some sleep soon. Start fresh in the morning. Been a long day.”
“Sure has.”
Vivi shifted in her chair. “Will I--be okay until morning?”
Dionne took her measure. “Girl, I sure hope so. For what you need, we want sunlight on our side. And all of us functioning better than we can right now.”
There were people approaching--my friends, thank all the gods. “What the fuck was going on out there?” said Joe as they reached us.
My foggy brain tried to parse it. “You fought things too?”
“I don’t know about fought.” Cherry looked shaken. “More like we were haunted. Things moving, dark shapes out of the corners of our eyes, something that sounded like a kid crying in the bushes. And then stuff started moving. Flying around. Tamar got hit by a loose branch that came right at her head.”
“We had--this is crazy--it was some kind of rabid dog circling us,” said Joe.
“But it was dead,” said Sara.
“Right. Like, we could see its ribs hanging out. It had insects in its eyes.” He shuddered. “I tried to put up some protections, but they weren’t holding. Sara fought it with a chair.”
“And then it just collapsed. And kind of melted.” Sara rubbed her arms.
“Us too!” Cherry dropped into the chair next to me. “We were trying to banish everything, but then there was this whoosh and it all just stopped.”
Tamar stood with arms crossed. “Dionne.”
Dionne leaned back in her chair and sipped from the thermos. “You’re welcome.”
Tamar rolled her eyes.
“She helped us,” said Vivi. “The demon found us. He sent other--what did you call them? Boogeymen?”
“Bogeys.” Dionne was still looking at Tamar with a little smirk.
“Right--so they were attacking us, and Mari protected me, but they were going to get us, and then Dionne was there and she just--cut them off.”
“Well, thank god you showed up in time.” Somehow, Tamar didn’t sound all that grateful.
Sara knelt in front of my chair. “Mari, are you okay?”
I knew what she was really asking. “Fine. I promise. I’m good now. Just--tired.”
Joe crouched beside me too. It felt good to be a little fussed over. But then he rubbed his mouth. “So the demon--oh crap. You guys.”
“What? He’s been stirring shit all day, of course he showed up.” Cherry curled up in her chair and closed her eyes.
“Not that. Don’t you see?”
I straightened. “He brought minions.”
He nodded. “We assumed it was just him working with the exiled fae. But he’s got--more. Who knows how many?”
“Cannon fodder for this invasion?” Tamar ran her fingers through her shaggy hair and blew out a breath. “Limited on their own, but if they try to possess folks here, they could do real damage.”
“What does that get him?” I tried to think. It was so hard right now. “No offense, Vivi, but if he was only after you, he wouldn’t need cursed grass or bad guy fae or bottom-feeder demons.”
No one had an answer for that. After a moment Tamar shook her head. “We don’t know enough yet. And I’m fried like an egg. We all are. We need rest.”
All of us forced ourselves to our feet. Dionne groaned. “I gotta get my tent up. Shit. I gotta get my tent.”
“Take my tent tonight.” Cherry waved in its general direction. “I can stay with Joe.”
“I’m going with you,” Tamar told Vivi. “You need someone keeping an eye on you tonight.” Vivi didn’t try to argue, just held up a hand goodnight to the rest of us and started off toward Science Faction with Tamar beside her.
Envy twinged under my ribs at the thought of Cherry and Joe tenting together, having someone to curl up against. Stop it, Mari. It was nuts to think that any of us had the energy for anything besides face-planting. If they did, good for them. After tonight, I just wasn’t crazy about the idea of going back alone to my little tent and sleeping with none of the others nearby. I said goodnight and trudged off anyhow because at least it was warded, and it was mine. My space. My refuge.
It was almost too cold to bother changing clothes, but I peeled off my grungy outfit and got into what passed for pajamas and was glad I did.
“Knock knock.” I knew the voice outside my tent.
I pulled the zipper and peeked out. Sara smiled down at me and held something out. “I forgot to give this back to you earlier. I know it’s important so I figured it was worth stopping by on my way to bed.”
It was my key. Rosa Vermelha’s key. I took it and hung it around my neck again; it slipped down between my breasts and the small weight felt good, comforting. “Thank you for going out of your way.”
“Not that far.” She shrugged, and then licked her lips. “It also gave me a chance to say--well. I don’t know what I want to say. Just that you--impress me.”
I smoothed my hair. I was a complete ragamuffin next to Sara, who somehow managed to still look fresh and put together at this hour. “I do? I mean...thanks.”
She smiled and shook her head. “You don’t even see it. Well, anyway. Good night. Sleep well, okay?”
“Wait,” I said as she started to turn away. She looked back at me, her eyebrows raised. My heart pounded and I had to force myself to go on. “Do you--would you like to sleep here tonight?”
My heart teetered, afraid she’d say no, afraid she’d say yes. Thoughts passed like wisps of cloud across her face and I couldn’t read their shapes. “You said you weren’t sure whether you were free. Of whatever you had with the person who was in your life before.”
“That’s true. And if I was sure about what was going on, this would be a much bigger conversation. As it is, I’m not asking f
or anything I shouldn’t. I just, really, I want to feel--close tonight. To someone. To you. You know?”
“Yeah.” There was something soft in her eyes. “I do. I’d like to stay.”
I moved back so she could stoop through the opening. We laughed, nervous, but didn’t talk as she unlaced her boots and took off her jewelry. My sleeping bag wasn’t big enough for two, but we unzipped it all the way to make it work. It meant spending the night snuggled up, which was perfect as far as I was concerned. We lay down in the dark, arranging the meager cover over us, and wriggled around a bit to get comfortable. I lay on my back, she on her side facing me, her arm draped over me, her head nestled against the spot where my shoulder met my chest. I wound my arms around her and on impulse kissed the top of her head.
She moved her leg so her ankle was braided with mine. We exhaled at the same time. Her warmth felt so good, her scent filling my nose in a comforting way. It was so intimate, and yet innocent; somehow the fact that we both belonged to Rosa Vermelha made it feel natural to be affectionate this way.
But I desired her, too. Her body felt wonderful in my arms. The feeling of skin against my skin was a hunger sated so sweetly I could have wept. It had been so long since I had been touched like this, since I had enjoyed that feeling of sinking into sleep safe and warmed by another’s presence.
“I didn’t think you would ask me to stay.” Her voice was sleepy. “But I hoped you would.”
I felt her turn her face up toward me. I felt her breath warm on my cheek, in harmony with my breath. I moved my mouth toward it, and her lips brushed mine. Our kiss lingered, just lips touching lips, breathing each other’s breath. I felt a deep, old ache rise up in me and subside in a wave of relief. She settled her head back against me. I pressed my cheek to her hair. She was already sleeping.
I joined her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Mine was a deep, absolute, dreamless sleep. And it was a blessing, because morning came all too soon and there was no time today for sleeping in. Sara was spooned up against me when we woke to the rooster call of some self-appointed comedians walking among the tents talking into megaphones. It sounded like they were bantering with and getting in digs at people who were just emerging from their tents, but I was too groggy to pay much attention.
“Good morning and fuck us very much, I guess,” murmured Sara after they blared some retort right next to our heads. We giggled and snuggled closer.
“I don’t want to get up yet,” I said into the thick fall of her braids. Thoughts of the day’s demands crested the horizon of my consciousness.
“Me neither.”
“But it’s really fucking hot in here,” I added after a long moment.
“I’m sweating like a pig,” she agreed.
“Pigs don’t sweat. That’s what the mud is for.”
“Ugh. Shut up, smarty pants. It’s too early for science.”
“I wonder what one does sweat like, if not pigs.”
“Boys,” she said, with such utter disdain that I laughed. She rolled over to face me and we lay there, almost nose to nose, reading each other’s faces. “We’re okay, right?”
“God, I hope so. I’m not in my twenties anymore. I’m so over making a federal case out of something that didn’t hurt anyone.” I paused. “No one’s hurt here, right?”
“I’m not.” I could wake up many more times to that smile.
“Good.” We’d long since kicked off the covers; the angle of the light seemed early, but it was already heating up the interior of the tent, turning it into a tiny nylon oven. I sat up reluctantly and stretched. “The breakfast menu at Chez Mari is pretty skimpy, but you’re welcome to a breakfast bar or an apple or whatever I have.”
“Let’s go raid Free Radicals. They have a never-ending supply of bacon.” She didn’t have to add that it would let us start dealing with everything that hung over us. We were both thinking it.
“Speaking of sweating,” I said, sifting through the now-jumbled pile of my belongings, “I think I’ve now worn every piece of clothing I own. Yuck. How much do you think anyone would care if I smuggled some laundry into the shower with me?”
She waved it away. “I can lend you something. And later we’ll go get you outfitted at the Goblin Market. We may be doing battle this evening, but no reason we can’t do it in style.”
We emerged into the mercifully-fresh air to head to the showers, though Sara was detouring to her tent first. She hesitated. “I’ll meet you back at your tent, okay?” she said. “I think I’m going to hit the stalls.”
I realized I’d been assuming I would go to the mixed-gender showers where there was no privacy at all, not even thinking about whether that would make her uncomfortable. Goddammit, Mari. I just said “Okay,” and let it go because I wasn’t sure whether saying anything else would make it worse.
The showers were cold, but it was already getting hot enough out that it felt good, if bracing. I stayed in as long as I could stand it and scrubbed hard, like I could be rid of every trace of the previous day’s fear and stress. My lower leg I left alone, because Teo’s colorful art still looked pretty.
Back at my tent, Sara was there and dressed. She looked cool and fresh and, as always, lovely in an artful way. She handed me a few things. “Try these.”
It was a simple outfit, cropped cotton drawstring pants with soft ruffles at the hems, and a sleeveless embroidered cotton chemise that buttoned down the front, but it fit well enough and it was prettier than anything I owned. I went barefoot for the time being, and left my hair loose down my back to let it dry. I felt light and free, some kind of wild child of the outdoors.
Free Radicals did indeed have bacon, big heaping piles of it. And bagels, and coffee, and sausage, and potatoes, and eggs. And a big bowl of fruit.
Dionne and Tamar faced off across a card table, eyeing each other. I took a step toward them and Joe materialized at my elbow. “Morning!” His voice was too bright. “Grab you a plate?”
“Get me one too.” A sleepy and tousled Cherry shuffled over to the table in her pajamas, dragging a chair with her. “Where’s Vivi?”
“Sleeping,” said Tamar. “She had a rough night. I decided to let her get some rest now that she’s settled down for a while.”
Sara and I moved more chairs up to the table. I noticed some of the other Radicals looking us over. Were they pissed that some strangers were hogging their friends and eating their food? It was low on my list of things to care about, but I felt like a trespasser anyway.
“More coming up.” Joe set down a couple plates of food.
“What’s on the agenda?” I looked between Dionne and Tamar, trying to avoid treating one of them like more of a leader. It seemed safest.
“Fill me in.” Dionne sipped her coffee, flicking a glance at me. “Hard for me to make any plans till I get a full rundown.”
“We’re making plans together. All of us. Plans we agree on.” Tamar’s gaze was hard.
“Okay, buckle up,” I said before Dionne could reply. I started with my own involvement with the demon, once again glossing over the details of my time on the island to just say that my egregore had been destroyed and that Rosa’s deal put me under her protection. I described my visions, what happened to Charlie, and everything that’d happened since I arrived. Cherry filled in the pre-Morph nudges that had tipped her and Tamar off.
Dionne looked at me with measured respect. “So you busted into his own private realm, huh? Got up in his face on his turf?”
“Only because everyone helped me.” I took the mug of coffee that Sara handed me. My food was probably cold by now but I didn’t care.
“Guess it’s not reckless when you’re doing it.” Dionne was looking at Tamar again.
“It was my idea?” I cast around for the right thing to say to defuse whatever was going on here.
“It’s not the sa
me thing and you know it.” Tamar leaned forward, stabbing the table with a finger.
“Convenient how you got all that rootwork to fence off the grass.” Dionne stroked her chin. “Hmm, wonder where a white lady might’ve learned all that.”
“Oh, so, what, I should just leave it unprotected on principle? Waited to get your permission? We share knowledge so we’re all stronger for it. Isn’t that what you said?”
Sara and I edged our chairs back from the table.
“Please, can you stop?” Cherry put down her fork and glared at both of them. “We don’t have time to waste fighting.”
Dionne looked Cherry up and down, and I was shocked to see her shrink under it. “You’ve come a long way, huh? Tamar let you off the leash yet or you still typing up her notes?” She gave me a once-over as well. “You her new little witch baby now? Got yourself a wise old teacher?”
“Don’t put me in this,” I said. “Anyway I’m not a witch.”
She snorted. “No? You sure sound like one to me.”
“You know what? I’m done.” Tamar shoved her chair back and got up. “I don’t need this again. You wanted to come out here so bad, great. You’re in charge now. You figure this whole thing out. I wash my hands of you.”
“Cut this shit out, both of you.” Cherry pointed at the chair. “Tamar, sit. We need all of us. We need more than us, but this is what we’ve got. So just stop it. Think of Vivi.”
Tamar and Dionne glared at each other. After a long moment, Tamar sat back down again. “I need more coffee.”
“On it.” Joe jumped up and grabbed her mug. I envied him the momentary break.
“So.” Dionne shifted to face me again. “Describe this demon again. What he looks like, what he says, how he sounds, everything you can think of.”
Sara put an encouraging arm around my shoulders as I detailed his void-face, his creepy fake faces, the gloved hand, the dark clothes, the vultures, the red handprints, the mindfucks. When I was done, she squeezed me and fed me a piece of melon. Right. Food.
MetamorphosUS: Book 1 of the Mythfit Witch Mysteries Page 27