Disenchanted (19 page)

“She’s slept for almost twenty–four hours.”

“Should we try to wake her?”

“Do you want to see a repeat of what happened last time she woke up?”

“Not really. Wait, I think she’s coming around.”

The whispers cease and I feel their stares. This time I remember what happened and damn, does my head hurt.

“Who cracked me in the head?” My voice scratchy, strained, probably from all the screaming. Thank the heavens, I don’t have other tenants, or neighbors.

“How are you feeling?” asks Nyssa, her voice shaky.

“Like I’ve been hit with a truck. Sorry I scared you guys.”

“Hey, it’s not like you planned it.” Rey grasps my hand, gently rubbing the back of it.

“Not in this, or any other lifetime.” I give his hand a weak squeeze, gasping with each strained movement as I attempt to push myself into a sitting position.

“Want me to get you some water?”

I shake my head, wincing. “Coffee and some aspirin.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea considering—”

“Look Nys, I appreciate everything you guys have done, but I need a jolt of caffeine and something to take the edge off this headache.”

I can see her disapproval in the dim light as she looks at Rey and he nods.

“One small breakdown and you guys think you need to mother me.” I try to make my tone light, but with the amount of pain I’m in it comes out more like a complaint.

Nyssa lowers her head and turns to leave. “Be right back.”

“Nys, I didn’t mean it like it sounded.”

“She’ll get over it, she’s...we’ve all been worried about you.”

“Where’s Dara?”

“Probably hiding in the basement. Think she’s a little pissed I kicked her out earlier.”

I nod seeing the faint line of light rimming the curtains. “About that, why’d you kick her out?”

His face twists in confusion. “You don’t remember?”

“I remember visions.”

He circles his hand in the air, urging me on, but I fear saying it out loud will cause it to happen again.

“Let’s leave it at they weren’t of sugar plum fairies.”

“That’s why I sent her out. She’s no sugar plum fairy. I thought maybe she was making things harder for you.”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and slowly exhale.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, head just hurts.”

“If it’s any consolation, so does my jaw.”

“Oh Rey, I’m sorry.” I should have seen it right away, the swollen, angry red and purple flesh is pretty hard to miss even in the dim lighting. Tells you how much these
attacks
have rattled me.

“Not a problem, after all I got to cuddle you again,” punctuated with a lurid eyebrow wiggle.

“Yeah, about that... Don’t suppose you, or anyone else has a clue what’s happening?” I have Einen’s words and the strange garble from The Sisters along with some very mixed signals from and about Var Royd. Then there’s Dara, or
The First Arrow
, gods know what that means, or how it affects me. I need to know who I can trust in my own little circle. Part of me wants to hightail it to Sioux City and Annya’s apartment, but the NTF would probably frown on that.

“Rey?”

His Adam’s apple rises and drops. I clutch his hand as he tries to pull away. He knows something.

“Are you afraid of me?”

He shakes his head and then turns toward me. “More like afraid for you.”

Slowly I let his hand drop from mine. Waves of fear sweep through the room, not all of it his.

A diminutive form at the door clears her throat before bringing me my drugs of choice. I toss the little white pills into my mouth before wrapping my hands around the steaming cup. The hot liquid jarring, tears spring up as it sears the roof of my mouth, washing the pills down an already ragged throat. Lowering the cup to my lap, I lean back and close my eyes.

No matter how much I’d love to ignore what happened, I can’t, but I’m sure not going to face it naked. Not as if everyone hasn’t seen what little I have to offer. Laughter turns to a moan as it shakes my abused body. I hold up a hand when they move toward me. There’s nothing they can do anyway.

“Are you okay?” asks Nyssa.

I nod; even though it’s evident, I’m not. On many levels.

“I need to get in the shower.”

Nyssa takes the cup from me and Rey leans in to help me from the bed. Gently, I rebuff his hands.

“Sorry, I know it seems silly after everything that’s happened.” For a second time I’m glad they’ve neglected the lights. My face is probably somewhere between strawberry blonde and fire red.

He takes off for another room, leaving Nyssa to tend to my delicate sensibilities. Leaving me relieved that any typical filthy comments are kept to himself, yet empty over his fear of me.

Using the sprite as a crutch, I make it to the bathroom and into the shower, praising the inventor of the little stool inside. There’s no way I can stand and taking a bath would take too long. I’d probably drown due to lack of muscle control.

The water feels delightful, rinsing away the scent of my bed partners and my own stench. Loosening the aches and pains of muscles I never knew I had. I don’t want it to stop, but hiding under a stream of slowly chilling water isn’t an option. Getting out is a little easier, but my skin is still overly sensitive to the fabrics of the fluffy towel and clothing Nyssa gathered.

Nyssa leads me to the couch and C.C. immediately wanders over. He tentatively paws at the couch until I pat the cushion beside me and he jumps up.

My stomach growls as Nyssa returns with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. “Thought you might be hungry.”

Food hadn’t registered on the scale of importance until the sight and scent hit me. Everything else is forgotten. I shovel fluffy, buttery goodness into my mouth, not caring how unladylike it looks.

C.C. watches intently. I offer him a bit of toast. He sniffs it then goes back to watching. Instead of an official taste tester, I have an official food sniffer. If he’d made that little scrunchy face, I’d know not to eat it, so it must be okay for me, just not enticing enough for him. The plate licked clean, Nyssa replaces it with a cup and I lift it to my nose reveling in the intoxicating aroma.

The light pounding on the door can only be Dara.
Since when does she knock?
Fear wriggles it’s ugly little self inside me as I remember how just the sight of her triggered my little mishap. The doorknob jiggles and I look at Royd his brow wrinkling as he studies me.

“You can’t keep her out forever,” says Rey. “Eventually she’ll grow impatient and just come in. She didn’t mean to cause any harm, but she’s worried about you.”

I nod, rubbing my hands up and down my arms.

“Cold again?” he asks, moving to the edge of his chair.

I shake my head and drop my hands.

“Cat got your tongue?” A half–assed smile on his face as he wags a finger at C.C. “Give it back.”

“No, just nervous.” A poor attempt at a reassuring smile, but I try just the same.

He nods and Nyssa opens the door.

“Come join the party, Dara.”

A less than perfect Dara steps in. Ouch, did I do that to her? Nyssa and Rey looked tired and a little bedraggled, but Dara looks like she’s been run through the wringer.

“How are you feeling?” she asks, standing next to the door, fingers just inches from the knob.

Damn, if I answer wrong, she’s going to bolt. “I’m fine, but you look like shit.” I wrinkle my nose, and then punctuate it with a grin.

“Long night, day and night again.” Her smile strained as she stares at me, as if she can assess my health, mental, or otherwise with just a look.

“Don’t just stand there, you’re making me nervous.” I nod in Rey’s direction. “Like he said, come join the party.”

Her shoulders drop to a normal level and her smile widens, then fades as she perches on the arm of the couch.

“Well, now that the whole family is here, let’s get down to business,” says Rey, doing his best impression of Brando. Trust me. It sucks. He sounds more like one of the Muppets, the old geezers in the theater box, to be exact.

Nyssa rocks with laughter on the arm of his chair, planting a tiny fist against his shoulder.

“Ow,” he says, rubbing the offended spot, then pretends to glare at us. “Hey, she hits pretty hard for a teeny, tiny thing.”

Things are looking normal for the moment. Normal is exactly what I need right now, or as normal as this group can be. True to form, our little breather is blown all to hel when the downstairs buzzer sounds.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Dara punches the intercom button, “Yes?”

“Hello First Arrow, is Miss Fey available?” With that greeting, the owner of the voice can belong to only one person. Var Royd.

Nyssa frowns and Rey leans toward me. “What the hell did that mean?”

“You got me, but one of these days I’m going to find out.”

“You’ve heard it before? From
him
I take it?”

I nod, watching Dara’s barely controlled anger as she presses the button again.

“What do you want,
Sun King
?”

Whoa, that’s what The Sisters had called him. Obviously, Dara knows much more than she’s let on. Maybe Einen was right.

“I assume it is evident I wish to speak with Miss Fey.”

Now Rey jumps up and as Dara presses the button he says, “You know what they say about assuming things. It makes an ass out of you and me.”

It earns him a grin from Dara.

“Okay, enough with the taunting. Let’s see what he has to say.” I get up and move to the intercom. “What do you want, Mr. Royd?”

“It would be wiser to invite me in, Miss Fey.”

“Fine.” Ignoring the protests of my companions, I buzz him in and return to the couch.

He doesn’t even bother to knock, motioning for someone to wait in the hall as he steps into the room.

“It seems there was another attack last evening.” Royd’s eye contact and the unspoken message it holds is a little too much for me to handle right now.

“Let me guess.” I lay my head against the back of the couch, closing my eyes. “I’m the prime suspect.”

There’s no need to open them. I can feel my companions’ unspoken responses—tension and fear infused with outrage.

“But Keely was here all night, we know that.”

“Yes, my little nixie, but the NTF is not inclined to believe her friends.”

“You can verify it,” says Dara, something in her voice hints at things she knows, but has not shared.

Something to do with this whole
Sun King, First Arrow
bullshit, would be my guess. Which I’m going to figure out, it would just be easier if she shared.

“I only just arrived.”

“Yet your dogs have kept watch, reported to you.” Dara’s tone dangerously soft, something I recognize, but I’m not sure Royd will.

I open my eyes and wish I’d kept them closed. Dara’s freakishly catlike eyes narrow as she stares him down. The tiny slit of their pupils quickly expand nearly blotting golden irises, very much like C.C. before he pounces on unsuspecting prey. I swear that if she had a tail, it’d be twitching.

Royd either doesn’t notice, or chooses not to. His tone laced with cruel coyness. “There are also reporters and others watching, First Arrow.”

Her hands ball into white knuckled fists and lips twist, baring her fangs in all their pointy glory.

Doesn’t he know how dangerous it is to provoke a vamp? Geez, does all that money make him think he’s impervious, or is he just stupid?

“Enough.” I jump between them, a hand held out in either direction. “I’m not in the mood for a pissing match.”

Something between a hiss and growl emanates from Dara’s direction and Royd’s grin widens.

“I said enough!”

Everyone pulls back as I look at them. Fear and confusion bitch slaps me and my vision darkens. Dara slowly backs away from me. Rey and Nyssa slink in behind her, eyeing the door. I know I don’t get mad very often, but I don’t think it’s that terrifying.

Royd’s expression is neutral, almost blasé. “Reign in your anger, Schattenkind.”

His tone only adds to my frustration. My skin becomes a unitard several sizes too small, squeezing painfully. With the lack of circulation comes an incessant itch, like a bad case of psoriasis that you want to scratch. To hel with scratch. You want to shred the offending virus from your skin.

“Schattenkind.” His tone is soft, but the grasp on my wrists, not so much.

He hides it well, but I can see agitation through the cracks in his calm veneer. I can also see the bloody trails my nails left along my arms, but they still itch and I fight his hold.

“Control them.”