It's going to take time for her to recover, but at least she's in good hands now—and I know they're good, because Asher vetted them himself.
After a while of visiting and chatting with everyone, I notice something and frown, looking around.
Where's Jessica? I haven't been haunted and distracted by her during every conversation at this little get-together, which is really unlike her.
Excusing myself, I check the kitchen, where more people are chatting, but she's not there. She's not outside where Everett's dogs are running around with Devil. Confused, I start up the big staircase in the Amatos' house, but I pause when I see Kaenon at the top of the stairs, staring out a window.
"Kaenon?"
He glances at me. For a moment, his face is clearly wistful, but then he smiles at me. "That dress has been very distracting at this party,tseramòr."
I huff a laugh, but I'm still frowning. "Hey, have you seen Jess?"
He motions toward the huge suite that I'm pretty sure is Maven's room. As he does, I notice he's no longer wearing the leather bracelet Athanis gave him.
Concern starts to set in, but I thank my mate and slip quietly into Maven's room.
During a past visit, when I was cautious about going into any part of the Amato house they might not like, my sister-in-law had snorted and told me I'm welcome anywhere. So I don't think she'll mind me being in here, but it's still a little odd to look around her bedroom.
My brother spared no expense in making their home tasteful, minimalistic, and also luxurious—but especially in his keeper's room. It's spacious in here, with a bigger bed than any I've ever seen, a vanity against one wall, a shelf stacked with botany books, a huge attached bathroom, and a closet which is shut right now.
There's also a huge, otherworldly collection of moths, butterflies, and other strange insects I've never seen before pinned to one of Maven's walls. If I had to guess, I'd say those must be native to the Nether—and judging from the desk underneath them filled with sketches and research, Maven must have picked up studying undiscovered Nether bugs as a hobby at some point.
As I peek around the few corners of Maven's room, I glance down at the vanity. There's almost nothing on it—just a hairbrush, another one of her many, many daggers, and what looks to be an old, crudely-carved wooden chess piece. I think it's a queen, maybe? Maven is so minimalistic and organized that I wonder why it's not with the rest of her chess pieces, wherever they are.
"Jessica?" I finally whisper. "Psst. Jess. Are you in here somewhere?"
"In here," her muffled voice says from Maven's closet.
I walk to it and crack the door, blinking at the sight of her ghostly body sitting on the closet floor, in the dark.
"Jess? You good?"
"Do you think Carolina Reaper has any idea how expensive the clothes Face Card buys for her are? Seriously, how many pairs of combat boots can one woman own?" She motions at the shoe rack across from her, which is indeed stacked with many combat boots, even if I can barely see them without the lights on. "I'm so jealous, I want to die again and get buried under all her stuff."
I doubt Maven knows anything about clothing brands, but I'm not surprised that Everett spoils her every way he can. My brother enjoys splurging on the people he cares about.
Deciding maybe my bestie is developing some version of ghost dementia I don't know about, I sit next to her on the floor in the dark.
"Where's Athanis?" I ask. "Because to be honest, I was half-afraid I would open this closet door and see the two of you going at it, ghost-style."
"We did earlier," she shrugs.
But she doesn't answer my question.
I frown. "Jess? What are you really doing in here?"
"Procrastinating."
"Procrastinating what?"
"Going outside to where Athanis is waiting for me. With Syntyche," she adds, looking at me. "I just…needed a second before I had to say goodbye."
Oh.
It's happening. The thing I've quietly dreaded for an entire year.
Quietly, I reach up and hit the light switch to see my friend better. That's when I realize how much more translucent she's become. Not that I'm seeing her super great, with the tearsalready starting to blur my eyes. I know Jessica well enough to know that her silence and the way she's chewing on her lip mean she's also struggling with this more than she can say.
