A moment passes, making me wonder if she’s fallen asleep until I finally hear, “No. Nothing. Maybe it’s different down here.”
I frown, pulling her to me and resting against her sated body. “Maybe.” I have a niggling feeling that it’s more than just the Underworld. Something that maybe has to do with those pomegranates she ingested at dinner. I don’t press the issue though, knowing she has enough to deal with right now. Instead, I caress her hip in small circles until I hear her fall asleep.
CHAPTER16
Chapter Sixteen
SKYE
SONG: IT’S GOT MY NAME ON IT BY TOMMEE PROFITT, SARAH REEVES
Madame LeRoux’s shop is cold and quiet as we wait in the overflowing backroom while she makes a pot of tea. The guys squish together in the small space while I sit in a chair. They look like three pissed off bodyguards, arms crossed over their chests. Ready to toss out unruly patrons, but the place is deserted.
“This place gives me the creeps.” Sloan says, shifting his weight from one foot to the next, which bumps him into Lukas who glares at him. We’re each sporting dark circles under our eyes from the lack of sleep. My hair is still damp from my quick shower. I’ve opted to throw it up into a messy bun for now, while I grabbed the nearest clean shirt I own, which happened to be myFleetwood Mact-shirt. Totally impractical for the winter weather that has taken residence upon the small island. Christmas is only days away, but you’d never know it’s fast approaching with how dead the town feels this morning. My skin pimples with the chilled air, and Graham reaches down, rubbing my frozen limbs with his warm hands. He works his way up to my neck, using his thumbs to dig into my tense muscles. It feels so good I nearly moan.
“Stop that, we’re in public.” Lukas jabs Graham with his elbow. I almost laugh at how jealous he seems. We’re literally crammed into a back room not exactly out and about in the public.
“What? She’s cold.” My gaze bounces between the two of them. They’ve been getting more comfortable with each other, but haven’t defined their actual relationship. I can tell that the uncertainty is starting to eat at them both. Plus add in the pressure of losing our friends, hardly any sleep, and the stress of having these escaped souls running around to who knows where? Yeah, we’re all about ready to crack.
“Well, you have all caused quite the stir.” Madame LeRoux says as she brings in the steaming pot. She pours into the five cups on her small table. “Go on. Take a cup.” I grab mine and bring the steaming liquid up to my lips, blowing across the steam. It smells like hibiscus and honey.
“Look, we appreciate the effort of making us feel welcome, but we don’t have time for pleasantries.” Lukas says holding his small teacup awkwardly in his large hands.
“Do you want my help or not Mr. Ledger?” I take a sip of the tea to keep from smirking. Her sass makes me miss Salem, and I put my cup down with a clang. The sound of Lukas grumbling something unintelligible meets my ears as I stare down at the doily covered table.
“Can you help us?” I ask, pushing my finger beneath one of the lace holes in the intricate designs.
I feel Madame LeRoux’s boney fingers cup my chin making me look up at her. Her chestnut eyes search my face. “Such power.” She says finally, releasing me with a tsk.
Frowning, I grab the cup again taking another sip to settle my nerves. She removes a deck of what looks like tarot cards from her billowing robes. Her bracelets jangle with the shuffle of the deck.
“We came here for this?” Sloan asks sweeping his hand at the cards flying out as she shuffles.
“You have a demon inside you, and I had power shoot out of my hands, butthisis what you doubt?” I ask turning around in my chair. He has the good sense to look contrite before I turn back around with an apologetic smile. She stops as suddenly as she started, grabbing onto the last card. The Tower. I don’t know much about Tarot, but the few videos I’ve seen on Tik Tok have always mentioned this as being a catalyst card. A moment that comes into your life to change things.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“We haven’t liked a lot of things. Can we get on with it?” Lukas grumbles. I resist the urge to smack him as I wait for her to tell us more, hoping that she’ll overlook how rude the guys are being.
“You can’t rush these things.” She replies, shoulders set with determination as she grabs onto my hands, flipping them over carefully. “Just as I thought.” She says after a moment of studying the lines that make up my palms. “My dear, you do not belong here among us mortals. You need to go back.”
My mouth drops open. Maybe the guys are right, and she is a quack. I rip my hands away from her grip. “I told you, that you wouldn’t like it.” Her head lolls to the side as her body begins to shake. I reel away from the table as foam spills out of her drooping mouth.
“Oh my God, is she having a stroke?” I screech, scrambling for my phone. What are the symptoms of stroke again? Something… fast. Face. Arms. Speech. And the t escapes me, but I fumble to open my screen to call an ambulance.
Her hand smacks into mine her glassy eyes wide as foam drips down her face. “Child of Spring, you must listen.” Was this all an act? I shove my phone back into my pocket, irritation clinging to my skin where she touched me.
“We came here looking for your help. There are escaped souls from purgatory and hellhounds roaming around the town and you tell me I need to go back to… where exactly?”
“The Underworld. Through the veil to join your sister.”
“Well now we know she’s just talking nonsense. Skye’s an only child.” Lukas says, grabbing me up by my elbow. “Let’s go.”
“The only one who can do anything about the souls and the dogs is her father.”
I shake my head, annoyed and disappointed that we even came here. My last hope crushed with her babbling. “All of you need to go through the veil. It’s where you’re needed.” She follows us as we make our way to the front of her shop. The smell of all the different teas is overwhelming. A twinge of a headache blooms beneath my brow bone. "Here, please. Take this." She hands me a book of Greek Mythology and I take it without arguing, set on whatever will get me out of here as fast as possible.
“Go through the veil.” She calls out as we exit through her beads that hang in front of her store entrance.
