“Bud, it isn’t what you think, and it’s temporary. Right?” I looked at Ranth, hoping for him to back me up, but he shook his head.
He had no idea what it would mean if the tattoo stayed after he went, or if it would kill me to go back to the garden and sever the curse, and neither did I.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Laden with crystals, bundles of herbs, an eco-friendly cooler full of food, and a wad of cash, we arrived back in San Francisco. Antimony was safe in Bud’s compound, and I’d agreed to stay up there for a couple of weeks while we got the house figured out. Bud would drive down later and pick me up.
The damage to my house was even more grim in the light of day. The firemen were back and hosing the site again. The security Bud had hired were talking to the police, but even with ID, the police weren’t going to let me past the barriers. I tried and failed not to be angry because they were doing their jobs. The N95 mask that Bud insisted we take chafed on my cheeks.I tugged it down. I didn’t need to be that close to walk planar through the site. I handed my stuff to Ori.
“I’m going with you,” Ranth said. I opened my mouth to argue and, despite his need to protect me from dying being obvious, I decided he might be good to have around. A scary thought in this current situation. Stepping behind a tree so I didn’t disappear in full view, I palmed a maca to Ranth, and he shook his head. I looked down at mine. I could go planar without it. Still, I had been high on earth energy at the time, and this was probably not the best moment to practice new skills.
Chewing on the maca, I pulled the mask back up, and the world shifted. Ranth and I walked past the barrier and the men. There was residual heat from the fire, but the mask filtered the worst of the smoke. An icy dread descended along with the burn of tears. The house glowed a sickly red. Would I ever be able to fix Mom’s special spell, or would it heal itself once the house was repaired? Tears burned in my eyes, or maybe it was the smoke.
Ranth pulled me back. “Embers.” He pointed to the floor. I had no experience walking planar over fire. Shards of glass glinted in the sun as I scanned the kitchen. My wards had preserved the back door, but the kitchen looked like a bomb had exploded in the middle of it. Charred fragments of the door to the basement hung from the blackened hinges and frame.
I crossed the threshold, and Ranth grabbed my jacket.
“Take care. The heat will be higher, and the floor is compromised.” He nodded ahead at the blackened fridge and stove.
I had maca in my mouth, so I could only think my answer. I glared at him. He knew I had to get the grimoire.
Choosing my steps with care, I crossed to the oven. The tome I’d hidden in the planar space wasn’t even warm. Joy burst into tears as I hugged the book to my chest.
Making my way around the edges of the kitchen, I sent out a silent plea of positivity and descended into the basement. The mask wasn’t able to filter the acrid, chemical-edged smoke, and by the time I got to the bottom, I was coughing every other breath.
The blackened husk of the water heater stood in a charred corner, which used to be next to my workspace. The old-growth redwood was ash. Smoke stung my eyes, mixing with tears from the sobs. Everything Mom and I had built was destroyed. Focusing on where I stepped, I bent down in front of the bookcases. My heart skipped a beat. The glass had cracked, but the grimoires were still intact.
Ranth came up behind me. “I’ll help you.” He pulled out two of the precious books. “We’ve been here long enough. Take these and go. Now.”
I turned for the stair and spied my smoky quartz ball—or rather, my grandmother’s mother’s crystal ball. It had survived. I had to have it.
I stumbled across gray ash. Live embers seared my feet, and I toppled sideways, the grimoires falling as I landed hard on shredded wood. If I’d been in the non-planar basement, I would have been bleeding. The pain was real, but the burning would dissipate once we got out of the plane.
Ranth hauled me up. I scrambled forward and got the crystal ball. He grabbed all three books. Limping, we made it up the stairs. By the time we got out of the building, I was moaning from the pain, and Ranth was holding me up. When we got to Rose and Ori, I tore off the mask and spit out the maca. Relief washed over me like aloe gel.
“What happened?” Ori gushed, sinking down beside me. Her arm slid around me. Rose leaned over to check me out. She nodded her approval at the pile of books in Ranth’s arms.
A policewoman came up behind Rose. “Oh, hi, Officer. Can we help you?” I asked.
“Everything okay here, miss? Are you a resident of this street?”
“That’s my house, actually.” I nodded.
“Sorry about your house, miss.”
“Thanks,” I replied as Rose slid an arm around my other side. I was now sandwiched between Ori and Rose.
“This area is still dangerous. Please make sure you stay away from the tape.”
“Sure thing. We were about to leave.” Being between Rose and Ori was like being part of a positive energy wall. I even managed to smile at the officer.
Ranth picked up the pile of books, and we walked down to the corner where Freddie pulled up the car.
“Where to now?” Ori asked.
I opened the car door. “Let’s go find Harold,” I said, getting in.
I leaned back against the seat, grimoires tucked safely beside me. But my eyes were glued to the black silky hair spilling over the seat in front of me. I closed my eyes, inhaling his scent. He’d taken care of me again in there. I was strong and able to do things on my own, but somehow, he made me even more of myself. How could I send him away forever?
