Cordelia turned to see Gordon standing over her, his hair hanging in damp coils, a towel slung over his shoulders. He’d just set a steaming cup down.
“My sister,” she said, throwing off the blanket and trying to stand, only to falter and end up back on the settee.
“Whoa,” he reiterated, holding his hands out in case he needed to catch her. “Dr. Mabee is with her,” he promised reassuringly. “She’s gonna be all right. But you need to give it a few minutes. You can go up once you’ve recalibrated.”
“Up?” Cordelia lifted a hand to her head, which was blessedly pain-free now that she was back on Bone property, but still reeled. She lifted the teacup with a wobbly hand and took a sip.
“When the storm kicked up, I jumped in my truck and headed this way. I was afraid that you were hurt or upset. I found you on the road and knew something terrible must have happened. I brought you back here and saw the basement door standing open. That’s when I found your sister. I called the doctor and took her up to a bed once he gave the okay to move her.”
“You saw the basement room,” she said with a sigh.
“I waited with her for the doctor to arrive, just coming up once to make sure you were still okay,” he confirmed.
“I can explain,” she started, though she wasn’t sure she could.
Gordon shook his hands at her. “You don’t owe me anything, Cordelia. What happened to my mother had nothing to do with you or Eustace.”
She bit her lip. “But I’d like to,” she told him. “I’d like to tell you what we know, though there’s nearly as much we don’t. I want you to know the truth about me.”
He smiled slightly. “You think I don’t know the truth about you? You think it’s been lost on me—the things you make happen? The way you’ve plugged into this place over the last week and a half, like a light bulb in a socket, and come alive?”
She gaped, making a point to set her cup down slowly and carefully. “I–I…”
He came and sat next to her, keeping plenty of space between them. “Mybabci—you remember I told you about her, the one from Poland?”
Cordelia nodded.
“She had a gift too. Not nearly so powerful or varied as yours. She called itThe Touch.If she held something, put her hands on it, she could know things about it, about who owned it or touched it before. People in her village would bring things to her from time to time and ask her questions.” He took one of her hands in his, toying gently with her fingers. “They respected her for it,” he said. “So did I.”
Cordelia didn’t pull away. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “About earlier. I didn’t give you a chance—”
“You were right,” he interrupted. “I should have told you. I was scared.” He met her eyes then, his face open and honest. “Notofyou. Oflosingyou.”
She laid her free hand over his and smiled. “So was I.”
A loudahembroke them apart. Cordelia looked up to see Dr. Mabee standing in the doorway. She rose, and this time, her legs were steady. “My sister?”
“She’s still unconscious,” Dr. Mabee told her. “She went into shock, it seems.”
Cordelia started forward, but the doctor put a hand up.
“Her heart rate and breathing have stabilized. I’ve already started an IV drip to keep her hydrated, and we can administer nutrition infusions if she doesn’t come around in a few days.”
“A few days?” Cordelia placed a hand over her chest. “What are you saying?”
Dr. Mabee peered at her. “I don’t know what happened to your sister, Ms. Bone. Or how it managed to happenhere.But the rest of her recovery is up to her. She must come around on her own, in her time, or not at all.”
Cordelia stumbled back a step. “That can’t be,” she whispered. She couldn’t do this without Eustace. Not any of it. Going on without their mother was one thing, and neither of them had ever known a father, but Cordelia could not go on without her sister at her side.
Dr. Mabee frowned. “I’m sorry. I truly am. There is nothing more I can do at this time. Keep an eye on her. Stay with her as much as possible. Your presence will be a comfort. There are reports that unconscious people can still hear those around them. Call me if anything changes. I’ll be back tomorrow to change her bag.”
Cordelia’s mouth fell open. She couldn’t believe he was just going to leave while her sister lay upstairs in some sort of comatose state. She followed him helplessly to the door.
“If you can figure out what caused this, maybe that will help.” He gave her a bleak expression, all turned-down corners and glum eyes. “This changes everything, you know. Whatever happened here, I wouldn’t consider myself impervious if I were you. Be careful, Ms. Bone.” And then he was gone.
Cordelia shut the door and turned to Gordon. “I need to see her.”
He nodded quietly. “You go upstairs. I’ll help the last couple of people get their cars free of the mud.”
