"Use necromancy," she joked.
"Would that work?"
"If you were on the edge of life and death, yes. If you're just sick, not really."
"Good to know." I settled onto the sofa. "All right, I think I'm ready."
Hel nodded and took a seat on the chair opposite the sofa.
I pulled the stopper off the potion and took a sip. The taste was a little sharper than the usual sleep potions I made, but it was easy to drink. Once I was done, I set it down on the table beside the sofa and lay down, pulling a blanket over me. Despite the fact that Hel and I hadn't known one another long, I could feel the comfort of her being here more acutely than I expected. And regardless of anything else, I was glad that I didn't have to test this alone.
Chapter 15
HEL
I checked the countdown timer on my phone, reassured that Clara was still safely within her four-hour window. I had no idea what would happen if she ran over, but I wasn't willing to find out.
Garmr had decided that there was nothing interesting about Clara's flat about an hour ago, and was curled up in his pen snoring away while cuddling his worm. I had no idea why that was the toy of the moment, but he loved that thing, and I was loath to part him from it. There was a part of me that wanted to buy a second one in case something happened to the original, but no doubt he'd move on to a new favourite as soon as I did.
In that, we were alike.
My gaze drifted to Clara. Or maybe not so alike after all. I had no real idea what was going on inside me. I wasn't used to emotions like this. But Longmu was right. I didn't know what to make of feelings like this because I avoided getting them in the first place, not because I didn't feel them.
There was a peaceful expression on Clara's face, which didn't give much away about whether or not the potion was working. I knew next to nothing about this, and while I could pretend that it was my curiosity that had brought me through the door of her shop, I would be lying to myself to say that.
Garmr let out a sleepy woof, and I leaned into his pen to give him a scratch, glad that I'd had him with me through the centuries, even if it was a little frustrating when he reverted to a puppy and I had to teach him not to pee inside all over again. Without him, I would have been totally alone, without anyone to share my life with.
My gaze slipped back to Clara just as she let out a loud sob.
I was on my feet within seconds and hurrying over to her side. One thing we hadn't talked about is how it was best to wake her up. I didn't want to spook her, but the crying seemed to be an issue.
I touched her shoulder and shook her gently. "Clara?"
She murmured something in her sleep, but it didn't stop the tears which were lying on her cheeks.
"Clara," I repeated more firmly.
She gasped and opened her eyes, staring right up at me with a little bit of a confused expression on her face. "Hel?"
"Yes, I'm here," I said, my voice a little hoarse, though I didn't know why. "I'm going to go make you some tea, okay?"
She nodded and tried to sit up, looking more than a little groggy.
I was a little nervous to leave her, but knew that tea would make things better, and that was a good reason to leave her. I didn't linger in the kitchen any longer than I had to, glad that I thought to look for where everything was earlier. I pressed a mug into her hands and sat down next to her, resisting the urge to pull her into my arms, which was much stronger than I expected it to be.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
She nodded. "But not if it makes you uncomfortable. I know you don't like personal conversation."
"I think we're a bit past that." This was dangerous territory, and yet I was inviting it in. I didn't want to see her crying. "Did the potion work?"
"Yes." She took a shaky breath. "It worked perfectly. And just like you said with holding a memory in my mind as I fell asleep."
"So you saw your dad?"
"As if he were still alive." She smiled sadly. "He looked better than the last time I saw him."
"What happened?"
