“Driving doesn’t look too hard,” Gil says, who’s crammed in between his brother and Jac.
“Operating the car isn’t too difficult,” I tell him as we head down the driveway. “But learning traffic rules and watching out for others is the tricky part. We’ll start driving lessons right after I send Pink Dress back to the spirit world and break the curse. And I should probably find out for sure if I spoke with my mom’s ghost or a demon. Then we can learn how to drive, though we’ll save that just for emergencies. You don’t have a license.”
“No rush or anything,” Gil says with a smile. “We’re cozy back here.”
I glance in my rear-view mirror. “You look like it.”
* * *
“What is this?”Hasan narrows his eyes at the pitcher I set down at the table. I figured ordering a pitcher at the bar was a safer bet than trying to order five drinks with only one of us having ID.
“Frozé.” I slide into my chair and pick up an empty glass. “A wine-slushie.” I fill up my glass and take a drink. “And it’s pretty damn good, especially in this heat.” I take another glass and fill it up, sliding it to Gilbert, who’s sitting next to me. “Speaking of the heat, I have a few air conditioners arriving tomorrow. The house will feel so much better.”
“Is that why it’s cool in here?” Hasan asks, reminding me again that we’re worlds apart in some ways.
“Yes. Most modern establishments and houses in climates like this have air conditioning. Our house is old and in need of major updating, though I guess to you guys it’s from the future.”
I fill the rest of the glasses and pass them out. By the time the pitcher is empty, we’re all talking and laughing and having a good time just like five regular adults. I haven’t thought about ghosts or curses the entire time, and my good mood carries to the night. I change into my PJs once we’re home and get out another bottle of wine, realizing that I’ve drunk more this past week than I have in the last three or four years combined. I’m on vacation, so what the hell, right?
One bottle of wine doesn’t go far between the five of us, and once it’s gone, Jacques and I go up to bed. No one ever says anything about who I choose to take upstairs with me. It’s the most liberating thing I’ve ever done, and I’m still not quite used to having something so good.
“Are you keeping the charm on?” I ask Jac. He strips down to just his boxers, which I know he’s still not used to wearing under jeans.
“Does it bother you?” he asks with a wry smile.
“Not at all.” I untuck the bed, folding the comforter down to the foot. I won’t be needing that tonight. “I’m still torn on whether or not I should feel bad for enjoying it when you don’t have wings.”
“Why would you feel bad?”
He gets into bed next to me, fingers sweeping over my collarbone. The cross necklace is back in the locked box, and a part of me wants to go get it and put it on. If Braeya is who Henry sensed, then she still wants to get me a message.
Jac pulls me to him, and I rest my head on his chest. He rubs my back, lulling me close to sleep. His hands move lower, and we have that lazy, sleep-dazed sex you only have when you’re really comfortable with each other. The sex is far from exciting, but is bonding in anI’ve never been this close to anyonekind of way.
I fall asleep quickly after that, sleeping soundly for most of the night. Minutes before dawn, I startle awake.
“Ace?” Jac sits up too, tipping his head at me. He’s not wearing the charm anymore, and his wings are tucked in close to his back. I run a hand over my face, moving loose strands of hair out of my eyes. Details of my dream come flooding back.
The smell of chickens.
Cold dirt.
Pain in my chest and a constant chill throughout my whole body.
A woman in a long dark dress opens a wooden door as she gazes at a woman chained to a bed. She holds up her lantern, and the light illuminates her face. A face I’ve seen before.
Henry wasn’t talking about Braeya. He was talking about Gemma.
