“I am—” she tried again, her voice thinner now. “I am Edith…”
No one reacted fast enough, because the moment hung… Just long enough.
“And stop screaming,” she added faintly, “you’re giving me a headache.”
Then Edith dropped, hitting the deck in a dead faint before anyone could move.
9
“Well,”Arietta said slowly, hands hovering just above the unconscious girl, “this is new.”
“Is that your professional opinion?” Isabeau asked from behind her.
“My professional opinion is that I was not informed we were collecting mysterious, dramatic, fainting women,” Arietta replied. “I like to bepreparedfor these things.”
“You blew up a wall this morning,” Bas muttered from somewhere near the door. “Preparation seems optional.”
“That technically wasn’t me,” Arietta said firmly.
Jessica stood near the bed, arms folded tight across her chest, eyes locked on the girl laid out beneath the blankets, still pale. Dave hovered nearby, trying very hard to look calm and failing only slightly.
Maeve and Isabeau lingered closer to the foot of the bed, curiosity radiating off them in waves.
Arietta leaned in, finally placing her hands lightly against the girl’s wrist. Pulse was strong and steady, confirming that it was a simple faint and nothing more serious.
“She’s fine,” Arietta said after a moment. “Physically, anyway, but nothing immediately dangerous.”
Jessica hadn’t moved, had yet to say anything. Her gaze hadn’t left the unconscious girl.
“Jess?” Maeve said gently.
Jessica shook her head once, like she was trying to clear it.
“I don’t…” she started, then stopped. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Arietta glanced between them.
“Do you recognise her?” she asked.
Jessica hesitated then shook her head. “No,” she said.
But there was something in her voice, uncertainty and Arietta noticed. To be honest, she always noticed.
“Let’s give her a bit of space,” Dave suggested as he rested his large hands on Jessica’s shoulders. “She’ll come round soon enough.”
“Or explode,” Isabeau added helpfully as she leant against the chests of drawers, her arms folded.
Everyone looked at her.
“That is not helping, Izzy,” Arietta said.
Isabeau shrugged. “It’s a possibility, anything’s game in Krakens Hole.”
Binky fluttered up onto the end of the bed, peering at the girl with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t like this,” he said.
“That’s because you don’t like anything,” Bas replied from his perch next to Isabeau on the chest of drawers, holding his tail against his chest, worried something might happen to it again.
