name, she could say it aloud if she wanted to— Jason Blake's message had been important. It had been for Esmeralda and Reason. It was about Reason's mother, Sarafina, who he was holding hostage, because he did still have power: he could hurt Jay-Tee's friends.
"Oops," she said.
She wasn't magic anymore. She burst into tears.
13
Hot and Bothered
"Oops?" Tom asked. He sat up, wishing his head was clearer. "What's going on, Jay-Tee? What did Jason Blake want? How can you not have any magic? You're alive!" Unless she'd gone mad already. Which was why she thought her magic was gone and spat the dummy at Jason Blake. And had kissed Tom? Well, no, he didn't want to think that was madness-induced.
She was still lying on the floor, still crying.
"Jay-Tee."
She groaned. "N'magic, Tom," she mumbled.
No magic? Was that really what she'd said? Tom's head was still fuzzy from the wine he'd drunk with Cath in New York City. They'd stayed up talking for hours. They hadn't talked like that, really talked, in such a long, long time. Not since before he met Esmeralda, found out what he was. He felt good. Fuzzy, but good.
Well, not all good. Not if Jay-Tee really was crazy. Lying on the floor and crying wasn't exactly a sane activity, was it?
But she'd kissed him. She'd kissed him, and that had felt very good indeed. He'd thought he was going to burst into flames, and not just because he had too many clothes on for a Sydney summer. He was still vibrating. He took his jumper off.
"Are you okay, Jay-Tee?"
She moaned again. Was that a crazy moan?
"Jay-Tee," he said, stroking her hair. "Jay-Tee? You should sit up. Let me get you some water." And himself some water. He was suddenly parched. Water was a really good idea.
She moved her head in what might have been a nod. He stood up, grabbed her hands. "Come on, Jay-Tee. Help me, here." He pulled and she practically flew up into his arms. She was little. Littler than Reason. He hadn't noticed that before, because she was so big in other ways. Big personality, big mouth. Nice mouth, he thought, now that he'd explored it some. He blushed.
"You're cute, Tom," she said, tears wet on her cheeks. "I like your eyebrows."
She really was mad. He walked her across to a stool and slid her onto it. She leaned her forearms on the table as if that was the only way she could stay upright. "My head is all…What do you say? What's that Tom word? Buggery! My head is all buggery." She hiccupped.
Tom didn't bother to tell her that the word she meant was buggered , not buggery ; instead, he handed her a glass of water. "Drink this." She did.
"See that?" she said, pointing to an almost empty bottle of wine on the table. "I drank all that."
Tom had had four glasses of wine. Well, three and a bit. He hadn't come close to finishing the last one. He'd've preferred Coke. So Jay-Tee must be drunk, not crazy. That was a relief, though it still meant she'd probably only kissed him because of being drunk. But she'd kissed him this morning too! Right here in the kitchen. She hadn't been drunk then.
But it had been a little kiss. A very little kiss.
"You drank all of it?"
Jay-Tee nodded. "I think it might have been too much. I can't believe it's gone."
"Well, if you drink it, that's what happens."
"Not the wine, Tom! My magic."
"Don't be sill— "
" I'm gone. How can I be me without magic?"
"Jay-Tee— "
"Aaargh!"
Tom jumped; Jay-Tee was crying even louder now. Her head sank down onto her forearms. Tom stood beside her and patted her head, feeling useless. "Do you want some more water?" he asked.
Jay-Tee made a noise that he decided was a yes. He filled her glass from the tap and put it next to her forearm. She sat up— her eyes were red, her nose too. There were tears and snot on her face and on the table.
"Oops," she said.
She wasn't magic anymore. She burst into tears.
13
Hot and Bothered
"Oops?" Tom asked. He sat up, wishing his head was clearer. "What's going on, Jay-Tee? What did Jason Blake want? How can you not have any magic? You're alive!" Unless she'd gone mad already. Which was why she thought her magic was gone and spat the dummy at Jason Blake. And had kissed Tom? Well, no, he didn't want to think that was madness-induced.
She was still lying on the floor, still crying.
"Jay-Tee."
She groaned. "N'magic, Tom," she mumbled.
No magic? Was that really what she'd said? Tom's head was still fuzzy from the wine he'd drunk with Cath in New York City. They'd stayed up talking for hours. They hadn't talked like that, really talked, in such a long, long time. Not since before he met Esmeralda, found out what he was. He felt good. Fuzzy, but good.
Well, not all good. Not if Jay-Tee really was crazy. Lying on the floor and crying wasn't exactly a sane activity, was it?
But she'd kissed him. She'd kissed him, and that had felt very good indeed. He'd thought he was going to burst into flames, and not just because he had too many clothes on for a Sydney summer. He was still vibrating. He took his jumper off.
"Are you okay, Jay-Tee?"
She moaned again. Was that a crazy moan?
"Jay-Tee," he said, stroking her hair. "Jay-Tee? You should sit up. Let me get you some water." And himself some water. He was suddenly parched. Water was a really good idea.
She moved her head in what might have been a nod. He stood up, grabbed her hands. "Come on, Jay-Tee. Help me, here." He pulled and she practically flew up into his arms. She was little. Littler than Reason. He hadn't noticed that before, because she was so big in other ways. Big personality, big mouth. Nice mouth, he thought, now that he'd explored it some. He blushed.
"You're cute, Tom," she said, tears wet on her cheeks. "I like your eyebrows."
She really was mad. He walked her across to a stool and slid her onto it. She leaned her forearms on the table as if that was the only way she could stay upright. "My head is all…What do you say? What's that Tom word? Buggery! My head is all buggery." She hiccupped.
Tom didn't bother to tell her that the word she meant was buggered , not buggery ; instead, he handed her a glass of water. "Drink this." She did.
"See that?" she said, pointing to an almost empty bottle of wine on the table. "I drank all that."
Tom had had four glasses of wine. Well, three and a bit. He hadn't come close to finishing the last one. He'd've preferred Coke. So Jay-Tee must be drunk, not crazy. That was a relief, though it still meant she'd probably only kissed him because of being drunk. But she'd kissed him this morning too! Right here in the kitchen. She hadn't been drunk then.
But it had been a little kiss. A very little kiss.
"You drank all of it?"
Jay-Tee nodded. "I think it might have been too much. I can't believe it's gone."
"Well, if you drink it, that's what happens."
"Not the wine, Tom! My magic."
"Don't be sill— "
" I'm gone. How can I be me without magic?"
"Jay-Tee— "
"Aaargh!"
Tom jumped; Jay-Tee was crying even louder now. Her head sank down onto her forearms. Tom stood beside her and patted her head, feeling useless. "Do you want some more water?" he asked.
Jay-Tee made a noise that he decided was a yes. He filled her glass from the tap and put it next to her forearm. She sat up— her eyes were red, her nose too. There were tears and snot on her face and on the table.
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