for disaster, and thinking about all the possibilities made me want to cry. Or smash into the place and take my daughter by force, damn the consequences.
“We will get her out,” Krosh said, his gaze on the inn Bethy had shown me while I was in her head.
“I hope so.” It was as close as I could get to positivity. “I hope Arsinua gives her to me. I hope she doesn’t fight me.” I almost believed it when I said it, too, but there was that savage part of me that hoped dearly that Arsinua would give me an excuse to kill her.
That part scared me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Besides everything?” I shut my eyes. “Sorry. I just want this to be over. I want my daughter safe. I want everything to be okay. For the witches to stop their shit and the wild magic to fix itself and the world to be okay.” I wanted Ty to be healed, too, but didn’t say that one out loud, though I wasn’t sure why.
Kroshtuka wrapped his arms around me. “Let’s focus on your daughter. We can save the world when she’s home.”
What home? Where? I bit down on the questions, not able to answer them now. Later. There’d be time later. “I think I’m ready to go back to our room for the night.”
Back at the hotel, we curled together on the small bed. It wasn’t about passion. I needed comfort and Kroshtuka knew it, like he knew so many things. Maybe someday I would be jealous of how insightful he was, but now I enjoyed the benefits of his kindness. I fell asleep to the beat of his heart against my cheek.
***
A nightmare woke me, leaving me hot, sweaty, with a clogged nose and tear-streaked face. The adrenalin pumping through me told me I’d never get back to sleep, so I slipped out of bed, leaving Krosh to his dreams. I sank down into my Magic Eye, found my father’s lifeline and hooked to him. He was in bed asleep when I found him, the room he was in dark and close. “Dad?”
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“Sorry for barging in. I figured you’d want to be in on the plan to take down Arsinua.” I filled him in on what had happened in Bayladdy and my meeting with Zephyrinia and Mal.
“Do you trust them?”
I did, though it was weird saying so out loud. I had no basis for my trust beyond the Sky Captain’s desire to figure out how to help the man she so obviously loved.
“I’m in. Wait outside so I can get dressed, will you?”
I nodded and left the room, ending up in a brightly lit hallway that looked like every hotel hall ever. Dad slipped out soon after and I hooked him to the hotel room. Krosh was awake, stretching by the window as the sun came up over the horizon. I gave him a peck on the cheek and hook to the Slip to fill Ty in on the plans as well.
I’d followed Ty’s lifeline and ended up in his bedroom. He was sitting at a desk in the corner by the French doors that were open to receive the breeze. The view beyond was of an impeccably cared for English garden, which was ridiculous, because this was the Slip and they didn’t have gardens, English or otherwise.
I peered over his shoulder at the book he was reading. It was written in a language I didn’t understand, that didn’t even look Earthly. He laid it, spine up, on his belly and propped his feet on the desk. “Is it time?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ah.” He didn’t say anything more than that and I frowned. “If you don’t come, you’ll miss our brother. Or, at the very least, our cousin.”
He raised his eyebrows. Not exactly the stunned silence I’d hoped for.
“Oh come on,” I said.
“Do tell.”
I rolled my eyes. “I shouldn’t.” But I couldn’t contain myself. “He’s a little bit of everything, like me. Like you too, I guess.”
“Ravana wasn’t able to make any more of us besides you and I.”
“Well, someone did. He doesn’t look exactly like us. He’s pieced together like Frankenstein’s monster,” I said, emphasizing the last word and he laughed. “And he’s a fricking ticking time bomb.
“We will get her out,” Krosh said, his gaze on the inn Bethy had shown me while I was in her head.
“I hope so.” It was as close as I could get to positivity. “I hope Arsinua gives her to me. I hope she doesn’t fight me.” I almost believed it when I said it, too, but there was that savage part of me that hoped dearly that Arsinua would give me an excuse to kill her.
That part scared me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Besides everything?” I shut my eyes. “Sorry. I just want this to be over. I want my daughter safe. I want everything to be okay. For the witches to stop their shit and the wild magic to fix itself and the world to be okay.” I wanted Ty to be healed, too, but didn’t say that one out loud, though I wasn’t sure why.
Kroshtuka wrapped his arms around me. “Let’s focus on your daughter. We can save the world when she’s home.”
What home? Where? I bit down on the questions, not able to answer them now. Later. There’d be time later. “I think I’m ready to go back to our room for the night.”
Back at the hotel, we curled together on the small bed. It wasn’t about passion. I needed comfort and Kroshtuka knew it, like he knew so many things. Maybe someday I would be jealous of how insightful he was, but now I enjoyed the benefits of his kindness. I fell asleep to the beat of his heart against my cheek.
***
A nightmare woke me, leaving me hot, sweaty, with a clogged nose and tear-streaked face. The adrenalin pumping through me told me I’d never get back to sleep, so I slipped out of bed, leaving Krosh to his dreams. I sank down into my Magic Eye, found my father’s lifeline and hooked to him. He was in bed asleep when I found him, the room he was in dark and close. “Dad?”
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“Sorry for barging in. I figured you’d want to be in on the plan to take down Arsinua.” I filled him in on what had happened in Bayladdy and my meeting with Zephyrinia and Mal.
“Do you trust them?”
I did, though it was weird saying so out loud. I had no basis for my trust beyond the Sky Captain’s desire to figure out how to help the man she so obviously loved.
“I’m in. Wait outside so I can get dressed, will you?”
I nodded and left the room, ending up in a brightly lit hallway that looked like every hotel hall ever. Dad slipped out soon after and I hooked him to the hotel room. Krosh was awake, stretching by the window as the sun came up over the horizon. I gave him a peck on the cheek and hook to the Slip to fill Ty in on the plans as well.
I’d followed Ty’s lifeline and ended up in his bedroom. He was sitting at a desk in the corner by the French doors that were open to receive the breeze. The view beyond was of an impeccably cared for English garden, which was ridiculous, because this was the Slip and they didn’t have gardens, English or otherwise.
I peered over his shoulder at the book he was reading. It was written in a language I didn’t understand, that didn’t even look Earthly. He laid it, spine up, on his belly and propped his feet on the desk. “Is it time?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ah.” He didn’t say anything more than that and I frowned. “If you don’t come, you’ll miss our brother. Or, at the very least, our cousin.”
He raised his eyebrows. Not exactly the stunned silence I’d hoped for.
“Oh come on,” I said.
“Do tell.”
I rolled my eyes. “I shouldn’t.” But I couldn’t contain myself. “He’s a little bit of everything, like me. Like you too, I guess.”
“Ravana wasn’t able to make any more of us besides you and I.”
“Well, someone did. He doesn’t look exactly like us. He’s pieced together like Frankenstein’s monster,” I said, emphasizing the last word and he laughed. “And he’s a fricking ticking time bomb.
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