My body swung awake, blinding white pain shooting through my body and
my knee getting hit with a burst of pain of its own before I fully
processed what had happened. The door still half open with Gevaudan
stood there with eyes wide and mouth half open with one hand held
behind her.
It was bad enough I let myself fall back on the bed despite the pain,
knees still pressed against Misha’s old desk in front of me. The
woman briefly falling on my blind side before I twisted my head to
see her clearly again and asked, “what time is it?”
“Almost ten, Percy said you had something at noon?” Gevaudan
said, brow furrowed as she watched me remove my own sling and
testingly move my right arm, “sure you should do that?”
“Healing prioritizes big things first, and sleeping speeds things
up a little bit,” I explained, frowning as I tried to clench in my
right hand and barely got the fingers to do more than flicker.
Everything looking… well, maybe a little off while it was still
getting back into place, with just a twisted indent in the center of
my palm, “small details take longer, but… well, the bones feel
worse than they are right now. Probably bruised, closer to a few
dozen hairline fractures than actual breaks. I just-”
A small voice broke past me, an almost whining tone of, “can I give
her her breakfast yet?” that made me smile a little even as
Gevaudan cringed a moment. The sound of Percy laughing breaking over
the noise while Marty continued, “I can carry it!”
I laughed, immediately regretting it as I got hit with a new wave of
pain and crumbled over a little. Resisting the urge to curse even as
I dug around the desk and grabbed a few tissues, muttering as I told
Gevaudan, “give me a minute to get my eye patch ready and I can-”
The door opened, Martin half-stumbling in with a bowl and silverware
on a large wooden cutting board. Already dressed in jeans and a
bright yellow t-shirt, eye beaming through his thick glasses even as
he nearly fell into the bed. Gevaudan swooping down with a practiced
ease to steady his grip and let him sit the board down at the foot of
the bed.
What horror I had turning back into a small laugh as I saw the bowl’s
contents: a couple waffles cut up into pieces, mixed with some broken
up bacon and scrambled eggs and topped with syrup.
“Fucking Wolf Gods, Percy, never gonna let me live that down?” I
asked through my cackling, carefully pulling my feet back up and
leaning down to take the cutting board. Fumbling a little, my right
hand still not working, and Gevaudan helping move it to sit in my lap
while I laid back.
Percy just shrugged, almost a little smug as he admitted, “figured
your son should know what mommy’s favorite breakfast is, even if
it’s an abomination.”
“Haven’t ate this since I was twelve, asshole,” I muttered
under my breath, smile not breaking even as I took my first bite,
“still delicious though, don’t shit talk the breakfast salad.”
“It’s okay to be wrong, Mary, we all do stupid things as kids.”
“The pool-”
“I can just not bring you coffee.”
“I’m a girl now, I can ruin your sister’s marriage.”
“Hate her wife anyway, and you wouldn’t tell me I was going to
Hell for saying the lord’s name in vain. Do it. please,”
Percy countered me, and I didn’t really have an argument to make
before he asked, “coffee, enjoy it day or just to live day?”
As tempting as it was to just chug down a pot and get about my day,
they’d already made me breakfast. What desire there was to let this
morning be at least a little bit of rotting broken off as I broke
down and told him, “make it sweet.”
Percy gave me a thumbs up as he left, and I was only then aware of
the fact Marty had crawled onto the bed on my blind side. The boy
wide-eyed as he looked up to me with his mouth slightly open, my
confusion short lived before he asked, “why is your eye ugly?”
It took a deal of restraint to stop from throwing my body to the
side, closing my good eye only a moment before quickly wiping at the
scarred mass on my right side. A small smile forced even as I told
him, “had a summer job as a pirate.”
Marty pouted a little at that, falling back on the bed while he
complained, “you’re a bad liar.”
“No, it’s true,” I countered, my grin growing wider while I
stirred around my breakfast, “had a parrot and everything, but he
was too fat to fly. Then I had a witch turn him into a cat, and
that’s how I got Lord.”
A familiar voice rung out through the room with, ma’am, I am a
cardinal if I’m a bird, I’m beautiful! The
cat hoping onto the bed with us. Come on, do I really look
like- no sooner landing then he
was snatched into the arms of Marty while crying
out, HUBRIS!
The cat completely still, eyes wide and forepaws held straight out as
Marty fell back with him held to his chest. Silent in a way that made
me giggle a little even as I told him, “I see you like Marty, know
you can escape that.”
I would never hurt your kitten, Mary,
Lord tried to defend himself, looking down almost defeated, please
save me though. He’s killing my tough guy image.
“After breakfast.”
Percy went out early for supplies though and got me cat treats,
the cat whined softly, wiggling a little though not genuinely trying
to free himself, I wish for the tuna.
I raised a brow, not wanting to confront the cat too directly in
front of Marty even as I continued eating. Percy eventually bringing
me a cup of coffee that was almost too
sweet to drink, and
letting me finish my breakfast with Marty sat silently beside me. The
kid still as could be, wide-eyed staring at me until
I finished and sat my bowl aside with a low grunt.
My hands hardly empty before he asked, “can we play Go Fish again?”
I smiled, reaching my bad hand out to pull him into a hug and Marty
sat up to pull himself away. Not running, but… not wanting the
contact, something I could understand well enough as I pulled away a
little and told him, “I have to go get lunch with my grandma, but
you’ll get to play plenty later. We’re going to have a nice party
tonight, alright?”
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Marty groaned, his grip on Lord not loosening even as he squirmed on
the bed and complained, “why can’t I come!”
It’s dangerous probably a
bit much for a kid, I opened and closed my mouth a few times before
hesitantly telling him, “we’re talking about boring adult stuff.
You’d probably fall asleep before we were even half done, and Percy
would get left here all alone. I
mean, I’m sure he’d play some cards with you.”
As if summoned, Percy stepped back into the room tying his apron
closed while announcing, “besides, need my new favorite sous chef!
I don’t get the Chili on soon it’s not going to get to simmer
long enough for the party.”
Marty groaned, pouting already to complain, “you’re just gonna
make me stand there and not let me do anything.”
Percy needing to say no more than, “I’ll show you how to cut the
onions,” for Marty to let Lord go and run out of the room. My
laughter following him even as I slid out of bed and finished getting
ready as best I could. Changed from my nightgown into one of my first
dresses, a nicer looking one that was a black cotton one much like
Calliope’s, my hair roughly brushed out with one hand and pulled
into a ponytail.
A pack of cigarettes swiped up while I walked out into the living
room, Samuel having left earlier in the morning and everyone else sat
around. Marty already stood on a chair while Percy (badly) cut onions
for the chili and Gevaudan laid back on the couch reading on her
phone, only looking me up to offer a small smile.
The balcony waiting for me, a small metal fold out chair already sat
there by someone at some point in the night. A small smile crossing
my lips as I took my spot and lit myself a cigarette even as Barbie
appeared next to me. Leaning against the railing with a frown on her
face while she complained, “you’re addicted, you know that
right?”
“Werewolf, worst of it’s not going to affect me,” I brushed her
off, taking a deep draw with closed eyes. The woman not responding
until I blew a cloud of smoke and asked, “what’s the problem?”
“Other than the smoking?”
“well, yeah.”
“I just like talking to you,” the ghost brushed me off, arms
crossing as she looked away from me. The girl almost pouting as she
complained, “we haven’t really talked much, my fault, and you’re
acting like an idiot right now, your fault. The Lady threatened your
son, why are you doing this to him?”
I couldn’t answer at first, sat there looking at the sky trying to
think about how I was actually supposed to explain this. My lips thin
until I finally told her, “The Lady’s going to avoid pressing
anything until it’s too late, and I don’t want whoever goes after
me to do it while Marty’s here. I just… I’ll handle this, I can
make a deal or at least-”
“You can’t kill The Lady on your own,” Barbie interrupted me,
not reacting to the glare I gave her. The woman getting a cute little
smile as I tried it and she pointed out, “you said make a deal.
Are you trying to solve this and fix everything, or trying to
offer to just skip to the end? Because as mad as you are at The Lady,
you’re not one of the people in this city that stand a chance
against her.”
Not the worst point, The Lady could have killed me easier than I
could kill a random person off the street a head on fight was out of
the question. Chances were even a bomb or the like wouldn’t have
been enough to get her down before she killed whoever attempted it,
and it’d have to be something big to get her.
A sigh escaping me as I admitted, “whatever keeps Martin safe.”
Barbie nodded, looking ready to say something before she stopped
herself. A raised brow from me getting her to admit, “be safer if
we weren’t here, but not like you’re going to give up the chance
to see Martin.”
I let out a small grunt of agreement, tapping a little ash onto the
balcony floor as I admitted, “thought about it.”
“And?”
“I want her dead anyway, and Marty’s not safe while she’s
alive,” I admitted, a small smile crossing my lips even as I saw
something I couldn’t describe cross Barbie’s face, “what’s
wrong?”
“You’re… you got on this hard and fast,” Barbie admitted
awkwardly, pacing the limited space we had a moment before adding on,
“I get why, a lot happened last night, but… it doesn’t feel
right.”
“Feels natural to me. She hurt me, she threatened my son, I want
her dead.”
“You know what I mean, Mary,” Barbie countered half-heartedly,
moving over to slide in front of me. My confusion only broken as she
slid into my lap, icy body against mine, a dull weight in my lap, a
head made of frost nuzzling into the crook of my neck. A breath that
let out no air breathed against me as she said, “play it safe,
Mary. I know… I know it’s a lot, but you need to plan this out if
you’re going to do it. Not go charging in like an animal.”
I nodded, arms almost instinctually moving to wrap around her and to
my surprise feeling some purchase. Not genuine flesh, more
like I was hugging a cloud that could tell me it was there and stop
me pressing too deeply, but something.
The two of us sat like that for a time until I admitted, “I’m
scared.”
“I know,” the girl whispered, cold fingers moving to make me face
her, “but, you’re not working alone, and you don’t need to
start acting like this. Want to scheme together?”
I laughed a little at that, I kinda had to, and laying my head back
asked, “you suddenly have experience with planning deaths?”
Barbie’s smile just grew wider, the girl rising once more to her
feet as she answered, “something like that, but it gives you
something to look forward to. Date night tonight, babe?”
The ghost leaving with no time for me to say anything, a bitter taste
on my tongue even as the patio door opened beside me and Gevaudan
peaked out. Her brow furrowed as she asked, “on the phone?”
“Just talking to… well, air,” I laughed a little as I rose to
my feet, crushing my cigarette out on the railing, “things
are…well, hopefully going to have some stuff settled really soon.
Very least gonna try and take it easy tonight, you know?”
Gevaudan smiled a little at that, shaking her head as she fully
stepped out with me and closed the balcony door. Almost so giggling
as she admitted, “well, sure it’s going to be a little weird for
Marty, but I’m looking forward to it. Used to be friends with some
the people down at the Covenant, but I think most of them left since
then. Knives still there?”
“Yeah, but they’re out of town for the holidays. Very least a
couple of the pack mates, couple of Percy and I’s friends,” I
laughed, realizing with some humor what I was doing, “got a hunter
coming here alongside a few werewolves which is… well, maybe a
risk, but everything should be fine.”
Gevaudan let out a small grunt of agreement, “well, he’s
definitely loving getting to cook for everyone, and he’s pretty
good with Marty. You two… well, you know.”
I raised a brow at that, almost teasing a little as I asked,
“interested?”
“I don’t really care about the sex and romance thing the way most
people do,” Gevaudan reminded me with her own amount of teasing,
“but, well, I’d like him around as a roommate, which is the
closest I come to that sort of thing. Probably what a good guy looks
like if you’re into that sort of thing. So you going for it? I
mean, understand if things are still rough from spring, but figured
you don’t talk much about your crushes. Last time you told me about
a guy was Hunter, and last I heard there he’s still in the
Purists.”
“Eh, last time I was seriously considering dating a guy I knew was
Misha and that was-”
“I’m fucking sorry, what,” Gevaudan interrupted flatly,
expression something of horror and confusion, “Misha?”
Right, she didn’t know that one.
“Look, is it better if I didn’t know he was Hunter’s brother at
the time? I mean, he’s got his problem’s, but he’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, but Hunter’s barely my brother,” Gevaudan
defended her continued reaction, “Oh God, that’s… I feel like
you just said you almost dated my… no, yeah, Misha?”
“Yes.”
“Gross,” Gevaudan muttered, rubbing her eyes before looking up
and starting her apology, “no, sorry, that’s not… no, actually,
gross.” The woman laughing a little before reminding me, “I’m
aromantic, Fox is straight, before you try and finish dating my
entire family tree.”
What self preservation and annoyance I had dwarfed by the urge to
tease her as I asked, “how’re your other brothers,” Gevaudan
looking ready to slap me even as she couldn’t stop smiling when my
phone rang. A quick check to see Grandma ringing and a quick
answer of, “any problems?” from me.
“Just on my way soon, wanted to make sure you were alright,”
Cynthia answered me plainly, the sound of my dad complaining in the
background, quickly cut off by a door slamming shut, “I got us some
very exclusive reservations for lunch, and I don’t want us to be
late.”