Chapter 177: Two Worlds
Sassafras and Galleytrot were waiting up for me when I closed my door.
"Was that Quaid?" Sassy's silver tail showed his aggravation. "What did I tell you about running out into the yard in the middle of the night?"
"You might want to ask one question at a time," I said, feeling decidedly snarky.
"It was Quaid." Sassy sighed. "What did he say?"
My face crumpled. I couldn't stand it. Sassafras said his name twice. The first time I could fake it and pretend, but the second... the waterworks threatened.
"Just leave me alone." I threw myself face first onto my bed, smothering myself in the pillow, squeezing my eyes as if that would make me forget. A hot, wet nose shoved against my hand on my left while a rough tongue licked my ear on my right.
"I'm sorry, Syd," Sassy whispered.
"Me too." Galleytrot's mournful tone sounded like the rumble of a river.
"I guess we all are then." My words were muffled, but I knew they heard me. I sighed and rolled over, scratching Galleytrot's head while Sassy curled up against my shoulder with his nose near my ear. "Sass, do you know the Dumont family?"
He hissed, nails digging into me through my thin T-shirt.
"Ow!"
"Sorry." The needles retracted. "Why do you ask?"
"Because," I said, "according to Quaid," it was so hard to say his name and not break down into tears, "they are his family."
Sassy was quiet for a long moment while Galleytrot's eyes flared with red fire.
"Syd," my cat said, "I know you love him. But if he's right, and I have no reason to doubt him, you need to be careful."
I nodded, swallowing over and over to try to release the tightening in my throat. "I know. Mom and Gram told me. About Naudia and Odette."
Sassy sighed. "This is terrible," he said.
"Does this have anything to do with what happened earlier?" Galleytrot nudged my hand. I glared at him, though privately grateful for the distraction. I hissed at him as Sassafras perked up.
"What happened earlier?" His ears twitched forward before laying flat back against his head, eyes narrowing to angry slits. "Syd?"
I tapped Galleytrot on the nose. "You promised."
"Not to tell your mother." He chuffed softly under his breath.
Ooh. Unfaithful pets.
"Fine," I said. "I was walking home from Pain's and I felt someone following me. I thought it was Galleytrot because it seemed canine, but there was more than one of them. Anyway, they took off when I challenged them."
Sassy held very still. "Who were they?"
I shrugged. "No clue. But they're gone. So no," I told him at my most eye rolling sarcastic, "they have nothing to do with Quaid."
I didn't know that for sure, though, did I?
Sassafras leapt up so fast he startled me, heading for the door. I didn't see him use his magic, only caught the creak and the light from the hall as he let himself out.
"I'm not sorry I told him," Galleytrot said.
That triggered my anger like nothing else had. "Get out."
He groaned a soft sigh before padding his way to the exit. I heard him thud to the ground just outside my door, curling up to watch over me.
I wished he would just go away. I wanted everything to just. Go. Away.
I didn't cry myself to sleep.
Not quite.
I would have stayed in bed all the next day, I'm sure if it, if it wasn't for Alison. Perky as ever, her ten in the morning text radiated happiness despite its length.
Shpg?
I tossed my phone on the bed, hands over my face. Did I really want to go shopping with her, the condition my head was in? On the other hand, our friendship was just getting back in order. This odd obligation I felt toward my friends kind of sucked.
I fumbled for the phone.
Gt me
Alison didn't disappoint. She showed up to collect me about a half hour later, perfect blonde hair in a sleek ponytail at the nape of her neck, lips shining with gloss. She was lucky I changed out of my pajama bottoms and into jeans.
One look at me, the remains of black eyeliner smudged under my eyes, hair a mess knotted on top of my head, and her eyes narrowed. "Change of plans," she said with a wink, escorting me to her car. "I think a pampering session is in order."
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't neglect myself or anything. I run almost every day, shower regularly, even wear makeup every once in a while. But the thought of going beyond that was pretty foreign. The only real experience I had with the beauty industry was when Mom used to paint my nails when I was little, when I'd let her, and just a few weeks prior when I'd gone to prom. That was it. End of Syd and primping.
When Alison dragged me through the doors of her favorite spa, air kissing the receptionist, she handed me over to a sweet-faced young woman. My handler had the darkest skin I'd ever seen and the most amazing platinum blonde hair, making her look glamorous. She tsked over me like I was some kind of disaster. Okay, I was a disaster.
"Girl," Theesha sighed, "we have so much work to do."
What followed was the most awkward, uncomfortable and yet amazing experience of my life. I was planted in a chair first, hands and feet soaking as Theesha bent me back over a sink and shampooed my hair. If you've ever been shampooed by someone who really knows what they are doing, you'll understand. If not? Well, despite how weird this all was, I was practically purring like Sassafras after a scratching session.
Next, hot wax was slathered under my eyebrows and the hair jerked out with no regard for the fact it was attached to me. Skin tingling with the cream she rubbed in, I sat up so she could wrap my head in a towel.
No wonder she washed my hair first. If she'd done my eyebrows from the get go, I'd have been so out of there.
Instead I sat and observed as she and her co-worker Dally, a lovely little redhead with a very perky chest covered in tattoos, went at my hands and feet. Dally hummed to herself as she worked, Theesha offering a counterpoint every once in a while.
It was very, very cool.
"Pink?" Theesha showed me a handful of bottles. On impulse, I pointed out the electric blue.
"Minnie," I said with a grin.
She flashed her perfect white teeth. "Sure, honey."
While my matching nails dried, Theesha wheeled me over to a mirror and proceeded to cut my hair. I almost panicked. Almost. No one had ever cut my hair but Mom. She always did a great job. But some of the things my new favorite person was doing seemed to be working so I let her at it.
By the time I was blown out and ironed, my normally boring, wavy brown hair shone like it had lights inside it, curling up and bouncing as if alive. I tossed my head back and forth with a grin.
So that's why models did that. It felt amazing.
Last order of business was makeup. Dally winked at me before spinning me away from the mirror and pulling out a variety of brushes, pots, mascaras and other instruments.
No turning back now. When she at last spun me toward the mirror again, she and Theesha hovering behind me, I found myself smiling in real delight. I'd looked good for prom. Erica knew her way around a makeup brush. But holy crap. She had nothing on Dally. With the bouncy hair and flawless skin, eyes that leapt out as blue as could be and a hint of pink gloss, I looked like I was ready for a catwalk.
Well, not quite. Even I couldn't push my imagination that far.
I hugged them both, gave them tips I hoped were big enough, before returning to the front desk in a bit of a daze. I found Alison there, looking her normal stunning self, if a little more refreshed. She squealed over me, clapping her hands like a little kid.
"Syd!" She pounced, hugging me. "You look gorgeous. Love the nail color."
"Thanks." I found myself blushing before I turned to the counter. But Alison hooked my arm, waving as she led me out.
"Already taken care of," she winked. "Mom's treat."
I had to laugh at that. "Al?"
"Yes?" She slid her sunglasses on as she slipped into the front seat.
I belted in before I went on. "That was wicked. Thank you."
She hugged me. "You're welcome. Now," she threw the little convertible into gear. "Shall we go spend disgusting amounts of money on clothes and shoes we don't need?"
For the first time ever, I was looking forward to shopping.
And with good reason. Everything looked good on me. Everything. It was like a little hair and makeup help actually changed my body. By the time we piled out of the mall and back into her car, I was weighted down with bags because her convertible's trunk wouldn't hold any more.
"One more stop." Alison pulled off the interstate back to town, looking at me over the rim of her sunglasses, an evil smile on her face. "Johnny's."
"Okay." I wasn't ready to go home anyway. "Why the look?"
She laughed. "Oh, Syd," she said. "You're so innocent. You really have no idea."
"What?"
She shook her head, giggling to herself. "You'll see."
Alison pulled up and parked outside of the café. Her top hummed to life, closing over us. I climbed out and locked the door, my cargo safe on her front seat.
She hooked my arm with hers, squeezing me close to her side, almost skipping along, still smiling like she knew something I didn't and couldn't wait for me to figure it out.
Before we had a chance to pass through the doors, she pulled up short, one index finger sliding her glasses down her nose. "Well," she said, a little breathless, "maybe we have something else here that can make you feel better."
I glanced over to where she stared and found myself doing the same. Two guys crossed the street, heading right for us. A tall, redheaded woman trailed behind them, her gaze roving everywhere.
Alison may have been staring because the pair were, I admit, stunningly attractive, but that wasn't my reason at all.
Nope. I stared because of what I felt, not what I saw.
They were both witches.
***
