Me and My Shadow - Katie MacAlister [50]
“I didn’t think she was that bad,” I said with a little smile. “A bit forceful, and refused to believe me when I said I wasn’t deranged, but some people are like that. And stop apologizing for the accommodations—we’re nothing but grateful that you are willing to put us up.”
“I want to hear all about what happened with you and Baltic,” she said, casting a glance toward the open door. “But Drake will be coming back as soon as he gets your bodyguards settled, so it’ll have to wait until morning.”
“Actually, I had something else I wanted to talk to you about. Rather, talk to you and Nora about.” I gave her a concise recounting of the events with Bael.
“Holy moly,” she said when I finished. Her eyes were wide as she looked me over. “A demon lord’s powers, but not a demon lord. You’re not proscribed, so I assume you haven’t used the dark power?”
“I don’t know what that is, so I guess not.”
“You’d know it if you used it. Have you tried using any of the power?”
“No, nor do I intend to. The dragon shard possessing me is quite enough, thank you.”
“That must be why you’re able to keep it from messing with you the way it did me,” she mused, her hands rubbing her big belly. “It just about drove me nuts, but you’ve got that piece of dragon in you, and everyone knows dragons aren’t easily controlled by anything. In a way, it’s lucky you have the shard.”
I let that comment go. “What I want to know is what I can do about the situation. I was hoping you and Nora would be able to advise me.”
“Absolutely,” Aisling said quickly. “She’ll be happy to help, as will I. Jim, what the devil do you have on now?”
Jim paraded past the opened door, tangled long black strands of hair straggling from its head. “Wig. Found it in the attic. Needs a bit of trimming, but I think it’ll do until the rest of my coat grows back.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake . . .”
“Would you like me to banish it for you?” I asked Aisling.
“May!” Jim said, one eyeball glowering at me through the mass of black wig. “Ixnay on the anishbay, would ya?”
“It’s tempting, but not just yet,” Aisling said, looking thoughtful. “If it gets overly snarky, though, feel free to command it to spend time with Catalina.”
“I’d rather be banished,” the demon grumbled.
“I’ll see you later in the morning to talk about your problem, OK? Sleep well. Jim . . .” She gave Jim a helpless look, shook her head, and left the room mumbling something about there being no words to describe her thoughts.
“Hey,” Jim said, swinging its head so the long strands of hair wafted in the breeze. “How long do dreads take? You think Gabe would set me up with some?”
I slumped a little, emotionally drained by the events of the last day. “Go to bed, Jim. And please don’t bother anyone, especially Aisling.”
“I think it would be a good look for me,” Jim said as it continued to swing its head. “It works for Gabriel; it could work for—”
I closed the door in its face and crawled into bed, exhausted, worried, and missing Gabriel. We hadn’t been parted much since my return from Abaddon, and I was somewhat bemused with just how easily our lives had meshed. I felt comfortable around him; more than comfortable, I felt right. It was as if I were shadow walking when he wasn’t with me, life taking on a bleak, insubstantial cast. Things seemed to click into place only when he was around, a fact that worried me to no end.
“What do you look so pensive about?”
I jumped, startled by the voice. “Cy, you almost scared me to death.”
“You can’t die,” my twin said, closing the door with a mildly disgruntled flash in her eyes. “And don’t give me that look—I knocked, but you didn’t answer. I just peeked in to see if you’d gone to sleep with the lights on. Are you all right?