Page 26 of The Vanishing Bookstore
Lenny laughed. ‘Seems like I came back just in time. You shall no longer be wishing for cake and cocktails. I’ll take care of your every need.’
Five minutes later the door burst open and in walked Sephy carrying a wooden tray with a large jug of the blackest-looking liquid that shimmered in the light and three huge slices of an equally black cake with frosting the colour of Hades’ wings. There were three martini glasses balanced precariously next to the jug and Lenny jumped off the bed to clear a space on the small bedside table. Sephy placed the tray down and lifted the jug to pour the swirling, shimmering mixture into the glasses. Lenny helped to make sure that Lucine was sitting up and as comfortable as she could be to hold a martini glass. Sephyhanded Lenny a glass with a small straw in for Lucine and a glass without one for her. They sat back down on the bed and clinked their glasses together, a little of the cocktail sloshing onto the front of Lucine’s nightgown, which made them all giggle.
Lenny raised her glass. ‘To the English sisters, our magic and our lives. Here’s hoping there are many more to come and that one day we might actually figure this shit out.’
This set Lucine off into a fit of giggles and soon all three of them were laughing. When they contained themselves, they sipped at the cherry-flavoured vodka drink and sighed in unison.
Sephy smiled. ‘This always reminds me of the good times, we should drink it for breakfast every day.’
Lucine nodded. ‘Haven’t I been saying that for at least the last two lifetimes?’
Lenny downed hers then refilled the glass. ‘It’s been a hell of a day, but we’re home, we’re together, and I don’t think there is anything else I could ask for.’
Sephy nodded, then passed out plates of cake. ‘We shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, eat some cake. I spent hours baking that yesterday, I wanted it to be just perfect. And you’re right except for maybe one thing.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Putting an end to this blasted curse. It’s gone on far too long. If we can stop that vile man from chasing us across all of our lifetimes, stop Dora dying before she’s had the chance to fall in love with Ambrose, well then it would be perfect.’
All three of them nodded, raised their glasses and chanted, ‘Here’s to stopping the curse and living one more life without fear. One more life where Dora gets to grow old with the man she loves.’
16
Dora had no idea where she was, she lay in the darkness wondering what had happened to her. The bed wasn’t hers, it was far too soft. The room smelled of lavender and lemon, and there was no daylight, just a soft blackness that for all of its strangeness wasn’t the least bit scary. She remembered the flight to Boston, but not much after that.
Yawning, she closed her eyes. Her stomach didn’t feel as if it had been tied in knots, that was one thing. She no longer felt queasy either. A tapping on the windowpane startled her, but she had no idea what it was, so she ignored it. Whatever it was didn’t want to be ignored though, and tapped harder. She sighed. What was that – orwhowas it? She really didn’t want to leave the warmth and comfort of the bed but whoever was tapping was becoming more insistent by the second.
Lowering her feet to the wooden floorboards, she crept towards the window, her heart beating a little too fast. She had no idea what could be so determined to capture her attention. Pulling one of the soft drapes back a little, she jumped to see a beady glass eye staring at her, then realised it was a bird. Not just any bird, it was… she couldn’t remember. What was it, what had her aunt called it? Unlatching the window, she opened it alittle and the bird shook its head at her so she pushed it wider. It hopped straight in, making Dora stumble backwards a little.
‘Hades, you’re my watcher. Or you were my watcher.’
She sat down on the edge of the bed. It was her turn to watch, and she did with great interest. She had always thought birds were scary, too fluttery, but not this one. He didn’t flutter his wings much at all. He was staring at her just as she stared at him, and Dora laughed.
‘What is this, some kind of crow staring contest? I think you might win; your eyes don’t have heavy semi-permanent lashes like mine. So, in reality, I don’t stand a chance against you and to be honest I’m quite happy for you to be the winner.’
Hades cackled and tilted his head. ‘Winner, winner, chicken dinner.’
Dora’s mouth dropped open. ‘You can talk? Like, really talk? Oh I must still be dreaming.’
She bent down and pinched her own arm hard enough to sting; she felt it, she wasn’t asleep. The bird hopped down onto the floor then strutted across towards her, and she thought that maybe she should get out of here but before she could move Hades flew up onto her leg, staring up at her.
‘I don’t know what you want, and if I’m honest I’m a little scared too.’
He bent his neck and rubbed his head against Dora’s hand, which was folded in her lap. His feathers were so smooth and she lifted a finger and stroked the top of his head.
‘Can you talk, or do you just repeat phrases?’
‘Dora’s home, she’s home, she’s home.’
‘Am I home? I’m sorry, Hades, but I don’t remember this place at all. I don’t know what is going on.’
He hopped onto her arm. ‘Dora’s home.’
She laughed. ‘Well, if you say so then I’ll take that as a yes. I must be home, how long have I been away?’
‘Forever and a day.’
‘Yes, it kind of feels that way.’
