Page 9 of All My Witches
“Landon.”
“Sweetie, I love you dearly, but if you don’t lower your voice I’m going to have to get my ownroom.”
I was barely talking in a rasp – trust me, I couldn’t take my voice on full volume either – so I knew he was in rough shape. “Landon, I don’t want to alarm you, but … it’smorning.”
“We’re snowed in. We can sleep allday.”
“Yes, but … the thing is … um … .” I had no idea how to broach the obvious problem. You would think after being shoved into Aunt Tillie’s memories, a fairy tale world and even the future I would know how to tell Landon we’d been transported to an alternate reality … again. I recognized the truth instinctively when I saw the nightstand – there’s no way my mother would have a marble nightstand with pearl accents, for crying out loud – and I figured Aunt Tillie had gotten her revenge afterall.
“Shh. Sweetie, we’re snowed in. We can’t often say that. I have the day off. You have the day off. Let’s spend the day in bed … but let’s make it a quiet day, at least tostart.”
Even though my head throbbed thanks to my personal choices from the previous evening I was strong enough to take offense. “Quiet day,huh?”
“I still love you.” Landon absently patted the spot between us. “I just really need you to bequiet.”
I licked my lips as I stared at him for a long moment, annoyed. “Fine.” I tossed off the covers and stood, taking my first gander at the new room. The decorations were ornate, bordering on garish. It was as if someone took a catalog from the most expensive furniture store in existence and opted to purchase every item they could … whether it matched or not. “It’s almost as ifDynastyandMiami Vicemet, had a drunken one-night stand, and then made ababy.”
“We’ll watchMiami Vicelater,” Landonmurmured.
“Yeah, yeah.” His disinterest agitated me. I headed toward the bathroom to my left and, after giving the tacky bathroom the once over I rummaged in the medicine cabinet until I came up with aspirin and filled one of the glasses next to the sink with water. I popped the tablets, downed all the water and then refilled it. After the second glass of water, the leading edge of the dehydration was gone and I could actually stand to look at myself in the mirror. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a horrifying sight. I looked relatively clear-eyed and awake, a small miracle all thingsconsidered.
“Holy crap! Where are we?” Landon’s voice was like nails on achalkboard.
I moved to the doorway, smirking when I saw the look on his face. He was bare-chested, his black hair wild from a night of hard sleep, and his eyes were full of incredulity as he looked around theroom.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I drawled. “Welcome to another nightmare brought to us by Aunt Tillie. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy theride.”
Landon’s expression was dark when he swiveled. “Do you think this is funny?” His eyes were so red from the hangover that he almost looked possessed. “This is pretty far from funny, Bay. In fact … nope. I’m not doing it. She can’t win if I refuse toplay.”
I watched as he pulled the comforter over his head and dived beneath the covers, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. He tossed and turned, reminding me of an agitated bed bug with attitude, as he tried to getcomfortable.
I decided to approach him carefully. “Landon.”
“Nope. I was serious. I’m notplaying.”
“Fair enough.” I knew he wouldn’t stick to his claim. For now he needed to feel as if he was in control, though. “There’s aspirin. Would you likesome?”
Landon jerked down the comforter so I could see the top of his head. “How do you know it’s not cursedaspirin?”
“I took three tablets myself. I’mfine.”
“You’re not fine, Bay. You’re trapped in another nightmare. You have no idea what’s going to happen. We could be in the past. We could be in the future. If it’s the future and Aunt Tillie is hanging around with the pope again, by the way, I’m totally going to become an atheist … or one of those people who preps for the end of the world. Oh, yeah, that’s what I’m going to do. Get ready for the end of theworld.”
He was ranting. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. “So … where did we land on theaspirin?”
Landon heaved out a groan. “Fine. I’ll risk the cursedaspirin.”
Somehow I knew he’d say that. I delivered the aspirin and water, pursing my lips as he downed both. When he was done, he seemed a bit calmer … although onlymarginally.
“Where are we this time?” Landon asked,resigned.
“I don’t know.” I gestured toward the ornate mirror on the wall. “It’s like we’re living in a bad eighties movie or something. I can’t think of another way to describeit.”
“Why would she send us to theeighties?”
I shrugged. “That always was her favorite fashionera.”
“Yeah, I should’ve seen thatcoming.”
