Page 28 of All My Witches
Sam realized what I was getting at … and he apparently didn’t like it. “You want me to try to steal a diamond from him while I’m conductingsurgery?”
“Do you have a betteridea?”
Sam’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. It was almost as if he was talking silently to himself. Finally, he regrouped enough to utter a sentence. “You just took Clove’s spot on top of mylist.”
“Yay!” Clove clapped her hands. “I didn’t like being at the top of your list. This is so muchbetter.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Sam rolled his eyes, cringing when he realized Warren was watching him. “Why are you stillhere?”
“I’m waiting for you.” Warren wasn’t letting up. Sam seemed to finally realize that, because he looked resigned. “We need to get movingnow.”
“Fine.” Sam scratched at an invisible itch on the side of his nose. “I’ll do brain surgery. That seems to be the only way out of this. So, I will do it. I’ll be a brain surgeon onweekends.”
“You’re so strong, honey.” Clove patted his arm. “I’ve never been more proud of you than I am rightnow.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better, Clove,” Samsnapped.
“We’ll need you, too, Cinder,” Warren added, turning toClove.
“Me?” Clove’s features turned white. “Why would you needme?”
“You’re a weekendnurse.”
“But … .” Clove looked panicked. “I can’t be a nurse. I most certainly can’t sit through surgery. You know how I feel aboutblood.”
“This must be one of the other personalities talking,” Warren noted. “That’s okay. We thought ahead for when this happened. Each personality passed the nursing exam, so you’re good togo.”
“What?” Clove was flabbergasted. “No way. Uh-uh. Not gonnahappen.”
“Oh, now it’s a big deal,” Sam intoned. “It wasn’t a big deal when it was me. Now that it’s you,though… .”
“I thought Clove was a naughty nurse,” Thistle argued. “That’s not like a real nurse. It’s more like on Halloween when I was a naughty stewardess and I helped Marcus stow his luggage in the overheadcompartment.”
“Don’t be gross,” Landon barked, pressing his eyesshut.
“I concur.” Warren’s smile never wavered as he focused on Clove. “We need both of you to save a man’s life. You can’t turn your back on something like that, canyou?”
Clove was morose. “I guess not.” She darted a hateful look in my direction. “I’m not sure how yet, but I’m almost positive this is your fault. Thistle’s, too. When this is over, I’m going to make you both eat so much dirt you’ll choke todeath.”
For lack of anything better to do, I offered up a sarcastic salute. “Good luck. May fortune favor the foolish … andbrave.”
Clove narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits. “You’re dead tome.”
LANDON FOUND ASHIRTin the lost-and-found box. It featured a cat with a pretty pink bow. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing when I sawit.
“Don’t say a word,” Landon warned, turning his attention to Thistle and Marcus. “Have you heard anything on thesurgery?”
“They’ve been gone like twenty minutes,” Marcus replied. “You can’t perform brain surgery in twentyminutes.”
“It’s a soap,” Thistle reminded him. “You can do anything in twenty minutes on asoap.”
“Including being a brain surgeon on weekends. I … .” I had no idea what I was going to say. I’m sure it would’ve been pithy and bright, though. I lost my train of thought when I saw the woman in the nurse’s uniform crossing to us. She had a certain edge that wouldn’t let me lookaway.
Much like Eden, she was tall, thin and busty. I knew before she opened her mouth that she was coming for Landon. Her flirty gaze and swishing hips were distinctclues.
“Jericho.” She didn’t acknowledge the rest of us before sliding her hand into Landon’s hair and pressing her mouth tohis.
To his credit, Landon immediately pushed her back. “What are you doing?” hesputtered.
