Page 42 of All My Witches
Landon nodded. “I think Aunt Tillie probably wanted you to see Edith in a quietenvironment.”
“What if Edith turns out to beevil?”
“Then I’ll have to readjust mythinking.”
“Fairenough.”
We lapsed into silence when we heard feet shuffling, and when Edith returned she was empty-handed.
“I could’ve sworn I had a bottle around, but I can’t seem to find it,” Edith supplied. “You might want to check your room, Jericho. I think you were the last one to use it three weeks ago when you had that bout of amnesia after falling off abridge.”
Landon’s mouth dropped open. “I fell off abridge?”
“Well, you were saving the woman you love from certain death thanks to a car bomb.” Edith sent me a fond smile. “You were a hero. You didn’t even seem to mind theamnesia.”
“Oh, well, that sounds … plausible.” Landon made a face. “I don’t suppose you could point me in the direction of my room, couldyou?”
Even though he was supposed to have amnesia, that seemed an odd request. “I’m sure we can find itourselves.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous.” Edith waved off my worry. “That’s what I’m here for. As a woman of a certain age, my only reason for living is to act as a sounding board to those who are younger than me. It’s normal in Camelot Falls. Your room is the second on the left, Jericho. The stairs are right overthere.”
“Thanks.” Landon drew me to my feet. “I’ll bring the bottle back down if we findit.”
“That soundslovely.”
I paused at the door, casting a glance over my shoulder and watching as Edith happily drank her tea, seemingly unbothered by … well … everything. “I know you won’t really hear this, but I guess I’ve wanted to say it for abit.”
Edith looked intrigued. “And what’s that,dear?”
“I’m not sorry I sent you away. I am sorry things were so bad for you at the end, though. I hope … I hope you found peace on the otherside.”
“I’m sure I did, dear. You shouldn’t trouble yourself over such things. It makes you a kvetch, and nobody likes akvetch.”
The corners of my mouth tipped down. “Right. Well, have a goodafterlife.”
“Yes, yes. Enjoy your trip upstairs,dear.”
This time when I turned my back on Edith I did it with a clearer conscience. Sure, it wasn’t her, but I didn’t feel the weight of my actions dragging me down. It wasbetter.
“I guess this trip wasn’t a total loss, huh?” Landon smiled as he led me to the second floor. “You got a little closure. That’sgood.”
“I guess itis.”
I followed Landon to the room Edith indicated, and when he opened the door I couldn’t stop my laughter from bubbling up. Landon’s expression revealed a mixture of fury and amazement as he scanned theroom.
“You have got to be kiddingme.”
I don’t know what I expected. In the back of my mind I thought it would be a simple room with a bed. Instead I found a round bed with a furry pink comforter, a power ballad emanating from … somewhere, and a centered disco ball swirling hundreds of hearts across the purple walls. The room looked like something straight out of a pornshoot.
“What a passion pit,” Icomplained.
Landon took a step forward, his eyes bouncing from one side of the room to the other. “Can you believe this? Who would put a disco ball over theirbed?”
“Someone who obviously gets a lot of action.” I shuffled to the bed and touched the furry comforter. “This is kind of … neat. I bet it’s like sleeping on top of the world’s fluffiestpillow.”
“It’spink.”
“Well, you are a lothario in thisworld.”
