Page 30 of Forever Frenzy
“It’s Mercedes, isn’t it?”
His eyes widened.
“I can see it, too,” I responded softly.
Sadness and relief flickered over his face as he let out a pent-up breath.
“There has to be something we can do to stop this, or at least slow it down. The Infected have already suffered enough,” he said. “Amy’s been teaching me about herbs. I’d like to find something that will work.”
I walked to him and hugged his neck, though he had to stoop to reach me. “If anyone can help, it’s you, Seth. Your heart is bigger than this problem.”
He hugged me tight, looking at Tage as he pulled away, and then said goodbye as he exited through the doorway.
I wanted to visit my brother and his wife, but I was exhausted. Why didn’t all this zipping back and forth affect Seth? He looked like he could project all day.
“Tired?” Tage asked.
“Beyond it.”
“Magic always demands a price. The more you use, the more it will affect you.”
“It doesn’t seem to affect Seth,” I argued.
He nodded. “It does, he just hides it well. And his is more explosive than draining, which is more dangerous in the long run.”
“Could’ve gone without hearing that today.”
He apologized. “I’m sorry. And I’m sorry about your Father.”
“Me too.”
I left him standing in the sand as I made my way to the tent, easing between the panels of fabric that fluttered in the afternoon wind.
Porschia was finally happy. Seth taught her how to project to her father, as well as to Ford and Amy. She got to see her niece, and she began to visit them several times a week. Mercedes was different, however. Instead of having Porschia come to her, she always wanted Porschia to teleport her to The Sand. “Winter’s horrible,” she would say by way of explanation, but it was more than that. She knew it and so did we.
I wondered if she was scared of bringing her children here, or of letting them see Porschia as a vampire. There was no hiding the fangs. Porschia never said that it bothered her, and her worry line never deepened. She just brought Mercedes here and seemed happy for the company.
On hard days, she would sit at the doorway and stare out at Saul’s grave. Spending time with him was important for her, too.
As the sun set, I began walking into its fading, fiery light. Before I got too far from the tent, she joined me, our steps soon taken in unison.
“Why did you change your mind?” she asked. “Why’d you decide to trick Sekhmet into healing me?”
“Because you asked. And in the end, because it was the right thing to do.”
She was silent for several steps. “You didn’t want to do it at first. You wanted to keep me here.”
“I did.”
“Well, is it all you hoped it would be? Having me here, Imean.”
I stopped. “No.”
Her teasing smile fell away and she turned to leave.
“It’s not what you think,” I answered quickly. “Having you here is more than I could have ever hoped for, kitten.”
“I’m not your kitten,” she growled.
