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Sunlight flooded the bedroom, it hurt her flesh. She raised the sheet up to her waist. Five days since the burning and she could only take a few steps before getting tired and dizzy. While she missed Carmen, she understood why Hazel spared the child the horror of her appearance. However, it did not explain everyone else. Rankin was a jerk, of course, he wasn’t about to subject himself to gazing at the awful visage of an injured friend. Tyra and Devon popped in and out, leaving as soon as they came, claiming they had things to see to right away. The point was no one could stand the sight of her. Hazel made her give her word to not look at herself in the mirror again.
She examined the crusty wounds on the backs of her hands. “God, how did I survive this?”
Hazel came into her bedroom, carrying a bedside serving tray. She set it down and picked up the phone to hand off to Velvet. “Call him, baby. You know he’s worried sick. My updates aren’t cutting it.”
Velvet ignored the phone and reached for the strawberry loaded shake on the tray. It was so thick she needed to use the spoon. “Mmm, you make the best shakes.”
“Quit stalling and call him. He needs to hear your voice to relax.”
“I don’t want to talk to him. I still sound sick.”
“You are sick.”
“What did Big Mama say?”
“I haven’t been able to contact Mama. I have to assume she has left this realm without telling anybody. Suzanne, however was able to find a book of so-called simple healing spells she left behind in her cabin. If those spells are simple...” Hazel shook her head.
“Was George Kim here earlier?” She seemed to have the impression somebody had been in her room speaking a foreign language and smoking cigarettes. Hazel regarded her with a raised brow rather than reply. “Well, was he?”
“Yeah,” Hazel said. “That creature was here.”
“And? I take it he did something to displease you.”
“The man has no personality to speak of and he knows better than to chain smoke in a person’s home.”
“George just...” He was just George. “Sorry, Grandma. George Kim’s attitude is, you can take him as is, or leave him alone. Since his wife left him-”
“Well, small wonder.”
“Actually, he deserved better than he got from her. A whole lot better. So what happened?”
“He saved your life when you had the stroke in front of Rankin. Fortunately, George is a creature of habit. He regularly watches this house. Did you know that, Vee?”
“No. Did he admit to it?”
“Yes, and readily enough when Rankin questioned him left and right. I suppose, he thought his dirty little secret wasn’t as important as saving your life. Thank the goddess.” Hazel sighed and sat facing her on the bed. “Suzanne and I thought we had you on the mend. George Kim, after simply touching your pulse points knew all your chakras are shot. He put you in a trance and performed a healing ritual.”
“Rankin just let him?” She must have really been about to die.
“There wasn’t time for anything else, besides Rankin admitted he’d heard of the healing rite. We had to trust him.”
“George is all right, Grandma.”
“Why would he watch this house, Velvet? And why didn’t I know it?”
“I don’t know why, but George is a creature that can accomplish special things. Cloaking himself from a witch is easy.”
“He’s one of those creeper demons, isn’t he?”
“He only admits to being from an ancient race of beings that inhabited this world tens of thousands of years before humans walked the Earth. He doesn’t care to be called a demon.”
“Really?” Velvet couldn’t tell by Hazel’s tone what she thought of George Kim. “I wonder where he acquired his healing abilities and how he just happened to be so near the exact moment you needed his powers.”
“Are you suspicious of George after he saved my life?”
“Maybe not, but I want you examined by the Seven Sisters. You trust them, don’t you?”
“Not really. I agree with Suzanne. They might not mean me harm but spreading knowledge about my condition could place me at great risk.”
“Oh, you just hush that kind of talk! Della and Harmony were your enemies. The other sisters may not like you, but they are not your enemies! After all, I am on the Council now. Would they allow me to sit on the Council if you were so hated?”
“I think they might be scared not to allow you your well- deserved position.”
“If you believe that, why are you afraid to let yourself be examined by a Sister?”
“I’m not scared, Grandma.” And why are you pushing it, Velvet wondered. Did Hazel think her recovery wasn’t going well? Velvet had to admit the process did seem slow. She thought the pain would at least be gone by now. Five days, man. She pulled on the straw of her shake. Hazel mixed the pain reliever in her sweets to cover the bad taste. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Hazel dropped her eyes, then raised her head to stare right back at her. It wasn’t very hopeful, Velvet saw it in her grand’s eyes. “Just tell me.”
“With your chakras taking so long to mend, I’m scared your mojo is depleted. You gave up too much trying to help that girl and her mother. Suzanne and Rankin agree. With Mama missing, the Sisters are our only option for treatment. And no, I don’t think it is advisable to wait and see how your chakras mend.”
“I understand, Grandma.”
“Call Omar and let him know you are fine. Then let’s go to the castle for a few days.”
“All right.”
“Good girl.” Hazel leaned over to hug her loosely. “I’ll leave to give you some privacy.”
“Is Carmen here?”
“She’s having a nap,” Hazel said on her way out of the door.
“Right.” Carmen didn’t take naps this late in the day. “Oh, whatever.” She began to cry as she often did. The pain and loneliness was too much.
She stared at the phone several minutes then dropped it on the mattress beside her. What was there to say to Omar? He’d been clear when he refused to forgive her and walked out of her house, closing her own door in her face. Not that he was wrong or anything for it. She took the blame because she’d done everything to earn it. So why was he calling so much? Because she was injured and he loved her. Not calling him was punishing him. He didn’t deserve anymore heartache. She picked up the phone and dialed his number. He answered on the third ring. She swallowed then cleared her throat, not sure what to say.
“Velvet?”
“Yes.”
“Hey.”
“Hey. Um, Grandma said you called.”
“I’ve been calling you for three days. As soon as I heard about you being severely burned.”
“Oh. That’s what it took to get you to want to talk to me?”
“Honey, don’t go there. Don’t be like that.”
“Why not? I feel lousy and I look twelve times worse than I feel.”
“Maybe if I came over, you’d feel better.”
“I don’t want to see anyone like this.”
“Velvet, I love you. You think burns are going to change that?”
“You didn’t want to see me before.”
“I needed some time after what you did.”
“Exactly what did I do that was so horrible? I slept with Takeru, big deal. You and I weren’t exclusive. And I tried to tell you it wouldn’t happen again.”
“Okay. All that is correct, but you know the way you did it was wrong. Now, if you are talking this way to me to get me mad again, don’t waste your breath. All I care about is you. I know you want to see me. Being laid up ain’t easy.”
“When were you ever laid up?”
“I’ll tell you about it when I see you face to face.”
“Well, that won’t be soon because Grandma and I are relocating to the castle. I’m not a witch in good standing so I can’t invite anyone inside the house.”
“Let me come over right now.”
“No.”
“What are you doing, Velvet? You getting back at me for walking out or for not calling you back?”
Was she?
“Omar, you don’t want to see me. I can’t even look at myself. Omar, if I weren't my father’s daughter, I’d have died on the battlefield. That’s how bad I look. However, I’m recovering just fine. I appreciate your concern and the love you wanted to share with me. I think it’s time to admit you and I can’t make it as a couple. I’m not going to see you anymore. Goodbye.” After clicking the phone off, she lay back gazing at the ceiling. It was for the best, she thought. A clean break might hurt for a while, but it was better than dragging the pain around, knowing the inevitable was coming.
“Are you going to cry over him?” She heard the door snap shut behind him and didn’t bother to turn her head in his direction.
“Takeru, how long were you standing in my doorway? I told you to stay away. Even now, you can’t honor a simple request?”
“You never told me to stay away from you. I heard you beg him to let me come back.”
“Tak, don’t you come in here bugging me. I don’t have the energy to... to...” What did he say? And where was his accent? She turned on her side to watch him saunter up to her bedside. It pained her some, but she managed to sit all the way up to embrace his neck. “Oh, my stars.” He heard her?
“My poor baby,” he said and pulled back to examine her closely. “Oh my God.”
“It looks worse than it is,” she lied, automatically lowering her head. “Is it so shocking?”
“Yes, but I’ve seen worse.” His lips touched her cheek. “And I’m over it.” As if to prove it, gingerly, he kissed her lips, holding her close to his chest. Her arms went around his shoulders. After just a few seconds, he ended the kiss, yet kept her close. “If I were able to make my way back sooner, I would have been by your side.”
“This is no one’s fault but my own. I was reckless.”
“I think I can place the blame on the Avaricites. Have they been dealt with?”
“Yes. We contained them.”
“I mean has it been punished?”
“Hard to punish someone without its own corporeal form.” She wrapped her arms around him tighter, kissing his face and shoulder. Enjoying the sudden bliss of the moment, in spite of the pain it caused her. No need for words, she just wanted to feel his taut body with hers. His body he was pulling away from her. “Troy?” He backed off to sit facing her, merely holding her hand. “Come sit next to me,” she invited moving to the center of the bed.
“I think I better stay over here.”
“I’m fine. We can hold each other.”
“Velvet, I’m not going to cause you any more pain.”
“I can handle pain, Troy. Or do you have somewhere you have to be?” Like everyone else that claimed to care so much about her who couldn’t stand more than a few minutes of looking at her burns. “If you have to go...”
“I’m not in a hurry to leave you.”
Nor was he in a hurry to kiss her again either, she surmised from his aloofness. The way he stared back assured her he wasn’t turned off because of her physical appearance. Something was on his mind. “How much of my conversation on the phone did you hear?”
“All of it, including everything he said. I was just outside the door.”
“So you were actually eavesdropping?”
“I guess you can say so.”
“Is this what you really want to talk about right now? Maybe it’s different for you, but the last four months for me has been a long, confusing, trying time!”
“I know it wasn’t easy,” he said. “But what was sleeping with Takeru? Henderson, I can understand.”
“I don’t feel like I did you wrong. You broke up with me and left. I know you and Tak are different, but he was close enough to having you back. If it hurts you, I’m sorry. However, a girl has to think about herself and her needs sometimes.”
“I tried to come back.”
“How are you here now?”
“He went into beast mode after hearing about you being in a coma, near death. His human psyche was weak, I overcame him.”
“But his wolf? He’s stronger than your wolf.”
“He’s not stronger than my wolf and me together obviously. I’m in control.”
“What about us?”
“Tell me what you feel for my brother.”
“What does he have to do with us? You said he was gone.”
“Will you miss him? Will you make love to me while thinking about him?”
Well, that was a splash of water in the face.
“Troy, if you have somewhere to be, you can go now. I didn’t fight my way back to the living for you to come in here acting like I cheated on you. You quit me months ago because you didn’t have the balls to stand up to your pack! Tak did and he-”
“Just answer the question.”
“What question?”
“How do you feel about Takeru?”
“How I feel about Takeru is between me and Takeru. If you don’t want me anymore be a man and say so.”
“You blame me for leaving, not Takeru taking me away.”
“I really want you to leave now.”
“Because I won’t jump into bed with you? Because I’m not Tak? Is he the one you want, Velvet? If so too bad because it’s going to be a very long time before you see that bastard again!”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I think so!”
“Fine. Wonderful. Because I’ve had enough of you both. Now, I can concentrate on getting well and getting back to business.”
“Okay.” He rose then went to the door and opened it. “If you need me, call me.”
“Don’t hold your breath waiting for that call.” If you walk out that door that’s it forever! Rather than scream the threat out loud she turned facing the wall and let her tears fall.
“Velvet, I’m sorry.”
She heard the door click shut again. Then felt the slow depression of her mattress giving in to his weight. She turned, looking over her shoulder. He lay next to her, purposely not touching her. She rolled to his side and he placed an arm around her, carefully drawing her up closer. Part of her wished he left, the other relieved to know he was afraid of losing her.
She closed her eyes letting her salty tears sting the wounds on her face.