covencraft 04 - dry spells (32 page)

The want, the desire to push that button was completely illogical. And yet, and yet…

She heard a long, suffering, drawn out sigh. The sigh of a woman who’d had enough, but also knew she had to grit her teeth and power through an unpleasant task.

“What do you want?”

The voice Jade heard was smooth and low. Kind of like Kathleen Turner’s - deep, smoky and almost sinful in it’s richness.

The Gorgon. Medusa.

“Is that anyway to treat an old friend?” Seth asked.

“Old, yes. Friend?” Another sigh. “What’s this you’ve got with you? I hope that’s not another one of those things you think are presents. She looks thin.”

The way Medusa said it made Jade feel like a wobbly, breakable branch. As though Medusa had just sized up her strength and found Jade lacking. Jade felt Seth’s hand land on her shoulder, unexpected and heavy. She flinched. “Hardly. Although if you like her…”

Jade twisted out from underneath Seth’s grasp but then stumbled on the stones beneath her feet and started to fall. She heard in her mind the exact kind of
crunch
her face would make when it hit the stones. Dental surgery for sure.

Seth’s tail wound its way around her waist and it pulled her close to him, up against his side.

“What do you want?”

“May we come in?”

“No.” The reply came immediately and unforgivingly. “What do you want?”

Jade felt Seth’s tail twitch from where it was wrapped around her waist. A nervous tic. “About that. We’re currently bound here. Until we resolve something.”

“You? Bound? In the Dearth?” Medusa gave a low chuckle. “Well, well, well. How do you manage to get yourself into these situations?”

Jade preferred to hear out of her right ear, using it for phone calls and for a solitary earbud if she was on the bus. She moved her head slightly depending on who was speaking to keep her good ear focused on the speaker. Without her eyes, she felt alone and small. She was greedy for any sound she could gather, any small detail she could get.

“This one was hardly my fault. The mortal child grabbed me as she was being bound here. Sent on an errand to get something from you.” Seth shook her a bit by wrapping his tail more tightly around her and then wiggling it a bit. Mortifyingly, Jade realized he meant
her
when he said
mortal child
.

There was laughter that reminded Jade of a chocolate fountain - rich, thick and luminous, cascading down in luscious rolls. “I may change my mind. If she managed to grab you and pull her with her, perhaps she’s not as thin as she looks.”

“Yes, I’m sure you’ll be best friends. Honestly, Dusa, standing here on the step is unseemly. May we come in to discuss?”

“I suppose you won’t leave, will you?”

“No.”

Another long, suffering sigh and then her voice changed, as though she were turning away from them and moving. “Fine. Come in. Take your shoes off at the door. I don’t want all of the Dearth dragged into my home. You two are positively filthy with it.”

#

Jade heard Seth walk away - his steps following after Medusa’s. That fucker left her blindfolded and standing on the doorstep. Asshole. She stretched out her hands and gingerly reached forward with a foot. Her toe met the kick-stop of the door. She tipped her head up, able to see underneath the blindfold and confirm the step into the house. Much slower than was necessary, she raised her foot and cautiously entered Medusa’s home. The air was cool inside and empty. Empty like there weren’t a lot of soft things about. No rugs, furniture, clothing. She exhaled and the sound of it was hollow to her ears.

“Don’t dally, Possum.”

Seth’s voice rang out in the space - much farther away than Jade had suspected he was. Taking a chance, she lifted the blindfold a bit. Seth’s shoes - battered, worn sneakers he’d been wearing the entire time in the Dearth - were placed neatly on a small thatch rug. Jade toed off her own runners and set them next to Seth’s, then turned, trying to follow the direction from which his voice had come. She thought maybe she could take the blindfold off, but what if she rounded a corner and then POW! Gorgon. It would really suck to come all this way only to end up being turned to stone by accident, without really attempting to face Medusa. Jade kept the blindfold on, but her head remained tipped back enabling her to see the floor at her feet. Marble. Cool grey marble with darker grey and beige veins running through it.

“This way.”

Again, Seth’s voice echoed through the space, but at least it gave Jade the direction she needed to go. She moved along with a
kick-step, kick-step motion,
her feet sweeping out in front of her, her arms raised, like a drunk zombie. Though she couldn’t see anything but the floor, she had the impression of moving from the open foyer to a hallway. The echo of her own footsteps changed in the smaller space. She reached out her right hand and felt a wall under her fingertips, cool to the touch and almost damp. Not feeling so adrift, she trailed her fingers along it as she walked, trying to gauge how far she was traveling. She could hear Seth’s voice again - not hollering at her, but speaking. To Medusa. His tone was similar to the teasing one he used on Jade, but not quite. There was something else there. Something slightly warmer and more affectionate. Her fingers hit open space. She’d reached a doorway.

“I’ll take a glass of my vermouth,” Seth said.

“I don’t keep it on hand. I never cared for it.”

“You must have a bottle of it somewhere, I’m sure. Hidden away on the off chance I might return?” Seth’s voice still had that softer, easier cadence.

“No.” Jade wanted to take lessons from Medusa on how to say the word
no
. There was no further explanation, no apology in her tone. Just a flat, simple word. A full sentence all on its own. “Your human has caught up. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”

“She’s not my human.”

“I’m not his anything.”

Jade and Seth spoke at the same time, their words tripping over one another. Jade stepped through the doorway and then shuffled sideways, reaching behind her as she did until she felt the wall of the room. She tucked up against it, putting it at her back. She had no idea of the dimensions of the room, or the contents, but at least she had something to anchor herself.

“I care nothing either way,” Medusa said. Jade had the impression in her head of a woman staring at her nails, examining her manicure. “But to come all this way, after the things that were said.” Medusa paused and Jade hunched in on herself. There was definitely a tone there. A
you fucked up
tone directed at Seth. “You must want something.”

“Can’t an old friend just stop by?”

Jade wanted to roll her eyes. Seth had all but stated it was a bad breakup and Medusa clearly knew they had to want something to be here, but there he was trying to pour on the charm.

“No.”

Again, Jade was damn impressed with how Medusa said that word. Clear. Succinct.

“Well, this is awkward, Dusa, but you’re correct. We need something from you. Jade’s been sent here to retrieve a small
quelque chose
.”

“And you think I have it.”

“I know you do. I gave it to you.”

What!?
Jade’s head snapped toward the direction of Seth’s voice. “You never said that!”

Jade could feel both sets of eyes turn to her. Her scalp tingled, as though a net of electricity had descended upon it. She pushed herself harder against the wall.

“It hardly mattered.”

“The hell it didn’t.” Jade really should shut up, but words kept falling out of her mouth.

“I don’t care for your petty arguments,” Medusa interrupted. “What is it that you need?”

Seth paused. “The Osiris box. Jade was sent to retrieve it.”

Medusa let out a disgusted breath. “The Osiris box” She sounded amused and disdainful at the same time. “This is your sister’s work again. Another pawn sent to retrieve the box.”

Jade frowned, a number of thoughts jockeying for her brain’s processing power all at once. Seth had a sister? Seth’s sister was involved in all this? And Medusa wasn’t surprised? This wasn’t the first time someone had come to get the item?

“What do you mean, another pawn?” Jade asked. She was still afraid to speak, but needed to know.

“Didn’t Seth tell you, mortal child? About the games he and his sister like to play? Years ago, thousands of years by your ineffectual counting of time, Seth killed his sister’s husband and scattered the pieces all about.” Medusa sounded bored by the tale, despite its shocking nature.

“You say that like there was no reason for it,” Seth defended, his tone indicating he too was bored with the entire thing. “Like I just woke up one day and decided to do it.”

“Seth’s sister has enough power to bring her husband back to life,” Medusa continued, ignoring Seth. “But only if she has all the pieces.”

“And one of the pieces is in the box,” Jade finished. She remembered this from when Sakkara first arrived. “A box Seth gave you.” A bit of information he’d completely neglected to let Jade know about.

“Yes. And from time to time, his sister sends someone along to retrieve it. If they can face the Gorgon.”

“Why don’t you just give it back?” Jade asked.

“Why would I?” Medusa replied. Jade could hear the frown that must be marring her face in the tone of her voice.

“To keep people from showing up?” Jade hazarded a guess.

“I care nothing if foolish errand runners arrive and want to stare down the Gorgon. They all make such lovely statues for my gardens.”

Jade swallowed. “How many have there been?”

“Oh, I don’t know. The East Garden statues are all box retrievers, I think. The West Garden statues possibly as well. Perhaps three hundred?”

Jade wanted to barf. Three hundred people had come before her? More importantly, three hundred had come before her
and failed
. Sakkara sent her on a death errand.

“Although you…” Medusa’s voice was contemplative. “Perhaps I’ll save you for the rose garden. A witch among my roses would be quite lovely.”

“Don’t count your statuary before it’s set, Dusa.”

“And why not?” Medusa responded to Seth. “Been coaching your little mortal witch? I hear an auditor is looking for you. Perhaps this is why.”

“I’m touched, Dusa. You’re paying attention to gossip about me.”

“Hardly. But it seems there’s reason for an auditor to be investigating. You’re in the business of helping mortals now. You’d better hope all your paperwork is in order.”

“I haven’t been helping the little possum. I told you, I was banished here until she completes the errand. Whether that completion ends in her success or her death is irrelevant to the binding runes. She simply has to try.”

Oh Jesus, more tidbits Seth hadn’t mentioned. Jade didn’t have to survive for Seth’s banishment to end. She was so fucked.

“Even if I wanted to help her, how could I? I’m bound by the laws of the Dearth,” Seth continued. “Besides, it’s not as though there’s a trick to facing the Gorgon.” Seth paused. “Is there?”

The cadence of his words, the pitch of his tone and the silence that fell in the room after he spoke was like an unholy triad in Jade’s mind. A rustle of fabric made Jade turn her head from where it faced Seth’s direction to that where she expected Medusa to be.

“After this is over, I want you to leave,” Medusa said. Jade didn’t need to clarify that the comment was for Seth.

“Of course, Dusa.”

“Very well. Let’s get this over with.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jade didn’t think there could be a more efficient way of indicating her death was nothing more than a chore to be completed other than the phrase, “Let’s get this over with.” And said just as disdainfully and casually as Medusa had managed it. Jade pushed harder against the wall at her back, as if by some miraculous chance, the stone would soften and let her sink through to the other side where… she’d still have nowhere to go.

The tendons in her neck strained from how tightly she was holding herself. Each breath felt like she was wearing a steel corset fastened with impeccable strength by some kind of sadistic housemaid who relished making it damn near impossible to breathe. Jade sort of felt out of breath, though she’d done nothing but stand there for the last few minutes.

There was still the small gap between the fabric and her cheekbones, through which Jade could see the marble floor and the tips of her toes. She could almost make herself out, reflected in the sheen of the polished stone. She thought she could see the length of her legs and then her torso, somewhat distorted.

Then, coming closer to her was a shape. Medusa. Moving across the floor, her steps were silent, but Jade could see the shifting shadows on the marble. Like Perseus using his shield, Jade was able to measure Medusa’s approach indirectly.

“Do you even suspect a fraction of the things that were put into place to have you arrive here?”

“Uh, I know Sakkara sent me.”

“Why?”

“To get her stuff?” Jade said, her voice trailing up at the end like a question.

She heard Medusa exhale and felt a warm waft of air brush across her face. It smelled of peaches and figs. Like an old summer cabin, locked up for the winter. It wasn’t unpleasant. It reminded Jade of when she slept in closets. Pressing her face to floorboards that were worn and aged.

“I mean, why you? In particular. I’ve met many would-be box retrievers and each one thought they had some kind of edge. This one was a sorcerer, that one a druid. A maenad. I think there was a fairy once. Some mortals with special talents. What is it that Sakkara thinks you have up your sleeve?”

Jade thought of her connection with Lily. As she did, she could feel the very edge of Lily’s presence brush against her own mind.

“I think- ” Jade paused. She could feel Medusa step closer. No heat came off her body, but there was definitely a presence - a sense of being loomed over. “She thought I could see you, but not see you.”