Page 48 of A Shade Too Far
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After a long showerwhich left me pink, pruney, and positive that I could still smell vamp innards, I lay in bed examining the vial. Emmett didn’t have a lot of love for his wonky divination power, but even if he agreed to it, I couldn’t let him ingest something that could kill him.
On the other hand, what would the Wise Brothers demand in payment?
I set the vial on my bedside table and flicked off the light. Hopefully I’d have more clarity in the morning.
It was a nice thought, but daylight failed to give me some grand epiphany about my next move. Adding to my frustration was the fact that I’d missed a voice mail from Sadie saying that she was going straight to work from Jude’s but promising to come home tonight. At the end of the message, she paused like she’d been about to add “love you” but simply said “bye.”
A knock at the front door startled me out of my funk.
Still in my short pj’s, I peered out to find Laurent on my stoop with a motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm.
I hurriedly brushed a hand over my bedhead, hoping I didn’t have huge bags under my eyes, and opened the door.
“Tatiana wants us to come—” Laurent braced a deceptively casual hand on the doorframe, scanning me intently. “Good talk with Zev?”
It took me a moment, but I touched the cut on my face, glad my pj’s hid most of the other injuries. I’d gotten off lightly, all things considered. “Vamp shmamp. You may bow to me.”
“Really?” Laurent played along with my light tone. “Why do you deserve the honor this time?”
“I went twelve rounds with a dybbuk and survived.” I kissed my biceps.
He gently nudged me inside and closed the door. “Ha. Ha. Very funny.”
I shook my head, my expression serious. “I’m not kidding, and I don’t think I killed it.” I paused, working it through in my head. “I feel like this clinches it that the woman I saw at the fight was the one who killed Torres. It’s too much to believe that some other party sent the dybbuk inside this woman when it didn’t try to inhabit Torres at all.”
“And you agree with my theory that she’s possessed not enthralled, because she didn’t try to stop the dybbuk when it attacked Torres?”
“That and it fought like it was experienced.”
Laurent swore under his breath.
“How is she doing this?” I said. “Her magic allowing the dybbuk to leave her body is one thing, but can she guide it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why not?” I snapped a loose thread off my pajama top. “You trained with a Banim Shovavim, right? Why didn’t this mentor of yours fill you in better on the whys and wherefores of all things dybbuk? You didn’t even know for sure that I could save enthralleds. Why don’t you ask him?”
“Her. And she’s dead. Trust me, if she’d known about this kind of dybbuk possession, then I could counter what we were dealing with now.”
“I have a feeling it’ll be back,” I said.
“Of course it will. Both the woman and dybbuk know you’re here.” Laurent shook his head, his expression tight. “You have to be extra careful.” He gingerly tilted my jaw up with one finger.
I let him examine me, not only getting used to it, but kind of enjoying his concern. “I will, but in one piece of good news, I got a new avenue from Zev to pursue about the curse.”
“He didn’t know what the dybbuk was?”
“No. And he wasn’t thrilled about that.”
After one more cursory look, Laurent dropped his hand. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Positive. I’m toughening up like aged leather. So, about his idea—”
“Wait until we get to Tatiana’s.” Laurent shook out his curls, which were squished from his helmet, and glanced at my bare legs. “Get dressed. Jeans and proper shoes.”
“I’m not going on your bike.” My period had slowed down from a blood bath to a relatively clean abattoir, but with my luck, the motorcycle’s vibrations would open the floodgates again. Plus, my body had rejected the tampon I’d put in. Ladytown was in one of its periodic phases where it was all about the evictions, no new tenancies. No motorcycles, thank you.
