Page 114 of Bent Out of Shade
“Aw, man.”
I laughed. “How are you?”
“Bored. Jude’s asleep from her all-nighter fixing me and there’s nothing on television.”
A knot in my chest eased. “You were a rock star the other night. I hope you told Marjorie all about it.”
“You bet your sweet ass I did,” he said proudly. “She was worried about how dangerous my job is, but doing what I do is how I want to live, even when it’s dangerous or I feel helpless, because maybe I can help someone else remember what they have to live for when life knocks them down. Help them persevere.”
“That’s pretty wise of you.”
“Yeah, I’m kind of brilliant on the life insights,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes though I was grinning. “Are you staying with Jude for a bit?”
“She wants to keep an eye on me, then I’ll go back to Tatiana’s.” He paused. “I heard Laurent didn’t shift yet.” It was a measure of his concern that he used Laurent’s first name.
My amusement vanished. “He will. Meantime, I’m pretty sure I figured out how to wake Sabrina.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Not on that front, but you have a way to contact Pyotr, right?” They’d become buddy-buddy after their garden store jaunt together.
“Yeah. Whaddya need?”
“Get him to visit you and ask if there’s a sneaky way into Gehenna from the KH.” Hopefully Sabrina would be awake soon and then Vincenzo could have her. I knew who’d killed my parents, and after everything I’d been through, the why didn’t matter. Even if their deaths had saved the world, it wouldn’t have eased the ache in my heart.
It was time to move on because I had so much to live for, and that meant this one last promise to fulfill: getting the Ascendant for the Leviathan.
“Done,” Emmett said.
I promised to keep him updated on Laurent’s condition.
Tatiana answered my knock at Hotel Terminus. My spritely boss was stooped with fatigue, and when she pulled me into a hug, her arms trembled.
“It’s good to see you too,” I said, “but when’s the last time you slept?”
She put finger to her lips, motioning to Juliette, who was crashed out on the sofa. “I’ve napped.”
“That isn’t enough.” I took off my shoes. “Did he shift?”
She shook her head. “He’s in the bedroom. Talk to him. It’ll help.” Tatiana sat down in one of the chairs and pulled a blanket over her lap.
Most of Laurent’s body was covered, but his tail stuck out at the end of the bed. His human face wasn’t flushed or sweaty, his breathing was steady, and his fever was gone.
I took a seat by the bed and smoothed out the blanket, making silent wishes for him to shift like the wrinkles in the fabric were pennies cast into a magic wishing well.
“Hi, Huff ’n’ Puff. It’s been an eventful night.” I fought to keep my voice light, his hand clasped in mine. “Did you know Blood Alley has this super creepy fog and an electric ward? Oh, and my permanent excursion to Deadman’s Island was canceled, so how great is that? Also, I killed an estrie. Bet none of the Carpe Demon people can say the same.”
He didn’t respond. Not a single flicker of his lids, not the tiniest twitch of a finger.
“You have to shift, baby.” I smoothed his hair off his forehead. “There’s this fancy cocktail lounge I was thinking we check out for our second date and you need a suit.” Nothing. “I’ve made a new list. You’ll like this one. It’s all the creative ways I’m going to pay you back for safely delivering Sabrina just like I promised, but you’ll need your strength for them. Especially items three and seven.” My voice cracked and I bowed my head. Had Laurent’s death wish finally been granted and I’d have to watch him burn out like a dying star?
Several times his fingers twitched, and once I thought I heard him whisper my name, but it was just wishful thinking and a rasp in his chest.
“Delphine.”
I’d been dozing, but at his whisper, my eyes snapped open. “Laurent?”
