Chapter Five #2
The drive doesn't take nearly as long as if I went through town, making me even more grateful for knowing all the backroads. When I finally park at my house, exhaustion takes over. Not only are my ribs on fire, but several other aches and pains are setting in.
I fall from the jeep, because having any grace has flown out the window at this point, and crawl up the stairs and into the house.
I stumble to the bathroom, turn the lights on, and crank the shower. I need hot water to soothe these aches, or tomorrow is going to be unbearable.
Catching my reflection in the mirror, I let out a startled yelp.
I look completely fucking wrecked. My hair is full of twigs and leaves, and there is a decent gash over my brow.
I didn't even notice the blood trickling down my face.
My shirt is torn in several spots, and there are more random streaks of blood.
When I strip off my clothes, I see an angry bruise forming across my ribs in the perfect shape of the tree limb. My legs aren't much better off.
I toss the clothes into the hamper then step into the hot shower. It fucking hurts to lift my arms and wash my hair, but I know that's the only way I'm going to get this mess out of my curls. I stay in the shower until the water runs cold.
Once out, I gently pat myself dry, then open the cupboard below the sink and pull out the first aid bag. It's stocked full of your typical first aid supplies, but it also contains tinctures and remedies from The Wiccan Wolf in town.
Mama, Nana, and I have been visiting the shop for as long as I can remember. Rumor has it that the owners, Rieka and Kenina, are witches. I have no doubt in my mind that it's true. Who else would willingly take human teeth without batting an eye?
I'm digging through the bag and getting increasingly more frustrated when I can't find the bottle that I use for deep bruises. I wanted to lather the salve on my ribs before I wrapped them for sleep tonight. Without it, it's going to be damn near unbearable to do anything.
Finally finding it buried at the bottom of the bag, I pull it out and pop the lid open. A tear slides down my face in frustration when I see the jar is almost empty. For fuck’s sake, all I wanted to do was rub this on and pass the fuck out, but now I don't know if I'll find enough relief.
I do my best with what I have, and make sure all the other cuts and scrapes are cleaned and bandaged if needed.
I don't have any more butterfly band aids, so I use good old super glue to close the gash above my brow.
Surprisingly, it closes up nicely, so I shouldn't have too bad of a scar. Not that I really care about that.
I fall into my bed, and the night is filled with a restless, fitful sleep. If I'm not having sexy dreams about Beau—that wake me up feeling overwhelmingly unsatisfied—I'm struggling to manage my pain well enough to let sleep take over.
As soon as the first rays of light peek into my room, I'm out of bed and wrestling on clothes. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I'm hoping Nana will have more of the tincture stashed in her room at the B&B.
Sneaking in the back door as quietly as I can, I kick off my boots in the mudroom and step into the kitchen, where I scare the hell out of Mama.
She yelps, and drops the bowl she's holding, but cuts off her cry so she doesn't wake the guests. "For Christ's sake, baby girl. You scared the life outta me. What in heavens happened to you?" She checks my face and searches my arms.
I try to pull away, but she glares at me until I let her resume her fussing.
"It's nothing, Mama. I may or may not have fallen off a tree last night."
"What in tarnation? Why were you on a tree?"
"I'm not saying, no matter how much you pester me. Do you have any of that salve from Rieka and Kenina? I scraped my jar clean."
"Hmm, let me check." Mama scurries from the kitchen to the suite she and Nana stay in.
While she's gone, I sneak bites of the delicious spread she's preparing for the guests. Even though it's barely past six in the morning, Mama's got a feast ready to go.
"I'm sorry, baby girl. My jar is empty too. Do you have time to run into town and get more today, or would you like me to stop by?"
"I don't think I can wait until later. I'm gonna check in with everyone at the barn and then head out. Thanks for checking, Mama." I give her a quick kiss on the cheek while I sneak my arm around her and snag one of the breakfast burritos.
"Oh, you brat." She laughs as she swats a towel at me, missing as I dance out of her reach.
Fuck, that was a mistake. Pain shoots up and down my side, my ribs reminding me I'm a reckless idiot. At least Mama didn't see the pain flash across my face, or she'd never quit her fussing.
Stopping in the barn, I check in with my right hand-woman and inform her I've gotta head to town. She asks me to pick up a few things we need while I'm there, so at least it's not a completely wasted trip.
When I pull outside The Wiccan Wolf , a sense of calm washes over me. The shop isn't open this early, but I know I'll be able to get in. I pull the handle, and the door swings open without a sound, transporting me into another world.
Although the shop is dark and the ever-present, hazy smoke of incense gives it an air of mystery, it's also stunning. Packed full of exotic plants, it feels like it's breathing as you make your way through the space. The vibes in this place are amazing and always soothe my wild side.
Rows upon rows of different jars and containers with potions, tinctures, and salves fill the aisles. Several doorways that lead to private areas are blocked with strings of black beads that I can't resist running my fingers over.
As I weave my way through the shop, my eyes are constantly pulled in every direction, finding something even more beautiful than the last thing.
I'm just about to call out when I see yellow eyes on me slinking out of the corner—Rieka and Kenina's sweet girl, Pem.
"Hey, beautiful. How are you?"
I reach my hand out, letting the lithe black panther rub her head into it.
Not many people know about Pem, but we go way back.
When I was little and Mama would bring me in to buy things to mend our wounds, Pem would slink out from wherever she was hiding to provide me comfort.
We'd find a corner and curl up together while the adults talked. One of my favorite pictures from when I was a little girl is where I’m curled up with Pem.
Pem nudges my side, her hot breath tickling my skin as she inspects my latest wound. I don't know if it's an animal's intuition that lets her sense my injury, or if she's as special as her owners. Her amber eyes bore into mine as she pulls her head back.
"I'm okay, I promise. This one was self-inflicted by one of my reckless impulses I just couldn't avoid."
"It's good to see some things never change." Rieka scares the ever-loving shit out of me when she sneaks up from the side.
Being able to sense someone coming has been one of my strongest assets over the years, but for some reason, I can never sense Rieka or Kenina, and I've given up trying to figure out why.
"Fucking hell, Rieka. Do you love giving me a heart attack?"
Her laughter trills through the air, making me think of a mythical being.
"Something tells me it's not a feeling you have experience with. So, yes, it brings me great joy to get one over on you, sweet girl." Rieka opens her arms.
I instantly close the distance.
No matter how old I get, she doesn't seem to age a day. In some ways, she feels like the badass aunt I love to spend time with, but in others, she’s more like a girlfriend I can confide in. Our dynamic is a weird one, but it works for us, and I'm grateful to have her and Kenina in my life.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" She arches a brow as her eyes zero in on the cut on my forehead.
"I ran out of the tincture you give me for my bruises and need a refill."
"I can handle that. Follow me."
I marvel as she weaves us through the maze, snagging a few things along the way. She makes her way to the back of the shop, setting everything in her hands on the counter.
"Um, I only need the one jar. Well, actually, two please since Mama's out as well."
Pem head-butts my ribs, causing a cry to break from my lips. My arm wraps around my torso, applying compression to my aching bones.
"You were saying?" Rieka looks at me knowingly.
Before I can say any more, Kenina comes through the door, a bandage in hand. "Take off your shirt and let me have a look."
I do as I'm told and smile when Rieka tsks under her breath.
"As I thought. You need a little more help than my usual tincture."
Without a word, she picks up a jar and slathers its contents on my skin. It's cold but feels so good on my sore ribs.
Kenina and Rieka work seamlessly together, and by the time they're bandaging me up, my ribs already feel a million times better.
"You should feel right as rain tomorrow, as long as you don't push it at the farm today.
Use this on all your open wounds." She lifts a purple glass jar.
"And this on the deep bruises. Leave the bandage on until tomorrow.
If it's still pretty sore, come see me, and we will redo it for another day.
Otherwise, I think this should have you back to your full health in no time. "
"You're the fucking best. Thank you both." I hug each of them before taking the canvas bag with all of my goodies.
No matter how often I try to pay, they never take my money. Instead, we barter things that we can only get from each other, like human teeth and hair.
I'm almost to the front door when Rieka's voice rings out. "Maybe try to keep those wandering eyes elsewhere, and your feet out of the trees and on the ground going forward, hmm?"
With a shake of my head, I leave the store, wondering how she always knows what’s running through my mind.
By the time I get back home and start chores, it's as if I didn't beat the hell out of my ribs the night before. I don't know where Rieka and Kenina came from or exactly what they do, but I know my life is infinitely better with them in it.