Chapter 25
TIPPY
I’m still trying to digest Traggar’s words when the computer screen goes dark.
Like it’s completely died.
“What the fuck?” Otis scoots his chair back to the desk, thick green digits pressing keys frantically.
“What’s happened?” I ask, my voice tight.
“I don’t know… We must have lost connection. It’s probably nothing to worry about,” he tells me. But by the way he taps at the keys, then gets down on the ground to fiddle with the wires under his desk, I know he’s worried. Very worried.
The bottom drops out of my stomach.
“Does this mean something’s happened to Jax?”
“No… Not necessarily…”
Traggar and my aunt watch silently. I glance at them, and I’m slightly reassured to see that they don’t look as panicked as Otis.
They trust the magic, obviously. I wish I could.
Otis crawls out from under the desk and picks up the phone. “I’ll call Silas. Find out what the books of runes are doing.”
Suddenly the screen bursts into life again, a cacophony of sounds and flashing lights erupting from the monitor.
“Fuck,” Otis growls, stabbing at one of the keys again.
Then the phone rings. Otis grabs it. “Silas. I was just going to call you. My computer has just lit up like a fucking pageant. What’s happening with the books?” He puts the phone on speaker so we can all hear.
“Same. They are literally going wild. There are sparks arcing out of them in all directions. I don’t dare touch them, in case it disrupts what’s going on.”
As he speaks, the computer lets out a strange, high-pitched squeal and goes dead once more.
“Fuck! Whatever is happening has just blown up my computer. I’m going to try and get it working, but I have no idea where to start. Keep me posted on the books,” Otis says, and slams down the receiver.
He’s gone deathly pale beneath his green skin, his brows knitted tight as he rubs the back of his neck and stares at the computer like it’s an alien.
I watch, digging my claws into my thighs, my thoughts on overdrive.
What if something has happened to Jax? What if the books are trying to rescue him and can’t? The fact that the computer has blown up… surely that’s a bad omen?
I start to tremble.
My aunt places a hand on my arm. It’s warm, steady, reassuring. I look at her pleadingly, as if she might have some magical solution, then up at Traggar, who places his hand on my aunt’s shoulder, so the three of us are sharing some communal energy.
It calms my racing heart a fraction… until there’s a sudden, humongous bang. Not from the computer this time, but from the kitchen. Even Traggar and Felicia jump. It sounds like a massive object has just landed, accompanied by the sound of breaking crockery.
Then there’s a piercing scream.
Otis’s eyes widen. “That was Mom,” he growls, and then he’s out the door quicker than I’ve ever seen that big orc move.
And the three of us are right behind him.
Complete mayhem greets us.
There are sparks and flashing lights, and smoke, through which I can detect broken dishes scattered on the floor and overturned chairs on the flagstones.
As the dust settles, I can just make out Sally, wringing her hands, her broad green face full of confusion and her red eyes startling out of her head.
My gaze follows hers as the smoke and sparks dissipate.
I can make out two figures splayed out on the floor, tangled in the red velvet folds of the portal cape.
A moment later, the cape rises up, hovers above one of the figures and literally scoops them up—and, to my utter surprise, places them down on one of the chairs that’s still upright.
It’s a slightly built woman wearing a simple white hospital gown.
My eyes shift to the other figure, still sprawled on the floor and now groaning loudly.
“Jax!” I cry, and run to him.
At the same time, Clem, who must have heard the commotion and has also come running, screams “MOM!!!!” and dashes over to the figure on the chair. She throws herself at the woman’s feet and starts to sob.
Suddenly everything falls into place.
Jax found his mom up in Sparkle. And he’s brought her back to the Labyrinth.
I kneel down and wrap my arms around him. “Jax,” I say gently, “it’s me, Tippy.”
He looks up at me, the haze of disorientation clearing from his eyes.
His face breaks into a radiant smile. He puts a hand to my cheek and I cradle it with mine.
“You found your mom,” I whisper.
He nods.
“Oh Jax, I was so, so worried. Everything here just went wild, the computer, the runes. I thought—I thought you were never coming back.” Tears fill my eyes, then spill down my cheeks.
“As if…” he scoffs weakly.
He kisses my lips, then winces as he struggles to stand. I support his weight, staggering a little as we find a chair and he slumps down.
Clem is on her knees, hugging her mom and cry/laughing hysterically.
Otis stands in the midst of the chaos, scratching his head. “Well, I’ll be danged.”
Sally goes to the kettle and fills it while my aunt calmly gets cups out of the cupboard. Traggar, meanwhile, is helping pick up bits of broken crockery and putting them on the bench next to the sink. It adds a weird normalcy to a scene that is otherwise completely surreal.
Jax’s strength is returning. I feel it in his grip as he stands up and leads me toward the seated woman. “Tippy, come and say hello to my mom.”
The woman is gently stroking Clem’s dark hair, soothing her, but when she turns her green gaze on me and Jax, her smile is full of warm curiosity.
“Mom,” I feel Jax’s arm tighten around me, “this is Tippy Honeywell.”
“Ah—a wixen, I can see by those pretty claws. Show me them, honey.”
I hold out a hand and flex my claws shyly.
“Ah yes, very beautiful.” She waggles her brows at her son. “Behave yourself Jax, don’t mess with this one.”
I am totally lost for words, so I just smirk like an idiot.
Within one minute of meeting me, Jax’s mom has sussed out the situation. Wow! That really says something about a mom’s intuition.
Then she looks around at the assembled party and smiles ruefully. “I guess I’ve got a fair bit of explaining to do.”