Chapter 15
I rushed out of the bathroom just as Tara was about to open the door. I quickly closed the door behind me so she couldn’t see in.
“You do not want to go in there.” I pointed at the door, holding the knob closed.
Tara frowned at me before taking in my robe. “What happened to your clothes?”
I chuckled as I smoothed my hands over my robe. No need to fake my nerves this time. “I didn’t make it to the toilet in time. Let me get dressed, then we can get to work on that project.” I tried to usher Tara out of the room.
“Um, okay. But are you sure you’re fine? You seemed kind of flushed.” She stopped at my bedroom door and pressed her hand to my forehead. “No, you feel the same iciness as usual.”
I forced a smile. “Yep. Sixty degrees Fahrenheit. That’s me. Cool as a cucumber. Tara, I promise I’m good now. Probably just nerves from the council coming is all.”
Tara stared at me for a long moment and then nodded. “Alright, if you say so. You get dressed. I’ve got the rest of the supplies. Where is the pot ash you said you already had?”
A fumbling sound came from the bathroom. Grabbing her hand, I pulled Tara toward my ingredient shelf and shut the bedroom door behind me. “Here, let me show you.”
Tara gave me a weird look but didn’t comment.
I felt Tara’s eyes boring holes in my back as I shifted through the jars in the cabinet. My mind reeled as I tried to process everything that was happening.
My body throbbed with an ache I normally would have spent this time enjoying. But Tara’s presence and the council’s impending arrival ruined any post coitus high I might have had.
Now, my mind kept flickering between the threat to my career and Percy in my bathroom. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to lose them both.
“Here it is.” I grabbed the jar and turned to Tara. A twinge between my thighs made me wince, a reminder that we probably didn’t go slow enough with Percy’s monstrous cock.
Tara took the jar and held it between both hands, but instead of turning to the work counter, she kept watching me.
“What?” I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my hip to one side.
Tara, the queen of the hard stare, just looked at me.
“Fucking gods, Tara. I’m fine. I swear.”
Tara hummed.
Throwing my hands up with a sigh, I made my way back to my room. The sound of shattering glass filled the house. My walk turned into a run as I raced toward the bedroom, my heart pounding as all manner of thoughts spiraled through my head.
Tara followed after me, but stopped in the doorway as I darted into the room.
The bedroom windows were broken. The remnants of the ice panes littered the floor. I didn’t need to check the bathroom to know Percy was gone, because the door was wide open.
My shoulders slumped. I ran a hand through my hair and turned to Tara.
She leaned against the door frame, watching me. “Do you want to tell me what that was about, or are you still fine?”
I winced at the bite in her tone. Emotion overwhelmed me as I blinked at her, and my hands twisted my robe ties for want of something to occupy them. I turned my face and tried to hide the tears burning behind my lids.
“Oh, Bianca,” Tara sighed. She stepped up to me, then smoothed my hair with her hands before running them down my back. “It’s alright. It’ll be okay. We’ll get everything taken care of and then the council can’t say shit. I promise. Everything will be fine.”
I sniffed and nodded. “Yeah. I know. But it's not just them.”
“Okay.” Tara held me tightly in her arms. “Does it have to do with why you’re kind of limping? Did someone attack you?”
“Percy,” I murmured.
Tara pulled back and grabbed me by the shoulders, her face scrunched up in confusion. “Percy hurt you?”
I stared at her, my brows raised. Willing her to get it so I didn’t have to explain what happened.
Her mouth formed a slow o-shape before she dropped her hands from my shoulders. “You know, I was wondering why he didn’t come by for his potion this time.” Tara’s surprise swiftly morphed to a cheeky grin. "I told William you two just needed to fuck each other already and get it out of your system. Seems I was right.”
My cheeks burned, and I swiped at my eyes. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“Or… maybe not.” Tara brushed the random tear that had escaped down my cheek. “It’s okay if it’s more than just a good fuck, B. You know, if maybe you feel more.”
I cleared my throat and straightened my back. “Well, it doesn’t matter now, anyway. He clearly didn’t want to stick around and find out.” I gestured to the window with what I hoped was a nonchalant shrug.
Tara frowned and then scowled at me. “Is that why you didn’t want me to come in the bathroom?”
I shrugged again.
“Girl. That’s gross.”
I glared at her. “I thought you were all for it? Now it’s gross?”
Tara laughed and waved me off. “Not that. The shitting your brains out part. You couldn’t come up with a less gross excuse?”
My lips twitched.
“Alright. Enough girl talk. Boys can wait. We have a bomb to make.” Tara pushed me toward my wardrobe. “Then we can have a drink and you can tell me what it’s like to hop on that schlongasaurs.”
I giggled and quickly dragged out some clothes.
My body ached in all the right places as I pulled my pants and shirt on, and I found bruises and scratches along my hips and breast. My eyes drifted to where the ice window laid scattered on the floor, and my mind thought back to Percy and what I was going to do to make this up to him.
I had to focus. First, repair the house. I waved my hand, and my magic dragged the pieces up off the floor and shoved back into place into the frame. Another moment, and the ice panes melted back together as if they’d never broken.
One thing at a time. The council first, then potential boyfriends. Lovers? I wasn’t exactly sure what we were or were going to be. We didn’t exactly have time to have the relationship talk before Tara arrived.
Walking out of my bedroom, I clapped my hands together. “Let’s get this over with. Rip it off like a band-aid.”
Tara snorted. “Yeah, a really big explosive band-aid.”
“Still…” I came up beside her. She’d already gotten to work, stirring the large cauldron in the middle of the room. “I’d rather just get it done and over with. Besides the fact that we don’t have time to do it the right way, I think it’ll just hurt more to twiddle our thumbs about it.”
“Right.” Tara gave me a weird look before jerking her head at the table of jars. “Get the trigglewood and slowly sprinkle it in.”
Doing as instructed, I slowly sprinkled in the trigglewood and watched as the concoction changed from a murky brown to a pale white. When I was done, I brushed my hands off and looked at Tara. “What next?”
Tara skimmed her finger down the recipe and frowned. “We have to let it simmer for five hours, stirring it occasionally.”
“Oh.” I slumped as disappointment filled me. “I was hoping to get this done now.”
Tara gave me a weak smile. “I get ya.” She shifted some jars around and glanced at me beneath her lashes. “I can watch this if you wanted to… you know…”
“What?” I cocked my head to the side.
Tara laughed and shook her head. “You two are so thick. It’s a wonder you even got together at all.” Tara picked up a sprig of lavender and threw it at me. “Go after him, dufus.”
I gaped at her and then clipped my mouth shut with a stiff nod. I shifted to turn, then stopped, chewing my lip. “What if he doesn’t want to be found?”
“I have high confidence you will find him,” Tara scoffed. “Besides knowing Percy he hasn’t gone too far. Probably licking his wounds somewhere, waiting to get the courage to suck it up and come find you. You’re better off going to him first, or he’ll come at the wrong time and you won’t be here.”
I hated to admit it, but Tara was probably right. Percy did have a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had a nose for trouble, that one.
Drawing up my big girl panties, I blew out a breath. Here I went to bare my heart and hopefully not get it crushed in the process.