Chapter Twenty-Three
Donovan
It was late, and the sidewalks were flooded with people out for a raunchy, sensual, hot, exciting, or whatever type of night.
I sped past lovers holding hands and groups of women celebrating birthdays and bachelorette parties.
My feet hit the pavement with a ferociousness I’d pay for in the morning, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
My body was strung out on fatigue and hungover on scotch and my mother’s bitching.
Earlier, I’d helped Tulya out of the tub and into a robe, tucked her in bed and fed her some soup. She didn’t know I saw her hand trembling, and I could tell she wasn’t up for discussing it. But I’d clocked it long before she went into the bathroom.
It had been more than twenty-four hours since she lost consciousness, and her symptoms were not abating. In fact, they were gaining momentum.
With sweat dripping down my back as I ran, I knew it didn’t matter how many miles I completed; I would not forget the way she’d swallowed the tea—as if it was sandpaper on the inside of her throat.
To be sure it wasn’t a virus, I’d felt her forehead, and she seemingly had no fever.
But Tulya’s body was unforgiving when it came to what her own mother tasked her to do.
I’d tried texting the medic and he only answered with a curt: It will pass.
I replied: What the fuck? She needs help.
He didn’t respond to my venom, only wrote: Examining Blake and making sure she’s settled.
Lord…it was his way of letting me know I had to deal with Valerie, or he wasn’t helping with Tulya.
Turning back toward the hotel, I ground into the pathway along the beach, cursing my brother with every step. I wasn’t sure when I became Magnum’s keeper, maybe always, but I didn’t like that it cost Tulya pain. And my power was to put agony on others; what a strange dichotomy in my life.
I could’ve run all night, but I wanted to get back to Tulya.
I needed a shower and some food. I wasn’t thinking of myself, only the woman asleep in her bed, who needed me.
She’d mumbled something about my deal and going to Hawaii, not to put that off for her.
But Christ, she could be permanently damaged because of my brother.
Slowing my pace, I drafted a text to him, stomping around in a circle and breathing heavy.
Then, I deleted it. Fuck him, he didn’t have the strength to man up and handle his business when it came to my mother. Fooled around and fucked up and made a clusterfuck of a mess…that was Magnum.
Deciding to walk, allowing the ocean breeze to run through my damp hair, I felt my pulse starting to normalize.
My phone buzzed, and I almost ignored it until I saw it was Caro.
I knew she and Tulya had always had their differences, but the sisters appeared to have one another’s backs. Caro had limited powers if I was correct—she could bestow tranquility—which was useful at times but only lasted so long. Most of the time, she relied on her electric personality.
I answered. “Caro, tell me something promising.”
“Hi, Donovan, it’s actually Prim.”
“Oh, hey,” I said to Tulya’s best friend. Everyone knew those two were close.
“Caro said I could call. I’m so worried—I haven’t heard from Tuvy since she went to the States other than Merry Christmas.
At first I was worried she was falling for you, but now I hear she’s sick.
And it’s crazytown here…with the human…and your brother’s kid…
a kid.” She screamed into the phone and my head started to hurt.
She picked right back up at her rambling. “And Caro was saying—”
“Prim, slow down,” I demanded. She was hysterical, and I got it, but I didn’t have the patience right now.
“I can’t help it. Your brother—”
“Listen, I know, he’s a class A dick, but I’m trying to care for Tulya.”
“Tuvy,” she corrected me. “She likes Tuvy. Not Tulya.”
“Not when it comes to me. She prefers Tulya.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to set Prim straight. It wasn’t as if this was going anywhere with Tulya…
“Oh” was the response I got.
Prim was getting the picture though. Which, who knew if that was right or wrong in this moment. “Prim, there is a lot going on right now, but the most important is Tulya. She needs the medic. Can you ask Caro to go see him?”
She started whisper-sharing what I was saying to Caro in the background.
“She did,” Prim reported back. “He says it will pass.”
“In how long?”
She asked Caro and then stated, “No clue. The whole island is up in arms over your niece. Half the place is ecstatic, and the other half—well, not so much. Mostly, no one is happy about the human.”
“Her name is Valerie,” I grumbled. Despite not adoring her, she was a person with a name, and the mother of my niece.
“Rumor has it you let Valerie come here, and the shit has hit the fan.”
Standing still on the beach pathway in front of my hotel, I’d never wished harder to not be Rubian.
Hawaii was on the horizon, and I wanted nothing more than to separate myself from my own family.
“Again, there are many moving pieces at the moment. Put Caro on,” I told Prim.
She was too far gone in an emotional state to help me.
“Tell Tuvy I love her” were her final words. Then she added softly, “I would come if I could.”
Yeah, I was getting the picture: no one was leaving Rubia to help Tulya until I restored order. Meaning plucking Valerie away from her daughter.
“Donovan, I’m trying,” Caro now said in my ear.
“Try harder. What the hell is wrong with your mother?”
“Hey, don’t take this out on me. Yours isn’t much better, and I’ll clue you in, Ceci is on a bender. She’s running around our house, muttering quiet prayers, and saying shit about one son messed up but you won’t. How you’ll be home soon to marry your betrothed.”
“Enough! Go to your mom and let her know I will come and deal with Valerie as soon as the medic gets here. I will do her bidding, but on my terms. She needs to at least pretend as if she cares for her daughter.”
“I’ll tell her. But I’ll warn you, she doesn’t do others’ terms well.”
“That’s obvious,” I added and hung up, rushing up the path to the hotel, thinking I’d been gone too long.