Page 80 of The Great and Terrible

In the parlor, a pink velvet couch paired with two recliners, one a creamy yellow, the other a rich lavender. They formed a half circle in front of a gold leaf coffee table, all resting atop a lovely blue rug. The pieces looked upon an ivory water fountain anchored to the wall. In its center, a full-scale woman wearing a gauzy dress held a basket from which the water flowed. I didn’t know the mechanics of Iris’s ability, but I prayed this wasn’t an access point for her.

My gaze returned to the coffee table, where a pad and pen rested.Don’t mind if I do. I strode over and flipped open the cover, finding the sketch of Jasher I’d made during our stay at the Wild West Inn. As I studied the image with fresh eyes, I noticed the tragic dignity I’d captured in his expression. The clawing need in his beautiful eyes. The uncertainty and hope in his bearing. How had I missed all this?

My kind.

Nothing special.

My hurt and anger dulled. No wonder he’d kept hisorigins a secret. It hadn’t been a matter of trust in me, but lack of confidence in himself. How refreshing it must have been to be seen as an individual rather than carbon copy. I wouldn’t have wanted to ruin such a dream come true, either.

My reaction to the news must have stung in a million different ways. I’d owed him so much better. When I had confessed about the chapel, he’d given me understanding and comfort I hadn’t deserved.

Now I wanted only to tell him I understood, I’d be forever grateful we met, I would desperately miss him, and when possible, I would do everything in my power to find a way back to him. If he’d have me.

Before I broke down and started crying, I dropped the pad and continued my visual tour of the room. In the dining nook, Patch and Leona sat at a round table with a tree-shaped base. Many different platters of food and several bottles of champagne covered the glass top. One bottle lay on its side, empty. Both women talked and laughed as they stuffed their faces, currently unaware of my entrance. It was nice, seeing them so relaxed and happy.

Behind them, a set of open double doors edged with voluminous, translucent curtains led to a terrace, allowing a cool, floral-tinged breeze to waft inside.

“Moriah! You’re here.” Leona motioned me over with great enthusiasm. “Come. Eat! In all my days, I’ve never tasted anything as delicious.”

Patch nodded her agreement, crumbs falling from the corners of her mouth.

My stomach issued a distinctive protest. “I’m not hungry.”

“More for us, then.” But Leona’s grin faded, and she slumped in her seat. “This is Claudia’s most fevered dream. I shouldn’t enjoy it while she suffers.”

“I’m happy to report the Guardian promised to free her.” I certainly hoped he came through.

“Truly?” Her whole countenance brightened. She jumpedto her feet and rushed over to hug me. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. This calls for a celebration!”

“On it!”Pop!Patch drank the second champagne straight from the bottle.

A cheering Leona skipped back and danced around her.

I made my way to the balcony. Unlike the one in the throne room, this possessed a sturdy iron rail. High up the mountain, I had a perfect view of the land beyond. Armored soldiers, all the same height and build, marched along the gold brick road. Was Jasher among them? Chest clenching, I tightened my grip on the rail.

Sensing the approach of another, I cast a glance over my shoulder. Patch sidled up to me, holding two flutes of champagne. She drained one. I reached for the second, thinking yeah, okay, I might as well enjoy a taste since she’d offered, but the redhead drained that, too.

A laugh escaped me, spurring a burst of merriment from her. The shared moment of humor lifted several hundred pounds of tension from my shoulders.

Leona joined us, bringing me a flute. We stood there, each of us leaning on the railing, peering out as soldiers vanished in the distance.

“I didn’t want to like you, otherworlder,” Patch eventually grumbled. “Why’d you have to go and be so not terrible? First you tame a runt rabdog, then a royal guard. Then you save my life, kill a monstra, and draw extinct pegacorns from hiding.”

I snorted. “You’re pretty not terrible yourself.”

“My turn! Now praise me,” Leona said, finishing off her champagne, then claimed mine and drank it too. “Remember how I wielded a whip and raced over with Jasher’s backpack after the monstra battle?”

The neediness in her tone wasn’t lost on me, and I patted her shoulder. “I do, and I’m still grateful. I’ll miss you both when I’m home. And who knows, if I make it back, we can goon another adventure.” I would never give up hope. “I’d love to meet Claudia.”

Patch puckered her lips as if she’d sucked a lemon. “Those who leave never come back.” Clearly uncomfortable with the surge of emotion, she returned to the table for another glass of bubbly. “I’m going to bed.” She stomped through a side door, which she didn’t bother closing.

“I love you, too, Patch,” I called.

Leona wrapped her arms around me, the spontaneous hug as surprising as it was welcome. “You could’ve abandoned me at any time, could’ve refused to help me with my sister, but you didn’t, and I will be forever in your debt.”

“You are wonderful. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

“I don’t.”

---