Page 37 of Possession

I shook my head. “Never change, Phil.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t.” She rubbed her hands together. “So, is it a window? Or another sculpture?”

I yawned. “Copper and glass again. A companion piece.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

“Shattered wings,” I said as I closed my eyes and pictured the piece on my worktable. The copper frame was filled with red glass, slowly fanning out to clear. It wasn’t quite there yet.

I knew what it needed, but I wasn’t sure I could face putting that much of Blake in my work. I needed his glass. The texture was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Smooth, perfect, and opaque from one side. It would make the piece.

“It just needs some more time,” I said.

“How much?”

I lifted heavy lids. “Soon.”

Phil sighed. “I can’t badger you when you’re in the hospital.”

I gave her a half smile. “Hallelujah.”

“Watch it, young lady.”

“We’ll see how it all shakes out.”

Phil squeezed my arm. “When are they letting you go home?”

The doctor hadn’t given me specifics, which sucked. “There is nothing wrong with me. Not even any frostbite.”

“You were very lucky.”

The memory of the cold was fresh enough that I couldn’t find a joke. “So I keep hearing.”

“All your fingers and toes? Especially fingers?”

I waggled my fingers. “All good.” They were still a little stiff, but it seemed like my entire person hurt, not just one thing. Something about dehydration and hypothermia working in tandem since I’d been in the water so long.

My eyelids were so heavy. I yawned again.

“All right, I can take a hint.”

“Sorry, Phil.” I tried to sit up, but she put a hand on my shoulder.

“You need rest.”

“They gave me the good stuff, I think.”

She smoothed a lock of hair away from my face. “Then why don’t you sleep it off?”

“‘Kay.”

I didn’t remember falling asleep. When I woke again, my room was empty. I pushed my mangled hair away from my face.

A shadow moved in the corner. My heart lurched. The adrenaline spike was enough to make the machine next to me blip and beep a few times.

“It’s just me.” Blake’s voice came out of the dark. He stood and slipped something into his pocket before he crossed the room. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

I’d never seen him so dressed down. There were three different Blakes that I’d been around. Suit, running gear, and naked. Suit and naked were by far my favorite, but I had to admit casual Blake was a bit dangerous for my well-being, as well.

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