Moira put a hand on her hip, her vivid red fingernails flashing. A scathing look crossed her face. “I haven’t possibly been gone long enough that you’ve forgotten me.”
A huge smile spread across my face. “Mom!” I jumped forward, grabbing her so hard around the waist that she grunted.
But she hugged me back and kissed my cheek. “I missed you, too.”
I pulled away from her, a dozen questions on the tip of my tongue, but Mom held up a piece of paper, distracting me.
“I just got in this morning, but I hear you’re looking for a day pass,” she said, grinning smugly.
I grabbed the paper and examined it more closely, confirming it was legit. “You’re the best, Mom.”
Moira tilted her head, her blond hair—longer than it had been the last time I saw her—brushing against her shoulder. “I know.” She waved. “You two ladies go grab your coats. Let’s head out now.”
Fifteen minutes later, I climbed into the passenger seat of my mom’s neon orange-and-black pin-striped Dodge Challenger. Magickind were supposed to blend in with ordinaries whenever they traveled out in the ordinary world, but my mother tried to blend in more with teenage boys and old men with too much money and too little hair.
I looked over my shoulder at Selene sitting in the back. “Put on your seat belt.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Oh, you’ll see.”
Mom shot me a look as she turned the key. “My daughter is implying that I’m a bad driver.”
“I’m not implying. I’m saying it outright.”
Moira opened her mouth to argue as she started to pull out of the parking spot, but she dropped the clutch too soon, and the car gave a huge buck as the engine revved and then stalled. Magickind should never be allowed to buy stick shifts, especially not my mother. I couldn’t figure out how she’d convinced the dealer to sell it to her. With magic, no doubt.
“Whoops.” Moira put the car back into first and started the engine.
Behind me I heard the click of Selene’s seat belt as she fastened it.
Mom had better luck the second time, and once she reached cruising speed we were out of danger of stalling. For the time being, at least. But we weren’t safe by any means. Right away Mom pressed me for information on Britney, Paul, and Eli’s latest dreams. I told her everything, but it wasn’t easy as she insisted on looking at me while I talked. Consequently, she kept drifting left of center or driving up on the curb.
“Watch the road, Mom!” I said as I finished. A horn blast and the screech of tires drowned out the sound of my voice.
My mom jerked the car back seconds before a collision. Then she smiled over at me, perfectly at ease even though I was trying to convince my heart to go back into my chest.
“Honestly, Dusty,” Moira said, patting my hand, wrapped around the emergency brake so hard my knuckles were white. “You’re far too uptight.”
“Right, because dying is nothing to get uptight about.”
She waved me off.
“So how was your trip to England?” Selene squeaked from the backseat. “Did you discover who let Marrow out of his tomb?”
I glanced back to see she’d gone completely white. Poor girl. But I had warned her.
“No,” Mom said, for once keeping her eye on the road. “But whoever it was is no longer in England.”
I looked at her profile, trying to gage her level of worry. “Then where is he?”
Mom glanced at me. Her longer hair made her look younger than she really was, but her eyes looked old. “I’m pretty sure he or she is in Chickery.”
I exhaled, not entirely surprised. It only made sense that whoever had set Marrow free would’ve followed him here. But why hadn’t the person been there when Marrow tried to reclaim his ancient, powerful sword, the Excalibur of legend? Not that I was complaining. If he had been there, things might’ve turned out differently.
“But don’t you worry,” Moira said. “I’ll find him sooner or later.”
I nodded and then pulled out my cell, remembering I needed to text Eli. I sent him a message that we were on our way to visit Britney, and I asked about his dad. Fortunately, the text must’ve gone through without being garbled this time, because he replied right away, telling me that he’d spoken to his dad and that everything was fine. Funny how easy it was to sense his relief even through a text message. He finished up by giving me a couple of reminders for the interrogation.
Against all reasonable likelihood, we made it to the hospital in one piece. Vejovis was located on the waterfront. To ordinaries it looked like some kind of warehouse, a big brick-sided building with only a couple of windows. Hospitals were one of the few institutions magickind kept completely separate from ordinaries. There were just too many kinds with strange anatomies to treat them anywhere else. A glamour charm could hide those differences, sure, but doing so would make it impossible for a physician—ordinary or magickind—to treat them successfully.
We checked in with the receptionist first, a thin, frail woman with gray scraggly hair and ashen skin. At first I thought she was a newly made vampire, not yet fully decayed, except vampires always disguised their corpselike appearance with a glamour. But then the unpleasant keenness in her voice gave her away as she told us Britney’s room number. I’d heard banshees were a regular fixture at magickind hospitals—their ability to sense encroaching death a useful tool in helping the doctors prevent it—but this was the first time I’d ever seen one in person.
“Only two of you can go in at a time,” the banshee said. “And only if the patient gives permission.”
My mother winked. “Oh, I’m sure she will.”
The three of us climbed into the elevator, and Mom hit the button for the fourth floor. I was a little concerned about using the elevator. None of the buildings at Arkwell had them and for good reason—it was too risky with the animation effect.
As the elevator lurched into motion, I grabbed hold of the rail and clenched my teeth, hoping we wouldn’t plummet to our deaths.
Mom must’ve sensed my concern for she gave me a knowing smile. “Don’t worry. They’re not run on electricity. Everything in Vejovis is run on magic.”
Selene’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes. It’s one of the few magical institutions that does.”
“What are the others?” I asked, relaxing a little. Magic could be unpredictable and dangerous, but most of that depended on the skill of the person working the magic. Whoever built this place was probably the skilled of the skilled.
“The only other place nearby is Lyonshold,” Moira said.
My eyebrows climbed up my forehead. “The entire island?”
“Hypocrites,” Selene muttered under her breath.
It was a fair point, but I didn’t comment, even as an uneasy feeling came over me. Marrow wanted all of magickind to turn away from ordinary technologies. When he’d said it, I’d assumed such a thing would be impossible. But apparently I was wrong.
As the elevator doors opened, we stepped out and made our way to Britney’s room. A werewolf sheriff’s deputy stood guard outside her door. In seconds, my mom convinced him to allow Selene and me inside to see Britney. I had a feeling the normal protocol would’ve been to ask the patient if she wanted any visitors, but my mom had a way of making people forget normal stuff.
When the deputy stepped aside giving us clearance, my mom waved us on without her. I didn’t question her actions. Talking to Britney would be easier without her.
The room looked nothing at all like an ordinary hospital room. Thick green tapestries embroidered with gold and silver runes and other magical symbols covered the walls, and the bed was made of wood with more of the same symbols carved into its frame. I guessed they were there to promote healing. In one corner of the room sat a massive porcelain tub with clawed feet. It looked big enough to swim in, or at least big enough for a mermaid to fully submerge.