I woke in my bedroom, tangled in the covers, wearing only my panties and the Tshirt Jay was wearing last night. My head was using his bare chest as a pillow.
Vague memories of the night before came rushing back, Jay bringing me home, him enchanting my grandmother to stop yelling as he led me up the stairs. I cried all night before I fell asleep.
Selinda was in the hospital and it was all my fault. If only I hadn't been enchanted like the rest. If only I had paid more attention to Selinda. If only.
And Orion was still gone.
In the mirror, I saw the reflection of the shirt I was wearing and blearily remembered being stripped down when we got to my room. He had helped me out of the catsuit, put some dry clothes on me, and then wrapped me in the blanket.
Summoning magic to my fingers, I tried to lessen the darkness under my eyes and to shift my hair into smooth locks. It was easy, and an amazed smile tugged at the corner of my mouth when I applied makeup with a just a pass of my hand.
Looking down, I magiced myself to be dressed in a short gown and it appeared, white silk and lace sleeves, the whole thing encrusted with clear gemstones.
Jay shifted on the bed, blinking up at me. He was disheveled. Dreamer was on the other side of the bed, wrapped in the sheet of the bed.
"I can't go downstairs," I said. I couldn't face my grandmother after last night, and I doubted that my mother had come home yet. I remembered the last time she had went into the city for Halloween. That time, my mother had drunk so much cheap champagne that she had completely forgotten how to get back to where we were staying, and we had wound up having to sleep in the subway.
"We could go out the window," Jay said easily, and I wondered whether he was teasing me or whether he had really accepted my odd limitations so easily. I couldn't remember much of what I had said to him the night before—maybe it had been so obscene and irrational that this didn't surprise him.
"How are we going to get to the orchard? It's in Elmwood."
He ran fingers through his hair, hand-combing it, and then turned toward Dreamer. "You tried braiding my hair."
Dreamer giggled nervously.
"Let's take Orion's car," I said.
Jay raised his eyebrows.
"I know where it is and I know where he leaves his extra keys," I said with a little hand flourish.
Jay sat up on the bed. "Alright." He said dryly.
"I liked it better when you had a sense of humor."
His voice was guarded. "And here I thought you didn't like me at all."
I brushed back my now-silky hair and rubbed my temples. I should say something, do something, but I was sure if I stopped to think, I would fall apart. Was this about the night before? I could barely remember what I had yelled at him; it was all just a big blur of grief and rage. But everything was different between us this morning, and I didn't know how to make it right again.
I reached my hand out, touching him lightly on the cheek, opening my mouth to speak... but I still didn't know what to say. I shook my head slightly, hoping that somehow he'd understand that I was sorry, grateful and that I still liked him.
I shook my head again, harder this time, stepping back.
Orion came first. Everything else could be dealt with afterward.
We went out the window easily, Dreamer flew instead. I stumbled when I landed.
Looking down, I realized I was still wearing my magic gown. Jay was wearing all black, a Tshirt and jeans, and a leather jacket and boots.
