"The best thing for chills is a hot, herbal bath."
Tam sits on her bed, handing out advice as she reclines against the wall. She looks pretty rough, gazing at me through tired, bloodshot eyes. Even her golden curls are limp. But that's what happens after you've been hit with a stunning spell delivered by a wicked witch.
I figure I'm not looking like a daisy on a spring morning, either. My eyes burn, which means they're probably bloodshot too, I've got a dandy bruise on my hip where it met with that stone railing during my battle with Della, and my gimpy arm is in a sling. But, at least, I'm safely ensconced inside the commune, with a roof over my head and a soft bed under my back.
"Don't you think you should get some rest, Tam? A stunning spell that strong does serious damage to a person. You're probably going to feel funky for a couple of days."
"I'll just sleep in. Rosemary won't mind."
"Rosemary's not going to let me join the commune is she? Not after I ran away and had a fight with a murderous lunatic. She probably thinks I'm an idiot."
"She doesn't think you're an idiot. She was worried sick about you, which did make her a little angry. But it only proves she cares. She told me that herself."
I nod, remembering how my family reacted the same way. "What about the airfield? Is it still on fire?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't been awake that long. If you really want to know, I can check."
"No, you just stay right there. I'm sure Bastian and Nate are fine. I just hope Jammi's okay. He's Bastian's cook."
"We still don't know if it was Bastian's airship that burned," Tam says. "Don't worry until you have to."
"But I do know it was his airship. Della told me she set it on fire right before she threw me over the wall."
Tam hugs herself with her arm and shivers. "Don't say that, Ivy. I don't want to picture you falling. Della is a horrible person. She doesn't deserve to be a caster.
There's a knock at the door and Tam yells, "Go away. People are trying to recuperate in here."
"Would you like me to wait outside?" Rosemary calls from the other side.
Tam slaps her hand over her mouth and pops off her bed like she's been miraculously cured. She flings herself at the door and swings it open. "I'm sorry, Rosemary. I didn't know it was you."
"Obviously." Rosemary pats Tam on the head as she shuffles into the room. The ancient elder looks tired, but her kind eyes twinkle at me in the lantern light. She's holding a mug of something hot, based on the steam billowing up from it. "I just wanted to check on you two before I retire. How's the shoulder, Ivy?"
"Still attached." I sit up to reassure her that I haven't been crippled, and she nods as she waits for Tam to pull a chair across the floor for her.
"I hear you were the target of a very unpleasant witch. Both of you." Rosemary sits, placing the mug on the floor. "Poor Tam woke up in the broom closet."
"The mice are still there, by the way," Tam says weakly.
Rosemary nods but her eyes don't leave my face. "The Fates were with you this evening, Ivy. Not many have survived falls from the top of the wall. Sadly, it's often how troubled people end their lives. The fact that you weren't already dead before you went over meant you showed great skill and strength fighting off your enemy. Della managed to escape Lazarus when he gave chase, and that's not an easy task I can tell you." She doesn't have to tell me. I already know Lazarus isn't easy to escape.
"She also admitted that she set fire to Bastian's airship," I say.
"Oh, dear. That's not good news, is it? We've been watching Della for quite a while. Her clan left their home after the east European flood and resettled in Canada. Her surname is Vicar, if you're not aware of it, and they carry the burden of more than one murder. I'm afraid you've made yourself an enemy for life." Rosemary's eyes soften and she reaches out to stroke my hand, but her gesture doesn't lessen the blow of her words.
"I don't even know why she hates me. It couldn't be jealousy over Bastian, she doesn't even love him. She even had the nerve to steal my magic when we first met. I got it back, but I've been the target of her wrath ever since."
Rosemary's pencil thin eyebrows lift. "She stole your magic? When did this happen?"
"About a week ago. Miss K and Bastian helped me get it back. Somehow they knew Della had done it, probably because she tricked Bastian by drinking an aging potion to make her look old. It's a longish story."
"And a story I'd like to hear, when you're in a fit state to retell it. But the reason for Della's hatred doesn't matter. She's going to continue her efforts for revenge until she kills you or you stop her. I'm afraid the situation is grave."
"Do you think she knows I survived the fall? Maybe she thinks I'm dead and will go on her evil way."
Rosemary shakes her head and my stomach plummets. Damn. "Lazarus said he saw you struggling to swim when he was chasing Della. I'm sure she saw it too."
"But how do I stop her from killing me without killing her? I don't want that kind of karma following me around for the rest of my life, and probably more lives after that."
Rosemary smiles sweetly and gazes at me as if the answer is as clear as rain on a rose petal. "We are all animals on this planet, and we all have instincts to survive. If a lion was chasing you with the full intention of eating you, would you try to reason with him? That conversation wouldn't last long, would it? Or would you lay down and give yourself up to him? I don't think so. Your instincts are to survive, and survival and murder are two different things."
"I think I have pretty strong survival instincts," I say. "And if I'm allowed to train here at the commune, I can learn more spells so I can protect myself if Della ever comes back."
"Not 'if', dear, 'when' she comes back." Rosemary rises from her chair. "So, it's settled then. You'll stay with us and study your craft. In the meantime, get well, and drink that tonic Cath brewed for you. It'll calm your nerves so you can rest." She points to the mug she left on the floor and walks to the door. That's when I remember I owe her an apology.
"Rosemary, I'm sorry for running away when the airfield caught fire. I wasn't thinking straight."
"Your apology is accepted. And you were thinking only with your heart and not your head. We will teach you how to connect body and spirit so you won't have so much apologizing to do. I'm very glad you're here with us, dear."
When Rosemary is gone, Tam slumps back onto her bed. "Holy grail, Ivy. I hate to say this, but I wouldn't want to have a Vicar after me. That would keep me up at night, for sure."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement, Tam." I scoot to the edge of my bed and lift the mug off the floor with my good arm, which is sore as hell from all the swimming it did.
"Awe, don't worry. By the time your training is done, you'll be able to kick her butt clear across the bay."
I bob my head at her attempt to reassure me as I inhale the steam from the mug. I don't smell licorice, but there's a combination of mints going on, and I'm tempted to say a hint of alcohol. Tam drowsily watches me as I take the first sip. It's strong, but the mint hides the bitterness of whatever medicinal Cath put in there. Is rum considered medicinal? After a few more slugs of the tonic, the effects start to kick in. I see little trails as I move my head back and forth.
"That's funny. I almost feel drunk," I say, as I focus on Tam's face. She looks comical squinting at me like that.
"You need to watch out for Cath's pain tonics. They can be mega strong."
I chug the rest, and when I set the mug down, I nearly slip off the edge of the bed. I right myself and pain shoots up my arm. "Ouch."
"Your balance is going to be off until you can use both arms again. I'll show you a few tricks that help."
Although I don't think it's my arm that has caused the imbalance, my eyes are drawn downward, and I stare at my sling. How long did Cath say it would take my shoulder to heal? I'm a caster, so it shouldn't take long. I notice I dribbled tonic on my new dress. Cath gave me a clean one after my bath, which was much harder to get into with a shoulder that was recently relocated.
"I'm sorry I ruined that other dress," I say, although I don't know why I'm apologizing to Tam. I'm sure she doesn't sew them. "I'll find a way to repay the commune. I figure they don't have an unlimited supply."
"You didn't ruin it. We'll just wash it and sew the rips. Nothing ever gets wasted around here. I'm so glad you're staying, Ivy. You still need to meet Grace, Shelly and Leo. Grace and Shelly are regulars but Leo is a caster. He's Cath's son. They all work in the kitchen. The commune has an amazing kitchen."
"I've actually met Leo, briefly, in the hallway." I smile when I remember his enthusiastic hug. "So, Grace and Shelly are drinking the meta potion to gain magic? Do they train with you?"
"Oh, no. They aren't casting yet. It's a long process, and sometimes it doesn't work. Not everyone's body is cut out to handle magic. I'll introduce you to everyone in the morning. You're going to sleep in my room tonight. In fact, we should probably get to it."
As she stands and pulls down her bed sheets, my mind wanders through the events of the evening. I scan over most of it, like nearly dying twice, once from the potion and once at the hands of Della, Queen of the Damned. But something else is weighing on my mind. Bastian.
"Do you think anyone will notice if we sneak outside to peek at the airfield?" I ask. "I'll never be able to sleep if I'm worrying about Bastian and Nate."
Tam turns to look at me, her expression a mixture of 'Are you nuts?' and 'Why not? We've already been through hell.'
"Okay. But we can't stay out there long. Someone is bound to notice." She peeks her head out the door as I push myself off the bed, taking a moment to get command of my legs. They're pretty shaky but seem capable of a journey to the front door.
We walk stealthily down the dark corridor and through the gazing hall, where all is quiet. It's hard to believe there had been a whirlwind of activity here a couple of hours ago. The foyer is free of panicking people, and I listen to the gurgle of the enchanted fountain as Tam checks to see if the front door is locked. When her hand meets resistance, she waves it at the handle and it clicks open. Apparently, she's familiar with unlocking spells. The stairs to the street are tricky, on account of my rapidly decreasing motor skills. Thankfully, there aren't too many of them.
"Looks like the fire's out." Tam points in the direction of the airfield, but the moonless sky and lack of lantern light makes it impossible to see anything but her finger.
"That's good. I sure hope Jammi's okay. Poor Bastian. His airship is probably toast."
Tam covers her mouth as she yawns. "Don't put negative energy on it, just thank Goddess you're still here."
"What are you two doing outside?" River hurries down the steps as I sway in the street, my sensibilities rapidly decreasing. "How's your arm, Ivy? Can you move it?"
"Actually, I can't feel it right now. Cath's tonic has me stoned." I grin but I think only one side of my mouth gets involved.
River takes my good arm and leads me back to the commune. "Let's go inside before I'm blamed for getting you into trouble again. And don't worry about Bastian. He's a grown man. He'll be okay."
He leads me up the stairs, through the foyer, and into the gazing hall. The trip was a lot easier with him helping me. I stop to look up at the sky through the open ceiling. It's so peaceful, just hovering there without a single worry. The quiet feels strange. No music thumping. No bodies bouncing. Only my body swaying back and forth like there's a party in my head.
"I've been to a bunch of new moon gatherings, but this one was, by far, the wildest." River stands next to me, his arm brushing against mine as he moves from side to side, or maybe that's me.
Tam yawns again and rubs her eyes. "Well, I've got to do an hour of reconstruction spells tomorrow for my little oopsie on the roof. So, I'm going to call it a night. C'mon Ivy. There's a bed with your name on it right this way."
"Actually, I want to talk to Ivy for a minute longer," River says. "I'll show her to your room."
Tam looks like she wants to argue but she just blinks at him. "Fine. It's just around the corner anyway. You can't get lost." She weaves toward an arched doorway and disappears into a dark corridor.
"Shouldn't we make sure she doesn't fall over on her way to bed?" I say. "She's pretty wiped out from that stunning spell."
"Naw, she's fine. Tam's tougher than any girl I've ever met. Except you." He grins at me, which comes across crooked, or maybe my perception is off. The room is starting to do a strange sideways maneuver.
"You better hurry and say what you need to say, River. I'm losing focus fast."
"Sit down over here then." River walks me to the elders' chairs, which have been pushed against a wall. I drop into one, feeling naughty for pretending to be an elder. "I just want to say I'm sorry for not being there for you tonight. I never should have suggested we go to the shipyard. When Bastian finds out what happened, he's going to murder me. I'm surprised I'm still standing after Lazarus found out I left you and Tam alone on the dock. But he was too busy chasing after Della to pummel me. I deserve it, though, so when he sees me again, I'm going to remind him." I'm too out of it to convince River he doesn't deserve to be pummeled by Lazarus. He drops into the chair next to me, continuing his monologue. "You have no idea how horrible it was to see that witch push you of the wall. The image will be in my head forever. It was even worse searching for you in the boat. I didn't want to find you floating."
I pat his leg. "It's okay, River. I made it out alive and everything's going to be o...kay." My words sound slurry but that might be my head getting foggy.
"Well, I just wanted to put that out there. And I heard you decided to train here. That's awesome. Kent told me. He's a great guy. All the elders are great. Even Jacob's okay when he's not making you answer questions until you want to throttle him."
"Jacob the yogi." I laugh, which comes out like a snort. I'm getting stupid.
River laughs too, making me feel less stupid. "He is, isn't he? The elders have a good thing going here. The whole city revolves around the commune. I can't wait to show you the market. We trade stuff there. I make these moccasins..." River's voice turns into a hum and I try to read his lips as he rambles on about the amazing city and the commune and something about Granny Bea's oatmeal cookie recipe.
I feel my head slide across the seat and land on his shoulder. I think he stopped talking but I'm not sure, and I don't have the strength to look at him to find out. I shut my eyes, hoping he'll understand that I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just...getting...so...sleepy. As I drift further away, my intoxicated brain starts talking to me, or maybe it's River whispering in my ear. I swear I hear him say, 'I remember the kiss', and then I'm gone.