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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
* * *
Ethan and I left The Bakery soon after our transactions were complete, each carrying a small bag leaden with Claudia’s purchases. My nose was already itching at the heady smells of all the herbs, and Ethan’s eyes were red and watering. We were happy to shut the trunk on the bags, but I was also considerably more optimistic about the adventure itself. I was one step closer to clearing my name of Tidus’ supposed ‘future death’, and hardly a wish away from resolving the situation with Eve.
“Thanks,” I said as Ethan shut the trunk of the car, catching sight of the suddenly odd look on his face. “Hey. You ok?”
But when he looked back at me, suddenly it was as if we were strangers and he didn’t recognize me at all. He was here, but he wasn’t really with me right then. He was someplace else it seemed.
“Mimi…” he said, trailing off and sagging suddenly against the trunk. “I’m gonna have kids one day. And a wife.” he said, sagging suddenly against the trunk. “That’s what she told me, that’s what she said. Do you like kids?”
“Don’t even go there,” I said automatically. “There are no kids in my future, Ethan Tyler Raines.”
“I didn’t say that,” he said quietly, with an eerie reverence that frightened me. “I just asked if you like them, that’s all.”
“No, I don’t like kids, even though most kids have always liked me. But I could learn to love yours, though – if your future wife lets me. I could be Auntie Mimi.” I joked, jostling his shoulder with mine as I came to stand beside him. “And I’ll babysit for you too, and change diapers, and host birthday parties. But does that mean I’d have to learn how to cook?”
Ethan chuckled and gave a little half smile, staring off into the distance.
“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, you probably should… I didn’t do anything with her, ya know? She really did just read my palm. That was it.”
I said nothing but gave a polite smile and shrug. What more could I could say to him? He was only my Champion. Nothing more.
“You know what?” Ethan said, drawing me from my thoughts. “I was thinking, maybe there’s more to what the triplets were saying about you back there.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking away from him uncomfortably.
“Mimi, you’re a Werewolf with an all-white coat, and yet, somehow, you can still manage to transform into this… incredible-looking girl. And you also have a note warning you not to let anyone see you shift. I think someone else knows what you are and is trying to protect you. I don’t think any of this is a coincidence, do you?”
Ethan looked to me in demand of answers, but all I could manage to do was give a weak shrug.
“And you know what?” Ethan said, stepping closer and lowering his voice. “The night after we went to the morgue, I went home and practiced sending you emotions – just like you did for me in that elevator – and guess what? It didn’t work, Mimi. I couldn’t figure it out.”
“Yeah, but how do you know it didn’t work?” I said, refusing to allow myself to be convinced.
“Hmm, I dunno. You never called begging for me to jump your bones, so I just assumed I failed.”
“Wow, Ethan,” I said, turning my head sideways to look at him. “Are we serious right now?”
“I’m telling you, Naomi, there’s more to your story.” Ethan said. “I know it.”
He turned away from me, distracted again, but something caused me to hold him back.
“Ethan, did she tell you who you marry? Do you know your wife?”
Previously he had been staring down at the ground, kicking rocks around as a sort of distraction. But now he looked up, searching my face for a moment, hard, and causing my heart to jump into my throat.
“Nope,” he said finally. “I don’t yet. But I’m really gonna enjoy getting to know her.”
* * *
Not long after our conversation had passed, was I was able to divert Ethan’s attention toward the prospect of a cozy afternoon matinee in my living room. It was such a normal, uncomplicated thing to do between friends, that I knew Ethan wouldn’t be able to resist. And I had to admit, the idea had sounded appealing even within my own ears. So, to my home we returned, where Ethan flopped unceremoniously onto my couch, and Mrs. Trentley cast him her usual, disapproving glare before retrieving the alcohol cart.
There were a few moments of channel surfing under Ethan’s strict directions, where I could do nothing but sigh and roll my eyes in between button-clicking. But then, under the pretext of having to utilize the restroom, I slipped away to the opening credits of some random, bloody thriller on Spike TV. And after charging upstairs to my room, I entered my bathroom and locked the door behind me before finding it safe to pull out my phone. But dialing Eve’s number was no reassuring feat either, as I turned on all the taps to help muffle the sound of my voice.
“Hello?” she answered, sounding tired from my end of the line, as if perhaps last night’s sleep had evaded her.
“Texting Ethan, are we?” I asked, in a voice that remained unsympathetic. “Uh-oh, I hope you aren’t getting cold feet about any of this…”
“I’m not backing out!” Eve snapped, in a tone that was strangely out of sync with her usual, ironically classy demeanor.
“Well, that’s good to hear, because you have a problem. And when I say you, I mean that it’s absolutely one hundred percent your issue to deal with – not mine.”
“Just spit out, cupcake.”
“I’m betting you haven’t taken off that ring since last night, and I say this, because I know you lied about being in love. So you should probably know that in order to break the curse, you have to be kissed by someone you love who also loves you. More specifically, that means it can’t be your best friend. Or your mother.”
I didn’t have to say aloud that Ethan had admitted he didn’t love her. There would be no gain in that except causing her further, unnecessary pain. But even so, these were the consequences for decision she had chosen. Eve had brought this on herself.
“Well, that does present me with a slight problem…” said Eve, resignedly.
“Hey, you stole the ring, remember? I didn’t give it to you Eve, but I’d actually like it back now, so….”
“Naomi, I would love nothing more than to give you back this horrid ring…”
“But?” I said tightly, sensing the deception within her voice.
“But, you strike me as a clever girl, Naomi, which means you know how a game like this really works. I take it you said yes to whatever the Hunters wanted, hmm?”
“Well, I wasn’t really left with much of a choice,” I said tightly.
“I know, dear, and I am fully to blame –”
“Eve, just cut your crap and get to the point. And preferably this century.” I said, rolling my eyes.
“The point, sweetheart, is now I need something too – again. I’m sorry darling, but I need you to find me a way to break the curse. Because really, I’m just too attractive to be going insane. I’d be just like Helena Bonham Carter in that one version of Hamlet – my looks would be completely wasted.”
Suddenly, I gave a short, harsh laugh that surprised even myself.
“Wow, you know, as tempting as you manage to make that sound, Eve,” I said, giving another chuckle. “I think I’m still gonna to have to pass. Now, I took care of Mathew like you told you me to and I even threw in how to break the curse, so I think I’ve earned more than enough karma points for that. So I want the ring back – tonight.”
There was complete silence in our pause, as we both deliberated, protected from one another by only our distance. But in the animal kingdom, we would have been facing each other, right then – eye to eye, nose to nose, and snarl to snarl .We would have been able to settle this like real Wolves would. But we couldn’t. There was only us, now, in Human form, bantering in a conversation on a telephone. We had to rely on our voices as a show of our strength, and use our words for weapons.
“I could find other Hunters, Naomi. Just because those particular three have bigger problems than an obnoxious hunk of rock to confiscate, that doesn’t mean that others won’t have a little free time on their hands...”
“But we had a deal.” I said, through gritted teeth.
“Well the original deal’s off baby-cakes, and now we’ve got a brand-new contract on the table. You get me out of this curse, and then you’ll get your ring back. Minus a bunch of other Hunter’s on that sweet little tail of yours...”
“You know what, everyone’s right. You are crazy.”
“Hmph,” Eve said with jolly encouragement. “See you tonight, girly. Same place, but let’s make it nine this time – a girl needs her beauty sleep.”
I lowered the phone and stared at it in my hand for several seconds, very close to screaming and smashing it to bits. But there were more numbers to dial and a record to set straight. I didn’t have time to lose my cool now.
* * *
Addy was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. She leaned against the banister casually, looking self-satisfied and triumphant. That was some good news at least.
“Got the stuff?” I asked, knowing that she had.