Twenty-one

Avila had needed to peg down the places Genevieve remembered living, as many of the names of her mother’s boyfriends as she could recall, and if her mother had ever said anything about her father or her birth. It seemed like he was asking anything at all that might help figure out if she might be Sybil Mesny and if she was, to get an idea of what her mother knew.

After he’d finished, she curled up with her bracelet, ignoring the tray of hospital food, and tried to get some more rest. She wanted to feel Remiel but there was nothing where he should be, only the strange feeling that had been lingering since Farrin asked her to believe him. It felt like everything was being muddied, and she didn’t know enough to understand why. 

She was tired, but restless, fidgeting with her eyes closed. 

“Ms. Geary.” The sound of Alpha Germain’s voice was like a bell and the sound helped to clear some of the mud from the water in her mind. Genevieve almost sprang out of the bed. “Slow down, Ms. Geary.” 

Rob was at her side with a wide smile, helping her pull her coat on. “Vivi, how did you know?”

“I don’t know how, I just did. I could feel it.” She adored the light in Rob’s eyes. There was gold in the hazel.

“Can you walk, Ms. Geary?” Alpha Germain held out his hand and she could see the completed bracelet.

“Absolutely, sir.” Her cheeks ached with the smile on her face, reaching out to take hold of his hand. 

“Good. Why don’t we go out for a smoke?” His smile was almost mischievous.

“That sounds-”

“Tsk-tsk-tsk. Sibbi, aren’t you supposed to be on bedrest?” Farrin was smiling like a circling shark as he came into the room. “I brought some food and some new clothes since you’ll be here for a few more days, and frankly I don’t see the point in taking your old ratty clothes home with us.”

“My clothes might be old and ratty, but they’re mine, Farrin.” Her clothes had outlasted more people in her life, they were something that came into relationships and left them with her. 

“Sibbi, you cling to the strangest things.”

“Before you say anything else, Ms. Geary, come out with us.” Alpha Germain gripped her hand. “Clearing your head and a private word is what we came for.”

“You can speak here. I’ll step out.” Farrin shrugged without leaving. “She should stay in the room. I will, of course, let you say your goodbyes privately.”

“I’m stepping out for a few minutes.” Genevieve tried to keep her voice cool and even, to pretend more assertiveness than she felt at the moment.

“Sybil, I was always told that there was a dominant twin and I wondered which of us that would be. But I can see clearly, you’re a follower, sister. You’re staying put.” You wouldn’t want me to make things unpleasant for your friends. Farrin curled his finger as if summoning a recalcitrant child.

“Ms. Geary requires a leader to be a follower. You’re trying to threaten her into submission, Mr. Mesny. I wouldn’t be much of a leader if I allowed that.” The Alpha pulled her under his arm and gave a nod to Rob. 

The walk to the elevator was silent and she could feel Farrin stewing as clearly as if he were occupying a corner of her mind. Letting them interfere was selfish and stupid. They weren’t safe. It would be her fault if-

“Stop. Genevieve, you’re afraid of him pushing us but he’s pushing you right now. Do you trust me?”

Absolutely. “Yes.”

“Then trust me to keep you safe and make this decision.” His presence was strong and solid, shelter.

The song started to play in her head, she hadn’t even realized she knew the words, a half remembered tune from so long ago. It was like being back in the car with Mark on the way to a fishing trip. Shelter Me, the rough voice and cheerful music had been unlike the country pop her mother listened to. She drew in a juddering breath.

“Vivi?” Rob’s voice was gentle and concerned.

“She’s alright, it’s a difficult day. A good song though.” Alpha Germain squeezed her shoulder.

“Yeah.” Genevieve took another breath and leaned against him, giving over the decision. She was tired and giving the weight of it over was such a relief it almost made her want to go to sleep standing up.

His laugh came from deep in his chest. “That’s a good girl. You need to stay awake a little longer though.”

“What-What song?” Rob’s curiosity was like a tickle at the edge of her mind.

“A Joe Cocker song, Shelter Me. It’s a little different than what you listen to, Rob.” He was smiling, she didn’t have to look up to know it.

They were at the cluster of SUVs in the parking deck by the time she realized they were being watched and followed. Ethan opened the door and helped her into the smoky interior.

“Genevieve,” Remiel was waiting with a bucket and a smile. “Let’s get you clean.”

The bucket almost tipped over when she launched herself at him. It hadn’t been a whole day but it felt like longer. Trying to push words past the lump in her throat was impossible.

His growl as he tightened his arms around her brought Ethan into the front passenger seat. “Is something wrong?”

“No, but my mate is going to have some explaining to do when I get her home again. She left this morning certain that she wouldn’t see me again for a long time. She hid it from me.”

“It was hard enough. I couldn’t.” She took a deep breath. The feel of him so close was like a balm.

“We’re going to have company pretty soon, you need to hurry.” Ethan’s tone was serious and she could feel his focus. He was in his element. Alert and ready. He wasn’t going to have an easy time of it, but he was going to show his worth several times over. 

“He’s a good wolf.” Remiel whispered to her. “I always thought he was difficult, and then you show me he’s probably a better wolf than I am.” 

Ethan turned back to grin at her before stepping out and closing the door.

“What is it we need to be doing?” Genevieve looked up at him with a wry smile. “I’ll stay and snuggle with you all day if you let me.”

“I wish we could. I need to wash you and make sure you have what you need to clear off the Page’s influence.” His eye was golden. “You’re going to tell me if you’re afraid to stay.”

“I’m nervous to be in the room with him. We have, if not the same, then similar,” she hunted for a word, “talents.” Gifts would be too positive a spin on it. “But he’s been educated, he knows how to use them and he does it without hesitation. There’s a coldness.” Shaking her head, she tried to find a way to express it.

“I understand.” He started tugging her shirt off and she couldn’t help but smile. Better circumstances would be nice but anytime she could manage to be naked around him was- He derailed her thoughts with a kiss. “My loving mate, I need you to focus.”

She nodded ruefully and tried to remember what she was thinking of before. “He’s dangerous but I think he’s genuine. He wants me to be his sister. He wants me to give him the family bond he’s always wanted and always lacked. I don’t know what’s going to happen between here and-and when I burn. But I don’t think he’s a threat to my life at this moment.”

“I’m not going to let that happen. I’m not going to let my mate burn.”

Genevieve took another deep breath and kissed him, sitting naked on his lap in the smoke. “Dig down.”

The salt water was chilly. Remiel washed her clothes in smoke as she washed herself from the bucket. Her jewelry she washed herself and held to charge once she’d redressed. She found herself wishing for her black sapphire necklace.

“I have something for you.” Remiel ran his hand through her hair. He pulled a ring out of his pocket, three round black sapphires set in a swirling, almost art nouveau, silver setting. “This might help.”

“This is perfect.” She felt lighter just holding it. Washing it in the smoke and charging it as she curled into Remiel’s side made her feel much closer to right. It fit on her ring finger as if he’d had her there when he picked it out.

She could see the tension in his jaw as he looked out of the dark window. It was time. Getting out of the vehicle, she realized there was something of a standoff occurring around them.

“Sibbi, there you are. I was starting to worry.” Farrin was standing with the armed men casually holding weapons, their vehicles blocking in the SUVs. “Time to go back up.”

A glance to Alpha Germain got her a slight nod. “Remi, did you give her everything?” 

“Almost, sir.” He wasn’t happy about letting her go back up but he was better now than he had been earlier. Remiel offered her a canvas grocery bag. “Clothes. Smudge sticks and your lighter, salt, black tourmaline that’s already been washed, and the witch suggested quartz after she had a look around Brandon’s shop and spoke to him.”

“Thank you, my angel. Now I can come out and smoke on my own.” Having everything she needed made a difference, she could feel it. 

He grinned and leaned in to kiss her. “If you need me…” 

“You’ll feel it.” She pressed her face against his, breathing and feeling him. I am open to my mate.

“I love you.” It was painful for him to step back but it had to be done.

“I love you too, Remiel.” Genevieve gave him the best smile she could before moving to Alpha Germain.

“When you’re released, we’ll be here to get you. You don’t leave with anyone else, Ms. Geary.” He tilted her chin up and smiled grimly.

“Yes, sir.” Shelter, home, family. Trust. She watched his smile warm.

“Good girl. I’m going to walk you back up and stay while you clear your room.”

“Thank you, I won’t be able to get it as clear as the one at home but I can make it quieter.”

Farrin accompanied them into the elevator. “I’ve already made it quiet for you, Sibbi.”

The Alpha glowered, but she spoke before he could, “You did, and you also messed with my head and violated the limited trust you were given. I’m going to clear out what you did and make the room quieter my way.”

He bit his top lip and then smiled. “You’re more confident after you’ve been with them. More relaxed. I’m looking forward to seeing you this way at home.”

“Her home is with us.” Alpha Germain spoke with a quiet conviction that made her smile and want to hug him.

“She’s never been home. Our mother took us from the hospital and ran. Father didn’t know why,” Farrin smiled bitterly, “I had my suspicions. He could be… a bit of a sadist.”

“I’m sorry.” Genevieve looked at him apologetically.

“You’re sorry?” Farrin looked at her with amusement, “My childhood was an idyllic joy compared to yours. I can understand why you cling to things, and why feeling like you belong and have people who care for you means so much. But you don’t belong there Sibbi, not really.” He started to say more but the elevator door opened and Alpha Germain ushered her out.

“She knows exactly where she belongs.” The low resonant timbre of his voice brought to mind a growl and Farrin seemed to hesitate before following them.

True to his word, Alpha Germain stayed while she used salt water to clear the room as best she could. When she moved to flick it on the glass where Farrin had done something, he cleared his throat.

“Sibbi, if you do that, the glass will crack.”

She bit her top lip trying to think of a way to clear it off without breaking the glass. The sharp snap of Alpha Germain’s fingers pulled her teeth off of her lip. “Well, I can’t use smoke in here.”

“Why would the water break it?” Alpha Germain interrupted. Genevieve hadn’t even realized, she’d just taken Farrin’s word for it, asking a question never occurred to her.

“She’s dispelling everything. It’s not the salt that’s clearing the room, the salt is the focus. It’s raw power. The way the spell on the window is constructed, it’ll be like she hit it with a hammer.” He looked smug but impressed. “I’ll take it off, Sibbi, but you need to let me teach you less ham-fisted ways of doing this. The things you could do if you let all that power flow through the channels of more traditional spells would be stunning.”

Genevieve looked to the Alpha for direction. “She’ll get an education, but not from you.” 

“As if I would let my sister put that kind of decision in the paws of one of you.” Farrin’s smile was carved from ice. “She requires direction, when you’ve either chosen to leave her with me or gone mad and been put down, she’ll be looking for it where she was meant to. From me.”

Alpha Germain didn’t bother to address the combination of threat and insult. He knew when he was being goaded, as he knew there would be a time and a place to address the threat.

The feeling of Farrin releasing the spell was very much like having her ears pop. She stepped forward to splash her droplets on the window focusing her intent and finishing the room. The crystals she charged one at a time and put in the corners, and the quartz she placed as close to the center of the room as she could. The room was very nearly silent.

“That’s not as effective as mine.” Farrin’s lips twisted.

“No, but I can’t clear it with smoke like I would usually do. I need salt and smoke before I place the corners or it isn’t as quiet. It’s good enough for a day or two though.” She sighed and looked at Alpha Germain with a smile, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll see you soon. Remi is going to be eager to have you home, so get your rest.” Being pulled into a hug was comforting and safe. For a moment, she felt like everything was going to be fine. “It will be, Genevieve. Hold onto that.”

“Yes, sir.” She climbed into the bed and got comfortable. It felt good to lay down. 

Farrin settled into his chair and looked at her speculatively. “Our food is cold now. It won’t be as good, but I’m starved and you look exhausted. It might help pick you up a bit.”

Blinking at him for a moment she inquired, “You don’t know do you?” If he was concerned with the way the food tasted, he couldn’t know.

“Apparently not.” His eyebrow raised.

“I don’t have a sense of smell. That makes tasting anything difficult.” She watched him sit back and look into the middle distance.

“Was this… a birth defect?” He was rethinking the possibility that she was who he thought, it would make her vision more understandable.

It was tempting to say yes, he might be more willing to leave her pack alone and let her go home to Remiel without a fight. Farrin waited for an answer and she sighed and shook her head, wishing she could lie. “No. Before I met Remiel I made a lot of bad choices as far as men were concerned. It was a TBI, a, uh, traumatic-”

“Brain injury.” He smiled faintly. “I’m sorry. Not just about the injury. I have a habit of doing whatever I need to-” His eyes focused on her as Thrice’s Black Honey started to play in her head. “Sing that for me.”

Her mouth opened and it began to spill out before she could help herself, but she stopped in the middle of the song, watching the way he was biting his top lip. “If you’re hungry…”

“Suddenly, I’m not.” He rubbed his face. “Sibbi. What can I do to fix this?”

“You have to stop.”

“That’s not going to happen. I’ve looked for you for too long. I need you.”

“You really don’t. Accept what’s broken and move forward. Build something new.”

“I can’t. This can be fixed. You’ve never had the options I have, Sibbi.”

“And you’ve never been forced to face the hard truths and drag yourself along until things got better. Your father did you a disservice by giving you so much.”

The feelings projecting from him were jumbled and confusing to the point they made her feel dizzy. She closed her eyes and rubbed the ring. Things grew quieter. Taking a breath and opening her eyes Farrin’s face was unreadable. 

“Will you tell me, just, just one thing, Sibbi? Do you think I’m... creepy?”

“I think you’re more dangerous than I am… But you’re not any creepier.”

His face cracked in a smile. “That’s not what I asked.”

“But it’s my answer.”

He exhaled a soft laugh. “We’re both creepy.”

“Yep.” Looking at him, she almost thought it was her own tired eyes looking back. 

He stood up slowly, dipping low as if he were going to kiss her head again before he took hold of her chin and tilted her face up, kissing her on the lips. “I’ll get the food.”

Genevieve sat frozen for a moment and then shuddered. “That was very… Fall of the House of Usher of you. Please don’t do it again.”

Farrin started to laugh, choking sobs of laughter that he had to sit on the edge of the bed and recover from for a moment. Wiping at his eyes he looked at her and tried to get his words out without giggling, “I was thinking Jaime and Cersei.”

“Creepy!” Genevieve kicked at him and he started to laugh again, it was contagious this time and she couldn’t help but laugh a little too. Laughing felt good, the day had been so tense.

The two take-away dishes he laid out on the tray table held bizarre looking food. She didn’t recognize it. And the fact that he laid out chopsticks didn’t bode well.

“You’re kidding, you don’t eat Thai?” Farrin’s face lit up as though he’d won a prize. “I can’t vouch for the quality of this, but Thai is usually delicious.” He pushed the soupy looking green dish at her. “Green curry, I like it with chicken. Try it.”

“It’s green. Like, scary back of the fridge, green. I’ll pass.”

“I’ll have the first bite if it’ll ease your mind.” He was grinning as he added some rice and took a bite, swallowing it with clear pleasure. “I’ve had better but you should be able to taste it. It’s got a nice heat to it.”

The thought of putting that green stuff in her mouth made her queasy. “No, I’ll pass. Hard pass. Sorry.”

“How declassè.”

“You could just refer to me as ‘trash’ some of my best friends have.” She was half joking but she saw his smile falter. “I don’t have a sense of smell, I barely have a sense of taste. If I ignore what my eyes tell me I’ll end up with food poisoning. Again. That dish screams ‘Do not eat me.’ You learn to look at your food.”

“I can,” he sighed, “I can see where that would be wise. I’m sorry about… I meant to tease you.”

“I know. I’m not offended.” Genevieve gave him a wry smile. “I’ve heard worse.”

“So… Does the pad woon sen look more appealing?”

She tilted her head looking at it dubiously. “Those are weird noodles.”

“Glass noodles. I’ll take a bite of that too if you want me to make sure it’s edible.” He took up the other pair of chopsticks and skillfully picked up a bite of noodles and meat. “It’s passable, the curry is better.”

“I’ll, um, I guess I’ll try the noodles.” They looked weird but not sketchy. 

Trying to figure out how to eat with the chopsticks was a little more difficult. Farrin tried to show her but he was gleeful over her lack of coordination and it didn’t take long before she put them down.

“I didn’t get forks, Sibbi, you’ll… What are you doing?!”

Picking up a bite of food in her fingers and shoving it in her mouth she tried not to choke on it, as the look of horror on his face set her laughing. “‘M eating.”

“You’re a barbarian.” Farrin covered his eyes.

“‘Can’t take me anywhere.’ I’ve heard that once or twice. I’m also ‘the reason we can’t have nice things’ if you ask my two best friends.” She gave him a broad grin before shoving another bite into her mouth.

“I think there’s been a mistake, we can’t possibly be related.” Farrin was trying to shield his eyes as he ate.

“Probably right,” Genevieve agreed.

“Let me guess you listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd and crush beer cans on your face.” He gave her a scathing look.

She started laughing and teased him, “I like my beer in bottles, it’s classier.” He groaned hiding his face and she tried not to giggle as she continued, “RC cans on the other hand…”

“No wonder you want to live with animals, you are one.” He was only half joking, Genevieve could feel it.

“I’m pretty sure I’m much worse than they are, I ate breakfast with my hands and they used forks.”

His lips twisted. “If I left you longer maybe they could have civilized you just a bit.”

“You should try it and see.” She gave him a bright smile. 

“If I house train you myself at least I’ll know it’s been done properly.” His smirk was a challenge.

Widening her eyes in mock innocence, she asked in the sweetest possible tone, “House training or home training? It’s been years since I went on the floor.” 

Farrin’s smirk changed to bemusement. “I don’t know if father would have loved you or hated you.” 

“Was he hard on you? When did he…?” She’d wondered when she was small, what her father was like. As she’d gotten older she stopped wanting to know. He’d left her to her mother, that was all she knew and all she needed to know. Finding out that might not have been the case had woken the curiosity again.

“He was. I was always a disappointment. And he isn’t dead, not exactly, he’s been in a coma for years. The doctors say he’ll never wake up at this point.” He took the rest of the food away and poured her a cup of cold tea. “Chrysanthemum. I usually drink it hot, but it’s fine cold.”

“Why?” Her question seemed to surprise Farrin, he sat staring at her for a moment. “I mean, was he just so unhappy he couldn’t be pleased with anything or…?”

“You’re the first person who asked why without thinking it was my fault. They always think he must have been justified because I’m…” He looked into his cup.

“Kind of an a*s? That usually has something to do with the way you’re raised.”

“Kind of an a*s. I can’t tell if you’re trying to be gentle or painfully honest.” He offered her a wry smile.

“Both. You seem like you need some gentleness, and a buttload of honesty.” Genevieve offered him her hand.

“Sibbi, honesty I get enough of. All the time whether I want it or not. Gentleness,” Farrin took her hand as if he was afraid it would crumble to dust, “gentleness, I need. Father believed in honesty, at the expense of all else. He did love me, but his love was like sandpaper.” He caressed her hand. “You felt like silk with…” 

Genevieve pulled her hand away gingerly, “I love him, he was a piece of me I never knew was missing.”

“Isn’t that what I am?” Farrin took her hand back. “You’ve been enjoying having a brother as much as I’m enjoying having a sister.” Bringing her hand to his cheek he pressed it and sat with his eyes closed.

He wasn’t wrong. Farrin was dangerous to her and her pack, he was an a*s a lot like Brandon could be on his worst days but something about him was pulling at her heartstrings. She liked him even though she didn’t really want to, even though she knew how this was going to end. Her thumb moved just slightly brushing over his fingers and he took in a sharp breath, turning his head to press his lips to the back of her hand.

“It’ll get better, Sibbi. I’m not going to kill you. I need you. I won’t even look at your pack if they just let you be-be what you were meant to be, who you were meant to be. Do you-do you know where home is?” His voice was soft and pleading.

“Home is with Remiel.” The longer he held her hand the stranger her mind felt.

“Home is in North Carolina. We have a vineyard, you’ll love it. We had horses when I was small, father said he bought them for our mother. I have pictures of her. I want to show you all of it.”

The dizziness washed over her first, followed by a sharp shooting pain through her skull. She was shivering and couldn’t stop. The glass came down like a blessed relief. Under the dark stained glass, she couldn’t see or hear, she couldn’t even feel. But she could think clearly. He was doing something to her. Influence. He could change the way that people saw things… she hadn’t been able to see it when he was doing it to her.

If Remiel had been able to see it, he’d be upset at what was going on. If he hadn’t, he might be bewildered or hurt at the way she’d been opening up to the Page. Calling him by name wasn’t safe, it was an invitation. Genevieve tried to steady herself. Something felt wrong about the way she was thinking.

In the safety under the glass, she tried to relax and let whatever it was come to her. If she could see out… There were things she didn’t know, things she hadn’t seen. She pressed her face to the cool glass. Glass. Glass was porous. Glass could breathe.

Bring on the wonder, bring on the song. (Enan, Susan. “Bring on the Wonder.” Plainsong, independent release, 2009. Track 2.) The Sibyl wanted to sing, she liked to sing… Genevieve felt warm, smiling and wrapping her arms around herself. She’d been pushing part of herself back down again. It was time, it was past time, to embrace…

It was like the diner dream. She was looking through windows, it was a hall of windows. Peering in one after the other she looked, trying to find what she needed. The Latro Alphas were speaking with their witch away from the Germain den. They looked concerned, listening as the witch spoke to someone on the other end of a phone laid on the table.

In another window Brandon was on the phone too. He looked afraid and determined. He started to go toward the door before putting the phone down and grabbing his deck of cards. The Fool, The Moon, The Hanged Man. He spoke into the phone and left them laying on the table.

Rob was in the den with the computer and the box. He was watching videos on how to make simple rings. His fingers were quick and deft as he replicated what he’d seen. He had more than the black and blue kyanite to work with. Onyx, obsidian, even hematite beads. Some were with the gold wire, others with silver.

The Pure was dressing for a date. Her mahogany hair was curled loosely and she was agonizing over her dress. The Golden was pointing at the dark red, but she gravitated to the blue. 

Alpha Germain sat with the phone in his hands in a spacious suite. He was still in the same clothes as he’d been in at the hospital. The look on his tired face told her he was agonizing over a decision. He jumped as the phone in his hands lit up. He spoke with someone at length, a serious conversation. As he hung up the phone he looked pensive and said something to himself before rising and finding a suit.

A frail man she didn’t know lay in a hospital bed. It wasn’t in a hospital. In his room, there was a coldness like what she had felt from the Page. She could feel it keenly. Looking at him felt as strange as looking at the Page’s eyes. There was something so familiar about his face. His eyes fluttered as if they wanted to open.

The Page was sitting with his head bowed holding tightly to her hand. He looked like he might be whispering something. His head lifted as doctors came in. She watched them poke at her and look concerned, it took a moment for her to realize she was in a hospital gown. How much time had gone by she didn’t know.

She stayed to watch as Brandon came in with Remiel. The Page shook his head and argued with them. Going back to try to calm the situation crossed her mind, but she hadn’t found what she needed yet. Closing her eyes she willed herself to know where to look. Opening them again there was a shattered cottage half overgrown and empty of people in front of her. 

A window was broken and she slipped through like wind. An old bundle of unused cloth diapers was decaying in a corner. 

I knew you would come eventually. It whispered around her. You will come. You will choose. The fire will burn, the water will flow. Justice. For both. Justice and rest.

Moving herself out of the cottage and back into the hall, she walked back toward herself under the dark glass, taking her time as she pondered the words. The Page needed justice. Justice for an act done to him, and justice done to him for his own acts. There must be justice for the one who could not rest, the True Image. Scales would fall into balance.

Exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding she let the glass lift and woke to an icy shower. “AAHhhahahaahhhhhh COLD! F**k! Cold!” Genevieve started to shiver and try to get out of the stream of the water.

“‘Cold is the water!’ I told you!” Brandon sounded supremely pleased with himself.

“You did. Genevieve, are you alright?” Remiel stepped out of the shower with her and began to rub her with a towel.

“The Page-”

“I sent him away last night, Vivi. You don’t have to be afraid.” Brandon was holding a hospital gown.

“The Page needs justice.”

“He’ll get it.” Remiel’s voice was half growl.

“Justice for him. For. Him. Twisted rope and thread. The True Image cannot rest, there must be justice for both. Twisted rope and thread.” She rubbed her aching head. “The Page.”

“You want him to come back.” Brandon sounded shocked.

“The Beautiful will strike him down as the Sibyl burns. Cold is the water. Cold. Smoke, the smoke and heat but no light. No light. Water underneath and fire above but no light.” She was shivering with the cold. “Twisted rope and thread.”

“Can you understand her at all?” Brandon looked at Remiel as if she’d gone crazy.

“Whatever it is, is urgent.” Remiel tied her into her gown and tucked her into her bed, calling the nurse for more blankets. “The men he has watching to make sure we don’t steal her away might be able to reach him.”

“You don’t have to look for me, I told you I wouldn’t be gone long. I have an injunction saying her care falls to me.” Farrin’s voice was fury and ice.

“Twisted rope and thread!” Genevieve tried to sit up and Remiel made soothing sounds at her gently pressing her back down and raising the head of the bed for her.

Farrin stood blinking for a moment and then came toward her, moving to the side of the bed that didn’t have an angry wolf, as if an angry Brandon would be better. “You can go stand over there. Vivi needs to talk to you, you don’t need to touch her.”

“Mercy.” She pulled at Remiel’s arm. “Justice for both.” 

His eye was golden as he looked from her to Farrin. “She wants you to come close. This is personal. Hurt her again and I will rip your arms off.”

“My Angel, dig down. Mercy is bitter, mercy is loved.”

“The doctors are not going to be happy if she keeps speaking gibberish. They’ll stick her back in the MRI.” Brandon tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

“It isn’t gibberish. You’re talking to the Sibyl.” Farrin sat at the foot of the bed and touched her leg. “Justice? For me and to me?” 

She sighed in relief. “For both. The True Image cannot rest. Twisted rope and thread.”

“She hung herself.”

Genevie shook her head slowly. “Twisted rope and thread. Justice must be done. The fire will burn, the water will flow. Justice and rest.”

“He lied.” Farrin bent toward her legs.

“The Beautiful will strike you down as the Sibyl burns. Cold is the water. Cold. Smoke. Smoke and heat but no light. No light. Water underneath and fire above but no light.” 

He was panting and had pressed his forehead to her knee. “The Sibyl in chains. It’s my fault but I didn’t do it. I twisted it and I can’t untwist it. I tried to make it unbreakable.”

“What are you talking about?” Brandon sounded baffled.

“The curse I put down, I fucked things up.” Farrin squeezed her legs. “I’m sorry, Sibbi.”

“Mercy. Justice. Cold is the water.” She was starting to feel exhausted, curling to sleep was all she wanted to do now, but it was so cold.

“I’ll get into bed with you to warm you.” Remiel was uncertain, uncertain of the outcome and uncertain of her judgment. It made her want to cry and close herself off, but it would hurt too badly and he would think it was punishment for his feelings. It would be decided. Either he would be certain or he would be alone.

“You won’t dig, will you?” Farrin sighed as he stood moving to lean on the bar at the very end of the bed. “You’ll be waiting a long time if you can’t love the Sibyl.”

“I love her.” Remiel tried to find a way to fit his large frame into the narrow bed with her without pushing her off.

“If you don’t trust her you can’t love her. When the time comes, you won’t dig. You’ll stand there frozen in indecision. She can feel it.” 

“Twisted rope and thread.” She breathed pressing her face into Remiel’s chest.

“Twisted rope and thread means everything is fucked up.” Brandon squeezed her arm. “Then we unfuck it. You can’t unring a bell but spells and curses can be deflected and broken. Vivi is good at helping people shield themselves and getting negative energy unstuck. She can probably fix whatever the f**k is wrong with you.”

“She couldn’t.” Farrin sounded lost. “She tried to warn me but I wasn’t listening.”

“The Fool, The Moon, The Hanged Man.” Genevieve muttered and bumped her head against Remiel’s chest as if it were a wall. There was time, there wasn’t much of it, but there was still some.

“What? What did she say?” Brandon sounded surprised and a little creeped out.

“The Fool, The Moon, The Hanged Man. I don’t know what any of that means.” Remiel squeezed her closer and pulled her head against his chest, holding it in place.

“I laid those cards out before I came.” It sounded like he was backing away from her.

“It means I need to make changes and get my affairs in order. I have a limited amount of time and it probably won’t affect the outcome. But I need to show willing. If I want to try to unfuck it at all, I have work to do.” Farrin took a deep breath. “I’ll do what I can Sibbi.”