CHAPTER#62

"That's something I don't have an answer for."

"Hmm." He continued rubbing, working his way back toward her heel.

Abella flew off, no longer interested in the conversation. The blast from her wings disturbed the loose dirt around the fountain, scattering it outward.

There was something more to what Ratu had said. "Jane wanted a future more than anything, not just sex. So why just that moment? Why not bring her back to life or something?"

"A future, huh?" Ratu turned her head toward Naia, her outstretched hand playing in the water. "Any ideas, nymph?"

"You said that she was saying weird things, right?" Naia held up a sphere of water. "Like what?"

"I don't remember, honestly. She kept changing back and forth between Jenny and Jane, which was pretty distracting. I did notice the emerald kept feeding her magic, and her eyes were glowing. Now I'm worried because she hasn't spoken to anybody since then."

"A spiritual manifestation like that must have exhausted her." Ratu flicked the water. "Now I wonder something. You say that Jane desired a future. How would the gem interpret such a thing and give it to her?"

"By letting her see the future! Like a prophecy." Zel said, underlining something on the page. Everyone looked at her. "Weird phrases, glowing eyes. All the hallmarks of precognition."

"Seriously?" He looked at Ratu. "Is that possible?"

"Perhaps."

He sighed. "That kind of makes sense. It almost seemed like Jane and Jenny were two distinct beings. Is the emerald powerful enough to treat someone like that as two separate people?"

"I imagine so. Jenny is a bit of a special case. She is unable to move on, trapped on the material plane. The rules are likely different for her."

"Okay, so now that we know what it does, what now? Should I have you destroy it? It seems like it would be fairly dangerous."

"Maybe. I see no reason to rush though." She winked at him. "And neither should you." She poked him with her free foot. "Unless you have somewhere else to be?"

He laughed. "No, I really don't."

Mike continued to rub her feet, listening to the others talk. If Jenny really had seen the future, what had it been? His thoughts had been all consumed by Cecilia's absence as well as Emily's mysterious schemes. The embarrassment involving Beth hadn't helped matters either, forcing him to put it out of his mind. He had no idea if it had been real or a dream, but ultimately it didn't matter.

"When do you think we could examine this wardrobe of yours?" Ratu asked, snapping him away from his thoughts.

"This afternoon, I guess. I would like to check in with Reggie and Tink first so they know where I'm going. Then we can properly prepare." If such a thing was even possible, he thought.

"Sounds good. Come and get me when you're ready. I'm just going to soak up some sun." She slid the kimono off her body, lying naked on the stone wall, soaking up the heat from the sun. Snakeskin patterns shifted on her flesh and she closed her eyes, a thin smile crossing her face. Soon she was scaly from head to toe, and he couldn't help but stare at her for a little bit.

"I can't wait to document it. Sounds like the wood itself is enchanted. If so, I wonder if I could find a way to grow some." Zel shut her notebook and tucked her pencil behind her ear. "I'll be around." She blew him a kiss and disappeared into the garage.

Mike sat on the wall, watching Ratu doze. Naia's birds were singing her various tunes, landing in the upper tier of her fountain. He fought the urge to go on about his business, choosing instead to enjoy this moment of peace. A strange feeling in his gut told him that it would be the last one for a while.

-

Beth opened her eyes, blinking several times. She had fallen asleep at the desk in the office, her laptop still open and some documents spread out before her. Yawning, she checked the time. She must have conked out over an hour ago.

Stretching her arms, she couldn't help but lean back and stare at the moulding on the ceiling. The grooves had dirt and what looked like soot in some places, which wouldn't entirely surprise her. She grabbed her coffee cup and lifted it to her face.

That was odd. It was still mostly full. She sipped at it and made a face. It had gone cold.

Her cell phone rang and she was tempted to let it go to voicemail until she saw that her phone was displaying a picture of a young woman with red and black hair with a cartoon halo over her head giving the camera the finger.

"Lily?" she answered. "When did you put your picture on my phone? Hell, when did you get a phone?"

The succubus chuckled on the other end. "When you were sleeping, of course. I put myself in the night before I left."

"Figures." Beth pushed off the desk with her foot, and the chair she sat on spun around to face one of the windows. "How is Colorado?"

"We're not in Colorado anymore. Haven't been for a couple days."

"Where are you?"

"California." Lily sighed. "We ran into some problems on our way here and things got... complicated."

"Are you okay? What about Dana?" Beth hadn't gotten a chance to know the zombie very well and had more than a little anxiety about letting her roam the countryside.

"We're fine for now. I was calling home because I need money for a plane ticket?"

"To where?"

"I would rather not say. I just need some numbers from you so I can finish paying online."

"I thought Dana couldn't ride on a plane? Something about biting the other passengers."

Lily chuckled again. "She's too big for carry-on, but not for checked bags. I'm traveling as you, by the way. Have you ever wanted to join the Mile High Club?"