13:13
Clasping Dempsey’s spectral hand in a loose grip, Prairie made her way towards Dempsey’s body and the group clustered around it with Dempsey on her left and Kirby shoring her up on the right.
“Lot of crying,” Dempsey murmurs.
“Well, you are dead.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. You are. But we’re going to change that.” Prairie waved the crossroads talisman at him. “Smart using this.”
“Lucky more than smart.”
“How so?”
“I didn’t pick it. The bag did. Or my Magick did.”
Prairie cocked her head to shoot him a quick look. “Well then, that was lucky. That you had it.”
“And it worked.”
“And it worked,” Prairie nodded her agreement. She jerked her head to the group around his body. “Shall we?”
Dempsey gave a spectral shrug. “Not doing anything else.”
“That’s the spirit! Or,” Prairie grinned, “Spirit.”
Before she could say more they drew close enough to the group that she was able to hear what they were saying in low tones. Siobhan was clearly trying to pry Gwen’s hands from Dempsey’s slit throat. And Gwen was equally clearly resisting. As Prairie watched a line of red formed across Gwen’s throat. She wavered slightly in her crouch then tightened her hold on Dempsey.
“You have to stop!” Siobhan lay a hand on Gwen’s, making an attempt to pull her fingers away. “You can’t take on that kind of damage. It will kill you!”
“Let it! I–” Gwen’s voice broke. “I’ve lived a good life. I’m okay with this!”
“Well, I’m not!” There was an uncharacteristic snap to Siobhan’s voice. “And I guarantee you if Dempsey came to and found you dead he wouldn’t be either!”
“Well, shit,” Kim murmured behind Prairie, “That’s not good.”
“Not to be a bummer, man,” Patti said. “But he’s dead. Why heal him?”
Both Siobhan and Gwen turned to give Patti stricken stares. Siobhan was the one to reply. “Because Prairie is going to save him and he needs to be intact for that.”
The weight of the faith that statement held made Prairie stop her forward motion.
“You’ve got this,” Dempsey said.
“You are a once in a lifetime talent,” One added. “You will succeed.”
Prairie looked down into One’s intent gaze. “Will I?”
“You will.”
Prairie tightened her fingers around the essence of Dempsey’s Spirit and took a steadying breath, then looked up and continued to approach his body.
As they approached Siobhan pulled a large round glass jar from her bag, uncorked it, and poured some of its contents into her palm. Then she dabbed her fingers into the fluid and carefully smoothed it over Dempsey’s ravaged throat.
“There.” She rocked back on her heels. Apparently realizing Prairie was approaching she jerked a glance over her shoulder. “Oh, good.” She slid her gaze to where Prairie clasped Dempsey’s hand. A frown creased her brow. “You have him?”
“I have him.”
“Okay, then.”
Siobhan rose and stepped away from Dempsey’s body. She held Prairie’s gaze a moment, shifted it to Prairie’s side where Dempsey’s Spirit stood tall, and then looked back at his throat. As Prairie watched the gash there grew smaller, pulling towards the center, and visibly knitting the flesh together. She shifted her attention back to Siobhan who gave a brief nod and backed away from Dempsey’s body.
Prairie took a fortifying breath then walked forward with Dempsey and Kirby bracketing her. She lowered herself to her knees then took a cross-legged sitting position. Dempsey followed, taking a seat next to her with his gaze intent on his body.
“That’s creepy,” he murmured.
“A little,” Prairie replied in a hushed tone. “But also peaceful.” She shook her head and met his faded gaze. “Are you ready?”
Dempsey took another long look at his slack form, then nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Okay.” Prairie rested the wrist of the hand she held his in on her knee then shifted to lay the hand with the talisman on her other knee, palm up.
“Who’s she talking to?” Patti whispered. Kim replied in a similar tone. “Dempsey. I think. Pretty sure it’s Dempsey.”
“Oh.”
Prairie didn’t turn to clock their positions. Instead she focused her Magick, imagining it forming a circuit from her left hand clasping Dempsey to her right holding the talisman. Back. Forth. She let the Magick wash over and through her, willing a connection.
When the loop had gained sufficient momentum she slowly reached forward with her right hand and placed the talisman between Dempsey’s eyes with the right and left arms pressing against the corresponding tear ducts. Then she took his spirit hand and stretched to place it over the talisman. To his credit, he went along with the motion.
She pressed her palm flat to his hand. It wasn’t like touching a regular hand. There was no push of knuckles and phalanges. No softness skin against her own. But there was substance, the weight of all that was Dempsey coalesced into the Spirit echo.
Closing her eyes and releasing a slow breath she called to his Spirit, willing it to flow from the talisman and into his body. She felt his spirit hand collapse beneath hers, the energy flowing into and through the talisman. Slowly she opened her eyes and slanted a glance from the side to assess where Dempsey’s Spirit form had held. A small smile ticked the corner of her mouth when she saw it was gone. She caught the very last trace of it as it went gossamer thin then disappeared entirely from her vision.
Sitting back with a smile she started, “It–” only to stop as she watched his Spirit separating from his body and hover over it with his Spirit face directed down towards his physical one. His Spirit turned its head and met her wide-gaze with a hazy one.
“No,” she whispered under her breath and snatched his Spirit shoulder in a loose grip. A frown creased her brow as she focused her Magick.
That should have worked! No, that did work. But, it also didn’t.
“What’s–” Abe started only to be shushed by Patti. Prairie didn’t turn, didn’t shift her focus from Dempsey’s cloudy gaze.
“Try–” Dempsey breathed out, the sound weak, “Again.”
Prairie gave the barest shift of her chin, drew a sharp breath through her nostrils, then breathed out through her parted mouth, blowing the Magick laden breath over Dempsey’s Spirit face.
His form rippled with the breath and then sank, merging with his body. Prairie forgot to breathe as she stared intently at his still chest.
Come on, she pushed with her Magick, Rise.
She felt a tugging in the center of her forehead as her Magick swelled and flowed across the space separating them, seeking contact. Instead it seemed to hit a barrier and rebounded on her. And Dempsey’s Spirit rose out of his body to hover above it again.
“Rise!” This time Prairie chanted the word as she pushed forward with her Magick.
She leaned her upper body forward until she was looming over Dempsey’s body. Next to her One gave a short bark and shoved forward, throwing Kirby’s body over Dempsey’s legs. Prairie felt a push of power, it wasn’t refined enough to feel like Magick, press down not only on her back but also over Dempsey’s body like a weighted blanket. She threw her own Magick into the pressure, weaving it with the surge of power.
She felt more than saw as Dempsey’s Spirit separated from his body, rising to hover over his form. The touch of it was cold, painfully so, as it brushed up against Prairie’s front and face.
Others expressed the touch of Spirit as cold, freezing even, but Prairie had never, not once, experienced such a thing. For her Spirits had a warmth, a crackling static energy which might lift the hairs on her arms but never once held a note of cold.
Jerking back from the touch of what felt like anathema, she stared at Dempsey’s Spirit and body with wide-eyes. She shifted her gaze to Kirby who had taken up a stance with its four legs bracketing Dempsey’s legs.
Then she focused on Dempsey’s face. Or his Spirit’s face. As Spirit forms often were it was a bit hazy. A bit undefined. And yet she could clearly see the confusion in the milky gaze pinned on her.
“What’s–” the word scratched at her, like the pelt of sand or ice that could blast the skin from her face.
She shook her head. Hovered her hand beside his Spirit’s face. “Save your energy.”
“What’s wrong?”
Prairie turned her head to look at Ivan who’d come to crouch next to her. “His Spirit isn’t latching on.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know!” Her frustration came out on a harsh exhale. She took a very deep breath, held it for what felt like an eternity, then slowly expelled it through parted lips. Tears pricked her eyes. She blinked them away, then shifted her gaze from Ivan, to Dempsey’s Spirit, then to Dempsey’s body, and then back to Ivan. “I don’t know,” she repeated on a whisper.
Lifting a shaking hand, she pressed it to her lips as she considered what to do. A tear broke free of her control and oozed down her cheek. Ivan lifted his hand and brushed it away, leaving his palm cupped to her cheekbone.
“You’ve got this.”
Prairie nuzzled her cheek into his hand and closed her eyes. “I don’t.”
“You do.” There was a firmness to his voice, strength that she felt down to her core.
“Take my Magick.” Gwen’s quiet voice drew Prairie’s attention.
She realized the other woman had come to the other side of Dempsey so her gaze met Prairie’s across his unmoving chest. His Spirit turned its head to look at the other woman, then he turned back to Prairie and in less than a whisper, said, “No.” A long pause and then he forced out, “Let me go.”
Prairie’s eyes widened. Her mouth firmed. “No.”
“No?” At Ivan’s question, Prairie lifted her gaze and met his dark eyes. “He said let him go.”
“No!” Gwen’s stark cry drew Prairie’s attention. She threw herself over Dempsey’s chest and pressed her forehead to where shoulder and neck met. “No!”
Tears openly poured from Prairie’s eyes. She gulped and refused to look away from Gwen’s sorrow.
Death had never been an issue for her. It was just part of living. Not an end. Just a transition.
And yet—No. This was not going to be the end of Dempsey’s journey among the living.
She knew what she had to do. Everything inside of her shrank from the choice but she knew. She had to do what Mary did to Al. She had to use a portion of her life to anchor his.
She had to become an abomination.
“Not an abomination, My One.”
One’s voice drew her attention. She looked down Dempsey’s length, meeting the eyes of not just One but Hello and Bunny as well. Each was focused with such intent, trust, and love that she almost bowed beneath the regard.
Did she say that out loud?
“You did not. But we are one. And we will do what we must. And it will not compromise your soul.”
Prairie blinked back tears. “How can you be certain?”
“How can I not. We have faith in you.” The words emitted from not only One but Hello and Bunny, the voices interweaving into a harmony that Prairie felt more than heard.
She lifted shaking hands, cupping them over her lower jaw and mouth. Ivan pulled his hand back slightly to smooth the loose tendrils of hair that had come loose from her ponytail and were sticking to her damp forehead.
His, “I have faith in you,” brought more tears.
And when the entirety of the group, including Gwen who lifted her head from Dempsey’s chest and Dempsey whose Spirit form wavered and flickered but whose voice was strong where it had been weak before, echoed the words Prairie’s lower lip quivered. She bent her head forward, shut her eyes with enough force they hurt, and she wept.
“I don’t want to do it.” The truth hurt to say but many things in life hurt and it didn’t make them any less true.
One didn’t let that sit. “Sometimes we have to do things we do not want to do. It is the answer.”
Prairie raised stricken eyes to One. “There has to be another one!”
One, for their part, went quiet for a moment and their expression went inward. Hello looked at the ground or their feet. And Bunny just held Prairie’s gaze while maintaining a doggy smile.
“There is not. That will work.”
“I’m not strong enough!”
A large hand smoothed along her jaw, tipping her head up. She looked up, expecting to meet Ivan’s gaze but instead all she saw was a nearly transparent hand and arm as Dempsey’s Spirit reached out and brushed her skin.
“You are,” he croaked.
“If I do this you will lose your self-will.”
“Will I?”
Prairie wanted to instantly say “Yes!” but then an image of Al flashed through her mind. And then a kaleidoscope of images flowed. Of the times that Al must have helped them over their adventures. Could he have done so if he was completely under Mary’s thumb? Was there the chance that Dempsey could retain his own will while housing a small portion of her soul?
Was it about intent? Mary’s intent to control. Prairie’s need to not do so.
They were not the same person. They did not have the same soul.
Prairie met Dempsey’s stare. Gulped. “I can’t make this decision for you. Do you wish to live with a connection to me or die?”
“Do it,” Dempsey intoned, his conviction clear in his unwavering stare. “Save me.”
It was like everyone held their collective breaths as Prairie wrestled with her decision. Ivan remained crouched next to her but his hands lay slack on his thighs rather than touching her. Gwen stared at her across Dempsey’s body, her eyes stark in her pale face. Abe crept closer and carefully laid a hand on Dempsey’s foot, under where Kirby braced. They met Prairie’s stare and gave a tentative smile and an even smaller nod.
Kim crept closer then lowered herself to sit to Prairie’s left and close to Dempsey’s head. Dan walked to the other side of Dempsey and leaned down to rest a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. She turned, sniffed, and gave him a watery smile before focusing her attention back on Prairie.
Siobhan took up a position on the other side of Dempsey near his feet. “What can we do to help?”
Prairie shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Okay.” Patti flopped down next to Gwen and braced her chin on Gwen’s shoulder, looking at Prairie through the cloud of Gwen’s hair. “Tell us when you do.”
Prairie gave a watery chuckle. “Okay.”
Their unwavering gazes spoke of certainty. Certainty in her ability. Certainty that they she would succeed. That they would have Dempsey back as he was.
Prairie pressed her hands together in front of her face. Rested the tip of her nose on the tips of the fingers. Drew a long shuddering breath. Then she shifted her gaze around the group before focusing on Kirby.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“You do.”
“I need your help.”
“Always. You will always have it.”
She jerked slightly when she felt a hand settle on her leg to the left. Where Kim sat. Kim who didn’t touch people. She frowned at Kim’s hand on her leg. Kim’s hand that was definitely touching her.
She slid her gaze across the hand, up the arm, over the shoulder, to Kim’s face. Kim met her gaze, strong and steady. She even gave a very small pat to Prairie’s leg. “The elements helped with l. They may help now. Take them from me. They want to help.”
“But, you don’t touch people.” Prairie knew she was fixated on that. She should take the offered help but—touching.
“Yep. Don’t make this weird.”
“Well, if Kim’s doing it.” Gwen lifted her hand and held it across Dempsey’s chest. It didn’t quite reach Prairie so instead she laid it on Dempsey. “Mother!”
“Maiden,” Kim whispered.
A tear came to Prairie’s eye as Siobhan’s voice came from Dempsey’s feet. “Crone.” Prairie looked down to see Sioibhan lay her hand on Dempsey’s foot.
A hand settled on her right leg. She turned her gaze in that direction, meeting Ivan’s. “Not sure what I add but take what you need.”
“Like I’m missing out on this!” Patti leaned forward so her fingertips brushed Dempsey. Sass made a peep then ran down Patti arm, taking up a place on Dempsey’s stomach.
Abe and Dan laid their hands on Dempsey without a word. Ben stared down at Dempsey then shifted his attention to the various hands before shrugging. “I’m with Ivan. Don’t know what I can do but I’m here for it.”
With that he dropped to a squat next to Ivan and pressed his palm to Dempsey’s leg.
Prairie let her gaze drift over the group, her chest tight. She bit her lip and looked down, her mouth wobbling somewhere between a smile and a sob. Before she could decide which way to tip there was the sound of claws on the marble floor, coming from the direction of the door they’d entered through. Not only Prairie but pretty much everyone else clustered around Dempsey, sans Gwen who was staring at Dempsey’s slack features, turned at the sound.
Mice trooped in. Some running on four legs, some trotting along on two. As they moved they sang. It only took a moment for the sound to float to Prairie. Lovely Day. They were singing the song the group sang while weaving through the threads blocking them before.
As they got closer the mice separated, each making their way to a spot between members of Prairie’s group.
Her mouth lost the fight, curling up into a soft smile even as tears trickled down her cheeks.
Patti’s voice joined the mice, then Sass’ trill wove in. Dan’s voice rumbled as he picked up the tune and then Abe bopped on their butt as they sang out. In less than a moment everyone, this time Gwen included, started singing. Except for Prairie. And Kirby. Prairie’s lips were trembling too much to join in and the huge ball in her throat made it difficult to swallow, let alone voice words.
Everyone kept their hands on Dempsey and kept on singing softly, the sound almost reverent. Each and every one stared at her, expressions differing but all feeling like they were heavy with support.
Prairie nodded. Once. Sharp. Definite. The motion speaking of a conviction she struggled to own. Then she drew a long breath through her nostrils, pressed one hand to the space right above where Kirby resided when on her skin and the other to the same space on Dempsey’s side.
“I do this freely,” she whispered. “My strength, your strength. My life yours.”
A tugging sensation started beneath the hand pressed to her side. Her Magick swelled, filling her like a balloon until she feared she would pop. And then she popped. No, it did. A pop sounded inside of her. A snap. Her Magick coursed from the spot beneath her hand, up her arm, across her shoulders and chest, down the other arm and out the hand pressed to Dempsey’s side.
An image of the grotesque stitchery of Al’s soul played through her mind. She shied away from it. It didn’t feel right. She wasn’t going to do what Mary did, though she was doing something like Mary did. No, she was going to have to just let her Magick guide the process. She formed a picture of Dempsey’s Spirit form, willing it to find its home within him so the thing that bound it to him was less Prairie and Magick and more him.
His Spirit melted into his body. And then it pulsed bright white, the light so blinding Prairie wanted to throw her hands over her eyes but she couldn’t because they were adhered, one to her and one to Dempsey. In the Spirit form glowing under his skin – through his skin – Prairie saw the smallest shift in brightness. A spot, like oil on water, shifted tones before spreading out and merging with the bright white of his soul.
And Dempsey sat up. Abrupt. Forceful. His shoulders rose, his head snapped back, and his eyelids opened to reveal eyes that glowed amber from within. The crossroad talisman flew forward. Ben snapped forward and grabbed it from the air, then shuffled down to stand near Dempsey’s feet.
Gwen fell back with a cry, dislodging Patti where she remained pressed to Gwen’s back. Dan threw out a hand and steadied both of them. Kirby sat back, planting its butt with a thump on Dempsey’s shins and effectively pinning the large man beneath Kirby’s equally large frame.
Prairie looked around with a start, gauging if anyone else had seen the soul flare. None of them were blinking or averting their eyes or otherwise showing any sign of visual distress.
It appeared she was the only one who had witnessed the miracle of Dempsey’s Spirit returning to his body. But, that didn’t mean the others didn’t show signs that they understood something amazing had happened.
Kim pulled her hand away from Prairie, gave her a watery smile, and then nodded like a bobblehead. Gwen gulped big gulps of air through parted lips and blinked rapidly. Siobhan had her hands pressed to her face so only her eyes showed above the tips of her fingers. She rocked back and forth, gaze going from Dempsey to Prairie and then back again.
Ben’s smile was so bright Prairie was pretty sure it could light a stadium. Patti met her eyes and nodded. Once. Twice. And then she lay a finger on Sass’ head and looked down at the mouse with a look soft with wonder.
And Ivan squeezed her knee. That was all. But that touch conveyed acceptance and, maybe even, love. And it swelled in Prairie’s chest until she thought maybe it would burst out. But it didn’t. Still she slid her hand up from her side and pressed it above her heart.
Dempsey shifted his arm, his physical arm, and closed his hand around the one Prairie still held to his side. “I–” he stopped. Visibly swallowed, then continued in a rusty tone, “owe you everything.”
Prairie shook her head in denial. “You owe me nothing.”
“Agree to disagree.”
Prairie gave his arm a squeeze then pushed to rise, only to fall back onto her butt with a sharp cry.
“Careful.” Ivan shuffled closer to her and curved a hand around her side. “I’ve got you.”
The sound of a slap grabbed Prairie’s attention. She turned to see Dempsey pressing his hand against his cheek while Gwen hovered over him, her own hand raised.
“You left!” Gwen snapped.
Dempsey blinked at her. “I was kidnapped?”
“No! You left.”
A look of dawning came over Dempsey’s features. “I was murdered.”
“Well, don’t do it again!”
Dempsey’s, “Okay,” was slow, partially his normal cadence and partially confusion.
“If you do it again I’m going to follow you and drag you back.”
“Okay.” Equally as slow, marginally less confused.
Ivan snorted, drawing Prairie’s attention. She gave him a quick look full of raised brows and narrowed eyes and he shrugged then focused on Gwen and Dempsey.
“Do you know any word except okay?”
“Yes,” Dempsey said, really slow. Which apparently hit Gwen in some kind of way as she grunted and leaned in towards him.
“I think I love you.”
“O–” Dempsey dragged out the word, probably buying himself a moment to think, “kay?”
Gwen looked down, mouth tight. “I don’t like it.”
“Okay?”
“Stop saying okay!” Gwen snapped.
Prairie swore she saw the very corner of Dempsey’s mouth twitch before he answered. “Okay.”
Gwen let out a sound more steam kettle than human, then slammed her forehead down on Dempsey’s chest. Very slowly, like he was approaching a stray, Dempsey lifted his hand and cupped the back of Gwen’s head.
He looked over her head to where Ben sat by his leg. “Ben?”
“Hmm?”
“Talisman.”
“Talisman?”
Dempsey gave Ben a steady look that brooked no argument. Ben sighed and pulled the talisman out of the inside of his jacket. “Fine. But only because you mostly died.”
“Died,” Prairie corrected. “No mostly.”
“Sure.” Ben rose to his feet and walked over to drop the talisman in Dempsey’s free hand. Dempsey slid his hand down his side and into the bag that still sat on his hip, or close to it. He pulled the hand out empty then turned his attention to Ivan.
“Can I get a hand up?”
Ivan eyed him. “You think you’ll be able to walk?”
Dempsey seemed to consider it. “Probably not?”
“Here,” Patti grabbed Gwen’s shoulders and pulled her away from Dempsey. Gwen shot Patti the hairy eyeball over her shoulder but went with the movement as Patti rose and pulled Gwen to her feet.
Ivan let go of Prairie and started for Dempsey only to stop as she wobbled and her knees gave. Eyes wide he dove back and wrapped a big arm around her before she could do more than sway.
“Don’t.”
“What?” She whispered. She didn’t mean to whisper but suddenly she didn’t have enough energy to do more than that. Or stand. Apparently.
“Fall.”
“Okay?”
Staring up into his eyes, his expression so fierce and protective, she kind of felt like maybe her answer could have been different. Like “too late”. But, it was too early for that. It was only Gwen’s bold declaration, and head butting, that had it in in the forefront of her mind. Still. It was nice to have someone there to catch her when she didn’t fall.
Ivan looked around the space which was sparse. There was a pretty cushy chair off to the side against a wall and other than that just a whole stretch of black and white checkered floor. Light filtered from above with no visible fixtures. He narrowed his eyes, assessing the distance to the nearest wall. “Let’s get out of here.”
Patti groaned. “All the way back through this place and then down the beanstalk. That will be fun. Not.”
Sass gave a peep that was likely agreement. Or maybe gas. But probably agreement.
The noise made Prairie remember the mice that had joined them around Dempsey. She tipped her head so she could see around Ivan’s bicep – his large bicep. She shook her head slightly, pushing the observation down. Not the time for that train of thought to board – and looked towards the floor. The mice had moved from around Dempsey and were now all clustered near Ivan’s feet, with their heads back and their dark eyes intent on Prairie.
She slanted a look around, trying to confirm that impression. Yes. All looking at her. Expectantly. And then they all began singing a wordless tune that sounded really familiar. A small line of lyric ran through her brain. “Run little girl.”
They repeated the words with a distinct cadence.
Her eyes widened and she gave the mice an intent look. “No. That wasn’t me.”
“What?” Abe’s confused voice carried to Prairie. As did Siobhan’s whispered, “I’ll explain later.”
“Bang, ha!” the mice sang in unison, sounding both creepy and also kind of compelling. Prairie’s heart surged in time and in memory. She swallowed and shook her head. “Not me.”
One mouse broke off singing poked both arms, little hands open, at her and warbled, “Badass.”
Ben chuckled beside Ivan. “I do not like rodents but that one may be okay.”
Prairie rolled her head against Ivan’s chest to give Ben a hard look. “Funny.”
Another mouse stepped forward, craned its neck to meet Prairie’s gaze and said, “Character Six.”
Didn’t peep. Didn’t squeak. Didn’t warble. Spoke. And if that wasn’t disturbing enough another stepped forward and said, “Designation Pwaiwie.”
Prairie blinked fast then narrowed her gaze on the three mice. “ARFA?”
The mice met her gaze with measured intensity but said nothing more. The silence after this dragged on until it became uncomfortable with Prairie, Ivan, Dan, and Siobhan staring at the mice while Kim openly glowered and Ben blatantly looked anywhere except the mice. Prairie got the sense there was a story there.
“So,” Abe wandered over, curls bouncing. They gave the mice a long look then shrugged before focusing on Ivan. “Back through the house then?”
Ben’s shoulders fell. “Ugh.”
Kirby rose from Dempsey’s legs and walked to stand next to Ivan. They looked up, all three heads, gazes intent. Well, One’s gaze was intent. Bunny’s was pretty close. And Hello looked like they might be staring at Ivan’s left shoulder.
One leaned in, bumping their head against Ivan. When he looked down, One said, “Treat her right.”
Ivan met One’s gaze. Held it. Then nodded. He hitched Prairie higher against his chest, then rested his chin on the top of her head as he looked down to meet first One’s, then Bunny’s gaze. “Always.”
“Hello?”
At Ivan’s question Hello focused on him. “Hello!”
Ivan just smiled then rubbed his chin against Prairie’s head. Kirby leaned in more, giving Ivan a subtle shove. Ivan quirked his brows and bumped back.
One held Ivan’s gaze a moment longer then nodded their massive head. Hello happily bumped Ivan once more.
Across from them, Dan hauled Dempsey up with a hard tug to his hand. Dempsey teetered on his feet and would have fallen if Patti and Dan didn’t brace him while Gwen rushed in to press a hand to his chest. Dan shot Ivan a look full of concern and question. Ivan studied the group with Dempsey in the center and shook his head. “Not sure we’re getting Dempsey through the house and down the stalk.”
The same mouse that called Prairie a badass made a peep that carried up to Prairie. She looked down again as the mouse tugged on Ivan’s pant leg. Ivan frowned down at the mouse. “Yes?”
Instead of responding, the mouse waved its hands towards the far side of the room where Mary and Geppetto had disappeared. Ivan’s brows lowered as he studied the mouse. “Is there an exit?”
The mouse nodded with its entire body then dropped on all fours and ran across the marble floor. It ran about twenty steps then stopped and turned to look at the group.
If a mouse’s features could be said to show impatience this one’s did. The mouse let out a peep and the other mice clustered around Ivan surged across the floor in a wave of fur and claws. Ben suppressed a shudder and then forced a grin. “Prairie’s little friends seem to want us to follow them.”
Ivan gave a small sigh that lifted his chest against Prairie’s cheek then he tightened his arms around her, hefting her higher against his frame. He looked to Dan, Patti, and Gwen. “You got Dempsey?”
Dan nodded. Patti said, “Yes.” Gwen just slid her hands across his chest, pivoting so she could press under his limp arm. When he lifted it slightly she burrowed against his side then gave Ivan a nod. “We’ve got him.”
“So,” Kim said, falling into step beside Ivan as he started towards the mice. Slanted a look to where Dempsey walked supported by Gwen and Dan on either side and Patti taking up a spot a few steps behind him with her hands out like she’d catch him if he fell. Which was probably not happening. But it was the thought, right?
She squinted off to the far wall as a door opened in it, it’s frame defined by a bright rectangle of light that formed in the wall. “No more going anywhere alone.”
“I didn’t?” Dempsey said in a weak voice. “The stable had workers in it?”
Kim’s hum suggested she wasn’t buying the argument. “No one goes alone anymore.” she repeated. “Bathroom? Buddy. Sleep? Buddy. Don’t like it? Bite me.”
“Bite me!”
“Bite me!”
“Bite me!”
The chorus came from the floor and echoed around the room as the mice picked it up like a song.
“I mean,” Ben gave a sheepish shrug, “I feel targeted.”
“Bite me.” With that witticism Kim strode ahead, catching up and then passing the cluster of mice who’d stopped a short distance from the doorway.
Ben made a show of clacking his teeth together but then he gave a grin big enough it lit his eyes from within.
Kim paused framed in the light of the door and turned to look over her shoulder. “Come on. We’ve got a guy to talk to. I think we need a lot more information on what Mary and Geppetto plan. I’m tired of always being a step behind them.”
Ivan nodded, his chin brushing the top of Prairie’s head where she had it resting on his collarbone. “Agreed.”
With that he stepped forward, easily carrying Prairie across the floor and through the open doorway. It was too bright to see where it lead, but Prairie trusted Ivan wouldn’t carry her into danger.
Or if he did, he was quite capable of defending her. Or having her help defend them both.
Again she was struck by how nice it was to have someone else do some of the lifting. She’d been alone so long. Lifting alone. Taking on the weight of the burden for the Spirits that looked to her for a voice.
The corners of her mouth curled on a small smile as she let her head fall fully against Ivan’s chest. And she sent a silent thank you to whoever or whatever had drawn these people to her.
ARFA. Fate. God?
She’d never really been one for faith, but maybe that was changing. For sure she knew she had faith in these people. And, for now, it felt like enough.
Enter The Woods 