Nest thought it over without saying anything, sitting face-to-face with the sylvan, alone in the shadows of the grove. Beyond her momentary shelter, the world went about its business without concern for her absence. But it would not let her forget where she belonged. Its sounds beckoned to her, reminding her that she must go back. She thought of how much had changed in a single day. Gran was dead. Jared might die. Her father had come back into her rife with a vengeance. Her magic had become the sword and shield she must rely upon.
“I guess I have to do something, don’t I?” she said quietly. “Something besides running away and hiding.” She tightened her jaw. “I guess I don’t have much choice.”
Pick shrugged. “Well, whatever you decide to do, I’ll be right there with you. Daniel and me. Maybe John Ross, too. Whatever his reasons, I think he intends to see this through.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “I hope that’s good news.”
The little man nodded soberly. “Me, too.”
Derry Howe was standing at the window of his tiny apartment in a T-shirt and jeans, looking out at the clouded sky and wondering if the weather would interfere with the night’s fireworks, when Junior Elway pulled up in his Jeep Cherokee. Junior drove over the curb trying to parallel park and then straightened the wheels awkwardly as the Jeep bumped back down into the street. Derry took a long pull on his Bud and shook his head in disgust. The guy couldn’t drive for spit.
The window fan squeaked and rattled in front of him, blowing a thin wash of lukewarm air on his stomach and chest. The apartment felt hot and close. Derry tried to ignore his discomfort, but his tolerance level was shot. A headache that four Excedrin hadn’t eased one bit throbbed steadily behind his temples. His hand ached from where he had cut himself the day before splicing wires with a kitchen knife. Worst of all, there was a persistent buzzing in his ears that had been there on waking and refused to fade. He thought at first that he was losing his hearing, then changed his mind and wrote it off to drinking too much the night before and got out a fresh Bud to take the edge off. Three beers later, the buzzing was undimin-ished. Like a million bees inside his head. Like dozens of those weed eaters.
He closed his eyes momentarily and worked his jaws from side to side, trying to gain a little relief. Damn, but the noise was aggravating!
Seated comfortably in the rocker that had belonged to Derry’s mother, the demon, an invisible presence, cranked up the volume another notch and smiled.
Derry finished off his Bud and walked to the front door. He kept watch through the peephole until Junior was on the steps, then swung open the door and popped out at him like a jack-in-the-box.
Junior jumped a foot. “Damn you, don’t do that!” he snapped angrily, pushing his way inside.
Derry laughed, an edgy chuckle. “What, you nervous or something?”
Junior ignored him, looked quickly about to see that they were alone, decided they were, glanced at Derry’s beer, and went into the kitchen to get one of his own. “I’m here, ain’t I?”
Derry rolled his eyes. “Nothing gets by you, does it?” He lifted his voice a notch. “Bring me a cold one, too, long as you’re helping yourself!”
He waited impatiently for Junior to reappear, took the beer out of his hands without asking, and motioned him over to the couch. They sat down together, hands cupped about the chilled cans, and stared at the remains of a pizza that sat congealing in an open cardboard box on the battered coffee table.
“You hungry?” Derry asked, not caring one way or the other, anxious to get on with it.
Junior shook his head and took a long drink of his beer, refusing to be hurried. “So. Everything set?”
“You tell me. Are you scheduled for tonight’s shift?”
Junior nodded. “Like we planned. I went in yesterday, told them I was sick of the strike, that I wanted back on the line, asked to be put on the schedule soon as possible. You should have seen them. They were grinning fools. Said I could start right away. I did like you told me, said I’d like the four to midnight shift. I go on in …” He checked his watch. “Little over an hour. All dressed and ready. See?”