“Enough,” Candy grunted, trying to throw me off of her.
“Are they all out?” I snapped, lifting her off the ground again and again.
“Yessssssss,” she hissed. “And I’m pretty sure my liver is in my damn mouth along with my intestines.”
Dropping her to the ground, I sank down beside her. My heart was racing, and I was pretty sure I failed the test. My body shook like a leaf. I wasn’t cut out for this. But Immortal or no, Candy—as disgusting as she was—was my friend. I wasn’t used to trying to kill my friends for sport. It sucked.
“Daisy,” Gideon called out. “Would you care to let us out of the cage?”
I peered over at him. “You can’t get out?”
“We can,” he admitted. “I just want you to have a little more practice with your power.”
“Mmkay,” I said, side-eyeing a still-coughing Candy. “If I move to let the guys out are you going to jump me from behind?”
“Hell no,” Candy said. “You’re a dang menace. I’m done.”
I laughed. The entire day had been insane so far and it was still before noon. “I’ll remove the cage if you promise that we’re done for today.”
“Deal,” Gideon said with a grin.
Damn, he was beautiful. But looks could be deceiving.
“Swear on it, Reaper,” I said, getting to my feet and raising a brow.
Gideon put his hand to his heart and feigned offense. “You don’t trust me, Counselor?”
“Normally, yes,” I conceded. “However, when you’re out to do things for my own good, not so much.”
Gideon kept his hand on his heart. “I swear. You have my word that we are done… for today.”
I rolled my eyes. Waving my hand, the iron cage disintegrated around them. Gideon, Charlie and Tim were now waist-deep in gray dust. My knees buckled and I sank to the ground. If this was the way to end Clarissa, I was primed to fail and that was unacceptable.
Gideon waded out of the rubble and extended his hand.
“I need coffee,” I said, tears filling my eyes. “With five squirts of chocolate syrup.”
“And you shall have it,” he promised, pulling me into his strong embrace and holding me tight.
“I failed,” I whispered against his chest.
“No,” Tim said, patting me lovingly on the back with his unattached arm. “You most certainly did not fail.”
“Umm… while that’s lovely to hear, do you mind not touching me with that?” I asked.
Tim blushed and tucked his arm inside his coat. “So sorry. That was a bit uncouth.”
Charlie shook his head and chuckled. “Daisy, you did not fail. Far from it. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to draw some blood again.”
“Now?” I asked.
“Now,” he said, pulling a sterile syringe, two tubes and vial out of his pocket.
I wasn’t entirely sure how all of that had made it through the smackdown but decided not to ask.
“Sure,” I said, pushing up the sleeve of my coat and extending my arm. “It seems fitting to end the morning with a little more bloodshed.”
Gideon threw his head back and laughed. I lived for the sound of his laughter. It did things to my insides that I couldn’t explain with words. I craved it. Charlie, Tim and even Candy Vargo joined in. Candy’s voice sounded like she’d swallowed glass, but that’s what she got for shoving so many damn toothpicks in her mouth. She’d probably set a record, but I wasn’t about to share the news. She’d pick up all the toothpicks she’d puked up and count them to see if she should contact Guinness.
Today had been alarming enough without ending it on that repulsive note.
Chapter Four
The ride back to my farmhouse was quiet. My home sat in the middle of twenty acres surrounded by lush forest. The house was lovely and warm. I’d done all the painting and some of the other manual labor things, but Steve had been the one with the great decorating skill. All of the furniture was overstuffed and in soothing patterns and faded florals. The floors were a lightly stained, pitted cherry and the walls were repossessed barnwood we’d bought at an estate sale. It had seen better days, but it was welcoming and comfortable and I loved it.
I wasn’t sure what I would do with the house when Gideon and I built our new home together. The farmhouse held so many memories, I wasn’t sure I could let it go.
The hum of the engine as Gideon drove with a sure hand and a lead foot was only interrupted by Candy. She cleared her raw throat constantly while Tim made unsuccessful attempts to reattach his arm. After the third time it hit the floorboards, I leaned over the seat, grabbed it and put it in my lap.
“I’ll glue it back on when we get to my house.”
“Much obliged,” Tim said with a nod of relief.
Charlie glanced at me in surprise. “Will that work?”
I shrugged. “It works on the ghosts,” I told him. “You guys aren’t exactly human so I figure it might work on you too.”
“Logical,” Tim chimed in. “Very logical. And if it doesn’t work, I should be able to grow a new one in a few days.”
“Not logical,” I said with a pained laugh. “However, also not unexpected. What would happen if you were beheaded?”
“Candy?” Tim pressed with a smirk. “Would you like to field that question?”
“Nope,” Candy grumbled. “I would not, asscrank.”
Tim sighed dramatically, and I prepared myself to be grossed out.
“Candy had an unfortunate run-in with a guillotine a few centuries ago. As you can see, she still has a head,” he pointed out.
I caught Gideon’s eye for a brief moment as he drove. He winced and shook his head. He knew and I knew I couldn’t leave the information alone. I don’t know why he even bothered to try to save me from myself. It was futile.
“So… umm… it didn’t work?” I asked, then held my breath. “Her head wouldn’t come off?”
If that was the case, it must have been shocking to the people trying to decapitate her. Plus, Candy could have offed all of them with a flick of her fingers. None of it made sense.
“Wanted to see what it felt like,” Candy announced.
I was almost shocked to silence. Almost. “You wanted to see what having your head removed felt like?” I choked out.
“Yep,” she said, going for a toothpick, then thinking better of it.
Maybe I’d finally broken her of the nasty habit. I would never remember what I’d done to her with fondness, but maybe something good had come out of it—like manners.
“What did it feel like?” I asked, unable to squash my morbid curiosity.
“Hurt like a mother humper. Wouldn’t recommend it. Took a month for the dang thing to grow back. Had to hide in a cave for a while,” she explained as if she was talking about the weather. “My hair came back a different color and my teeth were crooked. Liked my old head better, but what are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know,” I said dryly. “Maybe not voluntarily get beheaded?”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty,” Candy commented with a grin. “Living forever can make you do strange things every once in a while.”