Everybody started walking towards the diner, but Alora remained by my side. Her cheeks were flushed as she said, “I’ll stay with you if that’s alright.”
Something about her statement pinched at my chest. Did she feel safe with me? Without a word, I slipped my hand into hers and guided her towards the hotel entrance. A woman with a purple rinse hairdo sat at the reception desk thumbing through a gossip magazine. She looked up when we entered and raised an eyebrow at Alora’s long silk dress and bare feet.
I gave the woman my best charming smile as I stepped up and leaned one arm on the counter. “How are ya doing …” My eyes went to her name tag. “Vera?”
She put her magazine aside and gave me the once over, her tongue wetting her lips as her eyes moved along my body. “Not too bad. Saw a few crazies on the news. Must be a full moon or something. It’s been quiet around here though,” she answered.
“That’s good to hear. I need rooms for six people if you have availability.”
She tapped on her computer screen. “I can give you three twin rooms or one family room. If you go for the family room, two of you will have to sleep on the sofa bed.”
Real classy joint, this place.
I was tempted to go for the family room since it might be better if we all stuck together, but then I thought about how crowded that would be and opted for the three twin rooms instead. The two ladies could stay together, and I’d room with Ira, so Gabriel and Alvie could have some privacy.
I handed over my credit card, and Purple Rinse slid it through the scanner before giving it back to me.
“My friend here lost her shoes. We had a bit of a wild night. You wouldn’t know where I could buy her a pair of slippers, would you?”
“I can get her a pair of the hotel flip flops we sell for the swimming pool,” Purple Rinse suggested.
“Thanks, that’d be great.”
She left her desk, and I slumped back against the counter. I hadn’t slept properly in about a week, and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll.
“Are you okay?” Alora asked, and I opened my eyes, suddenly realising I’d closed them for a moment. “You seem tense.”
I tilted my head questioningly. “What makes you say that?”
“Your breathing grew heavier.”
With her lack of sight, I wondered what other things she noticed about people.
“It’s been a rough week.”
She turned her head away and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can understand that.”
“Are you cold?” I asked her, eyeing her thin, flimsy dress.
“A little,” she replied. “But I’ll be okay.”
I slipped out of my jacket and pulled off the thick work shirt I was wearing over my long-sleeved T-shirt. Handing it to her, I said, “Put this on.”
She took the shirt wordlessly, fumbling with it a moment before sliding her arms through the sleeves. Purple Rinse returned with the flip flops, and I paid her before helping Alora put them on. She gave me a small, grateful smile, and I shoved the key cards for our rooms into my pocket before guiding her over to the diner.
When we got there, we joined the others at a large table, and Alora slid in next to me. I ordered a steak while she only asked for a glass of water.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I said quietly, nudging her with my elbow.
“I don’t have any money,” she replied, her voice tight as though trying to keep tears at bay.
“I’m paying. Order whatever you want.”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You’re not. And I won’t let you go hungry, Goldy, so go ahead and pick something.”
She turned her head in the direction of where the waitress stood. “Is there a tuna melt on the menu?”
“Sure is,” the waitress replied, and Alora smiled.
“I’ll take one of those then.”
The others chatted over us, speculating as to how Theodore managed to construct a barrier around the city.
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve eaten in a place like this,” Alora said. “It feels strange.”
A bolt of anger shot through me. “Ridley fed you, didn’t he?”
“Oh, yes. He kept me very well fed. In the beginning, I refused to eat, but eventually, I saw that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I knew I needed to keep up my strength if I was ever going to escape.”
“Did he mistreat you?” I questioned her further.
She shook her head. “Aside from inadvertently blinding me when his spell went wrong, no. He treated me like I was precious. It was creepy. But whenever he tried to cast more spells to take my powers it would hurt.”
Frowning at her answer, I turned back in my seat as the waitress came back with our drinks, and I took a long swig out of my Coke. “So, he kept you locked away, and you predicted things for him. How does it work? Can you see what you choose to see, or does it just come to you?”
Alora stiffened. “I can’t choose. The visions come to me when they need to.”
“I’m don’t mean to pry,” I said, hoping she didn’t think I wanted to use her just like Ridley did.
“It’s okay. I just don’t really like to talk about it. Seeing the future isn’t a cool trick like most people think. The visions are painful. Think of it as akin to having an epileptic fit.”
“Shit, that doesn’t sound so great.” I sucked air in through my teeth.
“It really isn’t,” she sighed.
I wanted to ask her more questions, but I kept schtum, sensing it was a touchy subject. When the waitress delivered our food, I dug in ravenously. Alora ate eagerly, too. It must’ve been a while since her last meal. When we were done, I passed out the room keys, delegating one room for Delilah and Alora, one for Gabriel and Alvie, and one for me and Ira.
I noticed Ira had changed back into his human form and had salvaged some clothes from the back of the minivan—clothes that were way too small for a man of his size. It was a good thing, though, because I didn’t think Purple Rinse would be too happy about me trying to smuggle a dangerously large dog into the hotel.
“I want to stay with Ira,” Delilah said firmly, giving Alora an annoyed look.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I was about to argue with her, but I really didn’t have the energy after the day and night I’d had.
“Fine. Alora can stay with me then,” I grumbled, handing Delilah a key card. The little blonde squirmed uncomfortably at my side, but she didn’t say anything. Was she uneasy at the thought of sharing a room with me? It didn’t make sense since she’d adamantly stayed by my side since I found her.
“Is that alright with you?” I asked her in a low voice.
“Yes, it’s just that I sometimes have visions in my sleep. It can be a little shocking at first, but you don’t need to worry. It passes after a while.”
I looked between her golden eyes, suddenly wishing she could see me properly for some reason. “Okay, anything else I need to know?” I said mustering a grin. “You don’t snore, too, do you?”
She giggled, and the sweet sound of it did something weird to my chest. “No. I don’t snore, Finn.”
I liked the sound of my name on her lips.