Jenny Plague-Bringer(40)
“It’s a confusing night,” Jenny said. “Strange things happen when you go out for eggnog. Looks like you two were having fun.”
“She was reading my future,” Seth said.
“Really? And?” Jenny asked.
“We’re all in a lot of trouble,” Mariella said.
“Yep. Especially Seth.” She walked into the kitchen to put away the groceries, and Seth followed her. She’d already tucked the vitamins into a coat pocket.
“Where did you find her?” Jenny asked.
“She came to the door. She said she’s had visions of meeting me in the future, and they led her here,” Seth whispered.
“And you believed her?”
“She knew things about me. She knew about my healing touch. I had to see what she wanted, or if she was a danger to us.”
Jenny put the nutmeg in the spice cabinet, in front of the other nutmeg that was already there, and slammed the cabinet door. She turned to face Seth. “So. She tells you she’s like us, and you think it’s a good idea to let her touch you? What if she was like Ashleigh and made you her little slave? Did you think of that?”
“How could she do that when her power is seeing your future?” Seth asked.
“Why did you trust her enough to take the risk?”
“I...you...” Seth stared at her for a moment, clearly fumbling for an answer. Then he asked, “How do you already know her?”
“She showed up at our front door one day, looking for you.”
“She did? What do you know about her?” Seth whispered.
“She’s a student here in Paris. Working towards degrees in art history and economics...and Google tells me that her family in Milan are crazy rich. Fashion, media, banking. Your parents would love her.”
Seth scowled a little at that.
“She wears gloves all the time, even when she doesn’t know I’m watching,” Jenny said. “She’s either like us, or she’s going to a lot of trouble to pretend she is.”
“So you knew there was another one of us right here in Paris, and she knows where we live, and you never thought that was worth mentioning?” Seth asked.
“Excuse me,” Mariella said. She stood at the edge of the kitchen, pointing back over her shoulder at the front door. “Should I be leaving now, or...?”
“That might be a good idea,” Jenny said.
“Wait,” Seth said. “I think you should stay for a minute.”
“Do you?” Jenny asked him.
“We should talk about this,” Seth said. “Figure out what the hell’s going on. Let’s have some wine.”
“Sorry, forgot to buy any,” Jenny said. “Let’s go back to the living room. It’s getting crowded in here.”
Seth and Jenny took the settee, while Mariella sat alone on the loveseat and brought out a golden pack of Fantasia cigarettes and a lighter.
“You can’t smoke in here,” Jenny said. “You can smoke if you leave.”
“I am sorry.” Mariella tucked the cigarettes back into her purse. She sat with her hands in her lap, her knees bouncing nervously in her tight designer jeans. She looked like nothing so much as a kid in trouble at school, waiting to see the principal. “Can I ask...why didn’t you tell me about him?”
“About Seth?” Jenny asked.
“Is that his name? Seth,” Mariella said, as if trying it on, and she smiled warmly. Jenny wanted to stab the girl with her own stiletto heel.
“What do you expect me to do?” Jenny asked. “Some girl shows up at my door, so eager to meet my boyfriend she’s practically ripping her panties off, and what am I going to do? Introduce you to him?”
“Oh.” Mariella’s face fell, and she looked at the floor. “He is your boyfriend.”
“What did you think we were? Roommates?” Jenny asked.
“I have not had time to think about it.” Mariella frowned deeply, which pouted out her lower lip. “This makes no sense to me.”
“I know, he’s kind of goofy, but I stick with him anyway,” Jenny said.
“Wait, somebody was ripping their panties off?” Seth asked.
“Quiet.” Jenny knocked her knee against his leg, and she hoped it hurt. “Why did you come back, Mariella? Have you been stalking us?” She asked the question self-righteously, as if Jenny hadn’t stalked Mariella herself.
“No, I wanted to see you,” Mariella told her.
“Right. Why would you want to see me, after last time?”
“What happened last time?” Seth asked.
“It took time to work up the courage,” Mariella said. “But, I kept thinking...maybe she is like me, and scared. Maybe she has never met another person with strange powers, either. Maybe it frightens her, and so she is defensive.”