Trifecta: Ice [Complete]

Ch 42: Humourless Magic

I spent the rest of my seventh week anniversary in my comfortable little crevice office.  I considered volunteering to help again, but I felt tired so I stayed hidden.  No one bothered me until noon, when there was a knock on the door.

"Hello?" I asked.  The door cracked open and Serge came in.  He held out a sandwich and a bottle of juice.

"Th-thanks," I said and took the food with my shaking hands.

"How are you doing?" he asked, and I realized he was looking at the mess of stuff I had splayed out across the desk.  I set down what he had given me and frantically began to tidy it up.  When would I learn?

"You don't have to do that," he said and he caught my hands with his own.  He was as warm as ever and the feel of his slightly calloused skin on mine rested somewhere between horrific and delightful.  I swallowed.

He let me go.  "Sorry.  Listen, you can paint this room bright red for all I care.  Don't worry, please."

I tried to smile, but I felt jumpy.

"Anyway, make sure you eat."

I nodded.  Serge retreated out the door.

I ate my sandwich and drank my juice and tried not to think about Serge.  It was weird, since his challenge my feelings about him were more conflicted than normal.  I cared for him, but the curse hated the feeling.

I tried to read while listening to music, but I could not keep my mind in my book.  I pulled out my phone and sent a couple of responses to my dad's texts.  He worried about me so much.

Then, at a loss for what to do, I picked up the phone, ignored the stabbing ice in my fingers, and I called Matthias.

"Hello?" I heard one of the twins answer.  I was pretty sure it was Lydia, but it was hard to tell without seeing them.

"Hi, is Matt there?" I asked.

She paused.  "I think he's sleeping.  He ran rounds last night."

"Oh, okay.  Don't disturb him.  Can you just let him know I called?"

"Sure, but he'll be pissed off if I don't get him now.  I know he wants to speak to you."

I considered.  "Really?  Why, did something happen?"

"You really have no idea, do you?"

I frowned even though I knew she could not see.  "Idea of what?"

"He's your best friend, shouldn't you know?" she asked, sounding exasperated.  "Well, don't worry about it, I'll tell him you called.  Make sure you answer when he calls you back, he gets bitchy and takes it out on the rest of us when you don't.  Bye," she said.

"Bye," I said as she hung up on me.

I could guess exactly what she was implying, but I wished they would let up with irritating him about me.  She was probably just trying to annoy him again.  He clearly found his family's attempt at matchmaking irritating.  I was not sure how she thought making sly references to me when he was not around would bother her brother.

Maybe she was hoping I would bring it up to him.

Still, I pulled my book out of my bag.  I had been using his last note from when Serge was still unconscious folded as a bookmark.  I opened it up and tried to read between the lines of his messy scrawl.

Hey Elise,

So here's another letter.  Hoping you're okay.  I know that challenge was hard on you.  Now that things have calmed down, you'll hopefully feel better.