Illusory

Chapter 18

The plane ride was silent. Van sat beside me, alternately looking at me and looking out the window, and every time he opened his mouth to talk, he ended up closing it again a moment later, frowning. If it weren't for Krekkel peeking up at me from inside the small black purse on my lap, eyes still expressive and red in spite of her new form as a black-furred mouse, I likely would've broken down and cried throughout the entire flight. The thought that she might be there for me in the end kept me going. I only hoped that Satan didn't take her from me first.

"We could just use another locator spell," Van said as we stepped off of the plane, his voice uncharacteristically nervous. "We wouldn't even have to talk to Rick."

"I want to talk to Rick," I said simply, my tone strong and emotionless though a frown wouldn't leave my face. "Besides, we don't have a map of Washington."

"We could always buy one," he pointed out. I didn't bother answering him, and we lapsed back into silence as we walked through the airport.

Rick was waiting for us out front of the building, waving excitedly when he saw us. One look at my face wiped all of the enthusiasm from his, and his arm dropped slowly to his side.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly when we approached him, leaning close to me and effectively excluding Van from the exchange.

"Yeah," I said, forcing a smile, "I'm fine. I'm just feeling a bit nauseous for some reason."

"Would you like to lie down, then?" he asked, frowning in concern. "We don't have to go hunting for those books right away."

"I think it would be best if we just got this over with," Van said dryly from beside us, arms crossed over his chest. "The sooner we can get back home and get on with our lives, the better."

"With all due respect, sir," Rick started, leaning away from me to give Van a stony glare, "I was asking Ember, not you. I wasn't looking for your input."

"Well, you got it," Van said with an icy smile. "Now, can we get going? It's a bit chilly out here, and I'd like to move somewhere warmer."

"You won't be warming up any time soon, I'm sorry to say." But the bold grin on his face said that he most definitely wasn't sorry, not in the slightest. "We're walking to my friend's house, and that's a good fifteen minutes away."

"Didn't you bring your truck or something?" Van asked, his nose wrinkled in blatant disgust. "Or could we at least call a cab?"

"My truck is at his house," Rick answered, though I had a feeling that that was a lie, "and there aren't any cabs in this town. Too small. They wouldn't get any business." That part, at least, I believed.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Van growled, pinching the skin between his eyes. "Let's just hurry this up, then. I don't think I can take much more of this crap." My eyes widened just a hair. Crap and fuck? He must have been really, really annoyed today.

"Will do," Rick said with a grin to show off his perfect white teeth, then put an arm gently around my waist and began to guide me along the sidewalk. Van huffed behind me, but his footsteps kept pace with ours.

For a moment, we relapsed into silence. There was only the sound of our steps on the concrete and the bustle of traffic and people around us. But of course, Van couldn't hold his tongue for much longer. I was surprised he hadn't exploded yet from all of his pent-up thoughts.

"Really, though, why didn't you drive to pick us up?" he grumbled, and I could hear a tremble to his voice as he shivered. "If not for my sake, then at least for Ember's?"

"To be honest," Rick started, his grin growing until I thought it was going to swallow his face whole, "I did bring my truck. I just didn't want to give you the satisfaction of being warm, and Ember's tough enough to take a little cold. Right, Ember?" he asked, and I nodded, forcing another smile. It wasn't like I was just out in my little red jacket again...Oh, wait. I was. Dick.