Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 54

They were back in the courtyard. Pickles clung to Harley, a pitiful warbling sound coming from his throat. Harley sat on the ground, curled around his dinosaur's giant head, petting his cheek, talking to him in a soft voice. Mama was pacing, alternating between staring at the sky and poking her nose at Harley to make sure he was okay.

"Okay, anything that makes a dinosaur worried is something that makes me worried," Toby whispered.

"Yeah, I know," Jim whispered back, shaking his head. "Something's not right."

"Hey, what day is the equinox?" Toby asked. "How much time do we have left?"

"Oh, let me check." Jim fished his phone out of his sub-space pocket. He opened his phone, and immediately froze.

"Jim?" Toby grabbed his arm. "What's wrong? Are we too late?"

"No," Jim breathed, then swallowed thickly, casting his gaze to Harley. Guilt gnawed at him. How could he have forgotten? "It's September 11th."

"Oh," Toby looked relieved. "When's the equinox?"

"September 22nd," Jim shook his head, putting his phone away. "We still have two weeks."

"Okay. I mean, a week and a half, more like." Toby looked at him weird. "Why the sad face?"

Jim sighed. "Harley's birthday is tomorrow... he's turning fourteen far away from everything he's ever known."

"Oh," Toby pursed his lips, looking at the kid. "Damn."

"I know..."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

Jim sighed. "I don't know. I wanted... I wanted to do something so he wouldn't feel alone. But..."

"It feels like poor timing?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah."

Toby took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Well, I feel like we could all use a bit of a distraction. I wouldn't mind a party."

"Tobes—"

"I'm the morale guy, Jim!" Toby said, pointing at him. "And morale guy says everyone needs a pick me up."

Jim cracked a smile. "Who am I to argue with that?"

Toby grinned. "Awesome." He turned to Harley, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey Spooks, what kind of cake do you like?"

***

When Carter got out of the bathroom, he was a little surprised to find Archie and Fenris in there. All three looked up at him, differing expressions crossing their faces. Fenris looked irritated, Archie looked miffed and concerned, and Douxie... poor Douxie looked like he was going to start crying again.

"What?" Carter asked as he got closer.

Douxie's eyes were locked on his chest, darting around, looking over his body.

"Hey, Blue, my eyes are up here," Carter tried teasing. Douxie pulled him closer by the hips, eyes shining with tears. "Baby..."

"My love," Douxie breathed, blinking the tears from his eyes. He brought Carter close, mouth agape in horror at the fresh scars littering Carter's body.

"I'm okay," Carter told him gently, Douxie wordlessly tracing the jagged scar on his chest where Daisy had first stabbed him. "Baby, I'm—"

"She didn't deserve to live," Douxie all but growled, gold and black eyes flashing with contempt. "Not after all of this. Not after she—" he sucked in a breath, frame shaking. "She brutalized those murders, Carter. They were so unnecessarily violent."