Fateful Signs (Ballad of the Seer, Book Three)

Chapter 38 - A Night to Remember

The next day, Lily showed up at Duncan's house bright and early. She doubted Duncan was awake yet, but she needed to make sure that he was still him. After his miraculous recovery the day before, Lily was worried that it would all slip away again. Even though Gran had assured her all traces of the dark cloud in his mind were gone. Mia's spell was broken.

Lily climbed up the porch steps and knocked on the door. Someone had painted it blue since her last visit, a week ago. It matched well with the white and the freshly repainted yellow shutters. And someone had fixed the porch railing where it was cracked.

The front door opened and Mrs. Cavanaugh greeted her. "Come in." she insisted. "Duncan isn't awake yet, but you can go up if you want."

"Thanks," Lily said. She hurried up the stairs, into his bedroom. The blinds and curtains were drawn, but there was enough light to see. A faint early golden light shines around the edges of the curtains. The glow made everything seem dreamy.

Trying not to wake him, Lily slipped off her pink tennis shoes and climbed into the bed, under the covers with him. She knew that he was wiped out. They spent all night on the phone, talking well into the morning hours. If she hadn't been so wired - possibly due to the seven cups of coffee she drank last night, to keep herself awake - she would probably still be in bed, too.

It was warm under the blankets and Lily found herself suddenly tired, despite the copious amounts of caffeine pumping through her system. She cuddled up close to him - his skin was warm, too - and laid her head on his chest. It was comfortable and familiar.

Perhaps out of habit, or instinct, from their days on the run, Duncan's arm shifted to wrap around her. His hand pushed up on the hem of her tank top. He was trying to pull her closer, so she scooted over, tossing her leg over his. Lily stroked her foot up and down his leg, trying to entice him into waking.

But all she accomplished was making him turn toward her to drape his leg and his other arm over her side. Wrapped up with him, Lily decided it couldn't hurt to rest her eyes for just a few seconds.

The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her. She realized soon that it wasn't her being shaken. Duncan's mother spoke his name loudly. Repeatedly.

"G'way." Duncan groaned. His limbs tightened around Lily. "I'm 'sleep."

Mrs. Cavanaugh huffed and spun around to leave the room.

Lily had to twist and maneuver to get free of him. His grip was like boa constrictor squeezing the life out of her. "Where you goin'?" he mumbled.

"It's time to get up." She tossed the covers aside, exposing him to the air conditioned room. He curled up into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest and shoved his head beneath his pillow. "Come on, get up." She shook his shoulder. When that didn't work, she smacked his butt. He jumped from the shock but didn't respond, otherwise. He must be the world's soundest sleeper, she thought.

She was in the process of conjuring a raincloud over his bed when he finally sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. "Enough abuse already. I should call a hotline or something."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I barely tapped you."

"I bet you a hundred bucks that I've got a mark on my ass shaped like your hand."

Lily smiled. "Shall we see."

Duncan chuckled, standing up to gather her in an embrace. She laid her head against his shoulder, locking her arms around him, tightly. "This is nice." he whispered. "It feels like it's been forever since I just held you."