A Forest of Secrets

Chapter 25

Jo kneeled behind Alaric when she got to the pod;  he had been devouring the hearty breakfast in front of him at the low table, his hair was still a little wet from the bath and his tunic was translucent around the neck. She hugged him, then kissed his neck, playfully. Laurentius had turned into a fly after their little talk, he said he wanted to meet with Wyn and then finally go back to the pod and get some sleep. The mage didn't want Alaric to see them going into the pod together, he might've suspected something was up. Jo agreed.

She heard Wyn clearing her throat loudly behind her.

"Guys, there are plenty of rooms," the girl cackled. 

Jo turned around, letting go of Alaric; Wyn was almost hidden by the humongous bundle of things in her arms: glasses, vials, liquids, herbs, and other things she didn't recognize. The girl's hair was up in a messy bun, adorned with colorful feathers and beads-- like Koldo's, but without the snake-like strands. It suited her, it was as wild and full of life as she was. The girl seemed to notice Jo staring at her hair.

"Clay did this, you like it? He did it while I was looking for this stuff, I wasn't even standing still- that golem is crazy dexterous, isn't he? It's madness. He'll be a useful lab partner. By the way, he'll be busy helping me with the -- with things," she shot a panicked look at Jo, then gazed at Alaric for a fleeting second. Jo nodded: Alaric wasn't stupid, he'd know she was up to something. Jo looked at him from the corner of her eye, she could tell by his expression that Wyn's reaction had fired up an alert in his brain.

"What are you going to do with all that, Wyn?" Alaric said, twisting his mouth.

"Oh, it's -- a hungover cure for Laurentius," the girl said, trying to sound dismissive. "He, uhm, was up all night drinking a magically aged moonshine, I told him it was a terrible idea, but... you saw him this morning, right? He looked shitty, like a walking butt-faced monster. He said he went right to his room after you saw him," Jo couldn't suppress a laugh. Wyn's description of Laurentius had been spot on.

"Right..." Alaric looked skeptical; Wyn's lie hadn't been particularly convincing. "Well, he did look terrible. He was incredibly grumpy too, it could've been the hangover, I suppose," he scratched the back of his neck. He didn't look convinced, but by his face, she could tell he didn't feel like arguing about it. He didn't care enough about the mage to wonder about it, she figured.

"Right! Before I forget: Jo, Koldo wanted to see you," Wyn changed the subject quickly. "I ran into him on my way here, he'll see you at his place. He asked me to tell you that you're late and to remind you that have to go by there yourself," the girl pouted. "Too bad, I like going up there, his pod is cooler than ours."

"I guess I should get going, then, since apparently, I'm late," Jo stood up. She wondered why Koldo was summoning her, had she forgotten about it? Maybe with all she'd been through, it slipped her mind. "I'm sure it has something to do with the ritual, so it won't be nice," she messed Alaric's hair. "You'll be fine by yourself for a couple of minutes?" she teased him.

"Oh, I don't know-- I might get in trouble, wander into the woods and fall into a deep hole, get eaten by a bear," he smirked.

"Try not to get eaten by a bear, then," Jo kissed his forehead. "Just stay put, I'll be right back," Jo walked to the exit, making a conscious decision to sway her hips while at it; she winked at him as she closed the door behind her. That should last him for a while, she thought, smirking to herself.

Jo hesitated before knocking on Koldo's door; she knew it was silly, but she couldn't help being afraid. She wondered if she should tell him about Laurentius' plan herself, or if she should wait for the mage; she had no idea how to explain it to him, she was afraid of ruining it. Koldo opened the door abruptly, interrupting her thoughts.