Unforgettable (OLD COPY DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 43

"Hot chocolate for you, hot chocolate for you and hot chocolate for you, you and you," Garret says in a sing-song tone as he walks around passing out mugs of hot chocolate.

I reach out my hands and he places a blue mug in them, a single, white chip marring the lip of it as I cradle the mug. I take a grateful sip and savor in the warmth of the drink, pleased to have something warm for once. I sit back more comfortably on the barstool in the kitchen as Indigo and Connor sit on the couch in the living room.

Garret walks over to check on them briefly, a wand in hand as he hovers it over them. Astrid watches him from where she's curled up in a recliner, the bruises on her face and around her eye already fading as she pulls the blanket Garret had given her more closely around her.

I think about what I could say to her, asking her if she was okay was obviously out of the question, as was asking how she was feeling.

"I'm okay."

I startle at the sound of her voice in my head, the hot chocolate in my mug threatening to spill over when I flinch as it sloshes unpredictably. Next to me, Shawn eyes me and I can see a flash of worry as my heart beats faster. From across the room, the edge of Astrid's lip twitches upwards in the barest hint of a smile.

"I could hear you thinking, you weren't being very quiet about it."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

I feel a twist in my chest at the sadness in her voice.

"Kara, I'll be okay," she assures me, her voice lapsing into a whisper in my head.

"Astrid, it's okay if you aren't, I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me."

There's a long enough moment of silence afterwards that I wonder if she's heard me, but eventually, she speaks.

"I'll talk to you about it, but not now," she promises, her eyes drifting to mine as she offers a smile.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"You're all free to stay the night," Garret says as he looks to each of us in turn, "Indigo, Connor I'd like to keep the both of you overnight to continue monitoring the runes you sustained, I would call your parents."

"I will," Indigo murmurs before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "It's just putting the whole story together that's going to be the hard part."

I can't help but snort under my breath.

"I'd like to stay too, if you don't mind," Astrid says in a low voice, "Tessa and her parents are out of town for the night, they went to go visit relatives."

"I have an online class in the morning so I need to head home," Ava speaks up from where she's leaned against some cabinets as she looks to me, "otherwise I'd love to stay."

Shawn nods at this, "I have class too, I can take you back home if you want?" He glances over at me then, his gaze making my heart beat faster as my stomach twists, "Kara? What do you want to do?"

"I can't stay, I have to go back to the academy, I...I have medication that I have to take," I admit, my voice trailing into a whisper as I think about the pill bottle in my medicine cabinet.

Even though Mrs. Nox turned out to be working with Clayton I know that the medication I've been taking has been working for me. As a precaution I could have Garret check it before I take it this time just in case but either way, I still want to go get it.

"That's fine, do you want me to go with you?" Garret offers and I shake my head.

"No, I'll be back as soon as I get it," I assure him. "But I'd like you to test it just in case," I add and he nods.

"I'll take her to the academy," Shawn says suddenly and I glance over to see that he's on his feet. "I can drop off Ava on the way back."

"Sounds good to me," Ava replies as she sets down her mug and stretches. "Thank you for the hot chocolate."

"No problem at all," Garret says as he looks to each of us in turn, "you all be safe."

"I'll be back soon," I promise.