“How should I know? I don’t speak Russian.”
I didn’t understand why she laughed.
35. Simple Works
Mira
Rome answered the knock at the door. We could hear muffled murmuring, then he led a woman and a child into the living room.
“Wow. That was fast.” Kerryalmostsmiled as he stood up.
“Am I not supposed to be here?” The dark-haired woman curled up one eyebrow.
“Yeah, but I only called you two days ago. I didn’t think you’d get something together so fast. And I never thought Clem would let you out of his sight.” Kerry ushered her into a chair. “Rome, Mira, this is Amanda Greenaway, Clem’s wife.”
Rome said hello and I made a polite noise and smiled.
“And who is this young lady?” I pointed at her ninja turtle t-shirt. “I can see she has excellent taste.”
The little girl grinned.
“Hey, Lilas.” Kerry scrubbed her hair with his hand as she fastened herself to his leg. “Everybody, this is Lilas Tyne. Shortcake, say hi to my friends.”
After she did, Kerry explained to Rome and me that they’d met the little girl last fall when her warden had rushed her to the Sanctuary’s hospital with a shrouder on her neck. He’d wrestled it off her, and Gemma had healed her while Chessiecalled her soul back to her body. After that scare, Lilas’ mother moved them to the Sanctuary.
“We hang out with her on the weekends. Gemma’s teaching her to play the piano. And a coupla weeks ago, she ran into trouble with some bullies, so me, Jax and John went to her school one day.” Kerry’s grin was not nice. “That ended the bullyingrealquick.”
“I bet Gemma fussed at you for scaring the mess outta seven- and eight-year-olds.” Rome snorted.
“Yeah, but not too much. She likes Lilas, too.”
“Kerry!”
Lilas jumped up and down to get his attention.He scooped her up so she sat in the crook of his arm, and she patted his scarred cheek with her chubby little hand.
“I found her,” she chirped. “I found Gemma!”
“Oh, yeah?” His eyes lit up like bioluminescent plankton, which was both wicked and alarming. “You found her in dreamland?”
“Yeth! I can take you to her.”
“That’s a very child-like view of the process.” Amanda’s smile was a tad smug, I thought. “You will not go anywhere physically. Lilas will project your unconscious mind into Gemma’s, much like a hologram, only a psychic one. It will seem real enough, however.”
Kerry and Lilas looked at her, then back at each other.
“Keep explaining it your way, kid,” he rumbled. “Simple works for me.”
She giggled, which made himalmostsmile.
“Lilas, will you be able to see everything in the dream, too?” Rome plunked down on the sofa beside me.
“Yeth.” Her lisp from her missing front teeth made her even more adorable.
“So go easy on the kissing, Kerry. Little eyes will be watching you,” I said to embarrass him, then grinned as dark red skated across his cheekbones.
“Eew! Why would you kith Gemma?” Lilas’ little face screwed up into a grimace of disgust.
I laughed and even Rome chuckled before Amanda took over the conversation.
