Raya settled into an upholstered chair in Lizzy’s room, too tired to stand and too adrenalized to lie down.
Lizzy, who had disappeared into the bathroom, poked her head around the corner. “Are you going to sleep?”
“I don’t think I can. I feel like I drank a pot of coffee.”
“Good!” Lizzy bustled over, her hands full of something that clinked together as she carried them. She deposited two handfuls of nail polish bottles onto the table next to Raya.
“Don’t you want to sleep?”
Lizzy fluttered her hands. “Can’t. Whenever I handle that much power, I’m wired for hours. Might as well make the most of it. Which color do you like?”
“Me? I’m not much of a paint-your-nails person.”
Lizzy continued to stare at her with hope in her eyes.
“But I guess I could go with this one.” Raya picked up a red bottle.
“I love it! This is going to be so fun.” She plopped into the other chair and reached across the table for Raya’s hand. “So tell me all about your guy.”
“He’s not actually my guy.” Raya’s nerves fired up as she wondered what Lizzy could sense about her just by holding onto her hand. Then she got even more nervous when she thought about Lizzy sensing her nervousness.
She willed herself to calm down. It was only a manicure.
Lizzy shook the bottle and removed the cap. “I sense you have some strong feelings about him.”
Damn it.
Raya laughed it off. “Strong feelings like annoyance, maybe.”
Lizzy stroked a smooth coat onto one nail. “Really?”
Sweat broke out on Raya’s forehead. Could you block another witch’s perception? She had no idea. She’d never worked with witches before and she didn’t dare try a spell now.
Nine nails to go.
“Because it doesn’t feel like annoyance to me.” Lizzy dipped the brush into the bottle and brushed the lacquer onto another nail.
Raya swallowed. “No?”
Lizzy blithely stroked a coat of polish onto the next nail. “It feels like fear.”
Raya almost tore her hand out of Lizzy’s gentle grasp.
Lizzy painted the ring and pinkie finger nails with two quick swipes. “That’s one hand done.”
Raya did not want to put her other hand in Lizzy’s.
She had to put her other hand in Lizzy’s.
Lizzy took it and applied polish slowly and carefully to the first nail. “Not that you’re afraid of him, but that you’re afraid of what he is to you.”
It took every ounce of Raya’s restraint not to snatch back her hand and run out the door.
Lizzy didn’t look up as she painted the next nail. “Am I wrong?”
Could she lie? How could she lie when she didn’t even know the answer to the question? “I don’t know.”
Four nails to go.
