Page 80 of Hex You

Mercy held tightly to her twin. “I already knew, H. I already knew…” She drew a deep breath. “But now I also know what I have to do.”

Hunter stepped back and wiped her face with her sleeve. “What does that mean?”

“It’s just that I talked with Freya. She’s who told me I’m dying. You don’t need to worry about anything. It’s going to be okay. I promise.” Mercy hugged her sister again and Xena joined them, putting her arms around her two girls.

“It is good that the goddess is with you, my precious kitten. Freya will be near you from now on. I, too, can feel her watching presence,” said Xena.

“Is all well?” Khenti approached them slowly from the living room, his brown eyes dark with concern.

Mercy studied his kind face. Her heart seemed to clench. She didn’t want to leave him, either. She held out her hand and Khenti took it. “Well, I’ve been better, but everything will be okay. Eventually.”

“Would you like to continue watchingBuffy,or is there something else you’d rather do?” Khenti asked.

She could feel her sister’s worried gaze, as well as how closely her familiar watched her.What do I want to do? I don’t have much time…And that’s when Mercy realized she was exactly where she wanted to be, with the people she loved most in this world. She wanted to say good-bye to each of them in her own way in the time she had left. She smiled and squeezed Khenti’s hand. “I want to watchBuffywith all of you, drink hot cocoa, and eat popcorn that is way too buttery.”

“Done!” said Hunter, who kissed Mercy noisily on her tear-streaked cheek.

“That sounds like a lovely evening.” Xena licked Mercy’s other cheek. “You may want to wash your face first, though, kitten. You’re rather salty.” Xena tossed her hair and walked toward the living room, calling, “Emily kitten! Get out the nextBuffyDVD and call your mother. You shall spend the night and we all shall binge! I certainly hope you brought the medication that suppresses the effects of my mighty dander. I would not want you to…” Her voice faded out of their hearing.

Together Mercy and Hunter shared a look as they said, “That cat.”

THIRTY-THREE

“I’m here and I brought Mr. Peppermint Schnapps with me. Who wants a shot?” Kirk lifted the large bottle he’dborrowedfrom his dad’s liquor cabinet to a rousing round of cheers. His smile was self-satisfied as he made his way from the Goode Lake parking lot to the little beach next to the dock, where most of the varsity football team was already halfway through a PBR keg. There was a big bonfire burning by the water. Several of the pom squad girls—less cool than cheerleaders, but at least their uniforms were butt-showing short—were sitting on blankets near the water.

“Whitfield! Bring that bottle over here.” Derek Burke waved him over to a group of guys hanging at the keg.

Like a returning war hero, Kirk sauntered to his men, who all turned to welcome him. The weirdness from practice when old man Coach kicked him out had been washed away by beer and short attention spans. He was, once again, their leader.

“Um, did anyone bring any wine coolers?” From the beach where the pom girls dangled their bare toes into the water, their captain, ablue-eyed brunette whose nickname was Kitty—like a damn cat—frowned at him.

“Like I’manyone?” Kirk said sarcastically.

Kitty rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Whitfield. I was just asking. That beer isnotcold and peppermint schnapps is nasty.”

“That’s for sure,” echoed several of the other pom girls as they nodded in agreement and looked bored.

Bitches—every one of them. Like my old man says, nothing is ever enough for a complaining woman.

“Sorry, Your Highness,” Kirk said. “I didn’t realize PBR and schnapps weren’t good enough for you.”

Kitty looked him up and down before saying, “That doesn’t surprise me.”

There are drugs in the Jeep,Kirk’s subconscious whispered wise words to him. “Well,Kitty.” He exaggerated her nickname. “How ’bout a little oxy? Got a fistful of it in my Jeep. Perks from my battle wounds.” He lifted his cast-swathed hand.

Kitty’s perfect nose wrinkled. “Eww. Oxy is, like,superaddictive.”

A redhead named Colleen, who had just moved to Goodeville the summer before, spoke up. “Yeah, my mom’s a doctor. Opioid addiction is no joke. It kills. And, ugh! Why is it suddenly so humid out here? I can practically taste water in the air.”

“Right?” Kitty lifted her hair from her neck and sighed. “This weather is terrible for my hair.” She shifted her frown to Kirk. “Whitfield, we do not do oxy.”

You weren’t being serious,his wise subconscious shouted at him.

Kirk raised his hands. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. Plus, I was just kidding.”

Kitty rolled her eyes again. “Not funny, Whitfield. Coach Livingstonwas just killed!We’re all upset and your stupid jokes do not help.”

Kirk swiped an almost full plastic cup of beer from Jarod Frazier’s hand. As it sloshed onto the ground he strode to the pom girls. “Hey,sorry. I didn’t mean anything. Me and my team are here for you ladies. Things are definitely not normal in this town and we’ll protect you.”