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He rol ed over on his stomach and plucked a long blade of grass, tickling my bel y as I stretched out beside him. "I know you're worried about Chase.
But, Delilah, you have to let go, if that's what he needs. The Nectar of Life plays havoc with humans when they aren't prepared. You saved his life, but he lost something he wasn't ready to lose. His mortality--in the human sense--is a huge part of what makes humans . . . wel . . . human. When you have such a short time to live, you make the most of it. Now, you need to stand back and let Sharah help him. She knows what to do."
I knew he was speaking the truth; I just didn't want to hear it. But he was right. Camil e and Menol y had been tel ing me that for days, but coming from them, it felt like sisterly meddling instead of advice. I let out a little yowl.
"Yeah, I know you know, and I know you don't like it, but take my advice this time, okay? I understand what it means to have life ripped apart and drastical y changed."
And I knew that Roz did understand. He'd lost his family to Dredge, he'd lost his wife when Zeus and Hera decided to use them both as pawns. He'd been changed from Fae to incubus in the blink of an eye. Chase's life had been turned upside down in that same fraction of a second, though not as harshly as Roz's.
A car pul ed into the driveway. Bruce and his driver. And Iris. They jumped out, and I saw they'd brought Vanzir home, too. Probably a good thing. He wasn't the most decorous guest, and I had a feeling he'd be happier here than hanging out til late at a party where most of the guests avoided him.
Iris ran inside, and in less than ten minutes, she dashed down from the back porch, wearing a rubber apron over what I recognized as a dress she kept for the grungiest chores. She stood over me, hands on her hips.
"Wel , I don't know how you got yourself in this fix, but let's take care of you." She leaned over and scooped me up in her arms, her nose twitching. "You reek, girl. What did you say to that skunk?"
I wanted to protest-- it hadn't been my fault; I hadn't done anything. But I knew that Iris would cal me on it. Truth was, I'd invaded the skunk's territory and threatened it by pouncing.
Holding me against one hip, Iris carried me up the back steps and into the enclosed porch, where I saw something so horrible that I squirmed, desperately trying to get away: a bath ful of what looked like dark, thick water.
Iris struggled, her thick rubber gloves losing their purchase on me. The minute her grip weakened, I bolted for the door to the kitchen, which was standing open.
"Come back here! Delilah, get your fuzzy butt back here right now!"
I gal oped toward the stairs, but before I could get there, Vanzir was standing in front of me, snickering. Faster than I could blink, he reached out and snagged me up.
"Gotchya, puddy tat."
I squirmed, but he held fast and carried me at arm's length to the porch, where he unceremoniously dumped me in the water. Iris slammed the door so I couldn't get into the house again. Resigned, I huffed and patiently waited. I was already wet; I might as wel let her give me the bath. The scent of tomato juice cocktail broke through the smel filtering into my nostrils, and I took a cautious lick of the water.
Not bad, not bad.
Iris began to scrub me with the juice, and I hated to admit it, but it felt good. I detested the smel of skunk--it was making me nauseated--and if Iris thought that a bath in V8 would help, then I'd let her bathe me. I even relented enough to let her scrub my tummy. She took off my col ar, and I suddenly felt naked. After al , that col ar contained my clothing. When I changed back, if it wasn't on me, my clothes wouldn't be either.
After about ten minutes Iris motioned to Roz, and they moved to the side, leaving Vanzir to hold me in the tub.
"Puddy tat like her bath? Puddy happy?" he crooned.
Good for you I know you're just teasing, I thought. Or you'd be dead by now. Vanzir was our slave, and if we chose, he'd die. Enslaving him had been the only way to keep from kil ing him when he defected to us in the first place, and there was no undoing the deed. He was ours. Forever.
I settled for chomping on his thumb. He raised his eyebrows, but that David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust platinum shag barely moved. I wondered how much gel he used to get it to stay in place.
Iris and Roz came back, and she lifted me out of the bath and dipped me in a bucket of warm, clear water to rinse off the tomato juice.
"Uh-oh," she said.
That didn't sound good.
"Oh Mama." Roz let out a snort. "She's not going to like that at al . I wonder if . . . wil it translate over?"
What? Will what translate over? What the hell was going on?
"Delilah, honey, I think you better shift back now. Vanzir, would you fetch a towel? She's not going to want those clothes, I guarantee you that. What a pity--your beautiful gown. You'l have to replace it."
My gown! Oh no! I hadn't even thought about that, but Iris was right; the skunk had ruined my most elegant evening dress. My only evening dress.
She sat me down, and I sniffed the air. Hey--what the hel ? I stil smel ed like skunk! Letting out a huff, I shook my head, and water flew everywhere. Iris jumped back.
"I know you're not happy, but please--mind your manners. I would prefer to smel as little like skunk as possible. Now, here's the towel. Boys, be nice and quit teasing her."
