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CHAPTER
43
STELLA WAS STILL awake and staring into the fire when Mercury, Khaleesi, and Imani returned to the cave.
“Get the weed. I need it,” said Imani.
“I’m ahead of you.” Stella lifted a smoking joint and handed it to Imani, who looked wan and dazed as she sat heavily beside her.
Mercury sat on the other side of Stella, and the young pitty quickly curled up beside her, careful to always be within touching distance of Mercury. “Imani just prophesized.”
“What!” Stella’s thick silver-blonde mane whipped around her shoulders as she turned from Mercury to stare at Imani.
Imani coughed out a cloud of marijuana-perfumed smoke and passed the joint to Mercury before she answered. “I don’t know that it was a prophecy.”
“Then what would you call it?” Mercury asked.
Imani moved a shoulder restlessly. “I don’t know. I just said the words. I don’t even know if they’re true, let alone where they came from.”
“What words? Would someone fill me the hell in?”
“I was looking to the southwest. Like I do every night,” said Imani. “I knew when Mercury joined me, but I couldn’t say hi or anything. It was like my ability to speak was frozen, and then, sure as hell, there was a thaw because words suddenly poured out of my mouth: He will come. The Destroyer. Prepare or perish. That was it. Nothing else came to me. Maybe, I dunno, maybe I was sorta delirious or in a trance or something. I, um, haven’t said anything, but when I go out there and stare toward my babies, I can feel them. Through the earth. And I know that doesn’t make any sense at all. So maybe what I said doesn’t make any sense either. Maybe losing them has made me lose my mind too.”
“You’re definitely not losing your mind. Your eyes glowed green,” said Mercury. “What you said makes sense, even if we don’t understand it yet.”
“Then we prepare,” said Stella.
“For what?” Imani shouted and then quickly closed her mouth as the three women peered into the darkness of the cave behind them where everyone else was asleep. When no one stirred, she continued more quietly. “I don’t know why I said what I said, and I also don’t know what a Destroyer is. How do we prepare for something we have no clue about?” She sighed and reached across Stella so Mercury could pass her the joint.
“We build our network of homes. There.” Stella pointed up. “Right away. As in we begin tomorrow. We build knowing that it has to be our sanctuary and our fortress.” She looked from Mercury to Imani. “We aren’t fragile or hysterical, stupid or inept. We’re smart, strong, capable. We’re survivors. Hell, we’re magical! We can do this. We must do this.”
“I know you’re right.” Mercury spoke slowly, like her words were heavy. “I know we have to go on. And pretty soon I’ll probably even want to go on. But right now I’m defeated. I don’t want to deal with any more apocalyptic shit. I just want to sleep and sleep and sleep.”
Stella put her arm around her best friend. “It’ll be better in the morning, and then maybe a little better the next morning—and so on and so on.”
“Time dulls the pain,” Imani said. “It doesn’t stop it, but it does make it easier to bear.”
Miserable, Mercury met Imani’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to compare my grief to yours. I only knew Ford for just a few days. That’s nothing compared to—”
“Love doesn’t have a time stamp.” Imani interrupted her. “Allow yourself to grieve. It takes nothing away from my loss.”
“Thank you,” Mercury murmured. She reached across Stella and hugged Imani and then hugged Stella before standing. “I can’t be awake any longer today. I just… I just want to sleep.”
“Night-night, Acorn. Love you. Sweet dreams…” Stella’s voice drifted after her as Mercury, with Khaleesi at her heels, made her way quietly to where she’d set up her sleeping bag, pillow, and blankets. The T-shirt she slept in was folded neatly on her pillow. She took off her boots and the beautiful dress that held such sweet memories, and pulled on her shirt. Then Mercury slipped inside her sleeping bag and fluffed her pillow, smoothing the soft material that covered it before she lay her heavy head down. Khaleesi let her get settled and then circled several times before curling up, pressed against her back.
Mercury hadn’t been lying to Stella and Imani. She really wanted to do nothing but sleep, and within just a few breaths she willingly gave in to unconsciousness.
The dream began with warmth. It radiated from behind Mercury. Her sleeping body responded, leaning into the heat. Mercury sighed happily as the warmth that was at her back spread, enveloping her, cocooning her, comforting her. Mercury breathed deeply, relaxing into the delicious heat.
Dogs are so great,her dreaming mind thought. We don’t deserve them, but I’m really glad we have them.
A deep chuckle tickled her ear. Something brushed against the bare skin on her neck, causing her to shiver.
I’m not sure whether I should be offended or flattered at being called a dog.
In her dream Mercury gasped at the familiar voice and tried to roll over, but his arms held her back tightly against him as he spooned her. Ford?
What do you think? Can Khaleesi do this?Warm lips followed the path of the shivering skin on her neck. Or this? Teeth gently caught her earlobe. Well, perhaps biting you isn’t the best way to show I’m not a dog. He chuckled again, and his warm breath played across her skin.
