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And drinking.
And hooking up with random chicks.
I sighed while rubbing my temple. “She won’t answer. She never does.”
The line trilled repeatedly. I disconnected the call and set my phone on the table, watching the screen until it dimmed and ultimately timed out.
“There. I did it,” I hissed. “Happy now?”
The screen lit up.
My eyelids fluttered in disbelief when I saw a text from Marina on the screen saying,What do you want?
“Nope, this must be a dream.” I swept the phone from the table and repeatedly read the message. “Gods, why can’t this be a dream?”
Now that I was faced with the greatest challenge of my life, I wasn’t sure I could pull through with it.
But I had to try.
For Lottie. For Henry.
For all of us.
I sighed as I clicked on Marina’s name. This time, the line trilled twice.
“Hear me out, okay?” I blurted. “Your son needs your help. It’s an emergency, Marina. Just listen to me. Don’t hang up.”
Silence stretched over the line. And then she said, “Okay.”
The story spilled out of me, flowing like an avalanche down a snowy mountain. Boulders, cabins, trees, and wildlife got eaten by the muddy debris, the frozen branches, and the loosened snow. Once the mess reached the bottom, I collapsed into the couch, sweat coating my forehead.
Finally, it was all out of me.
Now I just had to wait.
“You need my blood?” Marina asked hesitantly. “For a… ritual?”
“Henry’s been cursed.”
She croaked with confusion and then exhaled loudly. “I’m so confused. Why did they grab him? Couldn’t they grab any kid?”
“Not sure. I have to check the tome again. I think it said something about a pure-blooded wolf.”
“Again, that begs the question of why they didn’t grabanywolf pup.”
Frustration tickled the edges of my awareness. “You gonna do it or not, Marina? This is a one-shot kind of deal. We need your help. Give it or don’t.”
“I see you haven’t changed.”
“I guess that makes two of us.”
More silence. At this rate, we were bound to repeat all the arguments we had ever had. Years spent with this woman were locked in the back of my mind, every single one of them an awful memory. Had we ever been happy together?
I couldn’t remember.
She sighed. “When do you need it?”
“Oh, I…” I scratched my head. “I didn’t think I would make it this far.”
