somewhat. She even partook in
drinking a sangria with her friends. A nice bedtime drink, she told
herself. That’s where Gray was going after dinner—back to Benita’s
and to bed early. She’d decided the hour was too late for worrying
about Adrian. Maybe Señor Ortega could
offer a service that didn’t involve personal objects, or maybe for
the right price the warlock could procure what he needed,
himself.
Gray drank the last of her sangria and set
the glass on the table. “And now, if you’ll excuse me,” she
announced. “I’m going . . .” Gray blinked. “I’m going to . . .” She
gripped the edges of the table suddenly and felt herself teetering
for the second time that day. The empty plates and cups spun in
circles across her vision.
“Gray?” Will said.
Even Hannah looked alarmed. “Gray!”
Not again, no fainting. Why was this
happening? She’d only had one glass of sangria. Gray’s hands
tightened around the table and her lids fluttered closed. Her heart
began a rapid beat until it all but thundered inside her chest.
Then her eyes flew open. Wide. Gray released the sides of the
table.
“I’m sorry, what was I saying?”
Hannah squished up her nose. “That you were
going to do something or go somewhere?” She looked at Will and
Marco.
Gray smiled suddenly, remembering. “Oh yes,
I’m going to the Rex Room. Are you coming with?”
Hannah looked at the guys then shrugged. “Why
not?”
Gray glanced over her friend’s shoulder.
Where was their waiter? It was time they got out of there. If she
were lucky, Adrian would return to the Rex Room tonight. She could
only hope he was a creature of habit.
They had unfinished business, and Gray
intended to see it through.
CHAPTER NINE
A pleasant smell greeted Adrian the moment he walked
inside the apartment. Nan had made his favorite: piroshkis. It was
a welcome sight after two performances in one day.
As they sat down to eat, Nan watched Adrian
with the hint of a smile on her lips. Finally, Adrian stopped
chewing. “What is it?”
“I no say anything.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “What mischief have
you gotten into now?”
“Me no get into mischief,” Nan said. But then
she smiled.
“What did you do?” Adrian studied her face.
“Nan?”
Suddenly she was no longer smiling, but
scowling. “I pack, Adrian. This place not for me.”
Adrian set his piroshki on his plate. “What
do you mean you packed? I only have a week left to perform then we
can go back to Paris.”
“You stay. Me go.”
Adrian tilted his head as though that would
help him to understand.
“Me go tonight.”
Adrian frowned. “We came together, we’ll
leave together. Is Barcelona really that bad?”
Nan looked at him sadly. “No, Barcelona not
bad. You no worry, Adrian. You stay and I see you soon. Okay?”
What did she expect him to say? Adrian pushed
his plate away. “Leave if you want.” He looked at his nan, but she
made no reply. Adrian stared sullenly at his plate. “How are you
getting to Paris?”
“Plane.”
Adrian nodded. He studied the table rather
than look at her. She hadn’t even waited to discuss this with him
or allowed him to make arrangements. “Very well,” Adrian said,
still unable to meet his nan’s eye. “I’ll see you to the
airport.”
“Taxi come,” Nan said. “Now.”
Adrian looked up. “Now?”
As if on cue, a horn bleated from below. He
could hardly believe it. His nan had never taken off on him like
this before. Not that he needed her with him wherever he went;
quite the opposite. It was Adrian’s responsibility to look out for
the old woman. He was all she had.
But she stood up now and snapped her fingers.
Her suitcase appeared at her side.
“Allow me,” Adrian said solemnly. It was the
least he could do.
He carried the bag down three flights of
stairs and set it inside the trunk of the cab himself. “See that my
grandmother gets to the airport safely,” he told the cabby,
stuffing
drinking a sangria with her friends. A nice bedtime drink, she told
herself. That’s where Gray was going after dinner—back to Benita’s
and to bed early. She’d decided the hour was too late for worrying
about Adrian. Maybe Señor Ortega could
offer a service that didn’t involve personal objects, or maybe for
the right price the warlock could procure what he needed,
himself.
Gray drank the last of her sangria and set
the glass on the table. “And now, if you’ll excuse me,” she
announced. “I’m going . . .” Gray blinked. “I’m going to . . .” She
gripped the edges of the table suddenly and felt herself teetering
for the second time that day. The empty plates and cups spun in
circles across her vision.
“Gray?” Will said.
Even Hannah looked alarmed. “Gray!”
Not again, no fainting. Why was this
happening? She’d only had one glass of sangria. Gray’s hands
tightened around the table and her lids fluttered closed. Her heart
began a rapid beat until it all but thundered inside her chest.
Then her eyes flew open. Wide. Gray released the sides of the
table.
“I’m sorry, what was I saying?”
Hannah squished up her nose. “That you were
going to do something or go somewhere?” She looked at Will and
Marco.
Gray smiled suddenly, remembering. “Oh yes,
I’m going to the Rex Room. Are you coming with?”
Hannah looked at the guys then shrugged. “Why
not?”
Gray glanced over her friend’s shoulder.
Where was their waiter? It was time they got out of there. If she
were lucky, Adrian would return to the Rex Room tonight. She could
only hope he was a creature of habit.
They had unfinished business, and Gray
intended to see it through.
CHAPTER NINE
A pleasant smell greeted Adrian the moment he walked
inside the apartment. Nan had made his favorite: piroshkis. It was
a welcome sight after two performances in one day.
As they sat down to eat, Nan watched Adrian
with the hint of a smile on her lips. Finally, Adrian stopped
chewing. “What is it?”
“I no say anything.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “What mischief have
you gotten into now?”
“Me no get into mischief,” Nan said. But then
she smiled.
“What did you do?” Adrian studied her face.
“Nan?”
Suddenly she was no longer smiling, but
scowling. “I pack, Adrian. This place not for me.”
Adrian set his piroshki on his plate. “What
do you mean you packed? I only have a week left to perform then we
can go back to Paris.”
“You stay. Me go.”
Adrian tilted his head as though that would
help him to understand.
“Me go tonight.”
Adrian frowned. “We came together, we’ll
leave together. Is Barcelona really that bad?”
Nan looked at him sadly. “No, Barcelona not
bad. You no worry, Adrian. You stay and I see you soon. Okay?”
What did she expect him to say? Adrian pushed
his plate away. “Leave if you want.” He looked at his nan, but she
made no reply. Adrian stared sullenly at his plate. “How are you
getting to Paris?”
“Plane.”
Adrian nodded. He studied the table rather
than look at her. She hadn’t even waited to discuss this with him
or allowed him to make arrangements. “Very well,” Adrian said,
still unable to meet his nan’s eye. “I’ll see you to the
airport.”
“Taxi come,” Nan said. “Now.”
Adrian looked up. “Now?”
As if on cue, a horn bleated from below. He
could hardly believe it. His nan had never taken off on him like
this before. Not that he needed her with him wherever he went;
quite the opposite. It was Adrian’s responsibility to look out for
the old woman. He was all she had.
But she stood up now and snapped her fingers.
Her suitcase appeared at her side.
“Allow me,” Adrian said solemnly. It was the
least he could do.
He carried the bag down three flights of
stairs and set it inside the trunk of the cab himself. “See that my
grandmother gets to the airport safely,” he told the cabby,
stuffing
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