“Are you okay?” Alora asked, and I opened my eyes, suddenly realising I’d closed them for a moment. “You seem tense.”
I tilted my head questioningly. “What makes you say that?”
“Your breathing grew heavier.”
With her lack of sight, I wondered what other things she noticed about people.
“It’s been a rough week.”
She turned her head away and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can understand that.”
“Are you cold?” I asked her, eyeing her thin, flimsy dress.
“A little,” she replied. “But I’ll be okay.”
I slipped out of my jacket and pulled off the thick work shirt I was wearing over my long-sleeved T-shirt. Handing it to her, I said, “Put this on.”
She took the shirt wordlessly, fumbling with it a moment before sliding her arms through the sleeves. Purple Rinse returned with the flip flops, and I paid her before helping Alora put them on. She gave me a small, grateful smile, and I shoved the key cards for our rooms into my pocket before guiding her over to the diner.
When we got there, we joined the others at a large table, and Alora slid in next to me. I ordered a steak while she only asked for a glass of water.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I said quietly, nudging her with my elbow.
“I don’t have any money,” she replied, her voice tight as though trying to keep tears at bay.
“I’m paying. Order whatever you want.”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You’re not. And I won’t let you go hungry, Goldy, so go ahead and pick something.”
She turned her head in the direction of where the waitress stood. “Is there a tuna melt on the menu?”
“Sure is,” the waitress replied, and Alora smiled.
“I’ll take one of those then.”
The others chatted over us, speculating as to how Theodore managed to construct a barrier around the city.
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve eaten in a place like this,” Alora said. “It feels strange.”
A bolt of anger shot through me. “Ridley fed you, didn’t he?”
“Oh, yes. He kept me very well fed. In the beginning, I refused to eat, but eventually, I saw that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I knew I needed to keep up my strength if I was ever going to escape.”
“Did he mistreat you?” I questioned her further.
She shook her head. “Aside from inadvertently blinding me when his spell went wrong, no. He treated me like I was precious. It was creepy. But whenever he tried to cast more spells to take my powers it would hurt.”
Frowning at her answer, I turned back in my seat as the waitress came back with our drinks, and I took a long swig out of my Coke. “So, he kept you locked away, and you predicted things for him. How does it work? Can you see what you choose to see, or does it just come to you?”
Alora stiffened. “I can’t choose. The visions come to me when they need to.”
“I’m don’t mean to pry,” I said, hoping she didn’t think I wanted to use her just like Ridley did.
“It’s okay. I just don’t really like to talk about it. Seeing the future isn’t a cool trick like most people think. The visions are painful. Think of it as akin to having an epileptic fit.”
“Shit, that doesn’t sound so great.” I sucked air in through my teeth.
“It really isn’t,” she sighed.
I wanted to ask her more questions, but I kept schtum, sensing it was a touchy subject. When the waitress delivered our food, I dug in ravenously. Alora ate eagerly, too. It must’ve been a while since her last meal. When we were done, I passed out the room keys, delegating one room for Delilah and Alora, one for Gabriel and Alvie, and one for me and Ira.
I noticed Ira had changed back into his human form and had salvaged some clothes from the back of the minivan—clothes that were way too small for a man of his size. It was a good thing, though, because I didn’t think Purple Rinse would be too happy about me trying to smuggle a dangerously large dog into the hotel.
“I want to stay with Ira,” Delilah said firmly, giving Alora an annoyed look.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I was about to argue with her, but I really didn’t have the energy after the day and night I’d had.
“Fine. Alora can stay with me then,” I grumbled, handing Delilah a key card. The little blonde squirmed uncomfortably at my side, but she didn’t say anything. Was she uneasy at the thought of sharing a room with me? It didn’t make sense since she’d adamantly stayed by my side since I found her.
“Is that alright with you?” I asked her in a low voice.
“Yes, it’s just that I sometimes have visions in my sleep. It can be a little shocking at first, but you don’t need to worry. It passes after a while.”