Hidden Charm_A Fates Universe Novel by Kristine Grayson

Author:Kristine Grayson [Grayson, Kristine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B07SJMTZFV
Goodreads: 46155439
Publisher: WMG Publishing
Published: 2019-06-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Her entire body ached. Some parts actively hurt. Her throat felt rubbed raw. The inside of her ears burned. Her nose felt like it had swollen to three times its size.

And now Panacea was looking at Zel like she had turned into some subspecies of bug.

Zel wanted to ask what was going on, but her throat hurt so badly that talking felt like a bad idea. Her mouth tasted foul anyway, thanks to that potion, and she didn’t want to spray camphor breath all over Panacea.

Then Henry sprinted across the room from the window, looking somewhat terrified.

Zel frowned at him, or tried to. The aches in her face and body were stiffening, the way that deep injuries often did. She would have thought that Panacea’s potion would actually heal her, not just dispel whatever had gotten inside her. But no.

“What is that?” Henry asked as he reached the couch.

“You left the window,” Panacea said. “I told you I needed you at the window.”

Zel glanced at the window. It was open, and through it, in the distance, she could see something black and purple and green dominating the night sky. Only it didn’t seem like night—not from the other windows.

And where the heck was she, anyway? The living room was old and low-ceilinged, with molding that had to date from the last century, and chairs that had seen better days. Panacea sat on the edge of the couch, with a bowl that reeked of the vile camphor-and-mint thing that Panacea had made her drink.

Henry hadn’t moved. He was looking at Zel with great concern.

“Get back to the window!” There was urgency in Panacea’s voice.

Henry frowned at Panacea, then at Zel. He started to reach toward her, but stopped, as if he wasn’t sure he had permission. Or maybe he didn’t want to touch her at all.

“Do you want this all to be for naught?” Panacea said to him.

His lips thinned. He seemed to be holding back an anger that surprised Zel, then he crossed the room and stood near the window.

“Can I close it?” he asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

“Not yet,” Panacea said. She looked at Zel. Panacea’s eyes were dark, and almost impossible to read. “Extend your hands toward me.”

Zel did—or rather, started to. Her entire body felt stiff, as if all of the muscles had frozen up. Her hands weren’t moving at all.

“I can’t,” she started to say or wanted to say or almost said, but really, she didn’t say it at all. Her lips weren’t moving either.

But her eyeballs did. She looked down at her immobile arms.

They were silver. Shining, pure, beautifully polished silver.

And as she stared at them, she thought she saw some familiar designs embedded in her skin.

Panacea touched Zel’s right arm. Or rather, Zel saw her do it, and assumed there was a touch. Zel felt nothing.

“This is lovely,” Panacea said. “I had no idea that Sonny loved you so much.”

What? Zel tried to ask, but couldn’t. Sonny had done this to her? He wouldn’t hurt her.

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