Out of the Dawn by P. C. Cast

Author:P. C. Cast
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

CHAPTER

22

AS MERCURY TOOK the last few steps from the goat path over the lip of the cliffside to the top, she decided that Marcus had been even more difficult to get up there than the trough full of tools had been. Tongues lolling, Badger and Khaleesi emerged after them, and headed straight to the pool for a drink. Mercury didn’t blame them. The days had been growing steadily hotter. It was almost noon and the sun was a blinding yellow giant that beat down unrelentingly. That was good for brickmaking, but less than good for intense physical activity.

Gemma was there, pacing, and when the two of them finally staggered onto level ground she rushed to her patient. Stella had already painted her face and Mercury was amazed at the transformation of the girl. With paint made from the deep purple clay, Stella had highlighted her eyes all the way up to her arched brows. From there she’d worked in the saffron in lines like sunbursts that radiated from those dark, beautiful eyes up to her hairline, and more from the center of her eyes down her cheeks to her jaw. Two bold lines were painted from her bottom lip down her chin, and the bright saffron yellow filled in the space between the lines. She was wearing boyfriend jeans that rested low on her curvy hips and her black T-shirt was tied up to expose her belly where Stella had painted more bold, brilliant lines, interchanging purple and yellow.

“Gemma, you look beautiful,” Mercury told her.

Gemma flashed a grin at her before she pointed to a large, flat-topped boulder not far from the entrance to the path. “Sit right here.” Gemma commanded Marcus. “Do you need a pain pill? I brought them. And I told you that you should take one before you and Mercury started up here.” The teenager hovered around the big man, looking very mama bear–like.

Marcus wiped the sweat that beaded his dark brow and flashed his smile at Gemma. “Baby girl, first, I agree with Mercury. You look beautiful. Second, I told you that you need to save those pills, and your healing magick, for folks hurt bad enough to need them. All I need is some rest.” His gaze went to Mercury, who was also wiping sweat from her face. “Thank you. That was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Glad we’ve moved so many supplies up here and you’ve been working on the shelter. I do believe I’ll be spending at least tonight on the cliff before attempting a return trip.”

Mercury watched Marcus’s gaze shift to Stella, who was seated on another flat-topped rock not far from them. She was using her fingers to paint designs on Georgie, who had asked specifically to look like a kitty cat, as she was currently completely obsessed with little Dandy. Stella had turned Georgie cat into a witch’s familiar. She had a kitty nose and whiskers, but painted on her forehead was the triple moon, full moon in the center sandwiched between two opposite-facing crescents.

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