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Chapter Fifty-Six
The bitter potion clung to my tongue and clogged my throat. A heaving retch nearly fucked the entire thing over, but I kept it down, swallowing every last drop, willing my esophagus not to revolt.
“You said,” I gasped, “it tastes like bubblegum.”
“I might have over-exaggerated.”
“It tastes like sewer water.”
“Better that my clients think it’s easy for their first time around, otherwise they clam up and yak it onto the floor.”
“Cowards.” I fought a nasty burp.
“You held it down better than most would,” she admitted. “But I hope you don’t plan on wasting any more time here. You’ll feel the effects soon, but before you go, take this.”
My vision grew an odd fuzz around the edges as I took the small pouch she offered. The thick, extra-padded velvet cushioned a tiny vial of purple liquid. “What is it?”
“If you begin to lose consciousness, take this antidote. It should give you enough clarity to function. But I warn you; once it wears off, you’ll sleep for two whole days. So, use only if completely necessary. And don’t — I repeat don’t — shatter it. Unless you feel like dying an early death.”
I gulped and pocketed the pouch. “Thanks, Orizanda. Serious. Let’s hope this works.”
“Godspeed. Now, go find what you’re looking for, little demon.”
I walked outside as if in a dream. As the elixir rushed through my veins, I felt lighter. Happier, even. There wasn’t any need to hide myself in the Underground, because who cared if people saw me? My entire body lifted on a breeze even as my feet carried me through the crowd and toward the Link.
As people swirled in blurring lines through the street, my eyes focused on something else. Something I’d never seen before. A spiderweb of colorful lines lay before me, all of them connected to me.
I reached for the light purple one with my attention and tugged. The impression of fuzzy socks flashed in my mind.
Apparently, this leads me to fuzzy socks. I should go get them. Right?
As I followed the thread, bumping into strangers and hardly feeling them, ice skittered through my nerves, bringing me close to retching again. “No socks,” I whispered to myself. “Get to the Link.”
I kept to the sides of the road, moving as quickly as possible, until I made it to the station. The mystical train chugged to a halt before me, and I climbed on as the weight of my own magic increased.
“Fuck,” I slurred, collapsing on the ground, which coincidentally was covered in velvet cushions. “Wow. This is sup… super niiice. Thanks, Train.” I patted the wood wall in appreciation. “So pretty…”
The train chuffed steam, and I was pretty sure she was flirting with me now.
“None of that,” I giggled, covering my reddening cheeks. “You’re just teash… teasing me.”
The Link made an odd staccato chuffing noise.
“Don’t laugh,” I warned, holding back my own giggling. “Don’t! Laugh! I can’t handle it.” One sharp sway later, and I found myself pitched sideways. I sprawled on the soft cushions, cackling. This train was a fucking riot. She was funnier than anyone I’d ever known before. Ever.
“You’re my best friend,” I whispered. The soft velvet cupped my cheek gently. “You understand me so well.”
But our time together couldn’t last forever. The Link slowed to a stop, and the doors opened for me. I stumbled down, tripping on the last step and knocking my chin onto a mop handle. “You really like janitor closets, don’t you?” I teased.
She gave me that chuffing laughter again and then eased out of my sight. Gone forever.
A stray tear leaked from my eye. Our friendship was a beautiful thing, wasn’t it?
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, tickling my ass cheek. Smirking, I read Razai’s frenzied message. “Oh calm down, you fluffy bird,” I muttered. “It’s not like I went for a swim in an acid pit. So dramatic.”
He called next.
I sighed and shoved him back into my ass—catching the doorframe kept me from collapsing in a fit of giggles. “I’m not going to put Razai in my ass,” I wheezed at the hilarity of it and wiped my eyes. “He’s way too tall.”
