Leashing the Tempest (Arcadia Bell #2.5)(19)

She spun around and surveyed the room, then bowed her heads at me, one after the other. “If we meet again, I will hold you in regard as an honest mage.”

Awesome, and God I hoped that never happened.

And with that, she exited the room and disappeared down the hallway as a muffled voice called out to the Baba Yaga through a megaphone.

• • •

It took hours to sort everything out with the Coast Guard. Lon gave them an official statement about the lightning strike—omitting details regarding both Jupe’s and the captain’s knacks and, of course, Onna. While Christie led them around for an inspection of the yacht’s damage, we waited for a dispatched towboat to haul the dead Baba Yaga away. Once we got back to La Sirena, Christie was taken to the hospital for concussion tests. He started to tell us goodbye, but took one look at the displeasure on Lon’s face and thought better of it.

After seeing Kar Yee back to her car, Lon, Jupe, and I piled in Lon’s SUV and headed back home. The dashboard clock said it was after nine. It felt like one of the longest days of my life.

“Seat warmers, please,” I begged. My clothes were still a little damp beneath the blanket the Coast Guard had provided.

“On it,” Lon said as he fiddled with controls and pulled out of the nearly empty boardwalk parking lot onto Ocean Avenue. Everything around was closed and dark, apart from the lights crowning the walls of Brentano Gardens Amusement Park across the street.

“Okay, lay it on me,” Jupe said from the backseat. “How much trouble am I in?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Lon said as headlights from a passing car beamed slices of light across his face. “But it’s probably going to involve manual labor and all of your weekends until Christmas spent indoors.”

Jupe sighed dramatically. “I thought so. I bet Kar Yee never wants to spend time with us again.” Oh, he was probably right about that. He blew out a long breath and crossed his arms over his chest. “I wish we’d never gone.”

Dammit. Even though he’d acted like an asshat today, I hated seeing him all dejected and mopey. He was a hot mess, sure, and I knew his dad was secretly fantasizing about dum Cingain.ping him on the side of the road, but I just couldn’t help it: the kid turned me into Silly Putty.

“Look on the bright side,” I said. “We did learn a few things today.”

“Like that I was right about the mermaid ghost?”

God help us, we’d never hear the end of that.

“Like that your knack doesn’t last forever,” I said. “And you might not be able to correct a command once you’ve given it.”

“In other words, never tell someone they’re brainless when I’m using my knack.”

“No,” Lon corrected. “Never use it in anger.”

“Or carelessly,” I added.

“Just don’t use it at all,” Lon said gruffly.

Jupe grimaced. “I’m actually okay with that. But I do have one request.”

“What’s that?” Lon asked.

“Let’s forget about buying a boat.”

“Forgotten.”

Jupe stuck his head between our seats. “Instead, I think we should bring the water to us. How ’bout a swimming pool in the backyard? You know, like Jack’s? An infinity pool.”

“Not a chance,” Lon said.

“Hot tub?”

“How about we just go home, light a fire in the fireplace, and watch a movie?” I said.

“Wine,” Lon added. “Lots and lots of wine.”

Jupe raised his hand. “Only if I can pick the movie.”

“Fine,” I said, reaching back to twine my fingers around his. “Which movie?”

“It’s an Italian horror flick from 1973. It’s about a photographer who falls under the spell of a witch.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Sounds familiar,” Lon said, darting his eyes toward mine.

“What’s it called?” I asked.

“Baba Yaga,” Jupe said with a grin.

I groaned as Lon slowly shook his head at Jupe in the rearview mirror. “I should’ve sold you to the Russians when I had the chance.”