Part 24 (1/2)
Dean removed his gla.s.ses and polished them against the hem of his T-s.h.i.+rt. ”I'm not going there.”
”Probably wise.”
Struggling up through a pounding headache and the kind of nausea that made even breathing seem like a bad idea, Diana opened her eyes. The ceiling, a long, long way up, didn't look familiar. Where was she? Mattress and pillow under her. Blanket over. She was obviously in a bed. In her underwear. So she'd been here for a while.
Her head flopped to the left and she could see a row of beds stretching off across a ... store?
To the right, baby and toddler pajamas were twenty percent off.
Okay. Got it now. Otherside. Mall. Meat-minds. Mall elves. Battle. Wand. Ow.
The two nearest beds were also occupied. She identified Colin by his pale hair but didn't know who the second wounded elf was.
Raising her head, she could see another row of beds facing the first. Since all the beds were made, bedding, aisle fifteen, she a.s.sumed the elves were using it as a dormitory slash infirmary.
”Hey. You're awake.”
”Claire!” A strong hand behind her back helped her sit. The world tilted. ”Bucket!”
A bucket appeared with an efficiency that suggested this was not the first time.
Legs crossed, Diana grasped the turquoise plastic sides firmly and bent over.
”I can't believe you've still got that much in your stomach,” Claire murmured worriedly when Diana finally sat up.
”I don't. We're on the Otherside, remember?” Diana gratefully took the offered water, poured some into her mouth, rinsed, and spat. ”I could be channeling it from anywhere. why is everything on an angle?”
”I'm guessing that when you sat up, the world tilted. It's been happening every time you vomit, but don't worry, it settles down.”
”I hurl and the earth moves?”
”I know, just what you need, more ego reinforcement.” Eyes averted from the contents, Claire set the bucket into the lower cupboard of the bedside table and closed the door.
Diana thought about that for a moment and shuddered. ”Uh, Claire . . .”
”Do you want to deal with it?”
”Well, no, but . . .”
”Well, I don't want to deal with it either and that means we don't have to. Next time it comes out of the cupboard, it'll be a new bucket. Okay, once it was a new cauldron because a couple of the kids were hanging around, but, mostly, it's a bucket.”
”Cauldron?”
”We're wizards.”
”Right. Don't cauldrons go with witches?”
”I suspect the kids were a little confused by that wand trick.” Arms folded, brow furrowed, Claire walked almost all the way to Baby and Toddler Pajamas, returned, and reluctantly continued. ”And they were also impressed.”
”I get the impression you're less impressed,” Diana sighed.