Free The Heart of Two Worlds by Anne Plichota Page A

of her cheek. She could be so tactless sometimes…
    “Don’t be silly, everything will be fine,” she whispered, realizing she was using the same words she’d found so hard to believe when Pierre or Dragomira said them. “Do you want a little spritz from my super anti-sickness product?” she added, taking a small spray from her pocket.
    Gus hesitated, then accepted.
    “If magic has to be my last resort, so be it. Wait, I’ll lie down.”
    He stretched out on his back, crossing his hands over his stomach, and Oksa couldn’t help thinking of those recumbent stone figures thathad impressed her so much on a school trip to Westminster Abbey. She jumped up abruptly, feeling upset, and almost hit her head on the bunk above. Zoe caught her just in time to stop her falling over.
    “This will do you good, you’ll see,” said the Young Gracious quietly, spraying a liberal dose into her friend’s face. “Hang in there, OK? We’ll come back and see you soon.”
    But Gus was already unconscious. Before she left the cabin, Oksa turned to look at him once more. Despite the darkness, she could have sworn she saw Zoe whisper something in his ear. Unless she was dropping a kiss at the corner of his mouth… With a scowl, Oksa signalled impatiently to Zoe, who emerged from the shadows looking so solemn that Oksa immediately regretted her hostility.
    With heavy hearts, the two girls made their way up to the ship’s deck. The sea was rough and the sky looked ominous. The wind whipped into their anxious faces, but they did nothing to protect themselves. Oksa couldn’t forgive herself for tactlessly giving Zoe the hurry-up and her remorse made it difficult to stay with Zoe. Her cousin didn’t seem to bear a grudge, though, and linked arms with Oksa, who almost burst into tears.
    They kept walking along the deck, lashed by the violent sea spray, until they reached the stern, where they could make out Tugdual’s dark figure leaning on the rail.
    “I’ll go back to the cabin,” announced Zoe.
    “Don’t feel you have to! I’m not going to throw myself at him just because he’s there!” exclaimed Oksa, blushing.
    “Except that you’re dying to!” retorted her friend. Oksa felt embarrassed. Was she so transparent? Was Zoe disappointed in her? She mustered all her courage and glanced at her friend: Zoe was looking sadly at her, but there was no sign of a smile on her kind face. What should she do? Should she go back, when she was dying to join him?
    “Go on,” said Zoe quietly. “Anyway, you can’t do anything for Gus at the moment.”
    Oksa broke down at these words. She slid to a sitting position on the deck and dissolved into tears. Zoe crouched beside her in a panic.
    “Oksa! I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    “You haven’t done anything wrong,” sobbed the Young Gracious. “It’s me. I don’t know how I feel any more… I’m upset about Gus. I can’t stand seeing him in pain. I can’t stand the fact that things aren’t like they were before. That I need him as much as I need Tugdual. That I’m afraid and in love at the same time. That I’m acting like a psycho!”
    “You’re not acting like a psycho,” broke in Zoe. “You’re just doing the best you can. Gus has seen how much effort you’ve made to regain his friendship.”
    “Do you think so?” sobbed Oksa.
    “He knows you very well and he’s far from blind.”
    “Do you think he knows how important he is to me?”
    “I’d find it hard to believe anything else.”
    “Oh, Zoe, how do you cope with it?”
    “How do I cope with what?”
    “How do you cope… with all this?”
    The expression in Zoe’s eyes was intense, yet resigned.
    “I don’t cope, Oksa.”
    “I’m so sorry…” Oksa spluttered, surprised and ashamed.
    “Don’t apologize. It’s all good. Me and misery are old friends now, we can’t live without each other!”
    A strange smile lit up her face. She put her arms around Oksa and squeezed. Realizing that her friend