If she grabbed my stuff, why didn’t she react a little more surprised with me showing up? Especially before I explained everything that happened to me. But even after I told her all the wild crap that took place, she wasn’t even the least bit shocked about it. She was more annoyed than anything else with her tight smiles and strained tone when we talked.
Shaking my head, I knew I was searching for something that wasn’t there. It was all in my head and part of my overthinking. I had issues with assuming the worst in things and people. I felt awful that I was going down the path of thinking Aaliyah was acting shady now that she was dead.
I swallowed hard as I stared at the Folgers coffee can with her ashes in my hands.
Fitting since she never drank anything else.
It should’ve bugged me that Slátra grabbed the container when I was looking for something to hold her ashes. Especially when he seemed less enthusiastic about it being my friend. My stomach twisted when he handed the Folgers can to me a little too roughly with a grunt of,“This will do,”then strode away.
I didn’t understand why he seemed put off about it, but I didn’t want to ask.
Stuffing the Folgers canister in the bag, I made sure it was in an even position so it wouldn’t spill over, even with the black lid on to seal it. I tucked some of the clothes around it to hold it in place, then zipped the bag closed.
I jumped as lightning lit the dark room in quick flickers, followed by a crack of thunder.
I straightened, glancing at the window with the shades open. The side of my face tingled from Rune’s stare as he sat at the dining table, arms crossed and one leg propped up on another chair as he had his chair leaned back on two legs to rest against the wall. I ignored him as I watched the lightning outside as it flashed every few seconds with rumbling thunder.
The rain had started right after Rune’s ominous promise in the guest bedroom. Hail pelted against the roof with deep thuds and tings as it got bigger and bigger, which wasn’t good, and Midwesterners knew what it meant.
Thunderstorms in Missouri were always intense. We were right in tornado alley and with it being tornado season, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was already a watch for one, considering the hail.
Over the hail, I still made out the men in parts of the house as they talked and moved around.
When Rune and I left the bedroom, I caught enough to know they were planning to burn the place down to prevent any trouble following us. It sucked that I’d never be able to come back here and that I really did have to rely on my memory of my friend’s home to reminisce about all the good times.
I turned at the sound of grease popping in a skillet. I drew my eyebrows together as I walked into the kitchen where Slátra and Hlíf were taking up the small space. A few candles were lit and scattered around the kitchen, giving it a little light since the power had gone out.
Slátra was rummaging through the fridge as he grumbled under his breath about how there was nothing to eat. Hlíf stood at the stove with one of Aaliyah’s favorite coffee-scented candles a few inches to the side from the burner.
I noticed chicken breasts in the hot oil the closer I got to him.
“Why are you frying chicken?” I asked him, stunned.
I jumped, turning in my spot when a hand pressed to my lower back.
Rune steadied me by curling his arm around me. His hand rested on my hip as he answered, “To make the fire look like an accident.”
My lips parted as I looked at the frying pan again with wide eyes.
Wouldn’t it take longer for the fire from it to burn down the house?
Slátra huffed with a noise in the back of his throat in annoyance as he slammed the fridge door shut and grabbed the loaf of bread off to the side. He pulled out three slices of bread, stacked them to eat like a sandwich, and took a large bite from it.
“Fry up one of those chickens for me before you start the fire,” Slátra said while chewing, then took another bite of the bread sandwich.
Hlíf glanced over his shoulder with a warning look at his friend.
“We don’t have time,” he said in an even tone. Though, I heard the annoyance in his voice.
Rune moved around me and worked around the other two large men. He poured the leftover coffee into a mug, grabbed the creamer, dumped some in before giving it a good stir, and handed it to me. I marveled at how small the cup was in his hand.
It reminded me of my first thought of his size when we met. He was larger than anyone I knew and made my hands look like an infant’s in his. And god, he was proportional too. It still blew me away that I could take him.
My cheeks heated as I pushed awaythosethoughts. I took the offered coffee and gave him a soft smile in thanks before I took careful sips of the lukewarm drink.
Anything that was supposed to be hot yet bordered on cold was awful, but after the crazy few days of traveling through realms with no coffee and then dying, the temperature of the drink didn’t matter. I was pretty sure if I stepped in a puddle of water on the floor in socks, I still wouldn’t care because I was alive and back in my realm with Rune.
I took another sip of the coffee and felt like—for a second—everything was okay, that I wasn’t in danger or had to leave the house or even my realm. It would help me feel better if I could color my hair since my dirty blond roots were showing. They’d been showing for a while now and looked awful.
