“It feels so damn good to put on my clothes,” I said, tying the laces on a pair of combat boots. They had a hidden dagger in the heel.
He stared at my hard nipples peeking at him through the shirt. “I’m sorry I don’t share your enthusiasm,” he admitted. “The dress was growing on me.”
“Well, it was tight as hell and impossible to run in.” I found my belt with the push dagger in the buckle and guided it through the belt loops. “And don’t even get me started on all the perverts memorizing my chest. Where’s my dagger? The one with the black handle?”
“The war is over.”
I flipped the ruby necklace outside my shirt and squeezed out my wet hair. “There will always be another war. And this time I’ll be ready. Race you downstairs.”
I flashed out the door and down the hall, tickled that Christian couldn’t keep up with me. Sometimes late at night, we would race each other down dark hallways when he could shadow walk. He usually won since he could slide right down stairs. I passed Gem on the second floor.
“Hey, wait for me!” she called out. But she couldn’t keep up in her roller skates.
I hit the landing on the first floor and frowned at the blood and broken furniture. But when I entered the dining room, I stumbled upon a feast fit for a king.
Or Wyatt Blessing.
“Who did all this?” I neared the table, gawking at random food that didn’t go together.
Wyatt shoveled mashed potatoes covered in bacon bits into his mouth. A slouchy beanie covered his wavy brown hair, just the ends sticking out. There was a twinkle in his olive-green eyes I hadn’t seen in a while. Wyatt leaned back and wiped his hands on hisYou’re Dead To MeT-shirt. “I think I’ve gained ten pounds, but it’s worth it. Food never tasted so good. Try it. You’ll see.” By the slow manner in which he was speaking, I could tell he was high. Real high.
I looked around at the display of meatballs, wheels of cheese, onion rings, candy bars, baked beans, corn, sausages, bread, seven jars of jelly, and a ton more food.
“All the vegetables and fruit spoiled,” he informed me while reaching for a bowl of chocolate cupcakes. “Or someone ate it all. Or maybe I ate it and forgot. Or maybe fruit doesn’t grow anymore. All the trees are on strike until we fix the planet. Did you know the polar ice caps are melting? I’m so glad I won’t live as long as you. I used to think the future was gonna be likeThe Jetsons, but you guys will be back in the Stone Ages, talking about how you miss tacos and hot showers.”
I sat down across from him. “Did you cook all this?”
He gave me a lazy grin, chocolate smeared all over his lips. “Yup. Some of it was leftovers from the freezer. We have a lot of canned vegetables.A lot. But I don’t get the same taste explosion. Claude’s cooking more.” Wyatt covered his mouth in surprise. “Oh man. You know what we should do tonight? Have a barbecue. We can roast some corn. I need to put in an order.”
“Is everyone still asleep? I saw Gem upstairs but nobody else.”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Pizza should be here in thirty minutes. Hope you like everything on your pie.” Wyatt belched and sat back like a deflated balloon. “Do you know how many freshies are lumbering around this mansion? Of course you don’t. But I do. Most went into the netherworld elevator, but I’ve seen at least two dozen. I’m hoping they’ll just”—he flapped his arms like a bat—“go away.”
“How much weed did you smoke?”
“Enough to make all the ghosties bearable. They don’t all have their heads on, you know. And one of them keeps insulting everything about me. My clothes, my music, the way I walk… It’s nonstop.”
“Sorry.”
“Eat! You’re letting it all go to waste.”
I stabbed a meatball with a fork and took a bite. The flavors were intense, and I gobbled up the whole thing. “Holy crap. This is the best meatball I’ve ever had.”
“See? What did I tell you, buttercup? It’s like our taste buds are”—he wiggled his fingers—“magical.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I’m sure it’s just a temporary side effect of coming back to life. Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I really want to have sex. Is the sex better?”
I snorted. “I’ve been asleep for seven hours. Couldn’t tell you.”
When he stood up, he frowned at the fancy skull buckle with ruby eyes. “I’m afraid if I unbuckle this, I’ll interrupt the healing juju. So I have to do my business straight through the zipper.”
I finished eating another meatball. “That’s more than I want to know. Who’s watching the prisoners downstairs?”
He bit into a block of Gouda cheese and glanced at the door. “Blast! I think it’s supposed to be me. Or is it Claude?”
I went into the empty kitchen and came back out. “Claude’s not in there.”
