"Hence why you're going to go check out Stephanie's brother-in-law," I grin, bouncing my eyebrows. "Let me know if the cobra matches the ears."
"When have I ever not shared that kind of vital information with you? But on an important note, what if something happens to you when you're off in the Nether? I'm not supposed to leave you alone, you know. I'm supposed to watch over you."
"In that case, I have the horniest guardian angel in the world."
Jess pouts. "Hey. I'm being serious."
This is why I don't know how to let her go. We've been watching out for each other for so long.
"Don't worry. I'll be totally fine," I promise brightly, sampling a warm cookie. "My brother's quintet is so protective it's scary, and it'll probably just be another excavation day like any other."
She contemplates before sighing. "Fine. I'm really going this time, but…listen, El. Maybe it's time for you to finally talk to Face Card. Someone has to know what happened to you in the Nether and about all the no-touchie, self-isolating empathy-on-steroids shit you've been dealing with."
Face Card is what she calls Everett. She has nicknames for all of the Amato quintet.
I try not to grimace at her suggestion. I've gone to great lengths to convince my brother that I'm fine. I agreed to go to the therapy he insisted on after my rescue. Whenever he asks, I say my therapist thinks I'm doing great.
Never mind that she's still working through my early childhood with me and is concerned about the many gaps in my memories from blocking things out. We haven't really gotten to the whole sent-away-by-my-parents-to-be-captured-by-the-Entity thing.
If my brother found out that I was experimented on in the Nether…
Everett put distance between us for years, trying to protect me. He didn't know that I knew, but of course I did. In another world, if I weren't a type four empath, maybe I would have been jealous that the Frosts prized and prioritized him while they kept me hidden from the world.
But I've never held it against Everett, because I felt everything.
His constant stress. His determination to look and act perfect. His terror at the thought of others being punished for his mistakes. Everett kept up a cold facade, but I could always sense his guilt at having to treat me that way, plus he was always sick with worry about me.
Even with the Frosts making things complicated, Everett found ways to watch out for me. When we were kids, he had his vampire best friend and our only neighbor, Ian Boone, keep an eye on me all the time. Ian was one of the few people outside my parents' staff who ever knew I existed. I was one of the only people immune to Ian's awful curse, and he quickly became like a second older brother to me.
At least, I'm pretty sure he thought of me like a little sister.
I was kind of in love with him for a while. It broke my heart when he died almost a decade ago.
Later on, Everett gifted me that lifesaving dampening charm. He helped get me sent to Koasville in middle school instead of leaving me isolated in my secret room at the Frost estate forever. For a while, when he was still maintaining his distance, he found "sneaky" ways to send exorbitant amounts of money, thinking I wouldn't suspect it was him.
I've apparently won the lottery three times without ever buying a ticket.
As much as it hurt to see Everett so lonely, I knew he felt it was vital. I learned about him getting matched up during the Seeking because Jess heard it on a random celebrity gossip channel—and I found out he lost his keeper after I woke up to a brutal winter crawling with shadow fiends and so much loss in the air, I couldn't breathe.
These days, my brother does everything he can to make up for what he calls lost time with me. I love that we're closer, and I love that he's happier than ever now that he has a keeper and a quintet, but he still has somemajorPTSD.
There's no way I'm about to add my problems to his already overwhelming life.
"I'll tell him when it feels right," I shrug, finally responding to Jess.
She rolls her eyes at me. "Suit yourself, but I'm going to sayI told you sowhen shit hits the fan from you not telling anyone. Okay, here I go. Wish me luck."
"Good luck with your ogling. May your eyes be blessed."
My best friend bows as she leaves, but pops her head in through the front door half a second later, her eyes wide.
"Thirst Trap is here!"
Sure enough, someone knocks, and when I open it, Silas Crane stands on my front porch.
As always, the necromancer's intense blood red eyes are disconcerting to look at directly—and as always, I'm aware that he notices others reacting to his appearance. Still, I'm pretty sure he's not nearly as bothered by it as I am whenever people stare on the extremely rare occasions I don't have on makeup.
I beam at him and hold up the plate of fresh cookies.
