“What?”
“Brahm was kind of right to be suspicious.Pleasedon’t ask me why, but I was getting a bad feeling about sending the sleepers off with the fae, and I was maybe about to open one of the sarcophagi. He saw me standing around them and got suspicious, and…”
“Did you open it?”
“No, but?—”
“So Brahm opened it.”
“Well, yeah, but?—”
“Heidi. He’s to blame for everything that happened, not you. Whatever you were even considering doing, I know you. You would have been doing it for the right reasons. And no matterhow mad Marwood is at you for the bullshit Brahm’s been feeding him, it doesn’t give anyone the right to destroy your life.”
“Destroyis a little dramatic. So what if I can’t live as a human anymore? It’s not the end of the world,” I say optimistically, trying to convince myself just as much as I’m trying to cheer him. “If I can survive being locked up in the Nether for a month, I can survive a few short weeks of keyboard goblins trash-talking me online.”
“The Nether?”
I startle. I got so wrapped up in this conversation that I forgot that Asher is overhearing all of this from where he now stands leaning against one of the counters, frowning at me. I wave off his question and scoot my favorite cookbook across the counter toward him, mouthing,Pick something out.
He scoots it right back toward me, his green eyes pinned on me as he lowers his voice. “I pick you sitting your sweet ass down somewhere and resting, not baking.”
Jessica rubs her hands together. “He called your ass sweet! Oh, it is soon—and he’s been trying not to, but he’s totally been eye fucking you the whole time you’ve been talking to Face Card.”
That makes my cheeks and neck heat.
Everett is unaware of my sidebar with Asher and my ghostly bestie as he huffs on the other end of the phone. “Fine, but in the interest of your survival, Asher is staying as your bodyguard. That’s non-negotiable. You might think it’s overboard, but it’s the only way I’m going to get any sleep until this blows over. Please just let me make sure you’re in good hands.”
I glance at Asher. He jerks a thumb back insistently at the couch.
“Bossyhands, if you ask me,” I grumble before sighing. “Okay, fine. Buns of Steel can stay.”
Asher chokes. “What the fuck? Donotcall me that.” He raises his voice enough so Everett can hear him through my phone. “I didn’t agree to her calling me that!”
“I’m going to go with selective amnesia here,” Everett grumbles.
Jessica cackles again. “Greatnickname, El! Gods, I wish I had some popcorn because this is going to be so much fun to watch.”
I laugh at them and then refocus. “Hey, Everett? About that sleeper who got away…”
Should I tell him that I’m beginning to suspect that incubus was the one giving me those awful nightmares in the Nether and making me feel so unsafe? And the way he wasn’t surprised to see me when he woke up, and just immediately objectified me to make his “fated one” jealous…
“Don’t worry about that one,” Everett assures me. “We’ve all decided to track him down once Maven returns soon. We’re not sure if he’s dangerous yet, but we’ll find him either way.”
Athanis didn’t exactly say he’s dangerous, just lascivious.
“That’s good,” I tell him, deciding I don’t want to overshare for no reason. “Okay, bye?—”
“Heidi?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m...” He exhales. “Fuck, I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Aww. Love you, too.”
I hang up and turn to appraise Asher, wishing I wasn’t so freakishly tired right now so I could better appreciate having a guy who looks like this hanging out in my kitchen.
“Okay, so maybe you’re my bodyguard after all. I have to warn you, I’m a bonified hermit these days, so this is about to be areallyboring job for you. Now, where did we land on the whole pancakes thing?”
