Syntyche's daughter is ridiculously famous now. As in most pictures I've seen of her, she's maintaining an impressive poker face, making it impossible to tell what she's thinking.
Until she looks down and sees the big, white fluffballs who are now both wagging their tails at Everett's feet. Then she breaks into a big smile, addressing Everett.
"These are your dogs?"
"Wait, Snowflake's dogs are here?" another voice asks before Baelfire Decimus pokes his head into the office, too.
Thank gods, the big brute is in clothes now.
He gawks at me first. "Holy fuck.Ian Boone?You're still alive? I thought you died ten years ago."
"I'm back," I shrug—because no, I'm not alive, and no, I'm not getting into it again.
Both of Everett's dogs get up and bound over to Maven with wagging tails and tongues lolling out of their happy snouts. The demigoddess wipes harpy blood off her hands as well as she can before petting one of them.
"What are their names?"
"He's Marshmallow, and she's Blizzard," Everett says, pointing to each one.
Baelfire looks at the elemental. "Okay, I understand a walking icicle like you having a dog named Blizzard—butMarshmallow?"
The elemental gestures at the dog in exasperation. "Look at him. Look at all the fluff. What the fuck else was I supposed to name him?"
When the dogs start barking excitedly at Maven, licking her, she laughs, scrunches up her face, and pokes one of their noses with hers.
On cue, all three legacies in this room, who I knew to be assholes growing up, melt a little. They're watching their keeper with such blatant, consuming adoration that I stand, suddenly desperate to get back to the woman who makes me just as pathetically mushy.
Would Heidi want a pet? I don't think shifters usually go for pets, but all I can think about is her curled up on her couch, cozy and giggling with a kitten on her chest.
Or my head on her chest.
Gods, I'm going to make that happen.
I don't realize I've already checked out and started walking toward the door until Everett calls my name. He follows me out of the office, leaving behind the tantalizing scent of harpy blood and his quintet members fawning over their keeper as he walks with me toward the stairs.
"You're leaving already?"
"I'll come back and visit again. I just…"
I have to get back to your sister before I go insane.
Everett stops me with a hand on my arm, his ice-blue gaze concerned as he looks me over.
"I've heard most thralls are wildly unstable right after they've been freed. Tell me the truth. Are you struggling?"
"Come on, Evie. Do Ilooklike I'm struggling?" I gesture to myself—nice, cleaned up, smiling, and glad he can't see the pet delivery guy's blood stain on this black sweater.
"You look like you want to get the hell out of here. I'm guessing it's because you're strung tight right now, trying to adjust, and you're getting blood withdrawals. Why else would you be trying to run like your ass is on fire?"
I pause, weighing my options. I can either tell him I'm losing my ever-loving mind needing blood,ortell him how long I've been unhealthily obsessed with his sister, stalking her and fantasizing about her until her happiness has become the only fucking thing I care about anymore.
"Okay, so I'm a bit of a problem drinker right now," I shrug. "I'm handling it."
He gestures down one of the halls at the top of the stairs. "We have a couple of guest rooms. Take your pick. I know being in close quarters was a bad idea when we were kids because your curse made me a danger to you, but I want you to have somewhere safe to stay while you recover from that hell and?—"
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm good." I turn, starting to make my way down the stairs.
He pauses. "You know you can't go anywhere near Heidi right now. Right"
