“Yes.” Sariel set the bowl down, now turning his attention to the counter, where a large griddle was plugged in. “I fear they may be a bit chunky because Day insisted on a very large helping of chocolate chips.”
“The right helping,” Day clarified.
“It is nearly four times the recommended amount.”
“I’m sure they’re gonna be great.” Seymour laughed. “It’s kinda like garlic, ya’ know? You measure it with your heart.”
Sariel appeared alarmed. “No, you would use a proper measuring cup or spoon?—”
“I don’t literally mean with my heart?—”
“Good. The human heart does not hold much, as it is a pump meant to move blood and not hold it as some kind of reservoir.”
“Great. Wonderful. Happy to hear that.” Seymour tried not to laugh again. “So, we, uh?—”
“Really doesn’t it depend on the heart?” an annoyingly familiar voice drawled.
“Yes!” said another, just as annoying. “Why, a dragon’s heart can hold five liters!”
“That’s as much as a mortal’s body can hold at one time, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t it?”
Seymour didn’t even need to turn around to see the fae twins, Absolis and Vilanos. He sighed heavily and refused to look at them, mumbling, “Good morning to y’all too.”
“It is time,” Abolis said curtly.
“Yes,” Vilanos agreed. “It is time to go.”
Sariel pouted at the pancake batter he hadn’t gotten to make. “We are ready.”
“Are we though?” Seymour did turn then, sneering a bit as he hugged Day close. “You guys can’t wait, like, possibly five more fuckin’ minutes to?—”
The kitchen vanished.
He, Day, and Sariel were now standing in a long concrete tunnel with large display cases built into the walls. Each case had an elaborate door and inside was a differenthead.
Great.
Super fuckin’ duper.
Some of the heads were human, many were not, and Seymour didn’t have the faintest idea of what he was looking at. There was light ahead of them, maybe daylight, though he turned around to look behind them in hopes of finding a way out.
Only more cases, including a giant one at the end that could have easily held his truck.
It was empty.
Fabulous.
A tunnel full of heads—totally fine.
Everything was fuckin’ fine as frog’s hair.
If any of those heads started opening their eyes and screaming like the ones in that freaky Oz movie, Seymour was going to set everything on fire.
Day whimpered softly. “Seymour?”
Seymour gulped, but he held her tight and took a deep breath. “Yeah, yeah, kitty girl. We’re okay.”
