She stuck her hands in her back pockets. “You want a chance at getting some food and more beer before it’s gone, you need to start flapping your wings instead of your mouth.”
He waggled one finger at her, then turned and jogged a bit to catch up to Frigg who had already climbed up the rise of the shore to her truck parked nearby.
“So why do you want to drive there with me?” I asked Delaney as we trudged up through loose sand and rocks to the stairs to the parking area.
“I need to talk to you.”
“About?”
She shook her head and pointed at the cruiser. I opened it up so we could get in. By the time we were settled, Frigg had already pointed her big diesel out onto the road, her blinker on.
I pulled up behind her.
“She’s storing the powers out on her property,” Delaney said. “Back in the wetlands.”
“Hollow log?”
“No. She made a place for them. An altar of sorts. It’s actually really pretty.”
“Pretty enough to draw attention?”
“No, you have to know what you’re looking for. It’s secure.”
“Sounds interesting. So talk. What’s up?”
“About this morning. The whole vortex to Hell thing.”
“What about it?”
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You agreed to host a unicorn, and I know how much you like your privacy. Also, Bathin kissed you.” She glanced over.
“Nope. I kissed him. Smack on the cheek.”
“Is that enough to seal the vortex?”
“It was a demon kiss. Why wouldn’t that be enough to seal the vortex? Besides, he said a demon kiss was part of the ritual, but he’s half a bag of bullshit and a half a sack of lies. Why? Did he say something?”
“No, but he’s been…different.”
Bathin liked to tell me he was connected to my sister and could feel her through that connection. Delaney was connected to him too, so I knew she had a good read on him.
“How different?”
She pressed her fingers to her eyes and talked through her palms. “I don’t know. He just…he keeps looking at me funny when he doesn’t think I notice. And he’s been asking me questions.”
“Keep going. Give me more details.”
“He asked if he can stay in Ordinary. Permanently.”
“No.”
“Myra, that’s not for you to decide.”
“Like hell it isn’t. He broke the rules to get here. He took our dad’s soul, and now he’s taken yours. He won’t sign the contract to follow the rules…”
