More crone than matron, her white hair bunched and puffed around her round face like carded wool.She wore layers and layers of autumn-colored skirts, blouse, and vest, with a green crocheted shawl draped over her shoulders to top it all off.
Her wrists and ankles were decorated with beads and charms which chimed and rattled as she moved, all the world leaning in to listen to her music.
“Raven, Cupid,” she said as they reached the porch, “come on in.Coffee’s hot and there’s tea.”
They both paused to give her a hug before walking over the threshold.
She waited until Lula and I stepped onto her porch.
“Lula,” she said, “Brogan.I am so pleased you’re here.There were many futures and for a time…” She shook her head.“…For a time I didn’t think you’d be stopping by.Come on in.We have decisions to make.Time isn’t on our side.Not enough of it, anyway.”
She placed her hand on each of our shoulders, and the acceptance and friendship in her touch was the warmest welcome.
“I hope we’re not bringing too much trouble to your doorstep with us,” Lu said.
Eunice grinned, showing the gap in her teeth, the wrinkles on her face fanning at the edges of her eyes and cupping under her knobby cheeks.
She leaned forward.“Oh, you are, you very much are bringing trouble.But I wouldn’t have it any other way.What was it Cupid said just a moment ago?I haveinvolvedmyself in these matters, along with all manner of deities.”
She stepped back to give us room, and then we were in her house, which smelled of sweet spices and browned butter—through the front room, and into her kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, Lu took a deep breath, and the tension she’d been hiding drained out of her.
I felt the same.Being in the heart of the Muse’s home was the safest I’d felt in a long time.
Abbi sat on her knees in a chair and was cutting a large slice of carrot cake with an equally large knife.Cupid and Raven huddled at the coffee pot, pouring mugs while talking quietly in a language that slid away from my mind and left no impression.
Lorde had settled into a soft bed on the floor and was happily chewing on a bone.
“There’s tea.”Eunice gestured toward the kettle and little flowered canisters with hand-written labels on them.“Brogan, I’ve got cold chicken in the fridge and a fresh loaf of sourdough if you want a sandwich.”
I hadn’t thought I was hungry, but as soon as she said it, my stomach rumbled.I was starving.
“Lu?”I cut off toward the fridge.“Food?”
“I’ll start with tea.”
We moved about the kitchen, Eunice setting out plates and Abbi cutting more reasonably sized pieces of cake for everyone.
By the time I came to the table with my sandwich, she’d already wolfed through two huge slices of cake.
I took the knife away before she could cut herself a third.
“Hado wants some!”she said.
“Hado isn’t in the kitchen, is he?”
She wrinkled her nose, her gaze searching for the meaning in my words.“Hado’s in the truck.He wants to stay in the truck.Because he’s tired.”
“Good.”Hado was still guarding the book.“He should get some rest.We’ll give him cake later.If you don’t eat it all first.”
“It has my name on it.Ishouldeat it all.”
I dropped a half sandwich on her plate and pointed at it.
She gave me a brief scowl, then dug in, humming a song about the moon and pizza pies as she chewed.
“Well then.”Eunice joined us, a huge mug of tea in her hands.“I’m glad to see you all made it.What are we going to do about Atë and that damnable book?”
