I bit back a growl of frustration. "Try my best? Could you be any more patronizing?"
He pretended to think. "I could, but I didn't think you would appreciate it."
This time I did growl.
"Get some coffee before your shower," he said. "You're grumpy."
I didn't bother to say anything in response. I went back into the house, grabbed Callum's full coffee cup off the counter, and went straight back to my bedroom.
My only alternative was to beat the shit out of him.
* * *
My callto Ava took a lot less time than I expected, which shouldn't have been a surprise because I knew how intuitive she was. I drained Callum's coffee cup while the water warmed up in the shower.
Fifteen minutes later, I was clean, dressed, and calm enough that I was confident I wouldn't try to pound Callum into dust.
When I came out of my room, Callum and Merry were nowhere to be found in the kitchen or living room. But Callum had been sure to leave the dishes in the sink for me to wash.
As I opened the dishwasher in preparation to fill it, I heard Merry give an aborted cry. I dropped the pan in my hand with a clatter and sprinted out of the kitchen. The sound had come from Callum's room.
I skidded to a halt just inside the door and found the two of them set up at his L-shaped workstation. Callum was in one corner and Merry was set up on one end with her laptop. They were both crouched over their screens, their fingers flying between the keys and the mice next to their computers.
Considering Merry was human, her speed and accuracy was damn impressive.
"Ah, son of a fucking bitch!" Callum yelled. "How are you doing that? That is so unfair!"
Merry merely laughed, the sound rich and tinged with malevolence. "Still want to take it easy on me, Cal?"
"Fuck that! You're going down!"
There was a few more seconds of intense typing, clicking, and they each leaned closer to their screens.
"Oh, no you don't," Callum hissed. "Don't even think about it, Mer. Don't." He grunted, long and loud, then burst out with, "What are your fingers made of? Fucking magic? Dammit!"
Merry laughed again. "I warned you."
"But you're human! There's no way you can be that fast!"
"The speed of the fingers depends on the speed of the brain, not supernatural abilities," she replied.
It took a few seconds for that comment to sink through Callum's thick skull.
"We're lowering ourselves to insults now?" he asked, affront thick in his tone.
"It's not an insult if it's the truth," Merry said. "And the truth hurts, baby."
"Gaaaaahhhh!" Callum yelled. He leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers together behind his head. "I give up. You are the master."
"That's mistress to you, peasant. If I wore a ring, you would kiss it."
Callum grumbled beneath his breath, but I could tell he was enjoying himself.
"I'm glad to see you're putting Callum in his place," I said.
I expected Merry's triumphant smile to fade when she turned toward me, but it didn't. Instead, she continued to grin.
"Can you believe he actually said he'd go easy on me?" she asked.
