“Yeah. Vacation. I want to go. But Ordinary keeps pulling me back.”
“Of course it does.”
“Of course?”
“You are a part of it. A part of this land’s earth and stone. It will always draw you back.”
“Terrific.”
“Are you asking my advice?”
Was I? “I think I shouldn’t ask you to solve my problems.”
“And yet,” he said, his hands spreading out in front of him, palms upward. “Here we are, you and I.”
The suffering on his face made me smile. “Okay,” I said, “I’m game. What would you do if you were in my shoes?”
“I would not go on vacation.”
My heart sank. “Really? Why?”
“In my experience, one’s peaceful vacation time will be taken up by persons complaining about having to take time away with the one they love. Having to live life.”
He delivered it so cooly, so drolly, that it took me a minute. And then I couldn’t help it—I gasped. “Did you just throw me some shade? That was me you were talking about in that hypothetical vacation, wasn’t it? Did you just tell me I’m being a drama queen?”
“You have an overzealous imagination.” He strode past me toward the door. I didn’t know that I could be more impressed with a non-answer that simultaneously answered everything I’d asked.
“You really shouldn’t make a habit of giving people life advice,” I noted as I followed him.
“I shudder to think I would ever desire to do so.” He flipped theOpensign toClosedand put his hand on the door handle. “Will you stay for more tea?”
“No thanks,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Where shall we meet?”
“It depends. Where are you going to store the powers? At home? Here in your shop? Somewhere else around town?”
He paused. I could almost see the calculations flashing behind his blank expression. “Will Frigg accompany you?”
“Yes.”
“Here, then. I will see you here in the late morning.”
“Good. Great. I’ll be here before noon. Can’t wait.”
He nodded, just once, in that way he did that almost looked like a bow. “Are you prepared?”
“For?”
“The storm,” he said.
A chill ran down my skin, prickling on little feet across the nape of my neck. “What storm?” I knew there was a demon king who wanted to get inside Ordinary. All signs pointed toward war. Did Than have information about that? What if the demon was waiting for me to leave to attack?
Than rolled his eyes. “The weather, Reed Daughter.” Rain buffeted the glass. Wind snapped and bit.
“Right,” I said, “that storm.” I zipped my coat, pulled up the hood and snapped the neck close under my chin. “Yes. Totally ready for it. See you tomorrow.”
I took a step, expecting him to open the door, but instead he said, “Delaney?”
