Macen looks away, stumbling on his words. “That’s-uh…that’s it for now.” He clears his throat a few times. “Keep your eyes open and remember, nothing we discussed leaves this room.”
The room empties while I push my chair back, falling into step next to Ronin. Time to head to the training grounds. I’m curious to see what’s changed and who’s still around.
CHAPTER 12
Frankie
Where’s Dino? I feel around, cracking my lids open when I don’t find him. The layers of animal pelts beneath me are soft to my touch. That’s right, I’m in Zarreth’s room. Pushing myself up, I wonder how Jess is doing. Zarreth said she’ll sleep for a couple days because she’s human. I know she’s safely tucked away at Graven’s. Macen basically appointed him as her bodyguard, but I still worry.
A faint flicker of light moves along the curtain, and I wonder if Anatha is still making melitamelics. I pass beneath the open section of the roof on my way to the main part of the house, hoping to see her using fire magic. It feels strange how many buildings are left uncovered, but I guess it makes sense, considering it doesn’t rain here.
Anatha glances up from the table when I step around the corner, her palm hovering over a tray of sweets. A thin flicker of heat coils from her fingertips, crisping the edges to a golden brown. “How’d you sleep, dear?”
My stomach growls as the sweet, nutty scent hits me. “Good, thank you.”
She glances at my stomach and chuckles. “Perfect timing. Beleth brought over some soup while you were sleeping.” Her palm glows with magic as she holds it over the dish, heating it until steam rises.
“It smells amazing!” I lean closer as she slides it over to me, surprised to see the soup looks like…well, soup. For some reason that is not what I was expecting to find in the Dark Realm. I only get one bite in and moan before I can stop myself. My cheeks heat and I slap a hand over my mouth. “Sorry, I guess I was hungrier than I realized. I’ll have to thank Ronin’s mom for such a delicious meal.”
Her amber eyes snap to mine, a serious look on her face. “Oh honey, I would never give you anything Beleth made. She is a terrible cook. No, her mate does all the cooking and preserves meals for Lucy while he’s gone.”
I laugh, a genuine laugh too. “I guess Beleth and I have that in common.”
She pats my arm. “Stick with me, Frankie, and you’ll be cooking up a storm in no time. We can’t let those grandbabies of mine go hungry, now can we?”
I drop my spoon, splashing soup everywhere when it hits the bowl. No she didn’t. “Grandbabies?” I’m so young, and I could never bring kids into this world, not with Dante running around.
“No rush, child. Just within the next hundred years or so would be nice.” She winks, placing a treat in front of me and taking a seat.
The top is dusted with something fine, maybe sugar. But it’s the letter N carved into it that gets me. “What's this?”
Anatha squeezes my hand, similar to how Zarreth does when he knows I’m on edge. “I had a brother once. He was killed when I was achild. I wish I could say it gets easier, but even after thousands of years, it doesn’t. Not really, it just gets…different. You find a new normal, but that little piece is always missing. Zarreth told me Nate’s birthday was recent, so I thought I’d make you something special to celebrate him.”
My lips part, but I’m speechless, running my fingers over the carved initial. I can’t believe she did this. My mother would never do something like this. I blink a little faster, keeping the tears from falling, while I finally choke out the only words I’m able to form. “Thank you!”
She stands, busying herself, putting the melitamelics in a basket, letting me eat mine in peace. Once I’m done, I take my soup bowl to the tub next to the basins of water. “Is this water used to clean dishes?”
“Oh, I do love a woman who cleans up after herself.” She points to the dark brown pot. “That water is used for cleaning, and that water…” She points to the tan pot, “…is used to fill your canister.”
She leaves the room, disappearing behind a fabric wall, while I wash my dish. When she returns, she’s holding an armful of clothing. “I hope you don’t mind, but when Ronin told me about you, I made a few things. I couldn’t resist.” She hands me a cream-colored, long-sleeved tunic and matching flowy pants. “It’s nothing fancy, but the material will keep the ash off without overheating you. The weather here leaves much to be desired. Not like your realm, where you get, um,seasons,I think they are called. Oh, how I would love to see that one day.”
I’m so excited! Anatha visiting us in the Mortal Realm would be amazing. I wish Nate could’ve met her—could’ve seen what a good parent looks like. How they make you feel inside. I’ve only known Anatha for a few hours, and I already have a deep love for her.
I reach for the clothing. “This is amazing! Once things settle down, you’ll have to come stay with us in the Mortal Realm for a bit. It really is beautiful there.”
“It’s a plan! Why don’t you change, and then we can walk to the festivities. We’ll pick up Beleth and Lucy along the way. Ronin’s family is dying to meet you.”
I duck into Zarreth’s room to change and rebraid my sweaty hair. Once my balaclava is in place, I glance around for my canteen.
I’m surprised at how tight-knit the community seems to be as Anatha stops to say hi and introduce me to random neighbors. My previous exposure to demons had been vile, so I assumed Zarreth and Ronin were a rare breed. But I was wrong. If it wasn’t for the God-awful living conditions, it wouldn’t be so bad here.
We come to a stop outside a home that looks like the rest. “This is…” Anatha is cut off by a short, female version of Ronin rushing through the door.
“Frankieee!” Her blonde ponytail sways from side to side as she runs up to me. Her bright blue eyes sparkle with the same hint of mischief as her brother’s do. I bet Beleth has her hands full. “I knew Ronin was lying. You don’t look annoying at all.” She leans in and inhales sharply. “Ooh…but you do smell unusual. I guess he didn’t lie about that.”
“Lucy, that’s not polite,” Anatha admonishes.
A genuine laugh bursts out of me. “That’s okay. Ronin reminds me every day of my unusual odor. You must be his sister.”
