“You do not have your abilities here, but you speak in riddles,” he remarked. “Have you seen something?”
“No, but pieces come back.” Lifting a plump finger, she tapped the side of her head. “My memory is a large filing cabinet filled with visions I’ve had. Now that I don’t have millions of new visionscoming in, I can focus on sorting through the pieces of old visions in my memory.”
He nodded, not understanding. “And what pieces have you put together that involve my hands?”
She let go of him and stood. “You are feeding the darkness inside you, and you must stop.”
“I know I’ve been a bit of a downer since you arrived in Vincula,” he said, moving to walk her out. “But surely my company has not been so abhorrent that you think me a monster.”
His bad joke put a faint smile on her lips. “You are a good man, Caius. Do not lose yourself.” She patted his arm. “Rory is lucky to have you.”
“It is I who am lucky to have her, Ms. Raven. It was never the other way around.”
20
ERDIKOA
Rory and Samwalked into the restaurant she and her friends agreed upon for lunch, and when Kordie saw them, she stood and met them by the door, giving Rory a hug.
Sera sat on the end next to Dume and scooted out of the booth for Rory to slide in.
Sam looked at the space between the table and bench and back at the group. “Is this a joke? I cannot fit here.”
Keith tried not to laugh, and Sera patted his arm. “I’ll grab you a chair.”
Rory noticed Dume zero in on Sera’s hand touching Sam’s arm, and she elbowed his side. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
He lifted his glass of water and mumbled something before taking a drink. Sam trailed behind Sera, and when she found a spare chair, he grabbed it and held it in the air with one hand. Sera wove her way back to the table while Sam barreled through, bumping into other people’s chairs. It didn’t escape Rory’s notice that women turned to watch him pass.
He was a handsome man in that big, burly way withhis shoulder-length blonde hair tied back, light stubble, thick body, and arms that made you think he could snap a log in half with his bare hands.He probably could.
Once everyone settled in and ordered their food, Keith pulled out a bag and set it in front of Rory. She peered around the gift at him. “What’s this?”
“Open it.” His face split into a mischievous grin, and her hackles rose.
Kordie was shaking her head, Dume and Sera were watching her expectantly, and Sam couldn’t have cared less. Giving in, she pulled out the tissue and peeked inside, spying a black sweatshirt.
Keith’s smile practically touched his ears, and Rory was hesitant to see what had him so giddy.
When she unfolded the hoodie and read the front, she gasped and slammed it back into the bag. “Are you out of your mind?” she hissed as he burst out laughing.
Kordie pushed his shoulder. “Shut up. I told him not to do it, but he refused to listen.”
“What does it say?” Sera asked, grabbing for the bag.
Rory’s reaction caught Sam’s attention, and she had no choice but to show the table. “I am going to kill you,” she promised Keith. “And I’ll wear this when I do it.”
He couldn’t stop laughing, and she flipped him off. While threatening Keith had her occupied, Dume plucked the shirt from her hands and held it up before she could show everyone herself. His deep laugh made her elbow him in the side. “It’s not funny!”
“Let me see!” Sera nagged until he flipped it around.
Her eyes scanned the shirt quickly before her hand clapped over her mouth, and her eyes reflected the laugh she was holding in for Rory’s sake. Even Sam’s lips pulled into a half-smile when Dume passed it to him.
“It is funny,” Sam admitted.
“You’re all traitors,” Rory grumbled and snatched the shirt back, holding it up again. It had the logo for a local butcher shop called Erdikoa Meat Co across the front with a picture of a pig, and at thebottom, it said, ‘Employee of the Month.’ “Why would a butcher shop sell merchandise, anyway?”
“They don’t sell them to the public, but the employees wear them. I paid some kid behind the counter for it and had ‘Employee of the Month’ added.” Keith looked proud, with the stupid smile still plastered on his face.
