“You’ll cheat,” they said together.
“Man, I hope there’s cake at the reception. Or at least cookies. No, no, a cookie cake, right, Ko?”
He shook his head, but I caught the ghost of a smile. Success. Making the mountain move was always a personal victory.
“What about last names?” I continued, unable to resist pushing further. “Are we Mr. and Mrs. Cimmerian? Or do we hyphenate and go with Mr. and Mrs. Cimmerian-Dead Bride Walking? These are important questions, Cas. I need to know!”
“It’s a political arrangement, Z, not a romance novel,” he muttered, not taking the bait.
“You say thatnow,” I grinned, waggling my eyebrows, “but a year is a long time to share living space. Things happen. Tension builds. Forbidden glances across the dinner table.”
“I’ll forbidyoufrom speaking, and enjoy the silence.”
“You’d miss my insightful commentary,” I shot back, bouncing my knee as my fingers drummed on an ammo box. “Who else would point out when you’re being an uptight ass?”
“Literally anyone with eyes,” Koa interjected, earning a green-eyed glare from Cas and a hoot from me.
“See?” I laughed. “Even Koala Bear agrees with me!”
When we finally got on the highway, Cas spent the next hour outlining his fifty-point protocol for our arrival at our new digs.
“Phase Three: In the event cover fire is needed during disembarkment—”
“Bat’s bones! My brain is melting out of my ears!” I shouted.
What if she sees the monster behind the glitter?A teeny, tiny voice suddenly whispered in my ear.What if she kisses it, anyway?
Needing fresh air, I rolled down my window, stuck my head out, and howled like the world was ending or my heart was breaking.
Couldn’t tell the difference anymore, anyway.
6. Tortured Beyond Violence
Seri
As I packed my clothes, the faint scent of lavender lingered in the air. It was a scent Mama had adored, and now a bittersweet comfort.
I folded a blouse with a sigh. It had been hers, the crocheted lace trim the last I had of anything she’d made. I placed it in the suitcase, my fingers smoothing over the cotton, praying my future might have just a little of the happiness I’d once known.
Finished packing at last, I closed the suitcase and glanced around, taking in the familiar walls, the window that framed the forest like a painting. It was hard to let go, but I had to. There was nothing for me here. Not anymore.
A soft whimper broke the silence. Josslyn stirred on my bed, her tiny hands clenched in fists as she squirmed. Thankfully, I’d had the good sense to pack her things last night, and now her bags waited for us by the front door.
“Guess what, Josslyn?” I crooned as I slipped into the straps of my backpack, careful of my sore arm. “We’re going on an adventure.”
Picking her up next, I cradled her in the crook of my good arm and grabbed my suitcase handle with my free hand, then tipped my chin up as I stepped into the hallway.
“This is it. Our first steps toward freedom.”
Goddess willing, we wouldn’t fall flat on our faces.
#
The foyer was bathed in the pale light of dawn, the kind of light that made everything feel both fragile and full of promise. Three cardboard boxes sat by the front door, next to the baby’s diaper bag and her suitcase as well as a nearly empty duffle, the one that hid what I’d salvaged of Papa’s things. Depositing my own luggage next to it, I tried to make my hands stop trembling as I settled Josslyn into her car seat.
“Miss? Ready for me to take these things to the car?” Austin, one of the new servants hired to take my place, gestured toward our boxes and bags.
“Yes, please. Thank you for your help, Austin.”
