“Was concentrating for an hour.”
“Any thoughts on why white wines are harder than red for you?” Vee asks, taking another sip, even though I didn’t reach the desired effect. She loves a sweet wine.
“Minus not having The Sight?” I ask.
She cocks her head to the side, giving me a dead stare. “Well, duh.”
“Probably your affinity for reds makes you subconsciously put in more effort,” Merc answers for me. “It’s why a lot of submersibles break down in the Caribbean Ocean.”
Seeing my confused look, they explain further. “Uncle Hashim, Neptune, lives in Jamaica and despises them, especially the billionaire- or corporation-owned vessels.”
“Evidently, feelingsdoaffect powers?” I ask, giving Vee a pointed stare.
“What you were thinking was wrong, though. I literally told you following our hearts is how we unlock The Sight.” Vee throws a cushion my way. It hits me smack-dab in the face.
“Venus!” I’m ready to return the cushion back to sender.
“It wasn’t supposed to hit your face,” she says, already raising her arms and darting her eyes towards the only escape route—the door to the kitchen.
Merc watches us with amusement in their eyes. I track Vee’s hesitant movements, trying to predict her direction to ensure the cushion collides. I aim to the best of my abilities, narrowly missing her but hitting Merc.
Shit.
Out of everyone in the family, Merc has always been the most mischievous, even before receiving the power of the trickster planet.
For the next few minutes, we’re simply cousins again. Not pseudo-gods. Just a good ol’ fashioned family engaging in extremely childish, violent play-fighting.
The three-way battle continues until my phone rings.
“Hello?” I say, out of breath.
“Um, is this Niyi?” the other person says, and I recognize it’s Moyo. “Is this a good time?” she asks, just as Merc hits a distracted Vee.
I stifle a laugh. “No, no. I mean yes! it’s a good time. It’s always a good time to talk to you.”
Vee, with murder in her eyes, begins chasing Merc around the living room.
“Are you sure?” Moyo asks, clearly hearing Merc’s cross between laughter and a shriek.
“How about I come to yours, and we take a walk? My place is too chaotic for a phone call.”
“I can tell.” Moyo laughs softly. “See you in a bit?”
“Of course.”
I shiver when I get to Moyo’s front door. Wearing only a fleece jacket was a mistake. The initial adrenaline and sweat from playing around with Vee and Merc made everything warmer.
It’d be too much of a hassle to go change, so I knock on the door.
“Coming,” Moyo calls out. She opens the door in a matching green sweatsuit and a blue puffer jacket. She takes in my simpler outfit. “You’re not cold?”
“Had to rush out the house. I’ll survive.”
“Sure? We could go inside?” Moyo offers.
It puts a smile on my face. “A walk would be good. Also, you have gotten nicer to me.”
“Don’t make me regret it.”
