“Of course, Getta, I apologize for misspeaking,” Tawv offers as he bows in supplication. I watch the two of them, a little confused.
“Is this the lost one?” Getta asks, and the giant carrying her dips her down so she can get a good look at me.
Her cloudy gaze runs all over my face. She studies me in a way that feels both intriguing and unsettling simultaneously. She reaches out a twig thin arm, her bony hand palm up and expectant. I stare at it for a moment before placing my hand in hers. I think that’s what she wants anyway. She gives a satisfied hum and closes her eyes. She flips my hand over and strokes it with skeletal fingers I’m afraid might break and turn to dust at any moment.
She traces the rune on my palm and sighs. “Hello, old friend,” she greets shakily, nodding her head like my rune is suddenly talking to her.
I look to the guys, my eyes askingwhat the fuck. Knox smiles and shrugs. Valen makes the universal sign for crazy by circling his pointer finger at his temple. Getta slaps the palm of my hand with more strength than I expect, and I snap my head back in her direction.
“You carry all the right signs, girl. Ones lost to time and greed bloom like a flower on you. Your glow rivals that of the sun, but none of that tells me if you’re worthy.”
With that, Getta slaps the massive protruding pec of the male carrying her, and he pulls her away from me. He moves toward the back of the house, and I once again take in the two scars on his back.
“Don’t just stand there, girl. Follow his fine ass and come with me.”
My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline in shock. Knox and Bastien both bark out laughs that they promptly turn into coughs. I look at Tawv, wondering if this lady is for real, but he just does as Getta says and walks toward the back of the house. I fall into step behind him, not sure exactly what’s going on or who the hell this lady even is.
The back of the house is packed dirt and a single water trough set just to the side. I don’t see any animals hanging about, so I’m not sure what the trough is for. The stoic, scarred giant sets Getta down in the middle of the round packed dirt yard, and she looks even more slight and decrepit than she did in the massive male’s arms. She pinches his ass as he walks away, and I see the male roll his eyes and his chest vibrate with laughter even though no sound accompanies it.
“Come here, girl, and stop staring at Issak; he’s taken.”
I immediately avert my eyes and scramble to join Skeletor granny on the hard packed ground. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare at your...Chosen.” My apology comes out more like a question because I’m not sure how this match worked out, and I don’t see runes on either one of them.
“Oh, he’s not mine. I’m just keeping him warm until the right one chooses her path and comes to claim him.”
The massive male snorts, and she narrows her eyes at him. “You know I’m right, and you better start doing what needs to be done so you can be worthy of her,” Getta snarls at him.
“I see,” I reply simply, trying really hard not to picture exactly what she could mean by keeping him warm.
“Now, girl, answer my question,” Getta demands, and I look at her, confused.
She doesn’t say anything else, and I have no idea what question she’s talking about. I turn to the guys hoping somehow they caught it, but they all shrug uselessly. Something raps me hard on the shoulder, and I yelp and turn. There’s nothing there, and I search for whatever the fuck just tried to give me a dead arm.
“Are you going to answer me or not?” Getta asks again, her fragile shaky voice laced with irritation.
“I’m sorry, what was the question?”
“Are you worthy?”
“Worthy of what?” I ask even more perplexed.
“Wrong answer,” she replies, and then a staff appears in her hand, and she whacks me with it. She hits the exact same spot she just hit on my arm, and I jump back away from her with a squeak.
“What the fuck?” I ask incredulously as I rub my arm.
Knox is laughing so hard I think he’s crying, which is no fucking help to me.
“Wrong answer,” she parrots again, and faster than this old bag of bones should be able to move, she whacks me hard on the thigh.
Motherfucker!
“Listen, I don’t know what you’re asking. A little context would be super helpful,” I tell her, and the sneaky bitch whacks me again.
“Are you worthy, girl?” she demands again, and I’m starting to get really fucking frustrated with all this cryptic shit.
“I don’t know, lady, you tell me,” I snap at her, and this time when she tries to hit me, I block it with my own staff.
Getta giggles, and interest sparks in her cloudy gaze. “Now you’re talking,” she tells me, and she goes in for another hit.
