CHAPTERSIX
“I want her to help me.” Poppy pointed a finger at me, wavering on her feet. Then her finger swung in Alaric’s direction. “Not you. Sorry.”
I snickered quietly. I liked Poppy like this. She was much more pleasant.
Aside from the puke pooled next to her feet.
My humor died a quick death when Alaric turned a glare on me.
He argued with her, “If you fall, she can’t hold you, Poppy.”
Cassander was leaning against the train wall, trapped between the seats thanks to Poppy not moving. His head was tipped back, and his eyes were closed as he slurred, “She won’t fall. I’m sure.”
Alaric sighed and threw his hands up in the air. “Fine.”
The big man stormed out of his own train, leaving the four of us behind.
Rune cleared his throat, asking politely, “Cass, do you need help—”
One silver eye peeked open.
Rune snorted and shook his head. “Don’t get pissy. I had to ask.”
I held my right hand out to the drunken woman. “You’re gonna have to come to me. I’m not going anywhere near your spewed chunks.”
And what the fuck had Poppy been eating lately? A healthy diet of candy? ‘Cause that was what it looked like. Freaking gross.
I barely contained a disgusted shiver as she wobbled toward me, barely missing stepping in her own vomit. “That’s it. Almost there.” I caught her left arm and hefted it over my shoulder, holding her steady. “Rune, go down the steps in front of us in case Cassander is wrong.”
And please. Trusting the guess of one man?
Give me a break.
Rune was already on it, heading down the stairs. “Come on, beautiful. I won’t let you fall.”
A small grin edged my lips as I hauled Poppy toward the door, staring down at him. “Promise?”
He winked, his golden eyes staring up at me in the darkness. “Cross my heart.”
Poppy and I were slow moving. Each step down was a chore of balance and strength as she leaned this way and that. I grunted, holding tight around her waist. “Poppy, you need to lay off the sweets. I think you’ve gained some weight.”
“Or you’ve lost muscle mass.” She hiccupped and tilted her head—which tilted her whole body, keeping me on my toes. “You look thinner than the last time I saw you.”
I sighed. Even drunk she noticed. “Yeah. I’ve been on a poor person’s diet.”
Brown eyes blinked. “What does that consist of?”
“Not a whole lot,” I grumbled, but I smirked as we stepped onto solid ground. “We made it.”
Rune stepped out of my line of view, allowing me to see…the house. He shook his head in sympathy that wasn’t fake, murmuring quietly, “Not yet.”
My eyes widened as I stared at the mansion that was so, so far away. With a lot of damn stairs. I jerked my gaze to Poppy, and growled, “Tell me your bedroom is at the front.”
She hummed, mischief entering her drunken gaze. “It’s at the very back.”
“Holy. Fuck.” My chest rose as I inhaled deeply, and studied the terrain. Rocks and grassy patches. “Why the hell would anyone want to live here?” I didn’t give a shit if I was offending her. “Give me trees and more trees. Not this crap.”
Rune’s golden eyes sparkled under the moonlight. “You like forests?”
