I blink. “Not currently.”
“If that changes, I shall slay the beast for you.”
It’s a butterfly, not a beast. However, nothing is as it seems in this strange land. For all I know, this butterfly is a carnivorous monster that devours unsuspecting maidens. Theo shifts, and Absolem’s milky eyes settle on me as he exhales a perfect question mark. That appears to be an invitation.
“Do you know the Grimms?” I ask.
Absolem tilts his head. “Know? No.”
“Well, thanks for the drug-induced discussion. Now, we shall be on our way,” Malachi says, grabbing my arm.
Another puff of smoke descends, and Malachi’s eyes go hazy. He drops my arm and wanders over to a tree. Goodness, I hope he’s not about to go to the toilet. We are in the company of strangers, and who knows what that tree means to Absolem. It could be the tree his caterpillar offspring cling to.
“I’ve been looking for you,” Malachi mumbles.
I raise a brow at Nash, who shrugs. I don’t think we are in danger of Malachi using it for toilet purposes.
“I never said I don’t know of them. I said I don’t know them.”
“You are splitting hairs,” Hart snaps.
“Always a problem for folks without a proper hair care routine,” Charming says, pulling a lock of his stupid perfect hair in front of his face and releasing it so it bounces back into place. I cannot have him for a brother-in-law. I have high hopes Gwyneth will tire of him.
Absolem ignores him. Seems Charming gets overlooked no matter the land—unless you’re my sister. Wait… I snap my fingers. “He’s a fixer-upper,” I declare. “I get it now. You need to feel useful, like you are solving a problem. He’s a problem.”
Gwyneth shifts her gaze from me to Charming and back again.
“I’m not a problem,” Charming mutters.
“Dude, if you want to remain in my sister’s good graces and potentially her floof, accept you have issues,” I advise.
“Floof?” Absolem asks.
Nash makes a motion around his crotch area while thrusting forward. I snort. “She means her lady bits.”
“No, I can’t do that,” Malachi whispers. “She’s not ready.”
She who? And what is she not ready for? He better not be having a relationship with that tree. I will cut a bitch down. “Is he okay?” I ask Absolem as the butterfly takes flight. At least it didn’t take a chunk of my flesh with it.
The caterpillar tilts his head. “Are any of us okay?”
I can see this conversation going around in squares. Wait, that’s not what we go around in. Is it octagons? What is it? I spin in a circle. Nope, the answer eludes me.
“Do you know how to reach the Grimm Brothers?” Gwyneth asks as she slaps Charming’s hand away from her hair.
“Answer the riddle,” Absolem reminds us. “What has roots that nobody sees? It is taller than trees. Up, up it goes, yet it never grows?”
Everyone sways as I think hard. Giant sausages are a highly unlikely answer. Sad, but true. My mind filters through tall things and fixates on a creature I’ve never seen in person.
“Ooh, okay. I’ve got this. The answer is a giraffe.”
“A giraffe?” Gwyneth says. I squint at her as she sways harder. Why is everyone doing that? It’s distracting.
I raise my hands up to the sky. I think I can almost touch the stars. What do they feel like? “They’re super tall, and, I mean, they technically don’t grow after a certain point, right? They just stay the same height. Plus, they have, like, emotional roots—family bonds and stuff. Deep.” I lower my voice to make my point.
Absolem takes a long drag from his hookah. “Are you high?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
