Thomas brings his face close to mine. “You do look different. Your injuries are almost gone.”
“I did a spell,” I say, looking at Jac and Hasan. “And it worked. Don’t worry, I didn’t open any rifts this time.” I make a face. “Hungry?”
“We’re always hungry,” Hasan replies with a smile. “Did you make something tonight?”
“No, but the neighbors brought over some food.”
“Why did they do that?”
“I think mostly to be nice,” I start, and walk into the kitchen. “They said they heard about how I caught the killer and didn’t think I’d feel up to going to their party tonight.”
“Party?”
“Today’s a holiday, which is like a special day to honor something.”
Hasan nods. “What holiday is it?”
“Memorial Day. We honor those who died while fighting for our freedom.”
“And a party honors them?”
“Parties honor everything around here.” I take the other plates of food from the fridge and put one in the microwave.
“You should go,” Jacques says.
“Nah.” I turn around and lean against the counter. “It’s not really my thing.”
“I’ll go with you,” he offers.
I raise an eyebrow. “You want to go to a party? You do know what parties are, right?”
“I do watch TV, you know.”
Thomas gives Jac a quizzical look. “There’s no research or stuffy old books to look through at parties.”
“I do more than research and read.” Jac crosses his arms.
“Sleeping doesn’t count,” Gil counters.
I get plates and Hasan grabs glasses for water. “I suppose I could go. One of the ladies who brought food over today said she’s lived by the house her whole life. Maybe she met my Aunt Mary.”
I pause, waiting to see if my ghost-mom throws another book or drops the temperature a few degrees. When nothing happens, I close the cabinet and set the plates on the table. Thomas gets silverware and napkins, and Gil takes the spaghetti from the microwave. The five of us function well together. We have a routine, and it always runs smoothly.
“Then you really should go.” Jacques meets my eyes. “You can ask about your aunt and maybe try to have some fun.”
“Real subtle there,” Thomas says under his breath. He sets the last fork down and comes over, hand landing on my shoulder. “Though I do agree. You could use some fun. Which is why we should take you.” He winks.
“You guys are right.” I put the other dish in the microwave and turn to find them all looking at me in surprise. “It’s not the first time I’ve been told to have some fun or be social. I didn’t have anyone to hang out with before, but now I do. We should make it a point to go out a few times a week. There’s so much to show you.”
“Going out was fun,” Gilbert says with a smile. Only he and Tom have been out with me in the “real world,” and they blended seamlessly. Thanks to a concealment charm, they looked one hundred percent human. And thanks to their charm, their otherwise odd tendencies didn’t raise any eyebrows.
They basically went from aGame of Thronesset to modern-day Philadelphia. It’s a big change, though thanks to TV and movies, they knew a bit of what to expect. And it was fun. It did feel good. My boyfriends aren’t exactly human, but I never felt like I was who I’m supposed to be before them.
“You really want to go, Jac?” I ask.
“Yeah. I’m curious to see what a party really is like.”
“This one might be more low-key. It started at five so there’s a chance it’ll be over soon, but we can go check it out.”
