He checked his watch before tsking. “You’re two hours late. What exactly were you doing last night?”
“I was up late reading through Ambermourn’s notes. I fell asleep in my office and totally forgot about our showing today.” I said this while fastening earrings in and rapidly combing my hair out, so I was somewhat presentable.
Magnus took my shirt front and spun me around so he could fix the collar. “You’re being way too paranoid about this Ambermourn thing.”
“Am I? When your mortal enemy is trying to hunt down your other mortal enemy, you tend to worry!”
“I think it’s all coincidence. He's just trying to stalk you, and you’re letting him win by messing around with him,” he scolded with a cemented frown.
I pushed on the lines in his forehead. “Stop worrying about me so much.”
“I’m your second-in-command; it’s literally my job.”
“Yeah, yeah...” I brushed him away and gave myself one final look over. “Ok, let me handle this, then we’ll go over those reports from Antarctica for Elizabeth.”
“At this rate, there won’t be any animals left to report on! She needs to freeze that place, asap! Ashlynn's gonna melt the whole dang planet!”
I snorted. “I think Zephryine needs to get better at closing holes in the atmosphere.”
“Humans are making so many that she can barely keep up. Gods, if only they respected this planet a little more...” he sighed to himself before shaking his head and ducking into his own office. I left him with his worrying and dashed through my portal to Gehenna, racing the steps like my life depended on it. Considering how mad Nick got when I flaked on him, it very well might have been my life at stake this time.
I found he and Geneva with his Elites in the Inn, conversing over tea Evris brewed in a glass teapot in her kitchen. My throat ached at the idea of getting something caffeinated and warm in my system. I popped into the kitchen and procured a cup before hurriedly joining the two at the table. “Hey, guys, I’m so sorry I’m late. I got tied up with some notes last night and totally overslept!”
“Figures. If I'm late, it’s crucifixion. If you’re late, I need to just deal with it,” Nick scoffed with a heavy eye roll.
Geneva giggled and shoved him playfully. “Cut the old man some slack. His brittle bones aren’t what they used to be.”
“Fuck you both,” I laughed, ruffling Nick’s hair wildly before gesturing to his Elites. “How have things been going? Are they getting accustomed well to the Realm?”
“More or less. I have my eyes set on Emmeline,” he pointed to the copper-haired girl talking with Arabella and Beatrix, “but time will tell.”
“Two girls, eh? I think that’d be an interesting change to the Shadow Realm,” I commented.
“What’s that supposed to mean!” Geneva barked in offense.
I threw my hands up. “Nothing, nothing, yeesh! I was only pointing out that we haven’t had multiple women in control in a long time, and it would be a nice change! Don't jump down my throat, woman!”
“Alright, alright, let’s relax...” Nick chuckled, patting Geneva’s frazzled curls down.
“Funny seeing you lot down here.” A familiar voice filled my ears, making me turn in horror to the entrance of the restaurant. Ambermourn of all people stood in the doorway with a coy grin. He wore a slick black suit and adorned a cane with a snake’s head mounted to the top, which was crystalized. The eyes were wide open, ensnaring all who looked into them, and its tongue slithered out to curl into a Q.
Nick tensed with anger, but I gripped his leg to calm him down and assure I could handle this. “What are you doing down here?” I asked suspiciously.
“I’d like to know the same thing,” Nick added in a venomous tone.
Ambermourn could sense the tension but decided to flaunt his charisma. “I like to come downstairs once in a while and checkon everyone. I did help Geneva get accustomed to working down here, once upon a time, so it’s not like I’m a stranger.”
“That was a long time ago. I can handle myself just fine, now,” Geneva huffed in annoyance.
He flashed that cunning smile. “So I’ve heard.”
“Now really isn’t a good time to visit. We have our hands full with Nick’s Elites. Maybe a later date?” I said through my teeth, trying to warn him that Nick was far from pleased with him, but he didn’t seem to take the hint.
“I only came by to order some of Evris’s tea and biscuits. I won’t be a bother whatsoever.” He sat at a far-off table and did exactly as he said: order biscuits and tea and open a newspaper left on the counter beside him. We all eyed him angrily, but decided not to argue further, and went back to our conversation.
Nick gestured with his shoulder to Isadora. “On another note, you might want to talk to Isadora. She’s been a bit distant. Seems like something is bothering her, and since you’re the official God of this Realm, I’m making you do it.”
“Gee, thanks,” I grumbled, mushing his face with my palm before crossing the room. Isadora was to the side by herself, her arms folded as she stared emptily at the Elites moving about the Inn. She seemed forlorn, as distant as Nick claimed, but in an unsettling way. I pulled a chair up beside her and crossed my arms on the back of it, sitting backwards in one of the seats Evris hand polished every single day. “Hey, chickita. You seem kind of down in the dumps today. What's cooking?” I asked in as casually as I could.
