‘I already told you once I can rock your world, little witch. Get your ass through the door, or I just might,’ he said, brushing his chest against my back as we entered his office.
The tension inside the room stripped away the playful mood, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Miriam greeted us with a scowl. Surprisingly, Michael’s expression looked taut and grim as well.
Perhaps chaos was finally catching up to us.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Avari
‘How was your search?’ I asked Miriam when we landed in front of our estate. The poor girl looked tired, or maybe that was Michael’s effect on her.
Looking into the distance, her gaze appeared ever further away. Finally, her eye twitched as she exhaled sharply. ‘It’s making me question everything I know.’
‘In what way?’ I asked and followed her unnervingly silent footsteps as she neared the porch.
We turned the corner before she stopped, going utterly still. ‘When you get to my age, you start to assume you’ve got everything—and everyone—figured out. You realise everyone has a purpose and fills preapproved roles. The only question is whether they’ve been assigned by Gods or biology.’
The unexpected depth caught me off guard. She was acting a little stranger than usual. ‘Are you saying you no longer think that?’
‘I’m saying perhaps there are people that can live rule and role-free without feeling out of place.’ She played with herlong braid, pretending to focus on stray hairs while her mind obviously drifted away. ‘It’s fascinating.’
I felt lost. ‘Do you feel like you have a role you need to fill?’
Her breath hitched. ‘Don’t you?’
The intense red of her eyes seemed to come to life with intrigue. She awaited my answer like my perspective would help her.
‘No,’ I eventually said. ‘Not really. I don’t think the universe plans that far ahead. Not when it comes to me.’
Something warm and startled stirred in her gaze at once. ‘Why?’
‘Well, I nearly died so many times, I guess they stopped trying to assign me a role. It’d just be a waste,’ I chuckled nervously when she remained serious.
She went still, like a breathtaking sculpture, something never meant for this realm. ‘Huh. What an odd thing to say. What role would you like to fulfil in your life?’
Gods, did I ever consider that? Miriam waited patiently while my mind scrambled for an answer. ‘I don’t know. I spent most of my time just trying to survive.’
‘I understand.’ A faint heaviness settled into her features. ‘You are young anyway; I am certain you will find your purpose soon. Is there anything that’s of particular interest to you?’
‘There are some things I like, but I don’t really have time—’
‘What are they?’ She insisted, while taking a seat on the sofa and patting the spot next to her. ‘Indulge me.’
Nothing came to mind at first. I glanced around at the darkening sky, the potted fruit trees lining the porch, and the nearby mushroom patch, artistic if not obscene.
‘Books, obviously.’ I smiled when it finally dawned on me. ‘And animals.’
A warm gust of wind stirred the wind chimes beside us, and the gentle melody seemed to soothe her as she sighed.
‘Gods, you’re just like Alec, aren’t you? Let me guess… Is a shelter part of your plan?’ she giggled, and I found myself enjoying the fact that she’d finally loosened up. The seriousness from earlier had been uncanny.
My lips curved before I could stop them. ‘An aquatic store.’
Something about my admission amused her. ‘A what now?’
‘A fish store. Tropical and saltwater,’ I said, pulling out my phone and looking up the kinds that I hoped to get over the years.
