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Randa closed her eyes, mentally counting to ten. “You’re not supposed to eat it. Not until you buy it, anyway. I told you that, when you wrecked the peanut butter section.”

“Why would I buy something if I can’t taste it first?” He pulled a huge knife from his belt. “I found out that I like peanut butter, didn’t I? I have no idea if I like this, yet.”

“That’s not the way it works…” She trailed off with a sigh as he stabbed the blade through the plastic bag and sliced it open. Marshmallow pieces flew everywhere.

Bringing a Light Phase into a human store was like setting a T-rex loose at a petting zoo. It was a miracle they hadn’t been kicked out of the supermarket already. Randa imagined the stock boy hovering at the end of the aisle was supposed to be stopping Kahn’s mayhem, but he was too scared to try.

With good reason.

Kahn was the size of a continent. His dark green tank top and camouflaged pants accentuated his powerful body, giving him the look of an action star from a war movie.

Not that she noticed his appearance, because Randa wasn’t drawn to lustful savagery, no matter what her grandmother had believed. She’d never felt lust in her life. But others surely took note of Kahn’s perfect physique, and long golden hair, and the interesting tattoos encircling his wide forearm.

Less civilized people might find him appealing.

“This will do.” Kahn decided, crunching on a mouthful of dry cereal. “See? I tried it, liked it, and now I’ll buy it.” He pushed six boxes off the shelf and into the already overflowing cart. “Makes total sense.”

“What do you plan to buy all these groceries with?” Randa asked, gesturing to the mountain of unhealthy, too sweet, quasi-food he’d picked out. “They only take human money here. Do you have any? Because I can’t afford six hundred dollars’ worth of special snacks for you.”

Technically, she hadn’t even invited Kahn on this trip. But she always did her grocery shopping on Friday mornings, because it was her day off. Randa didn’t let anything derail her schedule, if she could possibly help it.

She’d told Kahn that she was going out and he’d insisted on coming, too. He claimed that the Light Phases needed supplies for their “stay in the human realm.” That sounded like an ominously vague timeline to her, and their stubborn refusal to eat her food was almost hurtful, and Kahn made her very uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. But she’d endure.

Randa had agreed to let Kahn tag along, because it was easier than arguing. If the Light Phases wanted to eat prepackaged, pre-cooked, untouched-by-Randa food, they were going to be the ones paying for it, though. She was on a budget.

“The Wood House gives everybody human money.” Kahn scoffed and it was a fair point. The Wood House could perfectly replicate anything paper, so manufacturing cash was simple for them. Anyone who asked could have as much as they liked. “We have buckets of it, at home. Why is that even an issue?”

“Because I don’t take money from the Wood House.” Randa didn’t take anything from any House. She pushed the cart down the aisle, towards the Pop-Tarts. Gaia knew, Kahn was going to want Pop-Tarts. The wheel of the cart squeaked as she walked along. “I earn my own paycheck and it’s real. I have a job at the local police station.”

Kahn glanced at her, looking annoyed. As usual. “Mingling with humans isn’t safe. It’s why we’ve avoided it for thousands of years.”

“Yet, you’re here looking for a human Match.”

“Hopefully, she’ll only be part human. A small part.”

“Personally, I trust humans more than the Elementals.”

“I don’t trust anyone.”

That was actually a wise comment. She decided to ignore it. “Just keep your stuff separate from mine, so we can each pay for our own food.”

It shouldn’t be hard. All she was buying was a pot roast, milk, store-brand yogurt, and four cans of tomato soup. (They were on a two-for-one sale.) She arranged them in the child’s seat portion of the shopping cart, giving the rest of the space to Kahn. She had a few more things on her list, but there was going to be plenty of room in her section.

He spared her carefully selected items an irritated glare. “You need to eat more.”

“I’m fine.” She stopped by the Pop-Tarts and surveyed the labels. “Do you like strawberry or cherry?”

“I don’t know what those are.”

She tossed both in the cart. Then, she added a blueberry and a cinnamon apple. At this point, what did it matter? If he wanted to waste money and overdose on sugar, who was she to stop him?

Kahn still wasn’t done critiquing her small array of purchases. “You’re too thin.” He picked up the roast, squinting down at the label like he was trying to understand what it was. “This looks substantial. You should buy five more and eat them. That might help.”

Randa’s gaze narrowed. She’d always been slim, while the Elementals tended to prefer curvier women. Her grandmother had been quick to tell her that, whenever Randa lost a pound or two. She didn’t care if Kahn found her attractive. Obviously. She was completely fine with him thinking she was skinny and unappealing.

She snatched the roast from him and slammed it back into her section of the cart. “I’m buying one.” She bit off. “Which I am going to cook on Sunday and serve to Isaacs, with mashed potatoes and organic carrots. That stuff,” she pointed at the pile of ketchup bottles, Flaming Hot Cheetos, and gummy bears he’d picked out for the Light Phases, “is what you need to be concerned about. Just be glad Phases don’t get heart attacks.”

Kahn’s eyes snapped to her face, and his head tilted, like maybe he’d misheard her. “Isaacs? Of the Air House?”