Page 63
“Excessive.”
“Mandatory.”
Rook guided Ethan toward the stairs, his shadows already stretching ahead to scout the route. Behind them, he heard Julian explaining his sock organization system to Silas, who was responding with genuinely interested questions about seasonal rotation schedules.
“They’re going to end up completely redesigning our rooms,” Rook said as they climbed to the main floor.
“I know.” Ethan sounded pleased rather than concerned. “Julian’s organizational methodology is significantly more sophisticated than mine. I should take notes.”
“You’re both very…meticulous.”
“You love me anyway.”
Rook’s chest tightened with the truth of it. “Yeah. I really do.”
“Besides, if I’m sharing your room, then it could do with a few more things in it, so any design ideas would be appreciated.”
They reached the main floor where Rook kept his motorcycle keys. His shadows gathered close, already restless at the prospect of taking Ethan beyond Shadow House’s protected perimeter. But Ethan needed to maintain some connection to his previous life even as everything changed around him.
“Two hours,” Rook said again, more to himself than Ethan. “We’ll be back before dark.”
“Statistically, the safest time for travel given Pope’s documented operational patterns.”
“Did you just calculate the risk assessment?”
“I calculated it three days ago when I first considered retrieving my belongings.” Ethan pulled on his jacket, also Rook’s, because apparently Ethan owned exactly one coat and it was still at his apartment. “I’m not sure what I should do about my car. I don’t imagine you’ll feel comfortable with me driving it back here, if you’re on the bike, but it can probably stay where it is for now.”
Rook handed Ethan his helmet, then grabbed his own. Through their bond, he felt Ethan’s anticipation mixed with mild anxiety about the state of his refrigerator. Normal concerns. Human concerns. The kind of ordinary worry that meant Ethan’s world hadn’t been completely derailed by the darkness that seemed second nature to the guardians.
“Let’s go deal with your biohazard refrigerator,” Rook said.
“It’s not likely to be a biohazard yet. But I anticipate it will be in approximately thirty-six hours.”
“All the more reason to hurry then. Climb on.” Rook started his bike. They hadn’t left yet, but he was already looking forward to getting back to Shadow House.
Chapter Twenty
“Your hallway smells like an old hotel.”
“That’s the building’s ventilation system.” Ethan unlocked his apartment door. “The landlord refuses to upgrade because the units are grandfathered under older building codes.”
“I’m going to pretend I understood what that means and agree it’s terrible.”
Ethan pushed open the door and stopped. Everything sat exactly where he’d left it - his coffee mug in the dish rack, his laptop closed on the kitchen counter, the throw blanket folded at precisely ninety-degree angles on the couch. The same furniture, the same lighting, the same layout he’d inhabited for three years.
But for some reason, it felt completely wrong. It was too quiet, too empty, and felt too far away from Rook, even though Rook stood right behind him, close enough that Ethan could feel him.
“You okay?” Rook’s hand settled on his lower back. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here.”
“I don’t think I like it here anymore.” The words came out before Ethan processed them fully. “It feels wrong.”
“Is that because I’m not here all the time?” Rook suggested slowly.
“It’s because none of you are here.” Ethan stepped inside, his mind sifting through the sensations, trying to pinpoint what felt wrong. “Shadow House has ambient noise - footsteps, conversation, Julian organizing reference materials, even you banging pots and pans in the kitchen. I never noticed how silent this apartment was before now.”
Rook’s shadows poured past him, spreading across the floor like eager puppies. They wrapped around chair legs, slithered up bookshelves, and investigated the corners of his kitchen cabinets.
“Your shadows are being nosy.”
