CHAPTER 17
Frankie
I spent the last hour cleaning myself up and applying makeup, trying to hide any evidence that I’d been crying.
God, he can make me so mad sometimes, but at least I got to feel how the necklace works.
I touch the pendant, knowing it’s the reason my darkness stayed in check at the training grounds today.
“Do you want something to eat?” Zarreth reaches for my hand, but I pull away.
“I’ll get something when I’m hungry.”
“Melita.” His voice is gentle. “I’m sorry for earlier. I know you can take care of yourself; it’s just hard for me to let go sometimes.”
I know he was only protecting me, but it’s suffocating, and he needs to learn that’s not okay. Instead of accepting his apology, I say, “I’m tired of fighting you on this. Let’s just drop it.”
“Frankie, I—”
“Hey, Z!” We turn. Ronin jerks his head toward the tent, calling him over, then slipping through the flap.
Zarreth’s jaw tightens. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to leave, so I lift my chin, ready to argue.
His mouth opens, but he pauses for a moment before finally saying, “Stay here where it’s crowded. I’ll try not to be long.”
I soften a little when he doesn’t order me to come with him. He’s trying. “I’ll be fine.” I nod to the stand selling chunks of meat. Anatha and Beleth are sitting on a blanket not too far from it. “I think I’ll grab a bite and join your mom.”
He kisses my temple and disappears.
A few minutes later, I’m walking toward his mom, some sort of drumstick in hand, when someone runs straight into me, sending me to my ass—and my chunk of meat to the ashy ground.
“Oh no!” Sable brings her hands to her mouth in a dramatic fashion. “I am so clumsy. Here, let me help you.”
Is she serious? After the library, she still wants to try this?
“Oh, did you drop this?” She lifts a book from the dirt, the same one she tried pushing on me at the library. Thumbing through it, she pretends to hold back a laugh. “Frankie, you poor thing. Being mated to someone like ZeeZee must be so hard for a halfling.”
Her friends giggle behind her. I do not have the patience for her shit right now. Fighting the urge to tell her to fuck off, I push myself up. Everyone’s already leery of me. I don’t need to make it worse.
A female reaches for the book and laughs the moment she sees what it is. “I can’t believe this is still around. Where did you find it?”
I want to slap the fake concern from her face, but I take a deep breath instead. She doesn’t give me time to respond. “Don’t be embarrassed, Frankie. We applaud you for trying to learn.”
I dust the ash from my trousers and paste on a sweet smile. “Oh, I’m so glad we ran into each other. I was actually looking for you so I could return it. I finished writing my notes in the margin like you asked. Let me know if you need anything else.”
The daggers in her stare are sharp enough to cut through her pathetically sweet act. She opens her mouth to speak, but hesitates when something behind me catches her attention. “Who the fuck is that?” she asks, voice laced with venom.
My grin spreads ear to ear when I turn around and see the little redhead who has Sable so flustered.
Black leather leggings hug her hips, open slashes revealing fishnet underneath.
A cropped black tank reveals her pierced bellybutton and the tattoo trailing down her ribcage.
She’s standing on her tiptoes, reaching for the horns of a very happy demon. “They’re so big. Are they sensitive?”
I chuckle, well aware she already knows they’re sensitive. She’s such a little minx and I fucking love her for it.
“Very sensitive.” The demon rubs his horns against her palm as a pissed off Graven grabs her arm and pulls her away.
She bites her bottom lip, looking innocent, while he lectures her. “I can handle waiting while you paint your face, but I will not be explaining to Macen why you got eaten because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.”
Twirling a strand of hair around her finger, she uses her other hand to poke him in the chest. “You’re no fun.”
He grits his teeth as Jess spins on her heel and spots me, her flirty demeanor faltering for a moment as she holds her arms out. “Frankieeee!”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Sable mumbles under her breath when I run up to Jess.
“I’ve never been more happy to see you.” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze. “The curvy blonde is Zarreth’s ex and she’s determined to make my life a living hell.”
“Ew.” Her eyes roam over Sable, clearly not impressed. “Leave her up to me. I got this.”
“Grayyy! Where have you been?” Sable’s sweet facade is back in place.
“He’s been busy with me.” Jess doesn’t bother looking at Sable as she speaks. Instead, she flicks her sultry eyes toward Graven. “Haven’t you, Gray?”
“Careful, human,” his voice sharp. “You wouldn’t survive five minutes with me.”
Her lips curve in that dangerous little smirk that always means trouble. Oh Graven. You have no idea what kind of game you just signed up for.
“Gray, stop wasting your time on these humans. You already know I can make you feel good.” I swear I catch a hint of annoyance on his face when Sable speaks. His eyes drift back to Jess, his gaze lingering longer than I expect. He finally tears it away and turns to Sable.
“I’m babysitting the human, but I can find time for you.” He eyeballs the book in Sable’s hand and grins. “Maybe we can try something in that book of yours.”
Her smile stiffens for a beat before she recovers. “That’s why I brought it.”
I almost laugh. Yeah, sure it is. She might fool the others, but not me.
We finally start making our way to the center where Anatha and Beleth are sitting. Before them is the well—the very center of the village.
A simple wooden frame hangs above it with rusted metal buckets used for drawing the water.
It doesn’t look special, but it’s the very reason the Recreants have been able to stand against the Death Horde for as long as they have—unlike the other hordes who were forced to join them due to their lack of water.
“Who’s the blonde MILF?” Jess asks as we get closer.
I turn to see who she’s referring to and choke. “Ah, that’s Ronin’s mom!”
Her grin turns wicked as she side-eyes me. “Well, that explains why Ronin…” Stopping mid-sentence, she winces awkwardly as Anatha waves us over. “They can hear us, can’t they?”
“Yep.” I grab her elbow, pulling her forward.
She raises her voice, making sure they hear the next part. “Of course Ms. Beleth is the most respectable type of MILF. Not like those slutty ones.”
“I thought your goal in life was to be a slutty MILF?” I tease.
She pinches me so hard I yelp. “Please help me not look like a jackass in front of the parents.”
“Why are you so nervous?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been good with parents.”
We’re almost to the blanket when Beleth calls out, “I don’t know what a MILF is, but I think the slutty one would be fun.”
“Beleth!” Anatha sighs, swatting her arm.
Beleth rubs the spot and huffs. “What? I’m a MILF, I can do whatever I want!”
Anatha shakes her head and pats the blanket. “You must be Jess. I’m Anatha, and this is Beleth.”
“It is so nice to meet the both of you!” Jess exclaims, then turns to Beleth. “I am really sorry about the MILF comment.”
“Don’t apologize, dear. You’ll find most demons have no sense of humor, but we are not them.” Beleth slings an arm around Jess’ shoulder. “We’re happy you’re here. It’s been such a blessing getting to meet Ronin’s friends.”
Jess beams and I can’t help smiling too. I knew she didn’t have to worry about meeting the parents. Everyone loves her.
The crowd quiets as Quenric approaches the platform in front of the well and clears his throat. “Here we go,” Graven mutters from behind us. “Same story every haul.”
Jess spins around. “Oh, you’re still here?” She plays it off like she just noticed him, but I know she saw Sable settling onto his lap the moment they sat on the bench behind us.
He sighs, barely glancing at her. “Not by choice. I just take my job seriously.”
Quenric’s voice cuts in, pulling my attention to the front while he adjusts his glasses. “Tonight we honor the Haul, and the hands that made it. With every return, we gather what the young need most—grain for their growth, meat for their strength, cloth and bone for their first weapons.”
“Don’t forget the strange mortal undergarments!” someone shouts. I laugh at the scattered whistles that earned.
Quenric ignores them. “There was a time when these tables stayed empty. Our young went to sleep hungry more nights than fed. We scraped by on what little the realm offers. But not anymore.” He gestures to the stacked crates behind us.
“Now we build with tools we never knew existed, heal with herbs we’ve never heard of.
But we must remember where we came from, so we never slip back to those times.
He glances to the front row. “Tonight we enjoy what we’ve earned. Celebrate your hard work. Eat what calls to you. Drink until the ground tilts. Claim whatever company meets your eye.”
A demon near the front shouts, “Or whatever company opens their legs first.”
Gross.
Quenric shakes his head. “Laugh all you want, but remember this haul won’t last forever. If we get greedy, we’ll rot out like the elders.” The crowd quiets down. Demons look at one another, exchanging worried glances, but he doesn’t seem to notice because he goes on.
“Whispers say the elders grow weak, and when they fall, something else will rise to devour what’s left.” I swear he stares straight at me, but I push the thought away before paranoia starts.
A warrior at the edge of the crowd clamps Quenric’s shoulder. “Hittin’ the brew already, huh Quenric?”
He pulls the librarian off stage and cuts Graven a look, the kind that says do something. Graven catches it immediately. “We need to keep them entertained until the music starts so they don’t get riled up. Anyone have any ideas?”
“On it!” Sable rises from his lap and sashays her way to the platform, curves and confidence on display. Dammit, she was born for the stage. I can almost see why Zarreth dated her.
But then she opens her mouth to sing, and it is magical…well, it’s magical for me, anyway. Her voice is pitchy and strained, and almost makes my ears bleed. But it is worth it to watch the smug smile fall off her face when she notices the crowd covering their ears and booing.
She stops singing, and the boos finally die down as she runs off stage. I know I should feel bad for her, but finding empathy after the way she’s treated me is nearly impossible.
Clearly we need a different kind of distraction. Jess must think the same thing because she stands, digging in her pocket, and flips a coin to me. “Think fast.”
I catch it as a grin spreads across my face. “Quarters, anyone?”