you have a low drive? You should consider doing a little self-discovery to get your motor going. I heard some of the dildos missed the burn pile.”
Emily’s shocked gaze swung to me.
“Don’t look at me to jump in and save you. You’ve pimped me out to rolling pin man. Have at her, Mary.”
“Hannah,” Emily hissed as Mary chuckled with glee.
I shrugged.
“It’s only fair that it’s your turn.”
Emily crossed her arms and gave Mary and me the same steely look.
“I started this with a single goal. To help the fey and humans live together more harmoniously because we’re all that’s left. If people couple up, that’s great. It’ll only help my goal. Until I see that goal come to fruition, I refuse to put my own wants first. That includes any kind of romantic relationship with a fey or a human. Now, stay focused. Both of you get started on dessert. We can’t draw these meals out forever.”
Mary got up to help me at the stove and leaned close to whisper, “Add a little extra brandy to the brandy sauce. I think Emily will need to sample it twice.”
I snorted and stirred.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Thanks for your help tonight,” Emily said, closing the door behind us.
I hung up my jacket and nodded. Both our moods were a bit dejected. Hers because of the epic failure of tonight’s dinner. Mine because a long night stretched in front of me with no Merdon to distract me from my thoughts.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” I asked.
“I think I’m going to soak in a lavender bath and read for a bit.” She started for the stairs.
“They won’t all be insta-attractions, you know. Heck, most of the fey-human couples that are together now started out not liking each other. Don’t write off Mila and Newaz yet.”
She glanced back at me with a tremulous smile.
“Thanks. I hope you’re right. I just thought for sure they’d hit it off. Their personalities are so similar.”
“Maybe you need to go for opposites.”
“Maybe. G’night.”
With a growing sense of desperation, I watched her leave. Nights were never easy, but I realized how all the time in the basement had made them bearable because of sheer exhaustion. What was I supposed to do now? I looked around the room then at the door.
As quietly as possible, I put on my shoes and jacket and slipped outside.
“Anyone out here?” I called softly.
Tor stepped from the shadows and jogged my way.
“Are you sad, Hannah?”
“Sad? No. I just have too much energy. Are you out here because Merdon asked?”
Tor gave me a wary look.
“Will that make you angry?”
“Depends on why he asked you to watch the house.”
“He said to make sure you were safe.”
“Did he say something about me being sad?”
“When you’re sad, you want to hurt yourself.”
I looked off into the night, not angry at Merdon exactly but definitely frustrated.
“If he knew I might get sad, why did he leave?”
I was thinking out loud more than asking Tor, but he answered anyway.
“I would not have left you, Hannah. Even if you did try to bite me and hurt my testicles.”
I scoffed.
“I didn’t hurt his testicles.”
“Twice,” Tor said. “But it was still a touch, so it was not all bad.”
I shook my head at him. The fey were twisted in so many ways.
“I was thinking I’d go for a run. Will you come with me?” I asked.
“Why do you want to run?”
“I’m hoping it’ll use up some of this energy and tire me out enough to fall asleep. Plus, it’s good to be able to run more than ten feet without gasping for air, you know?”
I regretted those words two blocks later as I leaned over to brace my hands on my knees and panted for air.
“That was much farther than ten feet. You are doing so well, Hannah.”
I rolled my eyes and wished I had the strength to knock him down.
“I knew I should have been there,” Angel said. She looked off into the distance. “Do you think Mila is still at Mary’s? Maybe I should go and talk to her now.”
I shook my head while stifling a yawn and watched Eden practice her stance and draw.
“I doubt it. She wasn’t too keen on spending the night last night, despite a full bottle of wine, and was pretty adamant that she wanted to leave as early as possible.”
“Not with Newaz, though?”
“No. She asked if another fey could carry her home. She was nice about it, saying she knew they all wanted a chance to help