a hint of tenderness there. Zora nods and seems to offer him reassurances. They don’t touch each other in any way, and I’m almost disappointed when she turns away from him without a hug. For some reason, I have romantic notions about them in my head, and I have no clue why.
My sister walks my way, eyes pinned on me, and she doesn’t look back at her home or Amell for one final farewell.
“I’m ready,” she says.
I smile. “Me too.”
CHAPTER 9
Finley
It’s way too awkward… Zora’s homecoming to Carrick’s condo. We’re met by Zaid, Titus, Rainey, and Myles, and I can tell Zora is immediately and completely overwhelmed. She doesn’t handle introductions well, and I’m not sure if there’s just a shyness about her, an inherent distrust in everything so she’s naturally standoffish, or she just doesn’t care to get to know people.
Zaid, Titus, and Myles merely smile when I introduce them.
Rainey tries to rush forward with a hug. I give a hard shake of my head, causing her to screech to a halt, which is good because Zora is already treading backward to avoid the contact.
Of course, she runs right into Maddox, who steadies her with a hand to her back. Whipping around, she hisses, “Get your hands off me.”
Maddox, ever the happy-go-lucky demi-god and not about to be put off by a prickly human, grins and winks. “You know, women clamor to have my hands on them. You should count yourself lucky.”
I think Zora might be offended, or maybe confused because I don’t even know if she understands the ways of men and women, but she must know something because she rolls her eyes.
This relieves me because it means she can hold her own, but then I catch something on Maddox’s face. It’s not mere teasing or a hint of flirting. I see something deeper in his eyes when he looks at Zora, and I register a genuine interest in her.
As a person.
More accurately, as a woman.
And that is not good. The last thing Zora needs is the complication of an interested Maddox in her already-shaky start to life in the Earth realm.
I swoop in to diffuse things. “How about I give you a tour of the condo? Just me and you,” I add, so she knows the whole gang won’t be following.
She nods gratefully.
Turning to glance at my friends gathered in the kitchen, I suggest quietly, “Give us some time.”
The tour of the condo doesn’t take long, despite the enormous size. I start down in the secret library, explaining mostly about Carrick being a demi-god and what that means. Her knowledge of things outside the Underworld is somewhat limited, although I can tell Amell has told her some things over the years.
For example, in the library, she pulls a book from a shelf—written in English—and starts reading a few paragraphs. “Amell taught me,” she explains, and then shocks me further. “I’m fluent in four other languages.”
Which maybe shouldn’t be shocking. I imagine there’s not a lot to do to occupy the time in the Underworld.
We avoid the kitchen on the rest of the tour since everyone is waiting there. As one might expect from someone who lived underground their entire life, Zora is captivated not by the luxuries inside Carrick’s condo, but by the views outside. It’s a fortuitously sunny day, and the Puget Sound sparkles like diamonds. The sky is clear and blue without a cloud in sight. From the southern part of the condo, I point out Mt. Rainer in the distance.
“We can go out soon to explore the city,” I say, her wondrous sighs at what she sees outside the windows exciting me. I’m sure Carrick will call it unwarranted and dangerous, but I’m not missing out on showing my sister everything.
“Let me show you the rest of the condo,” I say, then lead her around the perimeter. I take her to see the bedroom I share with Carrick, Maddox’s room, the man cave, and the other guest bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms before ending up in the suite I had occupied before moving into Carrick’s room.
“You and I wear the same size clothing,” I explain after we enter, pulling open the closet doors. Before we left, I had put half of my clothes in here for her. “These are all yours to wear, and we can shop for more.”
Zora barely spares them a glance, poking her head into the bathroom. I don’t have it in me to satisfy my curiosity just now as to what