“My mother? What’s she got to do with it?”
“You protected my family. I will protect yours.”
“What harm could come to her here?”
“That’s not the point. It is my obligation.” With that, he suddenly sounded more formal—a hint of what he might have sounded like all the time if he hadn’t spent so much time in New York.
“It doesn’t have to be your obligation.”
“Why are you so stubborn? Why do you get stuck on little words like ‘obligation’? I won’t argue with whatever I am to you, Zelda. Just let me pay you back in this way.”
The quiet wood was a church, making his words sacred. Even Jester had gone serious, looking at me with brown eyes that were large and solemn.
It was easier to meet the dog’s gaze than Berron’s. So I gave Jester gentle scritchy-scratchies under his chin as he rested contentedly in Berron’s arms.
Berron held the dog up to my face, where I was promptly licked. “See? He thinks it’s a good idea.”
“Jester thinks biting electrical cords is a good idea.” Could I keep avoiding eye contact with Berron, maybe forever? It didn’t seem likely.
“Jester isn’t afraid to have someone else take care of things.”
I laughed. “He’s a dog, Berron. Of course he isn’t. Come on, let’s get back before everyone thinks we’re making out in the woods.”
“‘Making out’?” Berron made a face like he’d bitten into a very garlicky pickle. “I don’t ‘make out.’”
“You should try it sometime,” I said—and instantly regretted it, because it sounded like an invitation. Why did my appetite always betray my common sense?
“Never,” he answered, placing Jester on the ground and letting him lead us back into the open grass. “I will never do anything that can be described in such low terms.”
9
Iopenedthedoorand welcomed the blast of warm, bread-scented air. West Side Sandwiches was home. Even when everything was wrong, this place was right. My mind full of lunch ideas, I didn’t quite register who was standing behind the counter, wearing a white apron, slowly and carefully attempting to cut a tomato.
Daniel, my ex-boyfriend, Lord of the Blessed. Being taught how to slice a tomato.
By Jessica.
Withmyknife.
Flames boiled in my palms before I had enough control to snuff them out.
James popped up from behind the glass case. “Hey, what are you doing here?” he said. “Aren’t you supposed to have some time off today?”
“Who got my knife out?”
James, sensing my mood, began to inch sideways, possibly to avoid being killed when I finally decided what I wanted to throw at Jessica and Daniel. “Oh, uh—your knife? I didn’t have anything to do with that. I was just refilling this case here…”
I walked on without hearing the rest, and invaded the tight galley space.
Daniel looked up. “Hey, Zelda! Jessica was just teaching me how to cut a tomato the right way.” He stepped back from the cutting board and lifted the knife, as if I didn’t see it already.
Entwined magic sparked up and down the blade. My skin pricked as if there were an electrical connection. “Really.Jessicawas teaching you.”
Jessica forced a brazen smile.
“Withmyknife.”
Her smile faltered.
