By the time the tea kettle whistles, I’ve made up my mind.
I’ll let her go. She’ll thrive in her life wherever that may be. And I’ll stay here. Making mezcal. Rescuing dumb animals who need rescuing. Alone.
I can see why their parents named them after flowers. As they sit and chat and ooo and aahhh over breakfast, they light the room with their countenances. Bright, smiling, almost bubbling.
Lily acts like nothing is wrong; this is all part of the plan for her vacation weekend in Vegas. It’s amusing.
Hyacinth smiles, but I can feel the undercurrent of something less than happiness under the surface. She’s worried. About what, I’ll never know. I’ve already ordered a car for them. It should be here in an hour.
“These are the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had!” Lilly exclaims. Hyacinth nods in agreement, her large doe eyes fixed on me. I shrug it off.
“Family recipe,” I admit, turning away from the hunger in her gaze that makes me remember the feel of her in my arms in the early morning hours. I have to stifle a groan. Those are memories I don’t get to claim.
“Is your family nearby?” Hyacinth asks, large sparkling eyes curious again. I’m not used to people being genuinely curious. Mostly, it’s the type of curiosity that people exhibit at a circus, looking at freak exhibits. I’m a shifter, a monster, but not part of the “traditional” monsters and shifters people are used to, and so they eye me with suspicion. But Hyacinth’s face is open with curiosity, delight. The mark on my chest aches with longing.
“No. I came out here ages ago. Needed some space and solitude.” Lily snorts at that. I ignore her and press on, for Hyacinth. “I have a distillery in Westfang, but I prefer to spend my time out here.”
Her pretty lips mouth the town name, pondering it. It’s one of those places that is on the map, but people don’t visit very often. The orcs on the ranches there have built a bit of myth aroundthe town. Humans tend to think of it as a ghost town, and that doesn’t bother any of the residents at all.
“What do you distill?” she asks, ignoring the question I know she wanted to ask about the town and my family.
“Mezcal. It’s like a roasted tequila.”
“I love tequila!” Lily pipes up, completely missing her sister rolling her eyes at her.
“That sounds so interesting,” Hyacinth says. Then, after a minute of pondering she says, “Maybe one day you’ll show me the facility in Westfang?” Before I can answer, she goes back to eating and listening to her sister.
After a few more minutes of chit-chat between them, low murmurings, Hyacinth speaks up. “I was thinking maybe we could spend the day here, then go back this evening to pack our things. Fly out in the morning. What do you think Lily?” Her voice is bright and cheery and louder than it needs to be just speaking to her sister. Back to her, I nod. That would be torture, but fine. The car will be here soon, but that doesn’t matter. Whatever she needs, I’ll make it happen.
“Oh Hy, you’re so silly! We have a black tie event tonight!” I’m surprised Lily’s squeal doesn’t break glass.
“What do you mean? You didn’t tell me that.” There’s the faintest undertone of annoyance.
“Of course not. I knew you wouldn’t agree. It’s a James Bond themed gambling dinner. It’s going to be so swanky! I have your dressed picked out, don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried.” Lily completely misses the disappointment and frustration in Hyacinth’s voice. It makes me curious as to the dynamics of their relationship.
I also wonder if Lily’s punk fiancé is going to make an appearance. Because I have words I’d like to speak to him.
“Is Patrick coming?” Hyacinth asks. Pride blooms in my chest at her suspicion, like she has the same lowly opinion of him that I do.
“Yes,” Lily whispers, then quickly shoves a slice of bacon into her mouth.
“I don’t want to go,” Hyacinth says, setting her fork down on her plate. “I can’t be in the same room as him. I’m not sure I can be in the same building as him. He tried to have us killed. Or at least injured and lost.” She says the last sentence as Lily balks at the wordkilled.
“He apologized.”
“You said yourself he sounded surprised to hear from you. Likehe wasn’t expecting you to be able to call him.” Now Hyacinth is standing, seething. My mate mark burns again, telling me to go and support her, stand behind her. Lend her my strength as she stands up to her sister.
But I don’t need to. She’s strong, smart, and completely capable of saving herself.
“I know. But after sleeping on it, I think maybe I overreacted. I was, you know, a little bit tired. This will be good. I’ll see him face to face, look into his eyes, and see whether or not he meant us harm or not. And we get to wear fancy dresses.”
Hyacinth rolls her eyes and walks to the door. “I need some air,” she says, then steps out into the morning.
Lily stares after her for several minutes, I assume she thinks her sister will walk back through and admit defeat. But Hyacinth is made of stronger stuff than that. When it’s clear that sheisn’t coming back, Lily turns to glare at me. “He is a good guy,” she says, but it’s clearly an attempt to lie to herself. “I think everything will be okay once we get back to the city. Thank you for breakfast.”
“If I were to meet your fiancé, he would fear for his life. Even if it wasn’t intentional, he did no due diligence, sending out with an untrusted guide into the desert. It’s idiotic. I would never put my mate in jeopardy like that.”
