“Hah! See? I know love. Luurve. Luuuuurve!”
“You’re even less useful than when you aren’t high.”
“I’m a fucking delight, pardon the French. I really like cuddling with you, Vergis.”
There was a creaking.
“Sadir? What are you two doing up here?”
“Oh, weirdo husband!” Said weirdo husband had climbed up through the little hole in the roof. He was so handsome. And tall. “You’re so, so handsome. And tall!”
“Please can you take your mate downstairs? We got a little high on kaminni.”
My weirdo husband had the best clickity chuckle, and the best warm arms. Why had I ever thought lying next to Vergis was nice? Vergis wasn’t so bad, but weirdo husband was a million times better. He was the fairest of them all, and I was his stepmother’s mirror, totally smitten and telling everyone who asked about it! My Snow White husband. I totally forgot to tell him how he was the bestest of them all when he tickled my throat with his tongue.
“Everyone else is downstairs and soaking, Vergis. Some of the protectors are wondering if you’ll join.”
“Naaah, Vergis is saving himself!”
“Shut the fuck up, Princess.”
I did my best googly eyes at Inkiri, the bestest weird spouse between here and Aër. “Can we not go soak? I don’t want to see anyone else’s cock tonight. Just want yours.”
“Sadir, you’ll want your bed more quite soon. Come on, let’s get you off the roof.”
“But I don’t like stairs.”
“Can always kick you off the ledge and call it a day, Princess.”
“Aw, I love you too, Vergis, you big, horny sourpuss.”
“I’ll carry you, Sadir. Hold on to me.”
“Always.”
“Glad to hear that.”
The rest of the evening, the bestest, bluest husband took care of me, and maybe I talked too much, but he totally listened. Being high was the best.
I was learning new things. The newest was that being high wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Vergis was to blame for that particular lesson, of course.
All the bagua had been camping out in the downstairs living room, apart from the ones who had been keeping watch, and lucky for me, most of them were having their breakfast outside and not back in the kitchen. That meant my coffee and I could be miserable together, although my coffee was actually fine. Nokim had gotten really good with the fancy machine, and after taking one look at me, he’d gone straight for espresso rather than cold brew.
Charles sat across the table from me. He was watching the video feed again. “I did tell you to make good choices. You could’ve listened. You didn’t.”
Inkiri rubbed my back. “Some food will make you feel better, sweet thing.”
A week earlier, Nokim had gotten into sweetened oatmeal mixed with nuts and seeds and topped with fruit, but then he’d discovered polenta. That’s what was on the menu today, along with fresh raspberries and raspberry dissent jelly. That stuff was really good, but I wasn’t sure my stomach would be on board with it just yet.
“In a little while,” I said and leaned against Inkiri. “Guess it’s fine though. If we’re going to try to close up the monsters’ access to here, getting high once in my life beforehand seems like a good choice. I might get eaten, after all.”
Inkiri clicked. “You will not get eaten, sweet thing.”
“We have to talk about whether we bring the prisoner with us or set up a system to keep him here.” Charles looked at Inkiri. “It’s not like I trust him, but if some of what he’s saying is true, I don’t think he deserves to die. Between you and me, I think Kinnek thinks so too.”
Inkiri nodded while he continued to rub my back in a very relaxing way. “I agree, but we cannot expect you to come along with us, Charles.”
“Look, I get why you’re saying that, but I was a soldier. I’ve seen actual combat, and I’m not letting my kid and the man I love more than anything go into whatever battle you might encounter there without me.” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m an asset when it comes to human tactics as well. If we run into those magician fuckers, I’ll be useful.”
