Her boyfriend, a little less… interesting, asks, “is that your bitch?”
I raise my hand in a little wave. “Hey.”
“We brought waffles!” Lucia looks up at Mistress Vincenza before averting her eyes. “Can she go on break or something?”
“Only by my allowance, and for the sake of her health, I’ll give her one.” She waves me off callously. “Return when you’re less frightened.”
I put on a grateful smile. “Yes. Mistress! Where are we allowed to eat?”
She tilts her head. “You want to eat in here? Go to the… Piero is taking up the good armchair, but there’s some others behind the bookshelves.”
Lucia grabs me and pulls me away. “Okay, thanks!”
“I’ll be back,” I assure.
I almost think she looks disappointed.
Lucia hides us into a soft corner, a borghetto of shelves and furniture with just a quarter opening. “That crone hired you?”
“Yes. I think it may be in contract? I didn’t sign anything, but I verbally agreed.”
“Catie, you’re insane.” She hops onto the bigger of the two armchairs, taking her boyfriend with her. “We can smoke in here, right?”
“She asked me if I did, so I don’t think so.” I drift over the rug to a—By the Ring, these are some well cushioned furniture.
“She’s melting.”
“Catie? Catie! You’re eating waffles! Stop sleeping!”
I let myself fall between the gaps in reality that bind me to the stresses and knots of these mortal organs. “I don’t wanna.”
“Catie, they’re going cold, andI wanna gossip. Stop it.”
Someone snaps vaguely at me.
Little feelings and places erupt in my ears. But I don’t want to go back there. I want to be here, the most convenient point of refuge my star fearing soul could wander into. I had forgotten, for a moment, about how safe this all was—not because it’s secure, but because I can lose it.
I can lose it and fall to the reason I feel unsafe.
But I can stay here and count the waffles. I can make a point to try.
Chapter 3
Well Tailored Consequences
“Would you wake up and continue your duties?”
“She woke up earlier to eat, but that was twenty minutes ago.”
“Unless you are educated patrons of necromancy, you can’t stay here except as her guests. While she’s unconscious, you’re not her guests. Leave while I figure her out.”
“Yep, Ma’am!”
I have this vague memory of some profound thought I had while indulging on waffles.
It’s starting to… I think I mistook my inability to word something during a state of sleep deprived exhaustion for the depth of an idea.
“And don’t smoke here!”
