Page 15 of Hex You

“And, Mag, you can’t miss another day of school.” Hunter met her twin’s turquoise gaze. “We can’t give any of them an excuse to say we’re up to something.”

“Yeah, okay, I get that.” Mercy turned to Khenti. “Sorry, you’ll be on your own tomorrow until I get home from school.”

“Oh, Khenti kitten and I shall be just fine,” said Xena. “Are you, perchance, a hunter as well as a warrior?”

Before Khenti could respond, Mercy said, “No! No bird hunting inside the city limits!”

Xena frowned and tossed back her mane of half-dried hair. “Kitten, we most certainly won’t be hunting in town. Not when the fields are filled with delectable birds ripe for the plucking.” The cat person elbowed Mercy. “Did you get that? Ripe for theplucking?”

Mercy and Hunter rolled their eyes in unison.

“Just keep a low profile,” said Mercy.

Xena blinked her yellow eyes innocently. “Don’t I always?”

FIVE

“Thanks, Jax!” Mercy called and waved from the porch as she clutched the sweats Jax had let them borrow from the gym stash he had in his car. She turned and grinned at Khenti as she handed him the clothes. “Here you go. Jax is taller than you and the sweatshirt might be, um, kinda tight around your shoulders and chest, but these should do until we can get you some real clothes.”

Khenti looked down at his military uniform—that was basically a linen diaper, a leather skirt, and a jeweled neck collar. “These are notrealclothes?”

Mercy pointed at the gorgeous dress Hathor had gifted her with. “Well, they’re real—and I love mine—but what I meant is that we’d stand out here if we wore them in public. It’d be like me showing up in my jeans and a fringed shirt in your Underworld.”

“I think your dress is quite lovely,” Xena called from the couch.

“Love the belt,” added Hunter. She smiled at her sister and Mercy returned the smile, but neither twin maintained eye contact for long.

Mercy wondered when it would stop being awkward betweenthem. Initially when Hunter had pulled them from Duat, she’d fallen into her sister’s arms and the twins had clung to each other and sobbed. Then they’d all had to run for their cars and get away from the park, which, thankfully, had been mostly empty. Of course now they knew Goode Park had been so empty because most of the town had been at Goode Lake watching a body being hauled away and talking about them.

Hunter’s yawn broke through Mercy’s thoughts. “You look tired,” she told her twin, noticing for the first time the dark circles under her sister’s eyes and how pale she was.

“All this magic… I’m worn out. I need sleep.” She stood and Tyr’s necklace caught the living room lights as it flashed fiery opal.

Mercy moved to her sister. “H! Tyr’s necklace! You got it back. Does—does that mean you and Tyr are together again?”

Hunter’s gaze shot to hers and her hand cupped the rune. “Yeah. My god and I are okay again.”

“I’m so glad!” Mercy pulled her sister into a warm hug. At first Hunter’s body was stiff, but within just a few seconds she relaxed and her arms went around Mercy. She hugged her back quickly and then stepped out of her embrace.

“See you in the morning, Mag. Night, Khenti.” She only paused long enough to kiss Xena’s cheek before Hunter disappeared upstairs.

Mercy sighed and sat down beside Khenti on the couch again. “I shouldn’t have asked about Tyr.”

“Don’t worry, kitten,” Xena said. “The important thing is that my girls are home and well. You will soon be back to finishing each other’s sentences.”

Mercy chewed her lip, but didn’t say anything.

“You have only just returned.” At her side, Khenti spoke softly. “Give yourselves time.” He slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it.

“Yeah. You’re both right. Hunter and I just need to get used to each other again.” Mentally, Mercy shook herself, squeezed his hand in response, and smiled at Khenti. “But it is getting late. How aboutI show you around a little before explaining about bathrooms and such.”

“Sounds lovely, kitten.” Xena stood and stretched, arching her spine like a proper feline. “You should show Khenti your greenhouse. It is your special place. Whilst you do that I shall be sure no one left catnip toys on the spare bed.”

“No one?” Mercy lifted a brow at the cat person.

“One never knows when a stray feline might enter the house. You know we often keep windows open and those feral beasts do love a cozy spot in the afternoon for a catnip toy and a lovely nap…” Xena’s voice trailed away as she went up the stairs.

“You’re not allergic to cats, are you? I promise you no feral cats have broken into our house. Xena is talking about Xena; she likes to nap in the spare bedroom,” Mercy said.