Page 176 of Sorrow & Strangers

“You’re a pain in my ass, Legosi,” I growl.

Completely unfazed by my mood, she twirls in my room, excitement radiating from her. “I’ll wake Rafe! If you’re not downstairs in ten, I’ll be back!”

I sigh and roll out of bed, trudging to the bathroom still half-asleep, to get ready. I’m downstairs nine minutes and fifty-seven seconds later, and I pour myself some coffee from the pot Alice has lovingly brewed. In fact, there is a full spread on the table, and I wonder if she’s slept at all. I sip my coffee, watching Alice still buzz about.

“Hey, Al, you good?”

“I am so good! It’s All Souls Day!”

“Sure, sure. Have you slept at all?”

Alice gawks at me. “Who can sleep the night before All Souls?”

“Well, me. Until you woke me up.”

“Sometimes I feel like I don’t know you.”

I lift an eyebrow and sip my coffee. “Okay, well, give me an hour and I’ll be excited.”

“No! Now!”

I groan. “Let me finish my coffee first, okay?”

Alice nods, vibrating happily. She watches me until I drain my cup, and then her eyes go wide. I give her a little squeal, and she claps, jumping in place.

Rafe comes downstairs looking as miserable as I probably did before my caffeine. He grabs a piece of meat and slumps against the counter as he chews.

“So how do we get there?” I ask, pulling Alice’s attention from Rafe to give him time to come to a little.

“I organized a portal outside the Avalon boundary.”

“When does it open?” I ask, pouring a second cup of coffee.

“Twenty minutes, so . . .” Alice claps her hands. “Chop chop!”

“Why so early?”

“Because it’s Paradis,” Alice says as if it’s obvious.

“Too early,” Rafe groans.

“Let’s just go,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“I have outfits for us all to match,” Alice says, grinning again. I’m certain I haven’t seen her smile this much in the whole of our friendship. Alice holds out two tote bags with our names embroidered on them, then she grabs her own bag and goes to change.

Rafe pulls out a pair of white pants. “At least it’s pants,” he says, somewhat relieved.

“Mine isn’t,” I say, pulling a tiny skirt from my bag.

Alice comes back downstairs wearing a matching skirt to mine, and once we’ve all changed, we look like some weird Stepford family, but Alice is delighted. The skirt has a matching crop top, and Rafe has a wife-beater in a similar style.

Our suitcases are lined up next to the door, and Rafe frowns when he sees his. “Mine looks heavy.” Alice just smiles as we leave the house. She chatters excitedly about All Souls and the rumors she’s heard, all the way to the edge of Avalon.

As we approach the boundary, Rafe’s steps slow. “Alice. Once I’m past the boundary . . .”

Alice is ahead of us, already past the boundary. She stops and turns to face us. “I thought of that already,” she says, waving her hand. “Summer, the headmaster says you should be able to do an Infernal rune to make a path to the portal, and once we’re through, Paradis is a safe haven for those who can afford it.”

“He said that?” I ask with a frown.