Page 31 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

Chapter9

Adelaide

DAY THIRTY-ONE

Rinya groans like I’m killing her, and I roll my eyes.

“It’s just temporary,” I explain. “Until we figure out the who, when, and why parts of this fucked up problem, it’s safer if we’re all together.”

She snorts. “Who said that? The asshole with delusions or the one with the sword in his ass?”

“You’ll have to be more specific,” I quip, causing her to giggle and groan again.

“I get it. But now I work and sleep in the same space. There’s no separation, and that’s exhausting.”

“You try arguing with the bastards,” I gripe. “I tried to present other solutions last night, and they shot me down. They’ll be staying here too, off and on. Lucky us.”

Rinya grins at me, and I know she’s about to call me on my bullshit.

“Lucky you,” she drawls. “I don’t want to fuck them.”

“Rin,” I admonish, covering my face.

“Oh. Oh, no,” she squeals, then whispers, “Who was first? I’ll be so disappointed if you say Ecaeris.”

I run my hand through my hair. “Nothing happened between us.”

“Except?” she prompts.

A heavy sigh escapes my lips as I perch on the bed beside her. “We kissed, okay? But it’s been a week or so, and we were in a situation that sort of forced our hand.”

“And?”

“How do you know anything has—”

“You have this weird glow about you,” she interrupts.

“Fuck my life. Is it that obvious?”

“Yes. And I’m a nosy friend. So tell me who… but don’t tell me the details.”

I laugh at her. “Guess.”

She taps her chin as she looks me over and pokes a yellowish bruise on my thigh. How she sees it through the sheer yellow fabric of my dress is beyond me, because I can barely see it.

“Not Ecaeris?” she inquires, double checking her earlier assumption.

I dip my head in acknowledgment.

“First Mongrel?”

I narrow my eyes. “Yes.”

“Not Imy.”

“Why not Imryll?”

“I don’t know if I should explain it or not.” She bites her lip to hide a grin. “What are your intentions with my friends?”