Seiya’s words, though she didn’t know why the girl wouldn’t be sincere.
“Um,” Lyre said in the suddenly uncomfortable silence. “Do I smell food?”
“I made stew,” Seiya said. “I thought you might be cold when you arrived.”
Lyre and Ash made a beeline for the door at the word “stew.” Piper followed, glancing around the room. It was set up as an entry/exit point with nothing but stacks of gear along one wall and some weapons leaning in the corner. The main room was almost as barren, a shabby kitchen and living room combo. Ash was already at the stove, serving himself a bowl from the steaming pot. Seiya stood beside him, a dragonet on each shoulder as she murmured to him.
Lyre spotted Piper standing awkwardly in the middle of the room and prodded her over to a barstool at the counter peninsula. He dished out another bowl and put it in front of her. She dug in immediately.
“Well, let’s hear it,” Seiya said. “Where were you?”
“Let her eat first,” Lyre said. “We’re all starving.”
Seiya scowled. He scowled back. Piper kept eating, ignoring the tension. Lyre and Seiya clearly weren’t budding besties. Overall, that was probably a good thing. The first time Lyre had met Seiya, he’d seemed a little too fascinated with her. She was young and beautiful—the exact type incubi found irresistible. Piper did not want to know what Ash would do if Lyre ever seduced his sister. At best, it would be the end of their friendship. At worst, it would be the end of Lyre’s life.
“This is really good,” she said, pointing at her bowl with her spoon.
“Thank you,” Seiya replied without warmth.
Piper went back to eating in silence, suspecting if it had been just her and not Ash, there wouldn’t have been a hot meal waiting for her upon her return.
Once she’d eaten enough to sate her immediate hunger, she broke the heavy silence by reiterating the whole tale of her abduction and rescue for Seiya.
“So,” Piper finished, “now I have to tell all this to my father so they can stop the Gaians from destroying more Consulates.”
“I don’t envy them that job.” Lyre drummed his fingers on the countertop. “It’s an idiotic plan though. Daemons aren’t going to just shrug and leave because the Consulates are gone.”
She nodded. “There’s more to their plan, but they didn’t share the details with me.”
Seiya pushed her ponytail off her shoulder. “It’s idiocy. It’ll never work.”
“Destroying the Consulates will create a power vacuum,” Ash said, “which the Gaians think they can fill, but I doubt they have the resources to implement a new power structure. Either way, they won’t get far. Once you reveal who’s behind it, the prefects and Consuls will start hunting the Gaians and their plans will collapse.”
“Huh.” Piper poked a piece of potato in her bowl. Feeling a little better that the world wasn’t about to dissolve into anarchy, she ate another bite.
Ash set his bowl in the sink. “I’m going to get a few hours of sleep.”
At the thought of sleep, Piper was overcome with a jaw-popping yawn. “I need a shower first.”
“Right over there.” Seiya pointed to a door off the entryway. “There are towels folded on the shelf.” With a brief nod, she followed Ash out of the room.
Piper blinked after them.
“Grumpy pair, huh?” Lyre commented, coming around the island to stand beside her. “I’ve been stuck with them for two months.”
“What’s Seiya’s problem?”
Lyre shrugged. “She’s just overprotective.”
“Of Ash?”
He nodded.
“Why would that make her give me the cold shoulder? I’m not the enemy.”
He shrugged again.
Her eyes narrowed and she lowered her voice. “Does this have anything to do with your note—”
He cut her off with a warning look. “Didn’t you want a shower?”
“Yeah, but—”
He looped an arm around her waist, pulling her off the barstool and guiding her toward the bathroom. “You
“Um,” Lyre said in the suddenly uncomfortable silence. “Do I smell food?”
“I made stew,” Seiya said. “I thought you might be cold when you arrived.”
Lyre and Ash made a beeline for the door at the word “stew.” Piper followed, glancing around the room. It was set up as an entry/exit point with nothing but stacks of gear along one wall and some weapons leaning in the corner. The main room was almost as barren, a shabby kitchen and living room combo. Ash was already at the stove, serving himself a bowl from the steaming pot. Seiya stood beside him, a dragonet on each shoulder as she murmured to him.
Lyre spotted Piper standing awkwardly in the middle of the room and prodded her over to a barstool at the counter peninsula. He dished out another bowl and put it in front of her. She dug in immediately.
“Well, let’s hear it,” Seiya said. “Where were you?”
“Let her eat first,” Lyre said. “We’re all starving.”
Seiya scowled. He scowled back. Piper kept eating, ignoring the tension. Lyre and Seiya clearly weren’t budding besties. Overall, that was probably a good thing. The first time Lyre had met Seiya, he’d seemed a little too fascinated with her. She was young and beautiful—the exact type incubi found irresistible. Piper did not want to know what Ash would do if Lyre ever seduced his sister. At best, it would be the end of their friendship. At worst, it would be the end of Lyre’s life.
“This is really good,” she said, pointing at her bowl with her spoon.
“Thank you,” Seiya replied without warmth.
Piper went back to eating in silence, suspecting if it had been just her and not Ash, there wouldn’t have been a hot meal waiting for her upon her return.
Once she’d eaten enough to sate her immediate hunger, she broke the heavy silence by reiterating the whole tale of her abduction and rescue for Seiya.
“So,” Piper finished, “now I have to tell all this to my father so they can stop the Gaians from destroying more Consulates.”
“I don’t envy them that job.” Lyre drummed his fingers on the countertop. “It’s an idiotic plan though. Daemons aren’t going to just shrug and leave because the Consulates are gone.”
She nodded. “There’s more to their plan, but they didn’t share the details with me.”
Seiya pushed her ponytail off her shoulder. “It’s idiocy. It’ll never work.”
“Destroying the Consulates will create a power vacuum,” Ash said, “which the Gaians think they can fill, but I doubt they have the resources to implement a new power structure. Either way, they won’t get far. Once you reveal who’s behind it, the prefects and Consuls will start hunting the Gaians and their plans will collapse.”
“Huh.” Piper poked a piece of potato in her bowl. Feeling a little better that the world wasn’t about to dissolve into anarchy, she ate another bite.
Ash set his bowl in the sink. “I’m going to get a few hours of sleep.”
At the thought of sleep, Piper was overcome with a jaw-popping yawn. “I need a shower first.”
“Right over there.” Seiya pointed to a door off the entryway. “There are towels folded on the shelf.” With a brief nod, she followed Ash out of the room.
Piper blinked after them.
“Grumpy pair, huh?” Lyre commented, coming around the island to stand beside her. “I’ve been stuck with them for two months.”
“What’s Seiya’s problem?”
Lyre shrugged. “She’s just overprotective.”
“Of Ash?”
He nodded.
“Why would that make her give me the cold shoulder? I’m not the enemy.”
He shrugged again.
Her eyes narrowed and she lowered her voice. “Does this have anything to do with your note—”
He cut her off with a warning look. “Didn’t you want a shower?”
“Yeah, but—”
He looped an arm around her waist, pulling her off the barstool and guiding her toward the bathroom. “You
Similar Books
