Page 75 of A Fury Of Shadows

The super soldier studied Violet with a faint frown. “How can she sleep through that?” She clocked Mae’s accusing stare. “What?”

“You look like you just got twelve hours of shuteye.”

“It’s the nanorobots. Super soldiers can go days without sleep.”

A metallic sound drew their gazes. Hellreaver smacked his teeth and resumed his sawmill impression.

“He looks like some old guy who’s about to snort and scratch his belly,” Serena said drily.

“You think so too, huh?”

Violet woke up with an unintelligible grunt. She lifted her face off the pillow and looked at them blearily.

“You sleep like a dead person,” Serena said as the witch sat up and wiped drool from the corner of her mouth.

“Thanks.” Violet yawned. “What time is it?”

“It’s just past three.”

Someone knocked on the door.

“Are you okay in there?” Lou said worriedly through the wood. “We can hear some kinda…noise.”

“It’s open,” Serena called out.

Lou came in. He stopped and swept the bedroom with a wary gaze.

Tom peered over his shoulder. “Where the heck is that racket coming from?”

Serena indicated exhibits A, B, and C on Mae’s bed.

“Jeez,” Lou mumbled. “We thought you were being murdered.”

Serena narrowed her eyes. “And your first reaction was to knock on the door?”

Lou grimaced. “I know what you’re capable of. Besides, she’s here.” The super soldier cocked a thumb at Mae, only to freeze when he got a good look at her pajamas. He squinted. “Are those bunnies?”

Mae’s tone grew cool. “It was a gift from my sister.”

Vlad poked his head around the door. “You still wearing those old things?” He frowned. “What happened to the nightwear I gave you?”

Mae’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Nikolai donated them to charity. He said they were the work of the devil.”

The incubus curled a lip. “Mark my words, that guy will have you dressing like a nun the minute you get together.”

“Who’s dressing like a nun?” Cortes appeared behind Vlad. He gave Mae’s outfit a questionable once-over. “I didn’t realize rabbit-infested pajamas were the current vogue among the sisterhood these days.”

Mae scowled. “How about you all go away?”

She emerged from the bedroom a quarter of an hour later with Brimstone and Hellreaver and followed the enticing smell of fried eggs and bacon to the large, farmhouse kitchen at the back of the dwelling.

The super soldiers were helping themselves to the veritable feast laid out on the table. Vlad stood at the range cooker with Lou and Cortes.

Tarang was inhaling a plateful of steaks next to them. The tiger raised his head and huffed out a greeting to Brimstone and Hellreaver. His tail swung languorously as he pawed at the dishes holding untouched mountains of meat beside him.

The demon fox and the weapon headed over briskly.

Vlad caught sight of Mae. “Do you want your usual for breakfast? Although I should really be calling this a late brunch.”

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