Page 5 of House of Ruin
As Alecto turned her back to the Inner Circle and entered the mansion, she had a feeling that, sooner or later, Val would suggest something Alecto wasn’t going to like.
2
Alecto agreed to meet Norse at the Rusted Gnome, the only decent coffee shop in Darly, perched on the small street overlooking Darly Park, not too far away from the House of Snakes.
When she pushed the door open with her shoulder, coffee-filled air hit her in the face, instantly warming her skin.
This time of year was Alecto’s favorite. When the sun rose late and set early, when the air was crispy and bit her cheeks whenever she was outside, and when the coffee shops and bars were heated, scents of spiced wine and hot chocolate swirling in the air.
Norse sat at the very back of the café, occupying the two-seater leather couch by the wall lined with books.
While the rest of the coffee shop was filled with witches and half a dozen forest sprites whizzing around the tables, their tiny wings now turned the color of frosted leaves, Norse’s corner seemed vacant.
Plenty of privacy.
“You’re late,” Norse said the moment Alecto approached. He didn’t even lift his eyes from the book in his lap.
“Or maybe you’re just early,” Alecto said, but she glanced at her watch. It showed that she was right on time.
Norse lifted his piercing grey eyes to Alecto, one eyebrow arched. Before he could say whatever he was about to, a forest sprite flew up to their table.
“Can I get you something to drink, Alecto?” she asked, flapping her tiny wings and sprinkling fairy dust all around them. The air filled with the scent of frosted forest mixed with something damp, heavy.
“The usual, Caliope. Thanks.” Alecto offered the fae a half smile, plopping on the leather sofa next to Norse. “Oh, and put it on his tab.”
The forest sprite flew away with a cheery laugh that sounded like wind bells chiming.
“Brave of you to assume I’m going to pay for you.” Norse tilted his head to the side.
A few strands of his silver hair escaped, falling over his forehead. Norse always carried this pristine, cold aura around him, always looking the best, with his crisp white shirts and polished black shoes.
Expect for those few times when he was around Alecto, and something in his perfectly constructed appearance would slip, making him look messily…human.
Was that something he did on purpose? It had to be.
Alecto smirked, leaning over the side of the couch to pick up her leather satchel and find her script.
“You asked me here, didn’t you?” she asked, fishing out a stack of wrinkled white paper bound only with paper clips. “So you’re gonna pay. Next time I ask you out, I’m going to pay for your trouble.”
Norse narrowed his eyes. “Trouble? Black, we’ve got to work together to ace this performance. It should be an honor, not a trouble.”
“And it is,” Alecto said, shuffling through pages. “But we could have stuck with the library or one of our Houses.”
Alecto wondered whether Norse picked this neutral place for a reason. It didn’t seem as if anyone noticed that last time Alecto was at the House of Dragons, something had gone missing. Even if they did, Norse couldn’t blame Alecto; he’d been with her the whole time.
“Well, I was looking to change the scenery,” Norse said, letting his long finger drag along his sharp jaw. His index finger bore a heavy signet ring: gold, with the head of a fox embedded in the black onyx. A Fox family heirloom.Worth half a million on the black market, Val had said once. “I’ve never had a girl complain about me taking her out.”
Alecto scoffed. “Well, it’s about time your ass gets a good humbling.”
“Yeah,” Norse drawled, his gaze travelling down her body, as if evaluating. “When the King of Hel can’t reach you, he sends you Alecto Black.”
“Fuck you,” Alecto snapped, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Caliope returned with a green clay cup in her hands, black coffee almost spilling from the edges. Carefully, she placed it on the table in front of them and, without another world, whizzed away to take care of other guests.
“So, what are you reading?” Alecto asked, bringing the cup to her lips.
The coffee had just the right amount of bitterness to it, the acidic tang sticking to her tongue when she took the first sip. But there was also a hint of cinnamon there. Caliope always liked to add a dash of spice to drinks she made. Alecto smiled to herself.
