Page 59 of Aberrant Monsters
It wasa testament to how damaged and out of whack my body was that I didn’t even feel Telarion return.
I woke to sunlight streaming into my bedroom and the sensation of wholeness I got when he was back with me.
I lay staring up at the cracks in the ceiling for long moments, registering the dull ache of my wounds, desperately needing a pee and knowing that I’d hurt like a bitch when I moved.
How bad is the pain?
“On a scale of one to ten? I’d say about a six right now.”
You need to do your daily functions.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
He’d retreat to give me privacy for toilet time. A deal we hadn’t needed to strike up, thank goodness.
It will hurt for you to move.
“I know. I’m just mentally preparing myself.”
There was a soft knock on my door and Nandi popped her head in. “You’re up. Do you need some help getting to the—”
“God, yes please.”
Telarion retreated.
It took over half an hour to do the toilet stuff, but I opted to get cozy in the lounge rather than back in my bedroom.
The lounge had a large TV and a DVD player. This was the perfect chance to use them both.
Nandi tucked a blanket around me while Archie ran a damp cloth over the TV unit, muttering about shoddy housekeeping.
I caught Nandi’s eye and we both bit back smiles.
Archie liked to project the cool-as-a-cucumber vibe, but he was the one who kept the office clean. The mugs washed and the surfaces dusted. I walked in on him wiping down the keyboards a week after he joined us at Real Deal. Not just a swipe with a cloth but the whole removing of keys and a deep cotton bud clean.
“Where’s the vacuum?” he asked, hands on hips.
“Here.” Uncle Fred entered, dragging the vacuum cleaner behind him. “About time we used this room.”
“I’ll make some tea.” Nandi hurried out to the kitchen.
The next few minutes were filled with the hum of cleaning, a sound so normal that it was hard to believe anything horrific had happened.
I was beginning to relax when Nandi returned, sans tea, expression smooth and mask-like.
My scalp prickled. “Nandi?”
“Devyn’s here to see you,” she said. “I told her you weren’t feeling well but she insisted. It’s official business.”
Archie froze but Uncle Fred puffed out his chest. “We’ll see about tha—”
“August.” Devyn stepped around Nandi and into the room. “We need to talk.”
Another figure entered the room, tall, broad, golden-haired with eyes like chips of ice. “Is this a social call?”
“This is official business,” Devyn said.
“In that case, you’ll speak to me first.”
