Page 16 of The Stone Survival
CHAPTER 8
Walking into the tower to find Touron and the twins waiting for us was the epitome of coming home.
Touron squeezed me tightly, his heart beating hard against my chest. “We thought we lost you. I’m so fucking happy we didn’t.”
Palia and Ginia sandwiched us in a swaying hug that made my eyes warm with emotion.
“We love you,” Palia said.
“Yeah, but we’ll love you more once you’ve showered,” Ginia added.
“Ginia!” Palia admonished.
“What? She’s all muddy.”
I stepped out of the hug with a chuckle. “I know. I know.” I’d had to dirty myself up in the caves, smearing mud over my clothes and a little on my face, because unlike the others, I’d showered at the graynite complex.
“We should all get cleaned up,” Orix said. “Grab a bite, then take a breather; sleep if you need to. I doubt you’ve had much rest since the attack.”
Derek materialized by the kitchen island and stood there, looking lost for a moment, before blinking slowly in ourdirection. “Home…” he said with a sigh. “Is anyone hungry? I can make eggs.”
Curi’s stomach growled, and he glared at his torso, shaking his head. “Yeah, you know what? Why the hell not? Showering can wait.”
“I’ll take eggs,” Levi said. “But let me do the toast.”
“I’ll make coffee,” Shar said.
“Oooh, can we have pancakes?” Ginia asked, looking over at Touron.
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. But you’re helping.”
“I’ll set the table.” Palia hurried across the room to grab plates.
And for a moment, the kitchen was bustling with life and normality, but one glance at Serath, standing silently by the dining table, eyes glazed, knocked the wind from my sails. He looked far from at ease, as if normality was an illusion for him.
“Serath? You want eggs?” Derek asked.
He blinked sharply. “No. I should go see Willowman. Fill him in on what’s happened. He’s usually up with the sun so…” He trailed off, probably registering the sudden deep silence and the look of horror on my face because he didn’t know.
No one had told him about Willowman. With everything else going on, it had been the last thing on the agenda.
“What?” he asked. “What’s happened?”
“Willowman’s gone,” Orix said. “Sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Serath was silent,lost in his thoughts as we went back to my room. Our room now. Lionel had given me a phone with hisnumber preprogrammed into it for emergencies, which I stashed in the bedside drawer.
I gave Serath a hug. “You okay?”
“Yes. It’s just a shock. Willowman and Varsa…I should have been here.”
“You weren’t given a choice.”
He kissed the top of my head. “No. I suppose not. And after everything we know about Willowman, how the council tied him in a contract to stay here…He deserves to be free.”
What we both needed was a distraction. “I’m going to shower.” I stepped back and peeled off my top. “Care to join me?”
His eyes lit up, slow burn and hungry. “The answer to that question will never be no.”
