Page 109 of Awry
Presh looks at her brother steadily.
I glance his way as well.
He offers me a toothless smile, sweet but not as sunny as before.He’s got both hands stuffed in his front pockets now, shoulders slightly curved forward.And his energy has contracted.
I frown, glance to Presh, then back to Rought, then back to Presh.I’ve missed some subtlety underlying the conversation.About mates?
“Are you soul bound?”I ask Presh.
She snorts.“Nope.Don’t believe in them either.”
I glance at Rought.“But you do?”
His smile widens as I once more feel its warmth spreading through my chest.“I believe in my soul-bonded mate, yeah.”
My stomach drops.I’m not certain I’ve ever felt that particular sensation before, but all the warmth that was building in my chest somehow falls into a deadened weight inside me.Heavy with disappointment and … grief?Or heartache?
The smile slips from Rought’s face.His concerned gaze flicks between my eyes.
I misunderstood his …
I misunderstood.
I swallow, deliberately trying to blank my face as I say, weirdly brightly, “Well, there you go!I think a nap would be … restorative.”
“Here?”Presh asks hopefully.
“How about the house?”I turn back toward the exterior door, not looking Rought’s way.
“Zaya …” he murmurs.
“Does the truck need more work?”I ask him, keeping my gaze on Presh as she crosses to join me.
“No …” He clears his throat, also looking at Presh, then back at me.“I just checked it over.It’s not fuel converted, but I started it up, and the tank is full.”
“Thank you.”I push open the door for Presh to go ahead of me.
“I’d like to show you something,” Rought says.
“Me?”Presh asks.
“Zaya.”He gestures toward the closed door that leads into the caretaker’s quarters.“And there’s a couch in the other room for a nap.”
I really just want more ice cream.Pure want, not need this time.And it’s a completely impractical desire.I can’t just drink milkshakes all day, every day.
Presh changes directions without protest.Exhaustion is dragging at her heels.“Less rain in this direction,” she murmurs.
I have had her out for hours.She can certainly nap here, especially if Rought is still checking the truck over.
Presh pushes open the door to the suite.But before I can follow or beg off and return to the house on my own, she turns back and blinks at me solemnly.
“You died, Zaya.”
“Yes.”
“But you never felt truly inert.Not like these bodies do.”
That’s news to me.But then, I’ve never died around one of the awry before.Even when in my aunt’s company, she always made sure I never took on that level of debt.
