Page 40 of Skinwalker's Bane
“It’s okay, I can get it myself,” the woman said. “I can see the kitchen from here.” She headed for the kitchen.
Devin realized she was admiring the way the dress moved around the woman’s hips as she walked. She hurried after the woman. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”
The woman laughed as she poured water. “Gelin likes to shock people by rattling all the names off at once. It’s worse when Anar is with us, too.”
“You really all live together? I mean, I’m sorry, it’s a nosy question. It’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever met four people who are all partners, before.”
“We’re partners and we’re all raising Evangeliya. Although, we’re not alltogethertogether, if that’s what you’re asking. Gelin is my partner. Anar is Evan’s. All four of us are parents and we share everything but sex.”
Devin could feel her cheeks heating. “It’s an odd arrangement,” she admitted.
“It works for us.” The woman put the glass on the counter and held out her hand. “I’m Liya.”
Devin sat on the stool suddenly. “You’re Liya Cassel.”
“Ah.” Liya picked up the glass. “I did wonder why you didn’t look more surprised at the front door. That dress you’re wearing is one of mine.”
“Most of what I wear is yours,” Devin said bluntly. She pressed her hands together. The temptation to ask Liya about the soiree and if she had time to make a dress for Devin was strong. It just wasn’t the right time, though. It would be an imposition to ask, when Liya was here merely to see her friend.
“Well,” Liya said, hefting the glass a little. “I should get back there.”
Devin watched her walk back again. The perfection of the simple little dress was explained now. It was the difference between merely printing a Liya Cassel file and having Liya Cassel make a dress tailored to the wearer.
Gelin’s family were still in the bedroom when Noa and Haydn arrived with a short woman with even shorter hair. “This is Maria Pater,” Noa explained. “She’s on Adam’s crew.”
“Oh,” Devin said, wondering if every single member of Adam’s crew would be calling.
“We’re not outside today,” Maria said with an apologetic tone. “Tolly and Leyla were both taken out by the Cavers yesterday and that’s too many gone from the crew to be safe. So we’re grounded for now and get to lose all the bonuses for two whole days.”
Haydn rolled his eyes. “Because all that money will certainly compensate for sucking vacuum.”
Noa nudged him.
Maria didn’t seem to hear him. She looked around. “Where is the lazy bugger?” she demanded.
Devin realized with a start that she was referring to Adam. “This way,” she murmured and showed them to the bedroom, too. Then she tried to settle to some work. The mutter and buzz of voices and laughter in the next room was distracting.
It hadn’t occurred to her that Adam had friends. Of course, friends were normal and natural, yet in all the time she had known Lincoln, she had never met a single one of his friends. He didn’t refer to them in conversation. He never talked about his life beyond the walls of the room they were in.
Devin had never spoken of her life outside, either. Sex had been their one common bond.
She shivered as she recalled how frantic some of their meetups had been. Remaining virtual strangers had given a spice to their encounters. Was that why they had let the arrangement continue for years? It had been non-demanding and mutually pleasurable. There had been a raw excitement in tumbling a skinwalker, given their reputation for living hard, high risk lives.
Now it seemed incredibly shallow and selfish. Skinwalkers did have lives that extended beyond their noses, after all. Adam had co-workers who were dear friends and people who cared for him and watched out for him.
Everyone left, an hour later.
“He’s asleep,” Noa said softly, as they moved through the living room. “Thank you for letting him stay here. It would have been incredibly awkward, getting him back to the Beehive.”
“That was my thought, too,” Devin assured her. “It wouldn’t have looked good.”
“Yes, exactly,” Noa said, her brow lifting. “We’ll leave you in peace. I’ll try to stop every skinwalker from tramping to your door…the ones still standing, that is.”
“How are the others doing?” Devin asked.
“Adam is probably the worst of them all,” Haydn said. “The silly idiot tried to fight back, instead of running, or curling up and protecting himself.”
Noa nudged him again. “He took down three of them.”
