Page 37 of Endless Terrors
“Welcome back,” she said as soon as I walked in.
“Hey, Ems.” I set my bag down and did a swift assessment of the kitchen. Mixing bowls, cookie sheets, and dough-crusted utensils covered the counters. Emma hadn’t turned on any music—probably so she could hear the baby monitor on the counter, or any sounds from beyond the open door of Damon’s room—but that didn’t seem to lessen her determined cheer. There was a streak of flour on her cheek and she was humming something at the stove, stirring a pot of what smelled like melted butter.
I knew it was a show for Matthew, who sat in his high chair and pounded his little palm against a colorful lump of playdough. His life was in constant upheaval thanks to me. I swallowed down a rush of guilt and went over to him, pressing my lips against the top of his head. That innocent, warm smell greeted me, and I didn’t want to pull away.
“Any change in Damon?” I asked, straightening.
Before Emma could answer, someone else entered the kitchen. I frowned at Collith as he joined her at the counter. “What are you doing here?”
“Emma didn’t give me much choice,” he said, taking a baking pan from her. With a gentle grip, Collith steered her to one of the kitchen chairs. Emma rolled her eyes at him but sat down without protest, her cheeks slightly pink. Traitor.
As I moved closer to the counter, I finally noticed the books on the island. “What are those?”
“Laurie brought some things, and I did, as well,” Collith said.
Laurie had been here? I did a swift scan of the room, but it was empty, save for us four. With effort, I made myself refocus. I picked up one of the books and opened it to the middle. It made a cracking sound. “What are they?”
Collith reached for his coat, which was hanging on one of the wall hooks. “I know a kitsune in Kyoto. His species has vast knowledge of weaponry, particularly which ones can hurt Fallenkind. They even designed some of them, and created magic to make each design powerful in its own way. My friend has kept a record of everything. I thought it might be useful.”
My eyebrows rose. “Actually, yeah, it could be. Thank you for this. Really.”
Hearing the sincerity in my voice, Collith smiled. It was the first genuine one I’d seen since he’d found me in Wyoming, and for an instant, I felt warm. “You’re welcome,” he said.
We faced each other, and chemistry crackled between us. I cleared my throat and waved the leather-bound volume awkwardly. “Guess I should get started.”
“Guess you should.” Collith’s smile was bigger now. I thought about hitting him with the book.
Remembering that we weren’t alone, I glanced over my shoulder, hopeful Emma wasn’t paying attention. I caught her watching us with a gleam in her eye. So that’s why she’d dragged Collith over here, I thought, giving her a look. Emma pretended to be baffled, responding with a puzzled frown before she became oh-so-busy with the cookies. I turned back to Collith, hoping he hadn’t picked up on our exchange.
“Thanks again for the books. I’ll—” I stopped, hesitating. I’d been about to say, I’ll let you know if I find anything. But that wasn’t true, was it? Collith couldn’t be part of our planning. He was only allowed at Cyrus’s because we weren’t bothering to hide our search for a way to beat Lucifer. He’d be expecting it anyway, and Lucifer was always two steps ahead. My mood darkened at the thought. Ancient, evil asshole. It made my life so much easier when my enemies were idiots.
Collith shifted in front of me. Realizing I still hadn’t finished my sentence, I cleared my throat and said, “I’ll bring them back over when I’m done.”
He nodded. His gaze moved to Emma, and he gave her a warm smile, thanking her for the cookies. I closed the door behind him and immediately looked at her, ready to admonish her for interfering.
She faced me, a spatula in hand, and spoke before I could. “I don’t know where the two of you stand, and I’m aware that it’s none of my business. If you tell me to drop it, I will. But that young man loves you, Fortuna. It’s clear as day. If the issue is something you can talk about, or work on, it’s worth the discomfort.”
She was so earnest that my annoyance faded. I picked up the book Collith had brought and held it against my chest, then used my other hand to steal a cookie off the cooling rack. “He’s not a young man, Ems,” I sighed. “And he may love me, but it’s so much more complicated than that.”
Emma was quiet for a moment. I couldn’t see her face, but I knew she was trying to decide whether or not to continue. Her voice was gentle as she said, “There’s nothing complicated about forgiveness, sweetheart.”
“Forgiveness isn’t …” Mid-sentence, something else occurred to me, and I went still. My gaze dropped to the baked good I was holding. Slowly I said, “Emma, these aren’t your special cookies, are they?”
She shot me an indignant look, adding more to the cooling rack. “Of course not. Do you really think I’d drug you without your knowledge?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Yes, I do.”
Emma thought about it. “You’re right, I would,” she acknowledged. “But not right now. So eat the damn cookies and get to work.”
She winked, giving me a tired smile, and I tried to smile back. As an apology, I shoved two cookies in my mouth. Then I tucked Collith’s book under my chin and picked up two more in each hand.
Armed with snacks and research, I started toward the living room, intending to sit down for the next several hours. It was our last chance to scheme, because by the end of tomorrow, Lucifer would have come for his answer. I was trying not to think about it, or the panic that had been breathing down my neck might turn into a smothering embrace, and I needed to stay clear-headed and focused.
The squeal of brakes outside made me pause. I went to the window, curious, and peered through the frost-tinted glass. When I saw who stood below, a pet carrier in his hand, I made an urgent sound. I spun away and dropped all my cookies on the coffee table, rushing to the door without giving any thought to a coat.
“Where are you going?” Emma called after me. I was too far down the stairwell to answer.
Cyrus was home.
