Page 55 of Endless Terrors
I hurried over to the door. As soon as I opened it, Collith lifted his head. The sight of him made my heart shift inside me, just as it always did. He wore the wool coat he’d been wearing on the day we met, and his dark hair glistened with droplets from outside. I wondered if it was melted snow, or if it was raining.
“I came to say goodbye,” he said. His hazel eyes flicked toward Laurie, but he didn’t seem surprised to see him here.
I frowned. “You’re leaving?”
Collith shook his head. “I’ll be here until you don’t want me to be. But I saw Finn before he went on a hunt, and he told me I should come see you.”
Meddling werewolf, I thought darkly, knowing I wasn’t really mad. I couldn’t be angry with Finn even if I wanted to be. I swallowed a sigh and refocused on Collith, peering up at him with one hand on the doorknob. “Okay, yes. There’s a small chance this may be the last time we see each other.”
I didn’t think I was risking anything by saying that—Lucifer already knew that I planned on arriving tonight. I watched Collith’s face for his reaction, alert for any signs that he might not be alone in his head. Before Collith could say anything, a creaking sound disrupted the stillness.
“Have you eaten?” Laurie asked, his voice coming from directly behind me. I jumped, and he put his hand on my waist. His palm was warm.
“Don’t have much of an appetite,” Collith said. He noticed the wine bottle on the table. “But I’ll take a drink.”
Laurie didn’t respond, and when Collith looked at me, I realized they were leaving the decision in my hands. I was calling the shots. Why did it feel like I was agreeing to more than a drink, though? I glanced back at Laurie, then at Collith. My hold on the doorknob loosened, little by little, until my hand fell away completely. “The wine won’t be dry enough for you,” I warned Collith.
It was as much of an invitation as he was going to get, and both of them knew it. Collith stepped inside, and Laurie went to the liquor cabinet to fetch another glass. I returned to the table and refilled mine and Laurie’s. By the time I turned, the two fae males were already standing there. Collith’s coat hung on one of the wall hooks next to the door.
Laurie accepted his glass from me and held it up. “To Fortuna.”
Collith took his as well. He didn’t hold it up, but his gaze met mine. A hundred memories passed between us, and they were in Collith’s soft voice as he echoed, “To Fortuna.”
The clink of our glasses rang in the silence. We drank. Tension quivered in my belly as I brought my glass back down, and I held the stem a little too tight, making the red liquid inside slosh dangerously near the rim.
“Why don’t we sit?” Laurie suggested suddenly. He inclined his head toward the living area. “It would be a shame to let a perfectly good fire go to waste. We can bring the food over, since you still haven’t touched yours, Fortuna.”
“Okay,” I said. Surprisingly, I didn’t need to think about it.
Music played gently from the speaker in the kitchen while we settled in the other room. Sitting on the couches felt too formal, so I went right over to the fire, making myself a small nest of pillows before I lowered myself down. Collith rested against the base of the couch, facing me, and Laurie sat between us, arranging all the food between us. The Seelie King propped an elbow on his knee and brought a grape to his lips with his other hand, the picture of lazy nonchalance.
I steeled myself, waiting for him to say something along the lines of Let’s play a game.
“Here’s something you don’t know about me,” Laurie said casually, watching the flames move through his wine glass. He hesitated, his pale lashes brushing against his skin as they flicked down. “Sometimes I feel terribly lonely.”
“Really?” I said, frowning. “You? But you have your inner circle, and your sister. I would’ve thought …”
Laurie shrugged, reaching for another grape. He popped it into his mouth. “Physically, I am rarely alone, you’re correct. It can just be an isolating thing, responsibility.”
Everyone in this room knew exactly what that felt like. We’d all been rulers. I wanted to ask Laurie if it was worth the cost, that throne he’d fought so hard to retake.
“All right. Here’s something you don’t know about me,” Collith said, drawing our attention to him. He nodded at Laurie and raised his glass, acknowledging the rare glimpse of vulnerability our friend had given us. “I was a spy in the Vietnam War.”
Laurie scoffed. “You were not. I would’ve known. Must we start the lies so early in the evening?”
“You were distracted. If I remember correctly, some important dignitary was coming to visit, and they were bringing a huge party with them. Since you couldn’t keep tabs on me yourself, you sent someone. I just bribed him to give you false reports and leave me the fuck alone.”
It felt like the temperature had dropped. Laurie’s jaw worked, and his eyes blazed like light shining through ice. “You could’ve died, and I wouldn’t have known,” he said.
They stared at each other.
“Okay, just how old are you two?” I interjected.
“Don’t try to change the subject. It’s your turn.” This was from Laurie. Slowly, he pulled his gaze away from Collith and refocused on me.
“I never agreed to this,” I protested. The males just waited, and I shook my head. “Fine. Something neither of you know about me? Okay, uh, I despise cauliflower. Like, really hate it.”
I pretended to shudder. Collith and Laurie both spoke at once, immediately dismissing this as an answer. I sighed and took another drink of wine.
