Page 32 of Up In Flames
“Oh, uh. Yeah, we're moving back in the spring. We just don't want to have to deal with winter as soon as we arrive, you know?”
“So everything is done?”
“Mostly, yeah. We're still building some communal buildings, but we could move in at any time. We actually, uh, have extra homes because of . . .”
Graysen looked from him to me.
“We confirmed that the other people of Fress are dead,” I said. “We had to tell the children.”
“Oh, shit,” Gray whispered. “That must have been fucking horrible.”
“It was pretty bad,” Caleb said. “But they're moving on. It helps that they've spent so much time here and have adjusted to this life.” Caleb glanced at the table, then away.
“Oh, fuck, I'm being rude. Do you wanna join us, buddy?” Graysen asked.
“Oh, no. That's all right. I know you two are catching up. It's been a while, hasn't it?”
“Yeah, over four weeks this time,” Graysen said.
“I won't intrude then. But welcome back, Graysen.”
“Thanks, man.”
As Caleb walked away, Graysen turned back to face me, his expression going smug.
“What?” I asked.
“He wants to plow you so bad he can't fucking stand it,” Gray whispered.
“Fuck you, asshole.” I always descended into crude language when Gray was around. I'd never been that guy, but he brought it out of me.
“You know I'm right. That guy is fucking into you. Big. He probably has a hard-on right now because you spoke to him. Did you see him perk up? It was like the Goddess had fucking appeared.”
“You're a dickhead.”
“Yeah, but you love me.”
“I do,” I agreed. “And I remembered something else my admirer said—something that makes me certain he isn't Caleb. I can't believe I forgot about this.”
“What? Fucking tell me already.”
“He said he's a warrior.”
“Then he's got to be a Wraith Lord.”
“Yeah.” I chewed at my lip.
“What now?”
“I caught Jath looking at me the other day.”
“Jath? That dickhead?”
“He's not a dickhead anymore.”
“Oh, right. He died, and the Goddess made him nice.”
“Fuck you, man,” I said as I laughed. “And also—correct.”
