Page 27 of Lies That Blemish
Ugh, I didn’t want to come home to a fight.
Victory seemed to sense that and spoke for me: “Because she’s older, and Father is dead. Come on, let’s show Ash the cupcakes we made with Tetra.”
“Tetra’s here!” I brightened, letting Vic lead me inside as I tried to forget how easily Victory had just stated that our father was dead.
When I stepped inside, I was hit with the earthy aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and… “Carrot cake!” I practically ran to the kitchen and plucked up a cupcake teeming with frosting.
“Hey.” Tetra hobbled over and pulled me into a side hug while I shoved the muffin into my mouth.
“Hefy,” I managed around the cupcake. Sweet goodness exploded on my tongue, and I glanced at Valor, who was staring intently at Tetra’s crooked foot. Tetra wasn’t wearing socks; her cane was leaning against the far kitchen wall. Her foot was an angry red, and she seemed to be having a bad pain day. I cleared my throat, and Valor peered up at me guiltily.
It wasn’t like her to stare at Tetra’s foot. They’d grown up seeing it, so there was nothing “abnormal” about it. She must just be tired, caught in a stare.
“Is Gwen here?” I asked.
“I gave her a couple of hours off to see her family in town,” Tetra said, and I nodded.
“Did you sleep at all?” I asked Valor.
She nodded. “Barely.” She’d showered and cleaned up, and I noticed she seemed more… sure of herself. She was confident, and that made me happy.
“I meant to ask your creature’s name last night,” I told her.
“Zara,” Valor said, peering out the window at Zara and Liana through the backyard.
“It’s weird at first, but you two will figure each other out. Likes and dislikes,” I told her. “I tried to put Liana in the barn like a horse our first night.”
Tetra and the triplets all burst into laughter. “Did she breathe fire on you?” Victory asked, grinning.
“No, she was gracious.” But the moment I said it, I was reminded of that night when Liana asked me if I loved my father and told me she wouldn’t tell me what she thought of him. It pulled at my mind now. I had forgotten.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Have your powers shown up?” I casually asked Valor. Her gaze flicked to Tetra’s foot for a split second, but she shook her head. “Maybe I should go to boot camp like you, and it will come out.”
I laughed, and Tetra joined in.
“Nice try.” Tetra ruffled her hair, and Valor batted her hand away.
“Why not?” Valor pouted.
“There is no cohort to train with, first of all,” I told her. “And you’re?—”
She dared me to say “too young” with her glare.
“Toovaluable. I’ll have private trainers come.”
“Fine,” she growled. “There’s a bunch of crap in your office. Elaine had some men move boxes in all morning, which is why I couldn’t sleep.”
“Sorry,” I told her and then flicked my gaze to Tetra. “Want to meet me in my office?” I asked her, grabbing a second cupcake.
She nodded. “See you later, girls. Thanks for baking with me.”
They gave her a hug, and she grabbed her cane, walking behind me as she dragged her foot. I glanced back at Valor to see her eyes trained on Tetra’s bad foot. Something about it piqued my curiosity, but I had enough to worry about right now. I’d have to ask her about it later.
Once Tetra and I got into my office, Tetra whistled low at the boxes leaning high in the corner. There must have been about twenty-five of them.Waymore than I thought.
“Hey, is your foot okay?” I asked her now that we were alone.
She waved me off. “Just a bad day. What’s up with all this?” She gestured to the stack of boxes taking up half my office.
