Page 52 of Beginning at the End
“Yup.They pulled in friends, family, distant cousins, and one coworker.We got them all back, but time is different there.Faster or slower.One weekend here was six months there.We learned what we were, learned what was necessary, and did a lot of damage.And the one of us who guards mental health took the time that they lost from them and removed their pain, shame, and panic.Probability sent them the hint that they would need counselling over time.”
“They can’t just be corrected?”
“The temporal elf threw you all back ten years so you could focus on the present.That time was enough for many of you to work through your issues, and you had each other to draw on.We don’t live as long.We haven’t seen that kind of brutality and didn’t even know it existed.When we survive it, we just want to feel safe, and then we take control by any means we can.”
His eyes widened.“Before Likon.”
“That is when it happened for me.I went, I fought, I returned, and I needed to hide.Shadows caused the fire that burned my home.There was no source of ignition.They attacked my neighbours first.My address was difficult to find.”
“I had no idea.”
“No, but you got to meet me after I had my time to hide and heal.”She smiled.“Connected via Den because of the divorce locking up my finances and computer.”
Sern blinked.“Because you decided it was time.”
She grinned and went for the last forkful of fries.He beat her to it but offered her the fork.Eudora leaned forward and smiled, meeting his gaze as she took the last of the fries he offered.His eyes were doing fascinating things that nearly shot sparks when she licked her lips.
“So, house hunting?”
He looked at her, focusing on her mouth.He nodded, and she flipped a tip to the table.He got up, and she linked her arm through his.He looked down at her sundress and sandals in deep, dark red.“You look...”
“Well, don’t forget.Strong can be sexy.”She winked, and they walked to his car.
He blinked and opened the door for her with a bright grin.“I am guessing the genie is out of the bottle.”
She chuckled and slid into the car.“You would know.”
He was laughing when he got behind the wheel and flicked on the GPS to lead them to the first house.
It looked like her afternoon was set.
She laughed and held her makeup bag and purse on her lap.This was going to be interesting.
The friend was a charming dark elf named Hektor Weskilit.He asked her what she was looking for, and it was simple.Two rooms, a reasonable living room, and a kitchen large enough to turn around in.
Hektor smiled.“That’s it?”
“What more do I need?”
“A larger closet.Some storage space.A pool.Hot tub.Back patio.”Sern looked innocent.
“I can just find someone who has those things and visit.”She had an idea of what Sern was angling toward, and she wasn’t going to make it easy.
Hektor laughed.“There are a few apartments and one small house nearby.Shall we just pick one at random?”
“Not the house.I will stick to an apartment if there are neighbours at stake.”
Hektor nodded.“Right.First, we will look at the property with the most to offer, and then we will work our way down the ladder.”
“Isn’t that the opposite of what normally happens?”
“We have learned to adapt to different situations.”
Sern smiled.They were at his home, and it was just as elegant to her as he was.Hektor was sitting, and he opened a portfolio before pulling out different apartment listings.
She looked them over and sighed.If she had some savings, she might have been able to manage the mid-range one.She checked her account and did some math.She reached to look at one of the pricier ones and cocked her head as she did math.
She grimaced and put it down.It was pretty and fancy but a waste of money.“We can look at this one.”She held up the mid-range apartment.“Not to be Goldilocks, but this one is too small, and this one is too large.”
