Page 118 of Remnants: Disruption
“No, I invited the spirits here instead.”
That gets her attention, and she nearly snaps her pencil before angling a nasty glare at me.
“Kidding–” I say but hear a rapid knock at the door.
“You’d better be,” Marla says, crossing the kitchen to the den and then the door. “’Cause I’d be real pissed if I have to pick up ghost jizz—”
She swings the door open, and whatever crude thing she’d been about to say dies on her lips.
And I nearly topple out of my chair when Bloody Mary steps through the door like she owns the goddamned place.
Ty stands behind her, looking like he’s seen the horrors of the universe.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding?” Mary asks, a familiar coolness in her voice. “And here I thought you were shirking your duties.”
Which is incredible given she saw me trainingyesterday.
I stand and move to the door, stopping beside Marla, who shifts nervously behind me.
Mary catches the motion, and her lip pulls back.
“What do you need?” I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral, though it only seems to goad her.
“Do you live here now, Hiraeth?” She asks. “Have you chosen domesticity?”
I frown, but then glance beside me. Marla, for all of her bravado and wit, is essentially clinging to me. She and Trish may be exceptional, but neither have powers beyond those of a fox.
Though I can see what this looks like to Mary. And it’s patently absurd that she should even care.
I grit my teeth, and wonder if I really want to test her.
“I asked what you needed,” I say again, gesturing for Ty to go.
He takes my meaning and literally takes off on all fours.
Mary turns to watch him go, and I can almost see the way her jaw ticks.
“Why aren’t you training with Azazel?” Mary asks, her eyes pinning Marla who wraps her arms around me now. I’d laugh if it weren’t so apparent how much Mary scares her.
And Mary fucking knows it, too.
“Stop glaring at her,” I hiss, and Mary’s glare snaps to mine. “You’re hardly beating the allegations acting like this.”
Marla apparently thinks it was the wrong thing to say, too, because she begins to shake, face pressed to my ribs.
“Why haven’t you been in your lessons,” Mary grits out, ignoring my comment.
“I have been. You fucking saw me yesterday,” I say back, scoffing at her behavior. “If that’s all, I’d ask you to leave. You’ve already scared Ty shitless and you’re scaring Marla.”
“Leave us,” Mary says, and I realize too late she’s speaking to Marla.
Marla detaches herself from me and makes to move out of the house, but I grab her by the shoulder.
“You will not make her leave her own goddamned house,” I snap, pushing Marla back behind me. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
I give Marla a soft squeeze on her shoulder, and all but push Mary out of the doorway and back onto the deck, pulling the door shut behind me.
“Who is she?” Mary asks, and I shake my head in confusion.
