AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Allison would have wanted to use the front door rather than climb the trellis to my bedroom window.
“Get in here, weirdo.” I grinned as I extended a hand to her.
Allison reached through the window, her hand and arm wooden and sporting delicate patterns of tree rings.
As a dryad, whenever she touched wood, she reverted to her forest form.
I grabbed her hand and yanked her through the window as flesh crept back up her arm and to her fingers.
“I told her we should have knocked,” Allison said through a curtain of lime-green hair.
“We don’t have to knock. We’re family.” Kira swept the fairy dust off her short skirt as Sammie sniffed her hand.
I threw my arms around them both, crushing them into a bear hug.
Their visits to London were fleeting, and neither one of them enjoyed city life. Especially Allison, who preferred sleeping in trees to pull-out sofa beds.
A familial warmth flooded my limbs as we rocked in each other’s arms—a sensation that felt just like home.
Sammie sat and stared at us, wagging his tail.
“You are in so much trouble.” Kira jabbed me in the side with her fingers. “Why didn’t you come home sooner? You knew Rose was going to pop soon!”
“The baby came early. I didn’t know I was coming home until late last night,” I said.
“If we’d known, we would have looked out for your texts.” Allison rested her head on my shoulder. “We were so worried.”
“Don’t be nice to her.” Kira elbowed Allison in the ribs, making her squeal. “She’s in the doghouse.”
I snorted.
Kira loved her grudges, but with her friends, they didn’t last long.
I pulled blankets out of my wardrobe, and we curled up on the bed. Allison emptied snacks out of her tiny rucksack onto my duvet—standard procedure for our girly sleepovers.
Sammie shimmied his way in between us, on the hunt for the best position in which to get fuss.
“How’s Rose after all this?” Allison asked, rubbing one of Sammie’s ears between her fingers.
“Haven’t seen her yet, but they’re keeping her overnight,” I said.
“And what about you?” Kira’s wings ruffled beneath her blanket.
The corner of my mouth twitched. “Careful, Kira. Someone might think you’re letting me off the hook.”
Kira’s eyes narrowed. “You wish.”
“But you’re staying now, aren’t you?” Allison’s eyes sparkled. “You quit, right?”
“Yup. Slammed my badge on the chief’s desk and everything.” I smirked and snatched a bag of Skittles out of the snack pile.
Kira grabbed my Skittles and popped them open, stealing a pinch of them before handing them back to me. “Liar. You probably gave your two weeks’ notice like a square.”
“Maybe get a job before you judge me,” I said.
“Nobody here wants your nine-to-five crap.” Kira gestured around the circle before ruffling Sammie’s head. “Do we, Sammie?”
He yawned and rested his head on her knee.
