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Addison barked a laugh. “You volunteered? You’re even sadder than I thought.”
I jabbed a knife in the direction of the forest. “There’s a multirealm crossroads out there that didn’t even have guards until I arrived.”
“And yet this town has survived for over a century without your help. In fact, one could argue it’s become more dangerous since you came on the scene.”
“Now you sound like West.”
“I like West. I look forward to seeing him at the party where we all kick the crap out of the Wild Hunt.”
I resumed sharpening my blade. “I already told you. You’re not invited.”
“I don’t need your protection, Miss Liminal Deity. I can take care of myself.”
“It isn’t you I’m protecting.”
She grunted. “I see.”
“If you don’t mind, I have a lot of work to do.”
“Fine. I’ll go see if Nana Pratt wants to bake cookies with me, unless you’re worried I’ll poison them.”
“I’ve gotten to know you well enough by now to know you would never ruin baked goods for any reason. Besides, poison is a coward’s weapon.”
She laughed. “And you don’t think I’m a coward?”
I set down the knife and the whetstone and gave her my undivided attention. “You’re many things, but a coward isn’t one of them.”
“How can you say that? I’m literally hiding in your house.”
“I’ve been hiding my whole life, but I don’t view myself as a coward. I have strong survival instincts, and so do you.” And so did my parents.
“I threw you under the big ass wheels of the corporate bus to save my own skin. It doesn’t get much more cowardly than that.”
I craned my neck to look at her. “Do you want me to think of you as a coward?”
She shrugged. “I just don’t see how you don’t.”
“What does it matter what I think anyway? All that matters is how you feel about yourself.”
“I feel like shit, obviously. If I had a healthy relationship with myself, I wouldn’t behave the way I do. There’s too much human left in Aite.” Her brow creased. “Or maybe it’s the other way around.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. You might feel better if you focused on forgiveness.”
“Are you kidding? I’d love to be forgiven by you.”
I rose to my feet. “It isn’t my forgiveness that will heal you. It’s yours.”
I left the room.
“Is it wise to leave her right next to the weapons trunk?” Nana Pratt asked, following me downstairs.
“She’s fine. I have a bag of chocolate chips. Why don’t you get the ingredients ready for cookies?”
“She doesn’t deserve you, Lorelei.”
I stopped on the last step and looked at her. “She deserves a hell of a lot better than what she got.”
I checked my phone again, hoping for a response from Brody. Still no answer from the nature mage. His presence wasn’t necessary to win, but I would feel better knowing I’d used every tool at my disposal to protect Wild Acres.
