Page 42 of Heimlock

Opening the door, I call out, “Hello?”

“In here!” Rhuth’s melodic voice calls out from the kitchen. Dropping my backpack by the pile of shoes, I head toward her voice, smiling.

She’s alone at the sink, washing dishes. Looking over her shoulder, Rhuth smiles. Her blue scales are more pale than mine, and her blue hair is the color of a bright afternoon sky. It’s set in a long braid down her back. She’s wearing her favorite red apron with pink hearts on it. There’s a bit of flour smeared on her cheekbone.

“Hey you.” She turns off the sink and dries her hands off with a towel. “I didn’t know you were swinging by.”

I walk over to the cabinet with glasses, then bring them to the alcohol cart. Grabbing the Minga, I pour a little into the glass. “Fynn invited me over for dinner. He didn’t tell you?”

She scoffs. “That man drives me crazy.”

I laugh, pointing at my cheek. “You have a little something there.”

Wiping her cheek with the back of a hand, Rhuth chuckles. “I’ve been baking up a storm. This one makes me hungry all the time.” She pats her slightly round belly with a soft smile. We found out three months ago that she’s pregnant. Dragons are pregnant for over a year, which means we still have a long way to go until I can hold my nephew.

But adding to the family is such a thrilling prospect.

Sitting at a stool, I watch her turn back to the dishes. Despite already knowing the answer, I ask, “Do you want me to help with that?”

Rhuth shoots me a dirty glare. “You know dishes are my favorite chore.”

The moment her hands sink into the water, it boils. Rhuth loves heating her hands and cleaning the dishes in scalding temperatures. She says the bubbling water makes her feel like she’s stewing up potions. I don’t see the appeal, but I respect that level of imagination.

Listening for sounds of my brother and finding none, I ask, “Where is he?”

She shrugs. “Work, probably.”

I frown. He left work almost an hour ago. Where the Hells did he go?

Rhuth casts me a curious look. “You’ve been so busy lately. Is it by chance because of a girl?”

She gives a sly but hopeful smile. Both she and Fynn have hoped for years I’d find someone. I’ve never had the heart to tell her that no one wants me.

“Oh, you know me. Playing the field.”

She shakes her head in disbelief. “Will you ever tire of the games?”

“Not everyone is as lucky as you and Fynn, finding their soulmate so young,” I joke, successfully hiding the jealousy behind the words.

Rhuth places a dish in the dish rack, humming in thought.

I frown. “What?”

“Nothing.”

She says it too quickly. Curious, I take a sip of the Minga. “You don’t think he’s your soulmate?”

The concept is unfathomable. They’ve been inseparable since they met ten years ago. Half the time I’m around them, it’s spent admiring their sheer luck of meeting one another.

Rhuth’s shoulders tense. Now I’m really interested. She turns off the sink, drying her hands again. Leaning against the counter, she appraises me. While I’ve never considered her to be like a mom, she’s always been maternal toward me. She’s probably the only woman in my whole life that I haven’t hurt or scared away.

No, not probably.

Actually.

Finally, she says, “Can I tell you something, and you don’t tell Fynn?”

The request makes me uneasy. I sit back, trying to read her expression, but it’s flat. “Are you going to make me regret saying yes?”