“How much later?”
“I can’t say for sure. Several hours to a day, most likely.”
“Do you think the elves are still on this planet?”
“Since they didn’t get the sword,” I answered, “it seems very likely.”
“Would they be after us?”
“Yes, I’m pretty sure they would.”
“Then we’re in danger?” Kull asked.
“We should be okay for now. They don’t know we’re here.”
“But they could track us,” Kull said, holding up yet another piece of stolen meat to emphasize his point. “I’ve known a few elves who were just as good at tracking as any Wult.”
“But that was on a different planet,” Brent interjected.
Kull shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. They’ll find us sooner or later.”
“I agree,” I said.
“Then we must get back to Faythander as soon as possible. Has your magic recovered yet?” Kull asked.
I shook my head. “No, it hasn’t.” It hadn’t recovered at all—as in, not even a little bit, but I kept that info to myself.
“As soon as it does, we must return,” Kull said, reaching for another strip of steak when Brent grabbed the whole platter and pulled it out of his reach.
“It’s ready. What’s left of it, anyway,” Brent muttered.
Chapter 16
Kull, Brent, and I sat at the table on the balcony overlooking the lake and ate the fajitas. The conversation stalled as we did. Everyone was too absorbed in the food to bother with conversation. After dinner, we cleaned up, washed dishes, and then crashed on the couch in front of the fireplace. The March evening turned uncharacteristically chilly, so Brent lit a fire in the modern fireplace with the concrete tiled façade.
As I sat by the fire, I realized I was in the company of a man who didn’t remember me and an ex I regretted dating, but I enjoyed the time nonetheless. Although I realized that at any minute the elves could come after us, kill us, and steal a worthless sword, none of that seemed to matter as I stretched my hands toward the flames.
Usually, losing my powers bothered me, but right now, I was secretly grateful they were gone. Once I got them back, it meant I had to return to Faythander where the war against Theht continued, and where I was constantly reminded of the doom I was about to bring to the world. Being here almost made me feel normal again.
Brent and I sat on the couch as Kull rummaged in the refrigerator. He came out of the kitchen with pulled pork barbecue piled high on a plate and a two liter of Dr. Pepper tucked under his arm.
Alarmed, I turned to Brent. “Brent, you hate Dr. Pepper. Why’s it in the house?” I asked.
“I use it to marinate the meat. What’s wrong with it?”
Kull sat between us, placed his platter and plastic bottle on the coffee table, unscrewed the cap, and chugged it.
“That’s what’s wrong with it.”
Brent’s eyes widened as he watched Kull continue to gulp the soda. “Is he going to drink it all?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I’m serious.”
Kull placed the half-empty two-liter on the coffee table and started on the meat. Brent’s eyebrows rose as he watched Kull shovel it in using only his fingers and no utensils. I had to stifle a laugh.
“Wow,” Brent said as he watched Kull eat. “How can he possibly still be hungry? He ate all the fajitas.”
“He’s a barbarian,” I answered. “They’re always hungry.”
Kull ignored us as he ate. It occurred to me that although Kull usually had a healthy appetite, this seemed over the top, even for him. Jeven’s spell must’ve been doing a number on him. I wondered what other side effects he was suffering because of the curse.
The three of us made small talk until the fire burned down, leaving only a few glowing coals that cast flickering lights throughout the room. Brent left us alone to retreat into his bedroom, and after Kull finished off the last of the soda, he excused himself to go stand out on the balcony. As I sat alone on the couch in Brent’s living room, warmed by the heat of the glowing coals, I watched Kull through the window.
He stood with his elbows propped on the wooden railing, his hands clasped together, deep in thought as he stared out over the dark water. His face was pensive, unhappy, and I could only imagine what he was thinking. What kind of person was Kull without me? Was it presumptuous to think that I’d changed him? That with me, he was happier?
I had the urge to go outside and talk to him, maybe see if I could help him sort out his feelings, but resisted. He needed to come to me when he was ready. Forcing him to confront his unwanted feelings had to happen on his terms or never at all.
I left Kull alone on the balcony and wandered upstairs to the bathroom. Han was still behind the toilet, curled up in his same spot, and I hoped the elves’ residual spell wasn’t affecting him. As I reached for him, he darted into the bedroom and under the bed.
Sitting on the edge of the tub, I wasn’t sure what to do for Han. He hated strange places, but right now, we didn’t have a place to call home, and that scared me more than I thought it would.
After an incredibly long day of fighting Regaymor, nearly dying, crossing through an unstable portal, and dealing with Kull, I decided a hot shower was in order.
After undressing, I stood in the shower. The only thing I could think about was
