The tap in the sink flicks on, then off, then she emerges from the little bathroom alcove.
“That’s not going to happen,” I say, trying to sound reassuring.
“I don’t mind,” Seth says, shrugging one shoulder.
I do, but I’m not about to say that out loud. She gets a wicked little smile on her lips before reaching up and clapping both hands on Seth’s cheeks.
“You will when you realize I wipe with my hands,” she giggles, retreating.
Seth rubs at his face, launching after her, before Pax lets out a high-pitched whistle.
The sound bounces up the stairs, leaving the windows rattling and making Kitten jump. She hesitates, and Seth takes that as an invitation to pick her up, toss her over his shoulder, and bound out of the room.
“Seth,” she squeaks, but he’s already carrying her down the staircase.
I follow, meeting her gray eyes – full of mock pleading.
“I’m not going to rescue you when you started it,” I tell her, reaching the bottom of the stairs and turning toward the kitchen. The cottage is warm with a fire that we’ve managed to keep burning despite how busy we’ve all been.
“Seth, put the mortal on her feet. Unless she’s forgotten how to walk?” comes a female voice. “Though I am surprised she’s still alive.”
Jada has finally arrived, and she’s hovering near the kitchen, eating a small apple. Well not hovering – Jada is tall, elegant, defined like a dancer, deadly like any Saber, and more than capable of breaking men’s hearts.
Or having her heart broken – not sure she’s forgiven Pax for turning her down.
I’m also not sure if I’m happy to see our old friend or unsettled by the presence of a new person in Kitten’s life. The weight in my chest hints that I’m not completely comfortable, though I don’t know exactly why. We’ve known Jada for a few hundred years – this shouldn’t be a problem.
Kitten twists in shock, trying to get a look at the speaker in the doorway, but Seth’s grip doesn’t relax – though he does chuckle.
“Jada, if I’d known you were coming, I would have prepared a welcome gift,” he says. “But not her, I’m keeping her.”
“I was always coming, Seth you knew that,” Jada retorts.
What Seth does or does not know is anyone’s guess.
I move to the right, Killian to the left. Kitten is practically bristling over Seth’s shoulder, and her desire to get down and face off with Jada leads me to believe Kitten sees the Saber as competition. I lean back against the wall and prepare to watch the show.
There was a time Kitten would have been right.
“Seth,” Pax rumbles, motioning for Chaos to put down our girl.
A movement that Shade doesn’t get a chance to see, though she twists in Seth’s arms and tries.
Defeated, Seth obeys at the same time as Shade says, “Words, sweetie, use your words.”
“Yes, sweetie,” Jada mirrors, half a bite of apple rolling around her mouth.
She looks at Pax playfully and just a little bit too intensely. The desire to command the room and our attention presses down on me.
Before anyone can react, Kitten is on top of her. She knocks Jada to the ground, snatches the apple out of her hand, and rams it into her face. Of course, the thing doesn’t fit up Jada’s nose – it’s never going to fit – but that doesn’t stop Kitten from drawing her arm back ready to try again.
“Get her off me!” Jada screams.
I realize Pax can’t move, and Killian is too busy trying to get his hysterics under control, and before Seth or I are close enough, Kitten manages one more apple-punch.
Jada twists her hips and sends the mortal toppling to the side.
Killian takes a big step between Jada and Shade, his stance strong – he’s a solid guy, so Jada would probably just bounce off him. I move myself between Pax and Jada, not sure which female Pax’s wrath will focus on first.
Kitten’s on the ground, an almost cackle spilling from her lips. Jada stands very indignantly, brushing off her clothes and wiping her face with her hands.
“Why didn’t one of you stop her?” she screams.
“You started it,” Killian offers, looking down at Kitten out of the corner of his eye and winking.
Kitten pulls herself into a sitting position as Jada puts her hands on her hips, feet shoulder width apart, lecture pending.
“I’ve been spending all my time smoothing over your gamble with the dignitaries at the Black Castle, only to find out she is exactly the bad decision that they all suspect. I don’t know how long you expect to keep her, but you boys better tame her before you take her back near any of the Masters or the Dignitaries,” she says, then she tries to storm out.
She gets past me, but she doesn’t make it past Pax. I angle myself so I can keep one eye on Jada and one on Kitten. But the mortal has to lean forward almost on all fours to peek out from under our legs.
“Wait, we’re going back? I thought that wasn’t decided yet,” Kitten asks.
“It is,” Pax says, catching Jada’s arm before she can escape.
“It’s not,” Killian grunts.
“We do need your help,” Pax says softly.
Jada tries to step forward, to close the distance, the move far too bold. Killian puts his hand on Kitten’s head and pushes her back to the ground. If hearing Jada call Pax ‘sweetie’ puts Shade into a rage, then catching her trying to kiss the guy isn’t going to end well.
But before Jada gets close, Pax grabs her wrist, hard, and holds it up between them like the contact is a threat. And it is, given the fact that he could crush her bones to dust. His muscles are tense, knuckles white, and her almond eyes betray every feeling of intimidation that she
