Chapter Thirty-Two
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Morgan walked to the eight-burner cast iron cook stove and searched under the front plates for the partition containin’ embers. He grunted, and added a scoop of coal to one. The clangin’ of iron against iron resonated painfully in my head. Mulled an earlier thought, how all my senses seemed crisper, more intense, since my introduction to the ethereal—and Giba.
“There’s plumbin’ down the hall to the right,” Morgan called, jerkin’ a fat thumb over his shoulder. He paused in preparin’ a kettle, glared at Selene’s back, and smiled.
It always takes a newcomer a while to get over the view, as though he stood in God’s boots lookin’ down on His creation. There’s somethin’ ’bout how the store-bought glass framed the vista like a piece of art.
“Spose ya drink coffee?” Morgan said.
He played the host well, though his words were only for Selene. Evidently didn’t worry about my comfort. So I walked to the pantry to find what delectables Aedwin had concocted lately.
Selene turned. Eyes darted back and forth from Morgan and me. His discomfort nearly rasped over his skin like a curry brush. Gave me an itch.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Selene jerked, but calmed as though rememberin’ his emotions would never be private again as long as he’s with me.
“We’re making ourselves comfortable in an ogre’s home who’s away.”
Morgan grunted. “Ike doesn’t stand on ceremony, and even if he did, he’d have to adjust. Clan leaders have no privacy. Their homes and lives are treaded upon whether they like it or not.”
“Human leaders—”
“I really don’t care.” Morgan slammed shut the lid of the kettle.
For a four-count the sound vibrated off the granite. Morgan appeared less patient than even his usual, impatient self. The ogre clicked his teeth together, his nervous habit, and his tusks made his upper lip twitch in that scowl.
I slowly closed the pantry doors I scouted, not wishin’ to be noticed.
“Ya’ve had another vision.” Selene’s words were a statement, not a question.
Morgan set down the mug he took from the cupboard hard. “Wish not to discuss it.”
“Your wishes can be changed.”
I winced at the combination of Selene’s loud words and emotion.
“If it can’t—”
My lungs ached waitin’ for Morgan to finish his sentence.
“There will be no peace until every wizard is dead. And many innocent humans will die. And dragons.”
A pain like a knife thrustin’ through my back jolted me. I stumbled forward a step before I craned over my shoulder to find my assailant. There was no one standin’ behind me. I gasped as the agony spread through my body. An anger followed the pain.
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