Page 84

“I’m back at home.”

“Home?Home?” Her voice rises. “Your house wasransacked, there’s abountyout for your capture, and you’rehome?”

“It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“I thought you weredead.” Her voice cracks and I hear her sniffle. “I couldn’t find you.” Temper’s a pro at tracking people with her magic, but I never thought she’d use it to look for me.

“Are you … crying?” I ask.

“Fuck no, I never cry,” she says.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. I really am okay,” I say softly.

“What happened to you? You just fell off the map, and Eli’s been blowing up my phone, but he won’t tell me anything.”

I press three fingers to my temple. “Um. It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

I sigh.

She huffs, her voice hiccupping a little. “Don’t yousigh, you skinny bitch—I spent the last twenty-four hours thinking my best frienddied.”

“Temper, I’m sorry. I’m alright—I’m sorry and I’m alive.” Obviously. But sometimes with Temper it’s important to reiterate the obvious.

“Girl, what happened?” she repeats. I can tell she’s pacing by the subtle jangle of her jewelry. “I mean, the best possible scenario I could come up with was that you had some angry-as-fuck make up sex with Eli and that ohmygod-he-probably-went-beastie-on-you-that’s-so-goddamn-nasty.” It all comes out in a rush. “And yeah. He shredded shit up—and you in the process.”

I wince at that.

She lets out a breath. “Don’t tell me he turned you. Please don’t tell me that. I remember how much the thought frightened you. And if he has, so-help-me-black-Jesus, I will smite that hairy little shit and make a coat out of his fur. Ya feel me?”

The line goes quiet, and it’s just the sound of Temper’s heavy breathing.

“Holy shit,” I finally say. I clear my throat. “Um, no, we didn’t have angry animal sex; no, Eli didn’t turn me; and good lord woman, please don’t make my ex into a coat. He didn’t hurt me.”

“Then whatdidhappen?”

It’s only when she asks for a third time that I realize I’ve picked up on some of the Bargainer’s bad habits, like withholding secrets.

I glance down at my bracelet, which is missing over a row of beads. “Can you come over?” I ask.

“Is the sky blue, bitch?”

I give a shaky smile, even though she can’t see it. “Good. I’ll tell you when you get here.”

Just like Ipromised myself, I fish out some comfort food and turn on a show that will rot my brain while I wait for Temper to get here.

None of it helps.

I’m disturbed by my trip to the Otherworld, I’m upset by what happened here in my house, but most of all I’m annoyed that I keep replaying every single intimate thing Des has done since he came for me.

Ten minutes later my front door opens, and I hear the click-clack of heels.

Temper stops in the entryway when she sees me, blinking rapidly. “Mygirl.”

The two of us close the distance between us, hugging each other tightly. When we finally break apart, Temper sniffles, her gaze moving about my place. Her eyes linger on my restored table and the unbroken windows.

“I was here this morning,” she says, brushing her braids away from her face. “Your kitchen table was broken.”