Page 10 of Marked By Shadows

I couldn’t help but laugh at his indignant tone. He joined in, shaking his head, and insisting on continuing his research.

Chapter 4

The sun was beginning to set as we pulled down the last road, which was more of a gravel path, toward the B&B. Alex had dozed in the car after our last break in which I insisted on feeding him again, but now he was wide awake and looking warily at the rush of trees surrounding us.

“Not in the forest?” He prodded as we pulled up to the house which looked like an old Southern mansion with a giant wraparound porch. It wasn’t quite as big as a lot of the plantations in Louisiana, but had the same vibe with a tree-lined drive, the house white and pristine amidst the greenery.

“Nope,” I said pulling into the small lot in front of the house. The lot was little more than dirt and gravel, but there was plenty of room for the SUV to park or even turn around if necessary. “It’s not like it’s hidden in the woods,” I pointed out. The area surrounding the house was a wide wash of green grass for probably a couple dozen meters before the wall of trees met the edge of the lawn. We were less than ten minutes from a small grocery store, which we’d already stopped at to refill the cooler, and gas station. And not twenty minutes from a Walmart. “This is not the middle of nowhere.”

Alex was quiet, tension tightening his shoulders as we got out. I reached for his hand, and he took mine, squeezing it, his palm a little sweaty.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised him.

The door to the main house opened and out came the goddess herself. Freya was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, simple enough, though her blonde hair pulled up on the crown of her head looked a bit like some elaborate anime design with multiple ponytails and strategic curls. Her smile was wide as she tromped across the space to greet us, arms open for a hug.

I accepted her embrace, thankful for the warmth of having a mentor and friend like her. “Hey, Freya,” I said, squeezing her for a moment before pulling away to introduce Alex. “This is Alex.”

Freya offered her hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Alex,” she said. “Micah said you used to cosplay.”

Freya actually knew a lot more about Alex than that, as I’d filled her in on the past month’s adventures. She collected knowledge about everything, crafts, TV and book genres, and people. I knew she would be careful with Alex, not only what I’d told her, but his PTSD. She had even kyboshed a few cosplay norms for this group adventure. There would be no weapon making tutorials and combat related costumes were off limits. If the group had protested, I had been spared their irritation at the last-minute change. But I’d rather have Alex calm and happy than anxious and lost in some memory.

“Yes, ma’am,” Alex said taking her hand and shaking it. “Nothing as amazing as Micah does, but I did enjoy it. He’s sort of a wizard when it comes to crafting. Can do anything.”

“That is the way of things in cosplay,” Freya agreed. “It’s a bit of an eclectic hobby. Not all sewing, sometimes it’s working with EVA foam or even clay, painting, or beading. Micah’s skill is vision. He can recreate a costume from scratch, no pattern necessary, or even take a simple pattern and reconstruct something completely different and phenomenal.”

While the praise was nice, it made me uncomfortable. “Thanks,” I said.

She smiled warmly at me, and I noticed for the first time the tiny display of crow’s feet on the edge of her warm eyes. It was a quick reminder that Freya was close to fifty, and while she was gorgeous, she still got a lot of pushback from new influencers trying to steal her thunder. I’d heard her called ‘old school’ enough to cringe myself every time someone said it.

“I’m nothing compared to your skill,” I assured her. “I wouldn’t even know where to start if you hadn’t helped me out.”

Freya reached out to squeeze my arm, but still spoke to Alex. “I’m thrilled Micah is looking to return to the hobby. Losing his talent to other pursuits was a tragedy for the community.”

I scoffed. “Seeing me in tight hot pants is not going to save the world.”

“No,” Freya agreed. “But it gives many a few minutes of escape.”

“I’m on board with that,” Alex said. “Tight hot pants, I mean. Have you seen his ass? It’s divine. The way it fits in my hands…” Alex’s eyes widened as if he just realized what he said. “Shit… filter broken. Sorry, TMI.” He looked at me. “I don’t know if they know? Are supposed to know? Fuck, I’m messing this up by getting lost in the thought of cupping your ass and kissing…” He clapped his hands over his mouth.

Heat rushed into my cheeks. Odd since I wasn’t used to being embarrassed by compliments. Though the way Alex talked about me,lookedat me, often made me wonder if he saw something no one else did. He was an all-in sort of guy, jumping in feet first, and had taken the idea of being with me to full woke levels. Him not being shy about his interest in me was both startling, and refreshing.

“Stop,” I grumbled at both of them, but took one of Alex’s hands firmly in mine and squeezed it. “Freya knows. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. We’re sleeping together. We are a thing.”

“More than a spark,” Alex proclaimed like some sort of strutting cock wandering a yard of excited hens.

“Yes,” I agreed. And I hoped it stayed that way.

Alex leaned over to kiss me on the cheek, his beard tickling my face. I reached up to stroke along his jaw, loving the softness of the texture of his trimmed beard. He spent time on it because he knew I liked it. Had in fact adopted an entire routine that helped his hair and skin. Sometimes I caught him running his hands through his hair, or over his beard, marveling how they could feel so decadent. And decadent was the word Alex used when I’d asked him about it, like a fine wine or dessert. I’d told him he could be my dessert. Which made him blush.

“You’re adorable. Both of you.”

“Is it dinner time yet?” I smelled something amazing, and hoped it was dinner. “Alex needs to eat.”

“Almost,” Freya said. “Let me help you guys get your stuff to the cabin and by then it should be done. After dinner I’ll give you a quick reminder tour of the house, then you guys can get some rest for the night. I’m sure you’re tired from the drive.”

Unloading the car became a group effort when Chad appeared, grinning beside us with MaryAnn at his heels. Chad was a bear of a guy, built more like a linebacker, square-jawed, hair buzzed short. His hair had a touch of red-gold fire to it, and his eyes were large and brown. MaryAnn had long dark hair, and more curves than the media thought girls should have. While MaryAnn was pretty, she wasn’t—at least without intense makeup—the sort of stop traffic beauty that everyone seemed to prefer these days. But she was a chameleon, able to transform herself into things with a bit of makeup and costume, that seemed scientifically impossible. She knew how to work a costume to best suit her body and features, and had done more than her fair share of sexy cosplay. I’d known them both for a handful of years.

“Hey guys,” I greeted them. “Good to see you.” I introduced them both to Alex as everyone grabbed something out of the car and then we all followed the little stone walkway around the house and to the cabins.