“Well, it seems your mom was right to bring you here, then. Even though it broke my heart to let you go, I’m glad you’re excelling.”
I leaned against the counter and studied Dad’s face. The only reason it had broken his heart was that I’d been his remaining tie to Mom. It had nothing to do with his love for me.
“I love you, Dad. I’m sorry your life didn’t go the direction you planned.”
“I’m not. I have you and your mother. I couldn’t want anything more.”
I managed a smile and asked what else I could do to help. Over the next hour, we talked about Mom and her club and how people were holding him back from being truly useful to her. When I couldn’t take any more, I excused myself, letting him know I still had an assignment from Adira to complete.
“Be careful around her. I wouldn’t trust her with my worst enemy’s soul.”
“Since when do you have enemies?” I asked, putting on my jacket.
“It’s just a saying. But if I had one, I think it would be her.”
I chuckled.
“You and just about every other resident in Uttira.”
“It makes me wonder why the people here put up with her.”
“That’s a really good question, Dad.” And something I’d wondered often during my stay here. I hugged him goodbye and left.
My mind dwelled on our conversation and his dislike of Adira. The residents with their mark, who were free to come and go as they pleased, never seemed to mind her. The people she acted as a gatekeeper for definitely didn’t like her. Not that our dislike changed anything.
I sighed, thinking of how she’d portaled me to Mom’s club that morning. Adira always seemed to get her way in the end. And, that was why, as much as I didn’t want to go to the Roost, I drove there anyway.
Parked in front, I stared at the double doors and wished I was anywhere else. I didn’t want to spend another evening staring at my phone and pretending not to hear music that made me want to get up and dance. I hated Adira’s games. And Piepen’s. And Mom’s. Even Fenris pushed too far sometimes.
Leaning my head against the steering wheel, I thought of tomorrow’s spell removal. After that, I could escape to Fenris’s cabin or the caves or anywhere I wanted. For tonight, I was stuck though. I thought of how I’d been stuck in the red room with Fenris, too, and smiled. Fenris was right. If I had to do something, why not do it my way?
I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Fenris, asking if he was already at the Roost. His reply that they were leaving in a few minutes was almost immediate.
Me: Bring games.
Fenris: I’m on it.
Hopefully, with the games, tonight wouldn’t drag like the last time. Giving in to the inevitable, I left my car and went inside.
Twenty minutes later, Fenris strode in with his her-herd. They all carried a stack of games in their arms.
I wasn’t the only one to stare in wide-eyed shock. Several of the dancers stopped and watched the group as they approached the back booths where I sat.
“Um, that’s a lot of games. Where did you get them all?”
“Humans aren’t the only ones who like to have fun,” he said as he deposited his pile on the table. “These are everything we could scrape together from our pack. We have to return them tonight, but I think they’ll serve their purpose. Ready to cause some trouble?”
“Trouble?” I echoed, confused.
The music cut out, and Fenris faced the room, cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Game Night,” he shouted. “Pick your partners! Pick your opponents! Pick your game!”
I looked at Jenna. “What is he doing?”
She set her stack of games on the table and slid into the booth next to me.
“He told us what Adira did today and how she’s pressuring you to be here. When you texted him about the games, he knew that sitting in the back booth here and playing games all night would only get you in more trouble with Adira. So he came up with a plan. She wants you to act like your peers, right? Well, if everyone is playing games, she can’t get mad at you.”
He turned just then to wink at me.
“You ready to be my partner?”
I glanced at Jenna, feeling guilty. She’d admitted she’d been jealous of the attention he gave me. Although he’d explained why, I doubted understanding his reasons had lessened her yearning to be the sole focus for his attention. Yet, she didn’t look angry as she met my gaze and smiled.
“It’ll be fun,” she said. “Willow and I volunteer to be your opponents.”
“Are you sure?”
Jenna nodded.
“Okay.”
The music came back on at a lower volume as the Roost turned into a madhouse. People paired off and formed groups. The couches were shoved to the side and tables rearranged in minutes. More teens started to arrive, even a few giants like Emory, who rarely spent their time at the Roost.
All the games disappeared off of the table faster than I could blink.
“Mind if we take this spot since you’re not playing a game?” a waif-like girl asked us. She held up the checkerboard in her hands. “I’ve always wanted to play this.”
“Sure.” Jenna slid out, and I quickly did the same.
More games were underway everywhere I looked. Someone had even set up a bean bag toss on the dance floor. The expressions on everyone’s faces fluctuated between amused and angrily competitive as they began to play.
“Should we get in line for something? Which game do you want to play first?” I asked Jenna.
“This one?” She grinned and pulled a folded piece of plastic from her back pocket.
My stomach sank the moment Willow produced a spinner card from under her shirt.
“We knew better than to put the good stuff out,” she said with a grin.
“I’ll be the spinner for this round and swap out with one of the losing team members for the next game,” Laurel, the fourth in the her-herd if Aubrey still counted as a member, said.
“What do you think, partner?” Fenris asked, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Feel like being flexible?”
Hunger unfurled in my middle like the menacing beast it was.
My life was a living hell.
Chapter Twelve
“This is one of those times where your helpfulness is less than helpful,” I said, looking up at Fenris.
He grinned and gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“You can do this. Remember what you said. If I thought you were going to actually hurt someone, I’d be waiting a long time.”
I rolled my eyes at him while testing my hunger. The chocolate I’d eaten hadn’t done a thing to calm it down, but to my surprise, it just wasn’t as intense as it’d been in the past.
“I’ll try one game. But if I ask to be the dedicated spinner so Laurel can step in, no complaining.”
The three girls gave an excited squeal and moved toward an open space on the dance floor.
Fenris held me to his side and leaned in to speak softly in my ear. The way his breath tickled my skin made it difficult to stay focused.
“Try to stay in the game at least until Adira shows up. After this morning’s interruption, you know she will.”