Ro didn’t much care if she’d discomfited the other woman. She wasn’t jealous of their shared past because she trusted that Slay’s future belonged to her. Maybe one day, she and Pru could even be friends, though she wasn’t the best at making them. Witness my awkward efforts with Sheyla Halek. At any rate, Dom and Pru were important to Slay, so she’d try her best to gain their regard too.
“We’ll see you later.” Slay slung an arm around Ro’s shoulder and herded her past the shopping plaza, possibly hoping to avoid another welcome-back mob.
He guided her to a different part of the settlement, through a garden that was starting to bloom. She’d stayed elsewhere during her brief sojourn in Ash Valley, not in the flats that residents called home. The building had clearly been damaged during the explosions, but they’d repaired the steps and shored up the walls. It was interesting to walk upstairs from the ground, certainly not what she was used to, and there were so many windows.
On the fourth floor, Slay went to the third door and keyed in a code. Opening the door revealed a sunny space with pale walls, yellow and red accents, and a plaid sofa draped with handmade coverlets. She could see several doors—private bedrooms and bathrooms perhaps—along with a kitchen directly adjacent to the living area.
“Not a speck of dust anywhere,” Slay said. “It’s been months. I should’ve known Pru would do this much for me. She cleaned Dom’s place for years while he was the seer’s retreat.”
“Is it like you remembered?” Ro asked.
“More or less. There are a few things missing, probably broken in the bombing. Our family photos are a bit battered and they’re in different frames.”
She crossed the room to join him, perusing a montage of pictures that showed Slay and two parents, then when he was small, the father stopped appearing in the scenes, and as he grew, it showed only him standing beside his mother. She had been a tall, striking woman with fierce eyes, and she always had her hand on Slay’s shoulder, like she was reminding him that he belonged to her. Maybe Rowena was assuming too much, but it seemed like his mother would’ve caused problems for anyone he introduced to her.
Gently Ro touched the edge of the wooden frame. “I don’t even know how my father looked.” I hope he’s dead, along with the rest of Tycho’s dogs.
“I wish I didn’t,” Slay said sharply.
“Did he abandon you?”
“That’s exactly the right word. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
“Do you ever wish he’d visit?” she asked.
“When I was small, I did. Listening to my mother cry herself to sleep every night, I’d pray for him to come back. Eventually I stopped hoping for anything at all where he was concerned.” Slay spoke the words like he was grinding glass with his molars.
Ro slipped her arms around him, hugging him from the back. “We’re both alone. If you want, I’ll be your family.”
Was that a proposal?
Slay would be so pissed if he missed his chance because Ro was braver and bolder. He turned slowly in her arms and drew her close.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? My feelings for you aren’t remotely fraternal.”
She flushed in adorable fashion and laughed, tucking her face against his chest. Then she said, “I didn’t mean it that way. Just…we’ve both lost our mothers. Mine told me my father was one of the guards, but she never said which one. And yours left when you were little. We have to stick together, right? It only makes sense.” To punctuate the point, she kissed his chin.
Gods but he loved how easily she touched him now. He couldn’t get enough of her feel, her warmth, or her scent. “I’m on board with that.”
Desire struck fast and hard, digging in until he couldn’t breathe for the force of it. He wanted to sweep her off to his bed and keep her there for days. Instead, he kissed her tenderly and carried her bags into his bedroom, assuming she wouldn’t want to sleep in the room his mother had used.
Damn but it would be tough to see if her personal effects needed to be cleared out. Things had been too much of a mess after the bombing, and then he got taken. So there was no telling what might be in there. Quickly he made room in his closet and emptied a drawer for Ro. She had so little that she unpacked in two minutes. Then Slay braced himself and took a deep breath before opening the door to his mother’s room.
Like the rest of the flat, it was spotless, no dust marring any of the gleaming furniture. Even the rug had been neatly swept, so that the pile all flowed in the same direction. Most of the personal objects had been removed, but there was a small box at the bottom of the closet labeled “Precious Memories”, stuff that Pru had thought he might want to keep.
She did so much for me, our whole time together, and I took it for granted that she was supposed to. I have to apologize before we leave.
Ro popped into the doorway, seeming tentative. “This room was your mother’s?”
He nodded. Since he didn’t want to live in these memories, he stepped past her and drew Ro back into the living room, closing the door behind them. There were a few loose ends for him to tie up here in Ash Valley. He’d passed on Chantisse’s message to Dom, but he still needed to resign as second and talk to Sheyla’s family.
And then…what?
Well, he’d discuss it with Ro, because the only non-negotiable aspect was being with her. Whatever she wanted to do, he’d find some way to make it work.
“If you don’t mind, I need to talk to some people before I call it a day. I don’t like putting things off, so—”
“You don’t need to explain,” Ro said gently. “I’m not scared and I’m not a little kid. Is it okay if I get some food? I saw some restaurants on the way here.”
“That would be great.” He dug up his spare pay fob. “You can use this to buy anything you want or need. I’ll see you in a bit.”
As Slay left, he made a mental to-do list:
• Apologize to Dom and resign as second
• Apologize to Pru and thank her for everything
• Try to make Sheyla’s family understand her feelings
Not necessarily in that order.
Slay stopped by Sheyla’s house first, after checking the flat and building number. Her parents were both out, but her youngest brother was home. That might be for the best.
“You’re back!” the boy said.
Hell, he didn’t even remember this kid’s name. Seemed like everybody knew Slay, though. Maybe once he had enjoyed being the center of attention, but these days he didn’t have a hole in the center of him anymore, craving affection from all angles.
To the best of his recollection, he repeated Sheyla’s message verbatim, down to the line about preferring a short time with Alastor to a lifetime with anyone else. The boy listened with a serious expression and then finally said, “I’ll make them understand. When we talk to her next, I’ll put her mind at ease, I promise.”
“Thanks.”
Next, he headed for Pru and Dom’s place. She answered his knock quickly, her eyes widening as she stepped back to wave him in. “Did you have more to say?” she asked.
Standing in the center of the room, he processed the changes to the home she shared with Dom and her dad. It was more cluttered now, photos of the three of them here and there. Her dad looked better as did Dom; they’d both put on weight.