Amell seems surprised by the question. “They are two very different things, and, so far, they have not conflicted.”
“And if they do conflict at some point,” I ask pointedly. “Where would your loyalty lie?”
He doesn’t even bother to consider the merits or ethics of my question. He merely inclines his head and rumbles, “Let’s hope it never comes to that.”
The door to Zora’s house opens and she steps onto the short stoop, a brown burlap bag that can’t hold more than one change of clothes slung over her shoulder. She pulls the door shut before walking toward Amell. I move toward Carrick to give them some space.
I can’t hear their conversation, and I refuse to use my super-hearing to eavesdrop. Amell bends his head near Zora’s, and they carry on in hushed murmurs. I have no clue what they’re saying, but Amell’s expression is concerned and there’s a hint of tenderness there. Zora nods and seems to offer him reassurances. They don’t touch each other in any way, and I’m almost disappointed when she turns away from him without a hug. For some reason, I have romantic notions about them in my head, and I have no clue why.
My sister walks my way, eyes pinned on me, and she doesn’t look back at her home or Amell for one final farewell.
“I’m ready,” she says.
I smile. “Me too.”
CHAPTER 9
Finley
It’s way too awkward… Zora’s homecoming to Carrick’s condo. We’re met by Zaid, Titus, Rainey, and Myles, and I can tell Zora is immediately and completely overwhelmed. She doesn’t handle introductions well, and I’m not sure if there’s just a shyness about her, an inherent distrust in everything so she’s naturally standoffish, or she just doesn’t care to get to know people.
Zaid, Titus, and Myles merely smile when I introduce them.
Rainey tries to rush forward with a hug. I give a hard shake of my head, causing her to screech to a halt, which is good because Zora is already treading backward to avoid the contact.
Of course, she runs right into Maddox, who steadies her with a hand to her back. Whipping around, she hisses, “Get your hands off me.”
Maddox, ever the happy-go-lucky demi-god and not about to be put off by a prickly human, grins and winks. “You know, women clamor to have my hands on them. You should count yourself lucky.”
I think Zora might be offended, or maybe confused because I don’t even know if she understands the ways of men and women, but she must know something because she rolls her eyes.
This relieves me because it means she can hold her own, but then I catch something on Maddox’s face. It’s not mere teasing or a hint of flirting. I see something deeper in his eyes when he looks at Zora, and I register a genuine interest in her.
As a person.
More accurately, as a woman.
And that is not good. The last thing Zora needs is the complication of an interested Maddox in her already-shaky start to life in the Earth realm.
I swoop in to diffuse things. “How about I give you a tour of the condo? Just me and you,” I add, so she knows the whole gang won’t be following.
She nods gratefully.
Turning to glance at my friends gathered in the kitchen, I suggest quietly, “Give us some time.”
The tour of the condo doesn’t take long, despite the enormous size. I start down in the secret library, explaining mostly about Carrick being a demi-god and what that means. Her knowledge of things outside the Underworld is somewhat limited, although I can tell Amell has told her some things over the years.
For example, in the library, she pulls a book from a shelf—written in English—and starts reading a few paragraphs. “Amell taught me,” she explains, and then shocks me further. “I’m fluent in four other languages.”
Which maybe shouldn’t be shocking. I imagine there’s not a lot to do to occupy the time in the Underworld.
We avoid the kitchen on the rest of the tour since everyone is waiting there. As one might expect from someone who lived underground their entire life, Zora is captivated not by the luxuries inside Carrick’s condo, but by the views outside. It’s a fortuitously sunny day, and the Puget Sound sparkles like diamonds. The sky is clear and blue without a cloud in sight. From the southern part of the condo, I point out Mt. Rainer in the distance.
“We can go out soon to explore the city,” I say, her wondrous sighs at what she sees outside the windows exciting me. I’m sure Carrick will call it unwarranted and dangerous, but I’m not missing out on showing my sister everything.
“Let me show you the rest of the condo,” I say, then lead her around the perimeter. I take her to see the bedroom I share with Carrick, Maddox’s room, the man cave, and the other guest bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms before ending up in the suite I had occupied before moving into Carrick’s room.
“You and I wear the same size clothing,” I explain after we enter, pulling open the closet doors. Before we left, I had put half of my clothes in here for her. “These are all yours to wear, and we can shop for more.”
Zora barely spares them a glance, poking her head into the bathroom. I don’t have it in me to satisfy my curiosity just now as to what her bath facilities were like, but I take great joy in showing her how the shower, bath, and toilet work.
When she follows me back into the bedroom, I turn to her with an eager smile. “What would you like to do first? Want something to eat? Want to go out and explore? The Space Needle is a must for any visitor. Oh, I know… a spa day. We should do a spa day together.”
Zora frowns in confusion, and I’m sure I’m speaking what must be akin to a foreign language. “Actually,” she says in a detached voice. “I think I’d just like to be alone for a while. This is a lot to take in.”
Guilt flushes through me as I realize I’m throwing way too much at her too fast. My zeal and excitement to have my twin here is overshadowing the fact that my sister might be slightly traumatized by her sudden change in circumstances. I need to back off, but I’m sure as hell not leaving her alone.
Smiling apologetically, I step forward slowly and take her hands in mine. I can feel her instinct to jerk back, but I hold tight. “I’m sorry. This has got to be incredibly overwhelming to you, and I’m not doing a good job at easing you into things. So let’s slow down a bit.”
“Maybe after I rest a bit—”
“I’m not leaving you, Zora,” I admonish, then lead her over to the bed. “We can talk. Get to know each other. Or we can sit here in silence while you absorb things. But you’ve been alone far too long, and that’s one thing I’m not budging on.”
“You’re going to stay by my side indefinitely?” she asks, one beautifully shaped and pale white eyebrow cocked.
“Not indefinitely,” I reassure her with a chuckle. “But for the next few hours. Let’s just talk, okay? And we can talk about whatever you want. No pressure at all.”
I point to the bed. “Pop a squat.”
Zora’s eyebrows knit in confusion.
“Here,” I exclaim as I move around the bed. “Like this.”
I hop on the bed, fluff a pillow up against the headboard, and lean back against it. Stretching my legs out, I cross them at the ankles and pat the space beside me. “Come sit.”