With those words, everything about today clicked.
“Mya told you.”
Julie’s smile softened.
“Of course she did, sweetie. She’s my daughter and is worried that you hate her. But that’s her problem, not yours. You were right to speak up for yourself. Don’t ever stop.”
She gave my arm a comforting squeeze then turned me toward the door, which was now empty.
“Go on. I’m sure your mom’s waiting.”
I left the supply shed with a positive attitude, sure that my day couldn’t possibly get any better. Well, getting through to Thallirin would make it better, but I was content with the wins so far.
That changed the minute I walked into my house and the scent of pepperoni pizza punched me in the face.
“No fucking way,” I yelled.
Mom laughed from the kitchen.
“Yes, fucking way,” she said. “And watch your mouth. The last pepperoni pizza on the face of the planet is no reason to swear.”
I tore out of my clothes and bolted for the kitchen. Not one, but three pizzas waited on the table. Both mom and Zach were grinning at my expression.
I looked at Zach.
“Was this you?”
“Who else? If I'm going into those houses, I'm taking what I want out.”
I sat down with a smile and glanced at Uan, who remained quiet.
“This is the best,” I said. “You’re going to love it.”
He looked at the pizza, his gaze doubtful.
Zach and I reached for a piece at the same time. I was the first one to take a bite and groaned. Never in a million years did I think I’d taste cheese and pepperoni again. Uan took a slice after Mom took two. From the corner of my eye, I watched him take a bite, chew it slowly, and set the pizza back on his plate. I could tell from his expression he wanted to spit it out.
Grinning, I swallowed quickly and stole his piece.
“You know what? If you don't like it, that's okay. It just means more pizza for us. Help yourself to whatever you want in the cupboard.”
He grunted and did as I suggested, returning to the table with a can of dog food.
“This is my favorite,” he said. “I will find many more for us.”
Zach and I snorted, and Uan looked at us in question.
“That's dog food, Uan,” Zach said. “It's what our pets eat.”
Uan glanced at the can and then at Mom. She smiled at him.
“Sweetie, if that's what you want, you go ahead and eat it. No one's going to judge you. It's pure protein.”
With that assurance, he dug his spoon into the can.
“Would either of you mind if Uan spent the night?” Mom asked casually.
“Like I’d say no to anything after pizza,” I said.
“Agreed,” Zach said, stuffing half a piece into his mouth.
“Great.”
I woke up to the scent of pancakes and frying meat. Stomach rumbling, I crawled out of bed and went straight to the kitchen.
“Morning,” Mom said with unusual good cheer.
The likely reason for her cheer was at the stove, shirtless and flipping pancakes. I grinned and took my seat at the table.
“Get a goodnight’s sleep, Mom?”
She tore her gaze from Uan’s extremely muscled back, which I couldn’t deny was a sight, and gave me a sheepish look.
“The best in a long while.”
“That’s good, Mom. Really good.”
She nodded, and I watched her shoulders lift and drop with a quiet exhale. She was still struggling. I knew she missed Dad and would always love him, just like she knew it was practical to look to the future instead of dwelling in the past. However, the heart often wanted what the head knew we couldn’t have.
Zach joined us after Uan already had a decent stack on the table. The meat I’d smelled was more dog food. He put patties of it on a plate next to the pancakes.
“Your mom said it isn’t something you like,” he said. “You don’t need to eat it, but it’s protein.”
I smiled and took a patty. It didn’t look half bad fried.
“Since I plan to go out again today, I’ll take the protein.”
Mom smiled at me, then we all dug in. It felt weirdly normal eating together. Like I could rinse my plate and go turn on the TV to watch the news kind of normal. I liked it and knew Mom and Zach did, too.
“Thanks for breakfast, Uan,” I said when I finished. “Pan-fried dog food patties will never be my favorite, but it’s way better than dog food soup.”
Uan grunted in acknowledgment, and I cleaned up my dishes before getting ready for the day. Zach was waiting for me by the front door when I emerged from my room.
“Be safe out there,” Mom said, watching us add our warm layers.
“Always,” I said. “We’ll bring back something good for dinner.”
We both kissed her cheek, waved to Uan, and left.
“Is it wrong of me to be looking forward to this?” Zach asked.
“Depends on why.”
He thought about it for a minute.
“Mostly because I’m doing something useful. But eating better is up there, too. And it’s crazy how much faster it goes with the fey’s help.”
“Is it safer, though?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“They don’t let humans go into the houses first. We mostly go in after everything’s been cleared. Ryan says they sometimes miss an infected, though. So, we can’t let our guard down, just like when we would go out for supplies before.”
It sounded like when I’d helped Richard with the farmhouse.
“Basically, we start gathering everything, and the fey pack it up and run it out,” Zach said. “It’s like we’re on teams. One human to about six fey. That’s how we get through so many houses so quickly.”
I was glad Zach had found his stride on the supply runs, but I couldn’t help feeling a little bitter that Thallirin was holding me back from being just as useful.
“Are we in trouble?” Zach asked quietly.
I looked up to see a fey standing in the middle of the road, waiting for us. In the dim pre-dawn light, I couldn’t see the face, but knew by the stance it was Drav.
“Morning, Drav,” I said when we drew close. “Something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. We rotate who goes on supply runs to ensure everyone rests. You will stay here today.”
His gaze didn’t once shift to Zach.
“Both of us or just me?” I asked.
“Just you.”
“What a bunch of—”
Zach grabbed my arm.
“How long does she need to rest?” he asked.
Drav frowned, and his gaze shifted to the right. I followed it and saw Thallirin lurking in the shadows. My temper flared, and if he’d been standing close, I would have broken another bow. As it was, I raged in silence for several long seconds before looking at Drav.
“I’ve lost all respect for you. Hope this bullshit move is worth it.” I turned to Zach. “You go ahead. Get as much as you can. We’ll need it in Tenacity.”
Zach nodded slowly and looked at Drav, then Thallirin, before jogging toward the wall.
I turned on my heel and marched back the way I’d come, seething that Drav and Mya would pull this after yesterday.