Page 65 of Out of My Flocking Mind

“You already knew that, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I did. Still, I was wondering how long you’d make it. You know, I don’t usually step into human problems. I find them tedious and never worth the effort.”

“So why did you for me?”

“I wonder.” His words made me lift my gaze to find him smiling at me, the fondness in that look easing the sting of his words earlier. He could say whatever he wanted, but the truth was that he’d come forward and risked himself just to help me. It was hard not to feel at least a little charmed by that.

“Where are you now?” I asked, despite being pretty sure I knew the answer.

“Korea,” he acknowledged. “I like it here. It’s busy in the cities and the countryside is pretty. Besides, it’s hard to get good kimchi anywhere else.” His words sounded like the sort of things he always said, but they held an edge that worried me. It was in the way he glanced to the side, past me, as though looking for something.

Or someone.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

He brought his gaze back to mine before laughing and shaking his head. “You really were the right choice, you know that? Anyone else would know better than to come right out and ask but you? You just do whatever you want. I like that about you—at least, when you aren’t using it against me.”

“That’s a lot of words just to avoid answering what I’m asking.”

He blew out a breath, then set his chopsticks down on the napkin. “Let’s just say that I’m a bit more popular than I was before.”

I frowned as I thought about the meaning behind that. Knot tended to prefer staying vague and forcing me to figure it out myself. It started to come together, though, and I didn’t care for the picture it made. “You’re talking about the council, right? Are you saying you’re in trouble because of that?”

“I’m never in trouble, little crow, I am trouble. Also, yeah, I’m in a little trouble. I’ve kept my head down for a long time so no one bothered me. Now, though, the others are taking notice of me again.”

“The others?”

“You’ve already figured that much out—the other Old Gods. The ones who made the Spirits of your world. I’ve never been well liked, but since I kept my nose out of their business, they ignored me—if they even remembered me anymore. They probably figured I was dead.”

“But now they realize you aren’t?”

“Pretty much.”

“Has anything happened?”

“Not yet. I think they’re still just playing games. I can feel them around sometimes, so I keep moving.” He reached across the table and ran his thumb across my forehead, as though to smooth the lines out from there. “You look way too worried. This won’t fall on you, so don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried about it falling on me.”

He tilted his head, as though my words confused him, but didn’t remove his thumb from my forehead. “You are such a strange little human. You always do things I don’t predict. Are you telling me you’re worried about me? After I changed your life so much, after everything I’ve screwed up for you?”

“Of course I’m worried about you. We’re…” I paused when I had no idea how to finish that thought. What were we? Undeniably intertwined, sure, but beyond that?

I really had no fucking idea.

Knot chuckled, then stroked his fingers across my cheek before sitting back in his chair. “We are that. Don’t worry your pretty little head over me, though. I’ve lived a long time avoiding the others—I can avoid them longer. No one’s better at it than I am.”

“I was surprised that I didn’t hear from you after the council meeting. It’s been weeks.”

“Sorry. Each time we meet like this, though, it forms a connection. That’s risky.”

“So they could find you because of me?” I peered around as though I might catch the people following him in the shadows around us.

And do what exactly? We were talking about Gods. I was a big fan of knowing one’s own limitations, and that included me recognizing that I was far from equipped to deal with Gods. I was hardly equipped to deal with toddlers who missed their naps!

I turned back toward the man to find him staring at me with that same look from before, one full of confusion. “I didn’t not meet you because I was worried about them finding me.”

“Then why?”

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