Page 25 of The Gathering Storm

“I mean it.”

“I danced with two women in one night. Any other time you’d be congratulating me.”

“Any other time, I wouldn’t worry about your being in the middle of an epic catfight.” Ethan lifted the weighted bar off its supports and lowered it slowly to his chest. His breath hissed out steadily as he raised it high again. “Speaking of catfights, it’s been a while since we’ve had an exhibition.”

“School has one every month.”

“For the kids, yeah. What about for us? Grown men need to vent their aggression on a regular basis.”

Will grinned down at his cousin. “Is that your way of saying you want to have a go at Levi for stealing Serafina away from you?”

Ethan’s muttered curse ended in a huff as he finished his first set. “Just set one up. It’ll take all our minds off what’s going on.”

“Yeah, and help settle the restless natives, too.”

Will and Ethan exchanged positions. Will worked through half his reps, then said, “How’s the hospital doing on medical supplies?”

Ethan arched an eyebrow at Will. “I hadn’t planned on drawing blood when I dragged Levi onto the mat.”

Since Levi had just married his pretty little mortal, there was a good chance Ethan would be the one bleeding at the end of any fight between the two men, sanctioned or not.

Will shrugged off the possibilities, finished his reps, and set the bar back in its support. Ethan could take care of himself, the same as any Son, though most shied away from pursuing another Son’s woman. Nobody wanted a war with another family, especially when that other family included a Daughter like Hawthorne the Beheader, a newly appointed member of the Council of Seven. Will’s grandmother would feel duty bound to intercede on behalf of her long dead sister, Ethan’s ancestress. Since Anya was also a member of the People’s ruling body, the rift between her and Hawthorne could tear the People apart, just when they most needed to unite.

Will sat up and shook the faint muscle burn out of his arms. “We’ve got a lot of new faces in town.”

“Including one of the Daughters you danced with.” At Will’s even glance, Ethan shrugged. “Small town.”

“Yeah, well, we’re liable to get a huge influx of new faces into that small town over the next few weeks.”

“Rebecca’s been talking to you, too, huh?”

“Yeah. So, about those medical supplies.”

“We’re working on it.”

“Let me know if you need help stocking up or finding a place to store stuff. I may want you to go over the supplies stored at the Archives, too, and you might want to think about stocking up on blood, if you can.”

Ethan stilled, his expression suddenly serious. “It’s that bad?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Though in his gut, Will was beginning to feel the storm gathering around them. “Never hurts to be prepared.”

“I’ll second that.”

They finished their workout and arranged to meet early Monday afternoon for a game of one on one at the Rec Department’s gym in Tiger, south of Clayton. Will wiggled a promise out of Ethan to drop by The Omega that night, then he headed home and got ready for work, his body loose, his mind clearer than when he’d first awoken.

The morning after her dance with Will, Sigrid rose well before her usual waking time and grumbled into a steaming hot cup of coffee. What had gotten into her of late? He was just a man, like the many she’d had before, no more or less important than any other, and that’s exactly what had kept her sane through her centuries-long life.

He’d seemed reluctant.

She sighed and rubbed gritty eyes with her fingers, then plodded into her bathroom and set her coffee mug on the counter next to the sink. The problem here wasn’t Will. It was her strategy. Obviously the few days she’d needed to sort through her own intentions had driven a small wedge between them and cooled his ardor. That was in the past now and couldn’t be helped, but doubt remained in her mind over which path to take. Push him to accede to her demands, or give him time to grow accustomed to her?

So many doubts, where none had ever before dwelt.

She shook them off, twisted her hair into a knot. An itchy restlessness remained, crawling under her skin. It was almost as if she were girding for battle. That’s what the feeling reminded her of, only in this instance, the stakes weren’t her death or Will’s, but their possible future.

It sounded so permanent when she thought of it in that manner.

Work. That would distract her from these useless ruminations. Focusing on another task, an important one, would give her the distance she needed to cultivate a clear, objective view of the situation with Will. It was Saturday, true, and he expected her at The Omega later that evening, but until then, she needed to burn off the restless energy plaguing her.

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