Page 49 of The Buck Stops Hare

“I didn’t do shit,” I choked, pulling his arms to me as I turned and wrapped him in my embrace.

“You did well. Eve and I have work to do, and I’ll bear the debt of this for you.” Grim’s jaw tightened as Eve swept in and took his hand. “Whoever did this will die.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Buck

I woke to the sound of someone’s errant rooster crowing to the skies to ward off other roosters and likely attract the attention of any predator in a five-mile radius.

Opening my eyes, I sat up and turned to the edge of the bed, letting my bare feet hit the floor. I leaned forward and scrounged around for my hat, the only thing I ever truly wore. I loved that hat and it fit me perfectly, not that I couldn’t change that on a whim—but I’d know. I liked it the way it was, the way I was.

I sighed and glanced at our bedroom clock and shied away when I caught a reflection of myself in a framed photo of Jacque. The eyes that stared back at me were not the green I’d known for so long, but that depthless blue. Almost taunting me, like River was judging me.

Even in a state of renascence, he had the ability to mock me unerringly. And whatever I owed him once he returned to power would besubstantial. Favors among gods were not cheap.

Like most mornings when we were in Storm’s lands, our lands these days, Cliff had risen early to tend to his online studies, bundled in too many blankets while staring fixatedly at a screen. Despite all that he was learning, he gained the ability to manipulate and sense without all the fancy education. He needed the degree for human purposes and paperwork though. Some sort of marker of achievement.

I shuffled through our bedroom and into the small living room where his dark-rimmed eyes reflected the blue-cast glow from the depths of too many blankets. A sharp click and tap from his keyboard were the only evidence I had he was conscious. “Morning, sexy.”

Cliff grunted in response and blinked slowly. The slight drone of a voice from his computer told me his focus was needed elsewhere. Something about basalt stone…what they’d made temples to me out of. The scent of it lingered about him at times and it made me nostalgic for times long forgotten.

“Want some cereal or breakfast?” I scrounged around in the kitchen and stared at the empty egg skelter. I needed to visit the communal run and check on the chickens, bless them a little. And by bless them, I would probably just make sure the soil and grit around them was high in calcium for their eggshells, rich in diatomaceous earth to keep parasites away, and tainted with just enough sulfur to deter snakes. Though, I found myself less interested in these chickens than I did Storm’s. Pecker made things far more entertaining.

“Orange juice. Leftover Chinese in the fridge.” His low grumble caught my attention and I nodded, thankful I didn’t need to go get eggs. “Both cold, please.”

I glanced over at him as Jacque peeked out of his blankets and blinked at me.

“Salad?” I asked the hare.

Gimme salad, bitch!

His thoughts mirrored his sound board, which we’d changed recently due to the frequency in which we found Hail and Clay running about. He jogged over as the button said, “Gimme salad, please!”

He grunted at the button and barked at it, as if he no longer approved of the message.

He analyzed his little buttons and hopped over to smash themadbutton to punctuate his point, and followed me into the kitchen.

As he’d asked, I pulled out a few containers of Chinese food left over from the day before and stuck a spoon in one of them before juggling a glass of orange juice with it. When Isat it down on the table beside him, he grumbled a thanks and Jacque, having found an opportunity with the fridge door open, dove into the produce bin to chow down with little grunts of happiness.

When I returned, he gave me a wall-eyed stare, mouth cycling through a dwindling kale leaf.

“Beats your daddy’s breakfast.” I stared the creature down and found it quite amusing that I had stooped to conversing with a neurologically damaged lapin.

“Dude, it’s finals. I eat myself silly and be sick until my grades come back, though I know I’m all B’s and an A.” He sighed heavily and leaned back while I filled Jacque’s bowl.

“We’re heading out in an hour for the test, correct?”

“Yeah, and getting the last of my stuff from Mrs. Pemberlin’s apartment.” He chewed his thumbnail nervously. The pod had already been delivered for his things as a gift from his brother. Cliff wasn’t as financially savvy or flush, it seemed. It didn’t matter though. He had ambition and we had followers that would, at least, make sure we always had what we needed so long as they had what they cared for.

“Of course. I’ll work on it while you’re at school.” I gave him a wide smile and let him continue to study his recorded lectures while I made sure Jacque was fed. Inundated with something of Cliff’s power made him remarkably tolerant to our way of travel. “You can take her car once you get there, right?”

He nodded and sighed, leaning back as the mountain of blankets slid down his shoulders. After a deep breath, he flopped over and threw an arm over his face, sighing. “I just wanna naaaaap.”

“You can nap after you take your test, and I know you’ll do well.” I chuckled as he groaned and flopped back onto the couch, creating an open spot for Jacque to run up and settle on his lap before stretching out.

Baby.

“Yeah, that’s right. You’re my baby.” Cliff groaned, and Jacque nuzzled into his chest and stomach before thumping his back legs on his lap.

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