Page 38 of Lost in the Fog

“Gone. Their bodies wasted away. It is the one situation where I wish my skills weren’t needed.”

“How long have they been gone?”

“Twelve years. When they died, you fell.”

“Oh. Right. So, you have them?”

Ornolf nodded. “I have them. I have them and all the others who passed. It’s why I like the motorsports. It drowns out the voices.”

“Oh. Right. That makes sense. So, you can’t release them?”

“No, but when the next generation has children, the souls will go to their new homes and become new people.”

“Boy, the alphas who become omegas are in for a culture shock.”

He chuckled. “There is a reason that we are so well-versed in male and female arts.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.” He walked to the kitchen with her.

She looked around at the gleaming space and blinked. “Your cleaner is no joke.”

“She’s very efficient.” He chuckled. “Coffee? Tea? Other beverage?”

Gia smiled. “If a lemonade can be arranged, I would appreciate it.”

He nodded and went from a dark-complexioned man to an elf with midnight skin and pointed ears poking past his hair. He glanced at her. “Not surprised?”

“You remember the part when I said I was a disembodied spirit? I have seen dark Elite before.”

He went to the fridge and got some ice and a pitcher of lemonade.

“Was that there a minute ago?”

He turned and winked. His crimson eyes were sparkling with amusement. “I am not telling.”

“Because if you have a lemonade habit I should be aware of, it should have been in the prenup.”

“There wasn’t a prenup.”

“Dad must have been super upset.”

“He was, but he needed funds to keep the life support operating.” He poured her a glass and set it in front of her on the counter.

She touched the spot on her neck where the scar had been until it faded. “He let his business go and just kept dumping money into treatments that might wake me.”

“His finances have recovered now?”

“Yeah. The cash injection you provided helped, and both his accounts and yours are doing well now. All expenses have been replaced.”

He nodded. “My accountant is astonished that the money has begun to accumulate. Have you always had skills with money?”

“Yeah. It always came to me easily. It still does.” She shrugged and sipped the lemonade.

“Your first impulse was to make him whole.”

“Of course. He did something for me that no one else would. He kept me alive until I could pull myself together.”

---