Page 92 of Seducing Jenny
Jenny Hollinger, former hippy barista, current conduit, and future intergalactic matchmaker.
CHAPTER 26
Mal
After more food and banwine than I had any right to consume before bed, we decided it was time to sleep. Once we ended up in my bedroom, though, I had other concerns.
“I’ll be back,” I told Tiger and Jenny. “I’m going to check on Surge, or I won’t be able to sleep.”
Jenny looked at me, concern in her eyes. “Well, maybe I should go with you.”
“No.” I tried to say it gently, though I wasn’t sure I managed. “I want to ask him about Sam without anyone else around, so he’ll be more open with me.”
“Got it. Come on, Tiger.” She took his hand and led him to my bed, while I dressed.
Before I left for the lab, I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread and some grinwin. The staff stocked it only for him. The rest of us couldn’t stomach the stuff. On my way, Iquietly knocked on Longshot’s door, before I cracked it open and peered inside. He wasn’t back from the palace yet. I sighed. There was no sense fretting over what might be happening to Longshot, so I continued to the lab. But my mind ran wild with scenarios anyway, and I didn’t like where any of my thoughts led.
When I reached the lab, I looked through the door window and smiled. The lights were low, but bright enough to see Sam seated and slumped against the side of the exam table where Surge slept.
Not wanting to startle Sam, I carefully opened the door. But it squeaked, waking them both.
She sniffed and lifted her head, her eyes a little bleary at first. “Mm, what?” Then she saw me. “Oh, Mal. You brought food?”
“Yeah, bread and grinwin.” I held them up. “I can grab something else for you if you’d like.”
“Why?” She took both, already tearing a piece of crust off and dragging it through the grinwin.
“Grinwin isn’t usually a—”
She took a big bite of it and sighed. “So good.”
Surge chuckled light-heartedly. “Hey you, share.”
She smiled sheepishly and passed some to him.
“Glad to see you have an appetite after everything,” I noted.
He gobbled a bite down, wincing slightly as he swallowed. “Yeah, and I hate to say it, but I could use some more blood.”
I nodded. “I’ll get Discord.”
Sam cracked her neck, clearly having slept at an odd angle. Surge looked at her in concern. “You need a bed.”
“No way.” She yawned, blinking through it. “I’m not leaving you here alone.”
“Mal’s here,” Surge pointed out gently. “Discord is about to be. I will be fine.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “I promise to be fine.”
Sam stroked his arm, and her words came out like she was quoting someone. “And magicians don’t break promises.”
“Exactly.” Surge’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and I was glad to see it. “Go on now.”
She nodded, then left the two of us.
“Thank you for sending her to me last night,” Surge said when the door closed behind her.
