Page 102 of Choosing Jenny
“Omen, you did the best you could,” Illiamor said, soothing the other woman. “Our deaths and the continuation of Illiapol is not your fault. As it stands, it is the fault of Justice Bateen, which means I want to live in the city that opposes him. We all do. We will stand with you when it comes time to fight him. But we need to be trained.”
Omen’s grin was fierce. “We can do that.”
They began to speak of training, and I tuned out the discussion when Jenny wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned her head on my chest. As the ghosts walked away, I looked down at my girlfriend. She looked happy and sad and tired all at once.
“What is it?” I asked her.
She led me to the room we were staying in and closed the door. “The ghosts are going to be okay now, and I’m glad for it, but…” I didn’t miss the waver in her voice, or the pained look in her eyes. “I can’t tell Sarah about Elizabeth and it’s making me crazy. Under any other circumstance, I would have already told her. I just…” She huffed and wrapped herself around me for a hug. “I can’t risk it. And I know she’ll hate me for not telling her…”
“It’s the right thing to do,” I assured her, kissing the top of her head. “Other than storming the palace and getting innocent people killed, there is nothing we can do about Elizabeth’s situation. Not until there is a solid plan in place.”
“At least he has her in the palace and not the royal prisons,” she said, still holding on to me tight. “Justice wouldn’t do that if he wanted to make her suffer or meant to torture her.”
“That is true,” I said, needing to believe it, as well. “You know what might cheer you up in the meantime?”
She lifted her head from my chest and looked up at me. “What’s that?”
“Watching Discord and Surge deal with Grass.”
That drew a laugh out of her. “Yeah, I don’t know what Surge was thinking, givinghera second chance. It’s weird, right? Letting her loose here on Halla where she can possess someone again?”
I shrugged. “He’s willing to forgive Sam—”
“Yeah, but that’s because he wanted to get in her panties.” She grinned up at me.
I chuckled. “Come on. Let’s go see what happens.” I took her hand in mine and led her back out to the main area of the manor. “Even if Surge forgives her, I know Discord won’t, and we might need to stop her from doing something that will piss off Surge.”
We found Surge, Discord, and Longshot outside nearCheesecake. The tiny magician grinned upon seeing us. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Discord glared at Jenny and didn’t hesitate to speak what was on her mind. “You swore you’d kill Grass the next time you saw her.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “I didn’t exactly have a bone knife on me on Orhon, Discord.”
“You have a death swear on a ghost, Jenny,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down her nose at her. “You should have a bone knife on you at all times.”
“Bone knives are illegal on pain of death on Orhon, Discord,” I interjected. “You can’t expect Jenny to carry one.”
Discord lifted her chin. “Why not? I carry two.”
I wasn’t sure how to argue that, so I didn’t.
“Discord, it doesn’t matter now,” Surge said, pulling a glowing egg out of the sack, the very last one of the bunch. “Grass is where she should be.”
He closed his eyes and a moment later, Grass’ ghost climbed out the top of the egg. Surge smiled at her. “So you’re the one who tried to kill me.” It was the first time he was seeing her face to face.
“You figured out that I possessed Jenny,” she said, a bit insolently. “What else was I going to do?”
“You could have talked to me. Negotiated. Something,” he said in a reasonable tone. “Instead, you slit my throat.”
“Come on,” Grass scoffed. “What’s a little arterial blood between friends?”
“You tell me.” Before any of us realized what Surge intended, he jammed a bone knife into her throat, then ripped it out the other side in one fluid motion.
Hoarsely, almost casually, Grass said, “Oh, well, that’s fair.”
Then she fell to the ground, gaseous black blood flowing out of her throat as she twitched and died.
Surge smiled, a satisfied gleam in his eyes as he wiped his knife clean.
