Page 114 of Choosing Jenny
“Good luck, Ruler,” Mal said, because it was expected. “Always.”
The monitor blacked out.
Before I could erupt with questions for my loves, Longshot grinned at Mal and said, “What a shame it’s the rainy seasonhere in Yesanol, and none of the fires took hold out in the yesanosh fields.”
Mal let out a low laugh. “You read my mind.”
Then he turned to Jenny and me. His eyes—gods, his eyes—were brighter than I’d seen them in days. They burned with purpose. With joy. And something else that wrapped around my ribs and tugged hard.
“To my betroths,” he said, making it official. “Let’s go home.”
The wordhomehit me like a jolt. I hadn’t had one of those in a long time. Not until Mal. Not until Jenny. Not until they looked at me likethisand called me theirs.
Emotion caught in my throat. I tried to speak but couldn’t, so I just reached for their hands instead. One in each of mine. Their fingers closed around my hand like they’d always belonged there. And for the first time in my life, I knew exactly whereIbelonged.
With them.
CHAPTER 37
Jenny
We parked at the underground hangar at Mal’s estate and walked through the woods toward the mansion.
Longshot glanced at me. “I am afraid I will not be able to train you, Jenny. Not for some time yet, given my assignment from Justice to hunt Buster down.”
I gave him an understanding nod. “Yeah, I sort of figured that out already. What will you do when you get to Poscou? A wild goose chase?”
Longshot tipped his head at me, his eyes flickering with confusion. “A wildwhatchase?”
“Goose,” I clarified. “You know. The bird…you don’t have geese here, do you?”
He shook his head. “No, but I assume you mean you are asking my intent with the hunt for Buster?”
I smiled at him. “Exactly.”
His smirk was slight, but held a bit of danger. “At this time of year, Poscou is regularly abandoned by most of the population due to its deadly seasonal firestorms. Entire cities empty out. So when I request Justice’s most vicious soldiers, ones I’d rather not face on the battlefield later, they’ll be reassigned to my hunt.” His eyes glittered deviously. “Then the firestorms will handle the rest and it will be a great loss for Justice.”
I grinned and bumped him with my shoulder. “I always liked you, you murderous fiend.”
“I have always been fond you, as well, you murderous fiend-in-training,” he said, his tone surprisingly affectionate. “Take care of Rhonda for me?”
“She won’t be going with you?” I asked, surprised he’d leave her behind.
“I am afraid not. Poscou is no place for a strigella. Her scales attract too much attention from predators there. Strigella have been extinct on Poscou for over eight hundred years.”
My eyes widened. “Sounds like a rough place.”
He smiled happily. “It is.”
We said our goodbyes at the mansion’s patio terrace where we usually took our brunch. After he left, Vine delivered a spread of food. “Thought you might be hungry, since you were out all night.”
We were starved, and we dug in.
Once we’d eaten a few bites, Discord spoke. “Surge is not the only one who needs a break,” she announced. “I’m going to Ostinerr.”
Tiger gasped and Mal cursed. “What the fuck for?”
“What’s in Ostinerr?” I’d never heard of the place.
