Page 39 of Choosing Jenny
“Yeah, but you brought me tea and food to soften the blow,” I said with a smile.
She laughed. “I suppose I did.”
I exhaled a long breath. “Thanks for the talk.”
“Thanks for not biting my head off for sticking my nose in your business."
I chuckled. “I could never be mad at you.”
She arched a brow as she absently rubbed her belly. “I never thought you’d be mad at Jenny or Mal, either, so—”
“That’s different.”
“I know.” A perceptive look shone in her eyes. “You three aren’t united and I don’t know if that’s where you may end up, but you should know that I consider you to be a part of my family. So if you ever need to be mad at me, that’s fine. You can try to tell me to mind my own business, but it won’t work, because I’ll always try to help you. That’s what family does.”
Her words clutched at my heart. “You mean that?”
“Of course. That’s even if you and Jenny aren’t together anymore. Jac considers you a part of his family, which makes you a part of mine.” She stood up. “Now, I need to say goodbye to everyone going on the trip to get the pearls, so—”
I blinked at her. “Wait, what?”
“Surge, Sam, and Omen are going to Omen’s brother’s house to see if he knows where to find Halla Pearls. Gram Skir is a procurer of sorts. Omen believes that if anyone would know where they are, it’s him.”
I pushed to my feet, too. “I want to go.”
“I don’t believe they need more help, Tiger.” She tipped her head. “Why not stay here and straighten things out with Jenny and Mal?”
I closed my eyes for a few moments, trying to sort through the jumble of emotions still tightening my chest. “I still need time and space to think. If I talk to them now…”
“It’ll go badly?”
“I’m just not ready to see them yet,” I admitted. “Is that wrong?”
“No,” she said, touching my arm. “Sometimes the hurt feels too raw to face the people who caused it. So if you need more time, then take it.”
“What ship are they taking to Gram’s place?”
“Jenny told them to takeCheesecake, since she’s faster than our ships.”
“Perfect, I’ll drive,” I said, welcoming the distraction.
I followed her out to the front yard, where Surge and Sam were speaking with Omen Ayext. She was the head of Sarah’s silverguard, as she was the first conduit ghost who’d chosen to follow Sarah. Not to mention, Omen was a stone cold badass. She wore the same gray robes as the other conduits in the silverguard, but that was nearly all they had in common physically.
She was transparent, like all ghosts, but stronger than most. She could solidify when she focused her power, which gave her the ability to occasionally touch those around her. Curvier than even Silence, I understood why Jac used to sleep with her, back when she was alive. She was cousins with Deacon’s pilot, Drift, but they weren’t particularly close.
I wondered if there was anyone aside from Sarah who she deemed worthy of closeness. Omen had a hardness to her that I never understood and I knew better than to ask about it. I’d once watched her take down two traitorous conduits in a single strike. Omen Ayext was not someone to trifle with.
I smiled at the trio and asked, “Room for a pilot?”
Surge smiled back. “That would take the pressure off of me, so yes, please.”
Sam frowned. “Are you sure we need more people for this mission?”
Surge patted her hand. “Tiger is an excellent pilot, and I’ll get to spend more time with you, so there’s that.”
Sam gave a small smile, but it didn’t seem to quite reach her eyes. “Okay. Great.”
Omen nodded her head as an acknowledgement of me. “Good to have another pair of hands for this. My brother trusts you in particular, and since Jac couldn’t make it, I’m glad you’re coming along.”
