Page 50 of Destined for Eternity
“We all do.” Bartol couldn’t argue there, except for his father. “But we don’t have a choice. Now grab a basket.”
“Fine.”
The nerou grabbed a small one he could carry in one hand while Bartol got a large shopping cart. Tormod was only going to buy a few snacks for himself, but Bartol needed to get quite a few things to fill the cupboards of his cabin so he and his father would have something to eat. They were suffering without Cori’s cooking.
They moved toward the fresh produce area. There was a woman there studying the selection of apples who looked up when they got near. Her expression turned stricken when she caught Bartol’s burn scars, and then she saw Tormod, whose eyes were once again glowing. He’d known this was going to be difficult, but it was even more so when their very appearance attracted attention. The woman looked ready to scream.
“Stop it,” Bartol said in a hushed voice.
Tormod threw his hands up. “I can’t help it!”
Giving his student a warning look, he moved to the woman and compelled her to ignore them. Her expression was happy and peaceful after that. Bartol turned back to the nerou and pointed a finger at him. “I can’t keep compelling every human who gets close to us. It’s a waste of energy and proves you’re not ready to go out into the world if you keep this up.”
He was supposed to report back to Jeriel after the trip was over to let him know how it went. Tormod had no idea he was being tested. It was a requirement that Bartol keep that part secret so they could see how the nerou behaved naturally in public. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t warn the young man to behave properly.
“Concentrate on the food and less on the people,” he instructed.
Tormod took a deep breath. The glow left his eyes, and his face relaxed several degrees. Now he appeared like the young man he should have been. “I’ll try.”
After grabbing potatoes and a few other vegetables, Bartol led the way to the meat section. He started studying the selection and noted Tormod doing the same. “You can’t cook any of this in your trailer at the compound.”
“Wanna bet?” The nerou lifted his hand and fire danced across his fingertips.
Bartol snuffed it out. They shared the ability to create and extinguish fire, but the nerou was still at the age where he liked to play with his gift more. “Don’teverdo that in public again.”
“It made her happy,” Tormod said, pointing at a smiling toddler riding in his mother’s shopping cart. Thankfully, the mother had been too busy studying the selection of pot roasts to notice the fire trick. “At least I don’t scare all kids.”
Bartol glared at his student. “One more stunt and we’re leaving. Do you understand?”
“Promise?”
Sometimes he felt like a father already. Would his child be this difficult while in a grocery store, especially if he or she inherited his fire ability? He couldn’t imagine, though he did look forward to finding out what sort of offspring he might produce.
He nudged the nerou forward. “The snack aisle is up ahead. Take what you want and try not to scare anyone or catch anything on fire.”
“You’re going to send me there alone?” Tormod asked, lifting his brows.
Bartol gripped the handle of his cart. “I need a moment away from you and will have to wish for the best.”
The nerou strutted away, his footsteps light-hearted. One could only hope that the lack of supervision would make him happier and better behaved. Sometimes with Tormod, it was his need to be defiant with his instructors that got him into trouble.
Bartol grabbed packages of hamburger meat and steak, then moved on to the dry goods. All the while, he kept his ears and eyes open for any trouble. No one screamed during that time, which was promising, and no fires broke out. Once he reached the dairy section, Tormod returned to him with a full basket. There were chips, cookies, and candy loaded inside.
“I had no idea there was so much junk food and sweets available,” he said, grinning. “I’d have asked you to bring me sooner if I’d known.”
Some of the nerou’s youthful appearance had finally returned.
Bartol chuckled. “See, humans have their uses. They’re the ones who invented all of that.”
“I suppose I could grow to like them then,” Tormod conceded.
The nerou were primarily restricted to the food prepared at the dining facility. They were the ones to cook it, but the nephilim did the shopping. Very little treats or snacks were ever brought into the compound, though some of the students got a taste if they had families who visited. Tormod had tried a few things while at his mother’s house or hanging out with Emily, but he’d never seen the full range of products.
“Do you even know what half of that is?” Bartol asked.
The nerou shrugged. “I’m willing to give it a shot.”
“Then if you want me to pay for it, you’d better be on your best behavior when we go through the checkout,” he warned.
