Page 49 of The Grip of Death
That chapter was over. I couldn’t be happier to close that particular book. And speaking of books, it looked like SEER had thrown the book at Gertrude Goodness. Several books, in fact. Positively buried her.
Xander and I came downstairs after we’d gotten dressed, surprised to find a newspaper sitting on the kitchen counter. We didn’t have a subscription. Lore must have picked one up special so we could see the headline. Perfectly petty of him. I highly approved.
“BELOVED MASTER BAKER BETRAYS THE BLACK MARKET,” the headline shouted in huge, sensationalist letters. Accompanying the article were two photos, two versions of Gertrude Goodness: her familiar smiling face, and her grimacing SEER mugshot.
It was what she deserved. Gertrude truly must have believed that Titania would have a place for her in their new world order. They probably would have ended up killing each other, anyway.
Lore, it seemed, had already recovered from the blow of Gertrude’s betrayal. He knew he was worth every drop of his natural culinary talent, and we were sure to remind him at every opportunity.
“Amazing breakfast, Lore,” I called out. “Thank you!”
“Oh, that was nothing,” he trilled back from a whirlwind of tentacles and pots and pans. “You should see what I’m making for lunch. Actually, don’t do that. Stay right there. Go deal with your mountainous pile of gifts.”
As if I would say no to that.
“We should get married again,” I told Xander. “Just for the presents.”
He laughed. “As long as you organize it this time.”
A generous number of our guests had decided to gift us little envelopes of cash. Or gold coins, as in the case of the high fae nobles of the Summer Court. I didn’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed, but Xander and I were happy to take anything to augment our flagging savings. Getting married was expensive, even with so many of our friends pitching in.
The largest sum of money, however, had come from Edric and Wilhelmina Wright themselves. I almost fell off the couch when Xander showed me the check.
“They gave ushowmuch?”
Xander sighed. “Oh, it’s honestly a little embarrassing. Mother and Father probably think I’m wanting for money because of the wedding and — well, because I am, technically, unemployed.”
I stabbed a finger against the check. “I ask you again. Is this real? This has to be a prank.”
He shrugged. “It looks like we can cash it at the Convent of Infinite Sorrow, or maybe open a new account? It’ll be a good nest egg, in any case. A fine start.”
“A start?” I squeaked. “I could build an amazing version of the Gauntlet with this. Twelve amazing versions, even.”
He snatched the check away. “Hey, now, that’s supposed to be for both of us. It’ll help with the bills while I think about what to do with myself. Maybe get a teaching job at Grayhaven. Wouldn’t that be so funny? Me, a professor.”
I blinked at him, sensing the sincerity through his humor. “I think you’d be very good at it, actually. You really should consider it. You’d be the sexiest professor in Grayhaven history.” I grabbed my package and jiggled it for emphasis. “I’ll bring you an apple each day. These apples.”
Xander squinted. “Those aren’t apples.”
“My bad. I meant these nuts.”
“You’re so gross.”
“But you love it. You married me, after all.”
Xander laughed as he shoved me playfully in the shoulder. He went back to sorting our little cash envelopes. He didn’t mention the professor thing again, but I could tell he was thinking about it. I thought it was a fabulous idea. I could put aword in with Hecate — or was it Madame Catherine Grayhaven? — not that Xander needed my endorsement.
And speaking of Madame Hecate, the Grayhaven goddess of magic had gone out of her way to get us a very special wedding gift. I picked up the note, goggling at the contents of the box.
“‘They’ll only work if you wear them together. A pair of wings for our favorite lovebirds.’ Dude. This is wild!”
Xander held up the matching pairs of bright white sneakers. One pair had a wing attached to the left shoe, the other pair had a wing on the right. My boots of hovering — that was what Hecate meant! We probably needed to embrace or hold hands to fly with them. So cheesy. So damn cute.
“This is so awesome. How did she even know our size?”
I shrugged. “Magic goddess, remember? Oh, there’s something else written on the back. ‘Hermes will be very cross when he realizes these are gone. Enjoy.’”
Xander rolled his eyes and groaned. “Of course there was a catch.”
