Page 88 of Memories Like Fangs
“I’m going to make Byrd a handbag, rug, and fur coat from your pelt.” Quinn’s grip around the hilt of her blade tightened. If Everett felt the heat of her fury in her gaze, he didn’t show it, the fool.I swear this man has a death wish.
I decided to reason with someone who seemed more rational. “Thompson, my future favorite guncle, how did he rope you into this?”
Teddy shrugged. “I’m a morning person.”
My eyes narrowed on him. “I take back what I just said. You’re a fucking traitor.”
“I’ll give you both ten minutes before I come back and start getting creative with getting you out of bed. If you get up now, you might make it outdrythis morning,” Everett said. He stayed long enough to see my eyes widen at his threat. His chuckle lingered in the room long after he left with Teddy, closing the door behind him.
I groaned. Begrudgingly, I went to get out of bed, but I was yanked back down with a squeal by Quinn’s thick, muscular arm. She held me close against her with her panty-dripping, deep voice hot in my ear. “Don’t fall for it. We are stronger than him and can take him out together.”
I giggled. “I do kind of like him when he isn’t being a fucknut.”
“Mhmm,” Quinn practically purred in approval. “Youdohave a mouth on you when you are woken up abruptly.”
“If we had more time, I could show you what this mouth could do, especially when I’m feeling this feisty.” I wiggled my ass against her teasingly before getting out of her hold and sitting up in bed. “But, we had better get dressed. Eevee is actually pretty good at his threat-follow-through.”
Quinn groaned loudly as she sat up, too. “The first chance I get, I’m beating his ass.”
“I’m totally fine with that.” Then, I tilted my head. “Wait, I thought you were a morning person, too?”
“I am areasonablemorning person. I can handle getting up after nine AM. Before then? Everything can get fucked.”
“Hey, the best part about this is finding out how sexy you sound this early in the morning when you are so angry.”
Chuckling, we both got up and dressed then. I put on a bright lavender sports bra and leggings set with a light black jacket and sneakers. After attaching her daggers to her calves, Quinn pulled on a pair of joggers and a sleeveless tank over her sports bra. Her massive arms were on full display, and I felt grateful that at least I had this beautiful specimen of a woman coming with me to deal with Everett’s tomfoolery. Clarkson followed behind us as we left the room.
We arrived in the living room just in time to see Teddy teleport multiple full duffel bags somewhere. He passed me and Quinn full bottles of ice water.
I raised my eyebrows. “Excuse me, were thosebagsof equipment that you just sent off? What in the unholy fuck shit are we doing?”
Everett’s smile was mad and feral. “Oh, you are going toloveit. It’s going to be so glorious.”
“I have a feeling that I will neither love it nor find it glorious. Can you just tell me what we are about to do, please? While you’re at it, can you tell me for real why it couldn’t wait until normal business hours?”
Some of Everett’s amusement dissipated from his eyes for a moment. His voice even lost some of its mirth and teasing as he spoke. “I’m going to teach you how to fight, kiddo. You are long overdue to learn, honestly. I know me and your father taught you the basics, but you need to be more prepared. Especially if you have two hunters after you. You have to hone your dragon’s instincts to use them to your advantage, and you have to be ableto take on anyone with and without your dragon as the situation calls for it. It’s too dangerous these days, and I can’t risk losing you when I could have given you some tools to survive.”
My throat constricted as my heart squeezed. I had to blink back tears. I understood and appreciated his intentions. He was right. I should learn how to fight in all my forms. I needed to be able to not just fight Lilah and Cooper in defense, but to take her out entirely. I hadn’t given her much of a passing thought over the past few days since I had gotten home, probably since she had consumed so much of my waking moments before. I had to start thinking of how I would take her out and ensure she couldn’t hurt anyone else like she had hurt me. Plus, I couldn’t deny how much I wanted to make her suffer for everything she had done to me. I didn’t care if it made me a monster. It was killing two birds with one stone as far as I was concerned. As much as I hated being up this early, it had valid reasons. Quinn’s agreement flowed through our bond, too.
“Now, we have a lot to cover.” Everett straightened, but his teasing tone returned. “So, let’s go.”
It rarely snowed in Georgia outside of the mountains near Tennessee. Even then, that wasn’t a guarantee every year, and it was often just a light dusting.
But, there’s a point here leading into January when the December snowfall feels like it still could surprise you. The clouds filling the sky are so close to white that they are blinding. The trees are bare and waiting with open arms for snow and ice to coat their branches. Corpses of autumn leaves lay upon the ground, begging to be blanketed in white. The humidity has achill to her that my mom would call “nippy,” and it was hard to find a more accurate description of her bite along your skin. It’s like winter is mad that she can’t be herself here, so she takes it out on you with little love nibbles. She can’t go full force, but she can be optimistic that one day she can release her magic and let it go upon the land because there’s always a chance that she might let it snow at last. I loved autumn, but I also loved winter. There was so much magic in the crisp air. I would miss it especially when spring and summer hit, tainting everything with heat and pollen.
All around, it was still dark from the night as the sun hadn’t risen yet. The sky was only beginning to brighten from black to more of a navy blue, and the trees overhead were dark shadows against the blue. I had to admit there was something to being awake this early before most people and even nature were. The air was energizing with a lungful of it. It was delightful enough to make giggles bubble up in my chest. I kind of felt like a badass warrior in a young adult dystopian book about to take the government down.
“I told you it’s great being up this early!” Everett, always able to read me so well, must have noticed my soft smile as he ran backward beside me.
“Get fucked, Everett.”
“Hey, I know I’m right. That’s all I need.” He smiled smugly.
My tail surfaced from my tattoo and materialized behind me above the waistband of my leggings. With expert precision, I held it just behind his ankles out of his eyesight. He tripped and landed on his back with a loudoof. Clarkson, who had been running far ahead, circled back around to sniff him and lick his face, making him elicit a sound of disgust. As my tail disappeared in a flurry of colorful glitter, I snickered breathlessly. “Now,that’swhat I needed.”
Quinn laughed from next to me. “And here I thought getting to see your fine ass while you ran was enough to make this whole thing worth it. I love it when you prove me wrong.”
I laughed.
