The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 5)

With most of the recruitment complete, we turned to battle strategy and have spent many hours in the library laying out our plans. Maddox scouted the area where Blain said the ritual would take place and found the clearing as described. We didn’t know the exact time the ritual would take place on October 8th—which was just three days away—but we were prepared to be set up well ahead of time and ready to fight.

Blain is safe and currently holed up in a ski chalet in Wyoming. Carrick pulled strings and favors and paid a lot of money, but Blain went on a private jet with a nurse and a psychologist who will stay with him until this is all over. The outcome will determine how he’ll return to society, but that’s not a worry for us now.

And the only other thing of interest—but I’ve kept my nose out of it—is that Zora and Maddox are still apparently knocking boots. I’ve caught him coming out of her room more than one morning, looking mightily pleased with himself.

It’s truly a no-strings type of thing because while I don’t know what happens in that bedroom between them, I know out of it they act as no more than casual friends. Half the time, they barely acknowledge each other.

It’s really kind of weird, to be honest, but if it works for Zora and she’s happy, that’s all that matters. She told me the other day while we were eating breakfast together that Maddox is a master at multiple orgasms, so I assume she’s happy. Carrick is a master as well, and I know it makes me happy.

At any rate, with the end of days possibly around the corner, our core group has decided to enjoy each other’s company as much as possible. Rainey put a halt on the finishing touches of the One Bean renovation, and Myles asked for an extended leave of absence from his job. Sadly, his boss wasn’t inclined to grant it since he’d just got back from his honeymoon but, happily, Myles had no qualms with quitting. His boss didn’t know it, but Myles knew that very soon the world could be a very dark place to live in and he intended to spend these potential last days with the people he loved, not coding software.

“It’s your turn, Myles,” Rainey says as she points at him with her wineglass in hand. She’s on her third glass, and some liquid comes dangerously close to sloshing out.

“Okay,” Myles says, who is actually sharing a couch with Rainey. They’re on opposite ends facing each other, legs entwined. He takes a long pull off his beer. After swallowing, he says, “I won’t miss unclogging toilets.”

I wrinkle my nose as I lift my glass in acknowledgment. “I agree.”

Rainey and Maddox give their affirmations.

And thus is the game we’ve been playing for the last half hour. We named it—What We Wouldn’t Miss About Our World If Kymaris Wins And Life As We Know It Is Over.

Our answers keep getting more stupid by the moment.

But the game has evolved as all eyes now turn to Zora where she informs us, “Toilets never clogged in the Underworld—magic, I guess—but we did have to use shared restrooms.”

The new, evolved game became known as, Was It Worse In The Underworld?

It was pretty fun, actually, because we got to learn more about where Zora came from. I’ve already learned so much by virtue of the time we’ve been spending together. For example, I already knew that each block of houses used a shared restroom and bath facility that was in the center of the block and out the back door of each house.

But to Myles and Rainey—and even Maddox, who has only been to the Underworld once to help us rescue Zora—many of these answers from her were super fascinating.

“Maddox’s turn,” Rainey says, nodding across the coffee table at the chair he was slouched down in.

“I got a good one,” he exclaims, tapping his finger on his beer bottle that he had resting on his thigh. “What was that freaky British kid’s show with those fat little colorful alien things with TV screens in their stomachs?”

My mind is blank, but Carrick’s rich and rumbling voice sounds from behind me. “Teletubbies?”

I crane over my shoulder to look at him in surprise. He winks at me even as he rubs at the back of his neck. He’s had a long workday.

“That’s it,” Maddox says with a grin. “Those little bastards are creepy as shit. I hope the demons eat them all up.”

We all laugh and then look to Zora. She shrugs, having no clue what Teletubbies are.

Carrick comes up behind my chair, puts his hands to my shoulders, and leans over to kiss the top of my head. “Zaid and Boral back yet?”