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

I swoop in to diffuse things. “How about I give you a tour of the condo? Just me and you,” I add, so she knows the whole gang won’t be following.

She nods gratefully.

Turning to glance at my friends gathered in the kitchen, I suggest quietly, “Give us some time.”

The tour of the condo doesn’t take long, despite the enormous size. I start down in the secret library, explaining mostly about Carrick being a demi-god and what that means. Her knowledge of things outside the Underworld is somewhat limited, although I can tell Amell has told her some things over the years.

For example, in the library, she pulls a book from a shelf—written in English—and starts reading a few paragraphs. “Amell taught me,” she explains, and then shocks me further. “I’m fluent in four other languages.”

Which maybe shouldn’t be shocking. I imagine there’s not a lot to do to occupy the time in the Underworld.

We avoid the kitchen on the rest of the tour since everyone is waiting there. As one might expect from someone who lived underground their entire life, Zora is captivated not by the luxuries inside Carrick’s condo, but by the views outside. It’s a fortuitously sunny day, and the Puget Sound sparkles like diamonds. The sky is clear and blue without a cloud in sight. From the southern part of the condo, I point out Mt. Rainer in the distance.

“We can go out soon to explore the city,” I say, her wondrous sighs at what she sees outside the windows exciting me. I’m sure Carrick will call it unwarranted and dangerous, but I’m not missing out on showing my sister everything.

“Let me show you the rest of the condo,” I say, then lead her around the perimeter. I take her to see the bedroom I share with Carrick, Maddox’s room, the man cave, and the other guest bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms before ending up in the suite I had occupied before moving into Carrick’s room.

“You and I wear the same size clothing,” I explain after we enter, pulling open the closet doors. Before we left, I had put half of my clothes in here for her. “These are all yours to wear, and we can shop for more.”

Zora barely spares them a glance, poking her head into the bathroom. I don’t have it in me to satisfy my curiosity just now as to what her bath facilities were like, but I take great joy in showing her how the shower, bath, and toilet work.

When she follows me back into the bedroom, I turn to her with an eager smile. “What would you like to do first? Want something to eat? Want to go out and explore? The Space Needle is a must for any visitor. Oh, I know… a spa day. We should do a spa day together.”

Zora frowns in confusion, and I’m sure I’m speaking what must be akin to a foreign language. “Actually,” she says in a detached voice. “I think I’d just like to be alone for a while. This is a lot to take in.”

Guilt flushes through me as I realize I’m throwing way too much at her too fast. My zeal and excitement to have my twin here is overshadowing the fact that my sister might be slightly traumatized by her sudden change in circumstances. I need to back off, but I’m sure as hell not leaving her alone.

Smiling apologetically, I step forward slowly and take her hands in mine. I can feel her instinct to jerk back, but I hold tight. “I’m sorry. This has got to be incredibly overwhelming to you, and I’m not doing a good job at easing you into things. So let’s slow down a bit.”

“Maybe after I rest a bit—”

“I’m not leaving you, Zora,” I admonish, then lead her over to the bed. “We can talk. Get to know each other. Or we can sit here in silence while you absorb things. But you’ve been alone far too long, and that’s one thing I’m not budging on.”

“You’re going to stay by my side indefinitely?” she asks, one beautifully shaped and pale white eyebrow cocked.

“Not indefinitely,” I reassure her with a chuckle. “But for the next few hours. Let’s just talk, okay? And we can talk about whatever you want. No pressure at all.”

I point to the bed. “Pop a squat.”

Zora’s eyebrows knit in confusion.

“Here,” I exclaim as I move around the bed. “Like this.”

I hop on the bed, fluff a pillow up against the headboard, and lean back against it. Stretching my legs out, I cross them at the ankles and pat the space beside me. “Come sit.”

She’s not as exuberant in popping her squat, but she manages to settle herself up against the headboard, clasping her hands together on her lap as she looks around the room. “Are these typical living conditions?” Zora asks.