“Uh, I don’t know.” Her head was pounding and she realized she was lying on a little cot, the sound of rain pattering against a tin roof above her. “Where am I?”
“The cabin in the clearing. It started to rain and you didn’t seem like you had any injuries after the explosion.”
“Explosion?” She tried to sit up too quickly and her head pounded harder.
“Lie back down,” Magnus insisted. “You were thrown far.”
She didn’t argue. Thunder rumbled and the sound of rain on the metal roof intensified. “I guess Finn and I were right about that storm.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty bad out there, but I called Finn and he said it’s not supposed to last long. When it clears, we’ll head back to Harmony Glen. Hopefully, before bits of me start falling off.”
“Are we outside your protection zone?”
Magnus nodded. “Yeah, but we needed shelter.”
As she studied him, she could tell he was a bit more solid than usual. The white was kind of grey. “How long before…”
“I rot?” he teased. “A while yet. Remember, I was in Tallowfield. It was the walk home after my truck broke down that kind of kept me away too long.”
“You can’t blame me for the truck thing,” she said gently.
“I don’t.” He grinned, baring his fangs. “Well, I did at the time, but then again, I thought it was some kind of weird revenge plot, so I was pretty much going to blame you for everything.”
She chuckled. “Thanks for that.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Her head stopped pounding and she slowly sat up, her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the cabin. “I guess this place has no electricity.”
“You’re correct.” Magnus glanced over his shoulder and then up at the ceiling. “I don’t know who owns it, but it sits just on the border of Harmony Glen and it’s sort of maintained as a basic shelter. Anyone is welcome to use it if needed. There are emergency rations, but if you use the rations, you have to return and replace them.”
“It seems like a smart idea.”
He nodded. “The rations look kind of old, by the way, so I really hope you’re not hungry. I’m a pretty good cook, but I’m not sure even I can save us from questionable canned peaches and beans.”
Mercedes’ stomach turned at the thought and she touched it. “I’m good.”
“I mean, I probably could…”
“No! There’s no need to experiment. I don’t want to acquaint myself with a rickety outhouse or a bush out back.”
He grinned again. “You don’t trust my cooking?”
“I didn’t say that, but even you said you didn’t want to experiment.” Another rumble of thunder seemed to shake the cabin. “I am curious about your cooking, though. Hetty keeps insisting on packing me a lunch, but I have to admit, the sandwich you made for Phineas looked kind of amazing.”
“Are you a vegetarian too?” Magnus asked.
“No, I ate roast beef that night at Hetty’s, but I like dill and vegetarian stuff too.”
“Right. So you did. And so do I. I’m an eclectic eater. I like…all things.”
The way he saidall thingsmade her body thrum.
Change the subject.
“Well, that’s good, seeing how you’re a chef.”
“True.”