Daniel > Recent Status Updates

Okay ... so after two audiobook DNFs in a row, let's give this a listen. 😏

"I felt Nick die.” Laurel looked him over. “You were dead. What happened?”

Nick gestured toward me. “Ask him. He’s adding necromancy to his list of skills.”

“Okay, I didn’t hear you complaining when I literally brought you back from the dead. After all, I’m only the guy who has power over life and death. I mean, I don’t want to give anyone ideas, but I’m sure there have been cults built on less than that.”

Even as I spoke, a plan occurred to me. I must have made a face because Nick immediately said, “Whenever you get that look, I remember you don’t have a will or a trust set up.”

“Whenever I make this face, your immediate thought is estate planning?”

“Yes. Situations like this would be a lot less stressful for me if I knew you at least had legally given someone medical power of attorney.”

Ever lowered his long lashes, half obscuring his dark eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was achingly soft and small and young. “If it comes down to it, to protect everyone, to protect you… I will use whatever magic I must.”

“Ever—”

“I mean it. Whatever it takes.” He forced his gaze up. “I will protect you, and I will raze the entire fucking city to the ground to keep you safe.”

“Just like our third date.”

“Not at all like our third date. Our third date was that nice place on the ocean where we saw dolphins and shared dessert. That was our third date. Me rescuing you from a murder freezer was, at best, foreplay.”

“Kinky,” I said.

“No oath was broken. She did what she said she would. She showed me humanity’s true nature. You may not raise a hand against her.” I lifted the staff & brought it down with a thunderous sound that echoed through the thousand realms. Malus turned to me in a fury while she retreated to her throne, the smile on her face so satisfied that if she were a cat, I would’ve expected to see yellow feathers on her lips.

I moved to the door where I could watch the path to our clearing. I mind the time he came to the door with a big she-bear about two jumps behind him. It was a nip and tuck thing getting him in the door and keeping the bear out, and just having freshly mopped the floor, I was almost minded to shut the door and let them fight it out.

"All we want is the hide & tallow, not the whole bear!" I advised him.

FINALLY ...
starting to get interesting ...
at least ...
a little bit.

“Did I ever tell you I’m afraid of heights?” I said to Nick as we watched Avila and Zahide ascending.

“Are you?” Nick asked. “Really?”

“I could be! Do I need a doctor’s note or something? Can’t we just take it on faith?”

“Ferro!” Avila snapped from the apartment doorway. “Get up here or start on your report. Your choice!”

“I mean, if those are my only two options,” I muttered.

“In the past, I might have recognized wrongdoing but have felt cynical enough to dismiss it as the way of the world. But friendships change one’s perspective.” In ways that defied words. “It matters deeply to fight wrongdoing. Not just for friends, but also for those who can’t fight for themselves.”

“Seems the cynic may be turning into a sentimentalist.”

“Don’t hold your breath waiting,” retorted Wrexford.