Tanith was sprawled upside down on the couch in Grimwood House, head hanging off the cushion, long blonde hair pooling on the carpet, half a marshmallow in her mouth, and a dagger flipping lazily through her fingers.
“I’m just saying,” she mumbled, voice thick with powdered sugar, “if Ghastly wanted to kiss me, he would have done it by now.”
Valkyrie didn’t look up from where she was sitting cross-legged in front of her, slowly roasting a marshmallow over the flame in her palm. “He probably thinks you’ll stab him if he tries.”
Tanith raised a brow. Or at least she would have, if gravity wasn’t pulling her face into a mockery of expression. “I might. But that’s part of the charm.”
“You’re terrifying.” Valkyrie said.
“Awh, thank you.” Tanish grinned.
The marshmallow caught fire, and Valkyrie blew it out without blinking before popping it into her mouth. Tanith flicked her fingers in a silent demand, and Valkyrie rolled her eyes but grabbed another marshmallow, conjuring another flame in her palm to toast it.
“You’re lucky I don’t make you roast your own,” she muttered.
“I toast souls in battle, Val. I shouldn’t have to toast snacks in my downtime.”
Then, with all the grace of someone who held no regard for her spine, Tanith rolled off the couch and hit the carpet with a dramatic thud. “You know what your problem is?”
“Here we go.” Valkyrie groaned, popping the marshmallow in Tanith’s open mouth.
“You’re too emotionally constipated for your own good,” She continued through a mouthful of sugar. “You deflect everything. Feelings? Jokes. Compliments? Jokes. Skeleton partner spiralling into existential dread? Jokes.”
Valkyrie leaned back on her hands, head tilted. “Are you trying to psychoanalyse me while eating marshmallows and playing with a knife?”
“I’m multi-tasking.” Tanith grinned. “Also, I’m right.”
Valkyrie didn’t answer, just tossed the bag of marshmallows at her face.
Tanith caught it one-handed and poured a few straight into her mouth. “You ever talk to him? Properly, I mean. Skulduggery.”
“About what?”
“You know what” Tossing another marshmallow up and catching it with her mouth. “All the... death and betrayal and vaguely godlike powers tearing your soul apart.”
Valkyrie picked a piece of lint off her pyjama pants. “We fight side by side. That’s talking.”
“That’s war. Different thing.”
Outside, the wind howled against the high stone walls of Grimwood House. Inside, the room smelled like old leather, smoke, and sugar.
“I’m not good at... unpacking stuff,” Valkyrie finally said.
Tanith didn’t look surprised. She just nodded and leaned back on her elbows, eyes flicking to the ceiling. “That’s okay. You don’t have to unpack it. Just don’t bury it so deep you forget it’s there.”
“That some kind of mystical monk wisdom?”
“That’s ‘I was tortured by a friend possessed by a Remnant’ wisdom.”
“Touché.” Valkyrie surrendered.
Tanith smiled, small and real this time. “Besides, you’re better than you think you are.”
Valkyrie arched a brow. “You’ve eaten six marshmallows and you’re getting soft on me.”
“Shut up,” Tanith said, chucking the empty bag at her head. “I’m trying to have a moment.”
“You’re failing.”
“I said I’m trying.”
They both laughed, and for a moment, the world outside Grimwood, the wars and monsters and gods and broken people, felt very far away.
