I came through to the bright sudden sound of Selena's laughing. She was smiling, and it reached her eyes. My brows rose at her as I turned the corner with two coffees and a tea very carefully balances in my hands. As she saw me she leant away from the doorway and quickly moved to try to help me and take one of the mugs.

“Sorry I'm not laughing at your story. At all. Or about your mum,” her face fell and she blinked. “Sorry. It's just … well I think it seems we're both lost cases. I'd love it if my father was dead too. Yours sounds as much of a douche as mine is.” Then she glanced back to me. “Morté, not you.”

I just shook my head wearily, confused but it seemed that this was the way with Selena. Coming further into the room I held out the other coffee to Kora. Then I remembered it was a tea and held that out instead

“Glad I've not annoyed you enough yet,” I muttered, and gave Kora an apologetic look.

She graciously accepted it with a smile and even gifted me with a playful wink. Her dark gaze went back to Selena, she took a timid sip of her tea before speaking. “Nah I don’t wish him to die, just suffer a little. Maybe have his dick fall off or have him trampled by a herd of wildebeest.” She giggled at the last part before taking another sip of her tea.

“Ohhh,” Selena suddenly looked excited, “can we do that to Morté?”

I shrugged, finally having my hands free to wrap them fully around my coffee. I wasn't going to say that I was part of a plan to possibly destroy Morté altogether, if it were manageable and Morningstar's plans worked, but I wasn't going to admit that I didn't want his death.

“Sure. I don't mind at all. I'd say do the same to Morningstar too for being a prick in general but …”

“Move to the lounge,” Selena suggested.

Koreena pushed herself to her feet careful not to spill any hot tea. She nodded, “sure lead the way.”

Selena had made an attempt to tidy, shoving her blankets over the back of the sofa and placing her pillows as cushions. Her clothes that I had spent an afternoon with her buying, so that she'd have something other than the dark, sexy garb of Morté's court that she came in, lay in a pile. My books were all respectively where they should be, however, so I nodded as I made for my armchair.

“I read,” I explained to Kora as she stepped into the living room where every available space was stuffed with shelves.

Her expression light up like a child getting a grand present. “Wow,” she breathed walking to the one of the shelves. Her free hand stroked the spine of a book, her lower lip caught in between teeth. “I’ve never seen so many books in one place before. Oddly enough I love reading, something so therapeutic about turning the pages. The way your the paper feels in your fingers.” She realized she was babbling as she turned slowly, her tea colored cheeks painted with a soft pink hue. “Sorry..”

I was already sitting in the armchair and smiling at her. “Don't worry,” I said as I watched Selena slowly sit on the sofa herself, eyes flickering between us. “I have the same feelings. This collection is most of what I have selectively ended up with since books were printed. Before that … they were more fiddly.” I nodded at a couple of scrolls by my head.

She simply nodded before her eyes went to the scrolls, “that is amazing.” Koreena sat down on the sofa, giving enough space between her and Selena.

I nodded a few times, appreciating her more now. It made me wish more that our friendship would last longer than just the briefest of weekends.

“He's got more back at Morningstar's,” Selena said, “and you left a fair few in your house at Rahl - the underworld I'm from,” she explained to Kora, “though mum's looking after those.”

“She's welcome to them,” I shrugged, then looked to Kora. “So what do you read?”