“Dad,” Val protested. “You have other contracts.”
“Nothing is more important than helping my little girl,” Frode told her firmly. “We’re going to keep those dwarves safe, darling.”
Val’s shoulders loosened. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Love you, little spark.”
“Love you.” Val hung up.
Tetra flopped onto the couch beside her, noisily sucking a juice box’s straw. “Who was that?”
“My dad.” Val tucked her phone away. “You should sleep.” She nodded at the other couch.
Tetra shrugged. “I can sleep tomorrow. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?”
Val gave her a sideways glance. “Right.”
Tetra pulled the straw from the juice box. “I thought you were talking to your boyfriend.” She ate it.
“Boyfriend?” Val raised her eyebrows.
“You know. The guy who took you on the date the other night.” Tetra held a hand above her head. “Tall, with dimples?”
“Oh, Booker? That’s not going to be a thing. He’s a great guy, but we don’t have any chemistry.” Val frowned. Why am I telling her this?
“Still. It didn’t sound like your dad.” Tetra eyed the juice box, then ate that, too. “The whole ‘love you’ thing,” she added around a mouthful of cardboard.
Val sighed and pulled out her phone to order fries from the convenience store down the block. “What do you mean? Everyone says that to their parents.”
Tetra scoffed.
“Sorry.” Val lowered the phone. “I know yours are...”
“Dead. Thank Merlin,” Tetra muttered.
Val stared at her.
“You’d be glad too if you had my parents,” Tetra snapped defensively. “I need another juice box.”
“Please stop eating non-food objects. I’m ordering you fries.” Val waved her phone.
“Fine.” Tetra folded her arms like she wanted to hug herself. “Judge me, then. As long as you feed me, it’s fine.”
“I wasn’t judging you!” Val protested.
Tetra glared at her.
“Okay, maybe a little,” Val conceded. “I can’t imagine being happy about losing my parents.”
“Yeah, well, you have a dad who gives a shit, by the sound of it,” Tetra snapped. “Not everyone is as lucky.” Her voice cracked on the last syllable, and she looked away.
Val tilted her head. “I’m sorry.”
“Everyone thinks Sinatria is so cool and great,” Tetra growled, “but she’s soft. She didn’t grow up the way I did. She didn’t have to fight her siblings for every meal. She wasn’t pitted against her older brothers in a battle for every bite of a kill. She wasn’t desperate enough to hunt alone as a little kid because she was starving.” Her tone softened. “The faerie queen doesn’t have to hunt if she doesn’t want to. Every meal is guaranteed.”
Val was silent.
“So, are those fries coming or what?” Tetra snapped.
“Ten minutes.”
“Fine,” Tetra barked.
Silence wrapped around them, as thick and cloying as a bad smell.
“Why are you so tall, anyway?” Tetra demanded.
A surprised laugh burst from Val. “Oh, you finally noticed.”
“I noticed from the start, dumbass,” Tetra growled. “Do you think I’m stupid or something?”
“Eh...” Val raised a hand and tilted it from side to side.
Tetra rolled her eyes. “Answer the question.”
“I have gigantism.” Val shrugged. “Alopecia, too.”
“Thought you had dwarf magic for changing your hair.” Tetra eyed her wig.
