Forging Ties (Ties, Book 3) | ✓

Chapter 16

Skye wasn't usually a participant in large groups, but when free food was on offer, he wasn't about to be left out. He walked next to Duran because Mirriam was busy talking to the green lady. Duran kept brushing his hands over Skye's body and hair, which felt nice and also seemed to somehow be making him warmer and drier.

Slone had run ahead, and by the time they all arrived at The Wave Watcher, the workers were already setting up tables for them. Skye claimed a seat between Duran and Hamish because it was the closest one to a large bowl of grapes. He immediately started cramming his mouth full of them and chewing quickly in an attempt to eat them all before anyone else could take any.

Skye sat sideways on his chair, leaning back against Hamish's arm as he watched Duran have a conversation with the man whose head was a skull. Everyone changed the tone of their voice and their mannerisms a little when talking to different people, but Duran took it to an extreme. It was like someone else was wearing his face. Skye didn't like it.

Every now and then, Duran would turn and give Skye a quizzical look, and in that moment he would look a little more like himself. After a while, Skye started smiling at him every time he looked his way. Duran was already smiling, for the most part, but each time he saw Skye, it would soften out a little and become more genuine.

Hamish wrapped an arm around Skye's shoulders and rocked him back and forth. "You weigh about as much as a sack of feathers. I thought I must have misunderstood something about you holding that vampire down, but after seeing you pin Declan, I'm even more confused. No matter how strong you are, you can't pin someone down by sitting on them if you weigh less than they can lift."

Skye increased his weight for a moment just enough that it made Hamish startle and jerk forward so that he didn't fall back in his chair.

"What was that?" Hamish asked.

"He can change his weight at will," Mirriam explained. "Don't ask how it works. He either doesn't know or can't be bothered to explain."

Skye didn't know how he did it, but he also didn't know much about how bodies worked in general, and he'd never let it worry him.

The metal robot thing had come along with the group to the inn and had somehow ended up with the job of taking everyone's food orders. There was a menu and Skye stared at it as he chewed his grapes, but it wasn't very helpful because he still couldn't read.

"What would you like to eat?" the robot asked Skye when it made its way around to him, the exact same question it had been asking everyone else.

"A big fish," Skye told it.

A light spun on the side of the robot's head. "I'm sorry. I don't understand your request. Can you read the name of the menu item you would like to order?"

Skye reached his hand out and batted his fingers against the light. "No."

"Please be careful. I have exposed joints that may pinch skin or crush digits."

Skye kept prodding at the light.

"Hey, listen to the robot," the small, colourful haired man said. "If you get hurt, I'm not paying your medical bills."

"Everett, be nice," the green woman scolded. "He's the only reason we're not still in chains."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Everett said. "Please, go ahead, poke your fingers wherever you like. Might I recommend the knees or the elbows? If you jam them in there just right, you might be able to slice them clean off."

Skye pointedly bapped his fingers against the light a few more times before dropping his hand back down. "I saved everyone. I deserve a big fish."

"I'm sorry," the robot said, "'a big fish' is not the name of a menu item. Could you please—"