4. Groceries

  (Zeyna)

  Sera hardly made it five feet into the place before she found a sofa in the sitting room beneath the floating stairs. She stretched out for a nap, and when she told us not to wake her, we took the command seriously. So while she was sleeping—she never ceased to amaze me with how quickly she passed out—I led Lina upstairs to our room.

  There were many rooms, but we’d be sharing one because—why not? It was more fun being together than apart. Zeph and Kayo could do whatever they wanted, but we girls would remain together forever. Plus, the super king had more than enough room for the three of us.

  The full-wall window displayed the forest beyond. The perfect room for Sera. She should’ve come up here for her nap. Now we couldn’t even use the lower level. The open floor plan would carry any sound to her. And Satan forbid we wake her up and have grumpy Sera on our hands for the rest of the day.

  Lina threw her bags on the long leather sofa along the wall by the door and took in the black and white foliage wallpaper before falling on the bed with her limited weight.

  “I could sleep more too,” she mumbled into the bright white duvet.

  “No, no.” I rushed over to her, pulling her arm to get her up. I could’ve yanked her right off the bed, but I gave her the opportunity to cooperate. “Come on, we have to stay up. We already slept.”

  “It wasn’t enough. My head hurts. And we still need to stay up tonight.”

  I pulled her a few inches across the mattress. “Then just fix your headache and let’s go!”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know, we can go jet skiing or something.”

  “Sera will murder us if she finds out we went jet skiing without her.”

  One hundred percent correct; she would definitely murder us.

  “Fine, let’s go to the store and pick up some food for dinner. We can have anything you want. We can even make that tempeh dish you found.”

  I pulled again, and she released a heavy groan, getting up. Success.

  A shadow passed by the door, and Kayo backstepped, peering in. “That’s a big bed.” Zeph backtracked too, his eyelids half-closed.

  “Put your shit away. We’re going to the store to get food,” I told them.

  “Pass,” Zeph droned. “Need more sleep.” He continued down the hall.

  “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. It’s either go with you or sit alone in silence,” Kayo said.

  I smiled. He’d woken Sera up once, while she was snoozing in a corner at school, and I was surprised he lived to tell about it. The verbal assault that resulted was not pretty but also hilarious. His eyes had been as wide as balloons on the verge of popping.

  Lina zipped her bag, palming her magi-tab, and beckoned me. “Let’s get this over with.”

  We waited in the car for Kayo, and I forced Lina into the backseat so I could talk to him. She glowered but didn’t complain once I stated she’d have more time to rest back there.

  I waited until the last minute—ensuring everyone had everything they needed and were buckled up—before starting the gas guzzler. It roared beneath me before quieting to a rumbling whisper. I didn’t let it fool me… Though it might’ve been quiet and safe and spacious, it still emitted nearly seven metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

  I needed to ensure Dad bought an electric vehicle as soon as I got home, just to make up for the fact I was driving it. Sickening.

  The houses in the area were gorgeous, but holy shit, it took forever to get anywhere with everyone’s property being so massive.

  “How often do you come down here?” Kayo asked, his eyes scanning the new environment.

  “Not often. Last time was four or five years ago.” I relaxed my grip on the steering wheel, glancing at him.

  “Damn, I’d be down here every summer if I had a place like this at my fingertips.”

  I smiled. I could probably make that happen, if I wanted to. “It’s not exactly at our fingertips. It’s four-season, obviously, so my dad rents it out throughout the year.” We rolled down the smooth winding roads. “It just so happened the timing worked out perfectly for our birthday.”

  “Did it work out perfectly, or did you have some sort of hand in it?” Lina asked from the back, and I glowered at her through the mirror.

  “It worked out perfectly. My parents do not take well to me manipulating business deals. Why do you think Shaozen is still a thing…?”

  Kayo chuckled, staring out the window. “I’m sure Zeph wouldn’t appreciate it, either.”

  No, he definitely would not. I’d given up any claim to the Shaozen fortune and legacy, and he’d taken it up graciously.

  No one in my family quite understood the impact of their actions. Most of the world didn’t. The humans had razed the Demon territory, and now they were clear-cutting their lands too. Soon, we wouldn’t have any oxygen to breathe. But as long as we had Sera, we would be fine.

  “One day Mother Gaia’s karma will bite them in the ass.”

  “Doubtful,” Lina said, her head tilted to the magi-tab in her lap.

  She was always researching shit for work. I should’ve grabbed her tab and thrown it out the window, but I’d only need to buy her a new one and that was more of a prize than a punishment.

  “So, what’s for dinner?” Kayo clapped his hands together, rubbing them in anticipation.

  A fiendish grin spread across my face, and regardless of who told him, I couldn’t wait to see his reaction. Sera would likely try to bite the messenger’s head off.

  “Teriyaki tempeh with vegetables,” Lina told him.

  His eyes grew, looking back at Lina. “Tempeh, eh? Never tried it, can’t wait.”

  My smile faltered, and I looked over to find him genuinely intrigued. I didn’t know why, but it more than disappointed me; it was… a skosh offputting. Only a skosh, though.

  “You a good cook, Zeyna?”

  I scoffed. “I’m good at paying people to bring me food.”

  “Money is her greatest strength—next to manipulation,” Lina teased.

  I never heard the end of it. Yet, they all benefited from my strengths.

  The closest grocery store was at least twenty minutes away, and I would’ve stopped at that one, but Satan knew they wouldn’t have tempeh, so I drove forty minutes to the superstore.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  The northern breeze muted the blazing summer heat, whipping my hair forward and blowing us into the store. Kayo grabbed a cart, following us into the modern and notably clean space. Lina knew well—the bill was on me—and threw whatever she wanted in the cart, predominantly snacks.

  On any regular day, she ate beyond healthy—if she ate at all—but on cheat weekends like this, she’d stock up on chips and cookies and candies and whatever else she was feeling in the moment.

  Kayo, not having known us for as long, reluctantly picked up a few things with such hesitance that I wondered if he’d be paying for his own items. I left that up to him.

  Lina found the tempeh. Mission complete—so I looked around but only found a few things I wanted. Lina had packed the cart with enough snacks for the next week and she knew our preferences well by now. She’d gotten my must haves, Mini Fudgsters and strawberry milk. But we’d all end up stealing from each other either way.

  Kayo watched with growing concern. “How do you plan to eat all this in three days?” He rifled through the cart, pulling up a family pack of cinnamon bun potato chips. “What. Is. This?”

  I smacked them out of his hand. “Don’t knock it until you try it, sir. They’re the perfect combo of sweet and salty. And whatever we don’t eat, we will bring home.”

  We wheeled through the bakery section. “You’re going to get diabetes,” he said, his eyes roaming over all the sweet treats.

  Lina glanced back with a grin, a pie in hand. “I can fix that. We good with a cherry pie for Sera and Zeph?” I nodded and Kayo didn’t comment.

  “Must be nice…” he muttered.

  Lina shrugged. “Should’ve gone into the Healing Arts instead of Athletics.”

  We strolled down aisle after aisle, backtracking whenever Lina checked her tab for what she’d need to make the tempeh. A bag of rice landed in the cart with a heavy thud and clang.

  “Guess we’re living off rice for the next three days,” Kayo snipped.

  “Let’s have a barbeque tomorrow—the first one of the year,” I said. “I’m sure Sera wants her meat.”

  Lina shrugged, not too concerned about tomorrow—only concerned about her tempeh. I waited for Kayo’s response. He blinked. Not too decisive, was he…?

  “I’ll take that as a ‘Sure, Zeyna, go for it.’”

  I left them to gather the rest of her list and returned to the butcher’s domain. I was looking over the pre-cut selection when a cart bumped into me.

  Stumbling to the side, I whipped my head to the cart’s owner, ready to tear into them.

  “Oh, I’m sorry! The blood dripped out, and this shirt is Villencini, so I had a mini heart attack,” the guy said. He smiled apologetically. And under those lowered blue-black brows, glittery silver twinkled.

  A giddy grin plastered on my face, and I chuckled. “Oh, yeah, no, you don’t wanna get blood on a Villencini. Run a bitch down if it comes to it.”

  He winced but laughed, putting the leaky package back for someone else to be leaked on. He went back to his business, continuing to search the meat for a better package.

  “Oof, hopefully it doesn’t leak on someone else’s Villencini.”

  The heart-stopping smile grew again as he considered taking the old package. “Is it my duty to save all other Villencini from this perilous pack of steak?”

  “I believe so; it has picked you as the chosen one.”

  “If you insist, oh, random wise one.” He cringed as he grabbed the wet tray.

  “Zeyna,” I introduced myself.

  I grabbed a pack of spicy and mild sausages, burgers and the most expensive steaks I could find. He watched the stack grow in my arms.

  “Pleasure—be careful, Zeyna. Don’t wanna get blood on your Milago.” I snorted.

  He carefully transferred the tray to his cart.

  I held the packages away from my body, awkwardly. “Thank you for looking out for my Milago, Knight of the Designer Brands.”

  “Zai’len,” he introduced himself.

  A Demon. I scanned him for signs of what type but couldn’t find any. He could’ve been half-breed. His eyes were magnificent enough to be those of a Demon, but his face was reminiscent of the classic beauty of the deities.

  “Ever heard of a cart? They’re quite popular these days.” He snickered to himself.

  “Ha, ha. Of course I have; my friends have our cart. I just came to pick these up.” I lifted my arms.

  But then my eyes wandered to the fruits and veggies. Corn sounded good too.

  “I might need a cart, actually.”

  “Here.” He gestured to the bottom half of his cart. “I can help you carry your provisions until you reunite with your companions.”

  “The least you could do after running me over.” I grinned, dropping the stack in the cart.

  My eyes sped through the items in his section. Craft beer, lamb chops, the leaky steak, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese and, most important of all, Mini Fudgsters.

  “Have you tried those with strawberry milk?” I pointed to the cookies.

  “Can’t say I have.”

  “Oh no, now you have to.” I smirked and pointed him toward the corn.

  “You have reasonable taste in designers, so I’ll humor you and give it a try.”

  I gawked at him. “Reasonable?”

  “It’s no Villencini.” He smirked, watching as I attempted to check the corn before tossing them straight into the cart. “Aren’t you going to bag those?”

  “Plastic kills the environment.”

  He leaned across the cart’s handle, looking into the bottom half. “It does. Maybe you should take that meat back and get fresh cuts from the butcher.”

  “Let’s go then.”

  I’d only opted to get those because I wanted to continue speaking with him. And I only went back to the butcher for the same reason. I didn’t mention that there often was no winning when it came to the environment. The fact that I was buying meat at all perpetuated the demand for beef, and cows were horrible for the environment.

  Zai’len gestured me forward, and I replaced my pre-packaged meat and waited at the butcher’s counter as he did his thing: cut meat, or whatever.

  “That’s a lot of meat. You guys having a party or something?” Zai’len asked, waiting patiently.

  Caught on those stunning eyes, I forgot to speak. He raised a brow.

  “Pretty much. It was my birthday yesterday, so we’re here celebrating.”

  “Oh, you don’t live around here?”

  “No, I live to the north, a ten-hour drive.” I grabbed my paper packed meat from the counter, thanking the butcher. “We’re staying by the coast for the next few days.”

  “Symbiosis Drive?” He continued forward, not quite paying attention to the grocery shopping. But I couldn’t quite complain, having his attention on me.

  I nodded. “How did you know?”

  He side-eyed me with a crooked grin. “That’s where all the rich temporaries stay.”

  “‘Rich temporaries.’” I laughed. “And are you rich temporary or rich permanent?”

  “Rich temporary. Though I’m staying for more than a few days.” He paused to grab a small carton of strawberry milk.

  “On Symbiosis?” He nodded. “Come to our barbeque tomorrow, then.”

  Checking the aisles, I spotted Lina and Kayo in the freezer section. I pointed down the aisle, and he turned the cart.

  “Unfortunately, I have plans tomorrow, but”—he paused his sentence, and the cart—“I wouldn’t mind getting your magi-contact; maybe we can fit a date in while you’re still here.”

  Lina and Kayo disappeared around the corner, likely going to look for me. “Maybe.”

  I tried to play it cool and laid-back, but I wanted to whip out my tablet the second he asked. Somehow, I withheld for a handful of seconds. We called up our contact function and tapped the glass together.

  “Now I can tell you just how much I love or hate Mini Fudgsters and strawberry milk.” He pushed the cart forward, ready to catch up with my friends.

  “I already know you’ll love them. You can try saying otherwise, but I won’t believe you.” I slowed my pace, wanting to talk to him more—not wanting our time to end. I felt… soft and simple for once. And soft wasn’t a feeling I could easily come by as Zeyna.

  “We’ll have to see.” He eyed me with a glimmer of mischief. “I’ll tell you exactly how I feel tonight.”

  My heart skipped a beat, and I wasn’t quite sure I could banter with that. I’d take it much too far for having just met him in a grocery store twenty minutes ago. And maybe he really just meant about the combination and nothing at all sexual. We’ll have to see.

  We caught up to the other two around the cash registers. The two watched with lowered brows as we approached.

  “There you are…” Lina said, her eyes lingering on Zai’len.

  “This man ran me over with his cart, and I insisted he make it up to me by being my chariot and travel companion.”

  Zai’len hummed. “It didn’t quite happen like that… But that’s also the gist of it, isn’t it? Quite the journey we’ve been on together.”

  I smiled up at him as I transferred my food to our cart. “Feels like just yesterday you were running me down with your cart.”

  He snorted, but grimaced. “Just yesterday I didn’t know you existed.”

  “And I feel bad for yesterday you; he didn’t know what he was missing.”

  “Poor sap.” My cheeks hurt. His eyes softened. “Nice meeting you, Zeyna. Enjoy your barbeque.”

  He escaped down the nearest aisle before I could respond, and I turned back to Lina staring at me with a smug smile.

  “What was that?” she asked, and I looked at Kayo. He was unfazed, judging the situation of the line and which cash to go to.

  I gave her a look that said I’d tell her later.