Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Nolan sighed and led the way up to the bedroom. “What the hell? How did we lose six socks? Those red ones I wore two days ago, and I know I tossed both of them in the hamper that night.”
“I like those red ones on you. They make your feet appear even bigger.”
Nolan snorted, a smile teasing his lips no matter how hard he tried to remain serious. “You’re so weird.”
“Eh. I find it sexy.”
“Oh, I’ll show you—” His words stopped short as his eyes fell on the bed where they’d left the socks. “Look! Now there’s only four! I’m not losing my mind. I know there were six there when we went downstairs. Did you take two?”
Nolan swung around to pin Sky with an accusing glare, but Sky was quick to hold up his empty hands. “Not me! I didn’t touch them.”
“What the fuck! Are there such things as goblins or gremlins that steal your socks? Or a ghost? You’d know it if the house were haunted, right?”
“The house is haunted.”
Nolan almost groaned. “I’m not talking about Grammy.”
“Oh, then no. The only ghost in this house is Grammy, and she wouldn’t bother our socks. Besides, she’s currently out visiting a friend in the next town over.”
Nolan closed his eyes and rubbed them with his thumb and index finger. “Sky, what is stealing our socks?”
“No clue. I haven’t summoned anything from the underworld in weeks, so there shouldn’t be anything lurking nearby. And none of them has ever had an interest in socks.”
“Are you sure?” Nolan dropped his hand and glared hard at his boyfriend. “Because you were pretty sure that the tree came from the underworld.”
“You don’t think…” Sky started, letting the words fade. “I mean, it would have had to come up the stairs, and it’s currently plugged into the wall.”
“Babe, it walked into the house and found a spot to rest. I wouldn’t be surprised if it could crawl up the stairs.”
They stared at each other for another second and then raced down the stairs to find the tree…exactly where they’d left it in the corner of the room. Its lights twinkled, and its ornaments appeared completely undisturbed. The one strange thing was that it appeared somewhat poofier. Just a bit fuller.
Sky marched up to the tree and glared at it with his hands on his hips. “All right. The jig is up. We know you’ve been stealing our socks. Cough ’em up.”
The tree didn’t move. It was almost enough to make a person believe that it really couldn’t have done it.
“I’m serious. I want the socks now. All of them,” Sky barked.
The underworld tree finally shifted slightly, its branches scraping and rattling. It rose on its roots and shook violently, twisting this way and that. In the blink of an eye, eight socks flew out of the depths of the tree like startled birds taking flight. Nolan gasped and stumbled back a step, watching as the socks landed on the furniture and floor. Amazingly, not a single ornament had been disturbed by the thrashing.
“All right. No more stealing socks,” Sky admonished, wagging a finger at the tree as if it were a troublesome two-year-old.
“Are you kidding me?” Nolan squawked. It felt like his brain was going to melt and ooze out of his ears. Each time he thought he was getting used to the magical weirdness of Sky’s world, something new happened to throw him for a loop.
“What? It’s just some socks. Not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Nolan demanded, his voice growing higher in pitch. “If it stole our socks, that means it went upstairs. Possibly when we are sleeping.”
“Huh. That’s true.” The necromancer turned to the tree and got out his wagging finger again. “No more wandering through the house. You stay right there with your pan of water. If you keep it up, I’m putting you outside.”
“Oh my God,” Nolan muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.
Sky moved to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. With a magic that was Sky’s alone, the panic and confusion that frazzled Nolan’s nerves dissipated like smoke. How could he stay angry with Sky grinning at him like that?
“It’ll be fine. I’m sure it was curious and wanted to explore. It’ll stay put now,” Sky reassured him.
“I hope you’re right. I think I’d have a heart attack if I stumbled across that thing in the middle of the night on my way to get a drink of water.”
The necromancer with the sweet smile leaned up and brushed a kiss across Nolan’s jaw. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the little tree.”
A reluctant smirk toyed with the corner of Nolan’s mouth as he leaned down to steal another kiss. “You better, or I’m going to feed you to that tree.”
Chapter 3
December 7
Nolan shuffled to the hall closet and grabbed his heavy winter coat. The temperature had plunged overnight, and the promise of snow was clear in the low-hanging gray clouds. He stuffed his arms into the sleeves and zipped up before snagging his knit hat with the pom-pom on top. Sky emerged from the kitchen, carrying Nolan’s extra-large travel mug filled with coffee.