Miss Fortune

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alex awoke with a start, as if someone shouted her name in her ear, but Thorin was sound asleep behind her, his arm about her waist, his long fingers brushing the sheet. According to the clock, it was ten after three, and although it was only after one when they finally fell asleep, she was wide awake as if after a full eight hours.

"S'matter, Lexi?" Thorin murmured, his voice thick and groggy with sleep.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," she whispered. She waited for him to reply and when he didn't, when he instead started snoring once more, she carefully eased out from beneath his arm and slid to the edge of the bed.

His tee shirt was the closest thing to her, atop the pile of clothing he'd rounded up from throughout his apartment before they finally went to bed to sleep, and she drew it on, then padded from the room. The apartment was almost eerily quiet to one who was used to living in a nearly two-hundred year old house with all of the creaks and groans of a house that old.

The cold from the kitchen floor bit into the soles of her bare feet and she was just backing out of the refrigerator with a bottle of water in one hand, when Frerin's whispered, "Why're you up?" made her nearly jump out of her skin.

As it was, she fired the water bottle at him, only to have it pass clear through his midsection and hit the counter behind him before thudding to the floor. "You ass!" she hissed, snatching it up. "Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"What did you think would happen?" She leaned around the corner to peer down the short hallway to Thorin's bedroom. Snoring. Good. The noise didn't wake him. "It's the middle of the night. Why are you here?"

"It was the only time that was safe."

She turned back to find him leaning up against the counter. "Safe?"

"Yeah. The two of you are like rabbits, you know that? I mean," he held up both hands, palms out, "I get it and all, but damn... Al... you're going to wear him out. Or," he added as she just stared, "he's going to wear you out."

"You're not funny, you know."

"I'm not trying to be. I guess you two are making up for lost time but, damn... come up for air every now and then." The air grew frosty as he suddenly lifted himself up onto the counter and swung his legs. "He thinks he found Yuri?"

"Yeah. Someone named George Lawrence."

At the name, Frerin sat up straighter. "George Lawrence?"

"That's what he said, but that's all I know. Why? Do you know him?"

"I know the name, yeah." Frerin nodded. Then, he jumped down and to her surprise, leaned in and brushed her cheek with a kiss that felt like an ice cube pressed against her skin. The chill sank into her, radiated outward as he pulled back with a smile. "Thank you, Al."

"Thank you? For what? I didn't do anything."

"Yeah, you did more than you think." His smile widened. "Go back and snuggle with Thorin. Wake him up in the nicest way you can think of, and I'll see you both later."

"Wait, Frerin, wait, where are you—" The words died on her lips as he vanished. With a soft sigh, she reached up to touch the cold spot on her cheek.

"Lex? What're you doing up?" Thorin came into the kitchen, scratching absently at the bandage on his chest.

"I just woke up. What're you doing up? Don't scratch!"

"I rolled over and you were gone." A sleepy smile came to his lips, his hand going still. "I thought maybe you snuck out on me."

"And walked all the way to the other side of town?"