"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter Forty-Four: Happy Birthday Alistair
(MADMAX)
***
Sunlight filtered into the small space of the kitchen, illuminating everything. The trailer home was filled with delicious smells as at the stove, Rowan and Aunt Aco prepared a breakfast feast for someone's special day.
"Hey, kid, do you want to wake him up?" Aunt Aco asked as she flipped the pancake over in one pan as bacon sizzled in another. Along with the smell of cooking bacon, melting chocolate, pancakes and toast, the sound of Elton John's voice filled the air.
Rowan nodded with a smile. "Yeah, of course."
The dark-haired girl turned from the stove and power-walked to her brother's room, not bothering to knock as she opened the door.
"Hey, squirt, wake up!" she shouted at the unmoving lump on the bed, disturbing Hugin as the undead raven ruffled his wings and croaked from his perch. "Squirt?"
A mumble came, and Rowan smiled.
"Come on, Al, normally I wouldn't wake you up on a Sunday morning, but this is a special occasion," Rowan said as she walked up to her brother and began shaking him.
"No. Don't wanna gerrup," Alistair mumbled, burrowing in deeper as Hugin ruffled his feathers and gave a warbling croak, pulling at a strand of her brother's hair peeking out.
"Oh, so the birthday boy doesn't want to get up and have birthday pancakes, huh?"
Alistair shot up, eyes large. "Wait, what?"
Rowan stared at him, a smile on her lips. "Al, did you seriously forget your birthday was today?"
"Uh... no?"
Rowan only chuckled and ruffled her brother's hair.
"Come on and get out of bed, Al, or I'll eat your pancakes."
"Over my dead body!" Alistair shouted as he threw the covers off and sprinted out of bed and down the hall, crashing into a wall as Aunt Aco shouted, "Kid don't snap your neck!"
Rowan smiled and looked over to Hugin, who cocked his head and stared at her with his remaining eye, before she walked out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen/dining room, Hugin flying out a second behind her. There, she saw the birthday boy sitting at the table, knife and fork in hand as he grinned and looked at the plate full of pancakes, bacon and toast, then a cup of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and marshmallows that was placed before him a second later as Hugin alighted on the back of the chair.
"Happy thirteenth birthday, kid," Aunt Aco said with a soft smile as she ruffled his hair. "Enjoy."
"Thanks, Aunt Aco!" Alistair said, giggling as Hugin pecked at his ear. "Hugin, stop that tickles!"
