Ollie Vance - Book Two: Ashes and Smoke

Chapter Eleven

“Look! Doesn’t this look and smell heavenly?” I beamed at Stigger as I presented him a tray of cinnamon rolls that I just pulled out of the oven, the sugar glaze still oozing all over the top while the steam wafting from it filled the room with the most tempting scent.

Stigger glanced at the tray hesitantly, pressed his lips together and shook his head, keeping his hands perfectly clasped together in front of him.

“I’ll eat it because I’m sure it tastes great but my answer is still no,” he said plainly and my smile reversed to a frown instantly.

I put the tray down on a trivet and threw the oven mitts on the counter. “You’re such a spoilsport, Stig. I just need a little help here. Think of how much help two extra bodies can give? Why, on a really busy Sunday morning in the bakeshop, it could make a world of difference. It cuts serving time to almost half!”

Stigger eyed me with wry amusement. “I get that but two extra bodies with no assigned roles specific to a covert and utterly dangerous ambush mission is going to result to a major disaster. No, Miss Ollie. I won’t be taking you to Ishmal’s kingdom to help Tristan.”

“Stig! Please! Help me here!” I moaned loudly, inwardly wincing at how pathetic I sounded.

“That’s my final answer, Miss Ollie,” Stigger replied casually, reaching to pluck a cinnamon roll from the tray. 

I glowered at him. “I used to like you, you know?”

He grinned at me. “Oh, you still like me. You’ll like me better if I manage to do exactly what Tristan tasked me to do—and that’s to keep you safe, especially from your own devices, and make sure you’re in one piece when he comes back.”

I rolled my eyes and stubbornly plopped down on a stool by the central prep island in the Mansion’s high-end, gourmet kitchen where I’d been spending the last couple hours of my afternoon away.

“I have super powers now, you know?” I grumbled, tugging a roll off for myself before it’s had a chance to rest and tearing a piece which I stuffed into my mouth. “I can kick ass if I want to.”

“The Phoenix is indeed one of the most powerful supernaturals in history but great powers in untrained hands are more dangerous than helpful,” Stigger agreed solemnly. “I’m sure you’ll get even better with more practice but I would strongly suggest again that you sit this one out.”

I blew out an exasperated breath and rolled my eyes again.

It’s been four days since Tristan left and I’ve been doing nothing but sitting this out. 

At first, I tried to let it go but after a day, I decided I had to help but I had no idea how to get to Tristan. The rest of the gang slowly disappeared after him, going to the underworld and staying hidden until the ambush.

Stigger has been assigned to stay behind and guard me along with Jenny who has been dropping in and out. We have a couple of Stellars check on us at least once a day but with all the action going down somewhere in the underworld, it’s been a quiet last few days.

Too quiet, it would seem.

We had heard nothing from Tristan at all. He could be dead for all I know but if he were, I’d feel it—because my heart would die too. It would want to anyway. My only reassurance came from the rest of the gang who made brief, individual and random appearances in the Mansion. They were either checking in on us or keeping up appearances to make sure they didn’t rouse too much suspicion by disappearing altogether.

I tried staying within the Mansion but I grew restless with the wait and would occasionally drive out to the bakeshop where the renovation was now almost complete. I didn’t linger, afraid that my presence will mark both Patrick and Mary Anne as targets too. There are already enough people at risk in this entire operation.