Page 74 of Spirit Storm

We’ll come to Nassau. When works for you?

I really appreciate this. More than you know.

Poppy

I hit send before I can second-guess the wording.

Orion meets Asher’s high-five. "Road trip to the Caribbean.”

I'm already mentally calculating logistics. Flights to Nassau. Accommodations. How many people we can reasonably bring.

But if we portal and get an AirBnB…

Rowan has finished her pie and brings her plate to the counter. "I've never been to the Bahamas. Do you think we'll have time for⁠—"

"Snorkeling!" Asher shouts.

Rowan laughs. "I was going to say drinking, but snorkeling works too."

"We're going on Brigade business," I correct, trying to shut this down before it gets out of hand. "We’ll be there to meet a descendant who might have information about saving the world from a demon."

"And while you’re busy getting the dirt on the lockstones, we’ll have our,

♪ toes in the water, ass in the sand,

Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand,

Life is good today,

Life is good today ♪”

I roll my eyes. “Thank you, Zac Brown.”

Orion waves away my comment, waggling his brows. “Any chance to get our groove on in swim trunks is a major win-win.”

“You better believe it, puss.”

“Asher…”

He turns and holds up his finger. “No. Don't 'Asher' me, Pops. This is happening. I'm manifesting beach days and rum drinks and—oh god, I need sunscreen. Do we have sunscreen? I'm so pale I'll burn in like three minutes⁠—"

He races off toward the stairs, and Orion laughs and jogs after him.

"It's not a vacation!" I shout.

His voice echoes down the hallway. "Everything's a vacation if you bring the right attitude!"

Rowan snickers. "He's not wrong."

"We're going there to get information about stopping Tharuzel and repairing the lockstones."

"Sure. But there's always time for a beach day." She shrugs. "Even if Tharuzel's doing his evil demon plotting somewhere, he's probably not doing it in Nassau."

"That's not the point⁠—"

Asher's voice yells from upstairs. "I need inflatables!”

I drop my head into my hands. "This is going to be a disaster."