Page 40 of In Somnis

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath.

Honestly, I’m already half convinced today is some elaborate karmic punishment. It’s probably for all the times I talked shit about Mercury retrograde.

Jasper would say that’s exactly why this is happening.

Regardless of the reason, I’m here once again, picking up the slack, running from one thing to the other, pretending I’m not one screaming nerve ending away from snapping. Because I haven’t really slept again, and our grumpy-ass cook quit on me yesterday. Dropped his apron on the floor and said something about “needing spiritual freedom” and left.

Spiritual freedom. Sure.

So, I’ve been up since four, taking care of the usual inn stuff while simultaneously trying to teach myself to make club sandwiches from YouTube.

I need freedom from this apron, burned sandwiches, and life, but sure, I’ll try this thing called cooking for paying guests again. I’m nothing if not persistent.

Or stubborn.

Or… stupid.

The word surfaces automatically, the way it does when I’m tired, and everything’s going wrong at once. It’s familiar, a voice that’s been living in the back of my head longer than I can remember. Teachers said it first. A few kids in school repeated it. My mother never contradicted it because she was barely listening to begin with.

At some point, you stop arguing with it. It just becomes another fact.

Tall. Tired. Dumb.

Useful on a good day.

Invisible on the others.

I shove it down where it belongs and shoulder the kitchen door open harder than necessary.

Of course, I nearly walk straight into Jasper, who is just standing there with a huge grin on his face. I follow his gaze and find a woman behind the stove, someone I have never seen before. She’s short, with blonde hair swept back with a yellow bandana, and her sweater sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. She’s moving around the kitchen as if she were hired five minutes ago, and I somehow missed the memo. My gaze drops to the pan in front of her, and I take a deep inhale.

Jesus Christ.

It smells ridiculous.

Soul-selling ridiculous.

My mouth actually waters.

What in tarnation?

“Jasp.” I blink down at the curls on the top of my little brother’s head, trying to make sense of the situation. “What’s going on?”

Jasper spins toward me, still grinning. “Oh, hey, Nev.”

“Hey,” I say slowly. “Who is this?”

“That’s my new friend.” He beams wider. “I don’t know her name, but she’s⁠—”

“You don’t know her name?”

Of course, he doesn’t.

“Yeah, but don’t worry, her aura is yellow. As in pure sunshine yellow, just like yours.” He nods to himself like that settles everything. “Actually, she feels a lot like you too. Same energy. Like… safe. Older sibling vibes.”

I stare at him.

“She told me to put on music, and then this song came on, which, duh. Okay, maybe there are a couple of shadows around the edges of her aura, but that’s just life, who doesn’t…”