Page 54 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

I just stare at her, unamused as I snip, “I have a favorite.”

“No, you don’t.” Rin gives me a pointed look. “What you have is two left to claim. Then the Mongrel women will leave them alone for fear of stepping on your toes.”

When I look away, she snorts and renews her giggling fit.

“So, you have one left to claim, then? Just Imryll?”

I cover my face. “I’m not like… married now, am I? That would be so fucked up.”

“Yeah. Totally married.”

“You’re joking.”

“Nope.”

My eyes feel as round as saucers as my heart rate picks up. I stop walking, head swimming, as I lean against the side of the guards’ barracks.

“Rin. Say you’re teasing me.”

“Are you okay?”

“The thought of being married to anyone after having sex one time makes me lightheaded.”

She pats my shoulder. “My dad explained marriage to me, Ada. It’s an earthly concept that we don’t actually use here. Couples or groups make commitments to each other, but there are no rings or ceremonies or documents stating such nonsense.”

I blow out a breath. “Isolde has three husbands.”

“She used that term to make you more comfortable with the conversation.”

“What do you call them here?”

“Nothing. My mom calls my dads her soul, but she’s weird. She fell for Will as soon as she saw him. He’d only been here for a few days.”

“So, what you’re saying is…”

Her grin is irritating. “Those four guys are yours, Ada. And it’s okay. Everyone will accept it or already has. They’ve been parading you around the village since you got here, and no one dared question them.”

“Jesus, Neptune, and Osiris,” I mutter. “Are you telling me I’ve been dating all four of them and—”

“Yes.”

“Why did you wait until now to say anything?” My voice comes out so high pitched my ears ring. “No one mentioned that to me.”

Rin wraps her arm in mine as she guides me toward the village with a grimace. “Because you like them. And I didn’t want to freak you out. But also because they like you, and I’ve not seen them this whole in a long time. Who am I to take that feeling away from any of you?”

I groan. “Can we talk about something else for a few minutes? I need to digest all that information.”

“As long as you’re okay with switching the subject, then I should tell you what we’re doing today.”

“I’m listening.”

“We’re going into the village.”

My brows raise as I bite my lips together. “I gathered that much on my own. Thanks.”

She sighs. “I want to watch the general store for a few hours and see if the guys who work there seem familiar.”

When I continue to give her the same keep going expression, she glances at the people coming into view and leans her head closer to me.