Free Persephone (The Lily Harper Series Book 4) by H.P. Mallory Page A

Just accept him and enjoy him for whoever and whatever he is. Remember the words of John Henry Newman: “Let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish.”
    As always, quoting my self-help gurus and other do-gooders instilled a sense of relief and comfort within me. Like a curtain of water, the words washed over the fiery embers of my anxiety and frivolous expectations, extinguishing the source of my unrest … at least for the time being.
    “Hey, Conan, how long you really think you’re gonna be able to carry her like that?” Bill piped up as he faced me with an expression of disbelief on his round face. “’Cause she ain’t that light.”
    “If he puts me down, that doesn’t mean he’ll carry you,” I snapped because I was more than aware of why Bill was making this point to begin with.
    “I’m not expectin’ that, nerdlet,” he retorted in a patronizing tone. “I was just askin’ a freakin’ question, fer chrissakes.”
    Despite Bill’s reasons for his question, it was actually a pertinent one. I also wondered how long Tallis could carry me. The energy he’d expended when killing the thing from the river had to have taxed him. By now, he was probably well beyond exhausted and I was just an additional burden …
    ***
    Tallis managed to carry me for five hours before he even started to slow down. It was just as well, too, since I couldn’t decide which ached more—my back or my arms. That, and I felt more than sure that his hands were permanently imprinted into my thighs.
    “Ah needs tae make water,” he announced as he set me down onto my feet in a small clearing. “We will stop haur an’ rest fer the night.”
    “Dude, why don’t ya just say ya need to take a piss, like any normal person?” Bill asked as he shook his head and gave me a look. Seeking the nearest dead tree to collapse underneath, once Bill’s butt hit the dirt, he scrunched backwards until his head was at the base of the tree. Then he crossed his feet at the ankles, and said, “I’m gonna get me some shut-eye,” before closing his eyes. He began to wiggle back and forth against the rough ground, ostensibly to scratch his lower back.
    Tallis glanced over at me and quickly said, “Besom, ready yer sword in case ye need it.” I nodded and removed my sword from its scabbard before looking back up at Tallis. He soon disappeared into the dark forest to “make water.” Succumbing to my exhaustion, I took a seat across from Bill, but kept my sword lying on the ground beside me, in case I needed it.
    “Well, shit on a stick,” Bill said as he slapped his thigh. A huge smile appeared across his lips as he explained, “Ol’ Billy Angel’s finally got some service in this here neck o’ the frickin’ hate woods!” He motioned to the iPhone, which lay in his lap.
    “I thought you were sleeping?” I replied.
    “Yeah, me too … but the Sandman called in sick before the Verizon man took over,” he answered with a broad grin. He held up his phone in case I didn’t understand what he meant by “Verizon man.”
    I instantly recalled the phone Alaire gave me along with the bag of other goodies. While I was on Tallis’s back, I’d managed to wriggle the canvas bag onto my back, like a backpack. Thinking of it now, with Tallis gone, I decided to inspect the phone and the contents of the bag. I immediately disengaged the impromptu backpack from my shoulders and prayed that Tallis wouldn’t return anytime soon.
    “And not only do I have service, but I also got Tinder service!” Bill announced as his smile widened. “Shit the fuck yeah!”
    “You really intend to go on Tinder right now?” I asked him, shaking my head as I frowned. However, I wasn’t paying that much attention to Bill. Instead, I pulled the smartphone from its box and hit the power button, waiting not so patiently as it fired up.
    “What the hell else can I do?” Bill whined as he shrugged. “This ain’t no resort town with a friggin’ golf