When the door of my bedroom squeaks open, a half-grunt, half-wince escapes me. Dang it. It looks like I didn't get a wink of sleep last night. Great. Just great.
"Daddy!"
Ellena screams in joy, and a second later, the air gets knocked out of my lungs. Wait. Daddy…? Oh, well, whatever. Sure, why not.
"Not fair!"
Elois's pouty voice echoes as he struggles to climb on top of me, too. His sister is taking up too much space, and he has to squeeze between her and my chest. What am I? A deluxe mattress or something?
"It's not my fault if you're too slow!"
"I'm not slow! You just cheat!"
"I don't cheat—"
"Don't fight."
The words grudgingly left my lips as I pat their small backs with half-open eyes, trying to ignore how dry my mouth feels. It's like I swallowed a mouthful of sand before going to bed last night—or more accurately, this morning.
Alcohol and lack of sleep aren't a very good mix. Admittedly, I didn't drink much, like about two low-alcohol drinks. But I'm not even sure I got three hours of not-so-restful sleep, so I'll bet my hand that's the reason behind the headache and the lousy mood.
"Dad," Elois speaks, seemingly having forgotten he's in the middle of a quarrel with his sister, "why do you look like a zombie?"
"Now that Elois says it… You look like a zombie panda!"
Ellena's giggle resounds like thunder in my ears, and a strike of pain throbs in my head. On the bright side, the siblings aren't squabbling anymore.
"I'm just a little tired."
"Did Father tire you out yesterday?" Ellena tilts her head. "Mom always says that when married—"
"Don't listen to your mother."
"Ok!"
I don't exactly know what kind of nonsense Eve has said to her daughter, but I'm fairly sure it's not something I want to hear this early in the morning, for the sake of my sanity.
"What are you two doing?"
Elois has slid on one side, while Ellena has taken the other, and both kids snuggle against my flanks, pulling the blanket over their shoulders.
"Going to sleep?"
"It's morning, though."
"But you're tired!"
The siblings chorus, looking at me with those hopeful eyes I've grown used to seeing lately. So, being tired is a good excuse to cuddle with me in bed. Gotcha.
"…We have things to do."
"No!" Elois puffs his cheeks out like a squirrel. Ah. I'm not going to win this one, am I? "You're tired, so you need rest!"
"Yes, Mom says it all the time! When you're sleepy, you gotta sleep!"
It's not that I don't want to sleep; it's that I'm too stressed to fall asleep! We didn't manage to catch the kobolds yesterday, and I fear Jordan will get a call this morning. It prevents me from getting any rest. Our outing yesterday was for nuts, and all I can hope is that tonight, we'll—
"Maybe you should listen to the kids." A gentle voice travels to my ears. "You do look like a zombie."
Are my dark circles really that awful…? I should check in the mirror later.
For now, I somehow manage to prop myself up on my elbows, just high enough to stare at Jordan, who's leaning against the doorframe. I think that's the first time I've seen him in his pajamas, as we usually meet at breakfast when he's already changed into his business suit.
It's strange… For the first time, it does feel like we're sharing the same roof.
"Don't worry, I haven't received a call, and if I do receive one later, I'll let you know. In the meantime, you should try to rest a little. We'll have another busy night tonight."
I pinch my lips. It's still early in the morning, but no phone call is still a good sign. Even if I've failed to locate the kobolds yesterday, James's men have been patrolling the area, acting as a deterrent.
For starters, a hunt might not even have been on the menu last night. That pack has been acting up more frequently, but not exactly regularly.
"Do you want me to bring you your breakfast to your bed in an hour or two?"
"No, it's fine. I'll head down—" I pause to glance at the kids. They've got no intention whatsoever of letting me go, do they? "Later. I'll go down to eat breakfast in about two hours, with the kids."
No way in hell I'm allowing demon food into my bedroom. It might look more palatable, thanks to the chef's effort, but it's still wriggling tentacles, deformed insects, and other similar horrors. Having that in my bed is a sure way to throw my dreams into nightmare land for a few days. I don't care about the kids' pleading eyes: I'm not allowing it!
"Father," Ellena says, peeking at Jordan over the blanket. "Why don't you take a nap with us?"
My body tenses at the idea. The bed might be large enough to accommodate all of us, but I'd rather not share it with Jordan, and he seems to get the unsaid memo. He's unbelievably good at that, understanding the silent words lingering on my tongue.
He's visibly about to refuse, but I cut him off with a shake of my head. Well, the stunned face he makes is quite endearing, I've got to admit.
Granted, the idea doesn't please me all that much, and I'd rather that man stay away from my bed. Only… I can tell Ellena mustered her courage to ask. The children seem close to their father, yet there's a sense of alienation between them at times. The kids, albeit not too obviously, revere their father like some sort of god, making them hesitate to ask for things such as napping together.
It's an odd dynamic. They don't hesitate to hug their father, yet they also somehow keep a respectful distance from him.
Maybe that's a demon thing. Jordan is a powerful demon at the end of the day, and even if Ellena and Elois are his kids, they must feel it, too. However young they are, their instincts must be kicking in regardless of their blood relationship. It might also be because Jordan's job is keeping him unbelievably busy, to the point where, except at breakfast, I've barely seen his shadow these past two weeks—no, wait, three weeks now.
Honestly, it's a bit sad, considering Jordan appears to be the kind of father who would give up the world for his kids.
"—Alright, then." That smile is too gentle. Keep it down a notch, will you? "A nap won't hurt me."
Well, someone's happy. Ellena's also smiling right up to her ears, flailing her little legs. On the other side, Elois appears a little jealous.
"Do you want to sleep between us with your sister?"
The question brightens his face, but he hesitates an instant. Switching places means he won't be able to snuggle against me.
"…I'm going to pass my arm under your and your sister's heads, so you can use it as a pillow."
That does the trick, and I pretend I haven't heard Jordan's chuckle. Yes, I know, I'm getting better at handling your gremlins.
So, Elois jumps over me, settling between his sister and his father, who has just climbed into the bed, sliding under the blanket. I do as promised, already fearing how numb my arm's going to be in two hours' time. Oh well. It's buying peace, so it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.