At Odds with the Gods: A MythmatchedPurgatory Playhouse crossover by E.J. Russell

Author:E.J. Russell [Russell, E.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reality Optional Press
Published: 2023-11-04T18:30:00+00:00

As Finn pulled the borrowed Prius out of the bakery supply lot, its cargo space filled with enormous sacks of flour and three kinds of sugar, blocks of butter and chocolate—who knew you could buy the stuff in literal bricks?—jugs of honey, bags of walnuts, nubbly cardboard crates of eggs, and flats of raspberries, he actually found himself whistling Hunter’s Moon’s sprightly “Lover’s Reel.”

He barked a laugh. How long had it been since he’d been carefree enough to do that? Usually, if any music unreeled in his brain, it was heavy and grim, like “Song of the Volga Boatmen,” or sharp and fatalistic like “O Fortuna,” or else one of Hunter’s Moon’s old songs, all mournful and angsty, from when Gareth Kendrick was still obsessing over his lost love.

Now, though? He wanted all the upbeat anthems, the sappy love songs, the sweetness and light, because Gary liked him, liked him enough to kiss him. But more than that, Gary trusted him, even after Finn had spilled the tea about his less than stellar past behavior.

Not only that, he had a place to stay and a job. Yeah, maybe both were only temporary, but just yesterday, he hadn’t had any hope at all of his life improving, let alone turning around so completely.

He alternated between whistling, humming, and singing at the top of his voice all the way to the bakery. Gary had told him to pull around to the back so they could load the supplies directly into the storeroom, so Finn navigated the one-way grid, passing the park—hey, maybe he could take the pups there later—and turned into the alley that led behind the line of stores.

The whistle died on his lips, because black smoke was pouring out an open door halfway down the alley. Shit, was that the bakery?

“No, no, no,” he moaned. “Please, no.”

Finn parked the Prius haphazardly and leaped out, not bothering to shut the door before racing down the alley.

As he got nearer, he could see the gold Nectar & Ambrosia lettering on the heavy door that stood ajar at the top of a concrete loading ramp. Fuck, the fire was in the bakery.

“Gary!” he shouted, vaulting over the ramp’s metal rail, earning a lungful of smoke for his trouble. Coughing, he pulled the neck of his T-shirt up over his mouth. The smoke was so thick he could barely see. He dropped to his hands and knees, hoping the air would be clearer near the floor, and crept through the door.

Through the haze, he could see the metal legs of the prep tables, the toe kick under the cabinets, and the base of some hefty appliance, but nobody’s feet and—thank the gods—no crumpled bodies. He didn’t see any flames, however, only smoke.

“Gary,” he called again, although his throat closed on the word, making it more of a croak. “Gary, are you in here? Are you all right?”

“Finn!”

Finn’s arms shook, elbows almost buckling from sheer relief. “Gary? Where are you?”

“I’m outside. For the love of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.