TWENTY-SEVEN
EAST YORKSHIRE, MID-NOVEMBER 2021 AD
Jake drove for miles in silence, not that Liffi missed his company since she had his thoughts to entertain her as they progressed through the drab autumn countryside. At one point, she couldn’t resist commenting.
“Yes, I was telling the truth. I read Nikoloz Ketevan’s mind. It probably saved you from a blade between the ribs. And how do you think I’ve been passing the time on this trip? You’re not exactly sparkling company, you know?”
The significance of her words sank in and he snapped, “That’s what I mean, you see. I can’t have a b****y elf invading my privacy. It’s no good, Liffi, however much I try. It’s the last straw!”
“It’s not as if I meant anything by it. I can’t help it. I-It’s what I’ve become.”
“What you’ve grown into isn’
