Chapter 12A snowstorm halted their progress for two days near Erie. During that time, Ken successfully convinced Aster to let her borrow the small explosions talisman for the big fight. After all, she couldn’t use it in her own defense, so why not hand it over? If Ken made it back, she would return the necklace. And if she didn’t? Aster wouldn’t really lose anything, since the stones would remain inactive.
The group lucked out with a house containing two fireplaces, meaning that Ken and Yuuki could have some alone time while the others socialized. And there was plenty of furniture to supplement firewood, though they chopped into a maple tree in the backyard to meet the demand. On the first night, the two enjoyed a passionate exchange, followed by hours of kissing and touching. On the seco
