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“Smells great.” He told her truthfully. Ever since he’d lost his eyesight, Isaacs felt like his other senses had been growing more acute. The pot roast’s aroma was incredible. “Thank you, Panda.” He held up a hand as Randa passed by, and she gently brushed her fingers across his palm.

It wasn’t a sexual touch. Isaacs and Randa saw each other in a completely platonic light. But Isaacs was a physical person. He craved contact, even though he rarely got it. Casual touching was frowned upon in the Elemental world, and Isaacs was hated by pretty much everyone alive. (And some people who were dead.) Nobody got close to him.

Randa sensed his struggles. If Isaacs put his hand out, she would usually respond. She was leery about anyone touching her, but she didn’t mind touching him.

Kahn apparently minded. A lot. He let out an animalistic growl of warning from his position on the couch in the living room.

Huh.

Isaacs frowned slightly. That was interesting.

“Must you call me ‘Panda’?” Randa asked with a long-suffering sigh, fixing a plate for him. She either didn’t notice Kahn’s attitude or she was ignoring it. “Do you want gravy?”

“Absolutely, on both counts. Best friends always have cutesy nicknames for each other. I saw it on a human sitcom. I call you ‘Randa Panda,’ you call me ‘Super Genius Sexy Man.’”

“How about I call you ‘Super Annoying Jackass Man’?” She was smiling. He could hear it in her voice. Randa was one of the few people in the universe who smiled at him. “Meat is at twelve.” She set the plate in front of him, the food organized like a clock face. Because she cared enough to organized his food like a clock face.

“I’ve always fucking hated that fucker.” Kahn bit off to the other men in the Light Phase language. The five of them were eating boxes of something that smelled a lot like untoasted cherry Pop-Tarts and brooding over Isaacs’ hot meal.

“You’re pissed about that phone call.” Julius soothed, in the same dialect. “This is why I told you to avoid Randa, until you calmed down. She expects better from you than…”

Kahn cut him off. “I’m pissed about a lot of shit, including Isaacs! I should have slaughtered him long ago, regardless of Mara’s objections. I know he did something to Soniham.”

“No one could prove it.” Rye muttered. “We tried for years.”

“Because Isaacs is insidious. Of course he knows how to get away with murder. Isn’t he on our Must Kill list?”

“Number four.” Mannus piped up helpfully.

“We had to cross him off. We’re not supposed to kill Air Phases who denounced Parald.” Daven reminded them. “The Council says there’s been a truce ever since Amarna took over the Air House.”

“I didn’t agree to that.” Mannus argued.

“Regardless, Isaacs is a tricky son of a bitch, even without his sight.” Rye continued thoughtfully. “It’s why we were never able to slay him. You’ll have to plan it out, Kahn.”

“Or I could just stab him in the head.”

“I told you, sharing food means nothing in the Stone House customs.” Julius said, around a grudging mouthful of cold toaster pastry. “Or to Air Phases. Isaacs isn’t claiming the woman. They’re friends. Just calm down and eat your tart-pop.”

Isaacs glanced at Randa’s face, even though he couldn’t see it. His eyes picked up movement and colors, but it was like someone had affixed wax paper to all the details. It was a blur. Still, he knew exactly what she looked like. They’d come through hell together and, here on the other side, he’d learned how very special she was. How quirky and generous and kind.

How much she deserved some happiness.

His damaged eyes flicked over to Kahn, thinking.

“Have you decided on a cake design, yet?” Randa asked, taking a seat on her end of the island and disregarding the Light Phases’ muttering. She seemed determined to pretend they weren’t even in the house. Isaacs was happy to oblige.

“I’m thinking Care Bears.”

“Care Bears.” Randa echoed. “For Gion’s birthday.”

“Yep. Maybe with sparkles.”

“I’m not doing a sparkly Care Bear cake for Gion.”

Isaacs pouted. “Unicorns, then? Rainbow bunnies? It’s got to be something sickeningly, repulsively cute.”

“Absolutely not! I want to do something nice for Gion. I don’t want to be part of any sickening, repulsive pranks or whatever else you might be plotting. I want to make peace with him.”