We arrived in Amsterdam too late. Tec was anxiously trying to get us all ushered through the airport as fast as possible, but we ended up having to bunk down in an airport hotel. At least this one was still a nice one for all the important businessmen, only stopping here for a day to do important business.

I got to share a room with Kissy and she insisted we did something to make us feel like women. So, facemasks, mani-pedis and she wanted to do my hair. I didn't have a single problem with that. I had never had a girl friend who wanted to do these things with me and it brought back fond memories of my mum. We used to do this on Friday or Saturday nights, eating ice cream for dinner and watch stupid romantic films on the telly.

"You have such nice nails," Kissy said as she worked on my French manicure. 

"You think?" I asked and smiled.

"Yeah, they're so round and flawless. You're genetically blessed," she chirped and swung the nail file around. "I used to bite my nails, so now it looks like a bear mauled them."

I couldn't help but snort. She had perfect pink nails.

There was a knock on the door and Iwo poked his head in. "Hey ladies, whatchu doing?"

"Nails!" Kissy almost squealed.

"Can I join? Mummy and Daddy are fighting." He didn't wait for us to reply, he just walked in and closed the door behind him, dramatically falling down on the bed, Kissy and I weren't sitting on. "My room is next to theirs."

"Who's Mummy and Daddy?" I asked, confused.

"Tec and Frej. They always fight when we travel, because Tec gets so stressed out," Iwo sighed and moved to his side, his hand supporting his head. "And then they make up and that's even worse."

Oh. Now I was kind of glad, Kissy's and my room were on the other end of the hall, away from the guys.

"And Dawid has gone out so here I am, in the fight against boredom."

"You're welcome here, always," Kissy said softly and smiled at him.

He flushed a bit and swallowed something. "So Aura... What do you do for fun?" Iwo asked, probably in lack of something better to say.

"I used to read a lot. Listened to a lot of music too. I like Jazz." I shrugged a shoulder, not really sure what more to say.

"Jazz?" Iwo brightened like a kid on Christmas. "I love Jazz! The 20'th century had the best jazz music ever! Who's your favourite singer?"

"I like Billie Holiday-"

"Naturally," he interrupted, but nodded at me to keep going.

"Ella Fitzgerald-"

"Solid choice."

"Nina Simone-"

"Who else?" He smiled very brightly at me. "We saw Ms. Simone live once. At the Harlem Festival in '69. Hands down one of my favourite concerts."

"I would have loved to see her live. She had this presence," I said with a wide smile and Iwo was fast to agree.

"We stuck out like a sore thumb, but everyone were very kind when we told them we were there to hear Ms. Simone."

"Also, having Tec there with us helped. He told everyone we were his friends from Europe," Kissy chimed in as she started putting clear polish on my nails. "Tec fit right in back then. He had long dreadlocks."

"Where is it we're headed now?" I asked, realising I had never even thought about our end destination.

"Denmark. We're meeting up with some other groups there since we've gotten a new addition."

I must've looked a little confused because Iwo pointed at me, meaning I was the new addition.

"Isn't that where Frej is from?"

"Yep," Kissy replied before Iwo could. "It's odd he hates going home so much. Makes him anxious."

"How is that odd? The Danes burned him," Iwo said and shot Kissy an unimpressed look.

"That was like... A thousand years ago. I was hanged in the 1800's, but you don't see me still crying about it."

"Well, Frej was 18 when they burned him. He looks 18 until the day he ceases to exist. If that day ever comes." Iwo tipped back on his back and looked up at the ceiling. "We're all adults and he's stuck as a teenager. Has that never crossed your mind?"

"Of course it has..."

"And he's the oldest of all of us. Like, he's older than almost all of the other groups too."

"How come?" I asked. "Why didn't they make more like us before Frej?"

"No idea. Tec is suspiciously secretive about that. Maybe you can get something out of him, you being his new favourite and all."

"I'm not his new favourite." I frowned at Iwo.

"You're not? He only takes you hunting. He went hunting with me and Dawid once to teach us the basics and then we were on our own. You're different. Why?"

I just shook my head and shrugged. How was I supposed to know? I thought he had done this with all of them.

"In fairness, you and Dawid had each other," Kissy said and looked up from my nails. "And it's different times now. When I was given the second life, it didn't occur to me that this wasn't a possibility. That the supernatural didn't exist. Now though, no one believes in anything. So I reckon Tec is trying to ease Aura into it."

"You're always defending him," Iwo groaned and slapped his arm over his face.

"I'm not. I'm just trying to see this from both sides. And it makes sense Tec is more attentive to Aura, considering..."

"Considering I topped myself?" I asked. "It's not a bad word, Kissy. You can say it. I killed myself."

"Yes," she said very seriously and met my gaze. "And none of us did. We were all killed."

"Right, so you think that's why Tec is so protective?" Iwo asked and raised himself up on his elbows, so he could see us.

"It's the most logical option. Or maybe he just likes Aura." She shrugged a shoulder. "It's not like he has ever denied that he has favourites. He has always called Frej his favourite."

"That's because they share a bed," Iwo muttered and rolled his eyes.

"If you think that's the only reason why then you're an idiot. You know why Tec lost all the respect of the other deities."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"We're supposed to be his children, but he married Frej. Seven times. They're in love and Tec isn't even ashamed of telling anyone about it. Deities aren't supposed to be with their subjects." Kissy shrugged a bit. "We don't give a shit, of course. Frej and Tec were together before we were even born."

I ended up shrugging a bit. Kissy went back to making my nails and Iwo kept talking about Jazz music. I was happy the mood wasn't ruined just because Kissy and Iwo hadn't been agreeing on this. I hated when people disagreed.

When Kissy had moved on to making my hair, there was another knock on the door.
"Come in, don't linger in the hall!" Kissy chirped out happily as she sprayed something in my hair.

Frej's red head poked in and he looked more red than usual. His eyes were puffy and his nose was redder than usual.

"Can... Can I join you guys?" he asked with a small voice.

"Sure," I said and smiled.

Kissy and Iwo shared a glance.

"I think I'm gonna check on Dawid," Iwo said and rose from the bed.

"I'll go with you," Kissy said and followed him out of the room. Frej looked absolutely devastated and sat down on the floor.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have come... You guys were having fun and-"

"It's okay," I said, interrupting him. I slid down on the floor next to him and pulled my legs up to my chest. "People used to leave when I entered the room too."

"Why? You're so sweet," he asked and turned his head, his eyebrows raised.

"You're kind of all my first friends. Ever."'

Frej smiled a bit and put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me a little closer.

"I wasn't very popular when I was alive. People didn't like that I was quiet. It made them suspicious of me and I didn't smile a lot, so they thought I was arrogant and being a bitch. I just... I just didn't have a lot to say. So I get it, Frej."

"They don't like me. I know that. I don't know why I keep trying."

"Because being alone in a crowd is really exhausting," I said. I patted his knee and looked up at him. "You've been nicer to me than a lot of other people have, Frej. I appreciate that."

Frej tried to squelch a sob and dried his eye before a tear unhooked itself. "I want us to be friends. Xipe really likes you."

"I like him too. I like all of you. You've all been so kind to me when you didn't have to."

"You're family now," he said softly.

I nodded a bit. "So... Why do you think the others don't like you? Besides them walking out of the room just now," I asked, just to get the attention back on him.

"I spend too much time with Xipe and him calling me his favourite isn't helping. I'm also a lot older so I don't understand a lot of stuff. I have a hard time with electricity. And Dawid gets so tired of me because I still can't text or send e-mails."

"I could teach you? I used to work in IT. I did that for a living, helping people with computers and stuff."

"Would you? Really?" His entire face lit up like it was Christmas eve.

"Of course." I smiled.

"You know, you might not have been popular when you were alive, but I have a feeling you'll fit right in here."

And that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me.