Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Soyer kept some of the hard liquor in the kitchen, but the vodka was in a storage room opposite the guest bedroom. I followed him back there.
“Are you having fun yet?”
He frowned at me as he opened a cabinet that didn’t really match his furniture and looked about a century old. For all I knew, it was.
“What makes you ask?”
I grinned at him. “I think you’re having fun.”
He sighed. “Believe what you will, my heart. Here. Vodka for your bestie.” He handed me the bottle.
When we got back to the hallway, there was another knock on the door, and I stuck to Soyer’s side as he opened it.
Chef Martin was carrying a Styrofoam box like people used for deliveries, and he frowned at the bottle in my hand.
“On est arrivés en retard?”
Vico patted the big bottle of Champagne he’d brought along. “Chef suggests you’d best find the right starting point for this party. Vodka, he says, is rather the end point.”
“Oh, this is just for the juice,” I said.
Soyer nodded. “Yeah. For the kiddy table.”
Chef Martin looked at Soyer flatly. “Y’a des gens chelous ici.”
Vico nodded sagely. “Chef says thank you for the invitation. Thanksgiving is not a very French holiday, but he’s excited to experience it.”
I smiled at the Frenchman, wishing I were able to say…anything really. So much for what remained of my high school French. “Oh, it’s just a small gathering for friends. Nothing too special.”
Chef glanced at Vico. “Tu es un empoisonneur menteur, chéri, et il finira par se rendre compte.”
“Wise remarks there, Chef,” Soyer said.
Vico smiled politely at me. “Soyer is right. Chef says that there’s no better reason to celebrate than having friends to celebrate with. Would you show me where to chill the Champagne, Mr. Saintclair?”
I nodded. “Amory’s fine. Follow me.”
Soyer put out his hand and clicked his tongue. “Nope, don’t think so. You’re staying far away from my kitchen, Vico.”
Vico pouted. “Oh, you’re such a terror. Amory, at least show Chef. He made savory onion pies as per my direction. It’s one of my most special recipes; one of the secret ones I never wrote down.”
“Gros frimeur.” Chef walked past me, then looked over his shoulder. “Well? Show me where the kitchen is.”
This was only the second time I’d heard him speak English. He had a thick accent, but it was lovely to listen to. It was definitely the first time he’d spoken to me in English.
“Uh, yes, Chef.”
I hurried ahead while Vico and Soyer remained behind at the door, chatting quietly.
Chef looked around the kitchen and found a spot on the counter to set down his box of pies.
“Bonsoir,” he said, nodding at the vampires and Laura, all of whom returned the greeting.
I pointed at the stove. “We have apple cider in case you want some.”
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, clearly sculpted by moving pots and pans all day and handling knives and who knew what else there was to do in a kitchen.
“Tu n’as pas de vin?” He let his gaze fall to the counter where Soyer had put his breads on a cutting board.
The cookies he’d moved from the plate to one of those tiered high-tea contraptions.
I wasn’t sure whether he’d had that already or bought it during that shopping trip to the underground. “C’est quoi?”
That one I understood. He was looking at the cookies and the bread, and for once, I was glad to have taken French after all.
“Oh, those’re Soyer’s non-Christmas Christmas cookies. And sourdough bread. Des pains. Cookie is…like…uh.”
“Des biscuits. I’ll try. Why are they not Christmas cookies?”
I scratched the back of my head while cradling the vodka. “I’m not exactly sure. You’d have to ask Soyer.”
“Who has to ask me what?” He and Vico joined us, and Vico put the Champagne next to the wine.
Chef was critically inspecting one of the cookies before taking a bite out of it. “Bon. These are good Christmas cookies.”
Soyer narrowed his eyes at me. “Amory. What did I tell you?”
“Oh, I know that tone!” Elias raised his knitting. He’d made a whole entire square that was, well, square. “Mr. Bennet, won’t you ask me too?”
Simeon chuckled. Soyer opened his mouth, but I covered it with my hand.
“Sorry, but he’s only allowed to talk to me that way,” I said.
Elias pouted at me. “This is just like all the chocolate milkshakes you didn’t make me, which is cruel! Amory, I was in jail!”
Laura perked up at that. “Are you a shady person? Dwayne says I have to talk to him about shady people.”
Simeon laughed. “Well, pet, let’s see how you get out of this.”
“I am not shady, Laura! You have to believe me. Ah, my reputation is ruined like a soft peach left out to rot in the sun!”
Valentin pulled out his wallet. “Little one, I believe it’s time to pay you.”
Laura lifted her chin and attempted a regal nod. “’Kay, but you can’t have my knitting needles.”
Elias pouted. “Then you must tell me how to finish this. I will take it back home with me and think on this wonderful lesson while I spend my time in—”
“Grounded,” I said to Laura. “Elias got grounded. I think he took a phone that wasn’t his.”
Valentin and Simeon cackled.
Elias gasped. “I would never! My cruel jailors have blackened my name! Honored teacher, I am saintly in all my pursuits. Thievery is not one of my pursuits.”
“Now that’s a tall tale,” Soyer said.
Laura shrugged. “I just need my needles, but I’m not five. I know grown-ups don’t get grounded.”
Valentin put a hand on Elias’s shoulder. “Sometimes grown-ups exaggerate.”
Elias put a hand to his heart. “Never in my life have I ever exaggerated, not even once!”
Soyer sighed. “Let’s get the juicer running. Maybe the vodka will level him out.”
Frankly, I wasn’t holding my breath, but I wasn’t going to crush the high hopes Soyer had for his vodka.
Soyer, as it turned out, enjoyed the juicer. So did Laura. She watched beetroots and apples become a colorful mush while the equally colorful juice was extracted, her eyes getting bigger and bigger.
“It looks like a potion!”
Soyer added a carrot to the machine. “It probably is. Do you want to try it?”
She nodded at him, her eyes big, and Soyer got her a champagne glass of healthy juice. It was entirely too adorable, and any case he might want to make to me of being an evil assassin died at the sight of him taking care of a little girl.
A knock on the door pulled me away from watching them move on to more adventurous juice potions. Out in the hallway, I greeted Dwayne, Rae, and two teenagers. All of them were carrying plates covered in foil.
“Found these guys in the foyer,” Dwayne said. “It’s a big foyer. Weird doorman though.”
I stepped aside to let everyone in. “You mean Jules? What did he do?”
One of the girls with Rae cleared her throat. She was blonde and blue-eyed, carrying two pies, one in each hand, and was dressed in a very neat dress that went past her knees.
“Jules was just trying to be helpful, Mr. Saintclair. Thank you for extending the invitation to me. My uncle Atkins says to give you these pies as greetings and well-wishes from the pack. Apple and pumpkin. My auntie made them. She’s the best baker in the entire pack.”
While Dwayne was walking inside, I took the offered pies. “Okay? You’re not Rae’s sibling, then.”
Rae looked sparkly. They had a casserole dish, and unless I was mistaken, there was a lot of pride on their face when they nudged the other teenager forward.
“No, that’s Sophie. This is Ella. They’re dating. Ella, say hi to Amory.”
“Hi to Amory,” said the other teen. The bold eyeliner made it somewhat difficult to tell, but there was a definite resemblance to Rae.
Sophie groaned and bowed her head at me. “She means well, Mr. Saintclair. She’s an outstanding student. The principal at our school even said that her calligraphy contest entry was exemplary.”
My eyebrows shot up at that. “You guys have calligraphy at your school? That’s cool. I was in the calligraphy club at my school.”
Ella looked unimpressed and moved the plastic container she was carrying from one hand to the other. “It’s not like I even wanted to enter the contest. It was mandatory.”
“You still did really well,” Rae said. “Come on, let’s not stand in the doorway.”
“Good idea.” But before I closed the door, I heard the elevator open and turned to the teenage werewolf. “Sophie, can you take the pies into the kitchen, please? Hand them off to Soyer.”
“Of course, Mr. Saintclair.”
And off she went while Ella rolled her eyes at her girlfriend in an oddly adorable way.
I looked to the elevator only to see Kasey, his snakes out in the open, Ant, and Ben. Kasey was carrying what looked like a big sack, not unlike Santa’s.
“Hey, guys. What’s that?”
“Me and my new helpers here made chili,” Kasey said with a wide grin, his snakes dancing and looking around curiously. “Thought it could be good in case anyone needs a change from all the themed food. Wrapped it in a pillow cover to keep it warm, but I think we should reheat it.”
Ant nodded. “It’s really good chili. Having a professional cook make it makes a huge difference. Don’t believe anyone who tells you it’s the spices.”
“Sous chef,” I said, just as Kasey said, “Thanks.”
I got them all inside and moving in the general direction of the kitchen, then closed the door.
Laura was excitedly telling Dwayne how the juicer worked while Elias was topping off his beetroot and something juice with a lot of vodka, Simeon and Valentin touching-close to him, as if they didn’t want him to get lost in the small crowd that had gathered in our home.
Soyer walked past Kasey and the others to get to me, but waved in the general direction of the table. “There are hot pads. Put that pot on the table.”
Kasey gave a sharp nod, his snakes joining in the motion. “Yes, boss.”
Soyer put his arms around my waist. “My heart, did you permit those Star-Garbed wolves to make you pie?”
“Uhhh. I mean, Jules asked if I like pie. Everyone likes pie, that’s what I said. More or less.”
He sighed and leaned into me. “How were you supposed to know how manipulative they can be, how conniving? I shouldn’t have let you wander around all by yourself, all friendly and smiling at people. It’s not good for the world.”
I glanced at everyone. Our friends were moving around the table, examining the place settings Soyer had been so fussy about, talking, and smiling. I felt at ease here. I felt safe here. I buried my hand in Soyer’s hair, caressed his scalp.
“How is smiling not good for the world?”
He frowned. “That question, Amory, tells me you don’t know how sweet you are. Like ambrosia. How would you understand what that does to other people?”
“You’re so weird sometimes. I’m not ambrosia. Hey, did I say thank you for cooking?”
“What? Could you repeat that? I didn’t quite hear you.”
I smiled against his hair. “Thank you for cooking for us, Soyer. Everything looks delicious.”
“You’re welcome, my heart. I hope you enjoy what I made.”
“The cider’s good and so are your cookies. I don’t know how anything you make would be not good. Should we—”
“Mr. Bennet, where are the champagne glasses?” Vico asked. He’d wandered into the kitchen after all.
Soyer groaned. “Hands off my glassware, Vico. I’m on my way. Amory, come on. Let’s get your party started.”
“Our party.”
He held out his hand for me to take, which I did. “Yes. Our party.”