Chapter 24 #2
“Kids, indeed,” Ursuline murmured, arching their brow.
I didn’t know how long cecaelia lived for, but I had the feeling it was longer than a human.
Yet Jaffar being a vampire meant he could’ve been around for far longer.
The questions I had about his kind multiplied.
Why was there so little information accessible on monsterkind?
Maybe for safety. We hadn’t made society welcome for them when the Awakening happened. Instead, Human First had emerged and other monster hate groups, and humans had stuck to their kind while monsters tightened their communities in response.
“Thank you,” Ursuline said, reaching up and squeezing his shoulder. “I’ll remember this.”
Jaffar nodded and cast a glance back. “You don’t owe me shit, Urs. See you at the next game night.”
My chest clenched at the casual camaraderie. At the deep connections they’d forged with so many people. I’d always wished for long-lasting friendships, relationships that would withstand storms, but time after time they’d been stolen from me, until I’d all but given up.
Ursuline pushed the door open and glided out, and I scooted behind them, tugging my bag along with me.
The second I stepped outside and settled on the solid ground of the sidewalk, the crisp air greeted my nose, threaded with the scent of decaying leaves.
The scent of change, of endings and beginnings.
“Follow me,” Ursuline said as they led the way down a winding walkway leading to the front door, a deep black with a silver knocker. Once we got close enough, I noticed silver markings carved into the surface of the door.
Ursuline tracked my gaze. “Protection spells. You don’t think a witch of this caliber would leave her home unguarded, do you?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know much about Sofia at all,” I admitted, shifting the strap on my shoulder.
The door opened, and the witch herself stood in the frame. Her crimson lips curled into a grin. Her dark waves flowed over her shoulders, and she tilted her head to the side. “You’re about to find out much more.”
Heat flushed through me. Had she overheard? She couldn’t read minds, could she? When it came to witches and their types of magic, my knowledge was dodgy at best.
Sofia’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “In case you’re wondering, mind reading isn’t in my wheelhouse. You just have a very expressive face. Come in, both of you.”
“Thanks, Sof,” Ursuline said, their voice low, throaty. They placed their hand on my lower back and guided me inside.
I wasn’t sure what to expect of Sofia’s house, maybe the same cinnamon scent as Haven, but their place held a lot less of the bright colors that the diner did.
The entryway had black accents, but the lavender walls complemented them well, and the décor was muted rather than extravagant.
Since I’d grown so used to massive displays of wealth, of foyers filled with gilded nonsense, this simplicity settled in my veins.
“I’m sure the two of you could use a cup of tea and a seat,” Sofia said, striding down the main hallway.
A soft glow came from the end of the hall, and the closer we got, the more I could see her kitchen, which was clearly the prized area of the house.
This also had homey, rustic vibes, so different from the presentation at Haven.
The spacious wooden countertops, the massive amount of matching wooden cabinets spanning the room, the large double oven and the racks and racks of carefully labeled spices and herbs created an impressive kitchen.
With the myriad of wooden spoons, canisters, and jars, this room wouldn’t fit in with the luxurious sterility of the places I’d grown up with, and I loved that even more.
The scents of the spices lingered here, some still drying in their hanging places on the higher cabinets, and I drew in a deep inhale, trying to calm myself.
“Here,” Sofia said, pulling out seats by the kitchen island. “I’ll make the two of you tea.”
“My usual?” Ursuline asked. They glanced to me. “What type do you need now?”
“Herbal,” I said. “I’m good with anything.”
“I’ve got your number,” Sofia said, sashaying over to her electric kettle.
Her skirts swept back and forth against the floor, fluid and billowing, the opposite of her black lace-lined top that hugged her lithe form.
She was impressive and gorgeous, and Gretel was a lucky woman.
However, I felt just as lucky to be here with Ursuline.
I sat down on the seat, finding my footing in this unfamiliar place. Everything was unfamiliar, and now I didn’t have a permanent spot to rest my head. Would Ursuline and I be on the run like this for the rest of our lives? My stomach churned at the possibility.
Ursuline sank into the seat beside me, and then their palm rested on my thigh.
The touch quieted the anxiety brewing in my brain, and I let out a long, low breath.
Their eyes searched mine, as if to ask if I was okay, and I didn’t try to force a smile back.
No, I gave a small shrug, to which they nodded.
“Here,” Sofia said, sweeping back in our direction, this time with two steaming mugs. “This should help settle you.”
She placed a black ceramic mug in front of me, and I drank in the fumes, all floral and delicious.
I picked out lavender notes, but I wasn’t sure what else was in the tea.
I blew on the surface and then took the first sip.
The tea scorched me slightly, but I savored the flowery sweet taste, letting it linger on my tongue.
Ursuline clutched their mug in both hands, but they didn’t try to sip. No, instead they zeroed in on Sofia. “We won’t bother you for long.”
“You’ll never be a bother, Ursuline,” Sofia said. “And if you think Frederick scares me, you’ve sorely mistaken my abilities.”
Ursuline’s lips pressed tight together before they spoke. “You don’t know what he’s capable of. It’s…Those of us from New Atlantis don’t talk about it much, but there’s a reason none of us go back home.”
“You forget how many walk through my doors at Haven,” Sofia said, her dark eyes holding an understanding there. “I’m aware of Frederick’s sins. And I’ve got enough connections to bury him.”
“It hurts to hope,” they admitted, their voice a whisper.
I placed my hand overtop the one they left on my thigh and gave them a squeeze. Ursuline offered me a grateful look, and my heart traveled right out of my chest. In that moment, it belonged to them.
“Thankfully, I’ve got that in abundance,” I offered. My folks had tried for years to stamp my dreams out of me, and sometimes I had grown bleak, but the moment my parched soul sucked down even a single drop of hope, it blossomed at once.
“He’s good for you, Ursuline,” Sofia commented as they brought their own mug of tea to the island and sank into a seat. “The two of you are a beautiful contrast.”
And yet, part of me understood them on a deeper note than I had anyone else.
For as different as we were, we’d both been trapped.
We’d both craved depth—in the sea, in the people surrounding us.
We both understood how the arts could transform.
With Ursuline, I never thought they viewed my painting as frivolous or a stupid hobby like so many others in my life.
And in turn, their musical ability thrilled me, their soft smiles they saved for few, the cleverness and tenacity they’d used to survive all these years.
“He’s remarkable,” they said, their gaze locking with mine. My eyes heated at the comment, at the regard they gifted me. No one ever treated me like that. Like I mattered.
I sucked a swig of my tea to try to hide my blush, but I swallowed too fast and spluttered on it.
Sofia let out a laugh, the sound tinkling and elegant. “And it seems you’re good for him as well.”
“When’s Gretel get home?” Ursuline asked, taking a sip of their tea.
“Not for another few hours,” Sofia said. “She’s working later at Haven tonight. In the interim, have your tea, then crash in the guest bedroom. Find a way to relax a little. I’ll continue digging into the Triton family.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. When I’d been drawn into this mess in the first place, I’d felt so hopeless, so helpless.
I didn’t have a community, just a family who didn’t want me and a revolving door of other individuals.
This support Ursuline had from so many—a deep envy and admiration bloomed in my chest.
They placed a hand on my thigh again, their palm warm from clutching the mug. “For now, let’s settle with the tea.”
***
In the hours after we’d arrived, Ursuline and I hadn’t done much beyond drink the tea, stare out the window, and discuss random topics, none having to do with the overwhelming life change hanging over our heads.
Whenever I looked out the window, I half expected someone to be staring back at me.
While Frederick didn’t have an army, I had the feeling he had more at his command than the guards who’d milled around the mansion.
Right now, all I saw was the streetlamp flickering outside and the occasional passersby focused on their destination, not peering in trying to find escapees.
“Come on,” Ursuline said, weaving their hand through mine. “Vigilance is good, but rest is better. Sofia set up a guest room for us.”
They led the way up the steps, which made discordant creaks underneath the weight of their tentacles as they climbed the length. My heart thundered. I was in a strange house, on the run, and yet I felt safer here than I had at the Triton Manor. Safer here than in my childhood home.
Sofia’s guest bedroom featured two cozy lamps that cast gentle amber beams and a massive bed with a gray comforter and fluffy pillows.
The nightstand was a rustic dark brown, same as the bookshelves, which were filled with myriad of leatherbound tomes.
The art on the walls featured gorgeous blooms in different arrays and patterns, the artist employing meticulous brushwork.
I wandered closer to one of the frames and noticed that in the flowers themselves, there seemed to be markings like the ones on the door.
“Witch paintings aren’t just pretty to look at,” Ursuline said as they sank onto the mattress. “Sofia’s collection is a treasury of spells too.”
I let out a low whistle. “How come I never knew about this?”
“Your kind doesn’t like learning about monsters,” Ursuline said. “They prefer us to stay in our spaces, in our own communities.”
Guilt throbbed through me. They weren’t wrong. My parents were perfect examples of the ignorance humans employed, acting as if they were the only species that mattered. “We’re clearly missing out.”
“Come here,” they said, leaning back in the bed and patting the spot next to them.
Heat flooded through me at the sight of them in the bed, along with a bone-deep ache.
Every stolen moment with them, every time we’d fucked, all I’d wanted to do was curl up by their side afterward.
To spend the night with them, in their arms.
We could never have done that while keeping things secret in Triton’s manor.
Yet here, we were…free.
A jittery rush of adrenaline shot through me, and I almost tripped over myself on the way to them.
I toed out of my shoes and slipped onto the bed.
A gravity hummed in the air, as if Ursuline understood the depth and meaning behind this moment as well.
As if they’d been craving the same this whole time.
I didn’t even bother stripping out of my clothes.
The exhaustion crept in like a misty fog, rolling in with enough intensity to smother.
I settled next to Ursuline, and they didn’t hesitate.
They slid their arm around my shoulders and drew me in.
I’d checked my cage, which still fit snugly around my cock, and Ursuline’s hand wandered and gave me a light squeeze there.
The possessiveness in the motion sent a hot spike of lust through me, even though exhaustion won out.
My cheek pressed against their chest, and I let out a shuddery sigh. Their scent of brine and currants wrapped around me, a comfort that I succumbed to, their natural warmth almost as intense as the cups of tea we’d had earlier.
“Did Sofia spike our tea?” I asked, my brows drawing together.
“Define spike,” Ursuline responded, a laugh exploding from them with a rumble in their chest I could feel. “She wouldn’t give you any drugs without consent, sunshine. But she chose an herbal for you that’s known to soothe.”
I cuddled into their side a little more, soaking in every second of this. “Can we sleep like this?”
“What, upright?” they teased, slumped against the backboard of the bed.
“No, together,” I murmured, my heart thumping hard.
“Of course,” Ursuline said, their tone hushed. “It’s something I didn’t think we’d ever get.”
I swallowed hard, and tears stung my eyes. I was so incandescently happy, but this sense of doom filtered in like blackened fog. As if this was a temporary gift before our bliss was stolen away. As if we’d dared the fates too much.
And I’d learned far more than I could bear over the past few weeks. Enough that I’d run from Triton’s manor instead of following the trajectory laid out for me.
Enough that Ursuline had done the same.
However, it was still to be seen whether or not rattling the snake’s den would prove our undoing.