Chapter 12
Theo stood in Celeste’s kitchen, with Kira lingering by the door like a prison guard and Carl watching him from the other side of the kitchen island. The screen of Theo’s phone showed the call had ended. Peter had hung up on him.
“What the fuck?”
“He told you to stay here,” Carl said in a calm, reasonable voice that Theo wanted to be mad at. Except, he couldn’t muster that. Something was wrong, and Theo was starting to feel budding tremors break out all over his skin.
He looked at Carl. “Something’s wrong. Do you think—”
Theo thought it through. Peter should have been at work, but he’d spontaneously dropped by the university before. He knew Theo’s schedule well enough to risk that, even on a busy Tuesday. The easiest way to find out where Peter was was by calling Mike.
For a terrifying moment, Theo couldn’t remember whether he had Mike’s number, and he thought he’d have to call Corvin first, but then he remembered he’d saved it, he’d just never used it. He went through his sparse contact list and called.
While it rang, Theo paced in front of the kitchen island, his bag trying to slide off his shoulder. “Come on, come on, pick up.”
“Hi, Theo. What’s up?”
Theo’s mouth was dry, and he squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on talking.
“Is Peter there? At the office? Is he at the office with you right now?”
A pause. “He said he was heading out for a lunch break. I thought he’d go meet up with you? Theo, what’s wrong?”
“I… Thanks. I’ll call you back. Sorry.” He hung up, let his hand with the phone in it drop loosely to his side, and looked at Carl.
“He’s not at work. He went to see me. I was…
I left that strange guy there. He’s not dangerous, right?
That guy? The Fae? Fae aren’t dangerous, are they?
I mean, not for someone like Peter. Right? ”
Theo wanted—needed—Carl and Kira to tell him no and mean it.
But he’d seen their reaction when they’d sniffed him.
He’d seen Celeste’s reaction. And he’d fucking heard Peter’s voice, and Peter wasn’t ever afraid of anything, nor had he ever used that kind of commanding tone with Theo.
He wouldn’t do that without a damn good reason.
Carl cleared his throat. “It’s probably best if you take a seat and wait for Mr. Collins. He’ll be upset if you get worked up. Over nothing.”
It was almost believable, but out of the corner of his eye, Theo saw Kira nod, and he knew that they were lying to him. He could feel it in his gut, feel that something wasn’t right.
“I can’t do that. I have to go.”
He hoisted his bag up on his shoulder and made for the door, but found Kira blocking his path.
“Theo,” she said, pushing him back when he didn’t stop.
“Let me go.”
A sharp knot of tension and terror wound around Theo’s chest, and when he tried to shake Kira off and couldn’t, it only got worse. Then Carl was there, shoulder to shoulder with his sister, and they were a wall in front of him, not restraining him, but not letting him pass either.
“It’s best to wait for Mr. Collins. He wants you to be safe,” Carl said, and Theo loathed that he sounded so reasonable and self-assured.
“Let me go… Let me go!” Theo hadn’t meant to scream, but it just happened. He needed to get to Peter. “We have a contract. Let me go!”
The door behind Kira and Carl opened, and Celeste stormed in, shoving past them and looking like someone had insulted her collection of riding crops. “What’s this? Calm the fuck down.”
Theo did, shocked by the tone of Celeste’s voice. She didn’t curse much, normally, and it jolted him that she did now.
“That’s better. What happened?”
“P-Peter called.” Theo felt his lip trembling. “He told me to stay here. But something’s wrong. He’s not at work. They said he went to get lunch with me.”
Celeste closed the door behind her. “Theo, you need to stay here so he knows you’re safe. He can’t worry about you, not when he’s dealing with a Fae.”
“What’s a Fae?” Theo heard his voice break on the question. He felt pathetic.
“I’m making you tea.” Celeste went into her kitchen, half an eye on her phone while she texted, half an eye on Theo.
She’d changed into a wide, silky dress in dark purple that tied at her waist with a black sash.
The gloves were gone, but she was still in the heels.
Carl and Kira relaxed, clearly more than happy to let Celeste take the lead.
“Kira, can you wait for Lord Laurette to arrive and then bring him straight up here?”
“Yup, will do.” Kira turned to the door, then glanced back. “Peter Collins is one of the fiercest fighters I know,” she said, looking at Theo as if that was supposed to make him feel any better. She gave him a nod, then went back downstairs.
Theo just stared, not sure what to do with that.
“I don’t want tea.” Theo could hear himself. Tense. Petulant. He had to focus on his right hand in order to not clutch his phone too tightly and break it.
“Humor me.” Celeste’s voice was soft now. Softer than Theo deserved.
Theo closed his eyes to focus on his breathing, and when a single tear ran down his cheek, it irritated him to no end, and he hastily wiped it away. “What’s a Fae, Celeste?”
She had an electric kettle in one corner of her kitchen and was fiddling with a flowery teapot, spooning loose leaves into the pot’s strainer.
“They’re known for going after humans and abducting them to Faerie, which is their realm. I understand it has to do with magical planes of existence, but how that works, I have no idea.”
Theo tore his eyes away from the door. “So they aren’t interested in vampires?”
Celeste was setting up three saucers and three cups, just as flowery as the pot, and arranging sugar and cream as well. It was like when kids were having a tea party, and just as surreal.
“Not that I’m aware. Theo, sit. Peter wouldn’t want you to get all worked up. It’s going to upset him.”
If anything I do upsets him, he can damn well come here and tell me himself. He can yell at me and force-feed me toast with the crusts cut off, and he can make me wear warm clothes and eat three square meals a day, but he’ll damn well have to do it himself.
Theo took a shallow breath. “I’m not worked up.” But because he actually was worked up and didn’t want to admit it, he sat down and focused on the rattling kettle. “I just want to go there and make sure he’s all right.”
“I know.” Celeste’s voice had gone even softer. “But what if he’s done with whatever he’s doing and is on his way here? Don’t you think it’s better to wait where he can find you?”
She had that sensible tone now, and Theo wanted to nod along with her, except, of course, she’d trained him well. He pressed his lips together before saying, “Celeste, are you working me?”
“That depends. Do you need to be worked or are you ready to be reasonable? Carl, be a dear, get the toffees.”
“Toffees?!” Theo’s voice came out as an almost scream while Carl, calm as you please, went over and got a tin from high up in one of Celeste’s cabinets.
Celeste gave him a hard look. “I haven’t had time to bake since yesterday, and the coffee cake takes too long to defrost. So yes, toffees.”
“Fuck you,” Theo said, feeling the regret come in right on the heels of those words. The tears too. Then the shivers. “I want Peter. Something’s wrong, and you’re not telling me.”
She nodded. “Yes. Because you can’t make it right. I don’t know what the situation is exactly, but I called for help. Theo, you’re human, and I’m human. There are things we can do and things we can’t do, and sometimes we’re doing the best we can when we stay on the sidelines, do you understand?”
Theo snorted. “Like when he wrapped me in a blanket to protect me from attacking birds? They clawed out his eye, Celeste. His fucking eye.”
Celeste gave him a surprised look, and Carl glanced up, startled, from where he was trying to position the toffee tin in the center of the kitchen island without getting in anyone’s way.
“Peter wrapped you up in a blanket?” Celeste asked.
Theo wiped his face. He was too worried to be embarrassed. “Yeah. And then he got fucking hurt and needed my blood. Can you just tell me what a Fae is, please?”
Carl glanced at her.
Celeste nodded. “I can tell you what I know.”
Theo glanced at the door, which immediately caught Carl’s attention. He moved around the counter as if he was preparing to block Theo’s exit again. I should’ve never taken that Uber. I should’ve…I should’ve called Peter.
A small epiphany came over him, the bright certainty that it would have been better to call Peter and get him there while Theo waited for him in a bathroom stall, to be next to Peter and be in a position to help him, if only by offering his neck.
Like a compass finding north, Theo promised himself that Peter was going to be his first call going forward, no matter what.
As it was, he’d either have to come up with an idea of how to sneak out from under the noses of two highly competent werewolves and an even more competent Celeste, or… Theo wasn’t sure.
I can at least learn what I can while I can.
Theo took the same chair he’d sat in yesterday with Corvin and pulled a teacup over to him. “Please.” He bit his lip. “And sorry for…you know. Cussing you out.”
Celeste smiled as she poured the water from the kettle into the pot to let the leaves steep. “I appreciate that, but there’s nothing to feel sorry for.” She sighed. “Fae are bad news. I’m glad you came here, Theo.”