Chapter 11
TRACE
What the hell happened there? Edwin had been hotly denying his shadow the chance to join in with what for him would probably amount to no more than placing his hands on the carriage while the vamps did the work, then…
boom, he was away with the faeries. Well, not literally, obviously, but his eyes clouded over and his expression turned to one of pure shock.
To give him a moment to get to grips with whatever was bothering him, I offered to show James in more detail the plans I had for rearranging the lawn into a working witch’s garden. He slid off Edwin’s lap and followed me to the corner I intended to use as my personal space.
“Can five vampires really move that thing?”
I shrugged. “Probably. It will be sliding across ice, so it’s not like they won’t have help, but I reckon so. If they were trying to give it a shove along some tracks, one might be enough, but this has obviously got to be a sideways manoeuvre.”
“Can’t Fae magic just move the carriage without the whole ice rink palaver? Wouldn’t that be easier?” By the Goddess, this boy was a thinker.
“Short answer, possibly. Better answer, there are too many variables to make it worth trying. If you don’t use enough power, your carriage will get stuck halfway across the lawn.
If you use too much, it could find itself embedded in the hedge or worse still, out in the road, having mown down several cars or pedestrians on its destructive path.
Remember, James, Fae magic is not of this world.
Railways don’t exist in the Fae lands, so there’s no magical precedent for what they’d be trying to do.
Plus, there’s the potential for that amount of magic to leave a residue that humans might pick up on. ”
“Bloody hell.” His soft whistling breath told me he understood, even if he couldn’t truly grasp the entire concept of another world he had no access to.
I sighed, suddenly overcome with weariness about my upcoming move. There was very little of the process I could speed up with magic, unfortunately. “I’m not looking forward to the work involved in turning the inside into a home though.”
“Hmm.” James appeared to be deep in thought. He stuck his hands in his pockets, his eyes on my soon-to-be home. “That Dalziel bloke is coming. I reckon he might persuade the Council thingy to give you some help. Don’t you think?”
“I’m as senior on the Evergreen Council as Dalziel is, you know.” I kept my tone gentle. There was no reason he should know that, but seriously, fuck Dalziel Millar for giving off so many big cheese vibes that everyone assumed he was the head of the organisation.
“Oh, sorry.” I didn’t like the way James’ shoulders slumped. “I didn’t realise.”
“No need to apologise. You weren’t to know. Dalziel was one of the founder members, but so was I. I’m also the senior witch on the Council, so my vote carries as much weight as his does. Although I guess if I’m asking for money, I should try to be a little bit humble.”
I explained a bit more about the various supernaturals that made up the Council and their special powers that made them unlike the majority of their fellows.
As I talked, I paced, mentally plotting what plants I could move to where, and how and when I would transport them.
But I was getting ahead of myself; first we needed to be sure the carriage could be moved successfully.
I was nearing the stage of desperation to find a new home, but I wouldn’t and couldn’t spend the next few decades staring out at a dense green hedge. I’d go insane.
Edwin, recovered from his spaceout, offered me the use of whatever was in the garage if it would help. For now it wouldn’t, but I appreciated the gesture. Reluctantly I decided I should head home.
I looked around for Terrance. I whistled. I called out, softly at first, then a little louder. Honestly, if the wretched bag of feathers didn’t turn up soon, I was not going to be impressed.
He didn’t appear. Edwin suggested I came inside to wait. “I presume he’s done this before?”
“Yes,” I groused. “And I know he’s a familiar and not a pet, so I don’t have any rights over him as such, but his timing sucks.”
Edwin shot me a sharp look. “Things you need to sort at home that won’t wait?”
Actually, no. Which was partly the reason I needed to get away. I mentally crossed my fingers and fudged the truth, something about sorting through my books so I knew what I could get rid of.
James excused himself to make a meal. He offered to make me something too.
I followed him to the kitchen to avoid staying in the same room alone with Edwin.
He was, frustratingly, somehow tempting me solely by existing, but I wasn’t going to curse my best chance of a home here by making a move on him, especially as I was fairly certain he was banging James.
I really needed to get laid. Fantasising about a brand new couple was a new and unwelcome low for me.
When I realised James was cooking eggs, I volunteered to sous chef for him, happily slicing and ripping up salad ingredients to make enough for two.
James carefully cracked the eggs into a bowl, then seasoned them, equally carefully.
I stepped back so he could extract a packet of grated cheese from the fridge.
“You’re not eating meat? I’d have thought a blood slave needed a lot of iron-rich foods.”
“He doesn’t need to eat meat to get iron in his diet.
” Ha, I should have known Edwin wouldn’t be far away.
I got the vibe he didn’t entirely trust me around James.
But maybe I was projecting as I didn’t quite trust myself.
He was too damn cute, especially when he was riled.
Why am I reacting like a horny teenager all of a sudden?
First Edwin, then James, now both of them.
I forced my libido to pipe down and glanced at Edwin, lounging against the door jamb, looking very human all of a sudden.
“I know you don’t need to, but a juicy steak is often the quickest way to give the body a boost.” Why am I arguing for something I don’t even believe in myself?
Edwin and James pulled matching expressions of disgust which made me chuckle. “Okay, so no steak then. I wasn’t judging.”
“You were.” Edwin’s bright blue eyes caught mine and held, until I acknowledged the truth in his words with a brief nod.
“All right, I was, a bit. But I’ve been vegetarian since birth, so the idea of eating anything’s flesh rather sickens me.
I was only hoping you’ve been looking out for James.
He looks amazing—” That was pushing it, but whatever, I found his elfin appearance very appealing.
“—but quality of life for a blood slave depends on making sure they’re kept as healthy as possible in all ways.
” Edwin began to glower. “As I’m sure you know,” I finished weakly.
James set the fork he’d been using to beat the eggs with down on the counter with a clatter.
He ducked back into the fridge, then opened a cupboard.
He thumped a carton of orange juice and a bottle of iron tablets in front of me.
“Edwin is a good man. He takes care of me. He didn’t remember much about human nutrition because it’s been a long time since he needed to, but he researched and he makes sure I eat a balanced diet.
There are even spinach leaves in the salad.
Satisfied?” His glare was indignant, sweetly protective of his master.
I bit my lip. “I see I’ve been too hasty. It looks as though you’re covering all your bases.” I raised my eyebrows at Edwin. “That doesn’t explain why you looked askance at the idea of a steak. Bit funny for a vampire to be squeamish. You drink blood.”
Edwin looked positively ill. “Human blood, mate. I don’t eat animals.”
“Weird distinction to make. Aren’t humans a variety of animal? Or,” I backtracked quickly as his eyes boggled. “Never mind, I can see that’s a hard line for you.”
“It really is,” he agreed. “I know we use thrall on humans, but a lot of them consent happily anyway. Animals can’t consent. I was a bit of an oddity back when I was human. I was brought up as a vegetarian. Mum was one too, obviously.”
I knew roughly how old Edwin was. “Pre World War One vegetarian humans? People must have thought you were cranks. Wasn’t it hard to get enough of the right nutrients?”
“Not really. There were even vegetarian restaurants in London in the late nineteenth century, although people tend to forget about that. Mum was good at making meals from almost nothing. We were poor, but I never went hungry.” He huffed, looking surprised.
“I don’t often remember much about my human life in such detail. ”
James cut a knob of butter off a block and dropped it into a frying pan.
He gave Edwin a look I could only interpret as besotted.
“You should be pleased. That’s a good memory.
” We watched as the butter melted, then James dropped the beaten egg mixture into the pan.
“I need to keep an eye on this. Edwin, will you lay the table please, and Trace, could you take the bread and butter and a knife through? Bread’s in the cupboard up there.
” His tongue poked from between his lips, his brow furrowed with concentration.
Edwin lifted up a leaf from a narrow dark wood table and anchored it underneath with a pull-out strut.
“James is new to cooking,” he said, warmth and pride in his voice.
“I’m encouraging him to experiment, but it’s a bit one-sided as I can’t offer to taste anything.
” His sad smile was tinged with hope. “Can you maybe be enthusiastic about it, even if it’s not brilliant? ”
“I’m not lying to make him feel better,” I said quickly. “But I doubt it will be bad. He seasoned it well.”
“Fair enough.” He exhaled heavily through his nose.
“He’d probably know if you did lie.” A weighted pause.
“I just want him to be happy. He went through some awful shit at the hands of that monster. Most of the time I can’t believe he agreed to move south with me, let alone that he lets me feed from him.
I’m a vampire, for heaven’s sake, the same species who repeatedly hurt him and…
” His eyes were anguished as he whispered, “repeatedly raped him. How do I help him move past that?”
It was pure instinct to open my arms to him.
Edwin walked into my embrace and laid his head on my shoulder.
“I think,” I said cautiously, “you continue to show him all the ways he can trust you. I’m not sure there’s any more you can do.
He’s safe here, he’s evidently not here under any sort of duress— Hey, don’t react that way, it’s always a possibility when you know vamps use thrall, and you’re especially good at it.
” I waited until he relaxed again, then continued.
“Let him come to you, I guess, is what I’m saying. ”
“Yeah.” He sighed, then extricated himself and rubbed his chin, a gesture I felt was left over from his human time. “Sorry about the needy hug thing. I’m, uh—”
“Hugs are free, man. You’re also allowed to be needy.
Don’t pull the macho stiff upper lip bullshit with me, please.
” I was the one to hold eye contact this time, until he gave me the briefest of nods, then moved around me.
I let out a relieved breath he hadn’t come close enough to feel the chub I’d sprouted as soon as he touched me.
Reacting like an eager cockhound when he needed comfort was bang out of order.
“James has finished cooking.” I raised an eyebrow at Edwin’s certainty. “The frying pan sounds different when the omelette is ready,” he explained.
I smirked and whirled around to follow. “You vampires got to be useful for something, right.”