Chapter 13 #2
“But that’s not why you’re here,” Zelda said, drawing them back to the present.
She turned her gold eyes over to Philippe, her expression unreadable.
“No, Master Arsenault, I’m not a vampire.
I’m a witch, plain and simple. I’ve been around for a very long time, seen plenty, and known more people and creatures than I care to remember.
This one,” she paused and pointed a bony finger at Rafe, “has done me a few favors over the years and has been amusing where most of your kind tends to be tedious.”
“Lovely, Zelda,” Rafe grumbled.
“The key fact being that he called in a favor to get you a meeting with me,” Zelda continued, throwing Rafe a placating look.
“I appreciate all he’s done to help my clan,” Philippe said. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”
Zelda stared at Philippe for a moment, then turned over one of the little white stones between her fingertips.
The rest of the noise of the coffee house grew muted and slipped away.
It was like everyone else forgot they existed.
Philippe smiled at her, patiently waiting as if it was perfectly normal for a strange old woman to stare at him.
Of course, she didn’t actually look old.
At least, not this time. Her face held an almost timeless quality to it, putting her somewhere between her late thirties and…
well…the dawn of man. Rafe had a few guesses, but nothing he was sure Zelda would ever confirm for him.
She just was and he was glad she was on his side. This time.
“But first, I want you to play a piece for me.” Zelda held out a white stone toward Philippe.
His companion cocked his head to the side just a little and his smile turned quizzical, but he accepted the piece. “What are the rules? I’ve never played.”
Excitement flashed across her face, and she sat up a little straighter as she quickly explained the placement of the stones and the very simple rules.
Go wasn’t a complicated game, but it was an incredibly difficult one to master.
Rafe could never sit still long enough to suffer through a game of chess.
Aiden had taught him and his brothers Go years ago when they were still human, but Winter had been the only one of them to actually enjoy it.
After everything was explained, Philippe leaned a little closer to the board, surveying the pieces in play.
There were only a couple dozen placed on the squares, indicating that Zelda and Aiden were still early in their game.
In one far corner, there was a tight grouping of white and black stones as if Zelda and Aiden had fought for territory there, but there was a smaller grouping of four white stones off on their own at another corner as if Zelda was starting a new grouping.
With his lips pressed into a hard, thin line, Philippe seemed to be contemplating all the available points before finally placing his white stone up with the other grouping of four stones.
“You’ve got almost the whole board available. That’s where you want to put it?” Zelda asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Yes. It strengthens your claim on that territory,” Philippe replied without hesitation.
Zelda winked at him and lightly touched the top of the stone Philippe placed. “Let’s watch what Aiden does.” As a minute ticked by and a new black stone didn’t appear, Zelda giggled and clapped her hands. “Oh, you’ve confused him! You’ve got him wondering what I’m up to.”
Philippe looked over at Rafe, and he chuckled. If Zelda could distract Aiden from his grief for a short time, then he’d happily take it.
Nearly another minute passed before a new black stone magically appeared on the board, and it was near the larger grouping. Even though they couldn’t see the expression of the other player, Rafe had to admit that the placement felt hesitant if that was even possible.
“Now that we’ve got that settled,” Zelda said. She clapped her hands together once and rubbed them together. “Let’s get to your business, so I can get back to kicking his ass.” To Rafe’s surprise, she turned her attention to him first. “You and your brothers have stirred up a hornets’ nest.”
“We never started this,” Rafe snapped, and Zelda shot him a warning look to watch his tone. He wasn’t stating anything she didn’t already know. “They killed my mother. Came after us.”
Zelda’s eyes turned sad for a second at the mention of Julianna. On the few times that Rafe had met Zelda over the years, helping his mother had been the one and only request he ever had for the old witch, and she couldn’t help. He always got the impression it hurt her greatly that she couldn’t.
“I know, and you bought yourself some time by getting rid of the Black Wolf clan. Everyone is watching, being cautious.”
“But that’s going to last for only so long.”
Zelda nodded, her eyes moving over to the Go board. “The field is changing quickly. Some new, important players are going to be introduced soon. People you and your brothers might not be expecting.”
Rafe glared at the board, wishing he could see what she could, but there were only black and white stones. “What’s your advice?”
Zelda’s smile returned and there was amusement in her eyes. “Remember who you are.”
“Rafe, purveyor of fleshly pleasures.”
She sighed and waved her hand at him as if she were demanding that he continue.
“I’m a Varik.”
“Good boy.”
This time Rafe sighed in return. “And that’s enough? You don’t have some magic sword or maybe some fucking fairy dust tucked in your bag of tricks over there?”
“Being a Varik has always been enough.”
“You’re exhausting, Zelda,” Rafe moaned, but it was only to cover up the little swell of warmth and pride he felt in his chest. He wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that statement, but it was nice to know.
If they stayed true to who they were, Rafe and his brothers would find a way through this mess.
“Yes, yes. Now run along while I talk to my new friend.” The witch waved both of her hands at him, shooing him away.
“He can remain,” Philippe said quickly, reaching over to place a restraining hand on Rafe’s shoulder as he tried to rise from his chair.
“Oh no, my words are for your ears only. If you want to tell him after you leave here, that’s your business.”
“But he can hear what you have to say about my family?” Rafe demanded, but he was only teasing. Zelda could see it as clear as day.
“Out, boy! Out!”
With a roll of his eyes, Rafe pushed to his feet and threw Philippe one last reassuring smile.
He didn’t want to leave, but Philippe was in safe hands.
He crossed through the coffee house to the front door.
A cold wind whipped through the city, carrying with it a hint of snow.
Rafe’s lip curled at the thought. They’d spent the last two decades in South Carolina.
Snow had been rare during those years. Now they were hunkered down in New England, where snow was a sure thing during the winter months.
What the fuck had Bel been thinking? And what the hell had they all been thinking by allowing him to choose this location? There had to be other people he could be near who were working on blood-borne illnesses.
Rafe moved away from the door and leaned against the wall, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
He already had the texting app and Bel’s thread open before he’d realized what he was doing.
He blinked twice at the date of the last text they’d exchanged.
It had been days since they’d talked. That couldn’t be possible.
He talked to Bel every day. Or at least he had.
The last time he could remember talking to Bel was when he’d been shot, but that had been…well, he wasn’t quite sure how many days it had been. Just a few, but that was still too many.
How goes the great cure? Rafe texted. Not his wittiest message, but he was fresh out of inappropriate images.
For a moment, he thought about capturing a picture of him and Philippe in bed together, assuming they’d ever have another moment like that again, and his stomach turned at the thought of sending it along to his brothers.
He knew it had nothing to do with the fact that Philippe was a clan leader and they were supposed to be brokering an alliance.
It had everything to do with the fact that Rafe did not want to share Philippe in any way.
Rafe leaned his head back against the brick wall and sighed.
That was just a wonderfully complicated thought.
Rafe didn’t do exclusives. He rarely did repeats.
Occasionally someone would happen along who was entertaining enough to have for a second time, but there was no understanding that it was something more. It was only sex.
But from the first time Rafe’s lips touched Philippe’s, everything felt a hundred times more complicated.
Rafe didn’t do complicated. Didn’t do repeats. Didn’t do exclusives.
Fuck. Philippe checked all the boxes for the “this is a fucking bad idea” category.
Then why the hell was he standing outside in the freezing-ass cold, dying to get his hands on the man? He wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him until this low-level sense of panic finally subsided.
Yes, he wanted to know what Zelda was telling Philippe.
Yes, there was a part of him that was terrified she was telling him to run as far and as fast as he could away from Rafe.
But he still wanted to know. He also wanted to be there to help Philippe sort through the information, assuming the old witch was able to tell him anything concrete.
The phone Rafe was still holding buzzed in his hand, jerking him from his dreary thoughts. He looked down at Bel’s reply.
Slow going as usual. How are things with Arsenault? Any luck?
Piper was killed. Still searching for murderer.
Bel’s reply was immediate. What can I do?