Chapter 15
Eavoided Mitchel for the rest of the day, though she felt his stare on her several times when he walked the restoration floor like a security guard on patrol.
Or a lord hawkishly eyeing his serfs more like.
However, E managed to push his grating presence aside and focus on the work she loved, the delicate pages freed by her steady hand piece by piece.
The physical work acted as a meditative activity despite all the things swirling around her: the spell book, Mitchel’s doggedness about the damn book, her thesis that still needed more time and finesse to finish, whether she’d continue on to a Ph.D.
or stay with her original plan to return to Columbus.
With all this, Plutus also hovered. Not exactly in the periphery, because his presence even in her mind was bulky.
It loomed. He was there, everywhere, connected to all these other worries in one way or another, and adding another, new worry she’d never had before, one she didn’t want to articulate just yet.
Before she knew it, a hand, older with soft pink square nails, tapped on her workstation.
E squinted up at Anne through her googles.
She looked all packed up and ready to go.
“Um, E?” The woman nodded over her shoulder, at Mitchel standing by the door.
“It’s a little after closing time. I stayed as long as I could, but I do need to get home to the kids.
I could spare a few more minutes, if you need me here. ”
Anne gave her a kind smile and patted her on the shoulder before turning to the door.
E had no friends here, beyond Anne, and being here alone with Mitchel might not be a good thing.
Not that the fastidious man would stoop to do anything physical to her, though he was a man, and a woman never knew.
But what if he made up some story about her when there were no witnesses?
Maybe a bit paranoid, but not something she wanted to deal with now that his book-stealing suspicions were loud and clear.
Anne slipped through the doors just as she finished the last gentle maneuverings to placing her finished project in its velvet storage box.
Luckily, she hadn’t really taken anything out of her bag during the day, so she ripped off her goggles and didn’t bother unpacking her headphones or phone.
E headed right for the door, Mitchel a crisply dressed sentry standing in her way.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of backing down or acting guilty.
She’d not stolen the book even if she did have it.
“The York project is completed,” she said, her quick strides firm even with her short legs.
“A whole day ahead of schedule,” Mitchel said, the tone in his voice saying he was in no way impressed.
“I’ll be able to take up a new project tomorrow morning.”
“Hhmmm,” he said. “We shall see.”
She breezed past him, heading for the door and only digging through her bag for her phone when she knew he could no longer watch her.
She’d missed a few funny texts from Lisa who apparently had a drunken night out in London.
One text from Plutus: “Dinner at my apartment.” Not a question.
A statement. A command from a god. Fine by her. He cooked well.
His car was waiting for her at the curb when she exited.
As she sat in the back and watched the city slide by, she thought on what she could maybe calm in her life.
She had to buckle down and do her thesis work, but it would get done.
There was no way to control Mitchel and what he might do, but she could get answers about the book.
From the god she headed towards. Maybe those answers would also help calm some anxious energy she felt about the god in question, too.
Looked like tonight would be another round of the question game.
He cooked biryani for her. The mound of rice and meat and spices looked mouth-watering, and the smell it gave his entire apartment was inviting. Warm and comforting, like a big hug.
They’d said little to each other after she showed.
Plutus kept busy in the kitchen and after she yelled out a “hello,” E motored to the bathroom to wash the workday off her face then changed into a comfy but lux lounge pants and tee-shirt set she found in the monstrous closet.
They looked like they were for her, so she just put them on, still thinking through what needed to be said.
When she’d sat down at the dinner table, Plutus placed the food in front of her and she forgot about questions for a moment, taking a large bite and slipping her fork free of her mouth with a moan.
“I do love the fact you appreciate my cooking, little one, but if we’re to finish this meal, you need to at least attempt to not make such noises.” It was a tease and a promise, the smirk on his face and heat in his eyes telling her as much.
She nodded but didn’t engage, and the smirk faded. E ate several more bites, the silence between them more tense the longer it lasted.
“What’s–” Plutus started to ask, but she stopped him.
“We need to play the question game.”
He leaned back in his chair, eyeing her. “Need,” he repeated. A statement, not a question, because he was as good at the game as she was.
“Yes. Need.” She paused then gave him more, because he did deserve it. “As you know, I’m having some issues at my internship, thanks to The Book of Desires. I need answers to help me navigate those issues.”
For some reason, Plutus stiffened and sighed, but he nodded and gestured her to continue with his hand.
“Okay. What’s the origin and purpose of The Book of Desires?”
“Hecate created it with a human witch. A man she fell in love with, actually. After we left the human word behind, many of the gods were lonely, in need of something to help them navigate a new existence. Hecate created the book of spells to help her fellow gods find what they needed.”
“What they desired.”
“Exactly. What each desired most, based on the spell they cast.”
“What—?”
“Uh-uh, E. Quid pro quo.”
She nodded and waited, maybe a touch impatiently, as Plutus looked her over then asked, “What else happened today at work?”
She wasn’t used to sharing such things with someone.
It made her feel itchy inside, uncomfortable, but she’d set up the game, and she wasn’t going to squirm out of it.
She told Plutus about Mitchel’s shitty innuendos after lunch.
He cursed under his breath and took a long pull of wine before saying, “He is truly a wormy little man.” E suspected Plutus might even know more about Mitchel’s character than she did, given his powers, but she didn’t ask. She had other, more pressing questions.
“Why did the book come to me?”
“Because of the spell I cast. I’ve already told you this, E.” For the first time she could remember, he looked away from her. Not good.
“Have you changed your mind about wanting me to take care of Mitchel?”
“Take care of.” She twisted the words around in her mouth. Taking care of things seemed to be Plutus’s default setting, and one that chafed her for a variety of reasons. “No need to smite him just yet.”
She expected a smirk on his face after she said it, but he looked hard, stony, a vision of how frightening an angry god could be, even when most of the time this god acted carefree and fun-loving. “Truly, Plutus. I need to ‘take care’ of this myself.”
“In my opinion, E, you need to learn to let others take care of things for you from time to time.”
She bristled. “I can take care of myself.”
“Sure,” he groused, stabbing into his plate and shoving a bite of delicious food in his mouth. “But I get to revisit this conversation if he continues to harass you.”
E only had two questions left in their little game, but he was acting so odd about it, she knew it was important to push this. “What spell did you cast?”
Silence lasted several beats before he whispered, “I will answer this question, truthfully. Only after I ask you another. Are you certain you want to know?”
That didn’t sound forbidding at all. Still, she nodded at him.
In a blink, he stood beside her, pulling her into his arms and carrying her over to the large leather couch in his living room area.
He sat her down and twisted in the seat to face her.
He didn’t touch her again, hold her, try to do more, which was out of character.
His physicality with her was an almost constant, but he gave her space in this moment.
A deep sigh then he looked her square in the face and gave the oddest answer. “I cast a spell to find my mate.”
“Mate. Mate. Mate.” She repeated the words like she didn’t understand it, but she did.
On an intellectual level at least. Mates were known to humans.
Supernaturals had them, werewolf mates being the most prevalent.
It made up a good chunk of supernatural romance media over the years.
Mates were special. Eternal. The one person for another.
“Gods have mates.” She stated it as fact.
“Yes, little one. Gods can have mates, and a god’s mate is a special thing.
To cherish. To care for. To nurture. Godhood is lonely in its long, long existence.
Mates ease the burden of time. One reason Hecate created the book.
Some use it to find purpose, passion, understanding.
Often, such wishes lead them to their mates regardless.
I, however, didn’t muck about.” He gave a rueful smile.
“I cast the spell to explicitly find my mate. You found the book and called me forth when you should never be able to do so.”
He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears, but E reeled, jumping up from the couch and pacing. “Mate. Mate. The thing in my gut. The drive to be with you.” She muttered, lost in her own thoughts.
“Humans are not always mates for supernaturals, but it does happen. My mate happens to be a spunky, pink-haired, book-loving human.” He didn’t reach for her again, despite saying such things, soft blows to her understanding.