Chapter 13
Phin
The heaviness of the slightly humid air was the first thing to register as we exited the portal at our destination. While definitely colder than the evenly temperate crossroads, it was also far warmer than Vincara.
I marveled at the dense greenery in every direction as Seir led us down a narrow, worn footpath.
As far as I could see were trees, grass, and even a few patches of colorful flowers despite the season.
Animal life was also plentiful, birds noisy in the trees or flying overhead and squirrels and other woodland creatures scampering around in the underbrush as we walked.
It was lush, vibrant. Alive.
“Reminds me of the gardens,” I muttered, attention unfocused as I took in everything around me.
“I can see the resemblance,” Tap agreed. “This glade is also a rather special place.” The corner of his mouth tilted as Seir proudly scampered ahead, narrating and pointing things out.
“The hot springs are over there, and the new beehives aren’t far beyond that. Merry and Coltor live down that path, and the ruins are a bit past them. Our place is just up ahead, we’ll start there.”
We passed a series of hot springs and a little cabin that looked new as we walked toward a thriving stand of trees.
Just at the edge was another cabin, this one clearly very lived in and cared for.
Garden beds lined the house, all overflowing with vegetables despite the thin layer of frost. As we approached, two sets of wind chimes hanging from the edge of the front porch tinkled different tunes as a light breeze blew through.
A woman opened the door of the cabin as we approached and gestured with her arm. “Welcome! Come on inside.”
Tap urged me to go first with a gentle press of his hand at the small of my back.
I nodded politely at the pretty woman as I entered her small but comfortable home, pausing behind a plush sofa.
There was a healthy fire going in the hearth, and the whole room smelled like cinnamon and apples.
Nostalgia gripped my lungs and I swallowed over the lump in my throat.
My mother nearly always had a simmer pot going with fruit and spices, and sitting in front of a warm fire was where we all shared how our day had gone after supper.
I tried to shake off the sadness that inevitably crept in when I started to think about what might have become of them.
“You owe me a jar of pickles,” Seir teased, pausing to kiss her on the mouth after pulling the door closed behind himself.
Tap seemed to notice the same moment I did that he’d never removed his hand. He stared at me with concern for the space of a heartbeat, clearly having picked up on my tension. I nodded to indicate I was fine, and the warmth of his touch fell away.
“So I do,” Hailon laughed.
“The fresh air is quite nice.” Tap gestured to his brother. “Maybe leave it open a little?”
“Good idea.” He opened the door so just a sliver of light came through at the edge, enough for a bit of air to flow.
I took a deep breath, some of the tension easing out of my shoulders and back.
“For my pickles, I’d like green beans. No!
The little baby beets.” He licked his lips as though already tasting them. “Please.”
“I’ll see what I can do my next trip to d’Arcan. I’m not sure what’s left in the cellar. Between you and Magnus, we’ll have to triple our pickling schedule next year.”
“Better quadruple, to be safe.” Seir winked at her and continued into the kitchen.
“We’ll need to put in more garden beds then.”
“Merry will be thrilled!” He grinned at her, and as her head tilted, added, “Just tell me where to dig, Moonflower. You can have a hundred more if it means I have pickles whenever I want. Shall I pour the tea?”
She shook her head and turned her attention to Tap. “I’m so glad you came, but if I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure he’d convince you. I know venturing out is a considerable undertaking.”
Tap cracked a grin that set my thrumming nerves at ease. “If I were you, I’d have bet the pickles too.” He leaned in and kissed her chastely on the cheek. “It’s always good to see you, Hailon.”
She leaned back and sighed. “One of these days I’ll make it to the crossroads and save you the trouble of leaving. I really do want to see the great hall.” She turned to me. “Hello. I’m Hailon. Seir’s—”
“Wife,” he confirmed with a smirk and strong nod. “My incredible wife.” He kissed her cheek as he passed us by with the tea before setting them on the table.
“I don’t recall being invited to a wedding,” Tap said, but the tilt to his mouth let me know he was teasing.
“Unnecessary formality,” Seir waved his hand.
I accepted the hand Hailon held out, which showcased a ring that argued Seir was correct.
It was a simple band with a piece of obsidian in it.
Unusual, perhaps, but pretty. As I met her eye, I was momentarily stunned.
The coloring of them was beyond unique—the left a deep brown on one side and a light jade on the other, the right bright blue and opaque yellow.
Despite her youth, Hailon’s hair was nearly all white with just a few threads of pitch black which was intriguing as well.
But it was the burst of warmth that passed between us when we touched that truly surprised me. “Phin. Pleased to meet you.”
“Please, make yourselves at home.”
Tap pulled out one of the dining table chairs for me. I sat, blushing as both Seir and Hailon watched us intently.
“You’re helping set the deals library to rights?” Hailon asked, pushing a plate of finger foods my direction.
“Yes.”
“I fear I didn’t accurately describe the scope of the job before she agreed to it,” Tap said, tone light but eyes still apologetic. He quickly added a healthy drop of honey to my cup before doing the same to his own.
“It’s a big project, but I don’t mind. It’s nice to see the progress every single day.” I curled my fingers around the steaming teacup and brought it toward my face. It smelled faintly of oranges and warmed my whole body when I took a sip.
“I bet. I feel the same way about pulling weeds or cleaning up. If I can see a difference, I feel like I’ve been very productive,” Hailon agreed.
I nibbled on the tasty little jam covered toasts I’d taken as Tap spoke kindly about how much progress I was making already. I felt like he was exaggerating quite a bit but appreciated the praise.
Hailon turned back to me, patting my hand where it sat on the table in a friendly manner. Another jolt of awareness jumped between her hand and mine. Her head tilted to the side. “What’s that about, I wonder?”
I blinked. “You feel it too?” My voice came out as a whisper.
She smiled. “I do.”
“That means you’re … you have …” I stumbled over my words, unsure how to formulate my thoughts coherently. I’d never met anyone with angelic blood outside of Heaven.
“I’m a null,” Hailon offered. “I’ve a bit of everything in me. Perfectly balanced, or at least that’s the claim. I beg to differ though, because I didn’t even get wings.” Her gentle smile helped me breathe evenly again. “I’ve never had that happen with anyone else.”
“There aren’t many of us.”
“Hmm. I can relate to that too.” She patted my hand again. “Nulls are very few and far between. I didn’t even know what one was until I was informed, myself.”
“Tap always was a bit contrary,” Seir teased. “Can you imagine what the boss would say if he knew you’d hired an angel to sort out the contracts? That you’re living together at the crossroads? Picturing his face will keep me entertained for days.” He hooted with laughter.
Tap paused mid-bite and blushed, trying to swallow the bit of bread he’d eaten without choking.
“Can’t imagine he’d be all that surprised, honestly.
He knows how I am.” Seir found his response even more amusing, and Tap cracked that low, gentle smile again.
Butterflies swarmed in my gut, and I drank some tea to disguise any outward signs that a simple smile had had an effect on me.
“Boss?” I asked.
“Lucifer,” Tap said softly.
“Oh.”
“It’s easy enough to forget that at the end of the day, that’s who Seir’s actual employer is.” Hailon sighed and shook her head. “Saints know I keep trying. It’s very stressful sometimes.”
“He’s not that bad,” Seir insisted. “It’s not like I’ll ever be summoned back again, I made sure I negotiated those terms. And you’ve met Lilith. Do you think she’d tolerate him if he was truly awful?”
Hailon laughed. “We had all of ten seconds worth of interaction, so I’m not sure that’s enough to gauge an understanding of what she’d tolerate. Besides, she seemed incredibly angry with him, so …” Her head tilted.
Tap huffed a breath. “So, same as always?”
Seir’s smile went wide. “Naturally.”
I blinked, trying to absorb the conversation as much as possible while reeling from how casually they were discussing the Lilith and Lucifer.
The way the pair of them were being discussed as, well, a pair.
I picked at my toast and watched them talk, nodding or giving short responses where appropriate, my thoughts too fast for me to sort through them or speak coherently.
“Care to take a walk outside?” Seir asked me after the snacks and tea had been depleted. “I did promise you sunshine.”
That, at least, I could answer. “Yes, please.”
He walked ahead again, gesturing this way and that as he pointed out where the best berries grew, the easiest place to find a bunny, should one want to, and even his favorite shrub.
Hailon glanced behind her shoulder more than once, a look of amused apology on her face.
Tap loped slowly beside me, looking around with one corner of his mouth tipped up.
“You get used to him,” he told me again, barely louder than a whisper. The words tripped down my spine, the timbre of his voice strangely resonant in my chest.