Christian paused at the mailbox to get the day's mail, before hurrying into the relative cool of the house.
Mark greeted him in the kitchen with a large glass of ice water. “How was work?”
“Warm but bearable. Val has been very carefully not asking whether I know why the shop is now perceptibly cooler than it is outside, and I've been carefully not volunteering anything. It's not a huge difference, but for it to be consistently just a little cooler makes it a lot easier to work.” He paused to gulp about half the water. “Plus the customers relax and take more time to look around, and everyone is generally in a better frame of mind. Well worth all that time setting it up. Not sure what Amanda is going to say Monday morning, for owning an occult bookshop she's less flexible than Val is. I might have to play dumb if she starts asking. Pretty sure Val won't say anything about what I'm pretty sure she suspects.”
“Tying it into the nearest stream for a direct feed worked?”
“Yes,” Christian said, with what he considered justifiable pride and satisfaction, as he straddled one kitchen chair. Sid was nowhere to be seen—enjoying the cool of his jungle, if he had any sense. “I'm putting no power at all into it, it's coming entirely from the stream. Which means I can tie other sorts of spells to them, too, and all it will cost me is the initial creation plus probably some maintenance. The house is a lot bigger but I bet I can expand it enough. We may have really minimal heating bills, come winter.”
“That would be nice. I knew you could do it, and you'll keep right on doing it. So what's in the mail?”
Christian set the glass on the table, to look through the forgotten mail. “Gods, if this weather doesn't break soon, I'm going to have to copy that heat shield here even if I have to do it in multiple small chunks—even with all this brick and stone it's starting to get warm. Lessee. Cell phone bill, junk mail—can't they read the sign?” He tossed the flyers on the floor, and Sid dove out from under the table to pounce on them, digging at them with both paws. “Crazy cat, it's too hot to be so active. That book club, don't they ever give up? A notice that there's a parcel waiting at the post office, must be that book Dad promised to send me. Figures that they wouldn’t actually deliver it or anything. Hmm, what's this?” He set the rest on the table. “Margaret Lyndell? That's Aunt Ruth's friend. The one Grandpa said to trust.”
“So what does she want?”
Christian ripped the envelope open, and scanned the neatly-handwritten letter within. “Dear Christian. I hope you're doing well and adjusting to being on your own. I still miss your Aunt Ruth. I used to hear a lot about her family in her letters, because you were all so important to her. I sympathize with the difficulties of staying out of witchy politics. I wish you luck, and if you need any backup, please let me know. The Lyndell family will support you in staying independent. I have a large house in the country, on a lake with a small private beach, and I'd enjoy having you and your roommate visit for a few days. It would be a pleasure to have someone to do witchy shop-talk with who isn't interested in status. Given the current weather, I thought you might enjoy the chance to get out of the city heat and maybe swim. However, since I do have an ulterior motive of asking a personal favour, which you are free to refuse with no hard feelings and you will still be welcome, I've taken the liberty of enclosing train tickets. I believe the dates will be convenient for you, but if I'm wrong or if you prefer not to come, feel free to exchange them or return them and use the money towards the feral cats, in Ruth's honour. There's no need to respond, I'll know whether you're coming or not. I very much hope you decide to accept. Margaret Lyndell. That's it.” He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sense of the writer that lingered on the paper. “It feels genuine, I'm not picking up on any traces of deceit.”
“You want to go.”
“Is there any reason not to? It never hurts to have someone else on your side, and if Aunt Ruth cared about her so much, she must be something special. We can talk Val into house-sitting so Sid won't be alone, he knows her and he should be okay.”
Mark shrugged. “Since she invited both of us, it's safe enough. It's entirely up to you.”
* * *
“They're going to come,” Jade observed.
Eric started only slightly, and continued hanging laundry on the line. “Wear a bell or something, would you? Are you guessing or is it a fact?”
“Margaret checked.” Jade perched on the railing around the back porch and pushed her long loose sleeves up out of the way so she could hand him clothespins as he needed them. “She can't see into their house, but she can see what's likely to happen here, and she's been able to catch a few clear visions of Christian and his friend here.”
“I hope she's not disappointed when they get here. Just because he pissed off a pair of Fellowship drones and his great-aunt and grandparents were cool doesn't necessarily mean he's personally anyone she wants to associate with. Or anyone I want to associate with, for that matter.”
“Mm. Possibly. We'll all just have to see. Margaret's starting to speculate about whether his friend is in fact that guardian or teacher she thinks Seth and Rosa left with him, she's going to see what she can pick up when they're here.”
“What do you think?”
“I think all she's going to see is a completely ungifted human.”
Eric pinned the last corner of the last sheet, reeled the whole collection farther out so the wind would catch them, and turned to face her. “This guardian or teacher or whatever might not even exist, y'know.”
“The logic does work. He’s the only child of an only child and they aren’t a prolific family, just a close-knit one. For that matter, if that house has the library I've heard it does, I would want something there to make sure that was safe if nothing else.”
“Point.” Eric stretched, and picked up the laundry basket to go back inside. It was entirely too warm these days to stay out in the sun for long. “One more load and I can go for a swim.”
“You're going to grow gills,” Jade teased. “You already spent an hour in the lake this morning.”
“So I like water.” He set the basket in the laundry room off the kitchen, and checked the washing machine—a few more minutes while that load finished its cycle. “In heat like this, it's the coolest place to be.”
Jade just shrugged; the heat only bothered her noticeably when she had fur. “Anyway, the train gets into town at eleven-fifteen in the morning next Monday.”
“And I get to take the car and go get them, and then take them back to the station Thursday. No problem.” He put Madonna's newest album in his portable stereo, and straddled a kitchen chair to wait for the washing machine to stop. Jade promptly began to dance in the middle of the floor, singing along with the bouncy music. “I promised Rapier I'd be online later. He's still with the girl I helped him court last fall, but she's getting restless, so we're going to see what we can come up with that'll keep her interest. Personally, I'm not sure the whole thing will last another six months.”
“Then why prolong it?”
“There's still a chance, he really is crazy about her, and she seems willing to try. He's learning a lot for next time. And I've met her online, she strikes me as plenty strong-willed enough to just leave when she isn't happy. No harm done.”
Jade nodded, somehow making it simply part of her dance. Eric watched in appreciation, all that grace and sensuality, the white silk hiding just enough of her body to tantalize.
The song ended, and Jade hopped up to sit on the edge of the table. “So. Once again helping a young knight to court his lady fair in proper Romantic style, hmm?”
He shrugged, and grinned at her. “Education is a good thing. Just think how the world would be if more men learned how to treat a woman with proper respect. Everyone would be much happier.”
“You'd also have to teach more women how to respond honestly,” Jade pointed out.
“True.” He sighed, having had a few bad experiences online with women who thought he was mocking them or who grew flustered and unsure about the attention. And that was only online. “Pretty sad when you can get yelled at for honestly and politely complimenting someone. And compliments on things that matter, even, not how big their breasts happen to be or whether they're skinny. I know some people only give compliments if they want something, but not everyone is like that. No one should have to be that paranoid. I mean, I know why they are, I probably would be too after enough whistles and rude X-rated remarks and all, but it's not fair to anyone.”
Jade sighed heavily, nodded agreement, then brightened. “Well, at least I've taught your family properly. That's something. But this subject is depressing.”
Right on cue, the washer pinged and turned off. Eric stood up, emptied the towels into the basket, and took it outside.
Jade helped again, in companionable silence.
“I think I'll come for a swim with you,” she decided, once he put the basket inside.
“Sure. Going to change to a swimsuit?”
Jade smiled, and unfastened the trio of small pearly buttons at the throat of her dress, allowing it to slide off her shoulders to form a white puddle on the porch. “Who needs a swimsuit?”
Eric laughed. “Probably neither of us.” He scooped her up for a fierce kiss, and kept ahold of her hand as they headed for the lake.
Christian paused at the mailbox to get the day's mail, before hurrying into the relative cool of the house.
Mark greeted him in the kitchen with a large glass of ice water. “How was work?”
“Warm but bearable. Val has been very carefully not asking whether I know why the shop is now perceptibly cooler than it is outside, and I've been carefully not volunteering anything. It's not a huge difference, but for it to be consistently just a little cooler makes it a lot easier to work.” He paused to gulp about half the water. “Plus the customers relax and take more time to look around, and everyone is generally in a better frame of mind. Well worth all that time setting it up. Not sure what Amanda is going to say Monday morning, for owning an occult bookshop she's less flexible than Val is. I might have to play dumb if she starts asking. Pretty sure Val won't say anything about what I'm pretty sure she suspects.”
“Tying it into the nearest stream for a direct feed worked?”
“Yes,” Christian said, with what he considered justifiable pride and satisfaction, as he straddled one kitchen chair. Sid was nowhere to be seen—enjoying the cool of his jungle, if he had any sense. “I'm putting no power at all into it, it's coming entirely from the stream. Which means I can tie other sorts of spells to them, too, and all it will cost me is the initial creation plus probably some maintenance. The house is a lot bigger but I bet I can expand it enough. We may have really minimal heating bills, come winter.”
“That would be nice. I knew you could do it, and you'll keep right on doing it. So what's in the mail?”
Christian set the glass on the table, to look through the forgotten mail. “Gods, if this weather doesn't break soon, I'm going to have to copy that heat shield here even if I have to do it in multiple small chunks—even with all this brick and stone it's starting to get warm. Lessee. Cell phone bill, junk mail—can't they read the sign?” He tossed the flyers on the floor, and Sid dove out from under the table to pounce on them, digging at them with both paws. “Crazy cat, it's too hot to be so active. That book club, don't they ever give up? A notice that there's a parcel waiting at the post office, must be that book Dad promised to send me. Figures that they wouldn’t actually deliver it or anything. Hmm, what's this?” He set the rest on the table. “Margaret Lyndell? That's Aunt Ruth's friend. The one Grandpa said to trust.”
“So what does she want?”
Christian ripped the envelope open, and scanned the neatly-handwritten letter within. “Dear Christian. I hope you're doing well and adjusting to being on your own. I still miss your Aunt Ruth. I used to hear a lot about her family in her letters, because you were all so important to her. I sympathize with the difficulties of staying out of witchy politics. I wish you luck, and if you need any backup, please let me know. The Lyndell family will support you in staying independent. I have a large house in the country, on a lake with a small private beach, and I'd enjoy having you and your roommate visit for a few days. It would be a pleasure to have someone to do witchy shop-talk with who isn't interested in status. Given the current weather, I thought you might enjoy the chance to get out of the city heat and maybe swim. However, since I do have an ulterior motive of asking a personal favour, which you are free to refuse with no hard feelings and you will still be welcome, I've taken the liberty of enclosing train tickets. I believe the dates will be convenient for you, but if I'm wrong or if you prefer not to come, feel free to exchange them or return them and use the money towards the feral cats, in Ruth's honour. There's no need to respond, I'll know whether you're coming or not. I very much hope you decide to accept. Margaret Lyndell. That's it.” He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sense of the writer that lingered on the paper. “It feels genuine, I'm not picking up on any traces of deceit.”
“You want to go.”
“Is there any reason not to? It never hurts to have someone else on your side, and if Aunt Ruth cared about her so much, she must be something special. We can talk Val into house-sitting so Sid won't be alone, he knows her and he should be okay.”
Mark shrugged. “Since she invited both of us, it's safe enough. It's entirely up to you.”
* * *
“They're going to come,” Jade observed.
Eric started only slightly, and continued hanging laundry on the line. “Wear a bell or something, would you? Are you guessing or is it a fact?”
“Margaret checked.” Jade perched on the railing around the back porch and pushed her long loose sleeves up out of the way so she could hand him clothespins as he needed them. “She can't see into their house, but she can see what's likely to happen here, and she's been able to catch a few clear visions of Christian and his friend here.”
“I hope she's not disappointed when they get here. Just because he pissed off a pair of Fellowship drones and his great-aunt and grandparents were cool doesn't necessarily mean he's personally anyone she wants to associate with. Or anyone I want to associate with, for that matter.”
“Mm. Possibly. We'll all just have to see. Margaret's starting to speculate about whether his friend is in fact that guardian or teacher she thinks Seth and Rosa left with him, she's going to see what she can pick up when they're here.”
“What do you think?”
“I think all she's going to see is a completely ungifted human.”
Eric pinned the last corner of the last sheet, reeled the whole collection farther out so the wind would catch them, and turned to face her. “This guardian or teacher or whatever might not even exist, y'know.”
“The logic does work. He’s the only child of an only child and they aren’t a prolific family, just a close-knit one. For that matter, if that house has the library I've heard it does, I would want something there to make sure that was safe if nothing else.”
“Point.” Eric stretched, and picked up the laundry basket to go back inside. It was entirely too warm these days to stay out in the sun for long. “One more load and I can go for a swim.”
“You're going to grow gills,” Jade teased. “You already spent an hour in the lake this morning.”
“So I like water.” He set the basket in the laundry room off the kitchen, and checked the washing machine—a few more minutes while that load finished its cycle. “In heat like this, it's the coolest place to be.”
Jade just shrugged; the heat only bothered her noticeably when she had fur. “Anyway, the train gets into town at eleven-fifteen in the morning next Monday.”
“And I get to take the car and go get them, and then take them back to the station Thursday. No problem.” He put Madonna's newest album in his portable stereo, and straddled a kitchen chair to wait for the washing machine to stop. Jade promptly began to dance in the middle of the floor, singing along with the bouncy music. “I promised Rapier I'd be online later. He's still with the girl I helped him court last fall, but she's getting restless, so we're going to see what we can come up with that'll keep her interest. Personally, I'm not sure the whole thing will last another six months.”
“Then why prolong it?”
“There's still a chance, he really is crazy about her, and she seems willing to try. He's learning a lot for next time. And I've met her online, she strikes me as plenty strong-willed enough to just leave when she isn't happy. No harm done.”
Jade nodded, somehow making it simply part of her dance. Eric watched in appreciation, all that grace and sensuality, the white silk hiding just enough of her body to tantalize.
The song ended, and Jade hopped up to sit on the edge of the table. “So. Once again helping a young knight to court his lady fair in proper Romantic style, hmm?”
He shrugged, and grinned at her. “Education is a good thing. Just think how the world would be if more men learned how to treat a woman with proper respect. Everyone would be much happier.”
“You'd also have to teach more women how to respond honestly,” Jade pointed out.
“True.” He sighed, having had a few bad experiences online with women who thought he was mocking them or who grew flustered and unsure about the attention. And that was only online. “Pretty sad when you can get yelled at for honestly and politely complimenting someone. And compliments on things that matter, even, not how big their breasts happen to be or whether they're skinny. I know some people only give compliments if they want something, but not everyone is like that. No one should have to be that paranoid. I mean, I know why they are, I probably would be too after enough whistles and rude X-rated remarks and all, but it's not fair to anyone.”
Jade sighed heavily, nodded agreement, then brightened. “Well, at least I've taught your family properly. That's something. But this subject is depressing.”
Right on cue, the washer pinged and turned off. Eric stood up, emptied the towels into the basket, and took it outside.
Jade helped again, in companionable silence.
“I think I'll come for a swim with you,” she decided, once he put the basket inside.
“Sure. Going to change to a swimsuit?”
Jade smiled, and unfastened the trio of small pearly buttons at the throat of her dress, allowing it to slide off her shoulders to form a white puddle on the porch. “Who needs a swimsuit?”
Eric laughed. “Probably neither of us.” He scooped her up for a fierce kiss, and kept ahold of her hand as they headed for the lake.
