Eric had to admit to himself that he was more than a little relieved when the lamia left.
Christian watched her go, and sighed, absently rubbing the cross-and-pentagram necklace he always seemed to have on.
“Where's she going?” Eric asked, not sure he wanted to know.
“She's psyched and needs a target. Someone will try to harass or assault her and get a major surprise. She’s pretty selective about targets to terrify into pissing themselves, she tries to make sure they do something to deserve it. Why don't you go have a shower and try to relax a little? I'll meet you in your room, and we can talk. You’re safe.”
Slowly, Eric nodded. He slid off the bed, and gathered his shed clothes—noticing that they were mixed in with a pair of black jeans and a dragon t-shirt he recognized as Mark's. Apparently she could alter her clothes but only while they were in contact. He headed for his bathroom.
The hot water did help wash away much of the tension. God, to go so abruptly from intense erotic pleasure to facing violent death... creating life, preserving life, that one held the ending of life. Sacred in itself, he supposed, but not an aspect he was in any hurry to face again.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and emerged into his room.
Christian waited in the middle of the bed, denim-clad legs crossed. He joined the witch, with only the glow of the reading lamp on the desk illuminating the room.
“Better?” Christian asked softly.
“For the moment. Should I start looking for apartments after all?”
“Oh, gods, no, you're safe here.”
“Safe?” Eric echoed incredulously.
“Safe. If she still wanted you dead, she would've said that. Lexa can't be bothered lying.” Christian toyed with his pentagram-and-cross pendant, thoughtfully. “She doesn't think or feel the same way a human does. Look how many ways humans think and feel, and she's a different species. You must have noticed the same kind of thing with your kitsune.”
“Yes, but at least Jade's not homicidal.”
“Granted, but I guarantee there are dangers out there Lexa could kill that Jade wouldn't be able to. Allies are always a trade-off. Lexa can't heal, but gods help anything that threatens me. That's why nothing sent to this house comes out. And why I'm so good at housecleaning. I learn a lot from her, and I can call her in if it's too much for me. I trust her completely, within the limits of what she is. Lamias aren't supposed to be able to feel, but she does. She'd never hurt me or let anything hurt me. And she likes you.”
“Likes me.”
“In her way, she honestly thought she was giving you something you needed that she could offer, by luring you off to bed. And because you aren't prey to be hunted, she was off-guard, not expecting anything. Right when she was most open, she got a bad scare. She'll never admit it, but it scared her.”
“Scared her? I'm the one who almost got my guts spread all over the room!”
“As near as I can tell, lamias didn't evolve a flight-or-fight response. If something frightens them, they instinctively and instantly get angry and attack, to get rid of the threat.”
Gradually, Eric began to understand. “I suddenly switched category to 'threat' and she stopped thinking and just reacted the way her instincts wanted her to.”
“Exactly. It must work, the species has lasted this long and they're at the top of the food chain, although I’m not sure individual life expectancy is all that great. Now that she's calm, she'll remember that your well-being matters to me and to her. She'll probably stay Mark around you for a while—there is a personality shift between the two, and this will be easier for him to deal with.”
“Not to mention that a threat of having power drained is no threat if you have no power.”
“That too.”
“How in hell have you put up with her for this long?”
Christian shrugged, and smiled a little. “Patience, mostly. The same as any other relationship. She puts up with a lot from me, too. It's a partnership, which means a lot of give and take. Besides, she may have a temper, but she's never taken it out on me without consent, which is more than you can say for a lot of human relationships out there.”
Without consent? Eric filed the qualifier mentally. “Very true, I suppose.”
“There is a place for you here,” Chris said softly. “Beyond just being someone who shares the house. It's just going to take us all a little time to work out exactly what that is. Alexandra's not keen on the idea of anyone else knowing about her, she's worried about me being accused of death-magic or blood-magic. Given how protective of me she is, the fact that she decided it was time to let you in on it is a very good sign that she's beginning to accept you as part of the household for real. There were bound to be problems, and there are bound to be more. Just be patient.”
Eric sighed. “Everything's new.”
“I know. But you aren't alone.” He hesitated, then raised his eyes to Eric's. “In any sense, unless you choose to be.”
It took Eric a second to catch what Chris meant. “Thank you,” he said gently, “but I'm not really into guys, just girls.”
Christian nodded acceptance of that, though Eric thought he saw speculation cross his face for less than a heartbeat. “Okay. It's late. Are you going to be able to sleep? I can help.”
“I'll be fine now. Thanks. If you'd taken any longer to show up...”
“Sid warned me. I wasn't paying attention to anything except what I was reading, until he started flipping out.”
“I'll buy him his favourite treats tomorrow, then. G'night.”
“'Night.”
Eric had to admit to himself that he was more than a little relieved when the lamia left.
Christian watched her go, and sighed, absently rubbing the cross-and-pentagram necklace he always seemed to have on.
“Where's she going?” Eric asked, not sure he wanted to know.
“She's psyched and needs a target. Someone will try to harass or assault her and get a major surprise. She’s pretty selective about targets to terrify into pissing themselves, she tries to make sure they do something to deserve it. Why don't you go have a shower and try to relax a little? I'll meet you in your room, and we can talk. You’re safe.”
Slowly, Eric nodded. He slid off the bed, and gathered his shed clothes—noticing that they were mixed in with a pair of black jeans and a dragon t-shirt he recognized as Mark's. Apparently she could alter her clothes but only while they were in contact. He headed for his bathroom.
The hot water did help wash away much of the tension. God, to go so abruptly from intense erotic pleasure to facing violent death... creating life, preserving life, that one held the ending of life. Sacred in itself, he supposed, but not an aspect he was in any hurry to face again.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and emerged into his room.
Christian waited in the middle of the bed, denim-clad legs crossed. He joined the witch, with only the glow of the reading lamp on the desk illuminating the room.
“Better?” Christian asked softly.
“For the moment. Should I start looking for apartments after all?”
“Oh, gods, no, you're safe here.”
“Safe?” Eric echoed incredulously.
“Safe. If she still wanted you dead, she would've said that. Lexa can't be bothered lying.” Christian toyed with his pentagram-and-cross pendant, thoughtfully. “She doesn't think or feel the same way a human does. Look how many ways humans think and feel, and she's a different species. You must have noticed the same kind of thing with your kitsune.”
“Yes, but at least Jade's not homicidal.”
“Granted, but I guarantee there are dangers out there Lexa could kill that Jade wouldn't be able to. Allies are always a trade-off. Lexa can't heal, but gods help anything that threatens me. That's why nothing sent to this house comes out. And why I'm so good at housecleaning. I learn a lot from her, and I can call her in if it's too much for me. I trust her completely, within the limits of what she is. Lamias aren't supposed to be able to feel, but she does. She'd never hurt me or let anything hurt me. And she likes you.”
“Likes me.”
“In her way, she honestly thought she was giving you something you needed that she could offer, by luring you off to bed. And because you aren't prey to be hunted, she was off-guard, not expecting anything. Right when she was most open, she got a bad scare. She'll never admit it, but it scared her.”
“Scared her? I'm the one who almost got my guts spread all over the room!”
“As near as I can tell, lamias didn't evolve a flight-or-fight response. If something frightens them, they instinctively and instantly get angry and attack, to get rid of the threat.”
Gradually, Eric began to understand. “I suddenly switched category to 'threat' and she stopped thinking and just reacted the way her instincts wanted her to.”
“Exactly. It must work, the species has lasted this long and they're at the top of the food chain, although I’m not sure individual life expectancy is all that great. Now that she's calm, she'll remember that your well-being matters to me and to her. She'll probably stay Mark around you for a while—there is a personality shift between the two, and this will be easier for him to deal with.”
“Not to mention that a threat of having power drained is no threat if you have no power.”
“That too.”
“How in hell have you put up with her for this long?”
Christian shrugged, and smiled a little. “Patience, mostly. The same as any other relationship. She puts up with a lot from me, too. It's a partnership, which means a lot of give and take. Besides, she may have a temper, but she's never taken it out on me without consent, which is more than you can say for a lot of human relationships out there.”
Without consent? Eric filed the qualifier mentally. “Very true, I suppose.”
“There is a place for you here,” Chris said softly. “Beyond just being someone who shares the house. It's just going to take us all a little time to work out exactly what that is. Alexandra's not keen on the idea of anyone else knowing about her, she's worried about me being accused of death-magic or blood-magic. Given how protective of me she is, the fact that she decided it was time to let you in on it is a very good sign that she's beginning to accept you as part of the household for real. There were bound to be problems, and there are bound to be more. Just be patient.”
Eric sighed. “Everything's new.”
“I know. But you aren't alone.” He hesitated, then raised his eyes to Eric's. “In any sense, unless you choose to be.”
It took Eric a second to catch what Chris meant. “Thank you,” he said gently, “but I'm not really into guys, just girls.”
Christian nodded acceptance of that, though Eric thought he saw speculation cross his face for less than a heartbeat. “Okay. It's late. Are you going to be able to sleep? I can help.”
“I'll be fine now. Thanks. If you'd taken any longer to show up...”
“Sid warned me. I wasn't paying attention to anything except what I was reading, until he started flipping out.”
“I'll buy him his favourite treats tomorrow, then. G'night.”
“'Night.”
