The Guardianship

of Julian St. Albans

AMY CROOK

Copyright © 2017 Amy Crook

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1978019238

ISBN-13: 978-1978019232

DEDICATION

To Corinne, without whom this would never have been done.

To Jeff, who is the best bff a starving artist/writer could want.

And to Sarah, who is the bestest all around at keeping me going.

CHAPTER 1

In Which We Visit a Family Estate, and a Question is Asked

Alex Benedict looked out over the frozen woods, listening with every fibre of his being to the orchestra of magic originating from the magic source on the property. The sheer volume of magic was almost overwhelming, but the sound of it was harmonious enough with both nature and Alex’s own magic that he managed to keep from losing himself in the deluge. His lover, Julian St. Albans, was borrowing a trickle of power from Alex to use his own senses to feel life of the forest all around them. Alex could dimly hear the song of the woods beneath the source, but Julian was attuned to plants and would feel their lives all around them.

Their joined hands kept both of them grounded on the physical plane.

Alex forced himself to let the note he’d been singing die out, and turned to steal a kiss from Julian’s cold mouth. “Well, are the woods healthy?”

Julian grinned. “They really are, and very magical. This would be an amazing place to put an ingredient garden.”

Alex laughed and pulled him close for a kiss. “Where’s the cottage?” he asked, glancing at the hidden source one last time. The waterfall was still flowing, breaking up the ice at one end of the pond, while the other was frozen over and lightly dusted with snow.

“It’s over here, I think Emmy and Phin went to meet the contractor,” said Julian. “You’re lucky, you know, she wasn’t going to remodel it until you proposed.”

Alex chuckled, then pulled Julian close and slipped down to one knee, pulling a box out of his pocket. “Lucky for us that I’m prepared to fix that,” he said, opening it to show off the antique wedding band he’d finally wheedled out of Victor. “Will you marry me, my love?”

Julian’s face lit up, and he practically tackled Alex into the snow. “Yes, you idiot, yes!”

“Don’t make me drop it,” said Alex with a laugh, arranging them so Julian was sitting in his lap. “It took ages to get Victor to let me back into the family vaults to pick this out; it was Great-Uncle Ethelbert’s.”

Julian laughed and allowed Alex to slip the ring on his cold finger, then kissed him again. “Is that why you didn’t propose at the holidays?”

Alex blushed. “Yeah, sorry, I know I was hinting but then I couldn’t find a ring I liked and Flora said I should use a family ring and Fauna got involved and Victor was too busy to deal with me with the end-of-year stuff going on,” he explained, the words coming out in a rush of realisation that he was really, truly engaged now. He stole one more kiss, then got them standing, steadying himself with his wand-cane before whistling a little spell to get them both warm and dry again. “Also, I was possibly a little chicken.”

Julian tugged him down for a very warm kiss indeed. “You let me tame you anyway, my solitary misanthrope.”

“Well, it was marry you or give up Horace,” Alex teased, tucking Julian’s arm in his and letting Julian lead them all along the path to the cottage.

“He’s well worth keeping,” said Julian, grinning hugely.

“From the look on his face, this means you finally did it,” said Emmy as they rounded the bend in the path and came in sight of the broken-down old building. She was snuggled up to Phineas while the contractor poked around the foundations of the building.

“He did,” said Julian, scampering over to show off his new ring. It had a beautiful design of two intertwining coils of metal in gold and platinum, cast in the shape of leafy vines and dotted with emeralds.

“What took you so long?” asked Phineas, genuinely baffled. He’d asked and married Emmeline in short order, when he found his suit was welcome, and had spent the last months taking over the reins of the St. Albans estate.

“I was too used to being single, I suppose,” said Alex with a shrug. “Plus, Victor was being difficult about the ring, but I knew I’d seen that one when we got my stuff for the Courtship and it’s too perfect.”

“It really is,” agreed Emmeline, giving Julian a hug. “This gave Julian time to be sure, too, after everything.”

“In a way, you asking Emmy so fast let us take our time,” said Julian, snuggling back up to Alex’s side. “But it’s good to know you think I’m worth snatching up.”

“At least I move faster than Thomas,” said Alex teasingly. “He still hasn’t asked out Murielle.”

“Speaking of whom, are we hanging out at his again soon? I want to see the next movie in that trilogy,” asked Julian.

They were interrupted when the contractor came over to join the group. “You must be the new homeowners. I’m Zale Wilcox.” He extended his hand toward Alex and Julian.

“Alex Benedict,” he replied, shaking the man’s hand and finding his grip firm and fingers freezing cold. “This is my fiancé, Julian St. Albans.”

Julian reached out and shook his hand, too. “Ooh, put some gloves on before you freeze!”

They all laughed and there was a general motion of people fluffing scarves and putting on gloves. “We can go up to the main house once we’ve made sure we’re done here,” assured Emmy.

“Well, the good news is, the foundation looks solid,” said Wilcox. “I’ll have to bring someone in to confirm, of course, and you’ll want to have any blessings and stuff done over again once the work is done, but I don’t think we have to re-pour anything.”

Alex mmed, turning the sound into a hum. The source was still the predominant sound, but he could hear a little bit of magic coming off the building itself. He drifted a little closer trying to catch the melody until a tug from Julian brought him back to the present. “Oh, sorry, what did I miss?”

“That we’re pretty much going to have to tear it all down and start from the foundations,” said Julian. “Which means we can have whatever we want that fits.”

“Oh,” said Alex with a grin. “Well, that sounds promising. And like it’s time for tea?”

They all agreed that it was, amidst much laughter and teasing, and they got into their respective vehicles for the ride back up to the main house. Jones hadn’t yet taught Alex and Julian how to drive well enough to tackle the wintry back roads, so everyone but the contractor was tucked in the back of a limo driven by the disapproving Sheffield.

“Oh, it’s so warm,” said Julian, huddling up against Alex for the ride.

“Poor thing, I bet you wanted to give all those sleeping plants just a little hello something,” said Alex, snuggling up and kissing his forehead, feeding him a little magic and getting a feel for how drained he was. Luckily, it wasn’t bad; Julian’s control had been steadily improving in the past six months.

“I was pretty good,” said Julian, taking a kiss as payment. “It’s just really cold today.”

“It really is,” agreed Phin. “I almost called to reschedule, but it’s been delayed long enough.”

“The work on the main house was more important,” protested Julian. “Besides, I know Emmy at least was sort of hoping Alex would finally propose just to get a chance to see the source.”

Alex laughed. “Fortunately for all of us, I proposed because I want you to be mine forever. The source is just a very nice bonus.”

“Unlike your previous suitors,” said Emmy, making a face. “Whatever happened to them, anyway?”

“Willoughby is in boring old prison for murder, with some jewellery that nullifies his magic,” said Alex. “The trial was pretty open and shut, once he got out of the hospital.”

“Even without Alex, there was a ton of material evidence against him,” said Julian. “I didn’t even have to testify.”

“What about the other one, the fog man?” asked Emmy, frowning.

“Duckworth is, as far as I know, still in his genie bottle,” said Alex. “I’m not sure they’ll ever get him together enough to be declared competent, at least not in our lifetimes. It’s a weird legal situation: they can’t just destroy him without a trial, but they can’t let him out and risk more murders.”

“Let’s talk about something nicer,” said Julian. “Like, what special treats did you arrange for tea?”

“Oh, no, that’s a surprise,” said Emmy, but she was grinning now. Alex and Phineas exchanged looks of perfect, protective understanding, and then Alex launched into a description of the new winter truffle line from Saveur, which they’d brought samples of as their guesting-gift. It included some seasonal bounty from both the Benedict and St. Albans lands, as well as a few other families that wanted to partner with the prominent chocolatier, and there were some really fascinating flavours this time around.

That line of conversation got them back to the house, and there was much merriment as they shed their coats and rejoined Wilcox in one of the parlours. Tea had been laid out by the fire, with the main table in the room taken up by blueprints, sketching supplies, and a computer that was already prepared with some ideas for the cottage. Emmy and Phin had been talking to Wilcox all afternoon, and of course Julian had been talking to his sister for ages with ideas of how to remodel the old building.

Everyone got a cup of tea and a little plate of finger foods, and then they gathered around the table to talk.

“Okay, the cottage that’s there was actually a decent-sized building, with a half-story above the ground floor, and a full cellar. There’s already water run out there, and while I didn’t see electricity I’m fairly certain there’s gas, though those pipes will have to have a thorough inspection,” said Wilcox, nibbling on one of the sandwiches. “This is basically the footprint you have to work with,” he said, copying an approximation of the foundation onto one of his big sketch sheets.

“We can run electricity out there, right?” asked Julian.

“Oh, yeah, you’ll have to,” said Wilcox. “It’s not a cheap project by any means, but if we do right this time it’ll stand for generations.”

“That sounds just about right,” said Alex. “So, what if we did two full stories and a little attic, plus an attached greenhouse?”

“Ooh, greenhouse,” said Julian, perking up.

Wilcox looked quite cheered at this idea as well. “If you attach the greenhouse, like a conservatory, it’ll be sturdier and easier to heat in winter, that’s a good idea.” He sketched out a few more pencil strokes, indicating where things like doorways would go. “You’ll probably also want a proper garage, maybe two cars?”

“That sounds good,” said Julian. “I’d like to be able to have guests, you know, just one guest suite but that way we can have Murielle or Geoff and Chudleigh out or something.”

“Would you want the main suite downstairs or up on the first floor?” asked Wilcox, making notes.

“Hm, if I’m going to take over the basement for a work room, probably downstairs,” said Alex. “We don’t really know how much we’ll be out here, we both have full lives in the city, but we’d like it to be somewhere we can live for certain seasons when Julian needs to be here for harvests and things like that.”

“You’re such a city boy,” teased Julian. “You’d stay out here if there was wifi.”

“Wifi and brownies,” said Alex, unperturbed. “I don’t look forward to having to go back to doing my own laundry.”

“Brownies?” asked Wilcox, brows knitting.

Julian chuckled. “We have house-brownies. Alex is a mage and he made a deal with them, it’s wonderful.”

“We’re very spoiled,” said Alex with a chuckle. “So this will need a laundry room and all that, too.”

“A fully functional house, kitchen and laundry and all,” said Wilcox thoughtfully. “We might need to put both bedrooms upstairs, then.”

Alex sighed. “Yes, all right, I suppose I’m a big boy and can climb some stairs,” he said with a laugh.

“So this work room of yours, it’s for magic?” asked Wilcox. “Will you need any special considerations for that?”

“Um, probably?” said Alex, thinking about it. “I take care of most of that kind of thing with magic in my current work room, to be honest, but it would be good to have adequate ventilation and some safe spaces for working with amulets and things.”

“All right, you and I will probably have a separate meeting about that space, then, once we’ve torn down the ruins and gotten a good look at what’s left of the old basement,” said Wilcox, making a few notes on another page. “If all the usual downstairs stuff is being banished upstairs, you’ll definitely need to use the first floor for living space.”

“Will there be room for two bathrooms, if one of them is, you know, nice?” asked Julian. “We’d like there to be private bathrooms for both suites, though the guest room doesn’t need a parlour or anything.”

“If it’s just two bedrooms and two bathrooms, we can probably do something nice for you,” said Wilcox, making another note. “It won’t be huge rooms anywhere, it wasn’t that big of a cottage, but it should be enough for a decent vacation.”

“Our flat isn’t really that big,” said Alex. “Don’t let this house be your guide.”

“Oh, yeah, maybe you can come see where we live now?” asked Julian. “That’ll give you a better idea of our needs.”

“That can probably be arranged,” said Wilcox. “Have you got an architect in mind?”

The rest of the afternoon held more of the same: refilling plates and cups, discussing this or that feature and the viability of their ideas, and everyone making notes and sketches as needed. Alex and Julian were both quite open to ideas about how to make better use of the small footprint of the house without going too tall and overshadowing the surrounding forest. When they finished, they shook hands on plans for Wilcox’s crew to clear the site as soon as weather permitted, and find them an architect in the meantime.

“That went well,” said Alex, snuggling with Julian on the ride home. They’d declined dinner, with snow in the forecast and Alys promising to make something good for a winter’s night in. Sheffield, at least, had seemed pleased at the prospect of an early night, even if Emmy had pouted at them for leaving so soon.

“It’s going to be a nice home, once we’re done,” said Julian. “Home away from home.”

“It is, and I love the conservatory idea, you’ll be able to cultivate things for all your workplaces there and give them special attention.” Alex grinned. “Between you and the source, you’ll be able to provide the most magical ingredients in town.”

“It’ll be good knowing that we can use it to benefit the Temple and the Agency,” agreed Julian. “Plus, Mary Margaret’s getting a reputation for potent potions plants.”

“And Geoff’s pretty happy with his greenhouse,” said Alex. “We should have him over again soon, I want to see if he and Chudleigh are still dating.”

“You know they are,” said Julian, giving him a poke in the side. “You just want to know if Chudleigh’s creamy mounds are as nice as yours.”

Alex tickled back, then kissed away Julian’s protests. They spent the rest of the ride just teasing and relaxing, letting the planning be done for now. Alex found himself kissing Julian’s engagement ring a rather ridiculous amount, but he couldn’t help but want to celebrate having finally won Julian for himself, on his own terms. Not that they were married yet, but after a year living together, Alex was far more sure than he’d been the first time they’d been engaged.

Sheffield dropped them off at the door to their building, and Horace came fluttering down to Alex’s shoulder before they could head inside. “Have you had a good time visiting James and Jacques, then?” asked Alex. He heard a little burst of magic that went with Horace’s audible chirping, very cheerful and self-satisfied to have spent the day ferrying wishes to the top of the old tree in the sheltered Temple courtyard rather than out in the cold with Alex and Julian.

“He loves having more ways to be useful,” said Julian, stroking him while the rode the elevator up. “He’s got a note for us, too.”

“Hopefully a date for their next visit,” said Alex. “I’m dying to see what Jacques did with those persimmons Emmy sent over.”

“And the hothouse berries from Victor,” agreed Alex. “Alys tells me there’s some new cheeses, too, and preserves from both estates.”

“Our flower fairy must be feeling pretty spoiled, she loves cheese,” said Julian. They headed inside and hung up their winter gear, shoes exchanged for warm slippers.

“Dinner’ll be about an hour,” said Alys’ disembodied voice, sounding like she was in the room despite the sounds of industry from the kitchen. “There’s mulled cider to tide you over.”

“Ooh, perfect,” said Alex. “I think I’m going to change first, it’s a pyjamas sort of evening.”

“Me, too,” said Julian. “I love Emmy but I’ve grown spoiled not having to dress up all the time anymore.”

They were all settled in for a quiet evening in their favourite chair when the doorbell rang. Alex sat up and whistled at the wards, revealing a worried-looking Lapointe. “Check your phone for messages? I’ll let her in,” said Alex. He whistled again, the tune the would let Lapointe in, and opened the door. “Come on, there’s cider.”

“There you are! I’ve been calling for ages,” she said, looking cross even as she came inside and accepted the cup that floated her way.

“Sorry,” said Julian. “We turned our phones off off out in the woods and then forgot to turn them back on. The source was messing with the reception.”

“We’ll have to figure out something for that,” said Alex, turning his phone on to a cacophony of message noises. “Can you stay for dinner or are we heading out?”

“I can stay,” said Lapointe with a chuckle. “It’ll make it worth having to come out here to find you.”

“There’s plenty,” called Alys from the kitchen. “Drink up, you’re frozen.”

“Yeah, sorry,” said Lapointe, letting Alex hold her cup while she got out of her outer layers and came over to perch on the couch. “So, there’s been a murder, but it’s forensically complicated so you can’t go in until I get the all clear anyway.”

“Is that code for ‘everything’s covered in blood’?” asked Julian dubiously.

Lapointe chuckled. “For once, no; this time it’s broken glass. It was definitely broken magically and it’s absolutely everywhere,” she said with a sigh. “I mean, yes, also blood, but the glass is making everything harder to deal with.”

“All right, well, hopefully they won’t have messed it all up before I can get there and see it,” said Alex dubiously.

“Don’t worry, it’s Eberly’s crew, not Armistead. He’s on that home invasion across town,” said Lapointe. She made a face, then hid it in her cup, mming at the spices. “This is amazing, Alys.”

“I’ll send a thermos away with ye,” said Alys, sounding pleased.

Alex chuckled. “Well, hopefully the home invasion won’t also need me, then,” he said, taking another sip of his own nearly-depleted drink.

Julian snuggled up. “Will you need me, or can I stay home and catch up with my reading?”

“Is that the new Blood & Fluff?” asked Lapointe, interested despite herself.

“Yeah, Alex picked it up for me the day it came out,” said Julian. “He gets to read it next, but you can borrow it after, if you want.”

“I can afford my own copy,” she said with a laugh. “I just didn’t know it was out yet.”

“It’s new this week,” said Alex. “I was in the book shop getting a special order that finally came in, that book about stone inlay in Asian magic that ended up not being relevant to the last case.”

Lapointe laughed. “You still bought it?”

“Sure,” said Alex with a shrug. “Why not? More knowledge is always good, and it might be fun to try some inlay instead of always using magic to force the stone into harmony with other materials.”

“We looked at the cottage site today, he’s all full of ideas for his new basement lab,” said Julian, using a spooky voice for the last words.

“I’m not a mad wizard,” protested Alex, laughing at the skeptical look on Lapointe’s face. “What? I’m not!”

“Well, not very mad,” said Lapointe, after a moment.

“Just the right amount of mad,” agreed Julian, placating him with a kiss.

Alex always did enjoy Julian’s kisses.

“Anyway, you don’t need to come this time, there’s not a plant in sight,” said Lapointe. “Though I think Geoff is expecting you tomorrow at the Agency?”

“Yep, it’s my day there,” said Julian. “I’ll drag Alex in with me if you need him.”

“I’m sure we will.” Murielle relaxed back into the couch a little more. “This one really does have magic written all over it.”

Alex snuggled Julian and nuzzled at the apple-scented auburn of his hair. “I’ll be sure to get home in time for some good sleep before we go in,” he said.

“You’ll call if you’re going to be late, anyway,” teased Julian. “I’ll get the book read so you can have it as a treat when you’re done.”

“Or stuck,” said Alex with a sigh. “There always seems to be a point where I’m just stuck.”

“Something usually shakes loose,” said Lapointe with a shrug. “You haven’t had many unsolved cases over the years, at least not murders.”

Alex shrugged. He finished the last of his cider and set it down with a sigh. “There was that one years ago, wasn’t that our second case together?”

“Well, that was just a disaster from start to finish,” she said wryly. “It’s a wonder my boss let me hire you ever again, after all that.”

“We’ve never let a multiple murderer go, anyway,” said Alex with a sigh. “Not that there’ve been many of those, thankfully.”

“No more talk of murder,” said Julian, as trays of food floated out from the kitchen. “When are we invading Thomas’ again?”

“Soon, I hope,” said Lapointe. “I really want more of that pizza; I swear that boy is trying to make me fat. As are you, but this looks amazing enough that I don’t care.”

“It’s good for you,” said Alys, and all their cups refilled with fresh servings of the sweet cider to go with the winter feast. She’d made bread bowls and filled them with a hearty lamb stew. There were dishes of mashed squash with herbs and cheese, and Julian and Alex also had dishes of the pickled carrots they’d both learned to love and Lapointe still hated. Their portions were also bigger than hers, though neither of them had done much magic so they weren’t double the size.

“It’s a good thing I have an excellent workout routine,” said Lapointe, digging into the squash first. “Oh, this is delicious.”

“I love these carrots,” said Julian, nibbling on the end. “The spice is amazing.” They were pickled with hot peppers to give them a surprising kick, which was the part Lapointe hated.

“I love all of it,” said Alex, trying the stew. It was rich and thick, with chunks of potato, carrot, leek, and turnip. “Is this from that lamb you wheedled out of Victor?”

“Aye, we’ve portioned it out to last a good long while now,” said Alys. “There’ll be lamb sausages, too, and rack of lamb.”

“You’re actually making Victor really happy, don’t let Alex fool you,” said Julian. “He told me last time we visited that it felt good to send food to us, especially now that they’ve got that contract with Saveur bringing in income thanks to Alex.” He had a big bite of squash and made a happy sound.

“Well, that was all Mother’s idea,” said Alex. “The start of it was, anyway. It worked out for everyone since we found that poisoner.” He had his own bite of squash and had to agree that the blend of cheese and herbs made it absolutely divine.

“And since I got more chocolate-covered pear slices,” said Julian smugly. “Ellen said she was going to try to do something with the persimmons, too.”

“She’s been doing more florals, too,” said Lapointe, sounding pleased. “I don’t think those are from your estates, though.”

“Not that I know of,” said Alex. “Victor doesn’t do the big hothouse flowers; I think the berries are a bit of an experiment this year.”

“We could put some edible flowers in our conservatory, if there’s room,” said Julian. “Jacques likes to cook with them, but he says it’s hard to be sure he’ll have time to use them before they die.”

“Mary Margaret definitely doesn’t have any spare room, more’s the pity,” said Lapointe. “She did give me that lavender, though, it’s still alive and everything.”

“Of course it’s still alive,” said Julian. “I’m the one who takes care of it.” He couldn’t quite manage to sound offended, but Alex thought his pride had been pricked a little.

“I just meant that I hadn’t managed to kill it in between your visits,” said Lapointe, gesturing with her fork across her throat.

“She’s as much of a menace as I am,” teased Alex. He’d never managed to keep a plant alive for more than a week or two before Julian came along.

They kept up their light banter while they finished their dinner and the wonderful dessert of individual persimmon pies with magical ginger ice cream. Alex loved the warm zing of spice and energy he got from the cool sweet treat, not to mention the rich fruity pie filling with its own dose of cinnamon and sugar. He ate two servings before finally forcing himself out of the chair and into his work clothes. When he emerged from the bedroom, Julian was curled up under a blanket with his book and a cup of herbal tea.

“Horace’s note was just confirming our visit to the Temple,” said Julian, face turned up to get a kiss.

Alex obliged him with a hum of contentment. “I’m ridiculously curious about both the wards and where our friends live.”

“Me, too,” said Julian with a grin.

Lapointe had her coat on and accepted the promised thermos from Alys, who had finally deigned to bodily emerge from the kitchen rather than just sending her voice and her magic.

“I’ll have another snack for you when you get home, mage, but you’re looking topped up,” said Alys, giving Alex a critical once-over. They’d started being more open about looking after their charges’ health as well as their home, once it was established as welcome and not intrusive.

“You’re a marvel,” said Alex with a grin. “We’ll miss you terribly whenever we’re out at the cottage that isn’t built yet.”

“Why would you do that?” asked Nat, coming out of the kitchen himself. “Unless we’re not welcome...”

“Oh! You’d really come out and help there, too?” asked Julian, twisting around to grin at them both. “We’d love it if you did.”

“We’ll have to include you in the planning, then,” said Alex, feeling much cheered at the prospect. “I know you’ve made do with the laundry room here, but we can purpose-build you some space in the new house.”

“That would be much appreciated,” said Nat, his sly look suggesting that this was exactly why he’d brought it up now rather than later. “You’re a good family to serve.”

“We try,” said Julian, sounding shy and happy. “Now go on, remember your gloves and scarf so you don’t freeze.”

“They’ve got some space heaters, but yeah, the crime scene is full of broken windows so it’s pretty cold there,” said Lapointe.

Alex sighed and bundled up, making sure he had his phone—sound back on—and everything else he’d need to leave the house. “All right,” he said. “Take me away.”

CHAPTER 2

In Which We Examine a Murder Most Foul

The drive to the murder scene was short, and mostly involved office gossip rather than any talk about the actual murder. Apparently Fischer had started dating someone from another department and become incrementally less annoying as the relationship did well. Alex privately thought he’d believe it when he saw it, but didn’t voice the thought lest he conjure the man onto their case.

“So, broken glass won’t stick in the soles of your fancy shoes, right?” asked Lapointe, as they paused in the entryway to get gloves and, in her case, booties.

“Not unless the spell is really powerful, in which case I’d have to get them repaired, but we’d at least know more about the magic,” said Alex. “I’ll walk carefully, though. I’d rather keep my feet intact.”

“You’d finally have another excuse for that cane,” teased Lapointe.

Alex snorted. “I don’t need an excuse, it’s a wand-cane. It helps.” He tapped the steel striking tip gently against the floor. “Come on, let’s see the scene before it gets even more muddled.”

“Whatever you say,” said Lapointe, amused. She led him deeper through the house to the very back, where there was a study with the desk set up facing what had once been a beautiful bay window. The view was stunning, if freezing, catching a slice of the city that sparkled with light through the intermittent clouds.

“Well, we can see why she was in here. Double glazing, I take it?” Alex waited for Lapointe’s nod, and then got out his toys. He tucked his watch fob into the back of one glove where it sharpened his magical senses, and then he pinched the tines of a tuning fork and used the pure, clear note to draw his senses inward and outward. The real world faded until it was nothing but a cacophony of magic, from Lapointe’s customary mundanity to the fractured motifs caught and reflected in each bit of glass.

There was something familiar about a few of the tunes, but they were broken up enough that Alex couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just his mind making associations. He paced around the room, trusting Lapointe to keep him from stepping in anything he shouldn’t, listening to the house wards—which were intact, except for the breach around the window—and dismissing their melody fragments from the remaining magic.

Alex found a spot where the music was different and gestured around it, vaguely describing the shape of the differences. “This is something else, maybe an artefact she had in her office?”

He moved on, trusting Lapointe to make sure someone treated that area as different when they were collecting evidence. He was already planning to get a few shards from each area to listen to in the quiet of his own space, where he could isolate them one by one and try to reassemble the music in his mind.

Alex came around to the door, which another empty space in the wards, though this one planned rather than broken. He muffled the tone on his tuning fork and stepped into the hall, bending down to check his shoes for glass, pleased to find not a single shard or scratch. “That was interesting, but I’m not sure what the spell was. Her house wards aren’t very good, though, I think they’re mostly against natural disasters.”

“Most people don’t feel the need to protect against magical attack,” said Lapointe dryly. “But I’ll make a note to discount sudden, localised tornadoes.”

“Can I snoop around? Are there grieving relatives I should avoid?” asked Alex, peering down the hall to the rest of the house.

“They’re at the wife’s sister’s house, given the cold,” said Lapointe. “We can snoop a little, but no traumatising the kids by moving their toys around in creepy ways.”

Alex harrumphed. “That was an accident,” he protested. “And it only happened once!”

“And it had better stay that way,” said Lapointe, though he could tell she wasn’t really angry. Even if they had both gotten yelled at for it.

She led him through the house again, this time letting him stop to listen here and there at various objects, doorways, windows, and even walls. Alex had become something of an expert in wards in the past year, and he wanted to be very sure what bits of broken magic belonged to these. The windows had some extra motifs in them, and he wondered if there had been even more in the big one, given the size of it and the obvious importance of the room to the victim.

“All right,” said Alex, when they’d ended up in the kitchen with some of the techs on their break, “tell me about the victim. That was her home office?”

“Right, though she worked downtown. Her wife said she was writing a book, some research thing she was hoping to get published,” said Lapointe, flipping through he notebook. “Here we are: Dr. Arista Drewery, psychiatrist. She specialised in magically-induced traumas, so she’d have loved you, I’m sure.”

“Hm, so a wide field of potential enemies, if she’s been undoing curses. Was she a mage?” asked Alex. “And can we have cider now?” He snagged a pair of paper cups from the techs’ coffee service and made puppy eyes.

Lapointe laughed and set down her notebook, laying it open on the counter. “It says here she was indeed a mage, and had a dual magical-medical degree that I have stars around so I’m guessing it was impressive.” She uncapped the thermos and poured some cider into the cups, then toasted him with it. “Mm, still amazing.”

“I know, right?” said Alex with a happy sigh. “Anyway, the impressive degrees plus crappy wards actually suggests she didn’t feel she had many enemies to speak of.”

“Huh, true,” said Lapointe. “All right, well, I’ll make it a point to talk to the wife and the staff at her office.”

“I’d like to visit the latter but maybe not the former,” said Alex sheepishly. “Especially if there’s kids.”

“Two, it looks like,” said Lapointe with a sigh. “A boy and a girl, and there’s some back story there.”

“Adopted, then?” asked Alex, taking another sip. “Maybe they were taking from a situation that wants them back?”

“We’ll look into the wife, too, she was a professional in her own right. Olivia Ahn, she’s some kind of social worker,” said Lapointe. “I’ve got stars here, so clearly there’s things I wanted to look into more when I had the chance,” she said with a chuckle.

“We’ll look it all up tomorrow,” said Alex with a shrug. “Julian’s dragging me in with him, so we’ll have all morning. I think I’m supposed to help him with something in the afternoon, but I can’t remember what.”

“I’m sure Julian batted his eyelashes at you and you said yes without thinking,” teased Lapointe.

“Well, if Thomas would come across, you’d find out what it’s like,” Alex shot back.

Lapointe rolled her eyes. “I’m too old for him,” she protested, but it was getting weaker every time.

One of the techs snorted.

“Nonsense, you’re not even as far apart as me and Julian,” said Alex. “But you should definitely make him man up and ask you. Otherwise, it’s just pathetic.”

“So pathetic,” said Ellora Eberly, detaching herself from the group and coming to join them. “Thomas needs to put on his big boy pants one of these days.”

“So,” said Alex, “Will I need to visit the morgue to see the body?” He’d noticed its conspicuous absence, despite the blood and glass left largely intact.

“You will, sorry,” said Eberly with a shrug. “The coroner wanted out of here, he was insisting before Lapointe even called you. Probably to avoid the argument.”

“It is bloody cold,” said Alex. “Well, I guess I’ll have to see what I can see tomorrow.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Eberly. “Are you done with our big mess?”

“Yeah, you can go collect it to your heart’s content. I’ll need you to assemble me a small selection of glass from around the room for my own research, bagged by location.” It wasn’t quite a demand, but Ellora’s face said it wasn’t quite not one, either.

“You’re lucky your boy is cute,” said Ellora. “I want sweets to make up for the extra work.”

“Sweets for evidence, a fair exchange,” said Alex with a grin. They shook on it, and she went to round up her minions and get back to the long night of work ahead of them.

“We can probably head out,” said Alex, stretching. He could feel the bits of music lingering in the back of his mind, arranging and rearranging themselves in ways that would, hopefully, make some sense out of the nonsense. “I won’t get much more tonight.”

“I’m keeping the cider,” said Lapointe, capping the thermos and slipping it back into her big coat pocket. “But I’ll take you home, Eberly won’t need me again until morning.”

Alex helped her out of the booties, and they chatted about the arrangement of the glass as they went out to the car. It had been pretty muddled by the time they arrived, but apparently the wife had taken some phone photos while she waited for the ambulance. With the sunset glittering off the patterns they were disturbingly beautiful, but they’d be very useful to the agents at every level of the case.

“She was pretty smart,” said Alex, flipping through them on his phone after forwarding them from Lapointe’s phone while she drove. “It’s pretty obvious the victim was already dead, though you can see where she went in and checked.”

“She was pretty careful not to disturb anything,” agreed Lapointe. “The ambulance people and coroner messed it all up, though.”

Alex sighed. “They really did,” he lamented. “Everything was so fragmented and hard to hear, like it had been deliberately scattered and mixed up.” He leaned against the cool window and let his breath fog up the glass. “I wonder if a sight mage would’ve had an easier time of it?”

“If you’re suggesting we borrow Fischer’s little toadie, I refuse,” said Lapointe. “He’s a sexist little prat, and more arrogant than you ever were.”

Alex chuckled. “I was such a little swot, wasn’t I?”

Lapointe grinned. “You were, but you got better. It was funny watching you try not to offend me, anyway.”

“Some of your fondest memories, I’m sure,” replied Alex dryly. “You can just drop me off at the door; I’ll make sure Alys sends something with us to bribe Ms. Eberly, even if it’s just some truffles or something.”

“There is no ‘just’ about those truffles,” said Lapointe, pulling up in front of the building. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bright and early,” said Alex dolefully. He got out and shot her a grin and a wave, then went inside to see if his Julian was still up.

When he got upstairs, he found a cup of herbal tea already waiting for him. “Alys, is there anything sweet I can take tomorrow to the Agency? Ms. Eberly has requested compensation for pulling some evidence for me.”

“I’ll make sure there’s something ready,” she said, emerging from the kitchen with two bowls of curried fruit, scoops of her homemade ice cream just starting to melt in the middle. “He’s still up reading, you take him this treat and I’ll send in tea for the both of you.”

“Will do,” said Alex with a grin. “I have no idea how I ever got on without you.”

“Poorly, as I recall,” she replied, eyes sparkling. “Go on, go see to your lad. He’s enjoying his book, but not more than he enjoys you.”

Alex laughed and took the bowls, leaving the tea to float along in his wake. The bedroom door opened at his nudge, and he saw Julian curled up in a nest of blankets, sitting in a pool of light from his reading lamp. “Honey,” said Alex, “I’m home.”

Julian looked up with a grin. “Ooh, and you’ve got treats,” he said, putting the bookmark very near the end of his book and setting it aside. “Something warm, I hope?”

“Curried fruit with ice cream,” said Alex, handing him one bowl and setting the other aside. “Just let me change, and I’ll come sit with you.”

Two cups of tea floated in and found their way to the bedside table while Alex got himself into his pyjamas, a pair in heavy charcoal silk that weren’t as warm as Julian’s flannel, but felt decadent against his skin. Alex joined his lover in bed, carefully redistributing the blankets so that he could snuggle under them, too. “How was your night?” he asked, snagging his bowl and taking a bite.

“Quiet,” said Julian happily. “I checked on all the plants, and gave a boost to those two you’re growing for our next potion, everything’s doing well.”

“You’re growing them, I’m just providing the space,” Alex assured him. They had a kiss that tasted of warmth and spice and sweetness. “Good book?”

Julian nodded. “I’ll be done tomorrow, and then you can read it in between the hours you spend on the case.”

“You mean in lieu of whining that there’s nothing much to do on the case,” said Alex. “During which times it will be much welcome as a diversion, though we’ve also got the Temple this week.”

“Yep, but you’re dying to see the Guardian Temple. You’ll consult on their wards and I’ll consult on a garden for magical herbs, and James and Jacques will finally show us where they live,” said Julian. “I’ve got Gainesbury next week, but there’s not much for you to do there.”

“If I’m not busy with the case, I’ll find virtuous to occupy me. I still have that new magic book to read,” he said. They nibbled on their treat as the chattered, the sort of mundane conversation that Alex would have once called boring before he knew how much it could feel like home.

“Oh right, the boring magical thing,” teased Julian. “You could always bring it to read in the Temple, but I think your skinny butt might freeze on the stone benches.”

“You like my skinny butt,” said Alex. “Occasionally you even love it.” He put as much innuendo in his tone as he could without laughing.

Julian giggled into his teacup.

“Anyway,” said Alex, “everything will be up in the air for me while I’m on a case, including your next potions lesson with Geoff.”

“I’ll keep the plants alive, love, don’t worry,” said Julian. “And we can always just have Geoff over for dinner instead. Or I can, he likes me now that he’s got creamy mounds of his own to fondle.”

Alex snorted. “I don’t know, I’ve always thought Chudleigh’s would be gently sun-bronzed. I suppose it’s that costume.”

“I never found out about anyone’s but yours,” said Julian, “but I expect you’re right.”

“Speaking of bottoms,” said Alex, nuzzling at Julian’s ear, “fancy staying up a bit late and being a bit naughty?”

“Why do you think I waited up?” said Julian. He ate the last bite of his treat pointedly.

Alex grinned and finished his own off in a few more bites. He pulled Julian under the covers so they were in a dark cave of warmth and breath, intimate and hidden. They shed their pyjamas, losing them amongst the bedclothes, and Alex took his time making love to his Julian. Some days it was hard to believe that Julian still loved him enough to want this, that his prickly personality and endless quirks hadn’t driven him off ages ago. He kissed the ring again and again in his journeys over Julian’s skin, listening to Julian’s magic, to the beat of their love that made harmony of their very different melodies.

CHAPTER 3

In Which We Attend to Both Dead Things and Growing Things

Horace woke them the next morning; Alex had given the construct an internal clock and then assigned him the task of keeping them both on time. They shared a quick, sleepy shower and a hearty breakfast from Alys, who had baked scones for their morning and ginger snaps to take to the Agency. They drove their new car, which Jones had helped them choose and buy, Alex at the wheel while Julian yawned his way through an extra cup of tea.

They stopped at their favourite cafe for a tray full of to-go cups of coffee, and made their way up to Lapointe’s office as their first stop.

Geoff was waiting on the seventh floor to greet them, having been warned they were headed there first. “I love you and all the good things you bring into my life,” he said, taking custody of the coffee tray so Julian could take the pastry box from Alex. “Break room or Lapointe’s office?”

“My office,” called Lapointe from the break room. “I’ll bring milk and sugar, we’ll make them all come to us.”

“Is there one for me?” asked Thomas, popping up out of his cubicle. All over the department, heads were peering out, drawn by the scent of good coffee and biscuits.

“Of course there is,” said Julian. “Are you on the new case with Alex?”

Thomas nodded. “Lapointe pulls me in a lot now; I’m going to get promoted soon so I can actually be part of her team.”

“Good for you,” said Alex. “But won’t that, you know...” He glanced over at the break room, where Murielle was talking to another of the agents. “Interfere with you asking her out?”

“No more than he already interferes with himself,” said Julian wryly. “I swear, you’re the most pathetic.”

“The most pathetic what?” asked Lapointe, coming up behind them and shooing them into her office.

“Human being ever to walk this earth,” said Alex dryly. “Though I hear you might get him on your team if he gets his promotion?”

“If I can. You’d be surprised at how popular he is among the senior agents,” said Lapointe.

Thomas flushed and ducked his head. “It’s just because I don’t talk back like some of the other guys do.”

“Following orders is a valuable life skill that I never mastered,” said Alex, amused. “Well, good luck to you both, though at this point I think Thomas will need more than luck to earn him a title other than most pathetic.”

“You never did know when to keep your mouth shut,” said Lapointe.

Julian mmed into his coffee. “But he does know what to do with it when it’s wide open,” he said, putting as much innuendo as possible into his voice.

They laughed and teased until Ms. Eberly made her way down from the labs, having been alerted by Lapointe that treats were here. After that it was time to get down to work, and Alex gave Julian a sweet, chaste kiss before sending him off with Geoff to see to the greenhouse.

“All right,” said Alex, once they were gone and it was just agents on the case in the office, and himself, of course. “Let’s talk about the crime scene.”

“We’ll visit the body after this, too,” said Lapointe. “Here, we made a good paste-up of Olivia’s photos, so we can get an idea of what the glass looked like before it was disturbed.”

The big printout was a collage of different images, but it showed what Alex hadn’t been able to see last night—a pattern in the glass. There was a sense of some kind of rune or shape created by the shards, the angles they fell to the ground and the way the density of shards was uneven in places. Alex traced the designs with his finger, humming to himself, trying to figure out what was going on that he hadn’t been able to hear last night.

He was vaguely aware of the other three talking around him, but he ignored it in favour of the image and the memory of magic. After several minutes of contemplation, he snapped himself out of it. “Do you have a marker? Can I write on this?”

“Yes, and yes, this is your copy,” said Lapointe. She handed him a bright red marker and he began to trace the shapes that he’d captured, until he was pretty sure he had an idea of what was wrong.

“So, this is still a mystery,” said Alex, gesturing around the area where it looked like some sort of art object hat literally exploded, its darker shards disrupting the pattern in the window glass. “But this looks like a pretty standard breaking spell, like seriously student stuff, except that there’s these murderous intentions scattered all through the simpler runes.”

“So someone modified a spell for breaking windows to make the window kill?” asked Lapointe, cocking her head. She’d seen him do a lot of rune work in the past, and was starting to learn the shapes of some of the more common ones. “You know, this reminds me of that case we had a few years back with the runes hidden under the paint in that one house.”

“God, yeah, the creepy murder house,” said Alex. “Where the previous owner painted curses onto the walls and then painted over them with normal house paint before selling. That was someone really angry about having to sell.”

“Is it the same kind of thing?” asked Thomas, coming over to peer at the runes himself. “I don’t know how you keep any of that stuff straight.”

“The same way you know the difference between the three kinds of witness interview forms,” said Alex with a chuckle. “It’s my job.”

“And I’ve seen him do this enough that I’ve learned a little, against my better judgement,” said Lapointe. “I’m sure he could recommend an ‘obscure shit for beginners’ book for you.”

“Besides, there’s seven kinds of witness interview forms,” said Thomas.

“Exactly,” said Alex. Something caught his eye and he gestured to Lapointe. “Let me have that sparkly purple pen, would you? I think I see an alternate arrangement for a few of these.”

“I should never have let you know I had this,” she said, but she handed it over.

Alex tuned them out again in order to sketch in the alternate idea, the purple glitter overlaying but not obliterating the red beneath it. This version was still a breaking spell, but the modifications were much more interesting, adding directionality and force to the glass without any specifically murderous intent. In fact, if he was reading it right, the spell might have been crafted specifically to damage the artefact, causing it to explode, rather than a side effect.

“We really need to figure out what this artefact was,” said Alex, tapping the area on the image again. He looked up and stared at their amused faces. “What?”

“You already told Ms. Eberly that about four times while she was here,” said Thomas.

“And mentioned it to me last night,” said Lapointe. “Also, you talk to yourself.”

Alex harrumphed. “If you’re not going to be helpful, you can show me the corpse.”

“I get to do that,” said Thomas, making a face. “Our boss wants to talk to Lapointe about budgets or something.”

“Something,” said Lapointe. “Is Julian joining us for lunch later?”

“Yeah, and Geoff,” said Alex. “I don’t think Chudleigh’s around, so we can grill the good doctor about his new beau, too.”

“Oh, are they still dating?” asked Thomas, leading Alex toward the elevators with a wave for Lapointe.

Alex shrugged. “As far as I know,” he said. “Geoff’s got that glowy look about him still, which I assume is from excellent shagging and not getting into his own plants.”

Thomas had to hide his laugh as the elevator arrived with their boss on it. He cleared his throat and stepped out of the man’s way. “Agent Lapointe was looking for you, sir.”

“I’m certain she’ll find me.” The man shouldered his way past them and out into the bullpen, looking as disgruntled as ever.

“He really doesn’t like you,” said Thomas, punching the number for their floor.

Alex shrugged. “I’m not sure why; it was sometime last year he changed his tune. Budget stuff, maybe, though I haven’t changed my rates in ages.”

“I’ll have to see if Lapointe knows,” said Thomas.

“Are you ever going to ask her out?” asked Alex. “Because seriously, it’s been forever now.”

Thomas sighed. “At this point, it almost feels like it would be too weird.”

“Do it before she’s your boss,” advised Alex. “Otherwise, all that pining will have been for nothing.”

Thomas sighed. “Do you think she’d really say yes?” The door opened and they stepped out into the chilly basement level, turning away from Geoff’s familiar domain toward the morgue.

“I do,” said Alex. “I’m not sure she would have this time last year, but Julian’s warmed her up to the idea. She just thinks she’s too old for you.”

Thomas made a scoffing noise, but looked rather cheered. “Does this mean you’ll tell me how to find those macarons she likes?”

Alex held the door for Thomas to precede him as his walking credentials. “Nope.”

Thomas harrumphed, but a grin was creeping its way onto his face. “I suppose there’s always Saveur.”

“Are you planning to woo me, MacLean?” asked the coroner saucily.

Alex chuckled. “Sadly, as we all know, his heart is already taken. But he might ask her out someday.”

“Say it isn’t so!” she said with a laugh. “I should get in on the betting pool.”

“Alex Benedict,” he said, offering her his hand in lieu of a comment. “You’re Dr. Aadhi, right?”

Thomas looked a bit more annoyed at the idea that everyone had known about his affections but the object of them. “He’s here for the Drewery case, have you started yet?”

“I am, and no, she’s over there. My assistant was told not to prep her until your mage had seen things for himself.” She gestured to where the late Dr. Drewery was laid out on a table, still clothed and unwashed.

“Bless you for listening,” said Alex, making a beeline for the body.

Alex vaguely heard Thomas’ plaintive, “There’s not really a pool, is there?” before he started humming, feeling out the sounds of the building, getting familiar with the cooling and preservation spells permeating the morgue.

Alex slipped on his gloves while he listened, watch fob snuggled against his skin, and then got out a tuning fork and pinched the tines to start the tone. He stepped up to the body and used both his eyes and his magical ears, tuning out everything else, dismissing anything he’d already identified from his attention and honing in on the woman in front of him. Her clothing had very few spells for a mage, as did her person; the usual personal care charms he heard on anyone above a certain tax bracket were conspicuously absent. The glass had held some of last night’s magic, but it was fading already, and the lack of other spells helped Alex to hear it more clearly. The music was fragmented here, too, but the pattern hadn’t been disrupted the way it had at the house. It was easier to reconstruct from the individual motifs, to hear the susurrations of break and shatter and smash in amongst the rest. There was a malice to it, sharp-edged and deadly, but it was an impersonal violence.

Alex hummed again, harmonising with his tuning fork, and felt the notes ping off of the glass. There were oddly no shards of the artefact on the body, only the window glass with its fragmented protection spell still clinging beneath the breaking spell. Her necklace had been a luck charm, one made personally for her by someone that cared enough to use personal ingredients and make the charm tight and long-lasting.

Alex let the sounds die out and blinked his way back to reality. “Is it all right if I look at the charm she’s wearing?” he asked the room in general.

“We’ll be taking it off her as soon as you’re done, anyway, so have at,” said Dr. Aadhi. “We already took all the photos we could like this.”

“This’ll be the last thing,” said Alex. He carefully slipped the satin cord out from under her shirt and held the charm in his gloved palm, using his expert eye to see if he could determine the maker. Some signed their work, or had a signature style—Alex didn’t sign things for friends, but he usually did leave a maker’s mark on things he made for clients. Still, if someone who knew him was to examine, say, Lapointe’s quit smoking charm, they’d be likely to identify the maker correctly from the traces of his magic trapped in its spells.

Alex used his phone to take a few photos, and then put everything away and took off his gloves. “She’s all yours,” he said, throwing the gloves away with a sigh. He missed his cotton gloves, but the magic in his watch fob more than made up for the loss of sensitivity he got wearing latex.

“We’ll take good care of her,” said Dr. Aadhi. Her assistant stirred from where she’d been sitting unnoticed at a desk in the far corner, and the two of them began their work without further regard for their visitors.

“She gets down to business, I like that,” said Alex, leading Thomas out into the corridor. “Is it time to get lunch yet?”

Thomas laughed and started down the corridor toward the healer’s offices. “Let’s go ask Geoff and Julian, if all four of us come get her we’ll likely be able to extract Lapointe.”

“And maybe Smedley will tag along, I haven’t seen him in a while,” said Alex. “Jenny always enjoys it when we have a full table.”

“Is she still seeing that driver?” asked Thomas.

“Jones? Yeah, he’s pleased as punch. He’s hoping to steal her from us and lure her out to the country, I think.” Alex found Geoff’s office door open and the room sadly empty. “Hm, I guess we text?”

“They’re probably up in the greenhouse,” said Thomas. “Let’s go find them, it’ll be an excuse to avoid the office a little longer.”

“Sure,” said Alex, and they meandered back to the elevator. “So, when are we coming over again? Julian’s eager to finish that trilogy you got us hooked on.”

“Oh, soon, I hope,” said Thomas with a laugh. “I think I’ve almost got him convinced to try Castles now that he’s got that new laptop.”

“He’s pretty intrigued, as am I,” said Alex. “The whole system of plants is fascinating, they clearly did their research first. Then they then tossed out the bits they didn’t like and made some more stuff up so it all fit into the game system.”

“Oh, that would be awesome,” said Thomas, lighting up with pure enthusiasm. “It’s so much more fun with neighbours, seriously, and I bet the three of us could make some amazing stuff together.”

Alex chuckled wickedly. “You say that now, but I know who’s got your heart.”

“Alex!” said Thomas, laughing too hard to push the elevator call button.

Alex did it for him, an expression of innocence fitting poorly on his face. “You brought it up, don’t blame me.”

“I really didn’t,” said Thomas, but he was grinning as he said it. “Besides, I don’t think Julian would share.” They got in and pressed the button for the roof, Thomas using his key to gain access.

“So, if they don’t let just anyone up on the roof, how come you’re special?” asked Alex curiously.

“Geoff gave me a key; before Julian was around I was his emergency plant waterer,” said Thomas. “I haven’t given it back because I like it up there.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t mind,” said Alex. “I haven’t actually seen it yet, though I’ve been meaning to visit Julian up there sometime.”

Thomas grinned. “You’ll be the good boyfriend, taking care of your hardworking lad.”

“Fiancé,” corrected Alex smugly. “I finally got the ring sorted and asked him yesterday.”

“Well, then, we definitely have to celebrate at mine,” said Thomas. “I’ll clean up for Saturday, if we’re not all busy?”

Alex got out his phone, but the doors opened before he could check the date. The roof was streaming with sunlight, protected from the wind by spells much like the ones he kept up on their window boxes. Just ahead of them the greenhouse sparkled, the steamy, tinted glass obscuring most of what was inside other than an impression of growing things. “You’re right,” said Alex, stepping out into the chilly air, “this is nice.”

“Do we knock?” asked Alex, heading for the greenhouse door.

“Not unless it’s locked, I guess,” said Thomas. “I still have a key, anyway.”

They tried the door and found it open, heading into the humid warmth together. There was a riot of plants on every side, but Alex easily recognised Julian’s magic and his organisational system, very similar to the way Mary Margaret kept the nursery. There was nothing planted in the ground, since this greenhouse was up in the sky, but shelves and tables filled the room to bursting with healthy plant life.

“Alex!” said Julian cheerfully, looking up from where he was repotting something into bigger containers.

“I’m all done with my bit,” said Alex. “Will you be ready for lunch soon?”

“As soon as he finishes this,” promised Geoff. He was handing Julian items as they were required.

Alex could hear the bright sounds of Julian’s magic as he carefully separated out another seedling and nestled it into the new pot that Geoff slid underneath where he was working, already half full of soil.

“We won’t interrupt, then,” said Alex.

“You’re not,” said Julian. “You could lend me a little power, if you like?”

Alex went over and slid behind Julian, slipping a hand up under his shirt to get skin contact along one hip. “Is this good?” he asked, sending a trickle of magic into Julian.

Julian mmed and kept working, the push becoming a pull as he sent magic into the plant. Alex was learning to listen to plants better from working with Julian, and he could hear this one falter and then gain strength and vitality until it was glowing with health in its roomy new pot. Alex gave a soft hum and listened to the big pot while Julian repeated the process, pulling out the second-to-last seedling and getting it potted and energised. There was something wrong besides the overcrowding, something with the soil, but it was a mundane something and that’s where Alex’s ability faltered. Really, he only got as much information as he did because he was piggybacking on Julian’s power.

Julian got the last plant transferred while Alex was woolgathering, and he broke their connection gently, turning to get a kiss. “We’ve just got to dispose of the soil and wash up,” said Julian with a smile.

“What’s wrong with it?” asked Alex curiously.

Geoff laughed sheepishly. “Ah, that was my fault, actually. I put the wrong stuff in the water and it caused the plants to overrun their pot and then the, um, residue went bad.”

“They’ll be fine now, that extra boost from Alex made sure the last ones were as clean as the first,” said Julian. He’d turned back to the work bench, hands cleaning while they talked. “And it wasn’t really the wrong stuff, just the wrong time and dose.”

“Well, thank goodness you’re around now, is all I have to say,” replied Geoff, stepping in to take over the cleaning, handing Julian the pot to deal with. “I’d have killed them all and had no idea why, otherwise.”

“I learn a lot working here, so we both benefit,” Julian assured him.

“When will you stop being an apprentice and start charging us?” asked Thomas curiously, following Julian out the back door.

Alex didn’t hear the answer, but he knew that Mary Margaret had been talking to Julian about starting his Journeyman work in the spring. “Do you think you’ll get permission to keep him on?” asked Alex, watching Geoff work. He might not have ever dated the man, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t admire the strong, competent hands doing their job as efficiently here as they did in the infirmary.

“I think so, though I guess there’s some budget issues coming up pretty soon, some sort of reform or something,” said Geoff. “I can probably make a good case for it, these are pretty valuable.”

“Or he can make an effort to train you better while he’s free,” said Alex with a chuckle. “I don’t think he’d be allowed to donate his time regularly once he’s a Journeyman, either by the Guild’s rules or the Agency’s.”

“Probably not, though dropping by usefully as a friend would still be allowed now and then, I expect,” said Geoff wryly.

Julian came back in chattering happily with Thomas about Castles, which Alex was already happily resigned to having in his life any day now. He’d probably have to replace his own laptop, which was a few years old by now and not really up to a game like that, but Alex didn’t mind. He’d just make Thomas pick out the new one and transfer all his data.

“All disposed of properly?” asked Alex.

“Yep,” said Julian. He went over to the work sink and washed up, then hung up his apron on the hook next to it.

Geoff finished his own clean-up and grinned at the rows of healthy seedlings, now up on their shelf. “A good day’s work,” he said proudly.

“We did well,” agreed Julian, ceding the sink to him so he could clean himself up. “And we get rewarded with lunch, right?”

“Right,” said Alex, whose stomach growled on cue. “We’ve both been doing magic today, so we’ll have a nice big diner meal.”

“That sounds great,” agreed Geoff. He dried his hands and hung his apron, and they all filed out onto the cold roof, pausing so he could lock up. “Let’s go see who else is coming?”

“Lapointe wants to, if she can get away,” said Alex.

Thomas called the elevator and considered. “Ms. Eberly rarely deigns to lunch with us, but Smedley might be back from vacation.”

“Vacation? Ah, the fabled luxury,” said Geoff with a grin as they piled into the elevator. “Someday I’m going to let Chudleigh convince me to go on a trip with him and leave you all to find your own plasters.”

“So you are still dating him, good,” said Julian. “I didn’t even have to tease it out of you.”

Geoff grinned and nodded. “I am, he’s been really wonderful about the fact that I’m not, you know.”

“Posh totty?” said Alex, trying to keep a look of innocence.

“You’ll never know how posh my totty can be,” said Geoff with a dignified sniff.

There was much teasing and merriment as they spilled out onto the seventh floor and separated into groups, Thomas going to look for Smedley, Geoff checking the break room, and Alex and Julian going straight to Lapointe’s office. When she wasn’t there, Alex elected to flop on her uncomfortable couch and drag Julian down with him rather than join the search party and become potentially lost themselves.

“They’ll come back here and find us,” said Alex.

Julian laughed and pulled out his phone. “They will if we text them to,” he said, doing just that, first Thomas, then Geoff, then Lapointe.

Alex settled in, finding Julian as always the perfect size to hold close, small enough to fit in the curve of Alex’s arm but not so small he was hard to steal kisses from. Julian granted him a few more of those kisses while they waited, and Alex felt very fortunate indeed.

The moment was broken when Fischer came barging in. “Where’s Lapointe?” he said, his tone dripping with disdain.

“I don’t know, but if you find her, do tell her we’re waiting,” said Alex, his voice just chirpy enough to be really annoying.

Julian elbowed him in the side. “I think she was in a meeting with her boss,” he said.

Fischer left without another word.

Alex sighed. “And here you went through all that extra effort to be nice.”

“I’m always nice,” said Julian. “It’s one of my best features.”

“I can think of a few others,” teased Alex. He leaned in to continue where they’d left off, but was stopped by another voice at the door.

“When will this honeymoon phase be over, again?” asked Lapointe, flopping into her office chair. “The other two are on their way, they got caught up with office gossip in the break room.”

“No Smedley?” asked Julian.

“He’s off for at least another week,” said Lapointe. “He took a whole ton of his saved-up leave to do some tour of German breweries or something.”

“It’s Scottish distilleries, you heathen,” said Geoff, leading Thomas into the room. “I’m terribly envious, too, but he promised to bring me a bottle of something nice.”

“Con will be jealous if he does,” said Alex with a chuckle. “Has he visited the greenhouse yet?”

Julian beamed and stood, dragging Alex up after him. “He came by a few weeks ago and looked it all over, said we were doing a good job for a couple of humans.”

“We’ll have to invite him over for dinner again soon,” said Alex.

“Let’s have lunch first, shall we?” said Lapointe. “Before someone else brings me something I have to care about whether I like it or not.”

“I learned stuff from the body,” said Alex. “And there’s a charm for Ms. Eberly to take into evidence.”

“It’s safe to leave this stuff here, right?” asked Julian, waving to the box of carefully bagged and labeled glass shards.

“I’ll lock up,” Lapointe assured them, shooing everyone out and locking the door behind them. “Now, feed me.”

“That’s usually my line,” said Alex. “Rough meeting?”

“I require more coffee,” she replied pointedly, leading the way to the elevators. They were quiet on the way down, out, and across the street to the cafe, but conversation started up again once everyone was settled in. “So, apparently there is some budgetary pushback from up above about our consultants, and not just Alex.”

“But really Alex?” said Julian worriedly.

Alex kissed his hair. “Don’t worry, I still have charms, potions, and my fabulously wealthy fiancé to fall back on.”

“Well, I was lectured about Alex, but no. There’s generally been some pressure to try to keep more things in-house, especially on, and I quote, ‘cases with a lower profile.’”

“Ooh,” said Julian. “That’s, yeah.”

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “Fortunately the case we’re on is not that, apparently Dr. Drewery was also a sometimes consultant with the Agency and therefore gets a higher priority than just any dead body.”

Jenny came over with a tray of coffee mugs and a fresh pot. “Everyone for coffee?” she asked, passing the mugs around.

There was a general chorus of agreement, and they ordered lunch to go with it, everyone so familiar with the menu that it was easy to choose without much deliberation. She teased Alex and Julian about the size of their portions, and congratulated them on their recent engagement, then sauntered off looking generally pleased with life.

“Things must be going well with Jones, she looks happy,” said Alex. “Or they’re not and she’s feeling smug to have dumped him.”

“Nah, if he’d been dumped, he’d have shown up on our doorstep to cry in Alys’ cooking,” said Julian.

“Alys’ cooking will be a great comfort if Chudleigh ever breaks my heart,” agreed Geoff. “Have you ever had Jenny over?”

They shook their heads, and talk turned to all their various acquaintances. The mundanity of it slowly relaxed Lapointe without making a point of catering to her foul mood. The food was good and plentiful, if not up to the standards of a brownie, and they all felt quite nourished as they paid up and filed out, a few extra cups of to-go coffee carried along with them. Julian left his with the doorman, Wu, who’d become another casual acquaintance as they spent the time to stop and say hi regularly instead of Alex just breezing past to get his work done. Geoff borrowed Thomas to deliver two cups to the morgue staff as thanks for holding the body, and the last two went to a pair of agents who held the elevator doors.

“Coffee really is the universal language of cops,” said Alex, once they were safely inside Lapointe’s office and away from easily-offended ears.

Lapointe chuckled. “Don’t pretend it’s not your personal addiction, too,” she said, taking a sip of her own cup.

Alex drank from his and mmmed. “I love that they still have good coffee down at that cafe after all these years.”

“Even I think it’s good, and we all know my palate was spoiled rotten before I ever met Alex,” said Julian teasingly, cuddled up to Alex’s side with both hands curled around his cup. “I do miss some of chef’s dishes, but Alys is getting quite creative now that she’s settled in.”

Lapointe took one more long drink of her coffee and then set it aside. “All right, what did you learn from the body?”

Alex sighed. “I suppose we do have work to do, still,” he lamented. He told her about the spells he’d sensed, and the charm she’d been wearing as well. “Maybe ask the wife if she knows where it came from? It was definitely made for the wearer, like the ones I make.”

“So, not made by the wearer?” Lapointe made notes, and Alex shook his head. “But custom and not off-the-rack.”

“Right,” said Alex. “And the glass on the body held more of the spell together, so I think a good long think with the pieces and my photo map will clarify that pretty well. I still don’t know what the motive was, though.”

“Especially if the intent to destroy wasn’t specifically murderous,” said Lapointe. “Well, we’ll figure it out eventually. My boss does want this one badly enough to pay for it.”

“Well, you know we’ll work it out, we have before,” said Alex. When he’d first started working with the department, he’d been paid mostly in meals out or token cheques. It wasn’t until he’d finished his degree and established himself that he’d been able to start billing at a healthier rate.

“We will, though I’m not sure I can afford to bribe you with food these days,” she teased. “Saveur isn’t cheap.”

“But Padma’s is,” said Julian. “Besides, we’re meant to be bringing you chocolates, not the other way around.”

Lapointe chuckled. “I won’t debate the wisdom of that,” she said. “All right, unless you’ve got something more for me, take your box and go. I need to dig through a lot of stupid email and figure out what all the bureaucracy-speak means.”

“Ugh, good luck,” said Alex. He finished his coffee so he could carry the box, and they headed out and home, Alex waiting for the car ride to tell Julian he thought he’d finally persuaded Thomas to put up or shut up with Murielle. And that Thomas, in turn, had convinced him to let them both get Castles and all three play together sometimes.

“Ooh, and you’ll really buy a new computer with Lapointe all worried over paying you?” asked Julian teasingly.

Alex chuckled. “Maybe I’ll let you buy it for me, then, you’ll make an excellent sugar daddy.”

“As if you need it,” said Julian. “I saw what you charged for some of those charms last year when you were on leave.”

They went quiet while Alex got the car parked, an operation neither one of them was quite sure of yet. By mutual consent the rest of the afternoon kept that sense of quiet concentration, with Julian reading for his apprenticeship and Alex studying the evidence, their project together delayed by the case. Alex enjoyed the feel of Julian curled up in his workspace, the reading chair over by the window and the plants, like a breath of fresh air and sunshine to keep him from being too inwardly focused. The brownies kept them supplied with tea and snacks, so they had everything they needed to sustain their work.

Night fell, and it was Julian who uncurled first, stretching and yawning. “I’ve got all sorts of notes for our visit to the Temple,” he said cheerfully. “How goes your glass work?”

Alex took his cue to also stretch, popping something in his shoulder and feeling his whole back loosen up. “I’m getting a clearer sound, but it’s not really telling me anything I didn’t already know,” he said. He’d spent most of his time carefully arranging and rearranging the shards of glass, which Ms. Eberly had allowed he could return in one big bag, should they get too mixed up to tell one from the other when the time came. “I understand what happened pretty clearly now, but I still don’t have any idea why.”

“Did she give you any pieces of the weird glass?” asked Julian, coming over to look at the glittering pattern.

Alex shook his head. “No, I think they want to try to reconstruct it,” he said. He stole a kiss, feeding on Julian’s warmth and giving a little of his own magic back in return. “This is good for tonight, anyway, let’s lock up and we can spend our evening in peace.”

“Dinner’s about ready,” said Alys, or at least her voice. The last of their dirty dishes floated out of the room ahead of Julian and Alex, and he made sure to lock the door.

“Stay out of there until I’ve cleaned up the glass, please,” said Alex.

“Will do,” said Nat; he was the one who did most of the cleaning, while Alys cooked, though laundry was her purview. “It don’t need much dusting, anyways.”

They made their way into the kitchen for a quiet family dinner, taking the time for nothing more exciting than food. It would be time soon enough for more work, Julian’s concerned with life and Alex’s with death.

CHAPTER 4

In Which We Visit Some Friends, and Receive an Unwelcome Visitor

Alex and Julian arrived at the Temple of the Guardians the next day at a much more reasonable mid-morning hour, outfitted with a box of goodies from the brownies, Alex’s flute, and Horace riding Julian’s shoulder. They got parked in the garage and Julian laughed at Alex for immediately hopping out and humming to get a feel for the wards.

“It is what I’m here for,” said Alex, but he couldn’t be offended, really. He’d just save it up to tease Julian next time he went all gaga over an interesting plant. “Come on, let’s see if they’ll let us in.”

Unlike the Temple of Purification, the Guardian’s Temple had a manned Guard station to waylay potential visitors before they could go inside. Julian was busy getting the box of goodies, so Alex stepped up to the window.

“Hi,” said Alex. “Um, Alex Benedict and Julian St. Albans, here to see James and Jacques?”

The scowling face peering out the window transformed into a smile. “Oh, you’re the gardener and the ward specialist! I’ve heard stories about your wards, Father Mordecai is very excited to meet you,” she said, then she turned to Julian. “I’m more excited about you giving our Jacques more access to fresh produce year round.”

Julian laughed. “It’s mostly going to be herbs and spices, I’m afraid, but we might manage a few other things.”

The Guardian handed through a pair of necklaces, small charms on a ribbon that, Alex could hear, would let them into the wards. “I’m Giselle, by the way, my partner’s Rose.”

Another woman leaned into view and waved, then went back to whatever she’d been doing.

Alex grinned. “It’s good to meet you both,” he said. “Oh, do we have some extra biscuits or something?”

“Yes, Alys sent along plenty,” said Julian, turning so Alex could rummage in the box.

Under the extra napkins, Alex found a pile of gift tins with windows in the top and selected one to hand over. “Here, compliments of our house brownies.”

“Ooh, thank you,” said Giselle, grinning. “Should we send the tin back with Jacques and James?”

Alex slipped Julian’s talisman over his head, then put on his own. “Hm? If you like, or just keep it. Our brownies can always order more.”

“Alys has online shopping all figured out,” said Julian with a grin. “Alex swears she keeps the household budget well under his old lifestyle, even with stuff like this.”

“Trust me, my takeaway habit was not cheap,” said Alex with a laugh.

Giselle and Rose laughed with them, and then there were the sounds of enjoyment as they got the tin open and dug in. “Mm, right, go inside and turn left, James and Jacques should be waiting in the third room on the right,” said Giselle, pointing with the hand still holding a half-eaten biscuit.

“Thanks,” said Julian, leading the way.

Alex heard the shimmering tones of the wards parting for their charms, and he resolved to take the time to come back out and walk through them a few times when he could listen properly. He used his ears as much as his eyes to follow Julian and Horace’s magical chorus, and sped up his step when the familiar melodies of their friends grew audible ahead. “They’re waiting,” he said, blinking and shaking his head to clear it of the magic.

“Cheater,” teased Julian.

They turned right and found themselves in what appeared to be a lounge. James and Jacques were at one of several tables playing cards, and the rest of the room was crowded with mismatched, comfortable-looking furniture.

James turned and grinned at them. “You’re here! Ooh, and you brought goodies,” he said, standing.

“I may have also made us a treat for tea,” said Jacques, but he, too, looked pleased. He gathered up the cards and put them away before joining them.

“We are, and we did,” said Julian cheerfully. “Alys sent along a few extra tins of treats; we gave one to the gate Guardians.”

“Generous as always,” said James fondly. “Come on, we’ll stash these in our room, and then take you to your appointments.”

“James and I will be going with Julian,” said Jacques, coming over to take the box. “I’ve a vested interest in the garden, and we’ve already given the Ward Father all our ideas.”

“He’s been really happy with some of the innovations you’ve developed,” said James, leading them out into the hall. “Not everyone would donate the knowledge the way you have.”

Alex shrugged. “The Temple has never done anything but help me,” he said. “It’s not as if I’m giving away the key to my flat.” He and Julian both knew they were alive thanks to the Guardians, and Father Stephen had helped them understand that their expertise was the most valuable donation they could make.

This Temple was laid out in a manner similar to the others they’d been in, a series of interconnecting corridors that obfuscated the actual architecture of the building. James and Jacques navigated the halls with ease, taking them past a number of doorways to their own unlocked door. The room inside was neat and clean, and bigger than Alex had expected. Rather than a tiny dorm room, it was more like a loft apartment. One corner contained two comfortable-looking beds, another a pair of reading chairs and a number of book cases. There was a locked glass cabinet of weapons, and a corner niche held a little bar including a tea kettle.

“This is nice,” said Julian, going in and looking around. “Do you have your own bathroom?”

“Yep, that’s this door,” said Jacques, gesturing to the door by the foot of the beds. “That’s our clothes cupboard over there, it’s a walk-in since we have uniforms to keep nice.” He pointed to a door half-obscured by the weapons cabinet. “We aren’t totally denied comfort, just certain pleasures of the flesh.”

“We do fine without,” said James, giving Jacques a fond look, his expression far more open than he’d been at the start of their acquaintance.

Jacques smiled back, setting down the box on the bar and coming over to squeeze James’ hand. “We have each other in the ways we need.”

Julian snuggled up to Alex’s side. “You two give each other what you need, like me and Alex. But different.”

“Less noisy,” agreed James teasingly. “Anyway, we’re to drop Alex off and then take Julian out to talk about growing some magical herbs of our own.”

“Should I take a tin of treats to the Ward Father, or will that be weird?” asked Alex.

“Oh, definitely treats,” said Jacques. He peeked in the box, pulling out one of the tins. “These?”

“Yeah, there’s also brownie-made lunches for later. Alys thought you’d enjoy the change of pace,” said Alex, taking the tin.

“We’ll send Horace for you and have a picnic,” said Jacques, “and save my treat for tea later.”

“You’re saving your treats for a lot more than tea,” said Alex slyly.

The teasing continued as they headed out and through more winding ways to what Alex’s senses told him was the heart of the building, a little windowless office with layer upon layer of warding on it. The door opened as they approached, and a man stepped out with a smile on his wrinkled face. His skin was a deep brown and hair white, and he was wearing the same clothes as James and Jacques, the simple tunics and trousers traditional for Guardians while at ease in the Temple. His tunic had elaborate embroidery of runes at the cuffs and collar, which Alex itched to examine.

James stepped forward to introduce them. “Ward Father Mordecai, this is Alex Benedict, the mage, and his partner -“

“Fiancé,” said Julian smugly.

“Oh, congratulations!” said James. “Fiancé and apprentice Grower, Julian St. Albans.”

“Our gardens will flourish in your care, I’m sure,” said Mordecai, shaking Julian’s hand first. “Father Stephen speaks quite highly of you, and I’ve been in the luck garden.”

“Thank you, Ward Father,” said Julian, glowing under the praise. “I’m very fortunate that Father Stephen’s taken such an interest in me.”

Mordecai gave Julian a kiss of blessing on his forehead, then turned his attention to Alex. “And you, our generous genius,” he said warmly. “You’re quite innovative, aren’t you?”

Alex felt himself glowing the same way Julian had, taking in this man’s attention and kind words. “I’m well-motivated now that I have my Julian to keep safe,” he said, pulling Julian’s hand up to kiss the back.

“He’s good for you, and you for him,” said Mordecai. “You boys take good care of our gardener, I’m looking forward to the extra joy his work will put in my belly.”

James and Jacques grinned and took their leave, getting blessing-kisses as they went and taking Julian along in their wake, Horace snuggled up on one shoulder.

“I’d love to take a look at that bird sometime later,” said Mordecai.

“If you let me look at that tunic, perhaps,” said Alex, smiling. “Though, really, Horace is Julian’s pet now, so you’ll have to get his permission.”

Mordecai chuckled, the sound low and warm. He had a lovely voice that Alex wanted to hear singing, though he suspected the man was a sight mage. “I need yours as well, given the complexity of his magical construction. I suspect there’s as many innovations in him as you’ve given us already.”

“If not more,” agreed Alex. “But the Temple is welcome to any knowledge I can give.”

“Bless you,” said Mordecai, pausing for permission before giving Alex his own kiss of blessing, the magic cool with a little zing to it, different than the deeply peaceful sound of Father Stephen’s blessings. “Let’s go into my office to begin our discussion, though I would like to walk the building with you, if you’re amenable.”

“I’d absolutely love to,” admitted Alex. “I already heard some things I’d like to explore further just on the way in; I’m fascinated by these pass-through charms.” He touched the one on his own chest, hearing the deceptively complex melody in it, simple on the surface but winding through change after change before it repeated.

Mordecai laughed good-naturedly. “Well, then, our paths shall be as one,” he said. He led Alex into his office, where a tea service was already waiting.

“Our house-brownies made these for us to give out,” said Alex, offering him the tin.

“Brownie-made snacks, now that is quite a treat,” said Mordecai.

Alex heard the complex, protective air of his magic when their hands brushed during the hand-off, divergent from the singular feeling of being blessed, but related. “A different sort of treat than Jacques’ cooking, though they’ve been sharing recipes,” said Alex.

“Jacques told me that your brownie was the one who gave him the idea to start using magical ginger and other herbs in his food,” said Mordecai, opening the tin and taking a moment to choose one of the treats, a small shortbread biscuit dotted with spices and half-dipped in dark chocolate.

Alex nodded. “Our household has benefited greatly from our closer relationship with the Temple, and hopefully vice versa,” he said, pouring the tea while Mordecai was occupied.

“Oh, yes,” said Mordecai. He inhaled the smell of the biscuit before taking a small bite out of the chocolate end. “Oh, very much yes.”

Alex grinned. “Alys knows what she’s about,” he said. “How do you take your tea?”

“Mm, just a bit of milk and this, thank you,” said Mordecai, his attention fully on his sweet.

Alex complied, then sat back and sipped his tea with a smile. “The chocolate she gets from Saveur. After the Courtship, they started a line of truffles using ingredients from the Benedict lands, and recently added a second line for the St. Albans estate. We get a bit of a deal as a result.”

“You’ve had many excellent fruits from seeds planted during the hard times of your Courtship,” said Mordecai. He’d nibbled away about half the biscuit and most of the chocolate, and he tucked it on his saucer with a sigh. “We are all sorry that they had to be watered with blood.”

“Some of it my own,” said Alex wryly, “but it was worth the sacrifice.”

“And did I hear correctly, that you’re finally engaged?” asked Mordecai, taking a sip of his own tea.

“Well, finally again, yes,” said Alex with a chuckle. “I proposed a few days ago and he did me the honour of accepting. He’s been very patient with me.”

“Congratulations, then,” said Mordecai. “Will you have Father Stephen officiate?”

Alex smiled. “We haven’t asked him, but that was our hope, yes.”

“Well, if he proves too busy, you give me a call,” said Mordecai, a gleam in his eye. “He’s got a lot of demands on his time these days.”

Alex laughed. “Somehow I don’t think it’s very common for the Ward Father to officiate weddings, so thank you for the offer. I’ll be sure to pass it along to Julian.”

“Ah, you remind me of my duties,” said Mordecai. “Well, here you sit at the heart of my wards, where I am the spider in the web, alert for any tug on the strands.”

“Is it active or passive?” asked Alex. “At home, I have to look, but my wards keep an impression of anything that’s happened since last time.”

“It’s a little of both,” said Mordecai. “Here, touch my sleeve and listen.”

Alex set his cup down and complied. As soon as his fingers made contact with the embroidery, a whole symphony of magic opened up to his senses. Alex whistled softly to ground himself, wishing he’d brought his cane, pulling his hearing inward and then listening to each movement, each strand of magic individually. Eventually he could hear the way the wards would chime for attention every time they were triggered, but no details would unfold until the mage went looking for them.

“Wow, okay, that embroidery is amazing. Those threads are, what, lead and gold combined?” asked Alex, pulling his hand away and trying to clear his thoughts. He picked up his teacup and took a bracing gulp of the strong brew.

“Lead, gold, and iron,” said Mordecai. “There’s an alchemical process to make them flexible enough, though they are sewn in small stitches, and surrounded by more mundane thread, as you see.”

“Did you do that yourself?” asked Alex, fascinated. “I haven’t done much fabric work, but I’m always eager to expand my skill set.”

“I did, and I could certainly offer a few lessons in exchange for all your help,” said Mordecai. “You and your Julian have both been very generous to us of late, and we at the Temples are very happy to share our knowledge with you in return.”

“Julian’s been having some lessons,” said Alex. “I’d love to learn with you, Ward Father.”

Mordecai chuckled. “You may call me Mordecai, dear boy, no need to use my title constantly.”

“Yes, sir,” said Alex, though his tone was a bit cheeky. “So, the shirt helps attune you to the wards, and the office is obviously attuned as well?”

“Yes, exactly,” said Mordecai. “Each Ward Father or Mother creates their own garment or jewellery item to complete the connection, but the potential is always here within the room.”

“So it’s a little like the pass-through charms, you have the lock here, but it still requires a key to gain access,” said Alex thoughtfully. “That’s very clever.”

“If something was to happen to me, goodness forbid, there are provisions for any of the Guardians to take over until a permanent replacement can be found,” said Mordecai. “They would not have the level of detail or control that a properly attuned mage does, but they would keep our home safe enough, I suspect.”

“Do you get a lot of interference or attacks?” asked Alex curiously. Despite his own experience with being attacked at one Temple and solving a murder at another, he’d been under the impression that the Temples were generally held in good regard throughout the city.

Mordecai shook his head. “Not attacks, no, but there is often interference. Any institution such as ours has its opponents, not to mention the irritants of modern life.”

Alex blinked, then laughed. “Paparazzi, really?” he asked.

“Oh, yes. The life of a Guardian is still a great romantic mystery to some, and idiots are always trying to find a way in to photograph things.” He shook his head. “As if a photo of someone’s bedroom is the only way to measure their worth.”

“Well, I expect they’re hoping to find that there’s more going on than you’re willing to admit,” said Alex dryly. “We’ve had a few problems with them, but fortunately growing plants isn’t very interesting, and solving murders is only exciting so many times.”

“We have discussed the idea of letting one person of integrity do an exposé, but no conclusion has been reached,” said Mordecai. “Nonetheless, there are also pranksters, drunks, and idiots to be dealt with.”

“Less of those on the 7th floor where I live, fortunately,” said Alex. “So, you’re attuned to the web when you’re here, do you still feel anything if you leave?”

“If I’m in the building, the amplification of my garments allows me to remain vigilant for larger alarms,” said Mordecai. “When I visit other Temples, one of the Guardians takes over using our secondary measures.”

“Thus assuring that someone’s got practice in an emergency, very clever,” said Alex.

“We prefer to think of it as efficient,” said Mordecai. “So, you will want to listen a few more times here in the room, I think, and I have obtained leave from the relevant committee to allow you access to the power of the temporary Guardian as well.”

“Oh, I, wow.” Alex sat back in his chair, feeling stunned for the second time that day. “That’s very kind of them.”

“Practical,” said Mordecai, amusement in his tone and the sparkle of his eyes. “They have been swayed by practicality, and the repeated proof of your trustworthiness.”

“Oh, right, committee,” said Alex dryly. “Well, I’m grateful for the chance to learn, as well as the opportunity to be of real help.” He’d accompanied Julian to one of the outlying Temples once, and been given nothing but make-work when the Mother running the place took a dislike to him.

Mordecai nodded sagely, then picked up his biscuit and took another nibble. “I shall have to try to make these treats last, in case I don’t have occasion to get more.”

“Nonsense,” Alex assured him. “Once you get on Alys’ list, she’ll send food along for you whether you want it or not. In fact, we’ll probably have lunch for you next time we come.”

“I believe that we only have you in the afternoons for a while, isn’t that correct?” asked Mordecai.

“Julian’s got work with Mary Margaret in the mornings next week, but we’ll bring lunch here to eat, if you’d like. James and Jacques always enjoy the variety Alys provides them.” Alex finished his cup of tea and set it down. “Why don’t we do a bit of work, so I can earn the big lunch she’s packed me?”

“All right, I won’t dally overmuch on the last bites,” said Mordecai, though he did still make the single biscuit last for the rest of his cup of tea.

Alex hummed under his breath, patient while he could listen to the muted sounds of the wards here, picking out the incomplete melodies that would mesh with his embroidered ward-key and unlock the whole structure to the Ward Father. Alex already had some ideas for ways he could work this into his own wards, with pass-throughs for their friends that could only be used by the person for whom it was made. He’d need to study these wards much more extensively before he made any modifications, but he was confident now that he’d be given the chance.

Once Mordecai set his cup down, Alex finally asked, “What are you hoping will be the outcome of my help here?”

“Our wards are very strong, but also quite old and ossified,” said Mordecai. “We wish to introduce flexibility without dismantling the entire structure, as well as incorporate some of your innovations regarding personal attacks.”

“You really should study Horace a bit, then,” said Alex. “He has built-in protection against interference that I did when I was a student that James and Jacques helped me work into the larger wards at home.”

“Yes, I have been hoping to see this wondrous bird in person. Will he allow himself to be examined?” asked Mordecai.

Alex nodded. “Horace is good about it, as long as you don’t try to poke around too much. Lots of people are curious about him, and he likes getting blessed.”

“Does he, now?” asked Mordecai, eyebrows going up. “And how did you discover this?”

“Well, it was James and Jacques at first, I think they were kind of bribing him to make sure we were safe when we slept at night,” said Alex. “But then Father Stephen started giving him little blessings whenever he visited, too, the way he does all of us, and now pretty much all the priests that know him do it. I think our Healer friend sneaks him energy, too, come to think of it.” Geoff had grown to like the little bird as much as all of their friends, and regularly greeted him when they visited.

“So Horace will be another source of inspiration for us in our quest to improve the wards in both locations,” said Mordecai. “More information is always good.”

Alex nodded. “I’ve also been doing some reading. I managed to get privileges at my old University library, where there’s a lot of historical records written in nigh-incomprehensible academian.”

“An obscure language all its own,” said Mordecai, “no doubt related to the theologian dialect.”

Alex laughed. “Yeah, I bet. A lot of the same lines of thinking, obfuscation to keep the plebes from understanding the high concepts better left to finer minds.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we are coming to this project with an attitude of sharing,” said Mordecai, looking quite pleased with himself. “I will be sure to report your goodwill to the committee.”

“Will you have to report before we’re done?” asked Alex.

Mordecai sighed deeply. “Undoubtedly.”

They left their empty teacups on the tray and stood, Mordecai holding his arm out to Alex once again. This time, Alex was better prepared for the wall of magical information that crashed into his senses, and better able to process it in pieces that made sense. He paid attention to the way the attunement spell meshed with the wards, following one sensation out to where a curious butterfly fairy was brushing up against the wards while it drank nectar from a fairy flower planted along the wall. Then he followed those sounds along the walls, listening to the deep anchors, the layer upon layer of magic laid down by Guardians and Ward Fathers over centuries. He took in as much information as possible before letting go, taking a deep breath and then finding he needed a moment to sit.

Mordecai poured him another cup of tea while Alex gathered his wits. “It’s hard for me to see what you’re perceiving,” said Mordecai, “though I can somewhat feel when you move through the wards.”

“It’s a lot to process, is all,” said Alex, taking the cup gratefully. “Thanks.”

“It is, most people who interact with the wards have more training from the Temple before we plunge them in headfirst.” Mordecai sounded amused. “I suppose I ought to have eased you in.”

Alex shook his head. “No, no, this is perfect, actually. It lets me get the big picture today, and then I can refine my understanding on future visits. Otherwise, I might understand these pass-through charms but not be able to fit them into the larger design because I was making incorrect assumptions about how things interconnected.” He paused to have a long sip of tea, giving Mordecai a sheepish look. “I definitely will need a few visits before I can make any real recommendations, though.”

“That’s to be expected, don’t worry,” said Mordecai. “Many of our Guardians spend years studying the wards.”

“Well, hopefully it won’t take that long,” said Alex. “I do have the advantage of years studying other wards before coming to these.”

Mordecai nodded, and it looked like he was going to say something when his phone rang. He made a decidedly annoyed face and then picked up the call. “Hello?”

Alex tried not to eavesdrop on the call, instead humming low under his breath and listening to the parts of the wards he could access without the attunement spell. Being inside them helped a lot, but there were definitely things that were obfuscated or obscured, broken melodies and disharmonies that Alex remembered as full motifs. Something was trying to get his attention so he focused on it, something just on the edge of hearing. It was getting louder, closer, and he nearly laughed when he realised it was Horace.

Alex went quiet and sipped his tea again, trying not to be too worried about the concerned expression on Mordecai’s wrinkled features. Instead he stood and opened the door just in time to see the familiar glimmer of Horace’s polished wings coming his way. The little bird alighted on Alex’s hand and crooned in distress; Alex felt his stomach drop.

“So, not lunch time?” Alex asked, soft and trying to keep his voice steady. He opened Horace’s compartment to find a bit of paper shoved inside, with just the word, “Help.”

“Take me to them,” said Alex, launching Horace back the way he’d come. Alex followed at a run, keeping up with the glittering bird as best he could, until he emerged into a giant central courtyard to find James and Jacques kneeling over a crumpled form that could only be Julian.

“What happened?” asked Alex, forcing himself to breathe, to be calm, to shove down the rising panic.

“A butterfly fairy came over to greet him, they can get into the wards in the gardens, a lot of fairy folk can,” said Jacques.

James interrupted. “As soon as the fairy landed on his hand, they both collapsed. Neither are dead, and it’s definitely magic.”

“I’ve got my flute,” said Alex, kneeling to unsling the case and assemble the instrument, “but I’m not a Healer. Have you alerted anyone else?”

“Did you just run out on the Ward Father?” asked James, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Alex flushed. “He was on the phone, there wasn’t time.”

“I figured out where he went,” came Mordecai’s voice from behind them. “Our Healing Mother is on her way, but you best know the way his magic should appear.”

“Well, sound,” said Alex. He got the flute assembled and played a little trill to adjust the tuning. “I’ll find out what I can without touching him.”

He began to play, a soft, inquiring melody, calling to the familiar sound of Julian’s magic. It was there, strong clear as ever, but the life force that it protected was flickering and weak. Alex tried to bolster it, but found himself blocked, unable to make any contact through whatever barrier was cutting Julian off from himself. He played a different tune, changing tactics again and again, but he could reach neither Julian nor the poor fairy. The threads of sound keeping Alex away were thin, sharply-pitched, and finely tuned.

Alex let his song die out and had to swallow before he could speak evenly. “It’s definitely some kind of curse or trap,” he said. “I can’t get through at all.”

“I could see you interacting with it,” said Jacques. “It’s really fine work.”

“Cuts like razor wire,” said Alex. “I mean, not literally, but it shreds any magic I try to send through.”

“More like fishing line,” said James. “It’s so hard to see, but strong.”

“Has anyone touched them?” asked Mordecai, standing over the group.

“No, sir,” said James. “He fell before we could catch him, and we didn’t want to risk getting caught in the trap.”

“I guess he wasn’t holding Horace when it happened?” asked Alex. The bird was on his shoulder, practically tucked into his curls, radiating sadness and worry.

“No, Horace was visiting some of the trees,” said James. “Sorry the message wasn’t better.”

“It did its job,” said Alex. “I want to touch him, but then we might both be unconscious, and what good would that do?”

“None whatsoever, you’re too tall to move,” said a new voice. They all turned to find a woman striding toward them, her back straight and hair a beautiful mix of black and silver. She was wearing simple robes and carrying a bag, and in the distance two acolytes trailed after her with what looked like a carrying litter. “We’ll take care of this one, don’t worry.”

Jacques stood and went to take her bag, which made Alex wonder if she was older than she looked. “Healing Mother, thank you for coming.”

“It is my duty and pleasure to help your friend, my son,” she said. She knelt slowly next to Julian’s crumpled form, using Jacques’ outstretched hand to help the transition. He set her bag next to her, and she opened it to pull out an elegantly made pan flute.

Everyone went respectfully quiet as she began to play, and Alex couldn’t have kept from listening intently even if he’d wanted to try. Her music drew his magical senses and he followed her back to Julian, listening again to the melodies and where they stuttered and faltered. Her magic pulled out different notes from the stream of information, checking Julian’s body and soul as well as his magic, drawing Alex’s attention to the whole of his health. The spell still struck sharp, evil sparks off the notes, slicing motifs and putting dissonance into the melodies, but Alex could see that it was meant to isolate and obfuscate without doing any real harm.

“It is definitely someone who does not wish to be recognised by his magic,” she said, after letting the music fall silent. “The work is as clean and fine as it could be made, stripped of all personality.”

“It tries to obscure itself and him,” said Alex thoughtfully. “But why?”

“His magic is very powerful,” she replied. “I believe this is the first step in attempting to gain control of it without having to put up with him.”

Alex wanted to protest the phrasing, but then, someone who would put a trap-spell on an innocent fairy probably would find Julian difficult to put up with. “Can we touch him, do you think?”

“I believe so,” she said. “These two have volunteered to help their friend.”

Alex finally pulled his attention away from Julian long enough to see that the two acolytes he’d thought of as anonymous were in fact Raj and Roger, looking worried and brave in turns. “Thank you,” said Alex. “Please take care of him.”

“Do not separate the fairy from him,” said the Healing Mother. “He didn’t suffer any damage from the fall, nor did the butterfly, and they stayed in contact.”

“That does seem deliberate, then,” said Alex. “Go on, I promise if the spell gets you, I’ll do everything I can to fix it.”

“We know,” said Raj. “All right, who first?”

“Me,” said Roger with a sigh. “But now you have to take the bottom bunk tonight.”

“Fair enough,” said Raj, going to stand by Julian’s feet.

Roger knelt down next to Julian, took a deep breath, and reached out. Alex heard the spell tinkling away, the pitch almost out of audible range, but it didn’t interfere when Roger carefully rolled Julian onto his back. The butterfly fairy moved with him, and Alex realised that the spell was busy keeping them in contact rather than trying to do anything to Roger.

“Something about the two of them together is the key to the curse,” said the Ward Mother. “All right, get them onto the litter and we’ll take our little circus to the infirmary.”

“We’re hardly a circus,” protested Mordecai, though he stepped back out of the way while the boys carefully manoeuvred Julian onto the padded cloth. They each took up the handles at either end and stood, so Julian was swaying between them.

“We’re ready, Healing Mother,” said Roger, who began to walk slowly and carefully toward the door.

Alex slipped his flute into the soft carrying bag and packed the case away, so he was the last in line as they left the sunlight and went to the shadowed archway. It was Mordecai who had the presence of mind to do something with the wards that allowed Julian and his burden through; the fairy wouldn’t have been able to enter, nor might Julian with the spell on him.

“Thank you,” said Alex quietly, passing him as he waited by the door.

“He’ll be safe here,” said Mordecai. “Our facilities are almost as good as a hospital.”

“And you have more expertise than your average doctor,” agreed Alex. “I would really like not to have to explain to his sister that I let him get cursed in the middle of the Temple of the Guardians, though. She might reconsider blessing our marriage.”

Mordecai chuckled. “Somehow, I doubt so small an obstacle would sway your young man’s feelings. He looks upon you with an enviable light in his heart.”

“I hope I give the same light back,” said Alex. They were walking after the main group, a slow procession toward another part of the rambling building.

“The two of you shine brightly, and reflect each other’s light,” assured Mordecai.

Alex sighed, watching as Julian was carefully transferred to a bed. “Can I make him more comfortable?” asked Alex, moving into the room. “He’d never wear shoes in bed.”

“Yes, of course,” said the Healing Mother. “Be sure not to disrupt the spell until we can understand it better.”

“Yes, Mother,” said Alex, and it didn’t even sound sarcastic. Just small and sad and worried. He took off Julian’s shoes, hearing the way the spell tried to keep him away, to cut him off from the sound that had become the most required one in his day, the melodies of Julian’s magic. He resisted all urges to fight the spell, and instead moved up to arrange Julian’s clothing so he was more comfortable, laying his hands on his belly carefully, the delicate fairy resting safely atop the right one, and that on the left. He moved up and pressed a soft kiss to Julian’s forehead. “We’ll get you back.”

Alex stood and looked at the faces around them, then went over to James and Jacques and took each of their hands. “It’s not your fault, Julian leaves the house all the time. If it hadn’t happened in the garden, it would have happened when we left, or in the nursery, or on the way to lunch.”

Jacques made a small sound of distress. “But it’s the second time!”

“The first time wasn’t your fault, either,” said Alex. “You got him back then, and we’ll get him back now. You’ll help me, right? With the research and everything?”

“Yes,” said James, quiet but fierce.

“Yes,” affirmed Jacques, still sad but determined. “We’ll get our Julian back.”

Alex forced himself to smile. “And then you’ll bake him one of those cakes he likes, with all the soaking and the whipped cream and everything.”

They laughed, enough to release some of the tension clogging up the room, enough to feel like maybe they could figure their way out of this after all. Then they turned to the work ahead, each of them examining Julian in his own way, and all of them—even the acolytes—talking through the problem. Alex found the presence of mind to text home, Geoff, and Lapointe, trusting them to tell the others, and finally he excused himself to call Emmy and tell her what had happened. Then he went and got back to work.

CHAPTER 5

In Which a Curse is Studied, and a Flute is Played

The group worked long into the night, eating the brownie-made lunches and anything else that was set in front of them. Raj and Roger were put to work running errands, retrieving not only food and drink but people and books. Julian wasn’t considered an invalid per se, and there were no other patients in the infirmary, so they continued to work with him sleeping in their midst, constantly monitored for any changes.

“The spell didn’t change when we brought him inside,” said Alex for the third time, feeling a headache coming on. “But Mordecai also opened the wards to admit him this way.”

“I put them right back,” said Mordecai, sounding just as tired. “There’s no connection to the outside, no matter how thin. We would have found it by now.”

“So the incapacitation is the point,” said Jacques. “It’s not like the spell last year, where he was being drained. They just want him out of the picture for whatever reason.”

Alex sighed. “So it’s either about something he does that they don’t want him to do, or taking him away from someone.”

“The latter is likely you,” said James. “But it could be one of us, it’s well-known that he’s a friend of ours.”

“Some Guardians have been known to have adverse psychological reactions to losing a Charge,” said the Healing Mother, whose name Alex had still not caught. “It’s very rare, but then, it’s rare for anyone to get past Guardians to someone they’re protecting.”

“Julian wasn’t their Charge, though,” said Alex. “I don’t think the fairy would have gotten through their Guardian shields, but why would they have had them up for someone that was supposedly not in danger?”

“Which is why we’re working and not prostrate with guilt,” said James, sarcasm covering up a real pain that showed in the worry in his eyes.

“It’s time for bed,” said Jacques, surprising all of them. “No, don’t argue, it’s quite late and Julian is stable. We all need to sleep on the problem and come back to it tomorrow with fresh minds.”

“Wisely said.” The Healing Mother gave Jacques a pat. “Alex, if you could bring a few familiar things to Julian tomorrow, that will help steady his connection to this world.”

“I will, Healing Mother,” said Alex. “I don’t want Horace to be damaged by the curse, or I’d leave him to watch over Julian.”

“No, no, I have a night nurse for that,” she assured him. “You should keep your remarkable pet safe for Julian to see when he comes back to us.”

Alex relaxed. “Time to go, then. Is it all right if I leave my car here? I’m not that good at driving yet, to do it this tired.”

“We’ll go with you,” said Jacques. “We’ve all got research we can do tomorrow, and I’d feel better...”

“Yes, of course,” said James. “Just let us pack a few things, we won’t be long.”

Mordecai sighed. “I’ll see about assigning them some leave, so no one balks at their absence.”

“Thank you,” said Alex. “It feels wrong to leave him, but I know I’m no use like this.”

James snorted. “Have you finally learned that lesson?”

Alex harrumphed. “Go pack, or I won’t show you the new potion we’ve been working on with Geoff.”

The two Guardians left, and Raj presented Alex with the brownies’ box, every morsel eaten but the containers neatly re-packed. Alex spent a few minutes softly singing to Julian, ignoring everything but him and the magic they’d shared so intimately and often. He could tell that only a small sliver of it was getting through, but by the end he thought Julian’s life-force was stronger, bolstered by the contact.

“I’ll be back, my love,” said Alex, kissing his forehead and standing. Then he let James and Jacques lead him out and back home, to the cold bed he thought he’d never have to sleep in alone again.

Despite his best intentions, they all went straight from car to bed, and it wasn’t until Horace woke him in the morning that Alex made good on his promise to show off the new potion. They eased themselves into the day with a hearty breakfast courtesy of Jacques and Alys, and conversation that circled around Julian without dwelling on his current state.

“Alys,” asked Alex, once the food was gone and it was time to start their work, “would you, um, or do you know anyone, a fairy, that might be able to help? I don’t think it was fairy magic, but that poor butterfly was used as the delivery mechanism.”

“Hush, lad,” said Alys. “We’ve put a few feelers out, but neither of us have that sort of magic, nor does our friend Con.”

Alex nodded. “I understand, th- um.”

She laughed, soft and a bit sad. “I know what you mean. Now go on and ready yourself for the day, I’ve got meals to pack up for you lot.”

“Of course, sorry,” said Alex. He went to have a quick, lonely shower and dress for the day, gathering up Julian’s hedgehog slippers, the book he’d not quite finished and another he’d read dozens of times, his favourite warm blanket and the scarf one of his aunts had knitted him for Solstice this year, and then went to his work room and contemplated the ingredients he had on hand. “Should we power up that amulet I made last year, the one we all contributed to?”

James and Jacques had followed him in, and they exchanged glances. “What are you thinking?” asked James.

“Well, he contributed to it, too, so it’s attuned to him but outside the spell,” said Alex. “I’m wondering what would happen if we drop it in the middle of the spell, all powered up and made to work with his own magic. If it might disrupt all the little threads.”

“How long will it take?” asked Jacques. “The Healing Mother says his status hasn’t changed, but I know we all want to see for ourselves.”

“Hm, maybe an hour? I’m a bad judge of these things, I tend to schedule by power output rather than time when I’m doing this sort of thing,” replied Alex. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “Right, maybe tomorrow if we don’t crack it today. Let’s see if I have any relevant books and get going?”

“Sounds good,” said James, and they all moved to Alex’s bookshelves. Alex unlocked the case of grimoires and started looking, whistling while he worked to get the feel of the magics inside each book as he leafed through them.

James and Jacques went through the other bookshelves, full of texts that were about magic but not inherently magical. Between them they had a little pile of things they didn’t think were available at the Guardian Temple, which got put into Julian’s big book bag, along with Julian’s beloved herbal. Alex was weighted down with both his bag and the books, as well as the box of goodies, and this time he insisted on bringing his wand cane. The procession was awkward, but he honestly felt much better knowing that James and Jacques were looking out for him and would take it very personally if anything but Horace tried to fly at him.

They took a cab to the Temple, with Alex too distracted to drive and the Guardians preferring not to, either. “It’s either this, or get Victor to lend me Jones again,” said Alex with a sigh.

“It’s not a bad idea, if we’re going to be going back and forth a lot,” said James.

Jacques shrugged. “Julian’s a better driver than you, not so distractible, sorry.”

Alex chuckled. “Oh, no, don’t apologise. I know my attention wanders; it’s been a huge challenge for Jones to try to wean me off it. He says I’m worse than a teenage girl.”

They teased him about that for the rest of the trip, the banter masking their growing concern. A few priests with more expertise had been called in early that morning, and the long silence from the Temple meant that even they hadn’t made any progress on the curse. Alex paid for the cab ride in silence while Raj and Roger came out to take his burdens from him, pleased to see their names on several of the items in the big box. There was so much packed inside that Alex suspected brownie magic at work.

“He’s the same,” said Roger, sounding a bit dismal as he led them through the winding corridors to the infirmary. “We looked before you got here.”

“The Healing Mother says it’s a kind of stasis, he’s not needing to, you know, eat or whatever,” said Raj.

Alex nodded, glad that Julian was at least spared the indignity of having his body run on without him there to take care of it. “We’ll do everything we can to make him better,” he promised. “I brought some of his things, and some books as well.”

“We’ll figure out who did it, too” said Jacques, displaying the viciousness he usually kept well-hidden.

“We’ll make sure they see justice,” said James, his own determination quieter but no less dangerous.

Alex was allowed to spend a few minutes getting Julian tucked into bed, blanket over him, slippers keeping his feet warm and poking adorably out the end, books on the bedside table and his herbal under his hands. The scarf was wound carefully around his neck, and Alex sent another wave of love through with a kiss to his forehead, hoping some of it would make its way past the cage of magic keeping him away.

A table and chairs had been brought in and the room rearranged to make space for the researchers, so that Julian never had to be alone and Alex could check on him whenever he liked. Everyone, priests and not, went over to give Julian a little energy periodically, and at some point after lunch Geoff showed up with his own small pile of research and ideas. They tossed theories back and forth, traded books and doodles and notes, and drank endless cups of tea.

By mid-afternoon, Alex was about ready to scream.

“I need to clear my head,” he said, standing and stretching. He didn’t want to leave Julian’s side, so instead he got out his magical flute and sat next to Julian’s bed. “This won’t sound as nice as my concert flute, but I didn’t bring them both.”

The rest of the room had gone quiet, but Alex didn’t care just at that moment. He needed to do something, even if it was just a serenade for his lover. He checked the tuning, and then began to play one of Julian’s favourite songs, a cheerful little round that he sometimes sang along with. Alys had taught them alternate words to it that were older, and then Nat had taught them the naughty version. Once, when everyone had had a bit too much whisky, they’d started the round with Alex playing and each one of them singing a different set of lyrics, and then trading off between rounds who was singing what.

Alex nearly lost the thread when voices started up behind him on the second loop of the round, but he let the music sink into his bones, let it resonate through him, all that energy going into one simple thing: calling Julian back to them. Even Geoff joined in, along with all of the various priests, Guardians, and acolytes.

Alex took that energy, very different from magic or blessings or anything else, and channeled it through his flute. The silver took nothing and gave nothing, so that it was simply more focused, more Alex’s, when he sent it toward Julian. It wasn’t magic like he usually did magic, not a spell or charm or ward, it was just a lot of worried people who all cared about Julian in their own way, calling out to him to join them once again in the land of the living.

After a few minutes, Alex could feel them tiring, so he brought the round to a close and gave one last, big push. They all seemed to sense it, putting energy and volume into the closing chorus, and a wash of melody and magic twanged against those fine threads, making them audible and, he hoped, visible to all the sight mages around him. He thought he felt a tiny, answering echo from Julian, but the body in front of him didn’t stir.

Alex slumped in his chair and sighed. “I’m hoping I’m not the only one who got some information out of that,” he said, “but I’m not sure it worked for clearing my head.”

Tired laughter bounced around the room, but they all agreed that the music had lit something up that had been previously hidden, showed them all more of the pattern that was trying so hard to hide itself in plain sight. Their impromptu serenade hadn’t broken the spell, but he hoped it had at least pointed them toward the key.

Alex slipped his flute in its bag and took Julian’s hand. “We’re working on it, love, just hang in there.”

This time when Alex sent in his energy, it was with the memory of that final chord fresh in his mind. He slipped the notes between the strands on purpose instead of accidentally, and he could hear, faintly, the answering motifs as Julian’s spirit took in the energy and made it his own.

“Well,” said the Healing Mother, laying a warm hand on Alex’s shoulder, “that was quite a bit more successful than expected, wasn’t it?”

Alex chuckled. “It was, but I don’t think we can arrange a choral concert of mages here in the infirmary, as much as I might wish it was that easy.”

“If we thought it would bring him back to us, we’d already be on the phone,” she assured him. “But I meant what you did just now, slipping your love in between the strands, now that you know where the traps are hidden.”

Alex sat up and took a deep breath. “It’s a little like having a partial map to a minefield, Mother, but even half a map is better than none at all.”

She coaxed Alex away and outside rather than back to the group, taking him to the gardens to walk to the perimeter. He pulled out a tuning fork and, after apologising for anything he might ignore or step on, turned his attention back to the wards that had brought him here in the first place. He listened for the same sort of damage that his magic took whenever it got too ‘close’ to the spell, motifs cut short or notes sliced free of their melodies, but heard nothing obvious.

The spells here weren’t nearly so tightly-woven as the ones on the building itself, and designed to let the lesser fairy folk through, including and especially the butterfly fairies. There were several well-tended patches of fairy flowers, and even a few visitors that pinged Alex’s senses. He came over and whistled at each of them, checking for any signs of the spell that had taken out Julian, but it seemed that he’d been targeted rather than a random victim.

Alex did not find this comforting.

“You know, I almost always talk these things out with Lapointe,” he said to the Healing Mother, standing up and dusting off his clothes.

“Lapointe is your Agent friend that James and Jacques have spoken of, yes?” asked the Mother, and Alex nodded. “Her perspective would be vastly different than the mages and healers we have now, even than the Guardians. She would be welcome.”

“Did you know we have a butterfly fairy at home?” Alex asked, rather than addressing the invitation just yet. He was tempted, but he was also currently not working on Lapointe’s murder case, and not quite ready to ask her not to work it either.

“How did you come by such a strange pet?” she asked, allowing Alex to steer them inside.

Alex told her the story of how their oddest house guest had come to live with them, putting the blame squarely on Jacques’ cooking for enticing her to stay. The Healing Mother led them on a different path through the Temple until they were standing under a skylight just off a deserted corridor. The little niche felt peaceful, and Alex allowed himself a moment to just drink in the quiet. He didn’t listen to anything, no the wards or her magic or even his own, just felt the sunlight on his face and the slight draft going past.

“Thank you, Healing Mother,” he said after a few long minutes.

She smiled. “All that turmoil isn’t good for you, and this spot often helps me find a bit of clarity.”

“I’m going to need as much clarity as I can get, if I’m going to get my Julian back,” said Alex, following at her deliberate pace as they headed back to the infirmary by way of one of the many mysterious short cuts common to the Temples. He chuckled as they came to the door much sooner than Alex had expected. “I never have figured out how to navigate around these buildings, though Horace is a master at it.”

“Horace is your bird, yes?” she asked.

Alex brought him out from where he’d been tucked, snoozing, in Alex’s breast pocket. Horace didn’t require sleep the way a person did, but he had a built-in way of resting when he wasn’t needed, the better to conserve and gather energy for the long flights sometimes required of him as a messenger bird. “I made him as a student, but he didn’t really come to life until Julian adopted him.”

“Your Julian has quite a unique talent,” she said. A smile lit up her face with pure delight when Horace woke and stretched his wings, then hopped over to her outstretched hand with a curious chirp. “Oh, you are a lovely fellow, aren’t you?”

Alex smiled and stroked his feathers, petting him the way Julian often did, feeling the feathers warm from his body and smooth from careful polishing, the texture of the runes on them pleasant under his fingers. “Julian really loves him, not that I can blame him. Horace has become so much more under his care, not just from his magic but the attention.”

“He’s incredibly complex,” said the Healing Mother, sounding impressed. “You must have spent many long hours on his construction.”

“Oh, he was a whole year-long project,” said Alex. “And then his silver parts, well, aluminium and silver in a special mix, those were more recent.” He escorted her inside, telling the story of Horace’s heroics at Julian’s Masquerade, which drew James and Jacques over to tell their side of it.

“This fog-man sounds quite awful,” said the Healing Mother. “He’s safely in jail, you say?”

“As far as I know, he’s still in the genie-bottle,” said Alex. “They were trying to find a way to get him together enough for at trial, but I don’t think anything’s worked yet. No one’s called me to arrange testimony, anyway, not like Willoughby.”

“He was quite sneaky and mean,” said James. “He had that righteous fury of a man who felt he’d been cheated of his birthright.”

“Not someone who had a happy childhood, I guess,” said Jacques wryly.

Alex chuckled. “That’s no excuse, I’ve always been the black sheep, but that didn’t make me a murderous nutcase.”

“I think there’s something changing,” said Geoff, and all conversation ceased, attention riveted on him. He was sitting in the chair Alex had recently occupied, holding Julian’s free hand since he sensed magic through touch rather than sight or sound. “It’s very subtle, and I think maybe it’s our fault and not part of the spell’s design.”

“Hand me my flute?” asked Alex, thanking Raj when he handed the bag over. Alex pulled out the instrument and let the bag fall onto the bed, then began to play another old air, this one a spell for clarity disguised as a ballad. He couldn’t really listen to Julian himself while he was playing, but he put his attention toward the bed anyway, shifting the melodies with each repeat to subtly pluck at those near-inaudible strings of magic in the curse.

“There it is, I see it. Julian’s getting stronger inside, some of our magic is getting through,” said someone excitedly.

There was more talking, but Alex tuned them out, plucking at the strings again and again as he found the motifs that worked. He was barely playing the same song anymore, but this one was tuned to the spell rather than generic clarity, like shining a flashlight directly onto it rather than turning a light on in the room. He felt a surge of hope and put that into his playing, too, how much he needed his Julian at his side and with him, now and in their future.

Someone cried out, and Alex felt the trap-spell shatter.

CHAPTER 6

In Which the Sleeper Awakens, and We Are Cleansed

Julian took a deep breath and his eyes flew open. The butterfly fairy flew straight up and began to make panicked circles around the room.

“What was that?” asked Julian, his voice a dry croak. The Healing Mother was at his side with a cup of cool water in an instant, helping him to sit up and drink. “Why am I wearing my scarf?” he asked, once his throat was wet enough.

Alex laughed and sat next to him, helping him to unwind the scarf and take off his slippers, and between him and the Healing Mother they got Julian rearranged and comfortable in short order. “You were trapped in a curse, we thought surrounding you with things you loved might help reconnect you to the world,” Alex explained, carefully tucking the slippers next to Julian’s shoes. “We didn’t want Horace to get injured by the spell, so I kept him on me.”

There was a drowsy chirp, and Horace climbed back out of his napping spot in Alex’s pocket. Alex whistled a quick diagnostic, but neither he nor Julian seemed to have any of the spell-threads lingering on them, so Alex handed the bird over.

“How long?” asked Julian, after another sip of water.

“A day and a half, or thereabouts,” said Alex. “It’s 4:32 according to Horace’s inner clock.”

“No wonder I’m starving,” said Julian with a wry smile. “Is there lunch?”

Everyone laughed, and Roger went to rummage in Alex’s box of treats while one by one each of the mages and healers came to assure themselves of Julian’s wellness. Most of them filed out after a few goodbyes, including the Ward Father, who had been away from his duties too long. They were left with just their friends and the Healing Mother, so Raj made a big pot of restorative tea and Roger passed out treats, giving Julian a bed tray with a full brownie-made meal on it.

“I was so worried,” said Alex, kissing Julian’s fingers. “We still don’t know who did it, but we’re pretty sure it was our fault it broke.”

Julian laughed and kissed Alex’s mouth softly. “Pretty sure, huh? So this is, like, half a rescue?”

Alex fed him a section of clementine. “About that,” he said, smiling back softly. “James and Jacques helped, too, they were both quite put out that you found a way to get injured in their care again.”

“You really need to stop doing that, it’s bad for our hearts,” said Jacques, sounding just a bit hollow under the lightness.

Julian smiled at him, reaching out to take his hand. “It wasn’t your fault, it was the fairy, wasn’t it? It came right for me, I thought it might have had a message from home.”

Roger finished putting out a dish of caramelised apple and milk for the fairy, and began trying to coax it down to drink. Raj brought over tea for everyone, but was too smart to interrupt.

James stood close to Jacques, a steadying presence at his partner’s side. “It was, and once you’ve eaten, we’ll all ask you dozens of annoying questions about what it was like from your end,” James said. “It shouldn’t have been able to get through the wards carrying a curse like that, so there’s something we’re missing.”

Julian nodded and dug into his food, eating hungrily. They all let him have his moment of silence, concentrating on their own tea and pasties, though Alex stayed by Julian’s side. Horace, too, refused to budge from his spot on Julian’s shoulder, huddled against his neck. Julian seemed to take comfort from both of them, fortunately, letting Alex feed him a few bites of fruit and pausing often to pet Horace.

Eventually, the food was gone and Healing Mother came over and began her own diagnostics on Julian, using means both mundane and magical to assess his health. “You don’t seem to have suffered much for your time in that trap, though I haven’t seen you for baseline readings the way I have my usual patients,” she said, giving Horace’s head a stroke.

“If I may, Healing Mother, he’s been my patient a few times,” said Geoff. “And honestly, Alex knows his health better than anyone, he checks on Julian all the time.”

Alex felt his cheeks heat, and then grow hotter when Julian gave him an adoring look and said “My Alex is always keeping an eye out for my health, so I don’t overdo it and drain myself when I’m working.”

Geoff nodded. “He has a problem with leakage, whenever there’s plants around he can’t resist giving them all a little infusion of energy.” At the Healing Mother’s nod, he sat on the other side of the bed from Alex and took Julian’s hand, going quiet as he concentrated on his magical senses.

“That openness could have given the curse a way in, but I honestly doubt it,” said Alex. “It basically trapped you inside yourself but didn’t appear to try to insinuate itself into your body or subtle body at all.”

Julian nodded. “It didn’t feel like last time, when there was bad magic inside me,” he said with a little shudder. “I’d still like a purification, though,” he added in a smaller voice.

“We’ll do it here,” said James.

“We can all go,” said Jacques. “We have a smaller setup than at the other Temple, but there’s a sauna.”

“Can I come, too?” asked Geoff. “I haven’t had one in ages.”

“You may all go, including Raj and Roger,” said the Healing Mother. “I’ll make the arrangements once we’ve heard the good healer’s diagnosis.”

“He feels normal to me,” said Geoff. “All of the, um, feelings I associate with a healthy Julian are there, though his energy’s a little low. That’s not surprising, since he didn’t eat for so long.”

“Plus, he was out in the gardens right before he collapsed,” said James.

Jacques smiled fondly. “I’m sure he was feeding energy into the plants there.”

Julian huffed. “Only a little! They’re interesting plants,” he protested, much to everyone’s amusement.

Roger gathered up everyone’s teacups while the Healing Mother arranged for their purification, so that there would be potions and a masseur available for each of them. Alex made a mental note to discuss a suitable monetary donation, since they were both giving their service at this Temple already.

“So, tell us what it was like?” asked Alex, taking Julian’s hand again as much for his own comfort as his lover’s.

Julian took a deep breath, and let it out with a sigh. “The second the butterfly fairy touched me, I could feel its confusion. It didn’t know why it would go to a strange human, and it felt trapped already, like it was in a net. And then I was in the net, and I couldn’t see out or move or anything, and I realised it wasn’t a physical net at all.” He swallowed, squeezing Alex’s hand. “Time was really weird, it was like I knew that it was passing but I wasn’t a part of it anymore. I couldn’t reach out past the net, it was so fine and sharp, it hurt something every time I tried, but I could feel little trickles of all of you getting in sometimes.”

“So we were helping?” asked Alex, feeling another surge of worry.

“Definitely,” said Julian. “I could feel the little trickles adding pressure to the inside of the spell somehow. It was exactly big enough for me and the fairy, and every time you put more magic inside, some of the strands would get too tight, and eventually something snapped and it all unraveled and vanished.”

“And then you woke up for me,” said Alex, leaning in to kiss him. “I needed you to quite desperately, you know.”

“I know,” said Julian, teasingly. “Is Lapointe mad you’re ignoring her case?” There was colour and life in his face, and that look of shock had finally left him.

“She’s mad at you for distracting me, if anything,” Alex shot back. “Now, do you feel up to standing?”

“Yeah,” said Julian. “I’m ready for the bathroom and the sauna.”

“Not the cold pool?” said Alex, helping him get moving.

Julian stuck his tongue out. “You hate that part, too.”

“He really does,” said James. “He always looks like a wet cat.”

Alex harrumphed and stood, holding a hand out patiently while Julian got his hedgehog slippers back on. He swayed once when he stood, but Alex was there to steady him, and helped him slip into the little water closet at one end of the infirmary.

“I keep worrying there’s something we’re missing,” said James quietly.

Geoff nodded. “We could barely find the spell before Alex showed us how,” he said. “He seems fine, but I don’t trust myself to know that right now.”

“Purification will make a difference, and we’ll bring the butterfly fairy home to make friends with the one we have so we can watch over it for signs of lasting damage,” said Alex. He gestured to where it had settled on the dish for a snack, and been gently captured in a decorative bird cage from someone’s room. It looked annoyed, but since Raj had also given it a saucer of sweet, milky tea, it wasn’t too upset yet.

Julian emerged, looking more sure of himself. “Everything seems intact, anyway,” he teased.

“Can we stay with you a few more days?” asked James.

“I’d like that,” said Alex, tugging Julian close for a cuddle. “You?”

“Yes, please,” said Julian. “I’ll feel better knowing you’re actually Guarding me this time instead of standing near me.”

They chatted about arrangements while they all walked en masse to the purification rooms, with Geoff promising to come by the flat tomorrow to check up on him and Jacques promising to cook something amazing as penance for letting Julian get cursed. They all agreed that no one could have seen the attack coming, but that didn’t chase all the shadows from the Guardians’ faces. Nor did it remove the worries from Alex’s heart, that someone was, once again, out to hurt his Julian.

Alex would be the first to admit that Julian was an exceptional catch, and he was very lucky to have won his heart and hand, but somehow he didn’t think this was the work of someone seeking to possess him. Or, for that matter, to get him out of the way and get their hands on Alex. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he had a sinking feeling it would get worse before it got better.

Alex took solace in the fact that he would get to enjoy Jacques’ cooking while it did.

CHAPTER 7

In Which Rest is Taken, and Comfort is Given

Everyone felt better after their purification, with peace in their hearts, limbs loose from the massage, and potions of restoration helping them all to put aside the long hours of work. Alex called Victor and then Jones, so that they had just enough time to take their leave of everyone before the car arrived to take them home. James and Jacques had renewed their ‘no cabs’ rule, and Alex had to admit he was glad not to have to drive himself for a while.

“I don’t like winter roads,” complained Alex, cuddled in back with Julian at his side.

Jones chuckled. “No one does, but it’s good for you to learn to drive on them, anyway. Besides, your Mini has excellent traction.”

“I know, I know,” said Alex. “I still like it better when it’s you.”

“Of course you do,” said Jones. “Everyone does. That’s why I have job.”

They all laughed at that, and then Jones asked why he was driving them around, and they all told him the story in fits and starts. It was strange for Alex to hear the tale of his musical interludes from an outside perspective, since he’d been concentrating on the sound of the magic more than any melody or tune.

“I actually knew the song he started with,” Jacques was saying, “We all did, and we started singing along. It’s a round, so people came in all staggered like they’re meant to, but then it was a very powerful wave of sound.”

“And it was like Alex was leading us bit by bit off the melody to a slightly different one, nothing jarring, just enough that the tones struck off the spell somehow, like a note that makes crystal ring in sympathy,” added James, grinning.

“More like off piano strings, but yes,” agreed Alex.

They shot him a quelling look, and then Jacques picked up the thread again. “Anyway, you know how a round does, you all come to a crescendo and then stop, and that really lit up the spell for all of us. And it did something, too, Geoff noticed it first, but there’s definitely something that changed after that.”

“Like a note that makes a glass crack,” said James, looking very smug, especially when Alex gestured to concede the point.

“Anyway, once Geoff felt the change, Alex got his flute back out and started doing an actual spell,” said Jacques.

“An old spell for clarity,” supplied James. “I recognised it the minute you started.”

“And then he started moving the magic around again, so this time each repetition of the melody was noticeably different. It got weirder and weirder, but still music, you know how it is when he’s really into his magic,” Jacques was grinning, enjoying his chance to be storyteller.

“I do,” said Julian. “It’s really lovely, but sort of unsettling.”

“Exactly,” said Jacques. “And we were all watching and we wanted to help, but to be honest, he cracked it before we could figure out how.”

“The whole thing just flew apart, like it exploded from the inside,” said Jacques, making a little gesture with his fingers. “And then you opened your eyes, and the fairy flew up to the ceiling, and you know the rest.”

“So my Alex really did rescue me,” said Julian, leaning into him and giving him a warm snuggle.

“I couldn’t have done it without all their energy in the first song, I don’t think,” Alex prevaricated. He dropped a kiss on Julian’s curls. “That’s what cracked the spell, and gave me the leverage to break you out.”

“Well, I’m lucky that you all did everything you could,” said Julian. “Thank you.”

They all assured him he was welcome, and then Jones dropped the lot of them off at the front door and promised to be back at the usual time tomorrow to take whoever was going, wherever they were going to go.

“Our schedule’s all thrown off now,” said Alex, “but I promise to text you tonight if we don’t need you.”

“I might come by for lunch either way,” teased Jones. “I have missed Alys’ cooking.”

A small tin appeared next to him on the seat, which made them both jump and laugh. “I guess she missed you, too,” said Alex. “Make it brunch, we’ll all eat together and then figure out our day.”

“Sounds good,” said Jones, and Alex stood to let him roll up the window and leave. James and Jacques had already escorted Julian upstairs. They were permanently allowed into the house wards, among a few other select guests that Alex had been adding one at a time. They’d agreed that it was only sensible for Murielle to be part of the wards, and then Geoff, with Thomas slated to be next.

Upstairs, Julian had already sat down in front of his computer to check his messages, while James and Jacques were trading off use of the bathroom to change into comfortable clothing.  Alys had been given custody of their new guest, the butterfly fairy in her cage, and they’d promised to let it go once they were sure it was safe.

“You know, every time we have you as guests, I both love it and hate it,” said Alex, as Jacques emerged in a t-shirt and sleep pants.

“Us, too,” said Jacques with a sigh. “Someday, perhaps we’ll get real leave and can be proper guests.”

“You’ll have to come out to the cottage, once it’s built,” said Julian cheerfully. “That’s going to have a guest room, though you’ll have to share a bed, I think.”

“We keep trying to cram too much into the space the foundation affords us,” said Alex sheepishly. “Which reminds me, when are we meeting with the contractor and architect again?”

“Don’t ask me, I still don’t really know what day it is,” said Julian. He got up and closed his laptop once James emerged. “I’m for a shower.”

Alex pulled him close for a soft kiss. “Want company?”

Julian nodded. “If our guests won’t mind?”

The Guardians waved them on; they were smart enough to understand how much Julian might need Alex’s comfort at a time like this.

Alex was very happy to be comforting.

He closed the bedroom door only to find Julian, rather than undressing, had moved Horace from shoulder to perch and was softly crooning at him.

“He can come in with us, he likes to sit in the plants,” said Alex. “Horace missed you just as much as I did, in his way.”

Julian looked up and asked shyly, “Do you mind if we just shower?”

“Of course not, love, you’ve had a long couple of days,” said Alex, moving in to give him a very sweet kiss. “We’ll have a nice long shower and I’ll wash your hair for you, and Horace can sing to us from the plants.”

Horace chirped his agreement; he wasn’t much of a songbird, but he’d been picking up more and more once they told him that they enjoyed it. He launched himself off his perched and flew off to find a comfortable spot in the bathroom.

Alex began to undress Julian, spoiling him with gentleness and care. They let their clothing fall to the floor knowing Alys would want to look it all over, anyway, and Alex teasingly threatened to carry Julian bodily into the bathroom.

“I’m not an invalid, and you’re not Jacques,” said Julian, laughing as he scampered off to start the water warming.

Alex followed in a few long strides, sweeping him up into a kiss once he’d adjusted the temperature to his satisfaction. “Hm, maybe we should both brush,” he said, making a silly face.

Julian made a silly face right back, but looked relieved as he got out brushes and paste. They moved like that the rest of the shower, Alex prompting or outright spoiling him and Julian relaxing little by little as he became drenched in familiar feelings and scents, the strangeness of the Temple washed away down the drain. Neither of them needed much real cleaning after their purification, but Alex still spent long minutes rubbing Julian’s scalp, first with shampoo and then with conditioner. He purred like a contented cat when Julian returned the favour. Horace’s cheerful birdsong accompanied the rain sounds of the shower, further grounding them in the sense of home.

They dressed in the warm winter pyjamas that were waiting when they emerged, and were both smiling and relaxed when they joined everyone in the living room for dinner.

“You two look much happier,” said James teasingly.

“He washed my hair,” said Julian serenely. “We’re saving the other for bedtime.”

“We’ll be sure to close the door for that bit, too,” said Alex with a grin. “We smell better, now, though. The Temple stuff is nice but it’s always a bit weird until I shower again.”

“Whatever makes you feel better,” said Jacques, sincere in his quiet way. “I’m so glad there’s been no lasting effects this time.”

“I could feel there wasn’t when we did the purification,” said Julian, accepting the first cup that floated out from the kitchen. They all got a steaming cup which proved to be beef tea rather than the usual kind, a sustaining sort of broth that was actually quite rich and delicious. “Mm, oh, this is amazing, Alys.”

“You’ll need a bit more sustenance until you even out, methinks,” said Alys. “There’ll be proper food in a bit, but this will help.”

They all complimented her profusely, conversation briefly suspended in favour of drinking the delicious treat. Cheese toasties floated out to accompany the drink, and they were all feeling much better after their snack.

“Sometimes, your brownie is the smartest one here,” said Jacques.

“Not just sometimes,” said Alys tartly, voice floating out from the kitchen.

The dishes began to vanish back where they came from, and were followed by cheerful teasing and eventually cheerful humans, who arrayed themselves around the table in order to better facilitate conversation with the whole family. By tacit agreement, they spoke no more of magic or murder or worries, but instead Alex finally figured out that the architect was coming the day after tomorrow, after lunch, and the contractor would precede him and join them for lunch. Tomorrow had been scheduled for the nursery in the morning and the main Temple in the afternoon, with a trip to visit the Wish Tree on the way home, and they talked about whether to move or cancel any or all of it.

They still hadn’t decided by the time dessert was a distant memory, with the Guardians arguing for staying home all day, Alex pointing out that the Temple at least was warded just fine, and Julian arguing that Mary Margaret had already given him time off to deal with the cottage.

“Let’s play gin for it,” said Julian finally, giving a little huff of annoyance.

Alex grinned. “Sounds good to me,” he said. “And then we’ll call everyone we haven’t called yet to tell them you’re okay and what we’re planning.”

The Guardians were only a little mollified, and looked outright grumpy when Julian won handily. “He didn’t mark these cards, did he?” asked James, trying to lighten the mood.

“Maybe he got Horace to tell him what our hands were,” said Jacques, playing along.

“And now I shall call Mary Margaret and ask her what she would like me to do,” said Julian. “I’m sure she’ll want me to take the day, you know, but I didn’t want to just do it without asking.”

“Sneaky,” said Alex, kissing his hair. “Do you want me to call Father Stephen for you?”

“You call Murielle and see how her case is going,” said Julian, giving him a poke. “I’m not dead so you have to work on that one, too, or else admit to her you’re not going to.”

Alex laughed. “You know, I had half forgotten about that,” he said. “Maybe James and Jacques would like to come see the murder glass and offer any professional insights?”

They agreed, and the three of them moved off into the work room, leaving Julian to make his own calls in peace.

“It’s always good to be reminded that Julian’s not a consort,” said Alex with a sigh, leading them to the arrangement of glass on his work table, which Nat had left alone true to his word. “I encourage him to make decisions of his own, and then it still blindsides me when he does.”

“Well, and he’s not quite our Charge,” said James with a wry chuckle.

“Though you were both pretty bad about staying inside until it was absolutely clear that you couldn’t be allowed outside,” added Jacques.

“Life doesn’t stop because people want to hurt us,” said Alex with a sigh. “Anyway, so this case has actually been kind of interesting.” He explained the murder, and showed them his theories about the runes, which sparked a conversation about Alex’s talent for figuring out half-obliterated runes.

“I bet there was some professor that despaired when you refused to go into archaeology,” said James with a grin.

“There was a professor despairing of almost all the specialities I didn’t pick,” said Alex with a chuckle. “In the end, though, I’ve been content with what I chose, and I’m even happy with the direction things have been veering lately.”

“Speaking of your career, best call Lapointe before she strangles you for waiting so long,” said James.

“We’ll go see if Julian’s done on the phone yet,” said Jacques. They left the door open, since only Alex could open it from the outside, and settled on the couch.

Alex got out his phone and dialled with a sigh.

“I take it he’s not dead?” said Lapointe dryly.

Alex chuckled. “No, he’s fine. I was calling to tell you that we woke him up and we’re all home safe. James and Jacques have permission to stay with us awhile longer, though we’re not officially their Charges yet.”

“I bet there’s a lot of bruised egos about it happening at the Guardian Temple,” she said shrewdly.

“Well, guilt in Jacques’ case, but yeah. Definitely some wounded egos.” Alex shifted and pulled his notes over to him. “I do have a few notes about your case; in addition to the insights I found myself, James and Jacques were kind enough to have a look and give me a few ideas.”

“Earning your keep,” she said, impressed. “All right, lay it on me.”

Alex told her his theories about the spells, and James’ insight that sometimes power was stored inside artefacts, and Jacques’ comment that sometimes it was more than power. They’d discussed the possible entities that could have been shut up there, from djinn to ghosts, fae to cursed humans, but in the end they just didn’t know enough yet about the object in question to make a good guess about what it might have been, if anything.

“Sometimes it’s information, too, but someone would have had to be there to receive the wisdom as it was imparted and there was no sign of it,” Alex concluded.

“All right, I forgive you for faffing off to rescue your fiancé, then,” said Lapointe, sounding amused. “I’ll have feelers put out about any rare artefacts she might have owned, borrowed, or been examining for whatever reason.”

“And I’ll go pamper my poor Julian,” said Alex. “I’m not sure what the plan is for the next few days, our contractor is supposed to come by the day after tomorrow, and Julian was scheduled for mornings at the nursery, but with everything he might not go.”

“Keep me posted, and I’ll let you know if there’s any new leads. And photograph that glass before you box it back up, I want to show Ms. Eberly her hard work didn’t go to waste,” said Lapointe. She hung up without saying goodbye, as was her wont, and Alex sighed and texted her a few photos of the arrangement. He wasn’t quite ready to sweep it all away, though, so he shut the lights off and closed up for one more night. Tomorrow, he’d let Nat in and they’d clean it up, but for now he wanted to let the ideas simmer one more night.

Julian had already called everyone and arranged to stay home tomorrow so both Geoff and Father Stephen could come over for dinner to assure themselves of his continued good health. “Tiny left me a message, too, but I wanted to wait to call him back since we’d been talking about having dinner with him and Gemma again soon.”

“Right. Probably not Padma’s if we’re really trying to be good and stay in,” said Alex, “but they could come by later this week, maybe.” He sounded a bit dubious, though, not wanting to start an invasion of people checking up on them. Lapointe would come by whenever she wanted, and Thomas was all excited to install Castles on Julian’s new laptop, and with the contractor, architect, and two Guardians, that was an awful lot of guests for Alex’s antisocial nature. He had let Julian teach him to enjoy people more, but he still preferred time away from the crowds more than otherwise.

Julian chuckled. “I won’t make you, love,” he said, rewarding Alex with a kiss. “They’re never free in under two weeks, anyway.”

“Too true,” said Alex with a relieved laugh. He snuggled up with Julian, and cups of whipped-cream-laden hot cocoa floated out of the kitchen, followed by bowls of bread pudding and homemade ice cream. “Ooh, treats.”

“You call that nice Tiny first so he don’t worry,” said Alys.

“Yes’m,” said Julian, though he did cheat and have a sip of cocoa before dialling. Alex licked the whipped cream off his nose, which meant he was giggling when Tiny picked up, and they had a short, cheerful conversation that ended with promises to schedule something soon.

“Good boy,” teased Alex, giving him a chocolatey-sweet kiss. They settled in to talk about friendly nothings and eat their treats, and soon enough it was bedtime. James and Jacques did their nightly ablutions, set up their pallets in the living room, and then Alex and Julian shut themselves in the bedroom with a promise to crack the door when they were done.

“So,” said Julian, crowding Alex up against the bed, “about that sex you offered me earlier.”

“What about it?” said Alex, grinning, hands already moving up under Julian’s shirt.

Julian grinned and kissed him again, and then went up on his toes. He pressed the whole length of his body against Alex’s, and whispered softly in his ear, “I want you to fuck me now.”

Alex let out a soft whimper as desire raced all through him, chasing away the teasing and leaving nothing but heat and want behind. “Yes,” he breathed, hands sliding down Julian’s body and mouth finding his for a kiss. Julian tasted of spices and heat and sweetness, and his body was firm under Alex’s. He’d lost any fat he once had in the last six months, burning it away with magic and hard work, and his body was strong and lithe under Alex’s touch. They discarded their clothes haphazardly, unwilling to stop kissing long enough to give anything else their full attention.

By the time they got under the covers, Alex was hard and panting, and Julian was shivering with need. “Soon, love,” Alex promised.

Alex found the slick and used it liberally, on himself first and then Julian, gentle as he touched inside with both fingers and magic. He worshipped Julian’s mouth with kisses, drinking the magic Julian fed right back, feeling the circuit of love and power flowing between them. Julian was eager, greedy for his touches, and he opened easily under Alex’s coaxing.

“Ready?” asked Alex, mouth sliding down to his neck, tasting the pulse of life running up his throat.

“Please,” Julian moaned, letting Alex feel the sound with his lips.

Alex forwent teasing tonight, wanting to feel Julian alive and well beneath him as much as Julian wanted to have that reminder of being whole and hale and loved. He slipped out his fingers and slid his cock inside, sinking slowly into the heated grasp of Julian’s body. They shared a moan in a kiss, and the pulse of magic deepened, so that Alex could feel Julian’s pleasure riding alongside his own, could hear the chorus of life and joy inside of Julian’s subtle body.

Alex gave back his own unfettered joy, letting all the worry and fear go and trusting in Julian’s love and the fierceness with which he held onto his life. He used his body to pleasure Julian’s body, and used his magic to join them closer together, delighting in the dual sensations. Alex’s own pleasure was almost secondary, but Julian needed it as much as he needed his own, wanting as always to give and receive in equal measure. Alex’s hips sped up of their own accord, arms cradling Julian close, bellies rubbing Julian’s cock between them in a teasing caress.

“Soon,” whispered Julian, breath hitching as Alex changed his angle, paying more attention now to their physical bodies than the subtle body of their joined magics. His hands glided along Julian’s thighs and hips, unable to stop touching Julian’s skin once he began.

“Soon,” Alex echoed, kissing him deeply. The twining melodies of their magic came to a crescendo and they fell together, joined in too many ways to do otherwise. Alex felt the power sparking all around them, pinging off the other magics in the room, and he was pleased to hear they’d left stars against the ceiling again. He knew from experience that they’d fade with the sunrise, but he always slept better under the evidence of their love.

Horace let out a sleepy chirp, reminding them that it wasn’t quite time to collapse, which made Julian giggle with delight. “He takes good care of us,” said Julian, kissing Alex languidly.

“I’ll take good care of you,” Alex promised. He stayed where he was for a few more of those addicting kisses, and then forced himself to get up and clean off, clean Julian, and get them both back in their pyjamas before he cracked the door wide enough for Horace to get in and out, should he have need.

“You two are starting to be as bright as you are loud,” said Jacques, curled on the closer pallet. “You lit up all the bedroom wards.”

“I have no regrets,” said Alex with a big grin.

James chuckled sleepily. “I wouldn’t, either,” he agreed.

Alex got back into bed feeling very happy indeed about his life, and the friends he’d found along the way. “I love you, you know,” he said, curling around Julian.

Julian twisted to get a kiss. “I know,” he said impishly. “I love you just as much.”

“And we both love you, Horace,” said Alex, sending him a little thread of energy. Horace chirruped back, replete with magic and full of affection for his maker and his chosen owner.

CHAPTER 8

In Which We Eat Yet More Delicious Food, and Discuss Warding Magics

They spent Monday morning in a pleasant rest. Alex and Julian cancelled their daytime commitments; even Jones elected to delay his visit until his services were actually needed. James and Jacques got ready without waking the others, and then Alys decided to make a huge, elaborate brunch with Jacques’ assistance, including orange-laced cinnamon rolls and two different egg pies. She made enough that they had leftovers for tea, and since Lapointe didn’t call with any news on the case, all four of them spent the day reading in various positions around the house, recovering in their own way from Julian’s ordeal and the work of breaking the curse.

Everyone got out of pyjamas for their dinner guests, and Julian was just emerging from the bedroom in his favourite warm cardigan when the doorbell rang. Alex went to the door to to whistle Father Stephen inside, Geoff hot on his heels and already a part of the wards.

“How are you, my boy? I was so distressed to hear of the attack,” said Father Stephen, pressing a kiss to Julian’s forehead.

“I’m fine now, Father, I’ve had a very good day of rest,” he replied. They’d arranged the chairs so that there would be room for everyone to sit and eat, though the brownies were planning to stay in the kitchen and mostly out of sight.

Alex got Geoff inside and out of his coat, and turned to find Father Stephen waiting to greet him properly as well. “And you? It must have taken a great toll on you to see your young man so helpless, so soon after your good news.”

Alex bent down to get his own cool blessing-kiss, hearing the clear, calming tones of Father Stephen’s magic. “Yes, Father, but having him by my side today has helped considerably. Even Jacques seems to have mostly recovered from his guilt.”

Father Stephen went over to greet the Guardians, speaking in low tones, and Alex turned his attention to hanging up everyone’s coats so Geoff could commandeer Julian for a quick magical exam.

“You feel entirely recovered to my senses,” Geoff was saying when Alex came to sit down. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” said Julian. “I was kind of off-balance when I woke up, I mean, obviously,” he laughed. “But this has been just what I needed, feeling safe and well-fed and loved.”

“Very loved,” said Alex, kissing his hair. “Did you want to check me out, too?”

Geoff grinned. “You know me too well,” he replied, holding out his hand. There was a moment when Alex could hear both their magics, and he hummed to check on Geoff in return, knowing he wouldn’t mind. Geoff was feeling healthy as ever, with a small hum of contentment that had been missing before and which made Alex think well of Chudleigh.

“So, Doc, am I going to live?” asked Alex teasingly.

Geoff huffed. “You’re fine, I’m sure you’ve still got some spikes from Julian but we’ve figured out those actually help you in the long run.”

“Yes, they do,” said Alex, kissing Julian’s temple. “I’ve evened out my troughs, and Julian was doing pretty well with evening his out, too, before this.”

“I don’t think it threw me that far off,” said Julian. “Now that I’ve had a day of rest, I’m not even all that cold.”

“The purification will have helped, I hope,” said Father Stephen, taking his seat. “Once you’re allowed out into the world again, perhaps we can arrange for you to have a special mediation at the Gainesbury Temple.”

Julian smiled fondly. “I do love that Temple. I guess they don’t really have the setup for the full ceremony there, but it would be nice to visit.”

“I’m sure the plants there would all love to see you again,” said Alex fondly. “And we have to visit the wish tree.”

They chatted about the various projects Julian was helping with, which turned out to be quite a lot for one apprentice grower, once it was all listed out. That brought the conversation around to Alex’s own projects, which were also surprisingly numerous. They pointed out that his various time at the Temples counted, as well as a number of things he was tinkering with in his work room, plus tutoring both Julian and Geoff.

The food floated out on trays, substantial and delicious as always, and Father Stephen allowed them to coax him into talking about his own good works. Alex was struck once again by the way he spread his not inconsiderable magical talent out over as much of the city as possible. The Guardians had their own way of working for the community when they weren’t caring for a Charge, too, and it made Alex smile thoughtfully to compare it to how insular he’d been barely more than a year ago.

“I almost feel like solving murders is the least useful thing I do these days,” said Alex with a chuckle. He licked whipped cream off his spoon, making yummy noises at the subtle blend of honey and rose in it. Jacques had done their dessert today, and it was a rich pistachio pastry soaked in cardamom syrup and topped with the rose whipped cream.

“Once you take up research in your new mad wizard lab, it might be,” said Julian, sounding smug. “Not that Lapointe would forgive me for stealing you away to my cottage in the woods forever.”

“I must admit, I’m very curious about this Source of yours,” said Father Stephen. “I have visited the Queen’s Ways and a few others, but each one is unique.”

“This one’s really overwhelming,” said Alex sheepishly. “It’s not really warded at all, not like the Queen’s Ways, and the magic is incredibly pure and strong.”

“It felt really strong,” said Julian. “And alive, like it led to somewhere green instead of just being energy like the one by the tree.”

That sparked a discussion about the ways they sensed magic that lasted through dessert and tea, and even Geoff participated, though he had looked pensive earlier when they’d been discussing their busy lives.

“You know,” said Alex, as he helped Geoff into his coat to head home, “Your work is important, too. You keep the whole Agency alive. Murielle wouldn’t be with us if you hadn’t taken care of us, not to mention me getting cursed, and I know you’ve patched up dozens of agents.”

“Some of them more than others,” said Geoff with a chuckle. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” said Alex. “Will you see Chudleigh tonight?”

“Nah,” said Geoff, getting buttoned up. “We’re not at that stage yet, though it feels like we might be soon. Plans with you meant not with him, but I’m glad I saw you guys.”

“We like you with or without him, anyway,” said Julian, coming up to give Geoff a kiss on his cheek.

Geoff blushed and winked. “Well, if he dumps me, perhaps the two of you will fulfil one of my fantasies as consolation.”

They laughed and hugged him and Alex saw him out, pleased to hear the wards treating him properly still. Father Stephen was talking to James and Jacques, so Alex slipped into the kitchen to make sure Alys was all right with the continued invasion of humans into her sanctuary. She usually was, but it pleased her when Alex asked, so he continued to do so in order to avoid her sense of humour, which grew pointed when she was piqued.

Julian started his nightly rounds of the plants, wandering in and getting a kiss, then getting Alex to sprinkle the window box for him with a bit of conjured water rather than stick his arm out into the wards. “They’re surviving the winter okay,” said Julian happily; the plants were mostly dormant now, but Alex knew that Julian could feel them slumbering in the soil, ready to return to life in the spring.

“Just like us,” teased Alex, pulling Julian close for a kiss. “Need into the work room?”

“Yes, please,” said Julian, and Alys waved them off and got back to her kitchen, where she was preparing some sort of baking to rise overnight.

There was a bit of a delay when they emerged to say goodbye to Father Stephen and get another round of blessings and sneaky once-overs, and then Alex whistled him out of the wards and locked up gratefully. “All right, you two get ready for bed while we finish the plant rounds out here?”

“Will do,” said James, going over to their bags to rummage for pyjamas. “More reading before bed?”

“Or cards,” said Jacques. “I actually wanted to see what Alex thought of the Temple wards so far, if you’re willing to put up with us.”

“I’m willing,” said Julian with a chuckle. “I’m interested, too, since Alex’s lovely wards have saved my skin a time or two.”

“Sounds good,” said James. “I’ll get Alys to make us some tea, I got a new blend I want to try.”

They parted ways to make ready for their quiet evening, and Alex was very happy to hear that all of Julian’s various plants, from the window boxes to the butterfly fairy’s flowers, were doing wonderfully well in his care. There was even one on the bedside table that Mary Margaret had sent home with them when it was ailing, which Julian declared now free of fungus and ready to be restored to the nursery when the time came.

“I wonder if our butterfly fairy will talk to the cursed one,” said Alex, leaning in the doorway while Julian checked over the plants in the bathroom.

“How would we know?” said Julian teasingly. “I mean, it probably will, but I don’t think it could relay any but the most basic information to us.”

“Too true,” said Alex with a sigh. “I just wish I knew who was targeting you.”

He came over and gave Julian a cuddle, and they were joined by Horace, who chirruped his desire to come out and be part of whatever activity was keeping his humans away.

“Of course you can join us,” said Alex, kissing his little bronze head, and then Julian’s for good measure. “I’ll go change while you two finish up in here.”

Julian nodded distractedly. Alex went to find his pyjamas, unduly fond of the fact that Julian had picked up his bad habit of ignoring everything but his magic. He’d have to apologise to Mary Margaret with some more of the gingerbread men she liked. Alex got out Julian’s pyjamas while he was at it, then took custody of Horace while Julian changed. They emerged with a calm between them that came from good magic and feeling safe and loved, even though Alex hadn’t done much of anything but give Horace a little diagnostic reading and energy boost.

“You two look peaceful,” said James. He was just setting out the pot of tea, which steamed invitingly but probably needed to steep.

“My plants are all doing well,” said Julian.

“As is Horace,” added Alex. “As are we, now.”

Jacques came over and took both their hands, looking them over tip to toe. “You’re looking good, too, the both of you in balance and starting to really mesh together, magically speaking.”

“Are we?” asked Julian, brightening even further.

“I hear it sometimes,” said Alex, taking his hand. “And you know we work well together, some of those potions we’ve made have been really exceptional.”

“Oh, yes,” said James with a grin. “That one you gave us to test out was amazing.”

“Oh right, the gentle energy restorer,” said Jacques. “That really was amazing.”

“Good,” said Julian. He went on tiptoe and kissed Jacques’ cheek, then dragged Alex over to their chair.

“We can’t play cards like this,” Alex protested laughingly, when Julian pulled him into a cuddle.

“We can drink tea and talk about magic like this,” said Julian.

James came over for his own exam, looking the two of them over with a critical eye. “You are starting to mesh, it’s very Guardian-like, or couple-like, I suppose. I haven’t had a chance to see many mage-couples in action.”

“We’ve had good examples,” said Alex, giving James’ hand a squeeze.

James squeezed back, then let go and went to pour the tea. “We’ll have to ask if we can help you guys further your cooperation, or if we can find you a tutor, if you want to, I mean.”

“No Guardian secrets required,” said Julian, “but I’d love to learn more from you two. Alex and I have such different talents but he makes me better.”

“As you make me better,” said Alex, kissing Julian’s hair. “Not so much with the stuff I use for Lapointe, but in warding and making, creation, you have definitely improved me.”

“Well, I can’t make you magically read your books,” teased Julian, giving him a poke.

Alex laughed. “I admit, I do still enjoy that part of it, the intellectual puzzles,” he said, accepting a cup from James with a quiet thanks.

Julian got his cup, too, and inhaled the steam appreciatively. “I like it already,” he said. “I can tell the plants are special somehow.”

James chuckled. “I knew you’d figure it out,” he said. “It’s a bit like that tea of Geoff’s you told me about, but this is more for balance and a restful spirit.”

“We use it when we’re having trouble sleeping,” said Jacques, sitting next to James. “This is only the third pot we’ve made.”

Julian took a sip and mmed. “Oh, it’s from Japan,” he said happily. “There’s a garden on a mountain somewhere, and all these plants grew together.”

Alex tried it, finding the mix pleasantly astringent, with a lovely grassy undertone and bright notes of citrus. There was magic in it, and it sounded like Temple chants to him, soothing to the ear and the spirit. “It’s very good. Thank you for sharing.”

“You’re welcome,” said James. He and Jacques settled in with their own cups on the couch, close but not snuggling, just companionably together.

“Now,” said Jacques, after his own sip of tea, “about those wards?”

Alex laughed, and they spent a lively few hours discussing not just wards but amulets and other personal safety magics, including the charm that had been on the murder victim. It was intellectually stimulating and magically interesting, which were two of Alex’s favourite things, and when he snuggled up with Julian in bed later they were both humming with contentment.

“We have the best friends,” said Alex, kissing Julian softly.

Julian hugged Alex close, tangling their legs together. “We have the best lives,” he said, and, despite everything, Alex could only agree.

CHAPTER 9

In Which We Discuss the Necessity of Libraries, Bathtubs,
and Other Such Matters of the Home

Despite a lazy morning, everyone was dressed and ready by the time the contractor showed up at lunchtime on Tuesday. The Guardians, after checking in by phone, had elected to stay out of curiosity about the whole process of building a new home on the ruins of an old building, not to mention under the influence of such a powerful magical Source. Alex and Nat had cleaned up his work room, the glass reluctantly swept into the large evidence bag provided, and everything else pertaining to murder or other works in progress tucked away as best they could, leaving two tables mostly empty for them to work on.

The doorbell rang just after the hour, and Alex’s whistle to the wards showed that it was Wilcox. He looked considerably more relaxed now that he was out of the freezing cold, and Alex whistled him into the wards before opening the door, so as not to confuse the man. “Mr. Wilcox, please, come in.”

“Call me Zale,” he replied, coming in and shaking Alex’s hand. They went through the dance of introductions and first names and getting his coat hung up, and Julian brought over a cup of Alys’ mulled cider.

“Would you like the tour or the meal first?” asked Julian, once he’d had a chance to try the warm drink.

“Tour would be best, I think,” said Zale. “That way we can talk over lunch.”

“Sounds good,” said Alex.

They led Wilcox through the apartment, showing him everything from the little water closet to the big work room. Zale was able to peek in everywhere but the laundry room, which was the brownies’ exclusive territory now, though he assured them he could infer the size of the space from the rest of the flat. When they came back into the main living space, lunch had appeared on the coffee table.

“Are you concerned about security?” asked Zale, once he was settled in with a plate and a fresh cup of tea.

“Not overly,” said Alex. “James and Jacques are friends, and were curious about what we were planning to do. Plus, the Temples are pretty good about using every bit of space they have.”

“Mostly for hallways,” Julian muttered.

James hid a laugh in his teacup.

“Well, you were right about not needing as much space as I’d assumed,” said Zale. “The size of that main house was making me worry, but if the bathroom here is adequate for you, then we can do two of those easily enough with two bedrooms on one floor.”

“It is, though we’ll want at least a water closet on every floor,” said Alex. “No need to send people traipsing upstairs.”

“Plenty of plumbing, got it,” said Zale, looking much more confident now that he’d seen the flat. “And we’ll make sure to finish that basement so you won’t lose things to damp and rot, there’s construction wizards who specialise in that sort of thing.”

“I’ll want to do some of my own warding, too,” said Alex, “but I’m always happy to consult professionals.”

“You mean learn more esoteric magic,” teased Jacques.

Alex grinned. “You never know what might come in handy.”

“I really do want a proper conservatory attached now, though,” said Julian. “Is it going to be possible without having to do anything with the foundations?”

“Well, we won’t do nothing, but we won’t have to redo the whole thing,” said Zale. “That sort of thing is fine as an addition, it won’t need the same support as a whole big house.”

“Oh, I see,” said Julian. “Alex will be able to help with warding there, too, he did the wards at my work, along with Father Stephen’s blessing.”

“Having connections to do all that will help a lot,” replied Zale, gesturing with his fork. After a dubious initial taste of Alys’ excellent casserole, he’d been eating steadily since. “I’ve got the connections on the construction people, but with the Temples, there’s always a wait.”

“We’ll take care of scheduling that,” Julian assured him.

“You’ll have several people wanting to help, at this rate,” said James. “The Healing Mother was very impressed with the way Alex kept at your side until you were well.”

“Many of your friends will want to be assured your new home is safe and blessed,” said Jacques, glancing toward the kitchen. The brownies were hiding out, other than the appearance of lunch.

“Are there any special places in the construction we should do that?” asked Alex.

Zale swallowed his mouthful and nodded. “Once the foundations are cleared, you’ll want to do something there, and then again after the structure is done but before we do any real decorating. Some homes have the wards literally painted inside the walls and on the supports.”

“Oh, hm, I could make some...” Alex trailed off, already considering what sort of things he could add to the construction to allow the wards to be firmly anchored in the building and the earth. Being able to touch those parts of the house before the drywall went in would allow him a lot more leeway than he had here, where the wards were anchored mainly by sheer force of will.

Alex vaguely heard them talking around him, and he continued to eat while he thought, but he knew Julian would poke him if he needed to pay attention.

“Does he do that a lot?” Zale was asking, when Alex went to sip his tea and found his cup empty.

“Yep,” said Julian cheerfully. “But he comes up with brilliant ideas when he does, so we tolerate him.”

“You like me,” said Alex, kissing his hair. “Sorry about that, I wanted to chase the thread of the idea before I lost it.”

“It’s okay, it gave us a chance to talk about boring stuff like schedules,” said Julian, giving him a soft kiss. “Zale says they’re hoping to get a crew out to start work on clearing the space as soon as the snows thaw.”

“I guess you probably spend your winters lining up work for the spring,” said James.

“We do,” said Zale, “and Mrs. St. Albans has given us a very generous budget to work with, which will enable my company to give this project our full attention.”

“Ooh, I knew Emmy loved me,” said Julian with a grin. “We’ll try not to spend every last penny, but we’re happy to make good on her promise to keep your company busy.”

“And I, in turn, will be very happy to use quality materials and a full staff to make your house something that will last for a very long time,” said Zale, serious beneath his big smile.

Alex smiled back. “I can tell we’re going to get along perfectly,” he said. A glance around showed empty plates and cups, so he set his own on the table and stood. “Let’s get a fresh pot of tea and those blueprint pages and get some notes made?”

“Sounds good,” said Zale. “The architect should be here in half an hour, she’s also very happy to be working under a realistic budget.”

“I’ll have to tell Emmy she’s making such a good impression,” said Julian, standing as well.

“I’ll make the tea, I think Alys left us some biscuits as well,” said Jacques. “Just remember, you have to come let her in.”

“I promise,” said Alex. He opened the work room back up and propped the door, and they went in and got everything set up. Zale had brought not only blueprint-sized copies of the foundation dimensions, but some single-page copies on which they could thumbnail sketch ideas.

They discussed the various rooms they wanted and ranked them in order of importance, sketching ideas for the floors that left more or less space in the bedrooms and bathrooms, the kitchen and dining areas. They were genially arguing about the necessity of window seats when the doorbell rang again.

“That’s my cue,” said Alex, heading to the door. A whistle showed an elegant, white-haired woman carrying a portfolio, messenger bag, and a blueprint case. Alex did the quick spell to allow her inside, and then opened the door. “You must be Ms. Nab.”

“Well, unless you get a lot of door-to-door architects, I suppose I must,” she replied, smiling. “I’d shake your hand, but...”

“Well, come in and I’ll see what I can do about easing your burdens,” said Alex, stepping back and accepting the blueprint case when she handed it over.

Zale emerged and took the portfolio from her, the two of them greeting one another more like old friends than business acquaintances, which Alex found very reassuring. They escorted her into the work room, set her up with a cup of tea, and introductions were made all around.

“So then these two are the ones we have to listen to,” she said, pointing to Julian and Alex.

“And his sister, who is funding the whole thing,” said Zale. “But she’s told me to do whatever they want, within reason.”

“As I recall, it was a very reasonable reason,” said Silvia. “Well, now, I can see you’ve all started without me, so fill me in?”

It didn’t take long to get her up to speed, and then she spread her portfolio out on the empty table. Instead of containing examples of her own work to show off, it contained profiles of buildings of the same type as theirs. Many of the two-storey cottages were historical, and all of them were nestled in woodlands somewhere.

“Unless the mage needs it, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend stone,” she said, pointing to the one exemplar she’d brought of that material.

“I love the climbing ivy,” said Julian, “but no, my Alex isn’t doing anything that volatile.”

“The usual construction is fine,” said Alex, “though we might like to minimise the use of cold iron?”

“Minimise is doable, though the conservatory might be a challenge,” said Silvia. “I do enjoy a challenge, though.”

“I like this one,” said Julian, having flipped back a few to show a lovely two-storey cottage with ivy, but this one was made of timbers and brick. There was something harmonious about the way it fit into its surroundings that Alex, too, found appealing.

“I agree, this would be a good start,” said Alex. “Sturdiness is going to be a factor, well, longevity, anyway. We probably won’t have heirs of our own, but the family will keep the cottage after we’re gone, now that they’re aware of the land’s value.”

“That was a surprisingly easy decision,” she said, looking from one to the other for any dissent. “Well, there’s plenty of opportunities for disagreement further along.”

That surprised them into laughing, and she marked the page with a post-it. They spent some time flipping through the images, pointing out this or that feature that seemed nice, but in the end it was that one image the stood out. They paused for Jacques to go retrieve the cinnamon bites that Alys had snuck out to bake, and then tackled the interior next.

“These are very preliminary ideas, of course,” said Silvia, turning her portfolio to the next set of images, this time of various rooms inside houses of all sorts. “I wasn’t sure how much you were interested in elegance versus practicality, given the conservatory.”

“Oh, that’s practical,” said Julian. “I’m an apprentice plant mage.”

“The conservatory will be his work room in the same way the basement will be mine,” said Alex.

“Hm, well, this idea probably won’t appeal, then,” she said, pointing to an image of a double-height foyer that let in the light through a skylight above.

“Oh, no, that’s a lot of wasted space,” said Julian. “I do like the light, though.”

“What if it was the library, though?” asked Alex, cocking his head and trying to imagine it. “With books all around, and a spiral staircase, and window seats for reading?”

“It might still take up too much of your footprint,” said Zale, “but if you gave up the idea of an upstairs sitting room, it might work.”

“Ooh, a real library? That sounds like a dream to design,” said Silvia. She was starting to look enthusiastic about the project now that she could see they were willing to entertain her suggestions.

“The sunlight won him over,” said James cheerfully. “And the idea of window seats.”

“Window seats are required,” said Alex and Julian in unison.

“We’d really want the whole house to feel very warm and welcoming,” Alex clarified. “Comfortable and homey.”

“Light and airy,” added Julian.

“They often have a lot of people over, whether they mean to or not,” said James.

“What if the downstairs area could seat, I don’t know, eight? Ten?” asked Jacques.

“If we kept this central area open and had chairs around the room, you could bring them together,” said Silvia thoughtfully. “Well, that will definitely be a challenge to work out, if we do go that way.”

“What are some other options?” asked Julian, leaning in curiously.

She began to flip through the book, and they paused often to explore an idea or possibility, talking things out and taking notes without actually making any decisions. Alex had thought he’d hate this part or grow bored, but he found himself fascinated with the possibilities, and warmed by everyone’s determination to keep the house liveable and cosy instead of stylish or impressive.

In the end, both Zale and Silvia agreed that they had enough to be going on with, and a future meeting was set in a few weeks for them to bring a full proposal over.

Alex took the time to whistle them out and then flopped in the comfortable chair with a grin. “We’re building a house,” he said, grinning.

Julian flopped onto Alex and grinned right back. “We’re building a home.”

CHAPTER 10

In Which There is Further Tragedy but No Answers, Only Further Questions

Alex really hated to hear his phone ringing before breakfast. It was Lapointe’s ringtone so he snaked an arm out of the covers to answer it, sitting up so as not to disturb Julian any more than necessary. “So early,” he said.

“You’re not the one who’s been at a crime scene for three hours,” said Lapointe. “Leave Julian with his Guardians and bring coffee, please.”

Alex yawned and sighed. “Text me the address, I’ll shower and get Alys to make us a thermos or something.”

“Will do,” she said, and then she hung up.

Alex sighed and snagged the little pad of paper he kept beside the bed and scribbled a note for Julian, then called down Horace and gave the folded-up message into his care. “You watch over him until I’m back, okay? I’ll make sure the Guardians know where I’ve gone.”

Horace chirped softly and tugged Alex’s hair, then hopped over to perch on the lump of blankets that was Julian.

“Good bird,” said Alex with a smile. He slipped out of bed and poked his head out long enough to let everyone know what was going on, then took a quick shower and dressed for work, in basic black with all the necessary accessories. He’d taken to keeping more of his little toys on his person, from his insight-stone to the watch fob that sharpened his magical hearing. He had his wand-cane, and he’d made himself another amulet that protected without muffling his senses. Once he’d begun his spate of making last summer, he had kept it up mostly with personal projects, and he and his friends had a number of little trinkets to show for it.

Thanks to Alys, there was breakfast ready for him to wolf down when he emerged. James and Jacques were happy to take on Julian-sitting duty, though less happy to be sending Alex out alone.

“Are you sure they need you?” asked Jacques one more time, as Alex was getting bundled up in his coat.

“I’m still the only expert who does what I do,” said Alex. “There’s one or two of the young ones that Lapointe tells me are coming along, but earnestness is no substitute for experience. Trust me on this.”

“We know,” said James, smirking.

“We’ve heard the stories,” added Jacques. He was also smiling, but it wasn’t quite as cocksure as James’ expression, still holding that underlying worry.

Alex slung his bag over one shoulder, containing the thermos of coffee, plus some sugary treats to keep them going, and one of his big notebooks just in case he remembered to use it. “I still need all the luck I can get, so come over here and bless me or whatever,” said Alex.

Jacques grinned and stood, James trailing in his wake. “You know this helps us keep track of you,” he said, but he kissed Alex’s forehead, giving him a cool wash of blessing-magic.

“It also helps him keep track of us, I think,” said James. Alex bent obligingly so James could repeat the process, the feeling very similar but, as always, carrying just enough personality that Alex could hear James’ magic distinctly from Jacques’.

“Thank you,” said Alex. A fairy-bread offering floated over, and Alex opened the door and swapped out the bowls, waving as he closed it after himself. He paused to reassure himself of the sound of the locks and chains being put into place.

It was far too early to drag Jones out, so Alex went down and got their car warmed up, reminding himself as he did of all the things he needed to keep track of while driving. The amulet he’d made for the car was humming with contentment, and it helped steady Alex’s nerves as he pulled out and drove to the address Lapointe had given him.

Alex pulled up a few houses down and got out, not bothering to try to park inside the crime scene perimeter. Although he was a familiar sight at crime scenes, he found it was more his infamous stature than his adorably practical new vehicle.

“Morning, Alex,” said the officer standing by the barriers, none other than Julian’s friend Tiny. “Agent Lapointe told us to expect you, so go on in.”

“Thanks, Tiny,” said Alex, ducking under the tape when Tiny lifted it for him. “How’s Gemma?”

“Same as ever,” said Tiny with a chuckle. “I’ve been thinking of proposing, but you know how it is. How’s Julian?”

“I do know how it is, but it’s worth getting over it,” said Alex. “Julian’s just fine, and tired of being cooped up in the flat already.”

Tiny grinned. “Yeah, Gemma’s hinted a bit more in the past few days,” he said. “I’d ask you where to get a ring, but I’m pretty sure I can’t afford where you shop.”

“I didn’t shop, anyway,” said Alex. “Family heirloom.”

“That’d make Gemma happy, but we don’t have anything like that,” said Tiny with a sigh.

“If I come across anywhere with good antiques or interesting designs, I’ll call you,” promised Alex. He headed off to the house, which reminded him a little of the last victim’s place, more financially than anything else. It had the same understatedly affluent feel to it, with neatly manicured everything and a big garden, but not too big or old. Alex mounted the stairs with a growing trepidation.

“Please tell me there’s coffee in that bag,” said Lapointe, stepping out to meet him on the front stoop.

“There is, and Alys sent sweets as well,” said Alex, pulling out the thermos. “Are there cups and all that?”

“Over here,” she said, leading him to the side yard where they’d set up a tent.

“Oh,” said Alex, heading inside to find a stash of booties and other such things. “Another messy one?”

“It’s not glass this time,” said Lapointe, “but it’s not neat.”

Alex sighed and they spent a moment getting coffee and apple fritters before he asked, “Tell me about it?”

“Feeling less committed to going in blind in your old age?” asked Lapointe, amused. “This looks like murder-suicide, but there’s something weird about it. Everyone feels it, not just me, so they let me call you.”

“Why are you on it?” asked Alex.

“Our victim was a colleague of the good doctor from last time,” explained Lapointe. “Plus, right now that case is mostly Thomas running down insurance documentation and other paperwork so we can figure out what the broken artefact was.”

“Makes sense,” said Alex. “I suppose I just wish it was still back in the days when there were few enough cases you could work just one at a time.”

“Those were the days,” agreed Lapointe. They touched cups and drank their coffee, cleaning up after their snack. “You’ll need booties.”

“I hate booties,” said Alex, making a face. He’d known it was coming, though, given that she was still wearing a set herself. “Do you need fresh ones?”

“Yeah, I should,” she said, and they spent a few minutes getting all of that sorted, gloves and booties on and the thermos and remaining snacks safely stashed for later.

They were silent as they headed into the house, and Alex could feel something oppressive once they got inside, the sensation putting his nerves on edge. He paused to pinch a tuning fork and just listen right in the doorway, stepping in and out again, trying to figure out if the mood was magical or otherwise. “I definitely think magic,” he said after a minute.

“Well, good to know it’s not just us,” said Lapointe philosophically.

They headed further in, and she pointed out the first signs of struggle, a chaos that started out as a discarded shoe and a tipped-over vase, the kind of thing one might see in any household with children. There was a splash of blood and more and more destruction the further inward they went, until they turned a corner into the house’s living room and found it fully destroyed.

The bodies had been hacked at with what Lapointe identified as a pair of knives from the kitchen, all but the mother who had evidently been the perpetrator. The father had taken the brunt of the damage, but he hadn’t been able to protect the two children forever, and they, too, were slashed and ruined, like broken dolls strewn around the room. There was blood everywhere, and underneath that a ruin of smashed and slashed objects, sofa stuffing spilling out like intestines, glass glittering everywhere.

“That’s a lot of destruction,” said Alex, brows knitting. “I mean, even for this kind of scene it seems excessive.”

“And you can see most of it happened before the murders, too,” said Lapointe. The blood patterns overlaid the destroyed objects, rather than vice versa.

“All right, I’m not sure I can walk in there without making a huge mess, so let’s start here,” said Alex.

“You’re the mage,” said Lapointe, getting out her notebook.

Alex took a moment to get his tools in order, watch fob slipped into his glove and the cane grounded firmly against the threshold. He struck the tuning fork against the meat of his thumb this time, producing a sharp, clear tone that focused his senses. A nerve-racking disharmony permeated this room like a fog, setting Alex’s teeth on edge.

“Definitely magic,” he murmured. He extended his senses into the room, listening across the threshold and around the space in a way he’d been practicing more for situations just like this. There was an anger threaded all through the magic, and a despair as well, though that seemed centred on the wife like a dirge. He could hear the discordant echoes of magic that had filled the room but, Alex was fairly sure, had already passed out of the building to wherever it would strike next.

There were some familiar motifs again, things that tickled at Alex’s brain, connecting dots where he couldn’t quite see the whole picture just yet. He leaned into the room, one gloved hand holding onto the doorjamb for balance, trying to feel any sort of direction from the magic. It was too much like playing a mad game of “hot and cold,” though. The residue permeated everything in the room, though once again he thought the wife’s body was the centre of it.

Alex stilled the tuning fork and sighed. “I’ll need to walk around in there once the bodies are gone, and visit the bodies. I can’t tell if the magic’s on her or everything else or both, it’s too diffuse. It’s like a room after someone with really bad perfume has been through, the stink lingers but the source is gone.”

Lapointe snorted. “I’ll be sure to pass that description along to anyone complaining about the atmosphere.” She made a few notes and closed her notebook for the moment. “The coroner’s on their way, I’m surprised you don’t want to go in there.”

Alex sighed. “I don’t know if it would do any good. I’m not detecting anything strong enough to be the source of the magic, so it doesn’t seem like there’s any point tromping all over the evidence just to tell you the same thing I can already tell you.”

“You do eventually learn,” said Lapointe.

“Maybe I’m just tired of getting blood on my coat,” said Alex, turning away. “I want to walk the house, still, see if I can get more whiffs of whatever it is.”

“Just let me tell them they can start with the bodies, and we’ll do that while they do their thing,” she said.

She pulled out her radio and had a brief conversation, and then led Alex off on a tour of the house. He made several stops to listen here and there at thresholds and doorways, windows and even a couple of draughts. It was as difficult to track as the aforementioned perfume, dissipating quickly where it wasn’t concentrated like the murder scene, but he had a decent idea when he was done of where it had and hadn’t been.

“Did you take notes?” asked Alex, trying to form a picture in his mind of possible pathways.

“Of course I did,” said Lapointe. “That’s pretty good work, sniffing out all the rooms we don’t have to worry about, forensically.”

“They’ll worry about them, anyway, given the nature of the murders,” said Alex sadly. “Speaking of which, you can assure your boss that this case is pro bono.”

“I will,” said Lapointe, quiet and sad all over again. “It’s horrible, that it took the whole family like that.”

“We’ll figure out what did it,” said Alex. “I won’t stop working on this one until it’s stopped.”

“Well, forensics will do all they can with the evidence. Once Thomas has run down all the research on the other case, I’ll put him on searching for any kind of family or location-based curses,” said Lapointe. “If it was an item, it’s definitely gone?”

“I think it’s gone,” said Alex. “It didn’t feel present, it’s all fading residue. But they should still handle her body like she might be contaminated.”

“They will,” Lapointe assured him. “The murder weapons went into some of those fancy boxes, too.”

“Oh, I should go look at those, if they’re still on site?” he said distractedly. There was something tugging at his mind, that familiar motif that he kept hearing snatches of, but he couldn’t quite catch hold of it.

“Yeah, come on,” she said, pulling him along by a sleeve. He was never so grateful for their long association as when she let him do his thing in peace, even if she gave him crap about it later.

They made their way back outside, booties and gloves discarded and his watch fob back in its waistcoat pocket where it belonged. There were two long metal boxes among the gathered evidence, and Lapointe made him put on a fresh pair of gloves before letting him break the seal and open the boxes.

The knives inside were disappointingly mundane. There was blood liberally smeared on both of them, and that same reside of magic, but it wasn’t even as strong here as it was on the threshold of the scene. “These aren’t magic,” said Alex, sealing them back up and signing that he was the one to do so.

“That’s what we thought, but after all those bug-things attacked people, we’ve got policies in place,” she said.

“Better safe than cursed,” Alex agreed. He ditched the last pair of gloves and took her back over to the coffee service, pulling out the half-full thermos. “Let’s finish this up while we wait for the all clear, I’ve got more snacks from Alys, too.”

“I knew I liked you for a reason,” said Lapointe, finding them cups and napkins. Alex got his coffee made up the way he liked it, and then they explored Alys’ offerings, which turned out to be three pairs of sweet and savoury pasties, two each for Alex and one for Lapointe.

“Oh, I love Alys’ pasties,” said Lapointe, sniffing to see which one was savoury and digging in. “Lamb, nice.”

“Ooh, I love lamb,” said Alex, digging into his own with gusto. Listening didn’t take up too much of his energy, but there was something draining about even being in the house’s oppressive atmosphere, and he was glad of the sustenance. The lamb had been cut into chunks and cooked to perfect tenderness with herbs, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas, and some kind of mint sauce that gave the whole thing a delightful sweetness. Alex sighed as he worked his way through both of his in the time it took Lapointe to nibble on her one. “Alys is a genius and I am very spoiled.”

“I wonder what’s in the other one?” said Lapointe excitedly. “Something brilliant, I bet.”

One bite proved her to be correct, as this pastry was filled with persimmons soaked in ginger and honey, with a sweet pastry cream at one end. “Wow,” said Alex, taking another bite.

“So spoiled,” said Lapointe, taking another bite. “Wow.”

“She’s been getting all the winter fruit she can find,” said Alex with a happy sigh. “My life has become much more seasonal since Julian and the brownies came into it.”

“Not that he doesn’t work a lot in greenhouses,” she pointed out.

Alex shrugged. “They don’t force-grow everything at Mary Margaret’s, though; some things still only get sold in season.”

“I bet you didn’t know that a year ago,” teased Lapointe.

“I really didn’t,” said Alex. “I just knew sometimes I had to special order stuff, and sometimes I didn’t. And you know I’d mostly stopped making things except for personal use.”

“I have to admit, I don’t miss the smoking,” said Lapointe, touching the charm where it was hidden under her clothing. “I thought I would, but I really don’t.”

“I’m glad, it means you won’t go back to it if you ever lose your necklace,” said Alex with a grin.

Her radio squawked and she answered it, so Alex took that opportunity to concentrate on eating the rest of his treat. Alys had rarely made anything he didn’t like, but sometimes she really outdid herself. He’d always been a sucker for ginger.

“They’ve got the bodies out, and are willing to let you go in before they start gathering evidence in earnest,” she said.

“Pasties first, then bad magic,” said Alex. “Will I be able to steal you away for lunch once we’re done?”

“Depends,” said Lapointe with a sigh. “Probably not, with the kids and all.”

“Well, you’re welcome to come back to ours if you can,” said Alex philosophically. “We’ve already got our Guardian guests, so one more’s easy enough.”

“I’d forgotten about them,” she said. She had the last bite of her pasty and sighed again. “That is not a good follow-up to this,” she said grumpily, pointing first to the house and then dusting the crumbs out of the napkin in which the pasties had been wrapped.

“It really isn’t,” said Alex glumly, following her example. He savoured his last mouthful while they folded up the napkins and put them and the thermos away, and then they tossed their cups, steeled their nerves, bootied up, and headed back inside.

Some of the depressing atmosphere had dissipated with the removal of the bodies, though that could have been as much from the visual relief as magical. Everyone was moving with a bit more spring in their step, anyway, and Alex was glad they’d be putting the proper energy into the work now.

“It’s still awful in here,” said Alex, once they got to the threshold. He took a deep breath and rearranged his tools, though his cane would stay mostly in his hand to avoid messing up the floor more than they had to.

“It really is,” said Lapointe. “But the hallway wasn’t as bad, is that from people walking through it?”

“Some of it, probably,” said Alex. “I should check whoever’s been in here the most and see if the magic clings to them or just dissipates.”

“After this,” said Lapointe, directing his attention back to the room.

Alex could tell he was just avoiding it now, so he pinched his tuning fork and stepped resolutely inside. He couldn’t just listen and not pay attention to his steps, so he had to move very slowly to be sure he got every possible nuance. Once again, no specific objects drew his attention; the miasma of magic hung in the air and dusted everything with its foulness. The anger was sharper in the places objects had been destroyed, and the fury was heightened by that same despair at all three of the murder victims’ previous locations. The despair was thickest where the wife’s body had lain in a pool of blood from slashing her own throat, and Alex put two fingers in the blood and whistled to try to chase that motif down.

The blood did have a stronger echo, so he went back and dipped a different finger into another puddle. That one was inert, almost muffling the sound of the magic rather than enhancing it. “She might’ve ingested or been dosed,” said Alex, standing and stuffing his tuning fork into a pocket to quiet it, given the bloody state of his other hand. “Their blood isn’t tainted with it, but hers definitely held spell residue.”

“I’ll tell the coroner to be extra careful,” said Lapointe, leading him back out of the room. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then I’ll see if I can’t get away so we can discuss your findings.”

“And feed you an actual meal,” said Alex. “I can stick around and annoy the forensic techs, or head home and make some notes, whatever suits.”

“We’ll see,” she said, amused. “Let’s get you out of here first, come on.”

They got both their booties and gloves off and thrown away, and Alex found where someone had drawn a crude layout of the house for assigning techs to collect evidence. He took a pencil and made his own notes about the residue on it, then found a post-it and explained what his notes meant.

“Oh, good, I was going to ask you to do something like that,” said Lapointe, coming back from her consultations. “With that, they said I can go away and get you out of their hair, as long as you’ll take their calls.”

“You know I take everyone’s calls except Fischer and Armistead,” said Alex.

Lapointe grinned. “That’s what I told them.”

“I should listen to one of the techs before I go, though,” he said regretfully. “Whoever’s been here the longest that’s not you?”

“Why not me?” asked Lapointe. “Well, I suppose I haven’t been inside that much, mostly I was out here coordinating.”

Alex chuckled. “That’s why. Whoever’s been inside the most, then.”

Lapointe got on her radio, and a minute later one of the forensic techs emerged from the house, looking not at all displeased to be summoned. They made introductions and Alex got permission to listen, pleased when there wasn’t much if any residue actually clinging to the man or his clothing.

“You’re all clear, you should be fine once you get some time out of the house,” said Alex.

At the man’s alarmed look, Lapointe added quickly, “What he means is, the miasma from the scene won’t follow you home.”

The tech relaxed. “Oh, well, that’s good, because it’s ruddy awful in there.”

“And I have to send you back in soon, sorry,” said Lapointe. They consoled him with the last of the coffee and headed on out of the tent, leaving him to his break.

“I’m parked over there,” said Alex, gesturing. “Oh, stop looking at me like that, you know we learned to drive.”

“It’s still weird, after years of cabs,” said Lapointe. “Go on, I know the way.”

“I’ll tell everyone to expect you,” said Alex. He headed back to his car, pausing to say goodbye to Tiny.

Jones had figured out how to hook their phones into the car’s systems, so once Alex got on the road he called home.

“How’d it go?” asked Julian by way of greeting.

“Awful,” said Alex with a sigh, “but it’s nice to hear your voice at the end of it. Murielle’s coming for lunch.”

“How awful?” asked Julian, sounding worried.

“Kids awful. A whole family, apparent murder-suicide, but magically induced. Let’s not talk about it, it really was awful.” Alex took a deep breath, paying attention to the route home as best he could. “Anyway, Murielle. Lunch.”

There was some muttering in the background, and then Julian’s voice came back on. “Alys says she’s got it handled. I’m sorry it was awful.”

“Me, too,” said Alex with a sigh. “I’ll have a lot of work to do on this one, I think.”

“We’ll be there to support you,” said Julian. “No cursed fairies have come looking for me, anyway, though there were a few visitors at both windows. James and Jacques said you set it up so they could see, too?”

“I did, yeah. We trust them, so they’re more keyed into the wards than anyone else. They can let people in now if I’m unconscious, for one thing.” Alex was only half paying attention to what he was saying, trying to focus on the road instead. He really did hate driving himself most of the time, but he knew it was better for them in the long run, and Jones had assured them both it got easier with practice.

“That’s a good thing,” said Julian decisively. “Anyway, they said all our visitors were normal fairies.”

“I’m glad,” said Alex. “Though it makes me wonder how that one found you, or if it just targeted the first vulnerable human it was drawn to.”

“I don’t know,” said Julian with a sigh. “We’ve tossed around so many ideas but honestly we still have no idea what the point even was.”

“Too true,” said Alex with a sigh. “Well, I will be tied to my computer doing background research on the people and the site, do you think you might help?”

“I think I could do that,” said Julian, sounding much cheered. “I’m tired of being useless, it’d be nice to contribute to something.”

“Even if it’s just boring research,” teased Alex. “It’ll be nice not having to do it alone. Oh, this is a tricky bit, I’m gonna go and I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

“Love you,” said Julian, hanging up on him. They’d figured out it was a lot easier on the driver if the other person disconnected the call, no buttons to fumble with.

Alex paid attention to the annoying roundabout by their place and then made his way down into the garage to their parking spot. Lapointe had groused about having to use guest parking from now on, but he didn’t think she really minded. Everyone had been happy to learn they were becoming more like normal people, as they put it, able to drive and make tea and do other such plebian things.

Alex still missed Jones most days, though.

Lapointe was waiting by the elevator once he had parked. “Slowpoke.”

“Cautious,” said Alex, pushing the call button. “You like me not wrapped around a tree.”

“Newbie,” she replied, unperturbed. “I hope there’s food for me.”

Alex chuckled, stepping into the car and holding the door for her before pressing seven. “As if Alys has ever let you down.”

“Hm, true, but there’s a first time for everything,” said Lapointe.

“Well, I called ahead, anyway, so you can rest easy that you won’t have to beg for scraps,” Alex teased back. He didn’t really mind the teasing if it helped her push aside the images from earlier, especially since it distracted him, too.

“Julian said he’d help me with the research,” said Alex. “I think he wants Thomas to be free to play Castles again before retirement.”

“You boys and your toys,” she said. They headed to the front door, which opened obligingly as they approached.

“Come on, Alys says we can’t have soup until you get in here,” said Julian from the doorway.

Alex laughed and kissed him, using the motion to get them indoors and clear the way for Lapointe. Bread bowls on trays started to float out into the living room while they got their coats off and chose seats, and it turned out they not only had clam chowder in sourdough bowls, but big mugs of hot tea and a wonderful winter fruit salad of apples, pears, persimmons, and oranges in a citrus dressing.

“Oh, this looks as good as my day has been bad,” said Lapointe, pulling the tray to her and picking up a spoon.

“There’s a sweet for afters,” said Alys, peeking out of the kitchen where she and Nat had their own portions. “And extra soup for you boys, so don’t eat your bowls if you want seconds.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they all said in unison, singsong and teasing.

She scoffed at them and went back to the kitchen, but Alex could feel her grinning.

They all dug in, quiet by mutual agreement until they’d gotten some of the soothing food inside them. The fruit salad was the perfect complement to the creamy soup, light and crunchy with a tangy kick. Alex snuggled up to Julian and spent a moment being thankful once again that he had so much goodness in his life, and no one had yet managed to take it away.

“How have you been?” asked James, after he’d inhaled his first bowlful of soup.

“I’m all right, as long as this case doesn’t get to me,” said Lapointe. “We’re getting into one of those seasons where the cases are building up and nothing has any leads, which will eventually all get cleared out or go cold, but makes for a hard time until it does.”

“I hate those times,” said Alex with a sigh. “One of my least favourite phone calls is when accounting asks for an hours so far invoice on a case that’s going into storage.”

“Not something that happens in our line of work,” said James wryly. “Though a few people get permanent or semi-permanent Guardians.”

“Like the Queen’s Guardians,” said Julian. “Is that an assignment people want?”

“Some do, some don’t,” said Jacques. “We don’t, so we don’t get that work. We like the breaks.”

“You like the action, too,” said Alex. “You’d be bored out of your skull as someone’s everyday bodyguard.”

“I neither confirm nor deny that statement,” said Jacques with a wicked grin. “Besides, if I was always with a client, I’d never have time to bake.”

They teased their way gently through the rest of lunch, eating heartily and catching up between bites and jokes. Conversation was purposefully light, none of them wanting to spoil the meal by dwelling on the negatives, the unsolved worries and unclear dangers.

“So, what’s this research we need to do?” asked Julian, once their trays were gone and they were left with fresh mugs of tea.

“Basically we’re looking for any curses associated with either family line, especially the woman’s, or the location, the date, the neighbourhood,” Alex sighed. “I’m not even sure it was a curse, but that’s where we can start.”

“We can help with that a little, too,” said James. “There’s some databases we might be able to get into that you guys can’t.”

“Right, because the Temple disposes of cursed artefacts sometimes, or cleanses locations,” said Alex.

“And the family line stuff, too, if they can figure out how,” said Jacques. “That’s not as common, though.”

“Yeah, I think that stuff mostly gets worked out by the family,” agreed Julian. “Are there any other connections we should look into?”

“Well, Dr. Lewis did work with Dr. Drewery,” said Lapointe. “Or at least they were colleagues. I think in a related field or something? No one has quite figured out how they’re connected, other than the names popping up together.”

“That’s a little weird,” said Julian. “Well, maybe we can figure that out, too.”

“I sort of hope the cases aren’t related, if only so I get paid for something,” said Alex dryly, though really he was now glad that the first family had only lost one member. He hated to think of any more kids like the ones he’d seen today, and was hoping this case was a one-off that wouldn’t have a second chapter.

“There’s always the N’gota case,” said Lapointe. “We still have to figure out how that happened.”

Alex sighed. “I’m pretty sure that’s a cold case now, because we’re all certain it was the neighbour but no one can prove it,” he said. “And it’s doubtful she’ll live long enough to do it again, given that she’s 94.”

“True,” said Lapointe. “But once it goes cold you can bill for it.”

“True,” agreed Alex. “All right, let me write all the important stuff down and we’ll get our laptops and get to work.”

“And I, sadly, will help you fill in all those details and then have to be off. Ms. Eberly is pretty annoyed at having more broken stuff that isn’t even the same broken stuff to identify,” said Lapointe.

“Have your sweet first,” said Alys, coming out trailed by five floating plates, each with a ramekin on it full of something chocolatey and gently steaming. “I’ll make you up a wee bite to go, as well, since I know you won’t stop for dinner if you aren’t forced to.”

“Hey, now, I’m not Alex,” protested Murielle, though it was weak and insincere. “But I will definitely stay to eat this, wow.”

“Alys and I are working on some more chocolate stuff,” said Jacques proudly, digging into his own dish. “This is a chocolate orange flourless cake.”

“Blood orange,” said Alys cheerfully. “And a few other things.”

“Good things,” said Julian, a smear of chocolate on his mouth attesting to his enthusiasm.

Alex grinned and kissed it away, mming, then had a bite of his own treat. It was rich and dense and just the right amount of dark and tart and sweet, with hints of spice threading through the main flavours of orange and chocolate without distracting from them. “Wow, okay, are you sure we can’t just adopt Jacques as a third brownie?”

“As tempting as the offer is,” said Jacques, “No.”

“Damn,” said Julian with a grin. “I like it when you and Alys combine forces, like those robots in that thing Thomas made us watch.”

“That was a really stupid thing,” said Alex with a laugh, “but I get so many more jokes now.”

“He’s acculturating us,” said Julian. “He made a chart.”

“It’s really nerdy,” said Lapointe fondly. “I get dragged along sometimes, because there’s pizza.”

“It’s really good pizza,” agreed Alex. “Worth watching the movies for all by itself.”

“Nerd indoctrination,” said Lapointe, shaking her head and grinning.

“You like it,” said Julian knowingly. “And not just for the pizza.”

“Maybe,” she said, a smile on her face. “Anyway, I do agree that you guys make delicious things when you combine your talents. In case I haven’t said this week, the food at your Solstice party was perfection.”

“It really was,” agreed Alex. “We still owe you for helping.”

“I liked helping,” said Jacques, ducking his head. “It meant I got to go without having to, you know, be in the middle of it all.”

“I had to be in the middle the whole time,” said Alex woefully, “but the food made it almost worthwhile.”

“You had fun,” said Julian, poking him.

Alex hmphed and had another bite of dessert rather than admit he was right.

CHAPTER 11

In Which We Do Research, and a Familiar Name Emerges

They all four spent a quiet afternoon on their computers looking up various combinations of the impressive list that Alex and Lapointe had compiled of data on the victims, their home, neighbourhood, work, and environs. Alys slow-cooked something that smelled ridiculously delicious, but made it up to them with snacks whenever they all paused long enough to take a break. They compared notes and compiled coincidences but all in all, like most people, the Lewis family were actually quite mundane.

Aside from having all been murdered by magic, that is.

“This is both boring and frustrating,” said Julian with a huff.

Alex chuckled. “Welcome to the world of research,” he said with a sigh. He set his computer aside and stretched languorously, trying to get the kink out of his neck. “It’s almost exciting every time you find a new thing, until you see that it’s either not really new or not really a thing.”

“And then you get to do it all over again,” said James dryly. “That’s always my favourite part.”

“Well, I think we’re done for the day,” said Jacques, making one last note on their papers and closing up his laptop.

“Sounds good to me,” agreed Julian, doing the same. They all closed up and took a moment to stretch and walk around the flat. It was nearly time for dinner, anyway, so there was no need to get right back to it any time soon.

“I want to take the evening off after dinner,” said Alex, “but I honestly would only worry about the time we were wasting I did.”

Julian chuckled and pulled him down for a kiss. “We’ll have a big dinner break and maybe talk about something else awhile, like the house, and then we can all come back to it with fresh eyes.”

“Bedtime will feel like a luxury,” said Jacques. James sat him down and came up behind him to rub his neck, which made Alex faintly envious, having been on the receiving end of one of James’ therapeutic massages before.

“Everything that isn’t staring at a screen will feel like a luxury,” agreed Alex.

James chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn, and then James will get me,” he assured Alex. “No puppy eyes required.”

Alex laughed sheepishly. “They weren’t on-purpose puppy eyes,” he said. “I was just remembering when you helped with my leg.”

“It’s a good skill for a Guardian,” agreed Jacques. “James is a lot better than me, but we’re both pretty good.”

“You can do me, then,” said Julian, plopping himself on the floor in front of Jacques. “It’s more efficient this way.”

Jacques laughed, his hands looking huge against Julian’s smaller neck and shoulders. Julian made a very happy noise indeed as Jacques dug in, fingers working at muscles gone tight from too much computer work.

Alex sighed. “I’ll just be jealous, then,” he said. “And change into pyjamas, actually. Do you mind if I have a quick shower?”

“Take Horace,” said Julian. “Then I’ll forgive you for showering without me.”

“It’s a deal,” agreed Alex. He bent down to get a kiss, and then headed off for a quick, cleansing shower and silk pyjamas, one of his favourite creature comforts. When he came out, they had switched places, and Jacques motioned for Alex to take Julian’s previous spot on the floor.

Alex folded himself into the spot and let out an involuntary moan when James’ strong fingers dug into his sore shoulders. “Oh, wow, that’s. Ow. But wow.”

“Mmhm,” agreed James. Jacques was working on his shoulders now, and it sounded like he’d been just as much in need as Alex. “

“Jacques’ hands are amazing,” said Julian, sprawled over the comfy chair looking much happier with life. “Just as soon as I can make myself move, I’ll do rounds of the houseplants again.”

“Wait until I can come with you,” suggested Alex. “I’ll check the wards while you do.”

“I like any line of thinking that lets me laze about longer,” said Julian with a grin.

“You would,” teased Jacques. “I’m glad we can be of some use here, to be honest. We’re not even sure there will be another attack on Julian, but we’d feel bad if we left him, too.”

“You’re helping feed us,” said Alex. “That’s useful.”

Julian giggled. “That’s our Alex, always thinking with his stomach.”

“Not always,” teased Alex, shooting him a sly look. James dug into a particularly sore spot on his neck and Alex let out a pained noise. “Ow.”

“Use the big brain when I’m working on you, please,” said James with false primness.

They bantered back and forth like that until Alys declared dinner was ready a few minutes later, and then they joined the brownies in the kitchen for a wonderful slow-cooked roast.

Once dinner and dessert were eaten, with a promise of chocolate pears before bed if they were good, they went back to the living room and flopped out on the couches and chairs.

“All right, so far literally the only thing that’s come up as magically significant is the connection to Dr. Drewery. We’ve been ignoring that, but what if we don’t? What if we assume they were both magically murdered for the same reason?” said Alex.

“Then I think we have to wait for Thomas to send over whatever he can about their work,” said Julian. “Some if it was confidential, and none of us have badges to use to weasel the information out of people.”

“Tragically, he did email something over,” said Alex. “Let’s see if it’s what we need.” He sent the files on to all three of them, and they started to dig into the information. It wasn’t that well-organised, since Thomas was too busy to do that part of their job for them, and the information on Dr. Lewis was still pretty sparse.

“So, Dr. Drewery specialised in magically-induced traumas,” said Julian. “And Dr. Lewis did work on identity? How did they work together again?”

“Dr. Lewis consulted with some magical trauma victims who’d had their sense of self compromised, faeire-struck and that sort of thing,” said Alex. “So there would have been a pool of people in need of referral from one to the other and back again.”

“It says here that Lewis worked with some magical criminals as well, trying to rebuild their identity outside of their crimes,” said James.

“I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this,” said Alex. Scanning through the files on Drewery was frustrating, but eventually he found a reference to her doing similar work. “We really need to hope that mystery glass wasn’t a genie bottle.”

“Who would let some psychologist take a known murderer out of the detention centre?” asked Jacques. “Even inside a bottle, he’s still in jail.”

“Well, technically he’s never been convicted,” said Alex dubiously. “Look, I’ll call Lapointe and she’ll tell us he’s safe and sound in some creepy cell in a magical institute for the criminally insane.”

Alex got out his phone and dialled, but he already knew in his gut what she’d say. The familiar arpeggios and snippets of melody were fitting into a different pattern, now, and it wasn’t one he’d ever thought he’d have to revisit.

“Lapointe,” she said, sounding very tired.

“I hate to bother you,” said Alex, “but can you find out where Duckworth’s being held?”

Julian shivered when Alex said his name, looking very unhappy.

“That’s a very random request,” she replied. “Care to tell me why I’m going to take time out of my very busy evening to call corrections?”

“What if the broken artefact in Dr. Drewery’s office was a genie bottle?” asked Alex. “The only magical thing that pops up in Dr. Lewis’ background is the places her work intersects with Dr. Drewery’s, and one of those places is with magical corrections.”

“Oh,” said Lapointe. “Oh, that’s bad. That’s, um. I’ll call. You’ll stay inside your wards?”

“Of course,” said Alex. “I like it here. We’re all here, and you should consider staying in your office tonight, unless you want to make like Jones and sleep on the couch.”

“Nah, I don’t think Smedley and I made much of an impression on him,” said Lapointe tiredly. “He was frothing for you and Julian and your Guardians, though, so I am very happy to hear you’re home safe.”

“Thanks,” said Alex sincerely. He hung up so she could call and get the news, good or bad. “I don’t want to think we’re on the right track, but I really do think we’re on the right track.”

“I hope you promised to stay inside,” said James darkly.

“I did,” said Alex, curling around Julian more carefully. “We’ll all stay inside. And now I wonder if the fairy curse was Duckworth, too, though he was originally more focused on the Source than its owner.”

“Well, revenge is revenge, now,” said Jacques darkly.

James added, “If Lapointe confirms our theory, we’ll get ourselves assigned to you properly.”

“Officially, instead of on leave visiting friends,” said Jacques.

Julian nodded. “We’ll appreciate that,” he said, his voice small. He curled into Alex and hid his face. “I don’t want it to be him.”

“I know, love,” said Alex, kissing his hair and holding him closer. “I don’t, either.”

Jacques got up and went into the kitchen ostensibly to make a pot of tea and, Alex suspected, primarily just to not be sitting there waiting for bad news. James started doing something with his computer, face serious and worried in an entirely different way than when the threat had been nebulous and nameless.

“Why didn’t you have those before?” asked Alex, gesturing to the computer.

“We’re not supposed to take them to see Charges, they’re a distraction,” said James. “You, however, weren’t our Charge, and are more capable of taking care of yourself than most, anyway.”

“Even me,” said Julian proudly, peeking out of his cuddle.

“Even you,” agreed James. “You’re both practically self-rescuing.”

“We still needed you, in the end,” said Alex. “Both times.”

“And you’ve more than made it up to the Temple,” said Jacques, leaning in the kitchen doorway while the sounds of something being cooked clinked on behind him. “You’re a friend of the Guardians now, we won’t have any problem getting the assignment.”

“If it’s needed,” said Alex, glancing at his silent phone.

“You’re sure,” said James. “You heard something that made you sure.”

Alex nodded glumly. “There was something familiar at both crime scenes, and now that I’m piecing it together with Duckworth...” He sighed. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

The phone ringing was almost anticlimactic, for all it made them jump. Alex answered on speaker this time. “Give us the news,” he said, holding it out so they could all hear.

“It’s him,” said Lapointe. “Through a completely bizarre paper trail, the two psychologists together managed to get leave to remove the genie bottle to their own premises for the purposes of study.”

“Well, I’ll leave untangling that to you,” said Alex. “I’m basically certain it was him at both scenes, and I’m guessing he hasn’t been able to re-form fully yet, which is why he’s so angry.”

“You think he, what, got into her head somehow?” asked Lapointe.

“I do, he’ll have had a long time to get used to being incorporeal in the genie bottle, though I’ve heard one can become fully physical inside the bottle space. Clearly, he didn’t manage it,” said Alex. “We really need Ms. Eberly to get it reassembled so I can figure out if it was damaged before or after the shattering spell.”

“All right, so let’s assume both attacks were Duckworth,” said Lapointe.

“All three,” said James. “Julian’s curse can’t possibly be a coincidence, coming between the other two murders.”

“Right, three,” said Lapointe with a sigh. “If that’s the case, do we have any idea of what he’ll do next?”

“Well,” said Alex, “despite the crazy, I should be able to understand his magic. He was trained under the same tutor as I was back at boarding school, so he’ll be inclined to follow the rules of magic the way I learned them.”

“I think that’s comforting?” said Lapointe. “And he clearly wants revenge, and a body.”

“Oh,” said Alex. “That makes perfect sense, then.”

“Oh, no,” said Julian. “No, no, no.”

“He couldn’t get you, though,” said Alex. “You’re too well-warded, personally and now in here. So he settled for preserving you until he could figure out a way around the protections.”

“I am so creeped out right now,” said Lapointe. “But you’re right, it makes perfect sense. So, he becomes Julian, he gets revenge on you both plus the Source.”

“I am never leaving this flat again,” said Julian, hiding in Alex’s arms again. “That takes the creepy cake.”

“We won’t let him have you,” said Alex. “We can power up the Guardian amulet, once they’re assigned to you, that will keep you even safer.”

“We won’t let him have either of you,” said James, closing his laptop. “Don’t forget that you’re just as vulnerable as Julian when it comes to getting what he wants.”

“Well, not until after the wedding,” said Alex, kissing Julian’s hair. “I’m not the owner yet.”

“Emmy will not accept that as an excuse,” said Julian, turning his face up for a proper kiss.

Alex smiled softly. “She’ll wait for the garden wedding you want in the spring, though,” he said. “We won’t be cooped up in here that long.”

“We won’t let you,” said Jacques. “James, will you call? I’m going to finish this with Alys while I’m still off duty.”

“I’ll call,” said James, pulling out his phone. “Is there anything you need from the Temple? I don’t want to leave them this time, so I’ll arrange someone to drop a bag off.”

“Oh, yes, I brought my weapons but not the uniform,” said Jacques. “I’ve only got casual clothes.”

“Me, too,” said James wryly. “I guess we were both hoping it was a false alarm.”

“Hope is good,” said Julian. “And I know we’ll get through this together, anyway.”

“We will,” said James, giving him a smile. He stood up to make his phone call in the relative privacy of the bedroom, while Jacques vanished back into the kitchen.

“I love you,” said Alex softly, “but I’m sorry our lives have been so fraught since you became mine.”

Julian kissed him with toe-curling intent. “My life was fraught before you swept in and saved the day, you know,” he scolded. “Without you, I’d be Willoughby’s playtoy and I’d never have gotten to heal a wish tree or meet fairies or have brownies and Guardians for friends.”

Alex smiled, relaxing. “You’re right, love, you’re always right,” he said, stealing another kiss. “And even from the start you helped rescue yourself, so I know we’ll be fine.”

“That’s right,” said Julian. “And I love you and you can’t get out of marrying me now.”

Alex laughed. “I have no intention of trying,” he said, giving the ring a kiss. “Did you ask Emmy to look for something for me?”

“I did, actually, she and Phin are going to go so he can say if it’s sufficiently masculine, and she can say if it’s sufficiently weird,” teased Julian. “She promised to email me to send Horace for it if we can’t come out in person.”

“Did you want to call her tonight? She and Phin are going to be tertiary targets, too.” Alex kissed Julian’s hair and went back to worrying.

Julian poked him. “I’ll call her, but you have to promise to spend some time with me later where you don’t fret about Duckworth at all for at least a little while.”

Alex let himself fall into the next kiss, breathing in the scent of Julian’s skin and the familiar warmth of his mouth, hearing the wash of his magic, so familiar, healthy and whole. “Yes,” said Alex softly, and then he smirked. “I know you know how to distract me.”

“You shouldn’t send Horace out,” said Jacques, emerging with a laden tea tray all ready to pour. “He was also instrumental in thwarting Duckworth’s plans.”

“Oh,” said Julian softly. He whistled and Horace flew over for a snuggle, chirruping worriedly. “You have to stay safe, Horace, I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“We’ll all do everything we can to stay safe,” said Alex firmly. “No heroics or investigating or anything, the plants will live without you, the murders will get solved without me.”

“That’s far too sensible,” said Jacques, eyes narrowing. “You’re going to jinx us so we have to leave.”

Alex sent up a silent wish that Jacques’ words didn’t prove prophetic.

CHAPTER 12

In Which Precautions Are Taken, and We Are Confined to the Premises

They had a very restful night, and in the morning Father Stephen himself came to deliver the bag for James and Jacques, along with their official orders and his blessings. He couldn’t stay longer than a pastry and a cup of tea, but he assured Julian that his various projects wouldn’t be neglected, and they’d be sure that the wish tree was getting visitors.

“We can’t send Horace out,” said Julian sadly. “Duckworth doesn’t like him any more than the rest of us.”

“Well, clearly he is a man of terrible taste in people,” said Father Stephen. “How could anyone dislike your Horace?”

Horace chirped and flew over for his own blessing, staying to say something to Father Stephen. Alex had a feeling that the priest actually understood the bird as much as any of them did.

“I’ll make sure the tree isn’t neglected,” said Father Stephen. “I intend to make a visit myself after this.”

“You’re one of our friends that Duckworth has no reason to associate with the original incident,” said Alex. “So let’s keep it that way?”

“I promise,” said Father Stephen. “The Temples can protect their own, and you know I do most of my work from inside them.”

“Plus he’s really powerful,” said Julian. “You can hear it, I know.”

“I can,” said Alex. “You’re always clear as a bell, I think your magic would cut right through Duckworth’s fog.”

“Then I won’t worry myself overmuch,” said Father Stephen. His phone beeped, and he sighed and drained his teacup. “I will, however, have to be going, as I have an appointment after my stop at the tree.”

They saw him out, laden with a stack of tins from Alys, and switched out the fairy offering while the door was open. The hallway was quiet and clear, which Alex found far too reassuring. He didn’t know what Duckworth’s current form looked like, after all, but the bright sunshine streaming down the corridor seemed like the perfect antidote to the fog from the Masquerade.

“So, what now?” asked Alex, doing up the locks and whistling at the wards. He’d been experimenting with a way of tightening them up that took a fair amount of energy from him on a continuous basis, but if he wasn’t doing any other magic he could handle the drain.

“Make sure Alys knows you’re doing that much magic,” said Jacques, squinting at him.

Alex laughed. “I’ll be sure to let her know,” he said. “I’ll be fine as long as we’re just inside and that’s mostly all I’m doing.”

“Mostly?” asked Julian curiously. “You’re doing something with the wards?”

Alex snuggled up to him. “I am, they’re tighter now, but it takes energy to keep them this way so I can’t do it all the time, especially when I’ve got other work to be done. But since we already fixed up your amulet, there’s nothing else that needs my magic to keep it going.”

“Just as long as you don’t overdo it,” said James, “I won’t object.”

“All of the attacks happened during the day,” said Alex, thinking aloud. “I originally set it up as an extra precaution at night, using some energy while I’m asleep but keeping us safer.”

“But then you wanted to keep the fog from creeping in,” said Julian, giving him a kiss. “I don’t blame you.”

“Nor do I,” said Alys, coming out with a fresh pot of tea. “I’ll make sure you’re fed accordingly.”

“Does this mean extra sweets?” asked Alex innocently.

She snorted. “You’re lucky you actually do deserve the treats,” she said. She waved her hand and the tea began to pour itself while she went back to the kitchen. “If Jacques wishes to join me, I have an idea or two we might try out.”

“Ooh, yes, coming!” Jacques grinned. “Don’t plan anything important without me.”

“We’ll come in there if we need to strategise,” promised Alex. “It’s comforting, having you cook for me again.”

“I suppose it was all a part of saving your arse the first time around,” said James with a chuckle. “Is there anyone you have to tell that you two are out of commission for the time being?”

“Murielle will have told Geoff, but I ought to call him,” said Julian. “Father Stephen and the Temples already know, obviously, and I’ll call Mary Margaret later to warn her to be careful.”

“I should call my family, and you should call Emmy,” said Alex. “So, yes, we should make some phone calls once we’ve had a bit more tea.”

“Definitely more tea,” said Julian with a yawn. “I didn’t sleep that well.”

“Alex should’ve worn you out better,” teased James, which made Julian blush fetchingly.

“I’ll do better tonight,” promised Alex. He nibbled on Julian’s ear, getting a laughing squeal of protest and a shove for his trouble, but Julian was smiling when the settled down, so Alex counted it as a win. “What about you two, what will you do?”

“We’ll do our own research on Duckworth, if the Temple has anything they can send over. Jacques will cook, and I’ll maintain our weapons,” said James. “And then when we’ve exhausted those avenues of activity, we’ll play cards or read.”

Alex laughed. “So, the usual, then. I’ll see what I have from the first case, and get Lapointe to send over anything she can legally share with us about Duckworth.”

“Will his therapy records be sealed, even though he killed his therapists?” asked Julian, making a face.

“Maybe still sealed,” said Alex. “There’s precedent for unsealing them in cases of clear intent to commit murder, which we’ve got, but I think it takes a judge’s order or something. I’m honestly not involved with all that much.”

“So, you’ll call Murielle, too,” said James.

“Or you can,” said Alex with a shrug. “If you’re officially on the case, I’m sure that gives you some legal access to, you know, stuff.”

“Maybe even things,” said Julian innocently. “Should I do my plant rounds before we make phone calls?”

“Yes,” said Alex. “I’ll do them with you and check all the window wards.”

“Clever mage,” said Julian, looking smug, as though this had been his plan all along.

“Sly grower,” said Alex, kissing him sweetly. “At least we’re both in the peak of health this time, despite the curse.”

“No one’s been stabbed, kidnapped, or mugged,” said Julian, sounding almost cheerful. “Really, it’s an improvement, despite the enforced confinement.”

“Which will get very old in a few days,” said James. He stood and stretched. “I’ll call Lapointe while you do your rounds, in case she’s got questions.”

“Yes, all right,” said Julian. He downed the rest of his tea with a sigh, and Alex followed suit.

They got up and followed James’ lead, stretching to loosen up the tension creeping into their bodies. Alex slipped a hand under Julian’s shirt and started to softly hum, first his simple diagnostic, and then a perception charm that would help them both do their jobs a little better. It didn’t take much power, which was good given that he could feel the wards already slowly draining his reserves.

They started in the kitchen, where pots were merrily bubbling on the stove and everything smelled like citrus. The butterfly fairies there were happy to let Julian check on their plant, and their usual one even landed on Alex’s free hand to let him check her over. Jacques gave them both a bit of sweet something as a treat. Both fairies sipped delightedly while the humans went over to the window. Alex stepped up his spell to really examine the wards, looking for any trace of either fog or those hair-thin lines of magic that Duckworth had used in the trap-spell on Julian.

“You know,” said Alex, when both plants and wards proved to be fine, “I don’t think Duckworth even knows where I live.”

“Well, why would he? Though Willoughby did send Con here, so they must have had some idea,” said Julian.

“Hm, we should ask Con how exactly he was directed here,” said Alex, allowing Julian to lead them over to the second window box by the bookshelves in the living room. “I’ll sneak a butterfly out to him next time someone comes over.”

“Good,” said James. “I’d like to keep opening the door and windows to a minimum.”

“Will do,” said Julian. “Neither window box needs anything, Alex conjured some rain for them the other day and they’re feeling pretty happy.”

“Well, they’re quite spoiled, with you to care for them,” said Alex. He stole a kiss, and then it was his turn to lead Julian back into the work room. He kept meaning to add Julian to these wards, but they didn’t have the same adaptability as the ones he’d put on the flat as a whole, so he’d left them as is rather than redo them entirely. Perhaps his work at the Temple, whenever he managed to resume it, would help him learn to integrate new ideas into stable wards like these.

“As are you,” Julian teased Alex. They left the door invitingly open and headed in to check the last window. There was no box outside this one, but it had plants arrayed all around it to get sufficient sunlight, and Alex always liked to check the double-thick wards here, too, just to see if there was any friction between them if nothing else.

“Can you reach the fertiliser?” asked Julian, pointing to where the jar of potion glowed softly on a shelf.

“Yep.” Alex snagged it and handed it over, pausing to listen to its magic. Julian and Geoff had brewed this bottle under his tutelage, and he could hear snippets of all three of them mixed in with the organic melodies of growing things and good health. “You guys did a good job.”

“We have a good teacher,” said Julian. He dropped a measure dictated by his own internal magic sense into the watering can, then filled the rest with clean water from the sink. He’d spread the magic out amongst all the plants that needed water, rather than hoarding the potion just for the plants that required it. Alex liked that Julian gave unstintingly, whether it was affection or a potion or his own magic.

Alex started his humming back up, feeling Julian putting energy into the plants while he cared for them, and then expanding his attention to the window and the wards. The rigidity of his work room wards kept them from meshing with the wards on the flat, which in turn gave more structure to the whole. He’d considered tying them into one another, but he liked that there were separate wards that held their own, long-stored power that they could retreat to, or that could contain any magical accidents, which was their original function. The wards on the flat would allow anything out that wished to leave, while preventing entry; the work room didn’t allow magical energy in or out, though people could always leave by way of the door.

No connections had formed between the two, nor were there any weak spots caused by their proximity, which made Alex very happy indeed. “Looks like the wards are all safe,” he told Julian, letting himself be led from plant to plant.

“I might rearrange a little in here after lunch, those exotic herbs are still a bit grumpy, the ones left over from the Prophetic Dreams potion you made for the Temple,” said Julian.

“Right, they never have told me if they’re going to want more,” said Alex. “Well, and you sort of like them, even though they’re grumpy.”

Julian grinned up at him. “I’m drawn to grumpy things, it’s true.”

They shared a few more kisses, then went into the bathroom where Julian kept a whole plethora of hanging plants that thrived on the steam. Horace chirped sleepily down from them; they were a favourite hiding spot of his.

“There you are,” said Alex fondly. “You’re going to be stuck carrying notes around the house for a while, I’m afraid. That horrible fog-man is back after our Julian again.”

Horace let out a rather fierce warble and flew down to Julian’s shoulder to stand sentinel, making Alex smile very fondly indeed. He leaned down and kissed Horace’s head. “Just so, we’ll all do our part to protect our Julian from Duckworth.”

Julian kissed Horace as well, and then Alex for good measure. “And I’ll take care of myself as best I can,” he assured them both.

They finished up the bathroom quickly enough; the plants here had been chosen for their suitability to the environment, and grew lushly with very little intervention. There was a small interlude for a bit of snogging, but eventually they made their way back out to the living room, for a fresh pot of tea and a sweet snack of more citrusy fruit salad and chocolate-covered pear slices from Saveur.

“You do bribe us well to stay home,” said Julian, savouring another of the addictive pears. Ellen had branched out into other fruits, mainly specific apple varietals, but they were both in agreement that the pears were still the best.

“We’ve grown used to you as our humans and don’t want to start over,” said Alys tartly. “Eat your fruit salad.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Julian, grinning.

“We wouldn’t want to put you through the trouble of breaking in all-new humans,” said Alex.

“As you shouldn’t,” she said. She vanished back into the kitchen to continue whatever arcane experiment she and Jacques were carrying out.

Alex let his mind wander while he ate, trying to think back to anything he knew about Duckworth from school that might be relevant to the current situation. Their old magic professor was long retired, but if they grew desperate, Alex wasn’t above giving him a call and hoping he’d been forgiven for whatever youthful transgressions he’d made.

“What do you remember about Duckworth from the Courtship?” asked Alex, remembering now that Julian had spent far more time with the man than anyone else they knew.

“He was one of the ones that never quite seemed interested in me,” said Julian, between bites of fruit. “He was always asking about the lands instead.”

“Which makes sense with what we know of his motives, if he was planning on giving you to Willoughby,” said Alex, making a face. “Ugh, that even sounds horrible.”

“Well, he is horrible, so that makes sense,” said Julian, unperturbed. “I’ve talked to Father Stephen about it, some, I’m pretty much at peace with everyone’s motives for Courting me.” He shot Alex a sweet smile. “Especially yours.”

“I did try to be virtuous,” said Alex. “You have been very good at getting around my virtue, though.”

“And into your trousers,” said James, amused.

“Ugh, that took ages!” protested Julian. “He was such a maiden. With you two playing chaperone, I didn’t get more than a snog until after we were engaged.”

“Well, you got what you wanted as soon as they moved out,” said Alex warmly. “I have never been so grateful as I was after you agreed to keep dating me.”

They shared a sweet kiss, and then broke it off and shot James sheepish looks.

“Oh, go on, I’m used to you two,” said James with a laugh. “You’re still very much in love, it’s quite heartening, really.”

Alex beamed at him. “I sort of envied your relationship with Jacques, you know, and then Julian gave me a partnership of my own.”

“Well, and sex,” said James dryly. “Though, to be honest, I don’t miss it.”

“I’d miss it,” said Julian, “but I can see how you might not, if you had enough magic and the companionship of someone you loved.”

“And faith,” said Alex softly. “That’s the part I never quite understood, but I can see that it sustains you both, and the Father as well.”

“Not all members of the Temple are celibate,” said James. “The Fathers and Mothers and Guardians are, but there’s plenty of people who give us their time and energy who aren’t. Like you two.”

“We’re learning,” said Julian proudly. “You have all made it much easier than I thought it could be to adhere to the things the Temple stands for: life and hope and healing.”

“Good,” said James, looking satisfied with himself. He finished up his snack and stood. “It’s all right if I clean our weapons out here?”

“Yeah, use the table,” said Alex. “I’ll make my calls from the work room, Julian can use the bedroom.”

Alex and Julian finished off their snacks and split off to make their calls. Alex started with Murielle, as a way of avoiding his family as long as possible, and she promised to bring Thomas by later for a visit and to deliver Duckworth’s files. After he got her to hand him off to Thomas to talk about video games, computer purchases, and Thomas’ role in bringing both into Alex and Julian’s life, he hung up with a sigh and dialled Victor.

“Alex, are you dying?” asked Victor, sounding genuinely concerned.

“I’m not dying, but Duckworth’s escaped from his genie bottle, so Julian and I are back under Guardianship and confined to the house. I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else, that’s all,” said Alex. “And do try to be careful yourself, they did go after a number of secondary targets the first go-round.”

“It’s just the one, not the other?” asked Victor, sounding annoyingly unconcerned. “Duckworth, didn’t you go to school with him?”

“Yes, Duckworth was the mage half of the pair that tried to murder me and enslave Julian during his Courtship,” said Alex. “Anyway, we won’t need Jones, but we might need more food from the house, since Alys is feeding all of us.”

“Of course, of course,” said Victor. “I know you’ve been donating time and work to the Temple,” he said, sounding a bit disturbed by Alex’s sudden bout of volunteerism, “but I assume a monetary donation won’t go amiss?”

“Of course not, that would be kind of you,” said Alex. “Father Stephen told me that your donations have done a lot to help the community.”

“Yes, well, all to the greater good and such,” said Victor. “Oh, I’ve got to go, do call if you’re dying.”

“I’ll be sure to,” said Alex, hanging up. Henry would hear it from Victor and call if he cared to know more, but Flora and Fauna would both be in a snit if he didn’t call them personally. He toyed with his worry stone for a moment, and then decided he’d been a good boy and could go get another cup of tea before he called the girls.

“Alys, could I have a cup—oh, yes, perfect timing,” Alex said. An already-prepared mug floated over to him, spoiling his chances for a break. The smirk on James’ face told him he was being far too transparent, so he took a fortifying sip and ducked back into the work room to make the next couple of calls.

Alex called Flora first, knowing she valued getting the news faster, and then spent half an hour listening to her own litany of gossip before he got the chance to get a word in edgewise. Once he’d explained the bare bones of the situation, though, he pled off with the perfectly valid excuse that he needed to call Fauna. She had much less gossip to share, but forced him to explain more on his end, so by the time he extricated himself from that call Alex was about ready to give up talking altogether.

When he emerged this time, everyone was waiting along with a very hearty lunch of ham sandwiches, soup, more fruit salad, homemade potato crisps, and some sort of fruity energy drink that Jacques and Alys had concocted and was surprisingly refreshing, if a bit odd. “This is almost worth those phone calls,” said Alex, digging in.

“Wait until you try the crisps,” said Julian, offering one to him. “They’re brilliant.”

Alex tried it and was rewarded with a bright burst of herbs on his tongue that went wonderfully with the crispy, salty potato. “Oh, wow, yeah, okay. That’s worth it.”

“Told you,” said Julian. He started chattering on about how the nursery was doing, and the homework assignment Mary Margaret had given him. After all the hard work he’d put in the past months, she wanted him to sketch up some ideas for his Journeyman Work. That got them all excited for him, though he warned them that it might take him another year to design and build it, whatever it turned out to be.

Alex gave them news from his family in a much shortened form, and then told them that Thomas and Murielle were coming over later to talk about the case and, hopefully, games. James and Jacques were mostly quiet, though Jacques was growing quite curious about this new hobby of theirs.

“It’s not something I could ever get into, really, I have too many other responsibilities,” said Jacques, “but I’d love to see what you do with it.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be like Thomas with it,” said Julian, “but he makes it so appealing, and I have more down time than you two, especially in the evenings.”

“I make sure neither one of us works ourselves to death,” said Alex. “So this seemed like something we could share with Thomas, especially since he tends to get really into one or two games at a time instead of always hopping on the new hot thing.”

“He’s been playing Castles for months now,” said Julian. “And his other one he’s played for years, but it doesn’t look like as much fun. You don’t get to build stuff, just run around and do quests and level up.”

“I can see how it would have some appeal to you both, building,” said Jacques. “You both like to create something lasting.”

“I guess so,” said Alex, smiling. “I didn’t really think of it that way, but I have been happier since I started making more charms and things.”

“I love building gardens that are going to last,” said Julian. “I think my Journeyman work will probably be for a Temple, you guys have the land for it, but I might do something on the estate or even public land, if I can think of something.”

“We’ll help you think of ideas,” said James. “While the Temple would love to house your Journeyman Work, it’s good to look outside of us sometimes, too.”

Julian nodded, looking very happy with life. “I know that between you guys and everyone else we know, we’ll find the right thing,” he said. “And then, once I’m a Journeyman, I’ll be looking toward a Masterwork, so I’ll have all the ideas that were too big to look into.”

“Smart,” said Alex, kissing his hair. “You’re good at looking ahead, better than I ever was.”

“You didn’t like to think of your big lonely future,” teased Julian. “But you have me, now, and I make you talk to your friends instead of just working with them.”

They finished off their lunches with more good-natured teasing as the spice, and then a wonderful ginger lime burnt cream that Jacques torched with an interesting application of magic. Once they were replete, Jacques vanished back into the kitchen and James got their weapons back out, showing them how he was doing some long-term maintenance while it was quiet.

CHAPTER 13

In Which Research Duties and Food Are Both Shared

The rest of the day passed slowly, and it was something of a relief when Murielle and Thomas showed up just before dinnertime, laden with paper files of all sorts. Alys floated out orange-infused drinking chocolate and a big bowl of candied, chocolate-dipped citrus peels as a snack, assuring them that she’d give them proper food to blunt all the sugar very soon.

“Wow, is this what you were doing all day?” asked Alex, eating one of the candies.

“One of the things,” said Jacques. “Alys had a lot of citrus she wanted to preserve or use up before it went bad, I guess Victor and Emmy both sent over a bunch, so we spent the day finding ways to use it.”

“Well, this is a really good start,” said Julian, taking another sip of the cocoa. “Really, really good.”

There were echoes of praise all around the table, and Alex had his own first sip of the drinking chocolate. It was rich and dark and had just the right amount of bright, fresh orange flavour to really liven it up. The whipped cream on top had been infused with a bit of something itself, but subtly enough that Alex couldn’t place it until Jacques admitted it was cloves.

“We only added a tiny bit, though,” said Jacques. “We didn’t want it to overwhelm the rest.”

“It’s really, really good,” said Lapointe, having another big sip and then scooping the cream up and licking it off her finger. “I don’t know why I don’t just eat every meal here.”

“Not enough bathrooms,” said Alex. “Otherwise you’d move in and sleep on the couch in order to get access to Alys’ cooking.”

“Too true,” she said with a sigh.

Thomas was sitting next to her on the couch and looking pleased with life. “I really like the cocoa, but these candied peels are amazing,” he said, nibbling on another one. “I can almost never find candied grapefruit peels anywhere.”

“You have to prepare them a little more carefully,” said Jacques, “but it’s worth it.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so, but it really is,” said Alex, trying one for himself. “They’re more complex than the lemon or orange.”

“As much as I’d like to talk about food all night,” said Julian, after another sip of cocoa, “I’d also really like to not get murdered.”

They all agreed that this was an excellent idea, and the topic moved back to Duckworth.

“Are we sure he’s the perpetrator of both murders?” asked Thomas.

“Ms. Eberly confirmed your guess about the genie bottle,” said Lapointe. “Once she had something to go on, it got a lot easier. She says she should have the reconstruction done in another day or two.”

“We can’t rule out that the second murder was unrelated, or the attack on Julian for that matter,” said Alex, “but it’s unlikely.”

“The first murder was definitely Duckworth,” said Lapointe. “And given the notes we’re allowed access to, which is all of them by the way, the second was probably him, too.”

“They released them all?” said James, sounding surprised.

Lapointe nodded. “We’ve got enough proof of intent to cause harm that his privacy was waived, the way it would be if the therapist had reported his intent to commit murder, instead of being the victim of the murder he intended to commit.”

They divvied up the various folders, with James and Jacques each taking one of the doctor’s files, Alex getting the file compiled by the detention facility, Thomas reading over the old case notes, and Julian reading the notes on Willoughby’s trial. Lapointe got the brownies to remove the painting above the mantel and started a murder board, this time looking not for the identity of the suspect, but where he might be holed up or try to strike next.

“So, the building at the Source is basically a ruin,” said Alex, after awhile, “but would that matter to him? Could he be out there now?”

“We really have no idea what his physical needs are,” said Lapointe. “Everyone I asked about the genie bottle said that they didn’t really know how they worked, since genies aren’t exactly forthcoming.”

“Hm, put that on my to-research list, then,” said Alex. “I know I’ve read about this, it’s some kind of pocket dimension where there is physicality, but I don’t remember what the details were about things like food.”

“And if he was still destabilised into a fog, who knows what he would have done about keeping his energy going,” said Jacques thoughtfully. “Maybe he found a way to sustain himself off the bottle itself, and that created a weak spot?”

“Or he found a weak spot and strengthened himself some other way until he could exploit it,” said James. “Still, the question of his needs is a really good one. If there’s been weird food thefts that might at least point us in a direction.”

“The Source is another good direction,” said Alex, stroking Julian’s back. “Someone capable of dealing with him should go out there.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bad idea, if he can tap it?” asked Julian curiously.

“If he can, then whoever you send can, too,” said Alex. “Unless he finds some way to bind himself to it, like the Queen to the Queen’s Ways, then the energy is just there for anyone to use if they’re close enough.”

“Unless there’s a Guardian on the other side,” said James. “Or do they only worry about their side of things?”

“I really have no idea,” said Alex, sounding a little sheepish. “I’m not sure anyone does, given how rare they are. We’ve got more than most in this area, which is part of why the city grew up around here.”

“People flock to where power is,” said James. “There’s even a Temple or two built around smaller magical sources. For that matter, the spring in the Gainesbury Temple is a very minor source.”

“It’s a good one, though,” said Julian with a sigh. “I wish we could visit it, I always feel better afterward.”

“Someday soon, love,” promised Alex. “Now that we know who and probably why, we’ll be able to get back out again soon.”

“What if those superfine magic threads were something he worked on inside the genie bottle?” asked Jacques. “I mean, the thing he figured out to escape, that he’s been putting to use ever since?”

“That’s a pretty good theory,” said Alex. “Those have the downfall that we can break them with enough resonance and pressure, but we should see about protecting against them specifically.”

“I like it when you guys specifically protect me against the bad things,” said Julian with a grin. “And you’ll protect Horace, too?”

“And Horace, too,” promised Alex. “He’s really quite well-protected, though, in ways a human can’t be, since I can’t carve your essential nature into your bones.”

“So, how is he changing if you did that?” asked Julian.

Alex smiled. “He’s becoming more of what I made him to be,” he explained. “There were a lot of extra little spell-pathways that I put in to give him loyalty, birdlike behaviours, motivation to do his job, that kind of thing, and the more you gave him power, the more those minor parts of his creation developed into his personality. That’s why I had to add to his design in order to let him tell time.”

“You figured all this out recently, didn’t you?” said Jacques, looking suspicious.

Alex laughed. “I did, yeah. I got curious because I didn’t want us to lose his personality if he was damaged again. The first time I repaired him, the new parts were basically the same as the old parts, the same runes and design and intentions, so the spells held together just fine. Now, if I tinker with him, I know to be careful only to add and never replace anything, in case it’s secretly essential.”

Julian kissed him very sweetly at that, long enough to get teasing from the rest of the room. Alex was a bit pink in the ears when he looked back up, but he couldn’t stop grinning.

“So, Horace is probably safe but in ways that don’t work for the humans,” said Lapointe with a sigh. “Still, it’s good to know he’s still useful in emergencies.”

“And we promise to send him out if need be,” said Julian. “But he’s staying in here with us if we can help it.”

“Understood,” said Lapointe with a grin. “So, let’s talk more about Duckworth. I know you’ve all got more to read, but since we’re guessing at his motivations, let’s guess a little faster.”

“We know he wants the Source on St. Albans lands specifically, because it was originally his grandfather’s,” said Alex. “Also, it’s the most powerful one around that doesn’t have a full-time Guardian.”

“We’re pretty sure he also wants revenge for thwarting his plans, specifically on Alex, Julian, and possibly anyone who helped them,” said James. “That includes myself and Jacques specifically, though also the Temple generally, as well as the Agency generally. Was there news coverage that named any of the other agents involved?”

“Our boss did all the press conferences,” said Lapointe. “I’m not sure he ever said anything more specific than ‘some of our best agents’ or whatever, but technically Smedley was the head agent on the case.”

“Even if he could get into Willoughby’s trial records, they are, quite frankly, a hot mess,” said Thomas. “There are a ton of random agents who get their names attached to something like this, and no effort was made to differentiate between Lapointe and Smedley and the guy who watched the tape at the crime scene.”

“Would he want revenge on Willoughby?” asked Jacques. “Technically he could be considered the one who failed Duckworth, especially if he was the one thinking up the plots while Duckworth did the magic.”

“Willoughby would be a sitting duck,” said Lapointe with a sigh. “Let me call over to his detention facility and see if there’s some kind of warded cell they can stick him in for the time being.” She got out her phone and went to the window seat to make her call while the rest of them went back to their reading.

“Well, we were right about Willoughby,” said Lapointe grimly, pocketing her phone. “They found him not an hour ago on the grounds. He’d been strangled by a willow branch, of all things.”

“Hm, that’s a long way to travel, even if you’re incorporeal,” said Alex. He pulled up a map on his laptop and flagged the locations of each murder site, as well as their flat, the Agency, the Temple where Julian had been attacked, and the source, and then sent it to print in his work room. “I’ll grab that in a minute,” he said, “but he’s definitely not just aiming for the source right off the bat.”

“I agree, he needs something before he feels like he can control it,” said James. “Or he’s so blinded by revenge he doesn’t need it anymore.”

“I’m guessing he thinks he needs Julian,” said Alex. “Everyone else has just been killed outright, at least as far as we can tell.”

“What if the whole scene with Lewis’ family was because she wouldn’t or couldn’t give him what he wanted?” said Lapointe, looking haunted as she went over it in her mind.

“Well, maybe the number one thing he wants is to be human again?” said Thomas. “I mean, normal. In a body.”

“But even with all the therapy he couldn’t keep it together? That would explain why it looked like he went poltergeist at first, before flying into the full murder rage,” said Alex thoughtfully. He tried to mentally view the scene with something like detachment, though it was difficult. “And hurting the family, that could even have been a last-ditch attempt to get Lewis’ compliance.”

“Where killing her was the final threat,” said Lapointe, nodding. “That fits our scene, yeah.”

“Okay, someone who is not me should add that research to their list,” said Alex. “I looked into the terrible consequences of failed shape-shifting when I was younger, and it’s universally awful, so I just decided to skip that entire branch of magic.”

“I can do it,” said Jacques. “The Temple has to deal with that kind of thing from time to time, so that’s something we can get the Archivist to look into for us.”

“That’s a good idea,” said James. “We hardly ever ask the Archivist for favours, and since this is to do with our Charges, she’s unlikely to refuse.”

“She always makes students come in and do it themselves,” said Jacques. “Everyone tries to get her to pull records, but she’s far too used to our wicked ways for that sort of thing.”

Alex laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “Not that I’m likely to ever get access to the Temple Archives, mind.”

“You never know,” said James. “The more service you do for us, the more you become one of us, in a way.”

“In a way,” said Alex, feeling warm inside. “Not in the celibate way, though.”

“No,” said Jacques with a laugh. “Not that way.”

“All right, well, that gave us more information but also lost us the best lead aside from the source on where he might go,” said Lapointe, dragging them back to the matter at hand.

“Well, and we know he had to use magic to kill Willoughby, even though it would have been easier to physically overpower him, since the cuffs would have dampened any magic touching him,” pointed out Jacques. “He couldn’t just choke him with magic, he had to use magic on the parts of the branch not touching Willoughby instead of doing it with his hands, so we know he doesn’t have enough control to have hands yet.”

“Right, so he’s still going to be incorporeal and foggy,” said James. “Besides, we know two people that Duckworth is dying to get his hands on, we just don’t want to lure him here until after we figure out how to catch him for good.”

“I think we should be focused on destroying him,” said Jacques, for once serious instead of fierce. “He’s proven clever enough to get out of the prison he was in, and granted, that wasn’t designed to hold him, but he’s too much of a risk to rely on finding the right artefact to contain him.”

“Not to mention the many, many cautionary tales involving wizards trapped in things that are let out years later to get revenge on their captors,” said Alex. “It’s practically its own section at the university library.”

“So, destroy instead of capture,” said Lapointe, looking, if anything, more worried. “What does that really mean?”

“It means James and Jacques will be taking advantage of having Charges that are protected, and using their Guardian powers for the greater good,” said Alex, serious and quiet. “They’ve got magic I can’t imagine.”

“Guardians know that we can’t always knock someone out with a spell and give them to the cops in cuffs,” said James. “We’ll ask the Archivist about that, too.”

“We can call Mother Sharp, too,” said Jacques. “She’ll talk us through a strategy.”

“Tomorrow morning,” said James, nodding. “It changes our way of thinking, when we’re planning on deadly force. We don’t do it often.”

“A Guardian of life would never be wasteful with life, even someone who was trying to hurt our Charge, but Duckworth has killed too many people already,” said Jacques. His voice was harder, more serious.

“Too many innocents,” said Alex, his own voice heavy with sadness at the memory of Lewis’ family. “You’re right.”

Lapointe licked her lips, then nodded. “I think we should keep this decision to ourselves, as much as we can. If Duckworth thinks we’re still out to recapture him, he’ll be sloppier than if he thinks he’s fighting for his life.”

“A cornered rat is a dangerous thing,” said James. “Best if he doesn’t know he’s in a trap until it’s too late.”

“You are all too serious,” said Alys, coming out of the kitchen. “Dinner is ready.”

“These are serious times,” said Julian quietly. “But it’ll be good to take a break from our thoughts to eat some of your delicious food.”

Files were tucked away while trays floated out for everyone to be able to partake. Julian deliberately turned the conversation to games and computers while they ate. Alys served them citrus-glazed roast pork and persimmon stuffing with chunks of candied peel, sweet potatoes with ginger and cinnamon, Brussels sprouts pan-fried with sweet onion and crispy chunks of bacon, and creamy potato leek soup. Everything was rich and flavourful, and Jacques was pleased to point out that most of the foods were in season.

“The other reason I can’t eat here all the time is how fat I would get,” said Lapointe, sighing happily as she dug into the creamy soup. “This is the best meal I’ve had since yesterday’s lunch,” she teased.

“This is better,” said Julian with a grin.

“Yeah, okay,” she admitted, having another spoonful of soup. “But yesterday was pretty good, too.”

“We’re spoiled,” said Alex happily. He knew there were dozens if not hundreds of things he ought to be worrying about, but for an hour he could be a happy man sharing a good dinner with his fiancé and friends. “But we share well.”

“Well, we share food,” said Julian. “You’re on your own for the other bits, or not as the case may be.”

“As it should be,” agreed Thomas, giving Lapointe a shy glance. He’d been more obvious of late, and Alex was starting to hope he might actually ask her out soon.

“Yes, I have no desire to share the rest with you,” said Murielle, making a face.

They all laughed, and James and Jacques started an exaggerated lament about having to listen to the happy couple, which turned into more teasing and banter. The food vanished in appreciative bites, and the tension in the room palpably lessened. By the time Alys floated out glasses of water sweetened with mint and a bit of lime, everyone was looking much less like their world was going to fall apart at any moment.

“There’ll be a sweet for afters in an hour or two, you need to digest a bit first,” said Alys her voice floating out with the water.

“Yes, Alys,” said Alex in ragged singsong, taking a sip of the cool water. “I’m sure it will be worth the wait, whatever it is.”

They complimented her on the meal and the perfect finish of the water, and all assured her that they’d be sticking around for pudding. Then Lapointe took a deep breath and stood, going back to the mantel. “All right, so where do we go from here?”

“Research, I think,” said Alex.

Lapointe sighed. “Right. Reading these files, and then passing them around and reading them again to get different insights. I can do some searches for other known associates, he’s bound to have had some friends other than Duckworth.”

“We’ll keep talking, too,” said James. “Together we have better ideas, so thinking aloud is encouraged.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Alex. “Do you need to borrow a computer?”

“Nah, I’ll make some phone calls. I can’t make Thomas do all my scut work, there are other minions with timesheets to fill,” said Lapointe. “Not everyone’s gone home yet.”

“Cruel,” said Thomas, but he was grinning. “We’ll get to work.”

“Oh, speaking of computers,” said Alex, “You will help us order a new one for me, right?”

Thomas grinned even brighter. “Of course I will, you want something like Julian’s, right? Portable but it’ll play games?”

“Yes, yes,” said Alex, acting grumpy for form’s sake. “I can’t let you drag him into it without going along, or else you might lure him away into your weird cloud-castles.”

“I only have one on a cloud,” said Thomas, but he looked smug and pleased that Alex had remembered it at all.

“Details,” said Alex. “Anyway, we’ll talk about that when we’re burnt out on this.”

“Good plan,” said Julian. He gave Alex a kiss and then they all took up their various files by mutual agreement, Lapointe getting up to go make her calls.

They read like that for two hours, the water refilling itself and the people commenting from time to time, sparking a short discussion before falling back into the paperwork. Lapointe commandeered some files no one had read yet, once she’d made the necessary phone calls, and everyone put their heads down and got to work. It was quiet and productive and Alex hated every minute that they had to stay trapped here to do it.

His mental spiral of annoyance was thankfully interrupted when Alys sauntered out with dessert and a grin. “Here ye go, then,” she said, making sure that each of them had their own serving of both dessert and coffee.

She’d made beignets and cafe au lait, the puffy little pillows of dough still warm and dusted with powdered sugar. The coffee was rich with milk, mellow and creamy and the perfect accompaniment to the pastries. “Wow, you really went all out.”

“Well, it was worth the trouble with so many of you working so hard,” said Alys.

“I’ve never had these for real before,” said Lapointe. “They smell amazing.” She was the first to pick one up and take a bite, and the sound she made was enough to make Thomas look a bit pink around the edges.

They all dug in, the case put aside again, each bite of dough light and sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The treat was decadent enough to perk them all up again, enough that they all got right back to work when it was gone, their conviction renewed by the sugar and caffeine.

Lapointe started to get calls back from the minions she’d set to researching Duckworth, and between those and the rest of their reading, they actually managed to flesh out a decent picture of Duckworth’s life, pre-Courtship.

“We’ve got a small list of his previous associates,” said Lapointe, tacking the page up on their murder board. “Not much family left, a few friends, and no one that’s tried to visit him in the Institute, not that there was much to visit about a bottle.”

“I wonder about that, there’s all these therapy notes but how did they even communicate with him?” asked James.

“They let him out of the bottle,” said Alex. “As long as he couldn’t maintain a physical body, and was inside the warded cell, there wouldn’t be much danger of losing him. Each genie bottle has a password, speak it once and let them out, speak it again and back in they go.”

“So he hasn’t been trapped in there the whole time,” said Julian thoughtfully. “I wonder if that’s better or worse, to keep getting glimpses of the life you left behind?”

“I’m sure he thinks he was forced to leave it behind,” said Alex dryly. “But I can’t imagine it was all that pleasant.”

“I’m starting to see that,” said Jacques. “Some of these later sessions he gets really angry as his time starts to tick down, and he starts affecting things in his environment.”

“That might be how he cracked the genie bottle,” said James. “If he could get himself together enough to act on it, he could have given it a jolt from the outside.”

“So he got to feel what it was like to be in our world again, and he definitely didn’t like it inside the bottle,” said Julian, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth. “He’s not going to want to go back in there, but he’ll also feel like he’s gotten out once, and he can do it again.”

“We’re really, really hoping he’ll get a little sloppy,” said Jacques. “But we can’t count on it. He’s clearly had a chance to practice his magic, whether or not that’s how he got out of the bottle.”

“So, he might or might not resent some of those people for not visiting,” said James. “Was there anyone else he might have colluded with?”

“No one comes up as suspicious,” said Lapointe, “but most of them were peerage, which unfortunately means they get a pass on things we’d consider suspicious for us plebes.”

“Villainy is so much harder for us commoners,” said Thomas with a pout in Alex and Julian’s direction. “You all have it so much easier.”

“Well, when I decide to take up the reins of villainy, I’ll be sure to hide behind my lineage,” said Alex. “Julian will make a wonderful partner in evil.”

“I should tell you not to joke, given your vast range of obscure knowledge about nasty magic,” said Lapointe, “but I know you too well to think you’d go that route. You’re way too lazy.”

“Too true,” said Alex with a laugh. “Honestly, killing people is the stupidest way to get what you want.”

Lapointe laughed. “You said something about that the first time I met you, I think.”

“It’s inefficient,” said Alex with a shrug. “There’s dozens of better ways to gather power in this day and age, human sacrifice is just a waste of energy. Why bother to try to plan the perfect murder when you can use pretty much any other method of power draw legally?”

The rest of them chuckled at that.

“Besides,” added Alex, “Why would I be the one to turn to villainy? I’ve got everything I want in life already.”

Julian kissed him very sweetly at that, and someone made aww noises at them, but Alex didn’t care because it was true. His life wasn’t perfect, but it was better than he’d ever imagined it could be, and in some ways that was better. Perfection always hid some kind of rot at its centre, in his experience; this happiness was built on a solid foundation, despite the occasional flaw. Or murder.

“All right, so that’ll be my research job, and Thomas’ if he can get away for it,” said Lapointe, once they’d given her their attention again. “I’ll look into all his known associates like a properly suspicious agent, and not just some intimidated civil servant.”

“You ought to be used to suspecting the peerage by now,” said Julian teasingly. “After my Courtship and all.”

Lapointe chuckled. “You all have lulled me into complacency with your fancy chocolates,” she teased.

“She does really love the fancy chocolates,” said Thomas with a grin. “Especially the weird flowery ones.”

“You like the ones with cheese in them,” Lapointe shot back. “I saw you having raptures over one the other day.”

“I like the ones with herbs in them,” said Jacques. “James likes the fruity ones.”

“I like them all,” said Julian.

“I’m going to take that as a hint,” said Alys. Plates of chocolates came floating out of the kitchen, four for each of them. “Ellen sent over a few new things for us to try, she says you’re a very good taste testing group.”

“Ooh, wonderful,” said Julian, snuggling up with his plate and a very acquisitive look on his face.

“Reviews requested, I’ve got an email ready to send her your impressions,” said Alys, looking smug as she leaned in the doorway with her tablet floating in front of her.

“All right, I guess we should all try the same ones at the same time, then?” asked Julian, glancing around. They came to an agreement to try the plainest one first, which was dusted with yellow but otherwise a normal-looking round truffle.

Alex bit into it, and honey flooded his mouth along with the rich dark chocolate and what he thought was actually pollen on top. Tipping it back to peer inside, there was actual honeycomb on the bottom, with creamed honey on top of that, thick and crystallised, and then a honey-coated hollow space at the very top that had held liquid honey. After the bright burst of honey on his tongue, there was a distinct floral flavour, though he couldn’t place it until Lapointe’s delighted, “Violets!”

“Oh, it’s like a field full of summer,” said Julian, his voice filled with longing. “Violets and honeybees and warmth.”

“Oh, there’s just a little spice in it,” said Alex, feeling that heat at the back of his throat. “Wow, that’s amazing.”

“Ellen has outdone herself,” said Jacques. “The layering is masterful, and the mix of flowers and pollen is so delicate.”

“Even the honeycomb is nice, the wax isn’t a bother at all,” said Thomas, sounding surprised. “Wow, that’s really good.”

They all heaped praise on it, and Alys dutifully took notes for Ellen. The next one they chose had a sugared leaf of something green across the top, and they all agreed that it looked like a good follow-up. Palate-cleansing sips of tea were taken, and then they all indulged in another bite.

This truffle was a creamier milk chocolate filled with a smooth ganache that tasted of pine forests, with something cool and crisp beneath it that Alex figured out was peppermint after a moment. “Oh,” he breathed, inhaling the smell of holidays and cold evenings and hot cocoa inside, and just a hint of something smoked and burning that came in at the very end. “Wow.”

“Wow,” said Thomas, sitting back in the chair. “It’s like Solstice at Gran’s with the wood stove and real trees and her special cocoa, she put those little candy canes in it for us,” he said.

“It’s seasons, then,” said Jacques, grinning. “Summer, then winter.”

“Oh, yes, that’s perfect,” said Julian, delighted. “Wow, she is going to sell so many of these.”

They chuckled agreement and there were more noises of delight as they ate their second halves, licking melty chocolate off their fingers and sharing their impressions. The decoration had been a bit of smoked mint leaf hiding under the sugaring, which had added the taste of fireplaces that perfected the treat.

“I don’t want to guess which is which,” said Alex, looking at the two that were left. “Let’s just pick one and see.”

The first taste that hit him was chocolate, which was rich and dark but not as dark as summer truffle had been. Then there was a warm bite of apple and caramel, laced with the earthy sweetness of beetroot and a hint of something herbal.

“It’s Thyme,” said Jacques delightedly. “Apple, beetroot, and thyme plus the caramel.”

“Mm, but it’s all sort of mixed in with the ganache, it’s so smooth,” said Lapointe happily. “I never did like beetroot before but this is really good, it’s like that smell of fallen leaves under your feet while you eat a caramel apple and walk in the park.”

“There’s no temperature component in this one,” said Julian, “but it doesn’t need one, I don’t think. And I like the cacao nibs on top, they have that same sort of earthy crunch like leaves underfoot, the way Murielle said.”

Alex savoured the second half of his, and then snuggled into Julian’s hair. “I already can’t pick a favourite,” he said, “and we still have one season to go.”

They all picked up the last little ball, which was white chocolate instead of milk or dark like the rest, and had a single sugared lavender blossom on top. Biting into it was like the first breath of spring air and golden sunshine, lemon and lavender with just a hint of vanilla and some green herb, mixed into an airy chocolate ganache rich with milk and sugar. It melted on the tongue and Alex sighed softly for the spring that was still several off.

“What’s that green taste?” asked James, rolling it around in his mouth.

“Oh, that’s wheatgrass,” said Julian. “It tastes like a fresh-cut lawn smells, doesn’t it?”

“It’s good in this,” said Lapointe, “but terrible in larger quantities.”

“But this is really, really good,” said Jacques. “Now I want to know what she’d do with spring rains, though.”

They all teased him about that, tossing increasingly ridiculous ideas around while they finished off their little bites of spring.

“I’ll send her your feedback, then,” said Alys, when the conversation lulled. “Including Jacques’ little challenge about rain, given the amount we get around here.”

“Ooh, making it a dare,” said Julian with a giggle. “I like it.”

She took the teapot to refill it, leaving them all to look at their work and sigh.

“Let’s call it a night,” said Alex. “I don’t want to spoil that with this.” He motioned to the files spread out on the table.

“Me, neither,” said Lapointe honestly. “All right, we’ll keep you posted.” She and Thomas gathered themselves up, and the folders were stacked on the coffee table to await further perusal tomorrow.

After he locked them out, Alex wondered if the stack really did look a bit ominous sitting there, or if it was just his imagination.

CHAPTER 14

In Which We Are Introduced to a New Pastime,
and Our Enemy Makes an Appearance

Thursday and Friday were much the same, research and phone calls and not getting anywhere useful. No one else died, though, at least no one who triggered a call to Lapointe, and they called that a win.

On Saturday, Thomas showed up with the new laptop he’d had Alex order for him to pick up, along with two copies of the Castles game for them to install.

“You each need a copy of the game, but there’s no monthly fee or anything,” explained Thomas, installing it on Julian’s machine while he transferred all the data and settings from Alex’s old computer to his new one.

“Not that we’d mind either way,” said Alex, “though I suppose it’s good, since I’m not getting paid for the case and I can’t really do any making right now.”

“Why wouldn’t you get paid?” asked Thomas, brows knitting.

“He never charges for kids,” said Julian, sounding sad. “Lapointe told me.”

“So this is pro bono, but I’m putting a lot of extra energy into our wards, so I can’t also do any other magic without sending me back to Dr. Chesterfield,” explained Alex. “Which is honestly fine, I’m just tired of research and whinging.”

“He likes to make stuff when he’s stuck, it helps him think,” said Julian. “We haven’t found a way for anyone else to help with either warding or making, though Jacques and James think I’m helping power him a little more than usual.”

Thomas shook his head. “I don’t really get magic, but I’m really glad you guys can take care of yourselves.”

“We’re helping!” said James indignantly. He and Jacques had swept the open floor between the couch and the door and were doing some sort of combat exercises. “We’ve got our own protections, but they’re different than permanent wards like Alex’s.”

“And Alex’s energy expenditure is making a huge difference against tiny things, like smoke or thread,” said Jacques. “Duckworth isn’t likely to be able to sneak anything past him.”

“Anyway, I’m kind of hoping this will help,” said Alex, gesturing toward the computers. “Something that uses a different part of my brain than trying to figure out Duckworth’s diabolical plans.”

“We don’t know for sure they’re diabolical,” quipped Julian. “They could just be homicidal.”

“I don’t know, murder is pretty diabolical,” Thomas shot back. “I mean, it’s hard to get more diabolical than homicide.”

“True, but he could be done with the murdery bits,” said Julian. “So then the rest of the plan might not be... Yeah, yeah, okay, diabolical villainy, I give.”

They were all grinning as Alex withdrew the hand that had been threatening to tickle him behind Thomas’ back. “Diabolical villainy,” agreed Alex with a nod. “And despite all my experience in the area, I’m really not that great at figuring out what that sort of person is doing it all for. That’s really Murielle’s area.”

“Alex solves the magic puzzles,” said Thomas, “and sometimes he gets insights, but Lapointe solves the people puzzles better and faster.”

Alex sighed again and went to poke at his laptop, getting his hand smacked away by Thomas. “It’s going to take forever, isn’t it?” asked Alex gloomily.

“I told you when we started that it’d be at least an hour,” said Thomas. “Castles is almost ready, though, you can watch Julian do the tutorial.”

“If I must,” said Alex. He got up and paced the room, picking up and putting down a couple of books and finally calling Horace to him with a whistle. He looked out the window and petted the bird the way he’d seen Julian do countless times, and was surprised when it really did help.

Alex was calmer and happier when they called him back over to the computers, and he kept Horace in his hands while he sat on Julian’s other side, watching as Julian learned how to fight monsters, gather items, and build his first tiny cottage on a vast moor.

“Now look at this, see, I’ve put you on some open land near me, I conquered it intending to expand but this way we can all play together,” said Thomas. He’d zoomed out on the map and was showing Julian how to roll over each bit of territory to see who it belonged to. “I’m planning to put Alex over here,” he added, rolling over another bit that was labeled as his. “I’ve set it up so my forces will surrender if you say the right code word, they put that into the system to let people bring in new players and shelter them from all the war until they get settled.”

“So you’re going to move us in next door, and then eventually we’ll all build stuff together?” asked Alex, smiling. “That’s really cool, actually.”

“Well, and this direction there’s some rare resources, so if we’re allies I can march through here and gather stuff, and pay you guys a fee for going across your territory. Then I can give you stuff that’s more common to start you out, and later on you can go get the rare stuff yourself,” said Thomas, mousing over an area that was marked unclaimable. “There’s a couple of these areas on the server that no one can take over, so that the rare stuff doesn’t end up all on one or two peoples’ hands.”

“Though people could still build all around it,” said Alex, seeing that big swaths of the other side of the unclaimable land were all in one person’s name. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Nah, she never bugs newbies,” said Thomas. “I don’t make war much, so she and I trade. I told her I was giving the spot to you guys.” He went a little pink. “She teased me about that, because we spent months fighting over it, until we drove some poor guy into a totally different are of the map.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s letting us have it, then,” said Julian. “Hopefully someday we’ll have good stuff to trade with her, too.”

“You will,” said Thomas. “We all have different interests, so you’ll end up doing things I don’t, and she doesn’t, and so will Alex.”

“So, really you just wanted a trade neighbour who’s into all the gardening stuff, is what you’re saying,” teased Julian.

“Well,” said Thomas with a laugh. “And magic. I don’t do hardly any of the magic stuff, outside of my floating castle.”

“Right, there’s magic,” said Alex, feeling a lot more interested suddenly. “Is it like Julian’s plants, where it’s part real and part made up?”

“Uh, honestly I have no idea,” said Thomas with a wry chuckle. “I don’t know enough about real magic or the game’s magic, though I think it’s mostly making stuff and not a lot of fancy rituals.”

“Well, maybe you can get me started and I can figure it out myself,” said Alex. If he could find something in this game to pull him out of his mental rut, then it would be worth every penny spent on computers that could run it.

“Oh, yeah, there’s tons of info in the forums, too,” said Thomas. “And I’m sure we can find someone to teach you a little bit, magic items are kind of rare because they’re hard to make, so a lot of people get bored of them and just build bigger castles instead.”

“Sounds like real life,” said James dryly. He and Jacques finished up whatever they were doing and came over to peer at the screen, leaning on the back of the couch. “This is really pretty, though, I can see the appeal.”

“That’s how he sucked me in,” said Julian cheerfully. “He showed me all his cool stuff and how pretty it all was.” He was running his little avatar around the screen, making friends with the local wildlife instead of killing it, which seemed to amuse Thomas.

“If you make too many friends, then it won’t let you expand your castle too much,” warned Thomas. “It’ll tell you there’s a fox’s den or rabbit burrow or dryad’s tree in every direction.”

“That’s okay,” said Julian. “Alex will build us a floating castle if that’s the case.”

“Or underground,” said Alex. He had pulled up the forums on his phone and was poking around. “I guess there’s a lot of bad stuff to kill underground, but you can make friends with some of them, too?”

“Oh, wow, if you did that, that would be so cool,” said Thomas. “I’ve only seen a few people that did underground lairs, but they’re really neat, especially if you can get the dwarves and gnomes and earth spirits on your side.”

“It looks pretty cool, and it seems like if you start out that way, I mean, after your tutorial cottage, then it’s a lot easier than trying to build a lair under a big castle,” said Alex. “So we could have underground for me and floating for Julian, especially if he cultivated all the land for us with the weird plants I’ll need for bribing the underground spirits.”

Thomas was all lit up and excited, and he gave Julian a little tutorial about how to cultivate a plot of land, teaching him the way to do it with the consent of anything that lived there. “You won’t be able to plant anything really fancy yet,” he said, “but it’s a skill you can level way up until you’re growing your own rare stuff from plants I can go on journeys to bring you. This is going to be so cool!”

“So do you talk while you play this or what?” asked Julian. A message had popped up on the bottom of his screen. “Who’s Deadly Nightshade?”

“Oh, that’s my friend,” said Thomas. “Tell her Officer Friendly says hi.”

“Sure,” said Julian. He’d chosen the name Grand Cultivar when a few of his other tries had been taken; the two of them had been conferring over possible names for ages, so they’d had a list in order of preference. He typed out the message and hit send, and she sent back a friendly reply. They chatted a little while about what he was planning, and he said he didn’t know what his boyfriend’s name was going to be but they were planning to do magic and plants and build underground and in the sky, which seemed to please her as much as it had Thomas. She promised not to come attack them unless they attacked her first, “at least until you’re out of your newbie phase.”

Julian thanked her and she stopped messaging him, so he went back to hunting around for seeds and then planting all the land around his cottage with things, mostly ones suggested by the wildlife rather than worrying about whether or not it would be useful later. “This way I learn how to do it, and if I mess it up I won’t be mad,” said Julian.

“Well, and they’ve got useful ideas,” said Thomas. “Grave-mint is good for resurrection charms, and Fairy Flowers attract lucky fairies, just like in real life.”

“Oh,” said Julian with a giggle, “Well, then, it’s extra good.”

Alex stole a kiss, then glanced over at his own computer. “Still ages until I can try it?” he asked, making mournful puppy eyes.

“This should be done in ten more minutes, you big baby,” said Thomas teasingly. He was looking like a kid at Christmas, all lit up from the inside to have finally gotten some of his real life friends to share his online hobby. “Honestly, if we can get Julian growing and you making magic items, then the three of us will be set to let you two grow your castles in peace while I keep us safe.”

“Because you’ve got armies and stuff, right?” said Julian curiously.

“Well, it’s not really armies, but yeah. I’m all levelled up in warfare and I’ve got, well, kind of armies I guess. My castles all have defenders, and then if I get attacked I can go to that one and make it a lot better,” said Thomas. “I like building more than fighting. I have some really cool defences, but you do need people to run them most of the time.”

“I think your friend likes the fighting, though, we should make it a four-way alliance,” said Julian. “I mean, if you think she’d like that.”

“She might, depends on how fast you guys level,” said Thomas. “The kind of magic items she wants are harder to make, and they cost a lot on the open market.”

Julian kept his avatar wandering around his little plot of land, finding the boundaries where it led into the unclaimable space and where it hit Thomas’ territory. He planted some flowers at the borders, something useful that Thomas suggested along their mutual border and some brambles that had pretty flowers along the other one, gently discouraging people from crossing over uninvited without being too aggressive.

“I like your territory already,” said Alex.

Julian explored the grove and found it was trees with some kind of made-up magic apples that Thomas admitted to having planted awhile ago and forgotten about. “Ooh, those will be good for helping you both level,” said Thomas.

Alex’s laptop chimed, and Thomas reluctantly left them to explore while he finished setting it up. “All right, Alex, make sure this looks how you want it?”

Alex stole a kiss and left Julian chatting with dryads in his little apple grove, coming back around to sit with Thomas and work on the computer. “So,” he said, poking at his files and making sure he could find everything, “when are you going to ask out Murielle?”

“I got a box of chocolates,” said Thomas, “those flowery ones she likes, from Saveur, and I’m just trying to figure out the right moment.”

“No such thing,” said Alex, giving his shoulder a bump. “Do it the next time you see her that you’re not actually at work.”

“Yeah, all right,” said Thomas. “I know you’ll hold me to that.”

“Yay!” said Julian, giving him a bump from the other side. “It’s taken you long enough, you had a crush on her before we even met, and I’m already engaged.”

Alex declared his files apparently intact, and they all teased Thomas, watching him go from pink to red while he installed the game on Alex’s laptop.

“So, you can take these over to Thomas’ and all three of you nerd out together?” asked Jacques, still leaning on the back of the couch to watch.

“Taking pity on our Thomas?” said Alex. “And I think so, right? We just need a password or something to get online?”

“Right,” said Thomas. “We’ll have beer and pizza and takeaway curries and spend all day being huge nerds, as soon as you guys can get out of here. Actually, I could bring my laptop over here, come to think of it.”

“I thought you just had that big gaming rig?” asked Julian.

“I’ve got a laptop that I use mostly for gaming on my lunch hour,” said Thomas, “when I get a lunch hour. It’s not half so nice, but it’d work well enough to get you guys levelled up.”

“Plus, then we’d feed you,” said Alex. “I am liking this plan.”

James went and flopped in Alex and Julian’s usual chair. “Oh, I can see why you guys always claim this one, damn,” he said, getting showily comfortable.

“Really?” asked Jacques, coming over to join him. The result was hilarious, since both of them were rather larger than Julian or Alex, but after a bit of wriggling they actually managed to both sink into the cushy chair. “Not bad, actually.”

“Just as long as we don’t have to get up in a hurry,” teased James, who was draped half over Jacques. He looked over at the three of them and said shyly, “Don’t tell anyone but other Guardians about this, okay?”

“Promise,” said Alex, and the other two echoed it.

James grinned and snuggled just a little closer, and the two of them relaxed into what was clearly a familiar embrace. Alex understood that a lot of people would mistake their closeness for something sexual, rule-breaking, and taboo, but he’d seen them together too long. He saw the same closeness they’d always shown translated into physical affection, an intimacy that had nothing to do with sex.

“All right, I’ve got you all set,” said Thomas. “Let’s design your avatar and pick a name.”

Alex, too had a list for them to try from, and he actually ended up with his first choice because, apparently, it was too obscure and nerdy for anyone else to get. “Wunjo Warlock it is,” said Thomas with a laugh.

“Excellent. Can I be one of those green people, like Julian?” asked Alex, taking over the controls to play with the avatar generator.

“They’re not that good at magic,” said Thomas. “You could be the purple ones, though, they’ve got antlers and they grow when you level up, so the really impressive ones have these huge racks.”

Alex laughed. “I’m not really one for huge racks,” he said teasingly. “Besides, giant antlers and underground lairs don’t really go.”

“Oh, right! Well, you want to be these guys, then,” said Thomas, finding a willowy, pale-skinned, pointy-eared ‘elf.’ “They’re great with underground stuff, and not very common.”

“All right, so how do I, oh, I see,” said Alex, shifting things around until he was happy with the result. It didn’t look much like him, with pale green hair in viking braids, and eyes a striking shade of deep violet. Not to mention the pointy ears and pointy teeth. “How’s this?”

“Nice, your hair matches Julian,” said Thomas, turning the computer so Julian could see. His character was small and green, with brown hair mottled like leaves, brown eyes, and a bit of roundness everywhere. “What do you think?”

“I’d date him,” said Julian with a laugh and a wink. “Okay, if you get us all addicted, you have to bring your laptop over tomorrow.”

“Work allowing, sure,” said Thomas, that kid-at-Christmas look back. “I’ll bring something to contribute, maybe some beer or fizzy drinks?”

“If ye’re willing, I’ve a few things we could use from the shops,” said Alys, coming out to peer at their outlandish characters. “He looks a bit like a wood-elf, but not really. You look like a nightmare, mage.”

“I’m supposed to, I think,” said Alex with a laugh. “Anyway, would you, Thomas?”

Thomas laughed. “Yes, of course, give me the list and I’ll come tomorrow.” He looked like he might have bought the whole store for them, just to be able to have this, and it made Alex’s heart melt.

Alys nodded. “I’ll text it to ye, it’ll do ye good to know how to talk to me, anyway. These lads have been known to ignore their phones.”

“She doesn’t do voice, though,” said Julian distractedly. “We set up that message thing on her tablet.”

“Works the same as texting, and it’s not so weird as talking to a ghost of yer voice,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, lunch in a bit.” She sauntered back into the kitchen, where the dishes were doing their dance without her even having to look.

“All right, I’m in and I’ve put myself on that spot you indicated, I think?” said Alex, pointing.

“Yeah, that’s right, let me put in the code word so my guys let you have it,” said Thomas. He typed in a few commands, and the spot on the map went from red to purple, while Julian’s remained green. “There you go, your very own territory. If you do go underground and Julian in the sky, you two will both be able to occupy both spots as an alliance, eventually.”

“But we can’t build into your territory because you’ve got castles there already?” asked Alex with a grin. “Just for the future, mind you.”

Thomas laughed. “Yeah, it won’t let you tunnel under a castle or float over it, there’s got to be that layer of empty land between them,” he said, gesturing to demonstrate, one hand out and the other pointing over and under it. “You can do underwater castles, too, with floating ones above in the air, or ones that float on top of the water with underground ones all the way under the ocean, but there’s still a layer of nothing in between.”

“Ooh, that might be neat,” said Alex. “I suppose we’re nowhere near the ocean?”

“Oh, actually, there’s some ocean a few territories away,” said Thomas. “But that’ll be awhile before we can think about expanding like that. I don’t think Nightshade’s going that way, there’s a couple of little kingdoms but they might be people that don’t play much.” He stole Alex’s laptop to check the map, and then handed it back sheepishly. “Anyway, yeah, if you really wanted to try the ocean thing, we can make it a goal for later.”

“Well, let’s get good at our first thing first,” said Julian. “Can I go talk to Alex?”

“You can message him, like Nightshade did to you, or you two can actually go face to face at your borders. You might want to swap out those flowers for different ones so you remember which one’s him,” said Thomas.

They played around for twenty more minutes, Alex doing the tutorial while Julian added some fairy flowers to the border along Alex’s territory. Alys interrupted with lunch, which James and Jacques managed to eat while maintaining their snuggle. They all talked animatedly about the game, the Guardians happy to hear about it and be able to ground themselves in each other. Alex listened a little, and he could hear their magics intertwining differently than usual, which he hypothesised was quite restorative for their Guardian bond. He would be good and not ask about it unless invited to do so.

Even if he really wanted to know.

They spent the afternoon alternating between the game and snacks, finally stopping midafternoon for a light tea and some cards with the Guardians. They looked wonderfully at peace as they uncurled from the chair and stretched, then took over the couch while Thomas took one chair and Alex and Julian stole their warm spot.

“Oooh, nice and cosy,” said Julian, giving a little wriggle.

Alex chuckled and kissed him. “You just like being able to leech heat from them,” he teased.

“He always did, remember how he used to cuddle between us in the car?” said Jacques.

James laughed. “You always looked so happy when you had Alex on one side and me or Jacques on the other.”

“I get cold,” protested Julian, but it wasn’t very effective given that he couldn’t stop grinning.

“Well, I’ll keep you warm now,” said Alex. He and Julian shared a hand instead of trying not to cheat when they were so tangled up in each other, and they taught Thomas the Guardian card game that was designed to start and stop whenever.

Inevitably, conversation wandered back to the case, but this time they managed to keep the tone lighter. Instead of worrying about future murder victims, they made up ever more elaborate uses for the magical source, each more ridiculously villainous than the last.

“So,” said Alex with a chuckle, “what we’re saying is that we have no idea what he’s doing or why.”

“Yeah, okay, I suppose giant tree-men coming to avenge nature on the city folk is pretty silly,” said Julian. “Yours wasn’t any better.”

“Nope, I’m useless,” said Alex cheerfully.

They all shared a laugh at that, and it was decided by mutual consent to put the cards away and send Thomas home with his list for Alys for tomorrow.

“I’m really looking forward to a whole day of useless gaming,” said Julian.

“Much better than a day of being attacked by giant ants,” said James dryly.

“Or spiders,” said Jacques helpfully.

“Or weird spells,” said Julian with a sigh.

“Much better,” agreed Alex.

Thomas looked highly amused, and he got himself gathered up and even swapped out their fairy-bread offering on his way out. “I’ve got the list in my phone, and I promise to ask if I need clarification on anything.”

“Someone’s trained ye well, lad,” said Alys, giving him a pat.

Thomas chuckled and waved, letting them lock him out. Alex whistled him out of the wards, closing that tiny loophole, and then went and collapsed all over Julian in their chair. “I hate that I’m so tired. I haven’t done anything. I haven’t even tried to do anything!”

“More sweets,” said Alys. “I’ve got that curried fruit thing ye like, soon as the pound cake’s done to put it over.”

“Dramatic,” said Julian lovingly, giving him a kiss and helping him to get comfortable. “We’ll have a good long sleep after this, too.”

“You’re not overdoing it, are you?” asked James, coming over to demand one of Alex’s hands.

Alex humphed but let him look; he felt more tired than he thought he ought to. “Do I have the flu? Ugh, If I do we’ll all be sick,” he said, flopping more thoroughly.

“You’re not sick,” said James, “but I do think the wards are draining you more than expected.”

“Let me see,” said Jacques, coming over to take Alex’s other hand. The two of them did that strange Guardian thing Alex loved to hear where their magics combined and enhanced one another, a symphony of mutual energies. “Are you sure the wards aren’t reacting to anything?”

“I haven’t noticed anything big,” said Alex, “but I’ve learned to tune out a lot of the little stuff, windblown twigs and visiting butterflies and the like.”

“Duckworth is all little stuff,” said James. “The fog, those fine threads in the trap. He might have been bothering you all day and we’d never know it.”

“Oh, I hope this doesn’t mean Thomas is in danger,” said Julian, hand flying to his mouth.

“You call him,” said Alex. “I’m going to see if I can feel what’s causing the drain, now that I’m aware of it.”

“Will do,” said Julian, not bothering to move as he dug out his phone.

Alex tuned them out with a whistle, first grounding himself in that symphony of Guardian magic that was still touching both his hands, and in the familiar beauty of Julian’s inner melodies. He followed his hearing outward to his wards, easily drawn to any disturbance from the past days, leaves tossed against the building here, a silverfish there, visiting fairies at their flowerpots. He catalogued each of them before dismissing them this time, instead of merely ignoring anything below a certain size, and after a long, endless drift of time looking at flies and fleas and flung sticks on the wind, he found it.

There was a constant, irregular ping along the window seams in the work room of all places, those thin little threads doing damage that Alex automatically healed, trimming the arpeggios, cutting the motifs with silence. There was also a general dampening of the song in that area, which he recognised easily enough as Duckworth’s fog. It ate away at his energy, slowing the music, trying to make wider gaps for those cutting wires to do their damage.

If Alex hadn’t been actively fighting it, it would have eaten quite a ways through the wards by now.

“He’s still here,” said Alex, speaking while he listened, so that he didn’t hear any mundane replies. “He’s outside the work room window, which is clever because we can’t strike at him without disabling the best of our wards.”

There were more murmured conversations, while Alex considered his options. Right now, it was a stalemate, but one that kept Duckworth occupied in a relatively harmless manner. They could do something to try to dislodge him, but that might result in another revenge murder, this time of someone they knew, someone Duckworth had seen leaving the flat.

Alex flipped his senses around, keeping tabs on Duckworth’s activity as he listened to the voices around him.

“Thomas didn’t see anything,” Julian was saying, phone already hung up. “He’s already on the way to the shops.”

“So what are our options?” asked Alex. “I don’t want to drive him away and lose track of him again, but who knows how long he’ll be content to try to eat a hole in the wards without making any progress.”

“We can study him this way, though,” said James. “We’ll go into the work room and pretend to be doing research, and take turns studying not just his effect on the wards but the structure of who he is now, what he’s made of if not flesh.”

“Maybe you’ll be able to discern more than I can,” said Alex. “He’s still got that dampening, foggy thing going on for me, so that I can perceive his magic and its effects, but his fog absorbs sounds instead of emitting them. It’s annoying.”

“You’re grumpy because you need to eat more,” said Alys, coming out with bowls of food. “You strapping lads should eat, too, if you think you’ll be giving it a go later. Do try not to damage anything Nat can’t fix.”

“Is there anything Nat can’t fix?” asked Alex, with a tired grin.

She chose not to reply to his obvious bait, and wandered back out, gesturing over her shoulder so the teapot followed her into the kitchen for yet another refill.

“Make it my restorative this time, please,” called Jacques after her.

“Will do,” she replied.

Alex fell to, feeling like he was starving now that he’d figured out where his power had all gone to. She’d given him four slices of pound cake layered with the warm curried fruit compote in a bowl more suited for an entire meal’s worth of soup. He ate every rich bite, feeling his energy levels perking back up now that he was finally eating enough for his output.

“Can I give Alex some energy?” asked Julian, between bites of his own, only slightly smaller, bowl.

“We shouldn’t need you to fight,” said James, “so you may if you don’t overdo it.”

“It’ll be good for him, and you two are always more in synch after you do,” said Jacques. “You’ll eat up and sleep well, too, without the same drain as Alex is getting.”

“Thank you, love,” said Alex, kissing Julian softly. “After food?”

Julian grinned. “After food. I’m feeling almost too powered up, anyway; there aren’t enough plants here to come close to the output I usually have in a work day.”

“Then it’ll be good for you both,” said James, pleased. “I’m glad you asked first, though.”

“I wouldn’t want to annoy you by not having it later when you were expecting me to,” said Julian with a chuckle. “I want to keep being as self-rescuing as possible, but Duckworth is really not my area.”

“It’s barely mine,” said Alex. “I’ve learned a lot about warding, but I never was much of a combat mage.”

“Good thing you have us, then,” said Jacques. “We’ll get a good look at him and formulate a plan to get rid of him once and for all.”

“I was thinking maybe I could trap him in the wards; he’s putting a lot of himself against them, and they rebuild beneath him, but what if I rebuilt around him instead?” asked Alex. “I’m not sure I could do it fast enough, though.”

“Too bad you can’t make them sticky,” said Julian. “Like fly paper for jerkfaces.”

Alex chuckled. “But then we might end up with Fischer or Armistead stuck to the side of the flat, and who would want that?”

They bantered back and forth, ideas from the serious to the silly that were slowly forming a plan underneath the frivolity. Alex didn’t entirely dismiss the flypaper idea, wondering how much of Duckworth his wards could hold before he found a way to overload them. He also wanted James and Jacques to have some sort of real, solid plan before he was willing to trap Duckworth anywhere other than another genie bottle. He might feel squeamish about planning the destruction of another thinking being, but that being had tried to kill all of them, and had succeeded in murdering a number of others.

“All right, I think I feel up to this,” said Alex. “I was going to drag you guys in to look at my grimoire case anyway, so Julian can give me a little boost, and then we can get started.”

“Ooh, we get to look at the fancy books,” said James teasingly.

“You guys aren’t going to get all squelchy about the magic transfer, are you?” asked Jacques, making an appropriately disgusted face.

“Not with you two watching,” said Alex, unperturbed. “I’m not into that.”

“Good,” said James, making an equally goofy face.

Alex and Julian shifted so they could press their foreheads together, sharing the space of a breath without actually kissing. Julian stroked his hand down Alex’s cheek and then closed the gap, feeding him heady energy in the kiss, energy that sounded like a symphony of spring and summer, of growing and flowering and fruiting. Alex took in his warm life and gave him back a tiny measure of his own music, not nearly the same amount, but enough that they could both taste it in the kiss.

They broke away and were both smiling, feeling that warm intimacy that came from sharing magic, different from what James and Jacques had and yet definitely of a piece with it in many ways.

“You two are lovely when you do that,” said Jacques, smiling fondly, his hand in James’.

“You two sound like a symphony when you share,” said Alex. “I know I’m not supposed to listen too hard, but it’s always wonderful to hear.”

“You wouldn’t abuse it even if you could figure it out,” said Jacques with a chuckle. “Besides, you and Julian are too different from us. He’s right, we’ve all got very different magics.”

“That’s why we get on so well,” said Julian, smug and pleased with himself. “I grow things, Alex wards them, and you defend them.”

“And we all understand about needing a partner at your side,” said James, giving Jacques a look as full of love as any that Alex had ever given Julian.

There was a moment of silence as the four of them appreciated what they had, each in their own way, and then they all got up and got back to business. Alex felt worlds better, between Julian’s infusion and the food, and he was eager to get this over with and get on to the next step in his life. Villains were one thing, but he had a house to build and a wedding to plan, and just now that felt far more interesting.

“Lapointe might be right,” said Alex, leading them to the work room. “I may be getting boring in my old age.”

“What makes you say that?” asked Julian, catching hold of his hand as they went over to the bookshelf, conveniently located by the window in question.

“I was just thinking that I’m far more interested in the house and the wedding, well, in being married to you, than I am in solving any of these murders,” said Alex. “Maybe I’ll retire at some point so I can give myself over to research after all.”

“I bet you’d get bored,” said James, pulling down one of the books. “This might have something relevant.”

“I probably would,” said Alex with a laugh. He pulled a few more volumes out of the shelves and they got set up on his work bench, with Julian poised to take notes and not so coincidentally furthest from the window. “I suppose I’m more tired of being the target than solving the puzzles.”

“That, I could live without,” said Julian. “Even if it meant we’d only see James and Jacques on their off time.”

“We like you on your off time, too,” said Alex with a grin. “And once we have the cottage, you can take actual leave.”

“I’m glad Father Stephen is doing the blessings,” said Julian. They’d gotten a promise from the priest on his visit, which had been as much insistence as offer, once he heard about their plans. “It’ll feel more special that way.”

“And of course I will be able to do some really fancy stuff with the wards, drawing on the source,” said Alex. “I can’t tie the wards into it, just in case, but I can use it as a power boost when I lay them down.”

They kept up like that for a good long time, looking through the books and talking about what they found. All the while, they watched and listened to the presence at the window, learning everything they could about it until, abruptly, it vanished.

“Oh, no,” said Julian.

“That can’t be good,” said Alex. “Julian, you call Lapointe, I’m going deeper into the wards.” He found and struck a tuning fork, wanting the sharpest sound he could get. The wards were as before, already knitting themselves up where Duckworth had been plucking away at them, and Alex put some effort into making sure the melodies were fully repaired, not a single note out of place in the interweaving magics. He sent his awareness out to every inch of the house wards and even down to the car and its protection amulet, but found not a whisper of Duckworth.

Alex sighed and stilled the tuning fork. “He’s gone.”

“He’s going to be very hard to spot,” said James ominously. “You were right about the magic dampening. There was a fog to the naked eye, but it wasn’t nearly as dense as the night of the ball.”

Jacques sighed. “He had different motives at the ball. It was interesting that he’s so small, comparatively.”

“Well, he compressed himself into person-sized there at the end,” said Alex. “It would’ve taken more energy to blanket the whole ballroom than it does to be a little cloud, as it were. And he seems to have really taken to the idea of smallness, given the way he’s wielding magic these days.”

“Compact and invisible, both dangerous characteristics,” said James, glancing toward the kitchen with a grin. “It’s a good thing your brownies like us.”

“I should get a message to Con about Duckworth, not that he’s likely to have noticed or remembered one little earth sprite ruining his plans,” said Alex thoughtfully.

“We’ve taken care o’ that,” said Nat, appearing on the empty worktable beside them. “He’s bad news, that one, and we’ll all be on the lookout for ways to stop him.”

“You’re always two steps ahead of me, you and Alys,” said Alex gratefully.

“Speaking of which,” said Alys, “come back in here for another snack before you try any more magics.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Alex with a laugh, and they all filed back out into the living room, taking their notes with them while Nat re-shelved the books.

Alys had plates of grilled cheese sandwiches with cups of tomato soup, simple and hearty, with tea to drink and cupcakes for after their extra meal. “This ought to do you, but I’ll be working up more for tomorrow in case he comes back.”

“You’re perfect,” said Alex, falling to hungrily.

“Aye, she is,” agreed Nat, sauntering out of the work room, the door closing itself after him.

They ate quietly, minds on the food and whatever trouble Duckworth might be getting up to even now.

CHAPTER 15

In Which a Friend Is Injured and We Attempt to Distract Ourselves

Sunday morning everyone was tired from fitful sleep, and Alex even more so, though a thorough ward check showed that Duckworth hadn’t been back.

“I’m worried about what he’s been up to,” said Alex, over his fourth cup of tea. They’d all had a huge breakfast in their pyjamas, and were lazing about a little longer before Thomas was meant to arrive.

“Or who he’s been hurting,” said Julian in a small voice. “Can I give Alex some more power today? I’m still feeling edgy from not having enough plants around.”

“Yes, of course,” said James. “You two finish your tea and work off some of that breakfast in the shower, you can even yourselves out.”

“We’ll give you guys an exam when you get back, make sure neither of you is too far out of whack,” added Jacques.

“Good idea,” said Alex, finishing off his cup. “Ready, love?”

“Yes, please,” said Julian with a little smile, getting up and luring him back to the bedroom with kisses.

Alex followed willingly, shutting the door firmly and then helping Julian out of his clothes, the two of them leaving a trail of pyjamas from bedroom to bathroom. They stayed tangled up in each other, skin to skin and magic to magic as well, their power connecting in a circuit that tingled through them, pleasure and energy together. The shower was a long interlude of scented bubbles and slick touches, endless kisses and brilliant orgasms. They did eventually get washed as well, and when they emerged, the plants were glowing with health, the bathroom bright as a cloudless day with the energy they put into the sunlight spell. Even the bedroom had a little burst of stars on the ceiling, merging with the ones above the bed, everything light and warmth.

They dressed in comfortable silence, casual for their day off but out of pyjamas for Thomas’ sake. One last—magical—kiss and they opened the door feeling ready for the day.

They weren’t ready for the devastated look on Jacques’ face.

“What happened?” asked Alex, rushing out to him. James was on the phone, worried and angry in turns, but Jacques was just standing in the middle of the room looking lost.

Jacques pulled them both into a hug and said softly, “Father Stephen’s in the hospital, he was in a car accident. They’re not sure he’ll make it.”

“Can we help?” asked Alex immediately, not caring one bit about Duckworth or danger just at that moment.

Jacques shook his head. “Our best healers are on it already,” he said.

James came over and joined their hug, cradling Jacques and Julian as best he could. “They said the driver went crazy, he was killed on impact, but Father Stephen was protected in the back of the car by your amulet.”

“I didn’t know he even wore it,” said Alex softly. He’d made it with the Father’s permission when he’d been on his making spree, designed mostly around preventing everyday mishaps though he’d built in channels for it to grow in complexity the more it was given energy, as an experiment in reproducing his success with Horace and with Julian’s amulet. “He must have worn it every day, for it to do so much.”

“Of course he did,” said Jacques, sounding almost offended. “Our amulets are a precious gift, Alex, we would never.”

“Hush,” said James, pressing his forehead against Jacques’ cheek. “You know he didn’t mean it that way.”

“Our Alex doesn’t always realise his friends love him,” said Julian softly, kissing Jacques’ other cheek. “Can we go see him?”

“Mother Mali says no,” said James, looking angry again for a different reason. “She’s right and I hate it, but we have to keep our Charges safe, and that doesn’t include a trip to the hospital.”

“Hospitals have shit wards,” said Jacques with a weak smile.

“Then we’ll stay here all day and play Castles and eat and rest up, and you two will plan so that when Duckworth comes to us you can destroy him,” said Julian, sounding uncharacteristically vicious.

Alex blinked, and then swallowed. “They think it was Duckworth trying to do something to the driver?”

“We’re not sure, but there’s signs of magical interference, it’s all a big mess right now,” said James. “They don’t want Lapointe to help yet, they’re too stubborn and proud to pool their resources with the Agency.”

They all jumped when there was a knock at the door, then laughed when Thomas’ voice followed. “I’ve got the groceries!”

“There’s our Thomas, here to save us from ourselves,” said Julian.

Alex went to the door and whistled Thomas in. “I ought to add you to the wards today if you’re going to be coming over to play games a lot.”

Thomas beamed. “I wouldn’t object to that. Hey, why the long faces?” he said, smile fading.

The groceries floated away, leaving the humans free to lock up and break the bad news. “Father Stephen was in a car accident,” said Julian, coming over to get a hug. James and Jacques had moved apart at the knock, but drifted back together when it was just friends again.

“There’s some evidence it was Duckworth,” added Alex, “Maybe we should ban you from the flat after this, if he hasn’t marked you already.”

“Nonsense,” said Thomas. “I’m a big boy.” He grinned and patted his messenger bag. “Besides, I’ve been dying to get over here and play together all morning.”

They laughed, which broke the tension some, and got set up with Thomas and Julian on the couch and Alex in the guest chair. No one said a word when James and Jacques tangled themselves together in the bigger chair, letting them have as much privacy as they could. Once the humans, computers, and power cords were all settled, Alys floated out tea and treats for everyone.

Things weren’t as carefree as last time. Alex got impatient with the wait times built into certain tasks. Julian kept having to put his laptop down when it got too hot for him. James couldn’t seem to sit still and finally Jacques kicked him out of their cuddle and they both took over the open space behind the couch to do some sort of workout. Thomas just rode with all of it, keeping up his cheery smile through sniping and snapping, while Alys kept them fed despite their grumpy nature.

“Why won’t they just call?” blurted Julian, setting his laptop down again and tucking his legs up in a sulk. “I hate that we can’t even go wait uselessly at the hospital.”

That surprised a laugh out of Jacques, and he came over and started rubbing Julian’s shoulders. “It’s so much worse when there’s somewhere else you really want to be.”

Alex finished setting up the spell that was going to take ages to finish, then set his own laptop down. He stood and stretched, then came over to give Julian a soft kiss and then, impishly, kiss Jacques’ forehead, giving him a little trickle of power. “We’ll do something else for awhile this afternoon, Thomas will forgive us.”

“I’ll even help if I can,” said Thomas cheerfully, though his eyes didn’t leave his screen. He was apparently setting up something that would be useful to the three of them later, but Alex hadn’t quite understood what. “I’m almost done with this.”

“You cranky humans will all have a nice lunch first,” said Alys. “Young Thomas brought us some fresh things that should help cheer you.”

“I suppose being able to leave the house does make you the hero of the hour,” said James, only a little bitterness in his tone as he claimed the chair Alex had recently vacated.

“We can rotate this afternoon,” said Julian, looking around the room. “We’ll get back to our research on Duckworth, and we’ll switch to card games for breaks so you guys don’t murder us.”

James laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “That would help, though I do like the Castles game. It’s just hard, having to choose which friends to watch over.”

“We’re used to inaction, but not like this,” said Jacques. He gave a squeeze that drew a sound of pleasurable pain from Julian and made something in his body pop audibly. “Ah, that’s got it.”

“Ow,” said Julian, stretching, “but thank you.”

“My turn?” said Alex, making puppy eyes.

“Not until after lunch,” declared Alys. The snack dishes from earlier had all vanished, and trays were emerging from the kitchen. “Julian, go sit with your man.”

Julian giggled and got up, coming over to snuggle with Alex, a much welcome change of positioning. Jacques took Julian’s spot, and Thomas set his computer aside and then sheepishly offered his spot on the couch to James, who let him keep it for now.

James pulled the tray Alys floated out toward himself and said, “We’ll end up in Alex’s work room later, I’m sure.”

“Or otherwise spread out around the flat,” agreed Alex. “We’ll try to do something to break up the feeling of all of us crowded in one room, maybe?”

“Probably wise,” said Jacques between bites. “Maybe you three can go play in the magic room while we exercise out here later.”

“That might help with frustration,” agreed James with another sigh.

Alex made puppy eyes, exaggerating them for comic effect, “But I still get my shoulder rubs first, right?”

They all laughed, as he’d hoped, and Jacques said, “Yes, you big baby.”

Slowly, through the application of good food and each of them making an effort to cheer the rest up, they managed to dispel some of the grumpiness that had fallen over the group. They began to discuss the first thing they’d do when they finally got to leave the flat, from Thomas’ teasing promise to go wish on the tree to Julian and Jacques’ increasingly silly ideas that assumed it would be years rather than days or weeks for their confinement to be lifted.

Finally, they were all done eating and  a sweet floated out, chocolate-covered pears and a single truffle apiece. “You treasure those, we don’t know when we’ll be getting more, if we can’t get ‘em delivered,” said Alys, sounding just as grumpy as the humans had earlier.

Somehow, that hit Alex’s funnybone, and he started to laugh. “As if Ellen would ever deny us,” he teased. “Victor might cut off her cheese supply!”

“You’re giddy,” said Julian with a little giggle.

“Emmy might stop sending that honey,” teased Jacques. “And then it would all come to me.”

“Not that you’d mind,” said James, waggling his eyebrows.

They all cracked up at that, the last of the tension slipping away as they nibbled their treats.

“Well, at least I know you wouldn’t get the sheets sticky,” said Alys from the kitchen.

“Worth it,” said Alex, blushing guiltily.

Julian snorted. “You didn’t have to clean up after, but I agree anyway,” he said, kissing the tip of Alex’s nose.

“I so don’t want to know,” said James. “Or hear. Or see.”

“You probably don’t,” agreed Alex, and then he whispered to Julian, “but we could arrange a re-creation later.”

“No you could not,” said Nat with a huff. “I’ve enough laundry to do as it is.”

They teased a bit more about that, eating their chocolates and enjoying both the sweet and each others’ company again. They decided to do a little more slacking off first, with Alex getting his massage while Julian and Thomas set up a few more things in the game. James and Jacques moved the furniture around and took over the living room to do some kind of exercise that looked like a cross between a dance and a fight, though none of their feints seemed designed to land. Alex, Thomas, and Julian took their computers and research into Alex’s office, the door left propped, and tested to find the spot the wifi worked best before settling in to get something done themselves.

They whiled away the afternoon, and eventually, finally, James’ phone rang with the news that Father Stephen had come out of surgery and his prognosis was hopeful. There would still be hurdles, of course, but the Father’s own strong magic would help him to heal faster, especially with Dr. Chesterfield assisting the Healing Mother in keeping his physical and subtle bodies in balance during his convalescence.

“I wish we could help,” said Julian, getting frustrated all over again.

Alex came over and kissed his forehead. “You’re getting overloaded again,” he said, concerned. “Can he give me more magic? What about you two?”

“Let’s all take a bit of his burden this time,” said James.

He and Jacques came over and the four of them joined hands, less intimate than Alex and Julian’s earlier sharing, but no less effective for all that. Alex listened and hummed while the four of them made a circuit, Guardians and lovers opposite each other. The magic flowed from Julian to Jacques to Alex to James and a small stream trickled back into Julian, touched with all of them.

“Oh, that is so much better,” Julian sighed, as they all let their hands, and the connection, drop by unspoken accord. “I can’t believe how irritating it feels to be overloaded like that.”

“We’ll keep a better eye on it,” promised Alex, kissing him softly. “Fortunately, since you can give to people, we can always dissipate it into other things around the house if we need to.”

“The wards will drink whatever power we wish to give them,” said Jacques with a nod.

“If you continue to provide him with energy, Alex might be able to make some small things, too,” said James. “That would calm you both.”

Alex chuckled sheepishly. “It would, yeah, though I’m sure more bickering is inevitable with all the tension confined to this flat.”

They couldn’t help but all agree.

CHAPTER 16

In Which We Experience a Series of Unfortunate Incidents

Thomas eventually took himself and his laptop home, which made the flat a little less crowded but also removed the most relentlessly cheerful of their group. By unspoken agreement, the rest of the evening was spent quietly, and they all settled in for bed with cups of calming tea and good thoughts for the morrow.

Monday seemed determined to live up to its reputation, though, with a lot of things going wrong and very few of their efforts bearing any fruit.

James and Jacques tried calling their combat instructor for advice on how to deal with Duckworth, and ended up involved in a long and ultimately fruitless argument about their willingness to plan on destruction over capture. They ran into a snag with some of Duckworth’s records, and Thomas and Lapointe were both in what they described as “the most pointlessly awful meetings imaginable” all day, and were unable to fix the red tape until tomorrow. Even the kitchen was having mechanical troubles that meant a cold lunch and a lot of swearing from Nat while he got things fixed.

“What can we do that’s not going to irritate everyone more but doesn’t involve leaving the house?” asked James, slumped on the couch with an expression somewhere between exhaustion and exasperation.

“Something different,” said Julian with a sigh. “No books, no computers, no cards, no files.”

“No cooking,” said Jacques dolefully.

Alex got up with Julian and started to clear away the mess they’d been making of the coffee table. They put all four computers aside to charge, made a stack of the files in some kind of sensible order and stuck them in a free space on a bookshelf, filed as many of the books they’d pulled out as possible, and even made sure there was still a full deck of cards before those, too, got put away. They couldn’t really take down the big murder board without having to redo all the work later, but everything that could be cleared away, was.

“Concert flute?” asked Julian sweetly, once they were looking at much neater space.

“Ooh, yes, please?” said James, sitting up properly.

Alex laughingly agreed. “A few concert pieces, and then some sort of ridiculous singalong. The sillier the better.”

“And no magic,” said Jacques, grinning. “Just singing and playing.”

“Stove’s about fixed, so I’ll mull some wine for us, assuming we’re invited,” said Alys, poking her head out of the kitchen.

“Of course you’re invited,” said Alex. “We can’t have too much, just in case, but a mug or two apiece would be just the thing.”

“A small batch it is,” said Alys, ducking back into the kitchen.

“We should think about checking the place for ill-luck,” said Nat, strolling out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with a small cloth that never seemed to get any dirtier, for all his hands did get cleaner. “It’s been a cursed day.”

“Oh, clever,” said Alex. “That might not ping off my wards the same way, but we could look through them to make sure there’s no curse-token stuck to us somehow.”

“That’s something to do!” said James cheerfully, rocketing up out of his chair. “You do the bedroom, I’ll do this room, and Jacques will do the kitchen, then we’ll convene in the work room?”

Julian chucked. “I’ll check the plants while you all do that,” he said, and they split up according to their tasks.

Alex missed Julian at his side, but he knew they’d both concentrate better on their own today. He went into the bedroom and started examining the wards, floor to ceiling, above and below, every foot of wall inside and out. Not that he thought anything could have gotten inside, not with how closely he was monitoring things. He pulled his mind back to the task and continued around the room and into the bathroom, where he acquired a sleepy Horace.

“You should come out, we’re going to have music in a bit,” he said, stroking Horace’s feathers and examining him for any sign of damage or ill-luck.

Horace chirruped happily and allowed himself to be handled, and then coaxed onto Alex’s shoulder for the time being. This room always seemed to glow with good fortune to him, the plants giving off their own sort of luck, but he made the effort to look through and around them at the outer surfaces, the places accessible to Duckworth. He thought he might have spotted something when there was a burst of loud swearing from the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, rushing out to find Nat angrily holding onto what looked like some sort of root.

“Mandrake in the shopping,” said Alys with a sigh. “It hid in with the ginger, clever little bugger.”

Another glance showed that the root was squirming in Nat’s grip. “So, that’s the source of our troubles? It’s a pretty active one, I wonder if I could use it in something.”

It went very still, and Nat snorted. “They’re hard to work with, but potent, though this one might’ve shot its wad on cursing us.”

“Nasty and useless,” said Alex with a sigh. “All right, how do we safely dispel and dispose of it, then?”

“I c’n squash it, but you’ll need to do a bit of that flutin’ magic to clear the air,” said Nat. “I guess you’ll need both instruments after all.”

That got relieved laughter, and a renewed squirming from the little troublemaker.

Julian went over curiously to touch it and then made a face and pulled his hand back. “He really is a nasty one, isn’t he? Ugh.”

Alex caught up Julians hand and pushed magic into his fingers, humming softly and kissing away the touch of the thing. “What’s funny is that it’s probably not that fog-man’s fault at all,” said Alys with a sigh. “Just a mistake at the grocer, who I’ll be sending a mighty unpleasant message to here in a moment.”

“Don’t be too mean,” said Julian. “At least we found it before it could do too much damage.”

“And now I’ll dispose of it,” said Nat, turning away to do whatever he was going to do in privacy.

They all took that for their cues, splitting up so Jacques could talk to Alys about dinner, Julian could finish up his plant rounds, and Alex could get his flute and convince James to help dispel the miasma of ill-luck lingering like a bad smell.

“In a way,” said Alex, slipping into the relatively clear work room with James, “it’s useful to know what that feels and sounds like, or I guess looks in your case.”

“An irritating educational experience,” said James with a laugh. “What are those actually good for, anyway?”

Alex thought about it. “If I recall correctly, mostly targeted healing potions for purging things out of the body. They’re pretty volatile, but there’s some things you can’t get rid of any other way.”

“That’s where I’ve seen one before,” said James. “The Healing Mother and one of our Potions Masters sequestered themselves in one of the labs to make some sort of emergency potion when there was a big outbreak in one of the farming communities outside the city.”

Alex nodded. “I bet there were a lot of smashed beakers and irritation before they were done,” he said. “I haven’t done a lot of that kind of thing, though I am working on more healing and plant-related potions these days.”

“Because of your tutoring,” said James, not really a question.

Alex nodded anyway, finding his two flutes and assembling them both in a fit of optimism. “It’s good for me to expand my horizons again, I was getting too narrow of a focus.”

“Not that we’re not grateful for your initial focus,” said James with a grin, “but it’s good to see you branching out into life after all that death.”

“All right, let’s do the magic bits so we can still have our other music,” said Alex, walking back into the kitchen with James. Nat was nowhere to be seen, but the curse hung heavy here where the mandrake root had been stored. Alys and Jacques were already at work making something, with mulled wine warming on the stove, so Alex started up a bright little tune on the flute and, much to his surprise, James joined in with a soft chant.

Their songs didn’t so much mesh as wind around each other, James low and the flute high, James blessing and Alex cheering, and together dispelling the miasma of ill will. Alys started up a third tune in the middle range that brought in the sound of spring cleaning, briskly banishing the unwanted energy. They did three rounds total of their songs, ending together on a flourish.

Julian and Jacques clapped, and Nat came out looking pleased with life in general. “That’s done it, I think, though you might ask yon flower fairy what she thinks.”

Julian took it upon himself to go over and consult with her. She did loop-the-loops around her cage and then gave him a by-now-familiar plaintive look that meant she wanted a treat. Jacques was already on it, a pot of tea just finished steeping and he filled the wells in her repotted plant with sweet, milky tea, fresh honey, and a bit of caramel sauce from Alys’ stash.

“I think she approves,” said Alex. “Let me get this cleaned up while you guys finish up.”

Julian followed him into the work room to claim kisses and check on those plants, and they took a moment just to be alone together before heading back out into the living room.

“Wine’ll be a few, so we made tea for everyone,” said Jacques, bringing two teacups with saucers over to them, biscuits tucked next to the cups.

“Thank you,” said Alex, his voice full of amusement at being able to use the forbidden words for once.

“You’re welcome,” said Jacques, sounding just as impish.

They settled in to have their treat, Julian snuggled in the comfortable reading chair and looking quite smug about it, James and Jacques on the couch sitting much closer than usual, and the brownies in their own chairs brought from the kitchen and lined up in front of the useless fireplace. Alex took the other chair to eat, but stood up once his tea and biscuits were gone and the crumbs rinsed away with some citrus-laced water. “All right, one song to warm up, and then we can decide how we want to do the rest of this.”

There was a general murmur of agreement, and Alex stood and did an opening trill to check the tuning had held, getting an answering trill from Horace and a laugh from their audience. He took that as a good sign and launched into one of his favourite showpieces. It started out a bit staid and old-fashioned, but broke out of that mould quickly and became very playful, dancing around the initial melody without ever leaving it behind. There was a beautiful bridge that dipped and soared and made him think of Horace flying around the wish tree, looking for the perfect place to put a new wish before settling back into the melody and coming in for a glorious finish.

He sat when it was done, sipping water and feeling quite breathless. “I have no idea how you keep up singing for so long,” he said to Horace, who was singing to himself in little echoes of the song they’d just heard, too quietly for anyone but Alex to hear.

“It helps he doesn’t have to breathe,” said Julian. “That was beautiful, though, well worth the effort.”

The rest of them piped up with compliments, which segued into a discussion of what to sing and how to orchestrate it. By the time they’d come to a good-natured agreement, the wine was declared ready enough and they all shared their cups before starting in on the singalong. At Julian’s request, the first song was one he’d sung as a child, and from there each of them chose a song, teaching the rest of them if they didn’t know it. Sometimes Alex played, and sometimes he sang, but they all participated wholeheartedly.

It wasn’t until they finished the last song that Alex collapsed into his chair rather harder than he intended. “Oh, bloody hell, I think something’s draining me again,” he said tiredly.

“I’ll make ye a snack,” said Alys, and she and Nat vanished into the kitchen.

James and Jacques came over to take Alex’s hands, and the three of them joined up this time to look for whatever it was interfering with Alex’s wards and taking up his energy. They were tense, everyone assuming it was Duckworth, and Alex let James and Jacques look where they would while he sent his attention outward to listen for disharmonies and disruptions.

“I don’t think it’s the wards,” said Alex, after several minutes of careful listening. “I don’t have a lot of other things that can tap into my power, though.”

“I don’t see anything,” said James, irritable.

“Me, neither,” said Jacques with a sigh. “What artefacts have you made that might be causing this?”

“Your amulets and Father Stephen’s all pull from the wearer rather than me,” said Alex thoughtfully, “but the ones I gave Jones for himself and the car feed of ambient magic, and me. And there’s a few others, Emmy and Phin have minor ones that I’m not sure they wear, it was my wedding present. Murielle only has her quit-smoking charm, I haven’t had time to make real protections for her and Thomas yet.”

“I’ll call Jones,” said Julian, worried.

He put the phone on speaker so they could all hear as a tinny voice answered, “I’m a little busy right now, Julian,” said Jones. “There’s a storm and I’m having trouble keeping on the road.”

“A storm or just fog?” asked Julian.

“It’s a proper storm, but it is awfully foggy for all the wet,” said Jones. “I answered ‘cos both the amulets are kinda glowing, and I’m hoping that means something.”

“It means they’re working,” said Alex. “Can you get somewhere safe soon, though? They pull magic from me and it’s tiring me out.”

“Yeah, I’m trying,” said Jones. “There’s a little Temple around here, maybe they’ll let me pull into their wards, if they’ve got any.”

“Where are you?” asked Jacques.

There was a loud sound on the phone, Alex cried out as a huge chunk of his magic was pulled away, and then Jones came back on the line. “Bloody hell, I just hit a tree.”

“You’re okay?” asked Alex.

“I think so,” said Jones. “I didn’t even hit my head, I think that was the magic’s doing.”

James had his phone out and was dialling the emergency number. “Where are you? We’ll send help so you can stay on the line.”

“Oh, yeah, um, I was going to pick up Victor at the Mayfield’s, I’m on Mayfield Road actually,” said Jones. He took a deep breath and sounded a little shaky as he added, “I think there’s that little Temple off the main road here, right?”

“Right,” said Jacques, while James relayed the information to the operator on the other line. “There’s the Temple of Animal Healing there, they do a lot of work with the farms around the area. Victor probably sends to them, or has his staff do it, when an animal gets ill around the Benedict lands.”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” said Jones. His breathing was sounding shakier, loud and uneven now. “All right, something’s wrong with me, but I don’t know what.”

“I don’t think it’s magic, has the storm stopped?” asked Alex. “I’m not feeling nearly so much of a drain as earlier.”

“Storm’s gone, but there’s still some fog,” said Jones. “It’s kind of creepy, actually. I’m glad you’re on the line.”

“Make sure you’ve still got your amulet on you,” said Alex. “Put a hand on it for me.” He felt the pull increase just a little, and he reached out to Julian. Julian stumbled over to him, feet caught in his lap blanket, and ended up half-collapsed in Alex’s lap trying not to laugh. Alex calmed him with a kiss and silently asked permission to use some of Julian’s abundant power, sending that healing life into the amulet now that he could hear the strains of it against the background of noise.

Jones’ breath stopped for a moment, and when it resumed it was quieter. “Oh, that did help,” he said. “Must’ve snapped the cord.”

“The ambulance is almost there,” said James. “They’re going to take him to the Temple, the Healer there should be able to treat him.”

“Take both amulets along in the ambulance,” said Alex, “Please.”

“I’m not gonna argue, I know they saved me,” said Jones with a little cough. “Oh, I think I bruised a rib or three on the seatbelt, ow.”

They could hear the siren in the background now, getting louder, and Alex made sure to send through an extra push of energy. He could only hope the paramedics wouldn’t be caught up in Duckworth’s ire, though Alex was hoping he’d expended most of his energy.

“How’s that fog?” asked Alex.

Jones coughed again and cleared his throat. “I think it’s gone. Ambulance is here, they’re trying to get me out now.”

Alex hummed louder, tuning Jones’ voice out, though he could hear more talking. He concentrated instead on the distant ping of the twinned amulets, on keeping Jones alive and telling the car’s amulet that it’s okay to let him out now, and that it did its job and kept him alive. The amulets were tuned to Jones more than the specific car, so that Jones could take the one with him if he ever needed to change cars for whatever reason, and that gave Alex the leeway he needed to shift the motifs and pop the damaged door rather than holding it closed.

Alex’s ears popped, too, and he heard the sounds of rescue coming through the phone, and Jones protesting that both phone and amulet were necessary. Jacques spoke up in his capacity as Guardian, which got their attention enough that they promised to bring both items with them, so long as they’d be allowed to do their jobs and examine the patient now, please and thank you.

Alex felt the pressure on the amulets dissipating, and he relaxed with a tired sigh. “We can’t stay here forever,” he said quietly, not wanting Jones to pick up on this thread of conversation. “Duckworth’s going to keep finding ways to hurt people we care about.”

James and Jacques both nodded, worry on their faces. They’d become friends with Jones as well, and of course Father Stephen was a very good friend of theirs. They were no more willing to keep hoping their friend’s luck and protections held than Alex was.

They kept on the line until Jones was safely in the Temple and under its wards, and then finally hung up and Alex let the extra push of magic he’d been giving to the amulets turn back to their usual passive pull.

“Right, so,” Alex yawned before he could finish his thought.

“So, you are going to drink this,” said Jacques, handing Alex first a bottle, and then a cup of restorative tea. “Then we’ll sit and talk strategy while you eat your weight in sweets.”

Alex chuckled. “Yes, Dad,” he said, taking the bottle and downing the potion inside. It was a gentler energy boost than some of the ones they’d used, so he’d still have some hope of sleeping later. “Does Julian need one, too?”

“Just the tea,” said Julian, “and to move this cuddle to the comfortable chair.” He coaxed Alex onto his feet and over to the other chair, where they curled up together. Jacques sat down at James’ side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and James snuggled right up. More cups of tea served themselves while Alys continued send tantalising scents out from where she was cooking something in the kitchen.

“How are you feeling?” asked James.

Julian took another sip of tea and considered. “Sort of normal? A little cold, but in the way I used to get when I was putting out a little too much magic all the time.”

“He’s been working every day for a while now, minus a day off here or there,” said Alex, kissing Julian’s hair. “I’ll have to work on some lessons about power capacity, I guess.”

“When this is all done,” said Julian.

“Soon,” said Jacques darkly. “Jones never did anything to Duckworth.”

“Neither did Father Stephen,” said James, anger and sadness warring in his tone.

“How did he even find Jones?” asked Julian.

“Oh,” said Alex, and then, “Oh! He’s following my magic, sniffing it out. He can’t go after everyone I’ve ever made a charm for, so he’s looking for the more powerful or complex items first.”

“Complex, I think,” said Alex. “Though I guess the Satyr’s Gift charms are pretty one-shot, not a lot of extra power in them after conception.”

“Either way, Lapointe’s quit smoking charm won’t draw his attention,” said James, smiling to reassure Julian. “What other complex items have you made lately?”

“Your paired amulets, the one down in the car that we won’t drive until someone’s checked it over, mine and Julian’s amulets,” Alex thought out loud, going over his recent making spree in his mind. “I made myself a couple of other charms, but obviously those are already in here. Um, I’ve helped at a few Temples, but those are all warded well enough to keep him out.”

“Emmy and Phin have their amulets,” said Julian. “You said earlier.”

“I did, I guess we’d better call them and tell them to get to a Temple,” said Alex with a sigh. “Duckworth will be too worn out for a bit to go after them, but they should go right away.”

Julian claimed a kiss, then got up and took his phone and his tea to the bedroom to call Emmy.

“I wonder how he replenishes himself,” said Jacques. “Duckworth, I mean.”

“It’s got to be ambient magic somehow,” said Alex. “We know he thinks he needs Julian to access the Source.”

“Let’s hope he never figures out differently,” said Jacques.

Alex could only agree.

Alys interrupted that train of thought with plates of food for all of them, though Alex’s portion was considerably larger. She’d made scones dotted with currants and given them generous portions of jam and clotted cream, reheated some of the hand pies to add substance to their meal, and given them each a dish of ice cream with her curried fruit on top. “I’ll have to put in another grocery order soon, so you boys keep that in mind.”

Alex chuckled. “Stomachs before cowardice, hm?” asked Alex, picking up the first pie and finding it was one of the lamb ones, rich and hearty. “I can get behind that,” he added, taking a big bite.

“I knew you only loved me for my chef,” teased Julian, taking a bite of his ice cream.

They also had a fresh pot of the restorative tea to share, and Alex made himself slow down once the first pie was gone and sip some of the tea. “This is really good, it’s just what I need for courage.”

“Good,” said Alys, accepting the rest of their compliments before sauntering back into the kitchen.

They ate quietly, each of them mulling over whatever they needed to think through to be able to go after Duckworth the way that was proving necessary. Alex had already accepted his own viciousness with regards to the man who constantly endangered Julian, treating him like a prize, an obstacle, a means to an end. But he wasn’t the one who knew offensive magics, Alex was all about defence and creation. Combat magic had taken up almost none of his studies, and he rather wanted to keep it that way.

It seemed like no time at all before the food was gone and they were ready to talk. James and Jacques had clearly come to some kind of tacit agreement, because they were very open about their strategies and possible moves, though in the end it was Julian that came up with the bones of a plan that seemed workable.

They decided that was enough to send them get some rest, the final details to be worked out the next day, assuming Duckworth stayed quiet that long.

“I need you to have me,” said Julian, pressing Alex back against the bedroom door once they’d said their final goodnights. “I need to be reminded that you love me.”

Alex wrapped his arms around Julian, kissing him deeply. “I need to remind myself that you love me right back,” he confessed, walking them toward the bed one kiss at a time. “My life has been so much better since you came in and rearranged everything, Julian.”

“I don’t want to lose this,” said Julian. His hands were roaming now, stripping Alex out of his pyjamas, and Alex returned the favour. He felt desperate, needy, but Julian answered that with a neediness of his own that paradoxically calmed Alex.

“You won’t,” promised Alex, getting them tucked under the covers. “We won’t.” They kissed and kissed, caressing in an aimless way, physical desire slow to build as they warmed up the chilly blankets and slowly calmed their worries, grounding themselves in each other. “We’ll stay safe, and make everyone we love safe.”

“It’ll all be okay,” whispered Julian, less a reassurance than a desperate hope.

Alex summoned up his magic, already starting to blossom again after the good food and purposeful planning, and let it tingle over Julian’s skin, adding zest to their kisses. He could feel the frustration bubbling through them both like spice in a curry, a sharp heat that spurred his hips forward, rubbing their cocks together.

“In me, need you in me,” gasped Julian, reaching down between them to squeeze them both anyway.

Alex choked on a laugh and kissed him again, fumbling with the bottle of lube. He couldn’t seem to manage to hold himself up and keep kissing and not give in to his instincts and thrust into Julian’s hand. Instead, he took it upon himself to roll them over so Julian was on top, giving Alex two hands to deal with the lube and Julian’s delectable arse.

“Much better,” said Alex, pouring lube over the both of them despite the cold, hoping to calm them long enough to get him where they both wanted him.

Julian laughed and cooperated, using his hand to slick them both and lifting his hips enough to let Alex reach beneath him, two fingers sliding easily into Julian’s body. “O-oh, yes, this is so much better,” he said.

Alex added magic with his fingers, feeling Julian’s body clasp around his fingers, hot and greedy for more, feeling it returned not in a kiss but through Julian’s touch on their cocks. “O-oh, need, in you,” said Alex, pulling his fingers out.

“God, yes,” said Julian, shifting so Alex could get into position, and then sliding down onto Alex’s cock with a moan. It was so, so tight, but hot and welcoming, the way eased by magic in more ways that one.

They were both so worked up that Julian barely paused when they were fully joined, leaning down for a kiss that pulled him partway off. Alex answered that by surging upward with his own hips, and that started a fast, greedy rhythm of kisses and motion, Julian riding and Alex thrusting, both of them drinking in the hot, sharp taste of magic and need, frustration and love, and the complex mix of melody and life that was the two of them together.

It didn’t take long for them to finish, sparking pleasure and power together to throw stars on the ceiling, to light up the wards and empower them that extra little bit with their combined essences. They were laughing and panting as they came down off the high of it, and Julian’s skin sparkled with glow in every drop of sweat as though he’d been clubbing somewhere a bit mad. The light died away even as Alex watched, but the sight stayed with him, his lover lit up by his magic in more ways than one.

They cleaned up in the bathroom and got back into their pyjamas, smiling and content as they settled into one another.

“I really, really needed that,” said Julian, kissing him again.

Alex nodded, burying his face in Julian’s hair as sleep lapped at the edges of his consciousness. “I know just what you mean.”

CHAPTER 17

In Which We Attempt to Lure, Trap, and Defeat Our Foe

The next morning, James and Jacques teased them a little about the light show, asking if it had been intended to make sure the wards were visible overnight. Everyone was more relaxed, though there was a certain resolve under all the banter that pleased Alex even more than Julian’s smiles.

“So,” said Alex, as they were lounging in the living room, fully dressed and sipping tea, “who’s going to tell whom what we’re planning?”

Jacques chuckled. “Just for that, I should make you call Mother Sharp.”

“Only if you call Lapointe,” said Alex.

“No way, that’s all you,” said Jacques with a wince. “She’s going to be livid.”

“We still don’t know if he’s messed up the car, anyway,” said Julian. “We might not be going anywhere.”

“We all know it’s fine, or I’d have felt the draw off the amulet,” said Alex. “I mean, we’re going to inspect it when we get down there, but in all likelihood it’s fine.”

James gave Jacques’ shoulder a nudge with his own. “You’ll have to try to fit somehow.”

“They’re deceptively roomy,” replied Jacques, “but I’m still taking shotgun.”

“I’m not really sure who should drive,” said Alex.

“Me,” said Julian. “If he attacks you, you need to fend it off, and if he attacks me, you still need to fend it off.”

“Sensible,” said Alex, kissing him sweetly. “All right, phone calls now?”

“Snacks, then phone calls,” said Alys, coming out of the kitchen with plates floating after her. She’d been up earlier than any of the humans making more hand pies, and there were several on each plate. They’d also made sure everyone had every possible protective magic item Alex could unearth on them, a cacophony of helpful magics that was giving Alex a slight headache.

“And paracetamol?” asked Alex, making puppy eyes.

“Already?” said Alys, shaking her head. The bottle floated out anyway, and Alex took a pair of the pills gratefully with the cucumber-mint water she’d provided all of them with their snacks. “I’ll be making up a hamper for you to take, and you’ll bundle up. It’s right nippy out there today.”

“Yes’m,” said Alex meekly, sipping his water again with a sigh. “We’ve all got little warming charms now, but they’re very minor.”

“I can’t believe you whipped those up in five minutes,” said James with a chuckle. “It didn’t even take much power.”

“They’re really easy charms,” said Alex, shrugging. “Julian powered them, really, I just provided the structure.”

“For once, his hoard of goodies was useful,” said Julian, teasingly. “Still no word on Merlin’s left bollock, though.”

They bantered their way through the hearty snack; Alys had made three types of pies: roast pork, curry potato, and sour cherry, each one better than the last. They’d all be good cold, or warmed by a bit of Alex’s magic if they had the luxury of wasting the energy later. Once the pies were but a memory, each of them took their phones to a different room to make their phone calls.

Julian went to the bedroom to call Mary Margaret to ask if there’d been any problems with her wards, which didn’t draw from Alex but had been laid down by him. James stayed in the living room and called the Healing Mother to inquire after Father Stephen. Jacques went to the kitchen to contact Mother Sharp, needing to make sure someone at the Temple knew the details of their plan, in case it all blew up in their faces. Alex went into his work room and spent a moment just gathering himself, avoiding the call to Lapointe until he could really ignore it no longer.

“Alex, it’s early for you to be calling,” said Lapointe. “Has something else happened?”

“Jones was in a car accident last night, on his way to pick up Victor out on some estate. He’s healing up in a Temple now, but we think Duckworth’s been chasing my magical signature. Father Stephen had one of my amulets, Jones had that paired set for him and the car. We got Emmy and Phin to go visit a warded Temple,” said Alex, practically all in one breath.

“That’s a lot of information,” said Lapointe. “So what about my quit smoking charm?”

“Your charm is pretty far down the power scale, but with a lot of the more powerful artefacts under ward, there’s a chance he might come after you once he’s gathered his strength again,” said Alex. He took a deep breath and said, “That’s why we’re going to lure him out.”

“Do James and Jacques know about this?” snapped Lapointe.

Alex couldn’t help but chuckle at her tone. “Yes, Mom, both Dads have approved of and actually helped us come up with the plan.”

Lapointe harrumphed. “Can we help at all?”

“Maybe,” said Alex. He launched into the bare bones of their idea, trying not to let himself worry about every possible way it might all go horribly wrong. Much.

“Is that going to work?” asked Lapointe.

Alex laughed. “I have no idea, but it’s what we came up with. I hope it will.” He was aware that he sounded less than stable, but he thought she’d understand. He hoped so, anyway.

“When is this happening?” she asked sharply.

Alex looked at his closed door. “Soon, I think. We want to make the bait so good he’ll come find us before he’s fully recharged.”

“I still think this is a terrible idea,” she said, “but you’re right, you can’t keep waiting while he goes after more and more obscure targets tangentially associated with your magic.”

“Thank you,” said Alex softly. “And you take care of yourself, we’ve put a lot of the powerful stuff under wards, so you’ll look tastier than before.”

“I’ll stay here at the Agency, unless you think it would help to have the cavalry come?” she said, sounding hopeful at the end.

“Not even Armistead, sorry,” said Alex with a chuckle. “Knowing who I don’t have to worry about will help, I promise. It gives our Guardians less to Guard, too.”

“All right, all right, I know when I’m beat,” she said. “Keep us posted, though, if you can.”

“Will do.” Alex hung up and slumped against the counter with a sigh. “I hope this isn’t a terrible idea,” he said quietly. He took a moment to whistle at his wards, checking for any sign of Duckworth’s return, but there was nothing at all. He’d stopped the extra-active protections last night to help him recover from Jones’ accident, but Duckworth either hadn’t noticed, or hadn’t felt up to trying anything else.

Alex took another moment to concentrate on himself, checking his subtle body for damage or imbalance, making sure he’d adequately fed his physical body as well, and finally just making sure all the magic items on his person were free of curse or taint. Then he sucked it up and went back out to the living room, where James was looking at the phone in his hands like it might hold all or none of the answers.

“How’s Father Stephen?” asked Alex, sitting next to him on the couch.

James sighed. “He’s still unconscious, but the Healing Mother said he’s responding well to treatment. She thinks it’ll be a few weeks, like you with the wasp sting, because of the magic drain when they Healed the worst of his injuries.”

Alex gave James’ knee a squeeze. “We’d better do a good job today, then. Just imagine the disappointed looks he’d give us if he woke up and Duckworth was still out there bothering people?”

James chuckled weakly and put his phone away. “Jerk.”

“Is my fiancé being a jerkface?” asked Julian, emerging from the bedroom. “Mary Margaret says they’ve seen nothing untoward, and she actually listened to me and is closing up for the day. She said the annoyed customers are worth it if it means I can come back soon, because the plants miss me.”

“Not a total jerkface,” said James. “And I’m sure all your plants miss you just as much as you miss them.”

“We’ll have to make the rounds as soon as we can,” said Alex, leaning back to meet Julian’s descending lips in a warm, soft kiss. “Hi.”

“Hi,” said Julian with a chuckle. “Don’t be a jerk to our Guardians.”

“Yes, Dear,” said Alex teasingly. “Anyone else we should call?”

“Will Thomas be mad he had to hear it from Lapointe?” asked James.

Julian came around and sat on James’ other side. “I don’t think so, he’s pretty understanding about chain of command stuff.”

“Plus, we’ll actually come to his house to play games when it’s over, and all will be forgiven,” said Alex teasingly.

“When it’s all over, I like the sound of that,” said Jacques, joining them. “Mother Sharp doesn’t exactly approve, but she doesn’t exactly disapprove, either. I think she was just hoping we’d find another way.”

“She’s probably read even more of those ‘why trying to trap evil sorcerers is a bad idea for future generations’ stories than I have,” said Alex. “And there were a lot of them in my reading at school.”

“Well, you know, it’s at odds with our calling in many ways,” said James. Jacques laid his hands on James shoulders from behind, and James squeezed one comfortingly. “But after the kids, well, there are extreme situations, and this feels like one of those.”

“I’ve had a full career of making artefacts,” said Alex. “Some of those are bound to be on people who can’t defend themselves. A lot of them, actually.”

“Oh, man, like those luck charms you made for the softball team,” said Julian, looking worried again. “How many of those were there?”

“Oh, wow, that was a huge batch,” said Alex. “I sold some of them to another precinct, too, there were a few extras.”

“Right,” said Jacques. “So there’s no doubt that we’re protecting a lot of people by getting proactive.”

“So we need to go,” said James.

“Treats, then going,” said Alys’ voice, though she was nowhere to be seen, having vacated the kitchen during Jacque’s phone call. Plates of chocolates floated out, three truffles each plus two pear slices, each one chosen for its intended recipient. They took a moment to eat the truffles and appreciate their good luck, to savour each one and the chocolate-coated pear slices as well.

“Did you ever enchant anything for Ellen?” asked Julian curiously.

Alex shook his head. “She wants a personal charm, but I haven’t had time. I’m feeling less guilty about that now.”

They teased him about all of the charms and potions and other artefacts on his to-do list, easing their mood with banter while they got ready to go out. James and Jacques took all of their weapons, even the swords, plus their Guardian medallions and the paired amulets Alex had made them. Alex and Julian each had a whole host of Alex’s toys on them, including Horace, who was tucked into the curl of Julian’s scarf where he could stay warm.

“All right, time to go?” asked Alex. A bowl appeared at his feet full of bread, milk, and honey, and he smiled at the mundanity of the task. “And time to swap out the offering, which we’ve not done lately.”

They made their way out into the hallway, Guardians first and last, Julian changing the offering and Alex whistling at the wards, striking his cane against the floor in a gentle rhythm, spreading his awareness out over the building now that he wasn’t trapped in a magical cage of his own making. He felt the swell of much-loved music as Julian took his elbow and led him where he needed to go, but his attention was stretched out like the limbs of a person getting up from a cramped seat to stand in an open space.

The elevator’s mechanical melody was unbroken as ever, its protections against tampering proving once again to be superior—and, Alex made a mental note, worth further study, if he could arrange it. James and Jacques had that sharper, more opaque feel to their magic that meant they were in full Guardian mode, which burned through energy but also tapped some source that only those in such a profession could access. Alex’s own melodies were crisper, tighter even where the fingertips of his awareness brushed at the building’s edges, reached for the car and its familiar, mostly-dormant amulet.

The car and its amulet were quiet and safe, but they all went over it anyway, checking for those hair-fine cuts in the magic or the physical structure. It wouldn’t take a lot to make a car fall apart on the road, but then again, that’s part of what the amulet was there for, to protect against that sort of small damage.

“Everything looks fine to me,” said James. “It looks fine to all of us.”

Alex chuckled. “You’re not wrong, sorry, I think we’re all just a bit nervous after two car accidents.”

“It’s definitely an MO,” said Jacques. “I’m still riding shotgun.”

“That’s fine,” said Alex. “I can concentrate scrunched up in back, hm, we should probably put James behind Julian so there’s a sight mage on each side of the car, though. We’ll see how well we fit.”

Fortunately, their car was bigger than it looked, so although it wasn’t exactly roomy, no one was actively uncomfortable once they all got settled. Julian took the wheel, and Alex started up a formless little hum to empower the amulet. It set off a resonance with all the other protective items in the car, so they rode in a little bubble of martial melodies. Alex kept shifting his tune to help everything mesh better and work more effectively; he couldn’t actually change anything significant about the physical artefacts, but their magic was just malleable enough to their creator to deepen the harmony that was already present.

They were silent on the ride out of town, each of them concentrating on their own thing, magic or driving or just keeping watch for strange patches of fog. Everything felt wintery and muffled once they got out of the city and onto the St. Albans estate, snow and bare trees and quiet pines all around. Julian remembered the way, and Alex could feel the clarion call of the Source a good ten minutes before the car slowed, crunching over snow as they pulled up to the ruined cottage.

“I really hope this isn’t a terrible idea,” said Julian, turning off the car.

“We’ll make it work,” said Alex. “Everyone got their warming charms?”

“You know we do,” said James, rolling his eyes. “You can hear them.”

“There’s a lot to hear on us right now,” Alex shot back. “But yeah, I can if I try.” Even Horace had one of the little baubles in the heart of him, mostly to prevent freezing metal against Alex’s tender neck.

Jacques was the first to get out, turning a circle as he scanned the area. He nodded, and that was their cue to leave the car’s warmth and relative safety. Alex went to the bonnet and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, spreading it out to reveal a hodgepodge of magic items he’d dug up out of his work room, all of them bearing his magical signature. “All right, Horace, make sure you remember where you left it all, and try to be, you know, a little random about it, but not too much. Places people might hide.”

Horace trilled and chirped, hopping up Alex’s arm to rub against his cheek and get a kiss to his metal head. “Yes, you’re right, you’ve proven yourself more than capable,” said Alex. “I’m just worried.”

The bird fluttered back down and picked up the first item, Alex’s favourite insight stone, then launched himself off into the trees.

“He’ll be a few minutes scattering these,” said Alex. “Let’s see if I can boost my phone enough to let Lapointe know we’re here.”

“I didn’t know the Source created so much interference,” said Jacques. “This plan seems less stupid now.”

Alex laughed. “We’ll have to figure out what to do about it for the cottage, though. We can’t come out here often if we’re going to be out of touch.”

He pulled out his phone and leaned against the car, using his cane and the vehicle to ground himself. A little whistle got him a better feel for the interference, and he did a quick little cantrip on the phone itself, using his finger to draw a temporary rune on the screen before calling Lapointe.

“Well, it’s terrible, but it’s a connection,” said Lapointe, voice staticky but audible.

Alex chuckled. “Static is better than silence,” he agreed. “We’re here. I’ll call later?”

“Or I will,” said Lapointe. “But hopefully it’ll be you, calling with good news.”

“Hopefully,” said Alex. Horace came back for another artefact, and a little burst of static accompanied him, so Alex hung up rather than bother with more inane pleasantries.

“That was clever,” said James, coming over to look at Alex’s phone. “Simple, but effective.”

“Very temporary, though,” said Alex. “We should get the basket and go look at the Source together.”

“Yeah, Alys would be mad if we left the food in the car,” said Julian with a chuckle. He snagged it out of the boot while Alex made sure the handkerchief was secured under the wipers, so it wouldn’t blow away once most of the items were gone.

They waited to tell Horace where they were going, not that the messenger bird needed their help to find anyone, especially not his creator, but once that was done there were no more excuses.

“I don’t know why I’m intimidated, it was fine last time,” said Alex with a huff. “It’s just a Source, not a Way or anything.”

“It could be a Way, or have once been,” pointed out Jacques entirely unhelpfully.

“Gee, thanks,” said Alex. “Because that wouldn’t insanely complicate everything at all.”

“They might be on our side,” said Jacques, “if there’s anyone to be on anyone’s side.”

“I am the rightful heir and all that,” said Julian. “Though if it’s a bloodline thing, then it might be Duckworth.”

“If it’s a ‘not a psycho murderer’ thing, though, that’s us all over,” said Alex. “I’ll try to fret more quietly, I suppose.”

“I didn’t know you were capable of keeping your mouth shut,” said Jacques teasingly.

They tromped through the woods as they talked, the snow already broken up by the many creatures that came to the pond for water. Alex could feel the Guardians doing something to conceal their tracks anyway, but he was too busy trying to keep the Source from overwhelming his senses to listen carefully.

They came out into the clearing and both of the Guardians gasped.

“What does it look like?” asked Julian.

To Alex’s unmagical vision, there was a small, picturesque waterfall cascading down into a pool of clear water, iced around the edges but liquid in the middle where the falls churned. He knew the Source was behind the falls in a little rock cave, because he could hear the shape of it in his mind, louder than anything else he’d ever heard. A part of him wanted to walk back there and see if there was any physical manifestation at all, but he didn’t want to risk deafening his magical senses any more than they already were.

“It’s very bright, but refracted through the falls so we aren’t blinded,” said Jacques.

“It’s got a, a weight to it, it’s hard to explain, but I can tell there’s a whole lot of magic in a very small space back there,” added James.

“I wonder if I could go in there?” said Julian. “I mean, I know you guys can’t risk being blinded by it or whatever, but it feels, I don’t know. Alive to me. Like it wants someone to visit it again.”

“Again?” asked Alex. “Yeah, again.” He could hear it now, the notes of longing hiding amongst the torrent of sound, melodies starting to resolve amongst the rest. There was more than just power there, and Alex hoped once again that whatever it was on the other side wouldn’t decide to back up Duckworth’s claim to the Source. “Do you want to go?”

“There’s dry rocks,” said James. He was a ways away, looking at the falls from another angle. “I just watched them dry, making a path, so either it’s a really good trap, or it really wants someone to visit.”

“I’ll go with Julian,” said Alex. “You two stay here and stick with the plan? Will you be okay without me?”

“Now?” asked Jacques, sounding more worried than annoyed.

“It wants now,” said James. “Look at it, it wants them and it wants them now, and it’s definitely the Source trying to get them in there.”

Jacques sighed. “All right, but we’re keeping Horace out here when he’s done with his job,” he said.

“Good idea,” said Alex. He whistled again to make sure the amulets they were all wearing were active, pulling a little power from the source and pushing it into them until they couldn’t take any more. “That’s as good as I can do.”

James and Jacques, in their turn, came over to bless their Charges, trading off soft, dry kisses full of determined power to Alex and Julian’s foreheads. They all felt it, a sense of portent, though with a magical Source beckoning it could hardly feel like anything else.

Alex took Julian’s hand and let him lead the way, following the path of dry, snow-free stones that now led from where they’d all been gathered to the Source behind its waterfall. The physical sound of the falls merged with the magic to batter at Alex’s poor ears, but he found it wasn’t so bad once they were on the path, as though whatever wanted them there was shielding him from the worst of it. It was too loud to talk, really, so he just held on to Julian’s hand and tried to trust that the power that lived in this beautiful forest wouldn’t wish them ill.

The sound of the falls faded away as they stepped into the shallow cave behind the falls, spray and noise alike blocked off by a simple ward tied to the Source itself. The Source glowed enough to light the cave independent of the watery sunlight coming in through the falls. There was an ivy-covered archway, and the doorway inside was filled with a radiance that was at once all colours and no colour.

“How are the plants growing so close to that much magic?” wondered Alex aloud, twining his fingers with Julian’s.

“Where does it go?” said Julian. “Maybe the other side is just fine for ivy.”

Alex squeezed his hand. “Maybe someday we’ll find out,” he said. That beckoning siren song, which had waned to almost nothing when they entered the cave, surged again in the magic. “We can’t right now,” said Alex firmly.

“We will soon, if we survive today,” promised Julian, reaching out to stroke along the ivy. “Look, it’s two different plants; there’s roots on both sides of the portal.”

“And they both like you, I think,” said Alex, getting a little of Julian’s plant-sense through the connection of their twined fingers, stretching to listen on a different level than the Source’s loud static.

Alex heard a burst of impatient motifs, followed by a slow, patient melody that calmed all of the Source’s magic into a much less staticky flow. Alex breathed it in, listening to that deep, unifying music and letting himself get a good draught of it, until he couldn’t hold one erg more energy. He could feel Julian doing the same, though Julian was also feeding a bit of it back out to the ivy, making a different kind of connection to the Source.

Alex became aware of something outside their little sanctuary, a shout that made it past the other barriers, plucking at the connection between himself and the Guardians. “I think he’s here,” said Alex.

“We are meant to be hiding, you know,” said Julian. “This is as hidden as anywhere.”

“I know, I know,” said Alex. “It’s just hard to be left out of the action.”

“So, let’s help them,” said Julian. He led Alex over to a little niche that was almost sculpted as a seat, the stone rounded and smooth despite there not being any water flowing in the cavern. “We’ve connected to the Source here, and you’re connected to them.”

“Right, you’re right, and we can send some magic to the things Horace has hidden around to light them up better, too,” said Alex. They settled into the niche and into each other, then Alex started singing a soft, wordless tune.

The first thing Alex did was listen, using his own sense and a little bit of his connection to both Julian and the Guardians to get a feel for the lay of the land. Duckworth was there as a dull, dead spot, absorbing light and magic and life. He was off to one side, wrapped around one of Alex’s scattered charms, and Alex sent a little shock of magic into it just to see what would happen.

The magic was swallowed the way fog swallowed sounds, muffled and deadened. Duckworth didn’t pull on him through it, and probably couldn’t, but anything it gave off became a part of him.

“So when he was on our wards, he was eating them?” asked Julian. “Or, or something else?”

“He definitely expended energy causing the car wrecks,” said Alex. “But those amulets worked differently. Maybe he’s been leeching off a lot of little power-emitting artefacts from a bunch of people?”

Alex set off a flare of power in a different artefact, this one a bottle of healing potion he’d made with Julian in an early lesson. He then shifted his power over and pushed some into his connection with James and Jacques, which was tenuous but hadn’t yet faded from their mutual blessings. They gave a pull to go with his push, and something clicked to sustain the connection, letting Alex relax and feed them power from the safety of the cave.

“He might follow it back to us,” warned Alex, as he felt Julian’s life-giving energy twining with his own along the connection. “Keep alert, in case I’m too deep in the magic.”

“I promise,” said Julian, giving him a cold kiss.

Alex went back to his song, soft despite knowing the falls would hide the noise, listening to everything around them pinging. He found Horace up in a tree, all of his goodies delivered and his own magic dampened as he napped, making him far less of a target than the rest of the things around them. Alex sent another burst of magic across the clearing, lighting up a pair of cufflinks with personal atmosphere charms on them, designed to keep the wearer comfortable no matter the temperature, and free of unpleasant odours as well. Alex had nearly forgotten he’d made them, but he was curious to see how they’d react with Duckworth’s particular noxious atmosphere.

The Guardians weren’t interfering with Duckworth yet, letting him flit to and fro, observing everything they could about the way he was functioning without a corporeal body for them to fight. They had chosen a spot that seemed like it could be Guarding any of the magic items, but especially a couple of the more powerful ones, and they also had the brownie-magic-infused picnic basket at their feet just to add more noise to the magical mix.

Alex breathed in more of the Source’s magic and changed his song to one for clarity, sending that along with the rest to their Guardians. They couldn’t communicate like this, but Alex and Julian were sending along as much help as they could. The Guardians were expending power at an impressive rate with their special brand of magic, but it stayed within their auras, passed back and forth between them without becoming something Duckworth could siphon off.

Alex turned his attention to where Duckworth was curled around the potion bottle still, trying to get at the warm, living magic inside. Curiously, he couldn’t seem to drink it in the way he did the colder power in the first charm. That gave Alex another niggling idea, which he let simmer while he listened to the way Duckworth curled around the bottle, fog obscuring but not absorbing the magic inside.

“He can’t even interact with your magic, really,” murmured Alex. “Which makes me think of that crime scene, and how it seemed so much like a poltergeist.”

Julian blinked. “You think he’s a ghost?” he asked. “But how? I mean, when?”

“Maybe whatever sustains genies couldn’t sustain him?” said Alex. “Maybe not being able to turn back into a man was fatal?”

“We have to tell them,” said Julian.

“You’re right,” said Alex, helping him stand. “It changes the plan.”

Julian hugged him tight. “What do they do for ghosts?”

“Well, for nuisance spirits someone like Father Stephen would coax them into passing on,” said Alex, letting them have an extra moment to gather their courage. “For a murderous ghost, though, it would be exorcism. Which, actually, the Guardians should be able to do? I think?”

“Not too common, I guess,” said Julian with a nervous laugh. “Well, how shall we do this?”

“Do you want to stay here?” offered Alex.

Julian gave him an annoyed look and tangled their fingers back together. “No, I don’t want to stay here.”

They took a deep breath and headed back out path, careful despite the dry stones of the path. Alex kept glancing over at Duckworth, who had risen up into a column of mist, the potion glowing beneath him, its healing power amplified by Alex’s infusion of magic. As soon as they were off the rocks, Alex pulled Julian into a run, skirting around Duckworth and heading for the Guardians, who were coming to meet them.

“Ghost,” gasped Alex, tugging Julian between and behind the two Guardians. “Can’t access, healing potion.”

“You need to exercise more,” said James, but Alex could feel the relief in his voice.

“Are you sure?” asked Jacques, but Alex could see his gaze sharpening. “No, you’re right, I can see it now that I’m looking right.”

“Can you do it?” asked Julian quietly, peering from behind James as the mist became more of a dust devil, kicking up snow as Duckworth made his angry way to them, potion abandoned now that his real quarry had been flushed.

“We can, we brought everything,” said Jacques with a chuckle. “We almost didn’t.”

James nodded. “We might need you to distract him while we get ready, though.”

“We can do that,” said Alex. “I’m going to dart over to those cufflinks, the ones that are glowing now. They’re supposed to dissipate noxious atmospheres, though I never did use them much.”

“He’s pretty noxious,” agreed Jacques. “Try not to get hurt.”

“Doing my best,” said Alex. He took in another infusion of power from Julian and and the Source both, feeling a glow of life inside himself that was sure to be off-putting to Duckworth in this form, and then he made a break for the cufflinks. They weren’t exactly in Duckworth’s direction, but his path wasn’t quite a straight line, so Alex had to watch that he didn’t get too close. He felt as much as saw or heard as Duckworth changed the direction of his wobble, picked up speed and started really coming for Alex.

Alex skidded to a halt and scooped up the cufflinks along with a handful of snow, leaves, and dirt, and immediately turned to toss it all into the angry vortex of Duckworth’s shade. The cufflinks pushed the dust and snow away from themselves and then got caught up in Duckworth’s orbit, carving two paths of clear space out as they whirled around inside his fog. The mist stuttered and twisted, and a keening filled the clearing that was as much psychic as physical noise.

Alex took this for a good sign and took off in a new direction, scooping up the healing potion before sprinting a wide arc back toward the Guardians. Duckworth continued to writhe and whine, and finally he managed to expel one of the cufflinks, which shot off into the trees, quickly followed by the second one.

“Tha-at wasssn’t ni-sss-ice,” said Duckworth’s voice, broken up into strange threads of overlapping sound, much the way his face had been, back when they’d first captured him, or this shade of him.

“You haven’t been very nice yourself,” said Alex. He had the sudden, irrational urge to make a snowball to chuck at Duckworth, but he didn’t want to stop moving long enough to make one. “You’ve been very naughty.”

“N-need, need (nice, not nice) n-nee,” stuttered Duckworth, unable to keep himself together. Another of those angry keens battered at them, but it was merely irritating for now.

“You’re falling apart all over again,” said Alex. He was still mostly moving toward the Guardians and Julian, but he didn’t want to bring Duckworth’s attention on them before they were ready for him. “You couldn’t even escape right.”

All of a sudden, Duckworth gathered himself and flew at Alex.

Alex didn’t have time to react before he was enveloped in fog, hearing deadened and vision whited out. He could feel Duckworth’s little razor-sharp magics trying to chip away at his protections, to find a tiny chink and winnow his way into Alex. Alex carefully got himself sat down on the ground, ignoring the snow seeping in through his trousers and letting the warming charm do its job there. He turned his own concentration inward, trusting his friends to take care of their end while he kept himself safe and unpossessed.

Alex started up a wordless song, following the familiar motifs of his own magic, reweaving the protections, healing cut melodies, patching severed notes. He could feel Duckworth’s concentration slipping as his frustration mounted, and Alex wondered again how or why Duckworth had deteriorated since his escape. If the bottle had been keeping him anchored and alive, perhaps destroying it had caused him to lose his anchor on both life and sanity. There were so many ifs, and Alex couldn’t be distracted by those right now, he had to concentrate on shoring up every little gap Duckworth made in his protections.

Alex could feel something building outside himself, a funereal chant that ate at the edges of Duckworth’s concentration. A whiff of incense made it through Duckworth’s fog and then got drawn into it, followed by a sound like bells, low and urgent, each peal sending a shiver through Duckworth that broke his focus and freed Alex to more thoroughly mend his protections. Finally Duckworth rose up above Alex’s head and off toward the trees, drawn by something Alex could sense distantly but felt a great disinclination to look at.

Instead, he stood up and dusted himself off, then whistled a little drying charm to keep himself from succumbing to hypothermia. James and Jacques did indeed have a censer and a bell, each of them swinging in time to the chants, directing their focus at Duckworth’s errant spirit. Threads of Duckworth’s magic flung themselves outward, catching on whatever they could. Alex returned to his repair work, making sure the Guardians and Julian were safe, as well as himself.

All of a sudden there was a great pressure, and then it was over. James and Jacques brought their chant around and then sagged, both of them magically spent, instruments carefully laid on the ground.

Julian and Alex went to them and joined hands, all four of them, then tapped into the Source and fed some of that pure, vital energy through all of them, until they were all balanced and energised.

Julian was the one to break the connection with a soft laugh. “I can’t believe it’s over, I mean, really truly over.”

“Well,” said Alex, feeling the siren call of the Source start up again, “maybe not entirely over?”

“Should we come with you this time?” asked Jacques, voice both curious and tired.

Alex sighed. “Let’s have some tea first, so we feel less off balance?”

James immediately bent down to get into the hamper, which made the rest of them laugh. “What? I know you all want hand pies, too.”

They all agreed that they did, and spent a few minutes just getting tea poured and pies eaten, quiet and contemplative.

“When do you think it happened?” asked Alex, eyes sliding over the not-place where Duckworth had disappeared.

“Maybe when the genie bottle broke,” said Jacques. “If it was sustaining him when he was inside it and he wasn’t let out with the password?”

“Or if the bottle wasn’t really set up to keep a human alive, even one in fog form,” said James pensively. “He could have just starved in there.”

“Well, he might have been executed a long time ago if he’d ever been convicted of magical murder,” pointed out Alex. “He really brought it onto himself. I’m just thinking of the sophisticated trap he laid on Julian, versus the angry mess he was just now.”

“Ghosts do deteriorate,” said Jacques, finishing up his treat. He bent down to put the fire out in the censer and activate something to protect the incense inside so that he could pack it away, handing James the bell, which likewise vanished.

“He was expending enormous amounts of energy, and he didn’t have any kind of focal point to ground him in this world,” said James. “Most ghosts are attached to their bodies, a location, or an object. Duckworth had none of that.”

They all finished up their food and drink, one by one, then wiped out the cups and packed the basket back up. “All right,” said Julian, squaring his shoulders. “Time to see what’s on the other side that’s calling us.”

CHAPTER 18

In Which We Travel Strange Ways, and Meet a Stranger Thereupon

They walked all in a line, with James first and Jacques bringing up the rear. The stones were still dry and, it seemed to Alex, the path was wider than before. The cavern had the same insulating effect on his senses, a sweet relief from the background noise of the falls in a way that Duckworth’s muffling fog had absolutely not been.

Jacques set himself up with his back to the falls, able to watch both the archway of the Source and the entrance to the cave. James prowled forward to examine the Way and see whatever it was that his very different magical senses could see.

“Wow, you didn’t even have to discuss that,” said Alex.

Both Guardians cracked up laughing. “You know,” said Jacques, “we actually do Guard people other than you, who aren’t nearly so self-rescuing.”

“One in with the Charge and one on guard outside is basically the first page in the handbook,” said James.

“We’re too used to you being our friends,” said Julian, his voice full of amusement. “We get confused when you go all competent and professional on us.”

“Ah, the shiny has worn off,” said Jacques with mock sadness.

“Remember when he first woke up and saw us?” said James with a sigh. “So impressed.”

“So eager to do the ceremony,” added Jacques dryly.

Alex harrumphed. “How was I to know you guys didn’t do that anymore?”

“You could have read something published in the last fifty years,” said James. “So, what’s the plan here?”

“You go through, then Julian, then me?” said Alex. “If it lets us.”

Julian hmmed. “It will, whatever it is that’s calling us wants us to feel safe and welcome,” he said.

“Safe and welcome it is,” said Alex. “Should we hold hands?”

“Undignified but effective,” said James. He placed himself right in front of the Way and held his left hand behind him for Julian to grab.

Julian giggled and took it, holding his own hand out for Alex. “We’re ready,” said Julian.

Alex gave his hand a squeeze, and James stepped forward. There was a moment of quiet, and then something tugged, and they were all drawn slowly into the portal. There was burst of sound like a massive orchestra all hitting one chord, and light that whited out Alex’s vision, but the ground beneath him stayed solid. He stopped and blinked away the spots in his eyes, looking around at the twilit grove all around them.

“I was right,” said Julian, twisted around to look behind them. “The other ivy is rooted here.”

“An astute observation,” said a voice, and all three heads whipped around as a high elf stepped into the clearing. “You are very well attuned to nature, aren’t you?”

“Ye-es,” said Julian, sounding quite dubious. High elves were, to human eyes, beautiful beyond compare, so Alex gave a little mental cheer that Julian wasn’t taken in by its glamour. It was taller than any of them, and probably male, with long hair in a pale shade of periwinkle that almost matched the twilight sky and skin the colour of fresh snow, up to and including the blue shadows in the hollows of his high cheekbones. His robes were intricate cut lacework in layer upon layer, each one a different shade of pale blue or lavender or something in between, which brought to Alex’s mind a lilac bush in full bloom.

“Forgive my manners, I am Cuidightheach, but perhaps you will call me Cody?” the elf said, bowing gracefully.

“I am James, and these are my Charges, Julian St. Albans and Alex Benedict.” James drew himself up and managed to look very regal despite the large number of items hanging from his belt and hiding in his coat. “Do you mean them any ill will?”

“I do not, Guardian-of-people,” said Cuidightheach. “I am a Guardian of this Way, but I have been without a partner for a very long time. You humans live such short spans.”

James tensed, but Julian put a hand on his arm. “What is required of a Guardian of the Way?” asked Julian.

Cuidightheach smiled, looking much more like a Cody as he began to relax from his regal bearing. “On the human side of the Way, we would need someone to restore the house that is in ruins and reside there, and to be linked to this Way, to sense when someone is trying to go through it from either side.”

“We are planning to rebuild the cottage,” said Alex, twining his fingers with Julian’s, “but we weren’t going to live there all the time. We have commitments in the city.”

“You are to be married?” asked Cody, looking delighted. “If your strong protections were woven into his earth magics, I am certain you could do your part even from a short distance.”

“Define short,” said Julian, though Alex could tell there was something about this place that called to him to defend it. “And why does this Way need guarding, anyway? I mean, it’s pretty clear no one goes here.”

Cody chuckled. “That has been true for most of my tenure, but this grove holds some very valuable plants which only those wise and virtuous may make use of.” He said this last in a tone that was both serious and subtly irreverent, as though he, too, had lately asked that very question. “It would be so much less dull if we could share the duties.”

“Boredom always was the curse of your kind,” said James, sounding unamused. “I won’t let them commit to anything without a full and complete understanding of the terms, risks, and rewards involved.”

“For a mage such as the three of you, the rewards must be obvious,” said Cody. “Being tied so intimately to a magical Source will make you very powerful and long-lived.”

“But unable to travel very far for very long,” said Alex. “And just how far and how long are we talking about here?”

Cody shot him an annoyed look. “I am not entirely certain. Your predecessors were largely content to stay within the woods and nurture their homes.”

“We won’t commit to it today,” said Julian firmly, “but we’ll go back and research it, and give you an answer by midsummer.”

“Midsummer is soon enough,” said Cody, inclining his head. He drew himself up to look once again like Cuidightheach the high elf rather than Cody the bored guard, and bowed. “I can keep the Source on my own for a few more seasons if it means hope for some relief.”

“We’ll be going, then?” said Alex, starting to edge back toward the portal.

“Just one moment,” said Cuidightheach. He moved gracefully away and returned carrying a fine bowl of the thinnest elven porcelain, a small sprout nestled in the moist earth inside it. “Take this, and it will bloom one week before midsummer to remind you of your promise to return with an answer.”

“All right,” said Julian. Alex held him back long enough to listen for enchantments on the bowl itself, but the only magic he could hear was the spell that would guarantee the plant didn’t flower prematurely. Julian stepped forward and accepted the plant, giving a little bow back to the elf. “Alex and I accept the care of this plant with only the obligation to return with our answer before midsummer, whether that’s a yes or a no.”

Cuidightheach’s mouth twisted in a wry little smile. “Very good, human. You will make an excellent Guardian of this Way, should you choose to accept my offer.”

Cuidightheach took three steps back from the way and Alex took that as their cue to go, he and James each taking one of Julian’s elbows and guiding him back through the portal, out of eternal summer’s twilight and back into the cold winter’s afternoon and Jacques waiting for them.

Except it wasn’t afternoon any longer; night had fallen and Jacques’ face blossomed with relief as they stepped through.

“How long?” asked James, going to take Jacques’ cold hands in his own.

“It’s nearly seven,” said Jacques. “I’m dying for another cup of tea.”

They laughed and trooped back out to where the basket was waiting, only to find that Horace had grown bored and gathered all the magic items back up and placed them on top of the basket, where he was currently napping. They were entirely in agreement that the story could wait until they were all safely headed home, so the car was their next stop. Alex’s phone lit up with missed calls and texts the moment they left the Source’s immediate vicinity, and so Jacques drank tea while they put her on speaker and explained everything that had happened.

Julian cradled the strange little sprout, and Alex could feel him communing with it, but so far it was still a harmless young plant so he let it go.

They’d had enough dramatics for one day.

CHAPTER 19

In Which We Celebrate Several Triumphs

Talking with Lapointe took the whole way back to the flat, and ended with an invitation to dinner at Padma’s for both Lapointe and Thomas, and anyone else that wanted to celebrate their victory.

“So, how are we going to research this thing?” Alex mused aloud, as they piled out of the car and into the elevator.

“I’m more concerned with how many of those pies are left,” said Julian. “I’m starving!”

“Probably the time in faerie,” said James. “And of course Jacques experienced that time the slow way, so we’re all pretty hungry.”

“But no spoiling our appetites for Padma’s entirely,” said Alex. “So one each while we explain to Nat and Alys what’s going on and get rid of some of these magic items.”

“Yes,” said Nat’s voice at their side, “do explain!”

They all jumped and laughed. The elevator door opened and Nat faded into visibility as he strolled up the hallway, door opening invitingly for the lot of them. Alex found himself lighter one picnic basket, and he wasn’t at all surprised to find that there was a pot of tea steeping on the coffee table and plates marching out of the kitchen with warmed pies on them while the basket of cold ones went into Alys’ stores.

“So, what happened?”

“Well, we tried the plan, and it did work,” said Alex.

“But,” said Alys knowingly.

“But,” agreed Alex, “Duckworth was a lot less, I don’t know, cohesive than we expected? And he could absorb some kinds of magic but not others.”

“Specifically not this,” said James, pulling the healing potion out of a pocket and setting it on the table. It glowed brightly even in the well-lit room, having been overpowered with energy from Alex, Julian, and the Source.

Alys’ eyes narrowed, but she poured the tea rather than asking any further questions just yet.

“It turns out that, whatever he was before, the Duckworth we were seeing now was a ghost,” said Alex. He went to the writing desk and began emptying his own pockets rather haphazardly, getting his coat down to its usual store of artefacts before hanging it up by the door. “So then I distracted him while James and Jacques did their priest thing.”

“We’d taken all the stuff for ghosts and shades just in case,” said James, “as part of bringing every magic item we could out of our kits.”

“I’m just glad we remembered the chants,” said Jacques wryly. “It’s been a long time since we participated in banishing a ghost.”

“Well, I’m grateful you remembered how,” said Julian. “I wasn’t much help.”

“You were so,” said James, accepting his tea and pie from Alys with a grateful smile. “Your energy is very life-affirming.”

“Just what that sort of ceremony needs,” agreed Jacques, getting his own treat. “Anyway, after that there was more excitement, mostly for them.”

“The Source was calling to us,” said Julian, looking shy now, hands curled around his cup. “Mostly to me at first, I think? But anyway, it’s actually a Way to the eternal summer’s twilight of the high elves, and apparently there’s supposed to be a Guardian on our side, too.”

“The elf that greeted us was sort of weird, but you know, high elves,” said Alex with a laugh. “He was the Guardian on that side, and he really, really wanted us to commit to taking over the post in our world.”

“He gave us the plant,” said Julian, gesturing toward the beautiful celadon bowl on the coffee table, its tiny sprout looking very fragile. “It’ll bloom a week before midsummer to remind us we promised him an answer.”

“So we get to research what Guardianship of a Way means,” said Alex.

James grinned. “We’re going to help, obviously,” he said. “There’s bound to be records we can access that they can’t.”

“Plus, I’m dying to know more about it,” said Jacques. “There’s the Queens Way, but she doesn’t exactly advertise what that’s like.”

“She does travel, sometimes,” said Alex thoughtfully. “That’s part of our worry, that we couldn’t live in the city anymore if we were tied to the Source.”

Alys nodded. “It’s a big commitment, aye. And o’ course you’ll have to be very careful about what you commit to, with elves.”

“Tricky creatures,” agreed Nat. “They like to make agreements where they can honour the letter but not the spirit of the thing, like it’s a sport.”

“Right, not forgetting elves are jerks,” said Alex with a laugh. “That’s one reason we didn’t agree to commit to anything for a few months, this way we can go back and ask questions between now and then.”

“There’s a bit of a time difference,” said Jacques, “but it wasn’t too bad for short visits.”

“It’d be very bad for long ones, though,” said James seriously. “A few minutes to a few hours.”

“We’ll be careful,” promised Julian. “I’m not sure I’m ready to give up all my other work, but if I could do both, I’d like to do both.”

Alex nodded, leaning over to get a kiss. “That’s just how I feel,” he said. “I can do a lot of amazing creation out there if I’m tied to the Source, but I still think there’s good work for me to do here, with the Agency and the Temples.”

Jacques, finished with his pie, cleared a spot on the table and began pulling a truly impressive array of artefacts and weapons out of his clothing.

“I have no idea where you were keeping all that,” said Alex, impressed, “but I’m really glad you had the pockets for it this time around.”

James stuffed the last of his treat in his mouth and got up, bringing over a pair of their bags. Jacques started transferring items from table to case, while James went directly from his pockets to be put away. “It’s a little ridiculous, but I’ve never heard of a Guardian that regretted being over-prepared.”

“I’ve still never used this,” said Jacques, brandishing a very odd looking artefact that Alex thought might be a wand of some kind. “Not a lot of call for banishing summoned creatures of the infernal plane these days.”

“Really not,” said Alex with a strangled laugh. “That is an impressive artefact to just, you know, stick in a pocket.”

James chuckled. “It’s weird, but now that no one’s senseless enough to summon them, the artefacts have gone from priceless antiquities to old junk. We find all sorts of odd relics in charity shops nowadays.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Alex. “I haven’t gone to one since the Agency started paying me a proper fee, I don’t think.”

“We’ll take you sometimes, it’s one of our extra duties,” said Jacques. “It’s kind of fun, just wandering through all the local shops in an afternoon, making sure no one’s donated Uncle Egbert’s old necromatic grimoires or Aunt Mabel’s cursed tea set.”

“Oh, god, that tea set,” said James with a laugh. He told them the story while they finished their tea and got all the extras packed away, and soon there was nothing left on the table but the glowing bottle and their newest plant.

“Did you want to put that on the plant rack for now?” asked Alex. Nat had built it, and Alex had spelled it against jostling, so it was likely the safest place for the fragile thing. “We can move it if it needs more light.”

“Yeah, good idea,” said Julian. “You should figure out who needs that potion, though.”

“Oh,” said Alex, staring at it. He’d been thinking of it more as an experiment, still, the product of a lesson rather than a powerful potion. “Oh! Father Stephen.”

“I’ll call and see if they think it would help,” said James, face lighting up with hope. He took the bottle with him into the kitchen, presumably so he could best describe whatever he saw when he looked at it.

Alex texted Lapointe to see if she was on her way yet, feeling as though the pie had merely taunted his stomach with the idea of food rather than actually filling any of the void, and got a tetchy one-word reply, “Driving.”

Alex laughed and pulled Julian close for a kiss, then got up and started pacing around the room, Horace on his shoulder. “I hate being so restless,” he complained.

“You’re hopped up on magic and new experiences,” said Jacques, amused. He was still fiddling with the contents of their two bags. “Once you get some curry in you, you’ll calm down.”

Julian stood and dragged Alex back to the bedroom. “We’re just going to change clothes,” he said, closing the door and pushing Alex up against it. “You are so annoying,” he said with a grin, going up on tiptoes to kiss Alex firmly.

Alex grinned and bent his knees so they could kiss more easily, arms going around Julian’s waist. “You love me anyway,” he said, stealing another kiss, soothing himself with the sound of Julian’s familiar, warm magic. “I love how alive you sound,” he whispered between kisses.

“I love how strong you feel,” said Julian. “Not drained like last time.”

“It’s pretty good to feel this way,” said Alex with a laugh. He stole another kiss and then sighed. “We should actually change, unless you’re going to let me have my way with you right here.”

Julian giggled. “I’m pretty sure they’d notice,” he teased, pulling away and stripping off his clothes. They took a moment to untangle the amulets dangling in profusion against his bare chest, getting him down to just his usual protection plus the Keep-Safe charm they’d made what seemed like a lifetime ago. Alex gave that one a kiss, and laid the rest out on the bed. “We’ll have to get James and Jacques to help with this one,” he said, fingers brushing over the amulet that was powered by all four of them.

“Yeah, that’s a lot of trust,” agreed Julian. He stripped off completely and went to find fresh everything, and Alex echoed him, shedding the rest of his own extraneous magic items.

“Even though it’s all been dried it still feels weird,” said Alex, rummaging for fresh pants. “Right?”

“Right,” agreed Julian, slipping into his own fresh clothing. “Oh, yes, that’s so much better.”

Alex slid on a pair of clean pants and immediately felt more comfortable, and clean everything followed it until he was warm and dry instead of vaguely chilled. “Worlds better,” he said, pulling the now-dressed Julian close for a kiss.

“Let’s go. I bet James and Jacques would like the chance to change, too,” said Julian, though he paused for a few more kisses anyway.

“Clean clothes make all the difference,” announced Julian as they emerged, Horace perched on Julian’s shoulder instead.

“We need to take care of this before you go, too,” said Alex, holding up the amulet he’d snagged from the pile on the bed.

“Clean clothes first,” said Jacques, snapping the case closed and going to his suitcase. “Now that I think about it I do feel kind of clammy.”

“Magic can’t do everything,” said Alex with a shrug, pulling Julian down into a cuddle in their chair. “I’ll send in James when he emerges.”

“Send me in where?” asked James.

Jacques laughed. “Clean clothes,” he said, pulling out fresh things for both of them. “Come on, it’s about time we headed back out if we’re going to make it to Padma’s before closing.”

“Yeah, clean clothes sounds good,” agreed James. “Father Stephen’s already awake, but they said to bring the potion by in the morning when we report in.”

“Oh, that’s so good to hear,” said Julian, collapsing against Alex a little. “Is he going to recover?”

“They hope so,” said James, letting Jacques drag him into the bedroom. “More in a minute!”

Everyone laughed, and then the door clicked shut. Alex and Julian agreed to tag along, if they were allowed, to visit Father Stephen and tell him the whole mad tale.

“I’m very curious if Father Stephen could tell he was a shade,” said Alex. “It’s not really our area, and none of us were looking for that when Duckworth was here.”

“I don’t know if it’s his area, either,” said Julian. “But I really wonder when Duckworth actually, you know, passed on.”

“I suspect it was when the bottle shattered,” said Alex. “That was sustaining him, whether or not he liked it, though genies do usually survive a broken bottle.”

Their tea and treats had cleaned themselves up, but otherwise Nat and Alys seemed inclined to avoid their humans for the moment. Alex didn’t blame them; they’d been confined to the flat just as much as everyone else.

James and Jacques emerged just as Alex’s phone rang, and he assured Lapointe they were on their way while they all got bundled back up and headed out.

“Will you drive still?” asked Julian of James.

“Yeah, I’m still the best bet for that,” James replied. “No need to impose night driving practiced when you’re both so wired still.”

“Changing helped,” said Alex, snuggling in the back with Julian while Jacques took shotgun. “The magic of clean pants.”

“They are pretty magical,” agreed Jacques.

The drive was quiet and uneventful, the four of them tossing around theories about Duckworth without coming to any conclusions. The restaurant was largely empty when they arrived, but Padma assured them they were welcome to eat there, as long as they didn’t mind if the staff took breaks and cleaned up around them. That settled, they convinced her to bring them whatever was left of the day’s food, plus some freshly-baked Tandoori and naan, and they had a delicious hodgepodge of a meal while they brought Lapointe, Thomas, and Geoff up to speed.

“You guys all seem healthy to me,” said Geoff, who’d made it a point to shake all of their hands when they arrived. “I don’t think there was any major damage done going through the portal, though time differences like that have been known to cause problems if you do it a lot.”

“We’re going to make a point of not agreeing to do it a lot,” said Julian. “We remember the stories, going in young and coming out old or crumbling to dust once all the time catches up.”

“We’ll be doing a ton of research,” said Alex. “It’s a good thing I got that archive access back, I’ll be spending copious amounts of time at the university for the next few months, I expect.”

“Well, we don’t have any cases right now. Accounting’s going to get you to bill for that one cold case, and that clears you off anything my boss would authorise at the moment,” said Lapointe.

Alex nodded. “I’ll do a research and making binge, there’s a few things I’ve been wanting to explore more deeply.”

Julian sniggered, and that started a much less serious round of teasing about dates and boyfriends and what Alex and Julian would be getting up to once they got back to the flat.

“At least they close the door,” said James, looking put-upon.

“I mean, we still hear it, but at least we can pretend better that way,” added Jacques.

They got everything paid up and packed some leftovers home with Thomas, who was universally agreed to be the most pathetic, and Lapointe, who they all agreed was unlikely to find time to eat under the mountain of paperwork awaiting her tomorrow. They parted ways congenially, Alex and Julian promising to come by the Agency with the next day or so, and to visit Thomas on Saturday for more gaming.

The trip home was more cheerful, but everyone was starting to get sleepy now that the excitement of earlier had been replaced by large amounts of curry. They got the car parked and everyone said their goodnights and settled in for bed with cups of Jacques’ relaxation tea and assurances that they’d be up in the morning in plenty of time to fiddle with the amulet and go visit Father Stephen.

Julian tugged Alex back into the bedroom, where the bed was cleared of artefacts and the clean floor just waiting for more clothes to be scattered on it. They fell into bed half-dressed and laughing, kissing while their hands wandered, mindful of their guests but needing the reassurance of touch, the closeness both physically and magically.

“I was so worried when he went at you,” said Julian, slithering out of pants, trousers, and socks in one go. “I never want to lose you. This.”

“I never want to be lost,” assured Alex, finally wrestling out of his shirt and leaving himself just in socks. “I just want to be yours.”

Julian giggled and pushed him down on the bed, sliding down his body with a sexy look. He continued past Alex’s cock and made a show of removing one sock and then the other in a mock strip tease, managing to hold his expression right up until Alex waggled his eyebrows and newly-bared toes in sync.

Julian collapsed into giggles, face mashed against Alex’s belly and arms snuggled around his waist. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yes, and somehow you still want to marry me,” said Alex, stroking Julian’s soft curls. “What do you want tonight, do you want to be in me?”

“Oh, I, um,” Julian looked up at him, biting his bottom lip. Alex smoothed his fingers over the soft flesh, tugging it away from his teeth and sending a little tingle of magic along with the caress. Julian’s eyes darkened and he nodded. “I think I do, it’s been awhile.”

Alex cupped his cheek and nodded, a little smile finding its way to his own mouth. “It has been, and you know I love it when you take charge.”

Julian turned and nipped at his fingers. “You love it when you let me take charge, you mean,” he said. He draped himself over Alex more fully and demanded affection, the two of them exchanging lazy kisses and curls of magic until their need had built again.

It was Julian who reached for the lube, and Alex spread obediently beneath him. They didn’t talk, communicating with kisses and touches and surges of energy, the sound of Julian’s magic thrumming through Alex’s body. Alex let out a gasp when they made a circuit, feeding magic to Julian in his kisses and getting it back through Julian’s intimate touches, the warm pulse of life doing as much as the slick caresses to open Alex’s body. It didn’t take long for him to be ready, and neither of them wanted to draw things out so Julian pulled his fingers out and spread the slick potion on himself.

“I love you,” said Alex, nuzzling at Julian’s cheek.

Julian pushed inside him with a soft moan, pausing to catch his breath before answering with a sexy little grin, “I love you, too.”

They were drawn back into a kiss and from there the motion of their mouths became the rhythm of their bodies moving together in pleasure. Alex felt opened and vulnerable and so perfectly trusting with Julian, so much more than just his body given over that this was only a natural extension of their love together. All the stress of the day gathered between them, transforming to erotic tension as their pleasure built atop it. Inevitably it didn’t take long for this, either, feeding off each sensation and the chords it struck in the magic flowing between them.

The tension broke and they reached their peak together, magic bursting all around them as their bodies found completion. “Mm,” said Alex, looking up at the ceiling as Julian snuggled up, sweaty and sated. “It’s ivy today.”

Instead of their usual scattering of stars, the walls and ceiling held a graceful pattern of twining ivy, growing up from the headboard and spreading outward with a soft green glow.

Julian twisted around to look, sighing when their bodies came apart. “I guess the Source is a part of us now whether we like it or not.”

“Well,” said Alex, pulling him back for one more kiss before they got cleaned up, “I like you, and that’s all that really counts.”

Julian giggled. “I like you, too, and I’d like you even more if you got us a flannel.”

Alex harrumphed, grinning too widely to be convincing. “I’m the one that bottomed!” he protested.

Julian fluttered his eyelashes.

Alex laughed. “Yes, yes, all right, fine,” he said, getting up and taking care of them as he always did, and, he hoped, always would.

CHAPTER 20

In Which We Visit, and Visit, and Visit

Morning was full of sleepy bustling as they got the Guardians packed up, the amulet powered down, and everyone showered and dressed and ready to go visiting. Alys sent a box of goodies along, which Alex volunteered to carry while the Guardians handled their luggage and Julian got the doors. They got on the road midmorning, James driving one last time while Jacques called to make sure visitors would be welcome at the Temple of Healing where he was staying.

“Have we ever been to this one?” Julian asked Alex, brow furrowed.

Alex shook his head. “I don’t think so, no.”

“This temple doesn’t really have much to do with outsiders,” said James. “They treat injured Guardians, though, so we’ve both been.”

“It’s really boring,” said Jacques wryly. “They mostly make potions and healing ointments and things, so it’s labs and gardens but not much else to do when you’re stuck in a bed.”

“Good thing Alys put that biography in the box,” said Julian. “Maybe he’ll finally have time to read it.”

They covered up their worry with good-natured teasing. Alex didn’t have a clear sense of how they were from the Temple, so the drive was more interminable than usual. He whistled idly at the car, its protections, Horace, the food, and the people, comforted to find only familiar melodies even while his mind kept wandering.

“We’re almost there,” said James, turning down a long drive toward a Temple barely visible in the distance. They slowed down to go past barren fields covered in snow, which gave way to cultivated evergreens, and finally huge greenhouses, before reaching the main building. It was as white as the Temple of Purification, but smaller, dwarfed by the greenhouses that surrounded it.

Alex pulled his attention back to their surroundings while James got them parked. The place had a hushed air that seemed to discourage outbursts of emotion, and the whole group was quiet and serious as they headed inside with Alex once again carrying the care package for Father Stephen.

There were wards, but nothing that would keep any of them out, far less complicated than those at the Temple of the Guardians or even the Temple of Purification. A small reception desk sat unattended, and James sighed. “Did you warn them how long we’d be?” he asked Jacques.

“Yes, but you know how they are,” said Jacques, rolling his eyes. “Just because visitors aren’t unwelcome doesn’t meant they’re wanted.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Julian, skipping straight to practicality. “You guys must know where the patient rooms are.”

“We’ll get smacked by a nurse if we just head in,” said James with a dark chuckle.

“I’ll have to call again,” said Jacques, pulling out his phone. They could distantly hear it ringing somewhere in the building, and the conversation to let them know that the visitors were waiting was brief and to the point. “Someone will be out in a minute.”

“It’s a good thing security wasn’t needed,” said James, shaking his head.

Alex cocked his head and then chuckled. “They’ve actually got very good wards against spirits and shades, unlike the ones against humans.”

“Makes sense,” said Jacques. “People do die here.”

“Not too often, but it does happen,” said the priest that emerged from a hallway with a wry smile. “Apologies, I do get caught up in my work. I’m Mother Arnetta, I’ve been seeing to Father Stephen’s care since he stabilised.”

“It’s good to meet you,” said Jacques, introducing them all around.

“Oh, and we have something for you,” said Julian, rummaging in the box for one of the larger tins of goodies. “Our brownies made a care package for the carers, too.”

“Well, I won’t say no to the famous brownie-made snacks,” she said, taking the tin. “I can thank the deliverer, I trust?”

“You can, we’ll pass on your appreciation in a way that doesn’t irritate them,” said Alex. “I didn’t think our treat were that famous.”

“The Ward Father and I are old friends and he’s been telling tales of his own such gift,” she said with a smile. “I’ll have to tell Mordechai all about these so he can be hoist on his own petard.”

They laughed, and the group moved along down a different corridor than the one from which she’d emerged. A few turns later they arrived at Father Stephen’s door, only to hear him complaining in the most even and gentle of voices that he really thought his constitution could handle one cup of proper tea.

“Are you badgering the nurses again?” asked Mother Arnetta, leading the whole group of them straight into the room.

“I’m going to perish for lack of tea before these injuries kill me,” said Father Stephen, but he was smiling as he said it. “Oh, and now I’ll have biscuits to go with it!” He was paler than usual, propped up with pillows and one leg elevated, his face marked with fading bruises and a few bandages visible under his simple white smock. But he was alive, and awake, and that counted for a lot more than a couple of scrapes.

Everyone laughed and the nurse took that excuse to flee the scene, letting the Healing Mother have responsibility for the question of tea for a while.

“I think there’s some tea in here,” said Alex, peering into the box. “It’s probably got all kinds of good brownie magic in it, you know how Alys is.”

“One cup,” said Mother Arnetta, shaking her head. “And then we’re going to re-evaluate you, and see if this potion your boys have brought will do you any good.”

“If not, you’re welcome to keep it for research,” said Alex, looking around for a place to set down the box. Arnetta brought over a rolling table, and they went through the box’s contents together, handing things over to Father Stephen as she deemed them allowable. There was a tin of biscuits and a smaller one of chocolates; the small thermos of brownie-magicked tea; the biography and another book on herb lore that Julian had promised to loan him; half a dozen hand pies; the healing potion, still glowing in its bottle; and several smaller tins of treats that Alex gave to Mother Arnetta for the nurses.

“This is quite the haul, send my compliments to Alys,” said Father Stephen, paging through the books happily.

Mother Arnetta had kept custody of the thermos, and she found an empty teacup to pour out a sample for him. It had been pre-mixed in Father Stephen’s preferred manner, which of course Alys had made a note of, and swirled fragrantly into the cup.

Father Stephen sighed and inhaled the steam, then took a single sip, his face lighting up with the pure satisfaction of a man who was getting a treat he’d been denied for far too long. “Oh, now that is lovely.”

“Now that you’ve got tea and biscuits,” said Alex, “how are you, really?”

Father Stephen smiled softly, his eyes sad. “I’ve been better, but there will be no lasting damage if we can manage to keep my energy levels up well enough to heal these last few injuries.”

“Were you drained by the initial healing or your amulet?” asked Alex, keen on the answer for more than just reasons of personal guilt.

“Oh, I think they concluded it was a bit of both,” said Father Stephen. “They were very impressed with the way you constructed it, though I’m afraid it’s probably lived out its usefulness.”

“I’ll make you another,” promised Alex. “Duckworth isn’t a problem any longer, so we have time to fiddle with the design.”

“Oh, dear,” said Father Stephen. “Was anyone else hurt?”

“Jones was also in a car accident,” said Julian, “but he wasn’t too badly hurt. Alex was still tied to his amulets so he added power directly to thwart Duckworth.”

“Plus, Duckworth was losing himself by then,” said James. “He was a shade, Father. We helped him cross over.”

Father Stephen looked just as surprised by this news as they’d all been. “Do you have any idea when he passed away?”

“We have some theories,” said Jacques, “but there’s a lot we may never know.”

“I’m going to do some research into genie bottles. I mean, people make them so someone must know how they work. Duckworth’s situation was so unique, I’m not sure if the magic in the bottle would have sustained him, or if breaking it with him still inside would have killed him, or what,” said Alex, allowing his intellectual curiosity to show through among people who knew him, though he shot Mother Arnetta a guilty look.

“Healers understand that sometimes you have to study death to save lives,” she said, patting his arm. “We’re often a rather morbid lot, to outsiders.”

“I told you you’d like him,” said Father Stephen smugly, nibbling on a biscuit. “Now that Duckworth has been vanquished, either by one of you or himself, does that mean young Julian will go back to visiting our gardens?”

“Yes, Father,” said Julian. He went over to take Father Stephen’s hand and Alex heard a faint arpeggio of his magic as Julian fed a little of that healing life-energy into the priest. “I promise to visit the Wish Tree as well, both of them, and have Horace take our wishes up to the top again.”

“Geoff’s dying to have you back in his greenhouse, too, I’m sure,” said Alex with a fond smile. “He swears he hasn’t killed anything yet, though.”

“That’s good to hear,” said Father Stephen. “The luck garden is doing well, I’ve been told, but I believe Father Ichabod is hoping you’ll visit Gainesbury again.”

“I’ll be happy to go wherever the Temples need me,” assured Julian. “Alex is between cases, too, so I can drag him along if he’s needed.”

“We’ll need to finish up with the Temple of the Guardians as well. It’ll be a few months before we’re done with all that,” said Alex.

“You’re still going to help?” asked James.

Alex huffed. “Of course I am, don’t be silly,” he said. “It wasn’t the Temple’s fault.”

Julian nodded. “I want to do the garden, too; the Guardians were all so excited about it.”

“Fresh herbs would be really nice,” said Jacques.

“Among other things,” said Julian. “I’ll have to look, but we’ll see if we can’t get a few strawberries, or carrots or something. We’ll talk about it.”

James looked very fond. “You’ll make our home happier and safer between you.”

“You’ve done the same for us,” said Julian.

“Well, all that aside, we have more news for our next visit,” said Alex, seeing that Father Stephen had begun to droop despite the cup of tea. “We’ll leave your treats with Mother Arnetta and come back in a few days?”

Father Stephen looked sheepishly grateful, draining the last of his cup and putting the lid on his tin of biscuits. “I’m afraid I tucker out all too easily lately, but thank you all for coming this whole way.”

“We’ll be back,” promised James, giving his hand a squeeze. The two Guardians spent a moment bent over the Father in quiet communion, and when they straightened he did look more at peace, though also very ready for his nap.

They allowed Mother Arnetta to shoo them out the door and close it, but she was smiling as she led them back to the front. “You’re welcome to visit again, he’s already looking less morose.”

“We’ll bring more treats, too,” said Alex.

“We’ll tag along so they don’t get lost,” said James with a smirk. “If we’re not on assignment, anyway.”

“We won’t be, unless there’s a big emergency,” said Jacques. “We haven’t even debriefed yet.”

James laughed. “I half forgot that it became a real assignment,” he said sheepishly.

“It didn’t start that way,” said Alex. “And don’t think we didn’t appreciate your timely visit.”

“But we’re also very glad they made it official,” said Julian. “We can always donate more time to the Temple.”

“And guilt our siblings into donating cash,” said Alex with a chuckle.

The Healing Mother laughed. “I like the way you two think,” she said. She held up the glowing bottle. “This is already a fine donation, whether it goes into research or into Father Stephen.”

“Whatever you see fit,” assured Julian. “We’ve got notes on the brewing and we won’t forget how it got boosted any time soon.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then the four of them took their leave, heading back to the Temple of the Guardians. “Do you think anyone will want to see us today?” asked Alex curiously.

“Probably, unless there’s other pressing business,” said Jacques. “Our Charges aren’t usually debriefed, but I feel certain that they will want to speak with you about the Way and your intentions regarding its Guardianship.”

“Since it’s on Julian’s land, you can tell them to stuff it until you know more, though,” said James wryly.

“We’ll keep that in mind,” said Julian, from where he was snuggled into Alex’s side. “I’ll just be happy to have someone to talk to that isn’t in this car.”

They laughed and teased about the tedium of one another’s company until they arrived at the Temple, Alex amused to see that they still had the visitor pass on the mirror so that parking, at least, wouldn’t be any difficulty.

James and Jacques got them past the guard post and, armed with their pass-through charms, they headed into the now-familiar maze of corridors to drop their luggage off in their room.

“We’ve got to report to Mother Sharp,” said James. “We could drop you off in the break room I guess?”

“I’ll take charge of our guests,” said Mordecai, peeking in through the open door with a smile on his face. “You two go do your duty.”

“Yes, Ward Father,” said Jacques, looking relieved.

They closed the room back up and parted ways, Mordecai leading Alex and Julian back to his office. “I recognised your magic the moment you stepped into my wards,” said Mordecai by way of explanation. “I’m glad you decided to accompany our friends back here.”

“We wanted to make sure everyone knew we weren’t going to abandon our projects here,” said Julian.

“And we had a feeling someone might want the story from our perspective,” added Alex.

“That we might,” said Mordecai with a chuckle. “You two have a seat and let me get an acolyte to bring us some tea.”

“Thanks,” said Julian cheerfully. Everyone got arranged, tea on its way and the three of them seated around the table.

“We want your advice on something, too,” said Alex, “but that can come later.”

Mordecai looked intrigued. “Well, why don’t you give me the tale of your adventure first, and then we can discuss other matters.”

“Sounds good,” said Alex. He started out with the bare bones of what had happened since they last saw Mordecai, though he was already aware of the circumstances behind Father Stephen’s injuries, and the gossip about James and Jacques taking an offensive tactic against their enemy. Julian jumped in with a few details, and they paused to pour tea, but it didn’t take long to get to the previous morning.

Mordecai was an appreciative audience, asking a few questions and generally paying attention, especially once they got to the previous morning and their trip out to the Source. They passed the story back and forth, Julian giving a different perspective than Alex on the call of the Source and the revelation that Duckworth was already dead. Mordecai’s eyebrows had climbed to his hairline at that, but he let them tell the rest of the tale, up until the point where they were going to go through the Way, at least.

“All right, I can tell that that will be another tale entirely, so let me ask a few questions,” said Mordecai, refreshing all their teacups.

“Of course,” said Alex, and he and Julian relaxed back into their chairs, trying to let go of the remembered tension.

“I won’t ask if you’re certain that he was a ghost, as the banishment wouldn’t have worked on anything but,” said Mordecai, “but didn’t you think it was a big risk, to go running out into his path?”

“Of course it was,” said Alex, “but it wasn’t as risky as letting him reach James and Jacques. They knew how to send him on, I didn’t.”

“Plus, Alex was wearing every protection item he could find,” said Julian with a chuckle, “at least the ones he didn’t drape on me or the Guardians.”

Alex chuckled. “There was actually a charm against angry ghosts in one of my pockets, I think I made it for a school assignment.”

“So you made your own good fortune,” said Mordecai with an approving nod. “Your Guardians have learned to trust you to take care of yourself, I suppose.”

Julian giggled. “They call us ‘irritatingly self-rescuing’ but I’m pretty sure they like it, deep down.”

“Well, in this case it seems that the rescue was quite a group effort,” said Mordecai.

“We couldn’t have survived without them any of the times we’ve been Guarded,” said Alex seriously. “We’re quite beholden to the Temples now.”

“Especially this one,” said Julian. “I’ll be doing everything I can to make your new garden useful year-round.”

“Useful and delicious,” said Alex with a grin. “Julian’s been growing a few herbs at home and it enhances our food in all ways.”

“Alys is quite pleased with the basil and rosemary especially,” said Julian with a chuckle.

“And the mint, she’s used it with the lamb Victor sent over,” said Alex with a happy sigh. “We’ll have to see about bringing by some food next time, I’m afraid Alys only had time to load us up for Father Stephen today.”

Mordecai chuckled. “It’s appreciated, but not necessary, certainly. You will schedule time to return, then?”

“Oh, yes, just as soon as we’ve got everything tidied up,” promised Julian. “I’ve got to put some time in with Mary Margaret, and Alex has paperwork to do for his case, and we both have other commitments that are ongoing and need tending to.”

“Since these projects were barely started, I’m afraid they’ve got to wait,” said Alex.

“It’s fine, well, for my part it is. I’m certain there’s no few Guardians already salivating at the thought of our Jacques having fresh mint at his disposal,” said Mordecai with a chuckle. “Now, I believe we were at the point in your story where you stepped into another world?”

“Yes, the Way,” said Julian. “It’s a Way into the Summerlands, there was a high elf there serving as Guardian for his side.”

“He was exactly as weird as you’d expect for a high elf on boring Guard duty,” said Alex with a chuckle.

Julian picked up the thread and told the story, and Alex let him, interested all over again with the way Julian’s senses had given him such interesting information about the world and its flora. At the end of his tale, he added, “So we thought you might be able to help us decide, since you’re in a sort of similar position here.”

“We’ll ask the advice of anyone we can get to sit still and talk to us,” said Alex, “but you’re uniquely qualified to have an opinion.”

“I suppose I am,” said Mordecai with a small, wry smile. “I would be happy to help you come to a decision on this matter, and perhaps between us and your families, you can even get an audience with Her Majesty to discuss the difficulties involved in being tied to a Way.”

“Oh,” said Julian, “I, we, d’you really think so?” His voice was small and eyes huge.

Alex gave Julian’s hair a kiss. “We might, but we might not want everyone to know there’s a Way out there, either,” he said. “I mean, word will get out now that more than zero people know, but that’s not the same as announcing it to the Queen.”

Julian laughed. “I don’t know why that seemed like such a big deal,” he said. “I guess, you know, it’s still the Queen.”

“Well, if we decide that’s something we want to do, we’ll find a way to do it,” said Alex.

“And we will of course help,” added Mordecai. “But for now I will not spread the news, you’re right to worry about it becoming common knowledge, even all the way out in the woods.”

“We’ve got to get the cottage rebuilt before anything else happens,” said Alex. “Not to mention all our other obligations here in town.”

“I don’t necessarily want to be unable to do any travelling,” added Julian. “There’s places I’ve never been that I’d like to see.”

“I’d like to see them with you,” said Alex softly.

“Well, be that as it may, I will do some research in the archives available to me, and keep an open mind about others with whom you could discreetly consult,” said Mordecai with a smile.

Alex nodded. “We appreciate the help,” he said. His phone beeped and he looked at it. “Ah, that’s our cue to go, we still have to report in at the Agency. I’m guessing James and Jacques are still occupied?”

Julian finished his tea and set the cup down, getting out his own phone to send their Guardians a quick goodbye text.

“Most likely, yes,” said Mordecai. “Go on. We know where to find you, should there be further questions.”

“That you do,” said Alex. They all stood, and Mordecai was kind enough to bless them both before sending them on their way.

“Ugh, but now one of us has to drive,” said Julian, making a comical face.

Alex laughed. “I’ll do it, you keep up the texting, let Murielle know we’re on our way.”

“And that we want lunch,” said Julian with a grin.

They got buckled in and set off; Alex was driving and far too tense about it, but tense was still better than inattentive. Especially with Julian in the car, amulet or not.

They met Lapointe and Thomas at the cafe, along with Geoff and an unexpected face: Smedley returned from his vacation looking very pleased with life. They told the whole story all over again, this time with different asides from Geoff, Thomas, and Lapointe, plus snide commentary from Smedley. They ate their usual lunches and drank plenty of the excellent coffee, and by the end of it Alex felt almost like he was back where he belonged.

At least, until Lapointe sighed and said, “The unofficial word about consultants has become much more official, by the way, so it’s not a bad thing you might have a new gig.”

“Well, I don’t think Guardian of Julian’s Way is a paying gig,” said Alex with a laugh and a leer.

Julian poked him. “That’s really not what it means,” he said dryly. “Besides, Emmy would give me more of an allowance if we needed it, don’t be silly.”

“If we were living out there with my own basement lab, I’d be able to spend all my time constructing and concocting,” said Alex. “Which is very lucrative when I’m not giving the results away.”

“Especially with you growing the good stuff for him,” said Geoff. “I have consulted with the higher ups about my greenhouse, by the by, and they are willing to consider paying you once you’re a Journeyman.”

“If I ever get there,” said Julian with a sigh. “I didn’t get much done on my design, we were too busy with the case.”

They all ordered dessert for the excuse to talk about Julian’s work instead of going back to their own a while longer, and brought coffee back over to the Agency to fuel their paperwork. Thomas had done what he could, but there were still official statements to give, as well as Alex invoicing for the case going cold, and sending an official non-invoice for Duckworth’s case.

By they time they got home to their peaceful flat and the delicious meal that the brownies declined to join them for, Alex and Julian were both ready to collapse.

“How is it that people are still so exhausting, even after all we wanted was to get out of here and see them?” asked Julian, curled against Alex in their reading chair with a cup of tea.

Alex kissed him softly. “It was a lot for one day,” he said. “Tonight, we’ll cuddle up in bed quite early and make all the noise we want.”

Julian giggled. “I suppose I could find the energy for that,” he said, stealing another kiss.

Their tray of dinner floated out, and they budged up so that they could both eat, sharing the space with the ease of much practice. There was feeding and kissing, and everything tasted as wonderful as always, full of freshness and brownie magic. Julian told Alex a little bit about the herbs and vegetables, and Alex traded little sips of power with Julian in their kisses, filling each other up.

They took that quiet warmth to bed after the last bite was eaten, and traded power in another way, their magic tracing more beautiful vines, this time with flowers, along the walls and ceiling. They fell asleep to that glow, comfortable in each other and their home for the first time in far too long.

CHAPTER 21

In Which We Finally Relax and Enjoy a Visit

The rest of the week was equally busy with Mary Margaret in the mornings and afternoons spent visiting Julian’s various ongoing projects, with Alex tagging along one day and taking a cab out to the university to research their predicament the next. Thus, the reward of a whole day off on Saturday was a well-earned one, especially since they had plans out of the flat.

“Thomas is like an excited puppy,” said Julian, hanging up the phone. “He says he’s all ready for us, and Murielle is coming by later for pizza and a movie so we can’t game all day.”

“I’m almost ready,” said Alex, packing up his laptop and standing. “Sorry, I had an email about a commission I wanted to answer before I let it slip my mind.”

“Ooh, anything interesting?” asked Julian. They gathered up their coats and bags and the box of goodies Alys was sending along, lunches for the gamers and some sweets for later.

“Maybe,” said Alex with a shrug. “The inquiry was kind of vague, someone wanting a batch of charms for good fortune, but not really specific about how many and for whom.” They switched out the fairy bread offering and headed down to the car.

“Well, I hope it turns out to be something fun for you,” said Julian.

Alex chuckled. “I sort of do, but I also have a lot of research to do between the wards and the Way,” he said. “My bank account is quite healthy, especially once I get paid for that last invoice.”

They got everything stashed in the trunk, and Julian took the driver’s seat. The streets were mostly clear of snow, and Alex wanted to listen to the car’s magic and Julian’s as well. He’d arranged for Jones—now healed and back to work—to bring his amulets by for refurbishing next week, and Alex wanted to make sure he had a clear idea of any changes that might need making for the future.

“I’m going to put the radio on that station you don’t really like, since you’re not going to pay attention, all right?” said Julian, buckling up.

Alex chuckled. “Yes, love, you can have your opera. Though that’s another thing that will be taking up my time, the amulets I still need to make.”

“And putting Thomas in the wards,” said Julian. “Though I know you’re also thinking of redoing them again so you can make pass-through charms.”

Alex chuckled. “I think I’ll do that for the cottage, actually. In our flat I’m never more than a whistle away, as it were, but once we’ve got a bigger home with more complex, layered wards, pass-throughs will be easier.”

“Ooh, layers,” teased Julian. “Go on, then, do your thing so I can listen to my opera, they’re playing one of my favourites right now.”

Alex pinched the tuning fork he’d brought along and listened to the way the amulet’s magic hummed to life as Julian started the car. It was designed to mesh with the magic of their personal amulets as well, and Alex could hear those harmonies mostly working. He hadn’t made them all together, the way he would for Jones, so there will places where the complexities chafed and pinged off each other. Alex was enjoying his newfound experimental side, creating new things instead of rote repetition of the old, trusted designs and formulae, and so it was an interesting sort of pleasure to follow each little motif and disharmony and contemplate ways to resolve them.

The city’s magic began to impinge on his awareness as well, especially in the places it interacted with the car and its protections. There were more civic magics here than other places, and when they passed by a building that had been warded right up to the curb, there was an audible clanging as the two protection magics collided at their very edges. They both had the same purpose, to prevent a real collision, so it was a harmonious if startling sound, and Alex made a point to listen for any other such clashes.

His curiosity lasted him all the way until they pulled into the guest parking in Thomas’ lightly-warded building, and the car turned off. The amulet’s magic faded to a tinkling of preventative charms that wouldn’t flare up unless something was about to collide with the car, be it another vehicle or someone’s fistful of keys. Alex let his senses flip and turned to find Julian looking at him with a fond expression.

“I was worried I was going to have to pinch you,” said Julian with a grin.

“Thank you for indulging me,” said Alex, leaning in for a kiss only to have his seatbelt stop him short when he moved too fast. They both laughed and unbuckled, then shared a sweet kiss before getting out. “How was your opera?”

“Really nice,” said Julian. “I like that performance, I’m going to have to look it up on the website again and buy a copy, I think.”

“Sounds like a good treat,” said Alex. “You work with headphones sometimes, I guess?”

“And I study with music when you’re too busy working to notice sometimes,” teased Julian. “But yeah, mostly either when I’m at one of the small Temples where no one tries to talk to me, or when I’m driving.”

“Oh right, you got the thing working with your phone,” said Alex. “I mean, with music on your phone and the car speakers.”

“I did indeed,” said Julian. They got their bags and the box and headed for the elevator. “You’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself, too, but I know you prefer the music in your head mostly.”

“Mostly,” said Alex with a chuckle. “Hm, this elevator’s spells need a little maintenance.”

Julian laughed and gave him a poke in the side. “We’ll be sure to tell Thomas, c’mon.”

They were very surprised when it wasn’t Thomas but Murielle who opened the door. “I don’t suppose there’s four lunches there?”

“I’m afraid not,” said Julian, “Thomas didn’t warn us you were going to be early.”

“Well,” said Lapointe, blushing suspiciously, “not so much early as late.”

“What?” said Julian, following her inside. “Did you two finally go out and not tell us?”

“We were going to tell you,” said Thomas. “Just, you know. Later.”

“He wasn’t expecting to get lucky so quickly,” said Murielle with a grin. “But seriously, do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for him to ask me out?”

Julian and Alex exchanged amused glances. “Yes,” they said in unison.

Everyone laughed, and that broke the tension, though both Thomas and Murielle were still quite red in the face. “And is he getting a second date?” asked Julian.

Murielle glanced over with an impish grin on her face. “Probably,” she said. “This one isn’t really over yet, anyway.”

“Well, we won’t stay too late, then,” said Alex, shooting Thomas a wink. “Let’s see what’s in the box from Alys and we can figure out what to do about lunch when the time comes.” He headed into Thomas’ kitchen and put the box on the table.

“She sent lots of snacks, so if we’re not doing any magic, maybe we can just all share,” said Julian, traipsing along after with everyone else.

The box proved to have plenty of food for the four of them, especially since they’d already planned to order pizza for dinner. There were some of Jacques’ lemon curd and rosemary tartlettes for them to start with, plus still-warm cheese puffs, and they all ended up in the living room with plates and fizzy drinks from Thomas’ fridge.

“So, has he got you shopping for a laptop yet?” asked Julian.

Murielle grinned. “I’m going to use his today and play one of his, what did you call them?”

“Ah, alts. I’ve got a couple of extra accounts set up that I mostly use to hold inventory and do trades and send on long journeys,” said Thomas sheepishly. “I’ve got one that’s pretty new, so she can figure out if she likes it enough to buy the game herself.”

“Yay!” said Julian, clapping happily. “You’ll like the game, I think, it’s really fun getting to build stuff.”

“And you can take a lot of different tactics, Julian’s going to try to build a castle in the sky and I’m going to build underground,” said Alex. “So we’ll be able to sort of share territory or something, I’m still a little unclear about the details.”

“We’re still newbies anyway,” said Julian. “Except Thomas, of course.”

“Of course,” said Murielle. “If I hate it, I can always go back to my book or watch a movie.”

They chorused agreement and everyone picked a comfortable spot to sit. There was some fiddling around with power cords and comfortable sitting positions, but eventually they all were logged in and ready to play. Alex had a few messages and notifications, but no one had attacked them or anything, so it didn’t take long for them to get back into the swing of things. Alex got some advice from Thomas on starting his underground empire, and Julian pulled up a tutorial on his phone. Lapointe poked around just figuring everything out, and then Thomas took over tutoring her while Alex and Julian got their little domains set up.

They shared around the food as people grew hungry, and by the time the day turned to evening, they were all feeling very accomplished and ready for a break. Some good-natured arguments about toppings settled into ordering three different pizzas rather than anyone compromising, though the movie was an easy choice as they still hadn’t watched the sequels Julian had been wanting to see weeks ago.

When they left, Murielle was giving Thomas some speculative looks, enough so that Alex had high hopes for the success of at least one part of their relationship.

“Did you expect that?” Alex asked Julian as they pulled out into traffic.

“What, that she’d climb him like a tree once he let on he wanted her to? Oh, yeah,” said Julian.

Alex laugh. “Yeah, okay, you’re totally right. It just caught me off guard.”

“I hope it works out for them,” said Julian fondly. “She could use someone to go home to.”

“He already had his computer,” teased Alex back.

He paid attention to Julian the whole way home, and there was a fresh pot of tea and a light snack of fruit and whipped cream waiting when they got in, a sign that their brownies had also enjoyed their day off. Their many obligations would be back on them soon enough, so Alex and Julian took the hint, the treat, and themselves to bed to enjoy the last of their Saturday together.

CHAPTER 22

In Which Time Passes, and Many Things Are Accomplished

The next few months passed in a whirlwind of research and planning.

They got designs for the cottage finalised and found a decorator that knew their architect and could be trusted with his portion of the budget, freeing them up from sofa-related decisions. Alex worked with Mordecai on their warding plans, and the two of them made a project of the cottage’s future wards that they both swore was proving very informative for the Temple wards. They were going to have layer upon layer of wards, thickest in the basement to contain accidents and create a magical panic room for the occupants, with different layers encompassing the house, greenhouse, and immediate grounds, and possibly a very light layer of warding all the way out to the Source.

Julian consulted with the Guild for ideas on his Journeyman project, and ended up designing a public herb garden for a low-income community, which wouldn’t begin construction until the seized property it was going to be built on was cleared of the condemned building occupying it. He worked hard in the meantime for Mary Margaret, the Temples, and Geoff, keeping up the projects he’d been working on and creating new ones as well. The plants in their flat flourished; he made gifts of offshoots to anyone who would take them. He also tended the plant from Cuidightheach, making sure it thrived.

Alex spent hours at the university library, in their oldest and strangest archives, learning everything he could about Ways and their Guardians. He was allowed into certain of the Temple archives as well, and even the royal archives were opened to him at Mordecai’s request. The work Alex had been doing with Julian at the various satellite Temples allowed them to obfuscate the real reason for his visits to a certain extent, though he had a feeling someone would put two and two together eventually.

Lapointe’s budget continued to be constrained, so although Alex made regular visits with Julian, none of his carefully-dropped bits of advice were billable. He made up for it with creation, spending some of his time in his work room making not just for himself and his friends but some very select clients. Julian continued to boost ingredients, and Alex found himself supplying potions and charms to friends-of-friends and referrals from previous clients. He made a few super-charged custom healing potions for patients of Dr. Chesterfield, paired amulets for another team of Guardians, three sets of Satyr’s Gift charms for hopeful future parents, and a number of other, smaller single items.

Emmeline was kind enough to take over much of the planning for their wedding, which Julian had asked to hold in his beloved peach orchards. She sent a lot of emails about table runners and guest lists, and Alex mostly shrugged and agreed, though he drew the line at anything but a black dinner jacket for himself for the ceremony. Julian chose contrasting ivory, and they picked shades of yellow and gold for their accents, having matched brocaded waistcoats custom-made for the occasion.

“Are we having separate fittings?” asked Julian, driving to the couturier. Now that spring was on its way into summer, they’d become much more expert. Jones went back to his retiring country life, though he still made a point to visit for a meal when he was in town.

Alex shrugged. “Hm? I’d guess not, but maybe? Depends on where they’ve got room, probably,” he said, fiddling with the box in his lap. He’d made a set of traditional luck-charms to be sewn into the hems of their jackets, two each for the tails of their coats to give luck to their union. He’d used Julian’s lucky clover, from their original window box, and the harmonies of their magic were distractingly strong and familiar.

Julian chuckled knowingly. “You’ll have to pay attention at the wedding, you know. Father Stephen will be vexed if you miss your cues,” he teased.

Alex chuckled. “Sorry,” he said. He didn’t get a chance to say more, as Julian pulled into the tiny car park hidden away behind the row of shops containing their destination. Fortunately the Mini was easy to park, and soon enough they were ringing the bell to be let in the back door.

“Alex, Julian, so good to see you,” said the designer’s assistant cheerfully, letting them in and leading them to the big dressing room.

“Oh, good,” said Julian cheerfully, making a beeline for the rack where both their suits were waiting. “Ooh, these look amazing.”

“Oh, coffee,” said Alex, making his own way over to the tray where pot and cups had been left out, along with the appropriate accoutrements. “Want some?”

“After his fitting, please,” said the designer, coming in and closing the door behind him. “You can sit there.” He pointed to a comfortable-looking chair that would have a good view without risking a spill on Julian’s lovely suit.

“Shall I change here?” asked Julian, his anticipatory good cheer reminding Alex of their Courtship dates, and how his face looked whenever a new surprise was about to be revealed.

“Yes, go on,” said the designer, turning to consult with his assistant.

Alex ignored them, instead tuning out the mundane world to listen to the delicate music of magic woven into the clothing, anti-spill and anti-wrinkle charms, as well as a few subtle things for good fortune and long-lasting love, which made Alex smile to hear the beautiful harmonies. His smile widened when Julian got up on the small dais and turned, displaying the excellent fit and colour on him. Where a bright white would have washed him out, the cream reflected the warmth his skin had acquired during his many days in the sun, and the golds in the waistcoat kept the colder yellow from making him look sallow.

Alex pointedly set down his coffee, then got up and went to claim one sweet kiss before stepping back to let the tailors do their work. There wasn’t much to be adjusted, but they both wanted to be impeccable for their wedding day.

Alex’s suit looked just as good, the black deep and the waistcoat working the opposite way for his own pale colouring, cold yellow offsetting the warmth from the golds. He looked lean and elegant and very presentable indeed. They’d both chosen to go with cravats that matched their suits, so Alex’s was charcoal black with his heirloom diamond nestled in the folds, shining out of it like a star. Julian had worn his heirloom amber in his cream cravat, the matching cufflinks gleaming at his wrists.

All in all, Alex was feeling quite well outfitted by the time they finished poking and marking him, and he congratulated the designer on another wonderful creation.

“It helps that you are willing to be nudged along,” said the designer cheerfully. “I can take your taste and his taste and apply my own good taste and make something wonderful.”

Julian hid his laugh behind a cough, but Alex wasn’t fooled for a moment. “Well, we’ll both look amazing at the wedding thanks to you.”

“Yes, you will,” he said. They let another assistant show them out, and paused for a moment to check their messages once they were safely in the car.

“Looks like we have a couple of dinner invitations,” said Julian, looking confused. “Is there something special about today we’re forgetting?”

Alex checked his own messages and shook his head. “Sounds like they finished up a big case over and want to celebrate at Padma’s, it’s that one that I kept stealing the files off Lapointe’s desk for.”

“Oh! That’s all right, then, I’ll drive and you accept,” said Julian cheerfully. “Over to the cafe by the Agency maybe?”

“Yeah, that’ll make it easier to lure everyone down to make plans in person,” said Alex. “Coffee is always appreciated.”

“Coffee is the best,” agreed Julian.

Alex exchanged a few more messages along the way, eventually getting shunted entirely and expectedly into Thomas’ hands to make plans while the others dealt with the vagaries of their work day.

Everyone was already waiting when they got to the cafe, with Lapointe and Thomas looking cuddly while Smedley and Geoff looked tolerant. There were six coffees waiting, and all the faces looked full to bursting with news.

“I got my promotion into Mu- Lapointe’s team!” said Thomas, when he clearly couldn’t stand it a moment longer.

“Oh, that’s great!” said Alex, getting settled in the booth.

“Yay!” said Julian with a huge grin. “I’m glad you two worked yourselves out before it happened, anyway.”

“Me, too,” said Thomas, with a deep and heartfelt sincerity that made them all laugh.

“Me, three,” said Lapointe dryly, sipping her coffee. “Anyway, that’s what we really wanted to celebrate, and we’ve been trying to invite everyone we can think of.”

“Did you get anyone from the Temple?” asked Julian. “Father Stephen’s probably busy, but James and Jacques might be able to come if they’re not with a Charge.”

“Oh, no, that’s a good idea,” said Lapointe cheerfully. “Maybe Jones, too, we haven’t seen him in ages.”

“I’ll text Jones, you text James,” said Alex, giving Julian a nudge. “They’ll want to come if they can get away.”

“Leaving Father Stephen to me?” said Thomas with a laugh.

“You like him,” said Julian, “and he likes you, and this way he can congratulate you personally and gracefully bow out at the same time.” He pulled out his phone.

Alex got his own out, and there was a pause while they all texted their friends. Alex added one to Padma to make sure she knew they were going to descend for celebrations, and when he peeked he saw that Julian was already letting Alys know they wouldn’t be home for dinner. “Thanks, love,” said Alex, kissing his hair.

“At least one of us remembered,” teased Julian. He claimed a kiss before going back to reading his replies, and Alex took a moment to sip his own coffee while he waited for an answer.

Thomas and Geoff started talking about celebration foods, and they all participated, those texting a bit abstractly but everyone quite happy to share a story or three. There were a lot of homemade meals and dinners out, boring foods that had become special and special foods that would always be a fond memory. Alex talked about the Courtship dinner, a little, and Julian said sweet things about the bar from their first date. Which brought them back around to Padma’s, and the conclusion that Jones could get away but James and Jacques did, in fact, have a Charge just now.

“Better not get yourselves in trouble again, then,” warned Lapointe, not quite teasingly.

“Trust me, we agree wholeheartedly,” said Julian. “I am so tired of being stalked!”

“At least you only got kidnapped once,” said Thomas, mock-seriously.

“Not that Willoughby didn’t try,” added Alex, getting a jab in the ribs as his well-deserved payback.

“Father Stephen also had to regretfully decline, but did send his blessings for my new endeavour,” said Thomas, looking amused.

“How many does that make for Padma’s?” asked Alex, fingers poised to confirm their table with her.

“Oh, um...” Thomas exchanged a look with Lapointe.

“No more than twenty? We invited a bunch of the guys at the Agency but they’re not all likely to show up,” said Lapointe.

Alex chuckled and told her, and she promised that the banquet room was free and they were lucky it wasn’t taken. “She’s going to set up the big party room for us, and tells you next time to reserve earlier because it’s usually booked.”

They chatted a little more about the details, and once the coffee was drunk Alex went off with the Agents to look at some cases off the record, while Julian went up to the roof with Geoff to see to the greenhouse. Eventually they all finished up and, with the promise of good food and time off, managed to get enough of their colleagues to come along that a whole cavalcade of cars made their way to Padma’s car park.

Jones was already there, and had been pressed into service helping set up the banquet room, where they immediately began serving themselves chai from the urn, and the appetisers fresh from the kitchen that were being put out as they all filed in. There were tables and chairs but also a buffet, and the whole thing really felt like a party among friends. Even the agents that used to clash with Alex were congenial, though Fischer and Armistead were both conspicuously absent.

“Alys says you have to come by the flat after this,” informed Julian, coming up to Thomas and Alex with a plate of treats.

Alex stole a treat and munched happily while Thomas looked curious.

“I’d be happy to, Alex wants to show me that new plant magic you guys found in Castles anyway,” said Thomas, “but why?”

“She wants to give you something,” said Julian. “Friend of the family and all that.”

Thomas’ face lit up in a grin that reminded Alex of Chudleigh, with his pure delight in magic. “Oh, that’s.. I bet whatever it is, it’ll be amazing.”

“And you can’t thank them,” said Alex wickedly.

They all shared a laugh, some more wry than others, in memory of the many times they’d each learned that lesson.

Alex snuck off to pay for the whole party, only to find Lapointe already offering, and the two of them split the bill while Smedley added a nice big tip for the staff as thanks for having made space with no notice. Padma looked very pleased at their generosity, and Alex had high hopes for future treats—at least, if they got better about reservations.

The party wound down around closing time, and Thomas was burdened with most of the leftovers, though the waiters came out to make up to-go boxes for anyone who wanted to take a meal for tomorrow. Alex and Julian got a few things for their brownies, who did sometimes enjoy a meal made by someone else for a change, and they headed home with Thomas following in his giant SUV.

Alys and Nat were waiting, door open invitingly, when they cheerfully headed inside all chattering happily about Castles. There was a pause in the conversation to give the brownies their treat and get everyone settled on the couch.

“So, now or after we’ve geeked out with our game?” asked Alex, accepting the cup of camomile mint tea that floated out to him. Clearly, the brownies wanted their humans to settle down for the night sooner rather than later.

“Now is good,” said Alys with a smile.

Nat brought out a little package and handed it over to Thomas. “It ain’t nothin’ big, but we wanted you to have a bit o’ luck from us, for all the help you’ve given us and our boys.”

Thomas was often over at the flat these days, and he was always cheerfully willing to do an errand or three for the brownies on his way over, which had greatly endeared him to them. He opened up the package, which contained a beautiful carved wooden luck charm, from which Alex could hear an intriguing hum of deep, woodsy magic.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” said Thomas, pulling out the ribbon it hung from and looping it immediately around his neck. “Should I hide it or can I wear it out where it can be seen?”

“Ye can show it off if you think it’s worth that,” said Nat, preening and pleased at the reception for his gift.

“Take it off when you shower,” said Alys. “But ye can wear it with your Quit Smoking charm, we made the ribbon a mite longer.”

Thomas was showing the beautifully carved pendant to his friends, a pair of elm leaves, their warm, golden-brown shapes curled and twined into each other as though wind-tossed. The ribbon was a darker brown shot through with strengthening enchantments to keep it from coming untied or breaking by accident. The pale wood glowed with polish and life, and Alex could see why Thomas would want to show it off, at least when he was away from work.

“It’s wonderful,” said Alex, smiling over to them. “A good gift for a friend of the family.”

“It really is,” said Thomas, beaming. “And I can accept it in good conscience, because you wouldn’t trap me with fairy-gifts.”

“Nah, we’re not that sort,” said Alys, though her eyes were sparkling.

“Not with the likes of you, anyway,” added Nat, impishly. “You ain’t thanked us in ages.”

Their laughter filled the room with a warmth much like the charm, bright and cheery and a big dose of home. They chatted a little while longer, pulling out Julian’s laptop to show off their experiments, but soon enough it was time to send Thomas home to where Murielle was no doubt waiting.

“So,” said Alex, as they closed the door and locked everything up tight, “ready for bed?”

Julian gave him a coy, flirty look through his eyelashes. “Only if you’ll be there,” he said.

Alex pulled him in for a slow, sweet kiss. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said.

When he looked up, the brownies and the remains of their tea had vanished, and the bedroom door was open. They shared a warm laugh and made their way to bed, to celebrate in their own, private way the very public success of one of their friends.

Alex made sure the door was closed and Horace was occupied elsewhere, pulling Julian close for a greedy kiss. “I love you, my darling Julian.”

“And I love you, my silly Alex,” said Julian teasingly. His deft hands were busily divesting Alex of his shirt, and Alex took the hint and followed suit. Soon enough the floor was strewn with discarded clothing, and they were both tucked into the bed.

“Want to have me?” Alex offered. Sometimes they were both in the mood for a change and he found himself hoping tonight would be one such night.

Julian looked contemplatively at him and then grinned wickedly. “I think I do,” he said, pushing them over so Alex was laying on his back. “You can be lazy tonight.”

Alex ran his hands over Julian’s strong body, feeling the muscle that had replaced his softness, and finding he liked this work-won body just as well. Julian had grown in confidence and strength in so many areas of his life, and Alex could only be proud to be allowed to keep him even after all that. “You are so out of my league,” he teased, pulling Julian in for another kiss.

“You’d better not forget it,” said Julian, rubbing against him just a little before shifting so that he was between Alex’s splayed legs. He waggled the bottle of homemade lubricating potion at Alex and then got their cocks slick, eyes intent on Alex’s face.

Alex let his reactions spill over and his magic as well, sparking through the potion to make a connection between them at the most sensitive point. Julian gasped and bent down to give the magic back in a kiss, hand slipping back to find Alex’s entrance while their cocks continued to bump and kiss. Julian slid inside him, two fingers working him open and his body responding eagerly. The pleasure coaxed his body to relax, to welcome and even crave the touches, and soon enough they both were ready for Julian to have him.

“You’re so sweet like this,” said Julian, breathless as he looked down at Alex. “No one would believe me.”

Alex chuckled. “Only for you, love,” he said, arching up. “Be in me?”

“Yes,” said Julian simply, leaning down for one more kiss before he slid inside.

Alex shifted his hips to get every inch he could of Julian’s hard length, letting out a soft moan in response. He wrapped his arms around Julian and kissed him again, long legs splayed and pushed up so Julian could both have and kiss him at the same time. The magic they were sharing surged from a single melody into a symphony of desire and pleasure, and he knew it wouldn’t be long for either of them at this rate.

Their cries mixed in his ears with the music of their power, the tempo and pitch climbing until they both reached a climax together and came down, panting, to a lovely coda. They kissed and made soft sounds of happiness until their sweat cooled and it was time to clean up. Julian spoiled him by being the one to get a cloth, and Alex rewarded him with a warm snuggle and more kisses until they fell asleep, limbs and magic intertwined.

CHAPTER 23

In Which We Attend a Long-Overdue Wedding

Alex stood beneath Julian’s favourite peach tree, tux impeccable and nerves frayed. He had no idea how a misanthropic arse like himself had won the heart of the gorgeous young plant mage walking down the aisle toward him, but he couldn’t make himself regret a moment of their mad courtship and even stranger life together. Julian looked beautiful in the afternoon sunlight, his hair glowing auburn, the warm cream of his suit perfectly offsetting his freckled skin.

Alex just hoped he’d not gone so pale that he’d look dead in his photos.

Emmy was escorting him up the aisle, treading on petals haphazardly tossed by someone’s relatives and sending the scent of fresh flowers wafting ahead of them. Emmy’s dress was a lovely delicate gold that went with their accessories and made her paler complexion glow with rosy health, but Alex’s eyes kept drifting back to Julian, unable to take in more than the vague details of everyone else. His mother and siblings sat in the front along one side, splashes of bright colour suitable to the celebration, while Phineas waited on the other side of the aisle in some sort of matching suit.

Father Stephen was wearing his own official robes in a snowy white with a stole around his neck decorated on one side with twining ivy, flowers, and peeking wildlife; and on the other with magical and ecumenical symbols. The growth and love blessings were gentle spells that would infuse the whole occasion with good intent and good fortune, and their music was doing what it could to soothe Alex’s jangling nerves.

Julian’s eyes were bright with humour, as if he could feel Alex freaking out from where he was making his stately way up the aisle. He might be able to; his powers had grown by leaps and bounds between the work and everything else, and the two of them had forged a magical connection that would become a true bond today. Father Stephen had counselled them both separately and together, and they all agreed that a small but significant magical bond was appropriate to their relationship, their powers, and their lives.

Finally, Emmy was kissing Alex’s cheek and putting Julian’s hands in his, looking very amused at all of it as she went to sit with her own husband.

Julian squeezed Alex’s hands and sent a little thread of power into him. Alex relaxed at the familiar warmth of Julian’s magic and sent a tendril of his own back, making a tenuous circuit between them that they’d try to hold throughout the ceremony.

Father Stephen smiled at the two of them, able to see the subtle power exchange. “My boys, you’ve brought your friends, family, loved ones, and community together today to witness the bonds of your love. Alex, Julian, you have made a home and a life for yourselves, and now you’re ready to declare before all the world that your love is true and eternal.”

Alex let the words wash over him, tuning out the real world and drinking in the symphony of magic and life surrounding them. Through Julian he could hear nature as well as magic, the rustle of trees becoming a soft, slow thrum of musical life to his other senses, the rhythm of Father Stephen’s words and emotions like its own small orchestra along with the magic he was wearing and doing. Julian’s melody was the most familiar of the musics, and Alex heard through that rhythm the moment he needed to start paying attention to the mundane again.

Horace came fluttering up to them, and the held up their joined hands for him to alight on. Today he held not correspondence, but their rings, and between the two of them they managed to get them extracted and send Horace to settle on Father Stephen’s shoulder, looking prouder than ever

“Do you, Alexander Nigel Frankfurt Benedict, the Fourth, take this man to be your husband, your bondmate, and your love for so long as your souls remain entwined?”

“I do,” said Alex, ignoring the few chuckles from the crowd at the mouthful that was his full name. He slipped the antique ring back onto Julian’s finger where it belonged.

“And do you, Julian Spencer Carroll St. Albans, take this man to be your husband, your bondmate, and your love for so long as your souls remain entwined?”

“I do,” said Julian, smiling up at Alex. He put Alex’s ring back on – another heirloom, this time from the St. Albans vaults – and Alex couldn’t help but give him a very loving look.

Father Stephen brought out a wide ribbon which they’d all enchanted together, its deep green surface covered in runes using several different techniques, including writing, painting, and even sewing small seeds into the embroidery. He wrapped around their joined hands, and they all took a deep breath and did the chant they’d practiced, sending their power into the spell. Alex heard the small thread of connection he’d been keeping with Julian widen and strengthen, the song of the ribbon weaving their two separate melodies into a single, beautiful harmony.

When the final note rang out, Alex felt something snap into place, and he let out a small gasp. He could hear and feel so much more now, not the least of which was the shining love in Julian’s heart that matched the devotion in his own. He stepped forward of his own accord, Julian taking a step to match so they could meet in a kiss, and the room burst into applause as Father Stephen pronounced the bonding a success.

They stepped apart and the ribbon fell away, into Father Stephen’s waiting hands; it would be framed in their home as a keepsake, its magic spent. Alex tucked Julian’s hand into his and they walked back down the aisle together, joined in a profound manner that Alex found surprisingly peaceful. Carrying the feeling of Julian inside himself was only somewhat new, and the comfort of knowing he’d never lose touch with his love again was much bigger than any worry about sharing himself so intimately.

Julian shot him an amused grin. “I can feel you letting go of your silly nerves,” he said softly, as they left earshot of the crowd.

Alex kissed him softly. “All I needed was you, I guess,” he admitted. “I just never knew how to accept that.”

“You figured it out eventually,” said Julian, snuggling up for another kiss under the trees. Alex could feel the warmth and love in his thoughts, feel the orchard around them that was fond of Julian in its own way, feel the distant source like a brightness on the horizon. It was strange to feel as much as hear all that magic, but good, like awakening a sense he hadn’t known he’d been missing.

They took a few more minutes just to feel their bond settle between them like a familiar blanket, something warm to keep them cosy beneath it. Someone else would take care of moving their friends and family from the orchard to the ballroom where they were having the reception, so for this little while all they had to do was enjoy themselves and explore the sensation of being a part of each other. It would settle into a background hum after a few days of learning to live with it, but for now the newness of their bond was both a joy and a distraction.

“I wonder if James and Jacques have something like this,” said Julian, snuggled up in Alex’s arms and no doubt messing up both of their cravats.

“We’ll have to ask if they have any advice they can impart,” said Alex, stroking up and down the fine fabric and feeling Julian’s back beneath it, his body strong now after his all the work he’d put in on his Apprenticeship, and lean from the magic use. “That way if they can’t tell us, they’ve got an out.”

“They’re allowed to tell us more, these days,” said Julian proudly. The herb and vegetable garden at the Guardian’s Temple had come along beautifully, and Julian checked it regularly even though they had plenty of volunteers to care for it. Alex had made huge strides with Ward Father Mordecai in their ward research as well, and as a result of that and many other small services and social acquaintances, the two of them were very much a part of the Temples now, even though they held no official titles.

Alex felt Father Stephen before he heard or saw him, the movement of his life shining in Julian’s awareness followed by the beautiful chorus of his magic to Alex’s ears.

“I have no idea how you handle all that music,” said Julian, shaking his head, “but it’s beautiful.”

“Some of it is,” said Alex. “We’ll learn to deal with it, the feelings are odd to me, too.” He turned, arm slipping up around Julian’s shoulders, and smiled at Stephen. “I take it it’s time for us to make an appearance?”

“Not quite yet,” said Father Stephen. “I wanted to check on your bonding first, but I can already see the two of you are quite strongly connected and learning the way of one another’s magic.”

“It’s weird, but good,” said Julian, smiling up at Alex.

“What he said,” Alex added with a chuckle. They kissed softly, meeting in the middle without needing to discuss it as they felt what the other was intending.

Father Stephen beamed at them. “A very close bond, as expected. Make sure you keep in contact as much as possible for the next few days, which I don’t expect will be a problem for you young lads.”

Alex chuckled. “Not so much, no. We’ve got a bit of a honeymoon trip planned before we get tied to the Source.”

“Have you decided, then?” asked Father Stephen. He’d perked up with a professional interest as well as personal, since ties between a friend of the Temple and a local magical Way were of great interest to everyone.

“We’re mostly decided,” said Julian. “There’s still things we need to clarify before we’ll commit, but we’re pretty certain.”

“We’ll deal with it after our honeymoon,” added Alex. “There’s time to borrow James and Jacques and visit the other side for a quick meeting or two before midsummer.”

“The plant Cody gave us is perfectly healthy, and will survive just fine while we’re away,” added Julian. “And Alys has promised to text us the moment it looks the least bit wilted.”

“We’ve the means to make an emergency return, if need be, and we’re leaving some potions just in case, too,” said Alex.

Father Stephen’s smile had grown, first shrewd and then very amused. “You two are already starting to think as one, that’s a very good sign. I trust you’ll come discuss the final decision with me before you commit?”

“Of course, Father,” said Julian, kissing his cheek sweetly.

“You’ve always given me the best advice,” added Alex, though he refrained from the kiss. He did end up bending down to get one of his own from Julian, and then Father Stephen gave them both a blessing-kiss and declared it was probably about time to head to the reception.

The three of them made their way over the to big house, following the last straggling servants and guests, and making an entrance to applause and whistles. The band struck up a waltz, and Alex swung Julian out onto the dance floor, which cleared for them as they twirled around. They’d spent many hours practicing together, using the wedding as an excuse to do something they both enjoyed. They moved now with a unity that they never could have approached before their bond, and a smoothness that attested to all their hard work.

After that, the reception was a blur of dancing and food, drinks and toasts and conversations that Alex could never remember later. He was pretty sure neither of them had let the other make any promises, but otherwise, they’d mostly been drowning in the feel of each other and their newly-wrought magical bond. Eventually the party wound down and they were allowed to slip off to the suite that had been prepared for them, Julian’s old rooms that still held many of the hints of his old life, but were also full of the future with piles of wrapped gifts all over the sitting room and their luggage all ready to go in the bedroom.

Alex swept Julian up with an oof—his lover was heavier now, with more muscle on his compact frame, and they both laughed as Alex nearly dropped him onto the bed with its beautiful handmade quilt. There was some more laughter as they shed their clothes, Alex tossing them haphazardly over a chair and trusting in the anti-wrinkle charms to keep them nice.

“Mm, now this is how I like you best,” said Alex, lying over Julian, both of them naked and breathless.

“I can already feel you, even without this,” said Julian, and he traced a shivery line of magic over Alex’s cheek that made them both moan. “Oh, that’s, wow.”

“Wow,” agreed Alex. He dipped his head down for a magical kiss; the sharing was second-nature to them, but it thrilled all through him on a whole new level. Their bond was so much closer than the temporary connections they made before, and the feeling of his magic in Julian and Julian’s him was deeper and more intimate, carrying nuance of thought and emotion that he’d never known before. Not just love and pleasure, but appreciation for going through with the orchard wedding, anticipation of their honeymoon, and a sense of exploration that echoed Alex’s delight at their new connection.

It was almost too much, a sensory overload of senses that weren’t used to feeling anything outside of himself, but Alex grounded himself in the familiar song of Julian’s magic, listening to the ways his own harmonies were now woven in with the melody, making Julian his to even his inner ear. His body made itself known when Julian’s hand wrapped around his cock, and Alex gasped himself back to awareness of the mundane world.

“It’s a lot,” said Julian, smirking, “but we’ll learn to work with it together.”

Alex let out a low, rough laugh. “Yeah, we will,” he said, licking his way down to Julian’s sensitive nipples and giving them some focused attention. He could feel the tingle of pleasure in a way he never had before, and he understood now why Julian liked this so much. The pleasure-loop feedback was so much more intense now that he had to drag himself away in order to get another kiss and try to ground himself.

That actually worked, the concerted effort giving both of them a little of their own headspace back and dampening the rising magic around them. They whispered little words of love while Alex found the lube and got his fingers slick, finding Julian opening more readily than ever under his ministrations, his body responding eagerly to their combined magics. They had one more grounding kiss, touching the deep earth beneath them to keep themselves from drowning in their own magic, and then Alex slid into Julian’s welcoming body with a low moan echoed by Julian’s higher one.

Things moved even faster after that, their bodies and magics fitting together in an exquisite harmony of love and pleasure. Alex had no way to tell who tumbled into completion first, they were so joined that it hardly mattered, until they were thrown, gasping, back into themselves and their individual afterglow.

“So, that’s a good start,” said Julian, eyes a bit wide and a grin on his freckled face.

Alex laughed breathlessly. “Yeah, yeah it is. Happy bonding day, my husband.”

“My husband,” said Julian, with great satisfaction. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me, too,” said Alex, dipping his head down to steal another kiss and see if they could summon the energy for another round.

CHAPTER 24

In Which We Take Two Very Different but Equally Portentous Meetings

The wish tree proved to be the key to Fenway’s madness, and his subsequent ranting included a confession to all three murders. The rest of his plan they pieced together from things found in the house, which it turned out wasn’t even his—it was in a legal deadlock between owner and developer, and Fenway had moved in during the confusion and annexed the tree with no one the wiser. Police came by daily to pay for Horace to take wishes to the tree for them, sometimes with wishes from friends and family, and from all reports the tree was already showing signs of recovery.

Spring was already starting to warm into summer when Alex and Julian returned from their honeymoon, and they put together a small gift basket to take through the Way to see Cody. Another gift basket was all ready to go home with James and Jacques, who’d been assigned to officially accompany them since the Temple considered the Guardianship of the Source a matter of import. Enough so that someone had pulled strings to get them a private audience with the Queen two days before midsummer.

That looming meeting made this one seem somehow less daunting.

“I feel like I’m studying for a test or something,” said Alex, going over in his head the important details they needed to cover with the elf before agreeing to take on the responsibility.

Julian chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a little weird knowing we’ll be asking the Queen about this next week,” he said. He stole a kiss and straightened Alex’s cravat—they’d decided to dress for the audience, if not in their finest, at least formally. Alex was wearing his elegant Courtship black, while Julian had on a suit of greens and golds that made him look like a field of spring flowers.

“You’re so handsome, my husband,” said Alex, pulling him in for a kiss. “How did I ever deserve you?”

“You don’t,” said Alys tartly. “Guardians are here, along with Jones.”

They broke apart with a laugh and Alex went to get the door while Julian checked on the plant again, which was just starting to show flower buds.

The Guardians were wearing the less-formal version of their uniforms, medallions showing prominently, and even Jones had dressed up a little in his proper chauffeur suit.

“Come on in,” said Alex, stepping back from the doorway, after a quick whistle to let Jones through the wards. “Alys is making us a treat to top us off before we go.”

“And I’ve got a few gift boxes for Jones, who was kind enough to ask for some things for his family,” said Alys, poking her head out of the kitchen again. “Food’ll be out in a moment.”

They got themselves settled in their usual spots and then trays of food floated out of the kitchen, a meal’s worth of snacks in the form of miniature steak sandwiches on bread rolls, individual fruit tarts, and stuffed mushroom caps. Jones had the smallest portion, but even his tray was generously piled, with a fresh cup of tea and a glass of minted water for all of them.

“So,” said James, once they’d all settled in to eat, “how’s married life?”

“The sex is great,” said Julian, managing to keep a straight face mostly by shoving a bite of food into it. “Thanks for asking.”

“That new ward-shunt has been great for draining away the power we generate instead of wasting it on a light show,” added Alex. “I just have to figure out how to make it work for Guardian things now.”

“Father Mordecai will appreciate that,” said Jaques dryly.

Jones snickered.

“I liked the light show, though,” said Julian with a fake pout.

They all teased back and forth as they ate, the food delicious as always with herbs in the bread rolls, cheese and spinach and surprising bits of bacon in the mushroom caps, and a sweet glaze on the fruit tarts infused with just a slight hint of rose and violet. Alex was sighing with happiness by the time he sat back to finish off his tea, feeling full to the brim with good food and energy both.

“I hope the rest of today goes half as well as this snack,” said James, echoing Alex’s own thoughts.

“I’ll toast to that,” said Alex, saluting them with his cup, which they all returned with their own drinks. Alex sent a tiny push of magic out into the world attached to that wish the way he did when sending wishes to the tree, though he didn’t give it any particular destination this time around.

Alex felt a little bit of Julian’s magic tagging along anyway, the two of them wishing as one, and a smile softened his face.

“It’s a good wish,” agreed Jacques. “I don’t think it’ll be too dangerous, or we’d never have let Jones drive.”

“Nor would I have volunteered,” said Jones with a wink. “I know when to stay home.”

“You’re smarter than either of them, then,” said James wryly.

Alex couldn’t even object, really, though he tried. “We all survived just fine last time!”

“We all got lucky,” said Julian.

“And you were saved by your Guardians’ preparedness,” said Jacques with mock-solemnity.

Alex nodded. “We were, and our own preparedness,” he shot back with a little wrinkle of his nose.

“And Horace,” said Julian. The bird chirruped happily from his perch on the back of their chair; he’d insisted in his own way on coming along, at least to the site if not through the archway.

“Horace saves your hide far too often for comfort,” said James, shaking his head. “At this rate, he’ll steal our jobs.”

“Nah,” said Julian, eyes sparkling, “he can’t cook.”

More laughter followed and they all finished up their food and drinks and got organised to go out. Alys made sure everyone’s baskets went with the right people, and shooed them all out with an admonition to make sure they texted her before they started the drive back so dinner would be waiting when they arrived.

The ride to the Source was mostly quiet, all of them gathering up their questions and doubts and hopes. When they got there, they made sure Jones was all set with a good book and a climate-control charm on the car to go with his newly replaced amulets, and then made the trek to the waterfall.

The path once again cleared itself of slippery water, the stones drying before their eyes to invite them back into the hidden cave. Jacques was going to wait outside with Horace while James went in with Julian, Alex, and their basket of goodies. The two Guardians took a moment to commune with one another and their own faith, and Alex pulled Julian in for a kiss to ground their own magics in one another and the deep earth below. It would be strange to step away from that knowing they were going into another world, so Alex wanted to reaffirm their connection with it before they walked away.

“All right,” said James, taking charge for the moment. “We’ll be a while if it’s anything like last time, so make sure you do what you need to stay alert.”

Jacques nodded, patting the flask of tea at his side; he was wearing a cross-body bag containing some sustenance, as well as a lantern should it get dark. “Take good care of them, and yourself,” he said, giving James a warm hug that was happily returned.

“Will do,” they said. Blessings were given by the two Guardians, and off they went, stepping through the archway and into the Summerlands.

The shift from summer afternoon to Elven twilight was less of a shock than going from winter, but it was still enough to make Alex stumble as he moved off the threshold. Julian was after him, and James had gone ahead, and was staring down a familiar face.

“Cody!” said Julian cheerfully, hefting the basket of goodies. “How have you been?”

Cuidightheach stopped glaring at their Guardian and grinned at Julian instead, his entire posture relaxing. “Julian, Alex, you’ve come back to accept, I hope?”

“Not yet,” said Alex. “We’ve got questions, so we brought a basket of treats in exchange for answers.”

“What sort of treats?” asked Cody, rightfully dubious about any offer of gifts or trade in faerie.

James rattled off a list of things, including several sweet and savoury treats from Alys and some of the Benedict truffles from Saveur, as well as a box of the Seasons set, and another of the Weather set she’d made after Jacques’ dare about rain.

Cody’s face got more and more acquisitive as James spoke, and he had to school his face and pretend to consider the offer. Alex sent a little tickle of amusement to Julian along their bond, which got him a little poke back that was full of affection and irritation in equal measure, with a little thread of Julian’s own amusement running through the magic.

“I suspect I could while away some time in exchange for these mortal foods,” said Cody.

“I thought perhaps so,” said Alex. “Would you like to come to our side of the Way, or will that cause you to be absent from here for too long?”

Cody shook his head, looking at the portal with something like longing. “I could arrange a relief with some warning, but the grove itself needs a guard at all times.”

“We’ll stay, and try not to make it too long,” said James, and they all settled on the beautiful benches while Julian dug into the basket and started passing out treats.

“Alys sent some things for everyone, and some just for you,” said Julian, when Cody looked like he might object. “Don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t worried,” said Cody, who clearly had been, and they all smiled.

Alex poured the mulled cider. “Here, start with this,” he said, giving Cody the first cup. “There’s a bottle that’s not warmed yet in the basket for later, too.”

Cody smelled it dubiously and waited for James to take a sip before he took one of his own, mming at the taste. “You mortals always did know good ways to dress up food and drink.”

“Alys made a lot of this, she’s one of our brownies,” said Julian cheerfully, handing James the first plate to give Cody an excuse to let the Guardian play taster.

Once the food was handed out and the remaining basket put at Cody’s feet, with a small bag set out to take dishes back home in, Alex gathered his wits. “All right, our first question is, what are the full and complete duties of the mortal Guardians of the other side of this Way?”

Cody shot him a wry smile at that. “Been reading up on us, I see,” he said. “Well, the food is delicious, so I will forgive you for denying me my fun.”

James looked unimpressed, but Julian giggled.

“Very generous of you,” drawled Alex, trying not to sound too sarcastic but unable to entirely rein in his natural tendencies.

Cody, fortunately, looked amused. “You are to live within a distance that you can feel if the Way has been used, once you have been bonded to it as you are to each other,” said Cody, ticking off on his fingers. “You are to live close enough to try to prevent anyone from using the Way without permission, and there are a whole set of tedious protocols for getting permission for anything more than a casual visit like this.”

Alex nodded. “And we’re not after your magic plants, which helps,” he said.

“Yes,” said Cody, dry and just a hint of the Elven Guard in his manner, “That helps.”

“So, we’ll not really know how much distance that is until we’re committed?” asked Julian curiously. Their research had indicated it depended on a lot of factors, most of which no one understood.

“That’s right, unfortunately I can make no promises that you’ll be able to live in your city,” said Cody, looking worried. “The house seems to be coming along nicely, though?”

“It’ll be a few more months at least before it’s habitable,” said Alex, “but we’ve got the basic structure, wards, and blessings laid down, and it’s designed so that, given permission, we can tap into the Source to reinforce the magic.”

“And we’ve got ideas about how to ward the Source itself,” said Julian. “Alex has been working all year on ward-magic.”

“Would we be able to accept but not take on the Guardianship until the house is done?” asked Alex, after swallowing the bite of Alys’ excellent peach tart he’d been eating.

“Someone will want to lay some assurances on you, but I know the house is considered part and parcel, so yes,” said Cody. “I’ve told those with more authority than me that I’d found a prospect, and they seemed quite pleased.”

“Good,” said James, with a nod and a small smile. He was nibbling, too, but the food was all made to be eaten by hand in a few bites, so he’d be able to stand and fight without worrying about messy hands.

“If there is a problem, can we call on you or someone on your side for help?” asked Julian. “Because I’m not a combat anything, and Alex pretty much does wards and research and makes stuff.”

Cody nodded. “I am permitted to reinforce you, and of course someone will reinforce me here. The time difference makes it less practical than you might think, but we have ways.”

“Oh, right,” said Julian with a moue of concern. “But someone should come?”

“Since we cannot expect your Guardians to always be with you, yes,” said Cody with a nod. “Unless we are also being attacked on this side, which is improbable but possible.”

Julian nodded, nibbling his own treat.

Alex spent a moment listening to the way Julian’s magic interacted with the plants here, noodling out around the grove to check in with all the trees, drawn especially to the most magical of them. “So, what exactly are we Guarding, here?” asked Alex, once they’d all had a few moments to eat.

Cody took a deep breath, and then a sip of his tea. “It’s an oak grove, with ash and hawthorn at the centre,” he said cheerfully. “It’s from a very special line of trees, and growing here by the Way helps keep them potent.”

Julian had a look on his face that said he was seriously doubting that this was even a fraction of the whole story, and Alex could feel his senses stretching out into the grove again.

“Hawthorn, Oak, and Ash, those are the sacred trine of trees,” said Alex, mostly to cover for Julian’s inattention. “Will we be allowed to get ingredients from here sometimes?”

Cody looked dubious. “Well, not for planting, we’re not allowed to let any offshoots or seeds or anything leave the grove,” he said.

Alex nodded. “Well, I guess that’s something we can discuss with whoever we’ll be making this pledge to.”

“Oh, the Queens,” said Cody, relaxing again. “Yours and mine, there’s a ceremony.”

“The Queens,” said James, “as in, Queen Titania and Queen Eleanor?”

Cody grinned. “Yes, that’s it. They inducted your Queen Eleanor the same way a few years ago; it’s part of the secret ceremonies for her ascension.”

“All right, so there’s a big ceremony,” said Julian, giving Alex a look that promised more information later. “Can I meet all the trees before that?”

“Oh, yes, that’s allowed as long as you don’t take anything with you,” said Cody. “Let’s finish eating and we can do that, so your friend doesn’t have to wait too long?”

Everyone agreed and the rest of their snack vanished in short order. Julian gathered up everything in the smaller bag that Alys had given him so the big basket could be part of their gift, and then they got up and started walking through the Grove.

Julian put a hand on each tree, and Alex started to get a feel for the pattern of the Grove. The oak trees formed a spiral, with the Way on the outside edge and the hawthorn hedge at the middle, and a huge old ash tree at the very centre of everything. Julian murmured and crooned at the trees as he passed, the way he always did, and Alex heard a little of their magic as well. He smiled fondly because everything was healthy, and Julian wasn’t draining himself at all really, not with the ambient magic here to keep them both filled up.

James and Cody were talking shop, discussing the differences between guarding a place and a person, bonding over the inherent boredom in waiting for something to happen but knowing you couldn’t let your attention flag in case you missed it. Alex let his own senses flip, and the faint music became a symphony, both the magic inherent in faerieland and the trees and their strong harmonies. He could hear that the three types were working together somehow, their songs weaving together and, he thought, doing something with the Way itself.

They went through the gap in the hedge, which Alex felt lining up with the Way so the magic sang through him, imparting information the way the wards had at the Temple, more than he could possibly sift through at once but enough to get an idea of how it all worked together. A pair of oaks twined together overhead and, he thought, also below the soil, roots and branches making a conduit for the magic as well as a picturesque archway. Inside the hedge there was a clearing and a huge ash tree, and Cody stopped them before they could step any further in.

“The pods can’t be disturbed,” he said, very seriously. “Julian, if you can follow the raised stones, you may go introduce yourself to the tree.”

“I’ll be careful,” said Julian, walking gingerly on the raised stepping-stones that had stayed free of the broken-open seed pods scattered all around them.

Alex watched and held onto the thread of their bond, trying not to think about the soul trap on a tree that got Julian last year. He had no doubt that both Cody and James would intervene should something happen, but it was still nerve-wracking. He could hear Julian’s magic reaching out to the tree, which answered with a symphony he could barely hear, though it became clearer once Julian laid his hand on the bark. He got a sense of great portent, of stories and threads and lives beginning, ending, and intertwining, and the even stranger sense that the tree already knew them both.

Julian pulled away with a soft smile and that deep tone of peace his magic often held after working with plants. “It’s a lovely old tree,” said Julian, turning and stepping away. His hand moved almost of its own accord, a thread of magic from the tree sparkling through Alex’s senses like a glissando, and a single seed pod fell right into Julian’s hand.

Cody went on alert, but then relaxed when it became clear the tree had overridden tradition in this case. “I suppose I’d best show you how to read it,” he said, sounding resigned.

“I think it told me,” said Julian, blinking. “But not here.” He stepped gracefully out of the clearing, staying to the stones, and snuggled up to Alex once he was there. “That was a little weird.”

“It’s a very old and powerful tree,” said Alex, kissing his hair. “Where should we read it?”

“Traditionally, the flat place by the Way,” said Cody.

At Julian’s nod, they all trooped back there. Cody took a moment to clear the space and light some incense that both Alex and James deemed safe enough, and then Julian broke the pod and scattered its seeds across the stone.

There was a burst of the same music as the tree, just a single set of chords rather than the whole, and the seeds settled in what were clearly deliberate patterns of some kind. Julian crouched down and put his fingers on the seed closest to him. Alex stepped close and slipped his own fingers down the back of Julian’s neck, his hearing sharpening at the contact. Cody, too, was examining the patterns, and Alex wondered if his phone would work long enough for a reference photo. James kept alert guard with a look of fond exasperation on his face.

“It’s telling me we don’t have to accept,” said Julian, “but there’s good and bad down both paths. If we do become its Guardians, there’ll be more of both.”

Alex could find the shapes as Julian talked, hearing the clarity of the portent. “Can I take a photo?” he asked Cody, who was examining a particular patch of seeds on the longer swirl in the larger pattern.

“If you can, you may,” said Cody, stepping back. “When you’re ready, we’ll clean up and you’ll go back to your world. It’s been long enough.”

“Yes,” said James irritably.

Alex chuckled and got out his phone, glad to see it hadn’t died or anything, and the photos seemed to work just fine so he took several. Julian and Cody were looking at the pattern, both of them now intent on the one spot, while Alex pocketed his phone and gathered his wits. “Ready, love?”

“Yeah, we can clean it up. You got a good photo of that bit, right?” asked Julian, gesturing.

“I did, but if you want to go touch the seeds there or whatever, we can be patient,” said Alex, aware he sounded a bit resigned.

Julian shook his head. “I got everything from the first touch,” he said. “That’s just a time of turmoil and, I don’t know, it feels important.”

“We’ll do some research,” promised James.

Cody produced a branch of hawthorn and handed it to Julian. “This will cleanse the grove without affecting the outcome, it’s from one of our hedges,” he said.

Julian took it and swept up the seeds, gathering every last one for Cody to put into a small silk pouch, which he tucked away. “We’ll see you at your Midsummer,” he said.

“See you then,” said Alex. They parted, the trio of humans going to the Way while Cody stepped back to watch, and then they were through and it was over.

Night had fallen while they were gone, but a quick check with Jacques’ mundane pocket watch told them it wasn’t too far into the evening. They piled into the car to explain while they drove, all of them eager to get back for dinner. Horace snuggled up with Julian to get petted and chirrup happily at him, and Alex breathed a sigh of relief as they put the first Guardianship meeting behind them.

Their next one was likely to bring its own set of surprises.

Two days before the summer Solstice, Alex and Julian dressed much more carefully than they had for their visit to the Summerlands. They worked some of their nervousness out in the shower, and then they both donned brand-new summer suits, Julian’s in a lovely golden wheat colour, and Alex’s in a stormy grey. Alex’s outfit was all the colors of summer stormclouds, in fact, from the soft grey shirt to the silvery silk cravat, and he’d borrowed some beautiful antique accessories from Victor for the occasion. Julian had accessorised with bright pops of spring green and a crisp white shirt, his golden waistcoat embroidered with intricate vines. His own accessories were also family heirlooms in peridot and gold, and together they were the two faces of a summer’s day.

Alex thought he might be too nervous to eat, but when Alys presented them with an assortment of miniature tarts, pies, and quiches, he found he couldn’t resist finding out what was inside each mysterious little bite. He and Julian both fell to, comparing their bites and finding that Alys had made a bewildering variety of fillings.

“Most o’ these freeze up just fine,” she said, looking pleased with her morning’s work. “It’s good you like them, since you’ll be seeing them again.”

“Hopefully lots!” said Julian cheerfully, eating a lovely little tart with lemon curd topped by a fresh summer strawberry. “These are all brilliant, Alys, seriously.”

“They’re really perfect,” said Alex happily. “I can’t wait to see what you do with all the extra fruit I’ve wheedled out of Victor this year, too.”

“And your sister as well,” she said to Julian, looking pleased. “We’ve had to get very little at the grocer’s lately, so we’ll need to send over a basket or three of goodies as thanks.”

“Good idea,” said Julian. “We’ll get Jones to take us on rounds for Midsummer, before we go accept our new fates.”

“I suppose it’ll be a good excuse not to linger,” said Alex wryly. “Is that enough time? I’ll have to make sure we can borrow Jones all day.”

“Oh, aye, I can get it done in two days no problem,” said Alys.

Nat poked his head out of the kitchen door. “I’ll make baskets, no worries,” he said, then ducked back to where he’d been putting together a new spice rack to accommodate the wider range of herbs and spices Alys had begun to accumulate.

Alex’s phone chirped with a text from Jones saying he was waiting downstairs. “We’re just avoiding now, aren’t we?” Alex said, putting his phone away and eating the last few treats.

Julian chuckled. “Usually,” he said, eating his own final treat.

A very fancy basket and a less-fancy box came floating out of the kitchen. “I trust ye can figure out which is for who,” she said dryly.

“Well, Jones is awfully fond of ribbons,” said Alex teasingly. He stood and straightened himself, checking for crumbs or stains and seeing that he’d managed to keep from spoiling his lovely stormcloud suit.

Julian was equally clean, and Alex suspected a bit of brownie magic was involved. They both swallowed suspiciously refilled cups of tea, and then there was nothing for it but to head downstairs and see the Queen.

“You’re looking properly toff,” said Jones teasingly, taking the box from Alex and peering inside to find several things with his name on them, along with a pair of lunch boxes and a thermos for Julian and Alex.

“Well, you can’t wear pyjamas to see Queen Eleanor,” said Alex dryly. “Otherwise, you know us, we’d be barefoot and cosy.”

Julian giggled, following to help stow the basket in the trunk with the box. There was a seedling from Julian in there with the other things, and a charm from Alex, neither of them too valuable but both good examples of their respective talents. Benedict and St. Albans truffles accompanied some treats from Alys and a small carved jewellery box of fragrant wood from Nat. There were even a bit of fresh fruit from both estates, the families having wanted to put in a showing as well. They got settled in the back while Jones secured everything, and then they were ready to go.

“So,” said Alex, once they were on the road, “think I can convince Victor to loan you to me all day on Midsummer? Alys wants to send thanks-gifts to him and Emmeline, and we might need to drive around on a few other visits if we’re doing Midsummer baskets.”

“Plus seeing that elf,” said Jones. “He already gave me the day, don’t worry.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Alex. “I can just text him when to expect us, then.”

Julian chuckled. “I’d tease you about it, but I’ve heard how boring he is on the phone.”

Alex rewarded his wisdom with a sweet kiss.

They talked about possible routes and stops, sending Alys texts and also James and Jacques, who were to once again provide guards for them when they went to accept—or refuse, but by now they were both pretty well decided—their new duties.

The trip to the palace seemed tragically short, though Alex knew they’d gone through a number of checkpoints and winding ways to get there. The final checkpoint involved all of them getting out and a page coming out to take the basket rather than subject the Queen’s guests to the indignity of carrying it themselves. And, Alex thought privately, to have it screened by a mage while it was out of their sights.

At least, that’s what he’d have done.

They were led through a maze of corridors to a pair of doors with two serious looking older Guardians outside. They looked a little dubious about the pair being presented to them, but one of them cracked a smile when Horace peeked out from behind Julian’s hair and chirruped curiously.

“Her Majesty requested Horace’s presence specifically,” said Julian proudly. “Alex made him.”

“James and Jacques vetted him,” said the Guard with the smile.

“And then Father Stephen and Father Mordecai called just to make sure we knew he was harmless,” said the other Guard dryly, eyes sparkling with amusement. “So, you can go in, but we have to come with you.”

“Works for me,” said Alex with a shrug.

Julian nodded his consent, and they opened the doors to reveal a small, elegantly decorated parlour. The Queen was sitting on a settee, her posture impeccable and her clothing as well. She wore a light summer suit in a beautiful shade of lavender with a robin’s egg blue blouse beneath it. Her hair was done up in an elaborate style that took advantage of the streaks of silver and black to create a beautiful optical illusion built out of twists and braids. Atop it she wore an elegant tiara that had pale amethysts and peridot arranged like lilac blooms, with a matching lapel pin on her suit.

“Your Majesty, you look beautiful today,” said Alex, moving forward to bow over her hand before moving to one side for Julian. They’d practiced.

Julian repeated the move, saying, “Thank you for agreeing to see us, Your Majesty.”

“We are always happy to make time to assist in such a momentous decision for one of our subjects,” she said. An elegant gesture revealed a bracelet to match the rest, indicating the sofa opposite her. “Do have a seat, tea will be in momentarily.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” said Alex, and he and Julian took a seat, both of them awkward despite years of practice showing good posture in front of the peerage.

A moment later, two servants came in with trays of tea and began to serve them, and the business of getting cups and plates sorted took up several more minutes of their time. The Queen was gracious to the servants, one of whom took up station off to one side while the other headed back out, only to return a moment later with their gift basket, which was set on a side table, the flowers there deftly whisked away.

“I’ve heard very good things about the sort of gifts you give,” said Queen Eleanor with a tiny smile. “It’s good to finally be the recipient.”

“We’ll make sure to put you on our guest list for the winter Solstice this year,” said Julian, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Last year we gave everyone rosemary.”

“And what is this you’ve brought for us today?” she asked, plucking out the seedling in its lovely little pot, green thumb charm nestled next to it.

“That’s lucky clover from my own batch,” said Julian.

Alex swallowed, hoping she would understand how special it was to get luck grown from Julian’s own magic.

“We all need a bit of luck now and then,” she said, setting it in front of her and then having a sip of tea.

She unerringly found the other charm Alex had included, an elegant little puzzle-pendant of silver and gold wrapped around a central howlite stone.

“That’s a charm for insight,” said Alex, feeling awkward despite being very happy with the design.

She cradled it in one hand and then gently rested it on the table next to the plant. “Insight is always a good quality for a monarch,” she said rather dryly. “Speaking of which, you have questions?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Julian.

Alex sipped his tea and wished that he dared pull out his phone with the notes he’d made on it.

“We were wondering how far you can safely travel from your Way?” asked Julian tentatively, as this was one of their primary concerns.

“I’ve been told it’s not the same for every Way,” the Queen replied, “but for the Queen’s Way, I can go anywhere on the islands of our nation, but I can neither fly nor sail the seas any further.”

“Oh, that’s not so bad,” said Julian, relaxing. “We were worried we’d be stuck in the woods all the time.”

“Our records indicate that your property once held the Charmer’s Way, but it was so long ago that we don’t know what that means,” said the Queen.

Alex perked up. “Charmers in that era were usually mages or artificers of some sort, weren’t they?” He’d run across the word in some of his research, which had been wide-ranging and often a bit odd when he went down a rabbit hole of citations.

She made a gesture that could have been a nod and could have been a shrug, and bent down to take a tea sandwich to nibble on. This freed the men to do the same, though Alex’s stomach was in such knots he wasn’t sure he’d have room for more than a few bites. He leaned forward and served a small plate for himself and Julian, choosing things he hoped his lover would like and getting a warm wash of fondness for the longstanding habit.

“Have you found the duties of the Way onerous, ma’am?” asked Julian, much more elegantly than Alex had put it when he’d thought of the question.

Queen Eleanor finished her sandwich and took another, a thoughtful look on her face. “I do not think it has put an undue burden on us, even with our other duties.”

“That’s good to hear,” said Julian, smiling like sunshine.

Alex couldn’t help his answering smile. “What are the benefits, if I may ask?”

She smiled a little, wry and private. “You may ask,” she said, nibbling on her sandwich afterward, manners impeccable.

Alex sipped his tea and tried to be patient, thinking about the carrots that Cody had dangled in front of them to get them to take up the mantel of Guardian.

“Long life, of course,” she said, once the sandwich was eaten and her mouth daintily wiped. “And access to the magic. Visiting the Summerlands can be invigorating, too, in a different manner than merely taking in the ambient magic from the Way itself.”

Alex nodded; he’d felt that, too, both exhausted and energised by their time in the Grove.

“It’ll be lovely for our greenhouse, too,” said Julian, picking up a small fruit tartlet. “Do you grow magical plants in your garden?”

“We do, though not so many as I expect you will,” she said with a smile. Alex was relieved that Julian was managing to charm her, given his own terrible track record with that.

“What other benefits are there?” asked Alex, getting a slight narrowing of her eyes that made him wince inwardly.

She took a sip of tea and then said carefully, “There is a certain sense of peace that one can achieve in no other way, but it is easily disrupted by any trouble on either side of the Way. As long as all is at peace with the Way, however, some part of you will always be as well.”

Alex nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said contritely.

She nodded to him, a clear acceptance of his unspoken apology, and took a small puff of pastry for herself to nibble on. There were a few moments of silence as they all ate and sipped tea, and it wasn’t until the maid came over to refill all their cups that Alex spoke up again.

“And what are the downsides, other than the travel restrictions?” he asked.

“There is a certain vigilance required,” she replied, clearly having expected the question. “It can disrupt the sleep, though I suspect you are used to being aware of a warding without constantly being bothered by it.”

“I am, though Julian will have to get used to it,” said Alex. “He’s learning a little now, from our bond.”

“Alex is a good teacher,” said Julian, giving him a fond smile and a little wash of affection through their bond.

Alex smiled back and resisted the urge for a kiss.

“Sharing the burden should also help,” she said. “My late husband and I chose not to bond, but the archives here suggest it will be so.”

“We’ll let you know how it goes for us,” promised Alex, “if you want that, I mean.”

“We would like a regular correspondence,” she said, and Alex smiled as she added, “we would like to see your charming bird visiting us with your letters.”

“You did ask for him to visit,” said Alex. He reached into his coat where Horace had hidden himself for a nap and roused the little bird, who happily hopped out to chirp and preen. “This is Horace. Horace, Her Majesty has been wanting to meet you.”

The Queen gracefully extended her hand, and Horace flew over with a happy chirrup and then executed a little bow, accompanied by a burst of song. A delighted smile lit her face up, making her look younger and more human.

“Well met, Horace. I trust you can take letters for us?” she said. She stroked his wing with curious fingers, and Alex relaxed as Horace mugged shamelessly for more petting, chirruping a clear and proud affirmative to her question.

“He loves being useful, he’s saved our lives a number of times,” said Alex.

“Mostly mine,” added Julian, looking fond. “He’s a good bird, Alex did a good thing in making him.”

“He’s far outstripped my intentions for him,” said Alex. “Julian’s magic really gave him a lot of power to grow into the complexity of his spells in a way I never anticipated.”

The Queen looked up from where she’d been stroking and cooing at a very pleased-looking Horace and smiled at them. “He is always welcome here with us, though I am somewhat disappointed I can’t give him treats.”

Julian giggled. “He likes petting, that’s like treats for him.” He leaned forward and took another tart, this one with some sort of custard and a sprig of herb.

Alex smiled. “We like food, though, and reserve the petting for one another,” he said, mouth running without his brain’s permission while he chose another of those tarts. The custard was a complex mix of citrus curd with summer savoury infused through it, tart and sweet and intriguing. He made a mental note to tell Jacques and Alys about them. But not about the petting comment.

“The only other warning we would give you is that once you take up this responsibility, there is no way to put it down,” she said, her attention still nominally on Horace.

“I understand,” said Alex, letting himself be serious again despite the sight of the Queen tickling his mechanical bird on its filigreed breast while it chirruped in delight.

Julian was smiling a bit goofily still, but he nodded. “That’s why we’re taking the full measure of time for our decision,” he said. “Thank you for agreeing to see us.”

“It is in our best interests that the Way be protected,” she said, looking up at him. “The two of you have done many good works since you moved in together, and we wanted to see for ourselves that you would do what was needful.”

Alex finished his second cup of tea, sensing that the conversation was at an end. “We will, ma’am.”

“We want to keep the Way safe,” said Julian.

She turned back to them, gently launching Horace into the air. The bird came to sit on Julian’s shoulder and preen his hair, a burst of pride coming through in his magic.

“I’ll be sending you another invitation once you’ve settled in,” she said, “and of course I’ll be there at your investiture.”

“What’s that like?” asked Alex before he could stop himself.

The look of dry amusement came back over her features. “I’m afraid that answer you will have to find out for yourselves.”

She stood, and they stood with her, bowing over her hand once again before she swept out of the room. Alex let out a huge breath as her Guardians followed, a servant coming over to pack up the basket while the maid who’d been serving the tea offered to box up some of the treats for them.

There was a little more business there, Julian wanting some tarts and everyone curious about Horace, but soon enough they were back out in the car with Jones, feeling drained and elated and a bit giddy.

“I can’t believe she cooed at our bird!” said Julian, collapsing against Alex in a fit of giggles.

“Horace is more charming than either of us, I guess,” said Alex, caught up in his contagious laughter. “Drive us home, Jones, and we’ll fill you in on the way.”

CHAPTER 25

In Which We Meet Our New Home, and Make It Ours

They took the flower back to the Way at Midsummer and provisionally accepted the Guardianship. It was agreed that the ceremony could wait until the house was ready. The summer was a whirlwind of preparations, short visits with Cody on both sides of the Source, construction, design, and life choices that slowly came together to build them a home out there in the woods. The Queen herself sent a request to the utility company for a magic-shielded solution to their phones losing signal, which also provided the house with internet. Julian and Alex paying for the work probably helped, but Alex was pretty sure they’d have been mired in red tape for months more if the palace hadn’t gently intervened.

Alex worked one more case, which turned out to be a truly bizarre accident rather than murder, and spent most of his time getting his basement workshop set up just the way he wanted. A whole host of friends from the Temple helped with the blessings and wards, and even the brownies joined in to add their own form of magic. Julian worked on planting in the grounds and conservatory, once all of the heavy equipment was gone, and one day in August they met with Zale Wilcox and Silvia Nab, now proper family friends after months of working with them.

Julian and Alex walked into the house to see it finally done, no more draped lumps or bare walls, the library mostly empty but beautiful as it stretched up into a two-storey foyer with a skylight. They’d chosen a warm, medium brown hickory wood that Nat had approved as excellent for patience, strength, and flexibility both physical and spiritual. There were comfortable, stylish chairs and loveseats in groups around the room, and a big stone fireplace on the kitchen wall. A spiral staircase led up into the living quarters above the kitchen, and on the other side glass doors opened into the blooming conservatory.

“It’s perfect,” said Alex, stepping in and turning around. Planters had been installed throughout the shelves, including one whole section that was greenery from floor to ceiling, only broken up by the tracks of the library ladder they’d chosen in lieu of a balcony level. More than a dozen people would still make the place feel crowded, but for smaller gatherings it would be perfect for their friends and family. There were also window seats here and there, natural light and cosy seating with reading lamps for after dark.

“Everything came together really well,” said Julian. He’d been more involved with the end stages, not just the plants but consulting with Silvia about paint colours and furniture choices while Alex stocked his lab and blithely ignored everything going on above him.

Alex had spent more time with Zale talking about where to place wards in the walls and what kind of reinforcement the house would need in case of magical accidents. The contractor even wanted to hire Alex on as a consultant for another job he was doing where the family wanted some complex warding to keep the kids out of the parents’ work spaces. Julian couldn’t do any work himself for Silvia yet, but she was already asking when he’d be a Journeyman and therefore available for hire.

They’d actually run slightly under budget, which Emmy and Phin had turned into their housewarming gift of a fully stocked kitchen and one of Julian’s favourite paintings from the house.

“This was really a dream job,” said Silvia. “Realistic budget, realistic clients, and a beautiful end result. I can’t wait to see how it looks once you’re fully moved in.”

“We promise to arrange the photo shoot with you,” said Julian.

A sleepy Horace came crawling out of Alex’s pocket, and he blinked and chirruped, then launched himself up to inspect the skylight, which had hanging plants around it for him to perch in.

“I can see someone approves,” said Zale, a smile in his voice.

“Horace is the final arbiter of all our life choices,” said Alex, but he was smiling as he did. “Anyway, we’ll start moving books and things out here soon, I’ve already made some distressingly large orders with several local bookstores for both reading and research materials.”

Julian had wandered over to the plant wall and was petting it softly. “We spread out the orders because Alex is a soft-hearted dork, and also some of his weird magic books we can only get from the place that thinks fiction is passé.”

“Anyway, this time of year they were all happy to assemble the big orders for us and let us pick them up when the house was ready,” said Alex.

“Especially since we paid a deposit on all of them,” added Julian. “Let’s look at the rest of the house.”

The kitchen was large enough for a big family meal, the heavy worktable doubling as a dining table with chairs that could be stacked in their own niche out of the way when not in use. Nat had helped with those as his housewarming gift, and Silvia and Zale had been happy to accommodate whatever the brownies wanted. They had their own space to one side of the kitchen, which got warmth from the fireplace wall and that was about all Alex knew about it. The humans had deliberately stepped back and made that the brownies’ own space; though it was within the wards, they had their own fairy door for guests and charms to allow them inside.

The stairs down to Alex’s lab were here as well, and a large and well-stocked pantry including a chest freezer, and Alys and Jacques had chosen the appliances together so everything was top of the line and well-suited for gourmet cooking. There were step-stools and fold-out cutting boards and other things to accommodate the brownies’ size, though mostly they got around that with magic and would continue to do so in the new place. There was already a window box outside each of the kitchen windows. One was planted with offshoots of Julian’s Courtship gift, while the other two were edible flowers and herbs for Alys.

“My lab looks a lot like the old one,” said Alex, leading them down to the brightly-lit basement. The walls were lined with shelves and drawers and other things. Windows were interspersed with the shelves at intervals, high up on the wall and well-warded both magically and with special glass. A reading nook in one corner held two comfortable chairs below a pair of windows, a few plants taking advantage of the sunlight and adding to the ambience. Long worktables took up a lot of the space, and Alex had built a somewhat larger isolation cupboard at one end of the room. There were special workspaces for his metal work and potions, two different work sinks, a little bar for tea and snacks, and a full bathroom including a shower for emergencies or laziness.

“This is a lot nicer than your old one,” said Julian. “You’ll keep most of your books upstairs, right?” he asked, poking at a shelf full of plastic bins of various stones.

“Except the grimoire case, yeah,” said Alex. “And that’s got special wards now.”

“All these built-ins were a great touch,” said Silvia, running her hand over one sturdy shelf.

Zale looked proud. “I convinced him it’d be more stable if we built to order instead of trying to find things the right size, especially with the windows.”

“It let me do some really fancy warding, too, which is completely brilliant,” said Alex, beaming. “I will spare you the details, because I’ve already spent hours talking about it with the people who are interested, don’t worry.”

They laughed at that and moved back upstairs, checking out the water closet hidden behind a bookcase by the spiral staircase before heading up it to see the living areas. Another bookcase door led into a hallway with the master suite on one side and smaller guest bedroom and bath on the other, situated up above the kitchen so it didn’t impinge on the library space.

The guest bedroom was done in warm cream and cool grey, with dark walnut furniture and light grey upholstery accented in cream. There were a few splashes of color with the art on the walls, but mostly the room was very cool and soothing, neutral to welcome all of their potential guests. There were of course plants, especially Julian’s signature hanging plants up in the bathroom where they’d managed a decent-sized tub and shower, if not as big as the one in the master suite.

The master suite was a riot of jewel tones with mahogany furniture. A patchwork quilt from one of Julian’s aunts was on the bed, made of velvets in green and gold, violet and blue, burgundy and teal. There were plants everywhere with blooms in dozens of shades, and the floor was covered in warm rugs that matched the quilt. There was another window seat, this one made by Nat to match the one in the flat, with bookshelves and a velvet-cushioned bench looking out over the window box and forest. Everything was cosy and full of personality, from Horace’s new perch to the mage-lights that would run off ambient magic if it was abundant enough.

“This is amazing,” said Alex, pulling Julian into a kiss. There wasn’t a fireplace, but the chimney-wall would be warm in winter, and they’d put in a lot of other tricks to turn magic into other kinds of power to keep them safe and comfortable. It wouldn’t run entirely off the Source, but the two of them were also quite magical and prone to releasing large bursts of power into the atmosphere around them.

“I’m glad you like it,” said Julian. “The bathroom’s a lot like ours, I mean, our other one,” he added, leading Alex there. It had a few extra luxuries, but they’d not had much more space so it really was about the same in terms of tub and shower size, though Julian had done some lovely things with frosted windows and yet more planters.

“I love it,” said Alex, kissing him. “I love all the plants, and all the furniture you chose, and the colours, and all of it. It’s going to be a wonderful home.”

Julian stole a few more kisses, then they went back out to find Zale and Silvia discussing the extra weatherproofing that had gone into making the various window seats comfortable as well as decorative.

“You guys are giving us all kinds of ideas for future projects,” said Zale with a grin.

“If only we can get other people to pay what it costs, anyway,” added Silvia wryly. “I trust you’ll call us if you need any more heirloom-quality cottages?”

They laughed and agreed that the two of them were on the top of their list, and then finished the tour with the final surprise that Zale and Silvia had concocted for the two of them—up a sneaky but sturdy ladder and through a trapdoor, there was an attic reading niche with inset shelves between cushioned panels, with an open ironwork skylight for the roof. Alex recognised the spells on it, similar to the ones that kept the window seats cosy, and he remembered noticing the iron when he’d done the wards, but he’d had no idea they were making them such a perfect little hideaway.

“You can’t really stand up,” said Zale, grinning from the nest of pillows and blankets, “but it’s perfect to laze about in and read or whatever, and it’s a different kind of panic room than your lab, in case someone makes it inside while you’re up here instead of down there.”

“It’s really, really perfect,” said Julian. “And now I see why you asked me for those extra plants.” There were seedlings in a few strategic spots where they wouldn’t interfere with reading or cuddling, everything geared toward comfort.

“I love it,” said Alex. “And now I’m going to spend a long time wondering where else I can get you to build me a fairytale cottage and how I can fund it, because wow.”

They shared laughter at his reaction, and promised to keep in touch beyond the housewarming party. Alex might not know a lot of people inclined to build or renovate, but Julian still had some friends among the sort of people who could afford their services, so they also took some business cards to give to any interested parties. Once the ladder was put up, the ceiling hatch vanished among the moulding that decorated the ceiling and provided a framework for the hanging plants, and it really would be invisible if you didn’t know it was there.

Once Zane and Sylvia had been shown out, Alex pulled Julian into another deep, needy kiss. “Thank you for taking most of the duties on this,” he said, looking around one more time. “It’s hard to believe we really live here.”

“Even after growing up in a proper mansion?” teased Julian. “But yeah, me, too.”

Alex kissed him again and then rubbed noses and asked, “So, is the bedroom ready for us to make it properly ours?”

Julian’s smile grew slyer and sexier. “Take me back up there and let’s find out.”

They kissed their way up the spiral staircase, finding it sturdy and built for easy navigation; the stairs were a good height so they didn’t trip while going up backwards, or forwards while very distracted. They were laughing as they stumbled into the bedroom, their clothing in a trail behind them as they fell onto the bed together. The coverlet was soft against their naked skin, the velvet like an extra caress as Alex got them arranged with Julian atop him and Julian’s lovely cock ripe for his mouth.

“Oh, yes, perfect,” said Julian, nuzzling at Alex’s erection. He rubbed his soft cheek over it, and then pressed kisses up the length, which pushed his lovely arse into Alex’s fondling hands.

“Really, really perfect,” said Alex, taking one of Julian’s balls into his mouth.

Julian mmmed and sucked at the head of Alex’s cock, mouth mobile and sure on the familiar contours of Alex’s body. Their bond flared to life and the pleasure redoubled, each feeding into the other in a shiver of magical glissandos. Alex let his mouth wander upward, taking in Julian’s cock and making the circuit even tighter, the feelings magnified as they gave each other the same pleasures of warm mouths and soft lips, wet suction and agile tongues.

Alex let himself fall into the rhythm of it, his movements instinct as much as intent, reacting both physically and magically to their crescendoing song. They spiralled upward together, reaching a climax on both planes and releasing their energy into the room, where the wards absorbed and rerouted it to power their new home.

“Feels like us now,” said Julian, draping himself shamelessly over Alex, head pillowed on Alex’s thigh.

Alex chuckled, giving one pert cheek a kiss. “It does, it’s got our love all through it,” he agreed. They’d put a lot of their personal magics into it during construction, but this was another kind of personal that would make the difference between a house and a home.

CHAPTER 26

In Which We Become Something New, and Our Story Comes to a Close

It took a few more weeks to get them moved in and throw a proper housewarming party, but eventually there were no more excuses and the day of the ceremony was at hand. The Queen had made good on her promise and had them out for another tea, which was no less nerve-racking for the familiarity. They met with Cody to go over the general requirements, and were given a scroll with instructions for how to prepare themselves.

They woke to Horace’s gentle trilling, a new song for a new day at an annoyingly early hour. The scroll sat on the hope chest at the foot of the bed, along with a floating tray of tea and food; the tea was made from water drawn at the pond and the cakes were made with ingredients off the land, which Nat and Alys had asked some of the local fairies to help gather. There had been wild grains to grind into flour, ripe fruits, berries, and herbs, and so the sticky cakes were actually quite good, dripping with honey and bursting with flavour.

“This is a good sign,” said Alex, licking honey off his fingers.

“It’s really tasty,” agreed Julian. The tea was a gift from Cody, and had a grassy, bright taste to it that went well with the rich, heavy cakes. “And filling.”

“Not that we won’t want more before the ceremony,” said Alex wryly; they’d be doing a lot of magic today, and they’d need their energy. Alys and Nat had handled this part of the preparations, so there were apparently quail eggs and a snared rabbit as well as some things sent over from the main house, though closer to the Source was better for this purpose.

They finished their treat and took a bath together in water brought from the pond by brownie magic and warmed by a simple spell from Alex. Then it was time to get into their silk ceremonial clothes and up to their attic reading nook for meditation and a bit of a cuddle, clearing their minds and contemplating the skies and the ring of trees they could see around their haven. They let their bond open up and slowly settled their thoughts until the music of their mutual magics was in harmony with the forest and the symphony of the Source.

They took that peace downstairs with them to where another meal was laid out in the conservatory among the plants, more ceremonial tea along with a salad of young greens with poached quail eggs, rabbit stew, rough bread from wild grains with butter from the St. Albans herd, and more cool water from the pond. With their senses so open, they could taste the land in each bite, Alex’s talent combining with Julian’s to let them feel the lives they were taking in, plant and animal alike, and send out some of their own energy in gratitude.

They were quiet through the meal, mostly communicating through the ebb and flow of their feelings and magic through the bond. They both felt more than heard when a new elf came with Cody through the Way and down the path at the same time James and Jacques drove up with Jones.

Julian and Alex finished the last few bites and sips and stood together, going out the conservatory door to meet everyone in the wildflower-dotted clearing that made up their lawn.

“Everything is ready,” said Cody, looking more dignified and inscrutable than he had since their first meeting. “This is Luigsegh. She’ll perform the ceremony.”

She bowed lightly, her pine green hair so long it brushed the grass as she did. Her skin was the golden brown of a newly-fallen acorn, glowing with health and vitality despite the richness of her magic which suggested great age to Alex’s senses. She was clothed in high-collared robes in many shades of brown, with a cloak of iridescent green feathers fanning out behind her.

They all exchanged greetings as appropriate. Alex and Julian received blessing-kisses gratefully, welcoming the familiar warmth of human magic among the rest. James and Jacques were already purified in whatever way they needed to be and kitted out in formal uniforms, just as the elves were ready for the ceremony. The six of them made their way down to the pond, where the brownies and elves together were keeping anything untoward from happening to the clothes and things waiting there.

They walked right into the freezing cold pond in their silks. Alex was glad of the connection to Julian so he could yelp internally if not out loud, and feel Julian’s equal displeasure at the temperature. They dunked under, and then Luigsegh showed off by hovering in the air above the water to bless them, legs crossed beneath her and trailing robes resting just above the surface of the pond.

“Blessed be these humans, who take upon them a sacred task. By oak and hawthorn and ash I bless thee, Julian and Alexander. I bless thee, grower and charmer. I bless thee, husband and husband.” She swiped fragrant oil on their foreheads in a rune, and Alex felt the foreign tingle of his blessing-magic all through himself and Julian and meeting in the bond between them.

“Thank you,” they said in unison. The elf floated back to shore and the two humans did not quite scramble out of the water, where James and Jacques were holding blessedly warm, dry towels.

“Thanks,” said Alex, stripping out of the wet silks and drying off, whistling a little tune to help them both warm up a little faster, which he’d been assured was allowed.

Julian dried off, too, and sent him a wave of gratitude for the spell. “That was so, so cold,” he complained. “I’m just glad it’s not winter.”

“You’re doomed to a life of cold pools,” teased Jacques, grabbing their clothes where they were hanging from a tree nearby. He held up the two hangers and let them both pluck off what they needed from underwear on up, everything chosen ahead of time and kept pristine by the brownies. Nat and Alys wouldn’t be coming to the ceremony, but as part of the family and household they were allowed to help with preparations since some magical assistance was expected for a mage powerful enough to take up the mantle of Guardianship.

“No hot shower after this one, either,” said Julian, though he couldn’t really even fake grumpiness now that the spell had them both warmed back up again.

Their clothes were a gift from the elves made of leather, silk, and velvet finer and softer than anything a human could produce, with embroidery so elaborate Alex had no idea how they’d gotten it done in time. There were beautiful velvet overtunics with open sleeves, the fronts held closed by intricately tooled leather belts, and soft silk undertunics that covered the blousy fit of the silk leggings. Their jewellery was their own, heirloom pieces from their family vaults that went with the antiquated style of the clothing. They had been provided with matching soft boots with magically protected soles as elegantly spelled as Alex’s beloved pair of shoes.

Alex’s clothing was entirely black and silver, and his embroidery was a dance of smoke and musical notes that never quite made a song. The closures on his tunic were beautiful beads shining with an inner sparkle. Julian had been dressed in shades of green with gold embroidery of leaves and acorns, berries and pods. Even the tunic closures were made of polished acorns that glowed honey-gold in the morning light. Together they made quite a pair, even if Alex felt a little silly in the archaic styles.

The six of them took a moment to resettle, the humans grounding themselves in the earth before leaving it, and the elves doing something to connect with the Source, at least to Alex’s curious ear. The ceremony would take place in the grove on the Summerlands side of the Way, but the promises made extended to both sides.

“We’re ready,” said Julian, back straight and his nervousness drowning under excitement. It was a big step for them, but they’d done everything they could to make sure it was a responsibility they could handle. Despite Alex’s best efforts, he’d been raised to the idea of stewardship of the land and country as much as Julian had, and it felt good to take on a duty of his own choosing, with his beloved partner at his side.

They lined up to cross the stones, which dried in their familiar welcoming way to allow them to walk single file, Cody in the lead and Jacques bringing up the rear. Once they got to the Way, James and Jacques both took up posts by the falls and nodded to Alex and Julian. “The Queen’s Guardians will be on the other side,” said James.

“We’ll stay here to Guard everyone’s backs,” said Jacques.

“Thank you,” said Cody, of all people, giving them a little bow. He was wearing something like a guard uniform of his own, though clearly made just for him in shades of blue and lavender to complement his colouring.

They bowed back, and then Cody led them through the Way, with Luigsegh bringing up the rear after Julian and Alex went hand-in-hand.

The other side of the Way was transformed. The actual trees were as before, but more benches had been brought out, and there were decorations in the branches. People, mostly fae, were scattered everywhere in colourful variety; fairies fluttered among the trees, elves conversed in groups, and other kinds of fae joined both. Everything was a riot of colour and magic, and Alex had to take a moment to resettle his senses at the unexpected barrage of information.

Julian helped him, steady and warm at his side and in his heart, and soon enough they were ready to be led through the crowd and to the gap in the hawthorn hedge where the Queens were waiting, talking and laughing together like old friends.

Queen Eleanor was wearing a dress that was obviously of elven make as well, floating layers of silk in every shade of blue that a sky could be, pale as mist down near the ground and dark as midnight at her shoulders, with small sparkles of something Alex thought was probably pixie dust rather than stones scattered throughout the weightless layers. Queen Titania was wearing pinks that went with the pale shell-pink of her skin, which was almost white in places and had a delicate shimmer to it that emphasised the otherworldly beauty of her features. They both wore elaborate crowns; Eleanor’s was one of the great treasures of their country, and Titania’s was made of what looked like pink crystal blossoms suspended in a web of the finest silver.

They turned as one to watch the group weave their way up, and the crowd suddenly parted and grew quiet, clearing the way and settling in for the ceremony itself.

Alex felt another flutter of nerves going through him, both his own and Julian’s. He hummed a calming song in his head to counter it, relying on their practice to get his feet into position as they formed up for the ceremony.

The Queens stepped apart, one on each side of the gap in the hedge, and Luigsegh took her place between them. Cody stood in front of her, on the left with his Queen, while Julian and Alex stood on the right with Queen Eleanor. There was a space between them all, the ground cleared of leaves and dirt. Alex squeezed Julian’s hand.

Luigsegh turned and walked three steps into the centre clearing, feet sure on the stones. She held out her hand and an ash pod dropped into it, and she bowed and thanked the tree, backing out without looking and only turning around once she was in place once again.

“The trees have chosen their Guardians, and a post long vacant will today be filled,” Luigsegh said; most of the ceremony would be in English for the benefit of the humans.

She cracked open the pod and scattered the seeds, none of which bounced outside the circle that had been cleared for them despite the long drop onto the hard stones. Alex let out the softest hum so he could hear Julian’s magic better, so he could feel Julian communing with the seeds and reading their future in them. They wouldn’t be allowed to take a photo this time, much to his disappointment, though he was assured that no one would forget the details of today’s casting.

“The portents are favourable,” said Luigsegh after a long moment pondering them.

Julian sent Alex a little burst of reassurance through their bond, communicating his agreement with her interpretation.

Luigsegh swept up the seeds into a pouch using a hawthorn branch just as Cody had earlier, getting every last one and hanging the pouch at her belt. Alex, Julian, and Cody all went to one knee, and the Queens stepped forward, hands extended to their respective subjects for kissing. Next they took turns; first Queen Eleanor extended her warm human hand to Cody, after which Titania offered her cool fingers for Julian and Alex to kiss.

They stepped back and Luigsegh stepped forward, saying a blessing in Elven and anointing each of their brows with mist collected earlier from the human waterfall, since no dew formed in the unchanging twilight of the Summerlands.

“Cuidightheach, do you renew your pledge to Guard the Grove of the Charmer’s Way and all that is precious therein, and now to partner with all the truth in your heart with these humans?” asked Luigsegh.

“I do so pledge,” said Cody, face serious and eyes shining with a surprising sincerity. Alex heard a chord being struck as the spell-vow was strengthened and altered.

“Julian and Alexander,” she continued, “do you pledge to Guard the Grove of the Charmer’s way and all that is precious therein, to the best of your ability and unto the end of your days, and to partner with all the truth in your heart with this elf?”

“I do so pledge,” they replied in unison, a burst of magic going with them in a strong chord that made a harmony with Cody’s magic, that wove into a bond not only with Cody and the Grove, but the Queens as well, their mutual pledges to protect their charges, Grove and people, land and magic, all resonating together in a bright burst of magic.

Alex’s senses whited out completely for a few heartbeats, though he was acutely aware of each of those, each one bringing him back first to his own body and then to his magic, to his Julian and that twin heartbeat always waiting for him. The Grove came last, Alex feeling his new connection to its magic before finally becoming grounded in the physical reality of them kneeling on the stone pathway. Cody was there, too, distant but tied to them through the Grove’s magic; Alex was very glad that he couldn’t hear the Queens any more clearly than before.

“Julian, Alexander, Cuidightheach, you are our Guardians. We rely on you to keep the Way and the Grove safe. So mote it be.” There was a chime of magic throughout the crowd, rippling through the two spheres as Luigsegh spoke the last word.

Just like that, the ceremony was over and the crowd went from an attentive audience back to festive partygoers. Tables appeared laden with food and drink, which they were assured that it was safe to partake of as Guardians of the Way. The Queens drifted away, her two familiar Guardians coming up to flank her, and Alex and Julian took a moment to stand up and get their bearings.

“It’s quite a shock to the system,” said Cody, rubbing the back of his neck. “I forgot how much.”

“It helps having Alex,” said Julian, looking up at him with a soft glow, “and the Grove, for me. I like the trees, especially the ash.”

“Julian is very grounding all by himself,” added Alex, “but it’s still a shock.”

“Too bad we don’t have some of Alys’ restorative tea,” said Julian.

Cody took the cue and led them over to the feast tables, recommending this and that while they all got a small draught for their burgeoning headaches.

They nibbled and loitered by one of the huge oak trees, guests coming to them in ones and groups to see about these new humans among them. Most of them had that same feeling of great age that Alex got off all the long-lived fae, so he knew they were merely diverting novelties to that sort, but a few were actually interested. Julian had a couple of conversations about plants and possible growing commissions, and Alex was approached by several people to see if he’d be carrying on the tradition and crafting charms and other artefacts for people on both sides of the Way.

“If you can get permission to meet with me, I’ll happily discuss commissions,” was both of their rote responses, after Cody made it clear that not everyone would be given leave to cross over.

“We don’t really get to decide that, though of course you can also meet people in the Summerlands if you wish to make the journey,” said Cody.

“Oh, I don’t think we could be away that long,” said Julian. “It’s already a strain, just coming for this whole party, but James and Jacques have a basket from Alys to keep them, and I think they said relief would show up if they were left too long.”

“We should see if the Queens need to speak with us and get going soon, though,” said Alex.

“We should let them lecture us,” said Cody with a huge sigh and a wink. “They’ll be holding court next to the Way now, so it’ll be easy to slip out once you’ve had your advice.”

“It’s probably good advice,” teased Julian, letting Cody lead them through the crowd and back to the Way. Titania and Eleanor were indeed taking audiences, each of them sitting in a conjured throne of mist and magic and flanked by guards, one on either side of the clearing.

They each went to their respective Queens and bowed. A hush descended around Alex and Julian as a privacy spell went up to wall them off from the rest of the party.

“How are you finding your new responsibilities?” asked Queen Eleanor, her face full of good humour.

Julian beamed. “The Grove really likes us, Your Majesty, and the party’s been interesting, but we’re ready to go home.”

“Time is passing in our world, after all,” said Alex. “Our Guardians must be fretting.”

“Arrangements were made,” said the Queen, “but we agree, it is time to be getting back. Your departure will allow me to depart as well.”

“We’ll go after we speak with Queen Titania, ma’am,” promised Alex, feeling the tug of fatigue beneath the heady rush of the Grove’s living power.

“Pay attention to that feeling of exhaustion beneath the artificial energy,” she said. “You need to have enough of your own reserves left, or the power may try to consume you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Alex and Julian together, serious enough that the moment passed without comment.

“Alex has been teaching me,” added Julian.

“Good,” she said with a nod. “You are dismissed.”

The privacy spell lifted, and they bowed again before trading places with Cody. Another, itchier spell descended as they bowed before Queen Titania, the elven magic slightly dissonant to Alex’s magical senses after everything else today.

“We are pleased that you have taken up the duties of Guardians of the Grove,” said Titania, looking cool and distant where Eleanor had been warm and human even when giving royal advice.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said Alex, and Julian nodded along. Alex could feel his energy flagging, too, now that he was paying attention. “The celebration has been delightful.”

“But it is time for you to go,” she said. She took a moment to examine them with senses both mundane and magical and then added, “Sow your doorway with what emerges when you shed this facade. You may go.”

They thanked her for the cryptic advice and finally made their way back through the Way and to their own world, waving tiredly at Cody.

James and Jacques were waiting, but evidence around them suggested they’d been relieved at least once during the long wait. “When is it?” asked Alex, finding himself wanting very much to lean on Jacques.

“It’s nearly been two days,” said James worriedly. “I’m glad we were here, though, we’re about due for another relief shift.”

“We can all go back to the house for a long nap,” said Julian tiredly. They accepted help over the rocks as the exertions hit them, and once they got to the cottage there was restorative tea and a hearty snack of Alys’ special mage-supporting food. Everyone fell into bed—James and Jacques more than happy to share the guest room, once their relief had been dismissed—and Alex pulled Julian close in the warm, softly-lit room.

“You’re bound to all sorts of things now, my love,” said Julian teasingly. “How’s it feel?”

Alex laughed and kissed him sweetly. “Better than ever.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Crook has made her living since the 90s with writing, art, and design. She lives in San Leandro, CA, with two cats, a roommate, and a pair of custom-made tentacle pillows. She loves tea, gin, and pumpkin spice chai, and has no shame about much of anything, really. She has collections of all sorts of things, including Halloween socks, unread books, and friends from all over the world.

You can find more about her, her artwork, and her cats online at antemortemarts.com. Or just google and try not to bother the nice professor with the same name. She is, however, the one on IMDB.

This is her fourth novel, and the third in the Consulting Magic series.