The door didn’t slam behind them.It just wasn’t, anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Declan
Declan’sskinitched.Antoniowas an ocean away with Mara, and in the past forty-eight hours, they’d barely touched.Only a brief clasp of hands and an even briefer embrace.Bloody terrible, their new arrangement.Declan’s fault, for pushing for Antonio to keep the garage and not making noise when the man worked late or had to be there early.He slept there more nights than he didn’t.
At least this time, their parting wasn’t for Declan to go make nice with the Council.It was time for Hyacinth and a pub.
Stars, but Declan had missed Belfast.
He dropped in from time to time, just to look around or when Eithne wanted company in her ventures, but he hadn’t taken time to frequent a proper pub.Not since he had all but lived there, traipsing about with his mad lads, as they’d called themselves.Harmless creatures, the lot of them, except in all the ways they weren’t.
Dangerous, back then, to be different.Dangerous, period.
The only good thing that’d come from that mess was that Declan hadn’t faded, not even after the ridiculous bastards all died.And, he supposed, that it had inspired him to go to the States, where he’d met Hyacinth and Wyte and, for a time, that was the escape Belfast had once been.
He didn’t fail to note the irony.
Nearly three decades since his last run about with Hyacinth–New York, tripping out of his skin and not having the wherewithal to explain what happened–and there they were, at one of the few places Declan had banged about with both of his groups.
Hyacinth was waiting upstairs, the whole of it reserved for them.Typical Hyacinth.Drinks already ordered and situated there with the aforementioned man.
“Florian won’t eat him,” Declan assured, as Lysander, Talia’s Gate friend, departed with the wisp.
“Wasn’t worried.”Hyacinth smiled lazily as Declan dropped into the seat across from him.“Think we’re down one, though.”
“Aye, well, we can call it a practice run.Antonio had something pop up with his niece,” Declan said, leaning back in his chair.“Hopefully you’ll not be too bored with just me about.”
“I’m sure you’ll manage to be entertaining.Your bond’ll make it next time.”
Most fae enjoyed asking questions.Open-ended things, loophole riddled and evasive.Hyacinth made statements.Offers.Questionedthings sometimes, if he wanted information, but rarely any of the ‘how am I to know’ many–Declan included–fell back on.
They all had their survival mechanisms.
Itdidmake Hyacinth ridiculously fun.Interesting.
Interesting enough that Declan wouldn’t have time to think about how each time he went somewhere with Antonio–meeting or party–the human retreated a little more.
“He will,” Declan agreed.A simple promise to keep.He just wouldn’t go about with Hyacinth until Antonio could come along with him.However long it might take.“He’s a man of his word, for better or ill.And I’ve assured him you’re the very worst sidhe I know.”
“Good.Someone took my place, I’d have to have them killed,” Hyacinth said, considering Declan over his tumbler.“Hear that you’ve been shaking all the right hands.”
Declan scoffed, tracing a finger over the rim of his own glass.His blunt, human nails, so recently unfamiliar to him with Antonio.Two weeks on the Council, and they were the old new normal.No reason to have his glamour down.No hands reached for his wings or traced his marks.
“Handshaking?Perish the thought.They’d have to touch me.”
Hyacinth’s easy smile twisted into a disdainful sneer.Snake fast, he reached for Declan, long fingers curling around a corpse-pale wrist.He kept his hand there, skin to skin, pointedly, for a long beat, his eyes on Declan.
“Useless fucking cowards.Little death never hurt anyone,” Hyacinth said, voice sharpened to a razor’s edge.And then he let go as if it’d never happened.“Sounds like a little unsavory company would do you both some good.”
For a moment, Declan was left studying his own wrist and the dark grains of the wood beneath.He’d forgotten, almost, how Hyacinth could be.How grateful he was for the sidhe’s pointed rejection of fae norms.
“Yes.A little unsavory company on this side of the veil would be especially well received.”
“You tell me when, and I’ll take care of the rest.Bring Orrim and the crew, even, make it a real good time.Been too long since you and I had a proper party.”
Ah.Yes.It had been.Almost thirty years.Not long for most fae, but Hyacinth was in his first century of life.The longer fae lived, the less time meant.
