“He told you to stay here,” Carl said in a calm, reasonable voice that Theo wanted to be mad at.Except, he couldn’t muster that.Something was wrong, and Theo was starting to feel budding tremors break out all over his skin.
He looked at Carl.“Something’s wrong.Do you think—”
Theo thought it through.Peter should have been at work, but he’d spontaneously dropped by the university before.He knew Theo’s schedule well enough to risk that, even on a busy Tuesday.The easiest way to find out where Peter was was by calling Mike.
For a terrifying moment, Theo couldn’t remember whether he had Mike’s number, and he thought he’d have to call Corvin first, but then he remembered he’d saved it, he’d just never used it.He went through his sparse contact list and called.
While it rang, Theo paced in front of the kitchen island, his bag trying to slide off his shoulder.“Come on, come on, pick up.”
“Hi, Theo.What’s up?”
Theo’s mouth was dry, and he squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on talking.
“Is Peter there?At the office?Is he at the office with you right now?”
A pause.“He said he was heading out for a lunch break.I thought he’d go meet up with you?Theo, what’s wrong?”
“I… Thanks.I’ll call you back.Sorry.”He hung up, let his hand with the phone in it drop loosely to his side, and looked at Carl.“He’s not at work.He went to see me.I was… I left that strange guy there.He’s not dangerous, right?That guy?The Fae?Fae aren’t dangerous, are they?I mean, not for someone like Peter.Right?”
Theo wanted—needed—Carl and Kira to tell him no and mean it.But he’d seen their reaction when they’d sniffed him.He’d seen Celeste’s reaction.And he’d fucking heard Peter’s voice, and Peter wasn’t ever afraid of anything, nor had he ever used that kind of commanding tone with Theo.He wouldn’t do that without a damn good reason.
Carl cleared his throat.“It’s probably best if you take a seat and wait for Mr.Collins.He’ll be upset if you get worked up.Over nothing.”
It was almost believable, but out of the corner of his eye, Theo saw Kira nod, and he knew that they were lying to him.He could feel it in his gut, feel that something wasn’t right.
“I can’t do that.I have to go.”
He hoisted his bag up on his shoulder and made for the door, but found Kira blocking his path.
“Theo,” she said, pushing him back when he didn’t stop.
“Let me go.”
A sharp knot of tension and terror wound around Theo’s chest, and when he tried to shake Kira off and couldn’t, it only got worse.Then Carl was there, shoulder to shoulder with his sister, and they were a wall in front of him, not restraining him, but not letting him pass either.
“It’s best to wait for Mr.Collins.He wants you to be safe,” Carl said, and Theoloathedthat he sounded so reasonable and self-assured.
“Let me go… Let me go!”Theo hadn’t meant to scream, but it just happened.He needed to get to Peter.“We have a contract.Let me go!”
The door behind Kira and Carl opened, and Celeste stormed in, shoving past them and looking like someone had insulted her collection of riding crops.“What’s this?Calm the fuck down.”
Theo did, shocked by the tone of Celeste’s voice.She didn’t curse much, normally, and it jolted him that she did now.
“That’s better.What happened?”
“P-Peter called.”Theo felt his lip trembling.“He told me to stay here.But something’s wrong.He’s not at work.They said he went to get lunch with me.”
Celeste closed the door behind her.“Theo, you need to stay here so he knows you’re safe.He can’t worry about you, not when he’s dealing with a Fae.”
“What’s a Fae?”Theo heard his voice break on the question.He felt pathetic.
“I’m making you tea.”Celeste went into her kitchen, half an eye on her phone while she texted, half an eye on Theo.She’d changed into a wide, silky dress in dark purple that tied at her waist with a black sash.The gloves were gone, but she was still in the heels.Carl and Kira relaxed, clearly more than happy to let Celeste take the lead.“Kira, can you wait for Lord Laurette to arrive and then bring him straight up here?”
“Yup, will do.”Kira turned to the door, then glanced back.“Peter Collins is one of the fiercest fighters I know,” she said, looking at Theo as if that was supposed to make him feel any better.She gave him a nod, then went back downstairs.
Theo just stared, not sure what to do with that.
“I don’t want tea.”Theo could hear himself.Tense.Petulant.He had to focus on his right hand in order to not clutch his phone too tightly and break it.
