“Humor me.”Celeste’s voice was soft now.Softer than Theo deserved.
Theo closed his eyes to focus on his breathing, and when a single tear ran down his cheek, it irritated him to no end, and he hastily wiped it away.“What’s a Fae, Celeste?”
She had an electric kettle in one corner of her kitchen and was fiddling with a flowery teapot, spooning loose leaves into the pot’s strainer.
“They’re known for going after humans and abducting them to Faerie, which is their realm.I understand it has to do with magical planes of existence, but how that works, I have no idea.”
Theo tore his eyes away from the door.“So they aren’t interested in vampires?”
Celeste was setting up three saucers and three cups, just as flowery as the pot, and arranging sugar and cream as well.It was like when kids were having a tea party, and just as surreal.
“Not that I’m aware.Theo, sit.Peter wouldn’t want you to get all worked up.It’s going to upset him.”
If anything I do upsets him, he can damn well come here and tell me himself.He can yell at me and force-feed me toast with the crusts cut off, and he can make me wear warm clothes and eat three square meals a day, but he’ll damn well have to do it himself.
Theo took a shallow breath.“I’m not worked up.”But because he actually was worked up and didn’t want to admit it, he sat down and focused on the rattling kettle.“I just want to go there and make sure he’s all right.”
“I know.”Celeste’s voice had gone even softer.“But what if he’s done with whatever he’s doing and is on his way here?Don’t you think it’s better to wait where he can find you?”
She had that sensible tone now, and Theo wanted to nod along with her, except, of course, she’d trained him well.He pressed his lips together before saying, “Celeste, are you working me?”
“That depends.Do you need to be worked or are you ready to be reasonable?Carl, be a dear, get the toffees.”
“Toffees?!”Theo’s voice came out as an almost scream while Carl, calm as you please, went over and got a tin from high up in one of Celeste’s cabinets.
Celeste gave him a hard look.“I haven’t had time to bake since yesterday, and the coffee cake takes too long to defrost.So yes, toffees.”
“Fuck you,” Theo said, feeling the regret come in right on the heels of those words.The tears too.Then the shivers.“I want Peter.Something’s wrong, and you’re not telling me.”
She nodded.“Yes.Because you can’t make it right.I don’t know what the situation is exactly, but I called for help.Theo, you’re human, and I’m human.There are things we can do and things we can’t do, and sometimes we’re doing the best we can when we stay on the sidelines, do you understand?”
Theo snorted.“Like when he wrapped me in a blanket to protect me from attacking birds?They clawed out his eye, Celeste.His fucking eye.”
Celeste gave him a surprised look, and Carl glanced up, startled, from where he was trying to position the toffee tin in the center of the kitchen island without getting in anyone’s way.
“Peter wrapped you up in a blanket?”Celeste asked.
Theo wiped his face.He was too worried to be embarrassed.“Yeah.And then he got fuckinghurtand needed my blood.Can you just tell me what a Fae is, please?”
Carl glanced at her.
Celeste nodded.“I can tell you what I know.”
Theo glanced at the door, which immediately caught Carl’s attention.He moved around the counter as if he was preparing to block Theo’s exit again.I should’ve never taken that Uber.I should’ve…I should’ve called Peter.
A small epiphany came over him, the bright certainty that it would have been better to call Peter and get him there while Theo waited for him in a bathroom stall, to be next to Peter and be in a position to help him, if only by offering his neck.Like a compass finding north, Theo promised himself that Peter was going to be his first call going forward, no matter what.
As it was, he’d either have to come up with an idea of how to sneak out from under the noses of two highly competent werewolves and an even more competent Celeste, or… Theo wasn’t sure.
I can at least learn what I can while I can.
Theo took the same chair he’d sat in yesterday with Corvin and pulled a teacup over to him.“Please.”He bit his lip.“And sorry for…you know.Cussing you out.”
Celeste smiled as she poured the water from the kettle into the pot to let the leaves steep.“I appreciate that, but there’s nothing to feel sorry for.”She sighed.“Fae are bad news.I’m glad you came here, Theo.”
Chapter 13
Peterdidn’tfeeltheFae following him, but he saw the students taking out their phones to document this strange little procession.Ah, the citizen reporters of tomorrow.Small blessings.Theodore will be able to watch the videos if it comes to the point that he has reason to retrace my steps.
