Peter smiled.“Hold on to my left arm.I need the right.”
There was a whispering of metal as Peter drew his sword.It sounded a lot like it did in movies, but this was different.Theo had seen the swords at Laurette’s, but he hadn’t paid all that much attention.Right now, it looked too sharp, too dangerous.He clung to Peter’s arm.
He was about to ask—beg him to stay, but luckily, reason caught up with him.What am I even doing?We’re here for Corvin and Mike, and I can have my fucking moment some other time.I don’t want this.I never wanted this.I never want to feel like this ever again.
“Can you compel me?”Theo’s fingers dug into Peter’s arm.He was pretty sure he knew the answer.He knew Peter.But he had to ask.
Peter leaned in and kissed him on the forehead.It was barely a proper kiss, just cool lips against his skin, but Peter was so careful about it.Seemed as if he couldn’t be fazed by anything and was in control of the situation.Maybe he was.
“No, dearest.There’s no reason.You’re fine.Just hold on to me and watch your step.You have to look nowhere but where you put your feet if that helps.”
There came another yelp from the Fae, and when Theo looked up, he saw Gertrude hogtying him.Tears were streaming from the Fae’s eyes, and someone had gagged him with a paisley scarf.Nothing about seeing him like that stirred Theo’s cold pool of memories now.
Cloudtree just stood by, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth.Laurette, his curved sword drawn, headed toward a doorway in front of which Carl stood, hackles raised and teeth bared.
Cloudtree looked from where Gertrude was tying a few final knots to Theo.He shot Theo a smile that didn’t at all resemble the confidence with which he’d first spoken.
“Mayhap…I can…” His Adam’s apple bobbed.“Wait here.While your bloodsucker…loverdoes what needs doing.I would… If you wish to wait with me?”
“No need.”Peter took Theo’s hand.
Theo, though, let go.Peter’s grip was sure and comforting, but there was something in Cloudtree’s ridiculously purple eyes that he recognized as a reflection of something he’d seen in himself, just before he’d come to New Elvenswood.When he’d decided to leave and never come back, when he’d decided to start fresh and use all his camboy skills to turn them into a new career at Celeste’s.He hadn’t had Peter then.He’d only had himself, and he’d been lucky that Celeste had opened her doors to him.
“You know, I’m good waiting here.”
Peter looked at him, his brows raised.“Theodore—”
“You don’t have to ‘Theodore’ me.I’m good.I guess that one swings better with two hands.”He pointed at the sword.“Just don’t get hurt and get Corvin and Mike out, okay?”
Theo turned when Gertrude poked the handle of a hammer into his stomach.“Take this.We won’t be too long, but if this one moves—” She kicked Cloudtree’s stepbrother in the side.“You use the hammer on him.Just a light tap will do.If that’s not good enough, poke him a little with the screwdriver I gave you.”
The bound Fae’s eyes went wide and venomous.Theo took the hammer.The screwdriver was in his bag, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to poke anyone with that, wasn’t sure he had the stomach for that.
“Light tap.Can do.Okay.”
The hammer wasn’t that heavy, and he definitely could use it on the Fae who was looking up at him as if he were imagining all the things he wanted to do to him instead.Then those eyes went to Cloudtree, who actually flinched.Theo tested the weighty head of the hammer against his palm, and the Fae took the hint and looked away.
Peter cupped his cheek.He tried looking into Theo’s eyes, almost as if he were going to compel him after all, but, of course, he didn’t.
“I’ll only be a moment, beloved.”
Those words were almost worse than compulsion.There was a warm comfort to Peter’s voice, and Theo wanted to hold on to that, wanted to close his eyes and have Peter tell him over and over that everything was fine.He pushed that desire aside.
“I know.You’re going to tear off someone’s head.”
Peter smiled and raised the blade of his sword.“I can cut it off this time around.”
“Th-this time?”Cloudtree said.
Peter pulled Theo close, but instead of kissing him, he pressed his forehead against Theo’s.
Theo huffed.“Weird Viking thing, huh?”
Peter chuckled.It was a dark noise, something altogether grounding.“Not a Viking, Theodore.”
And off he went, following Laurette, who was stepping through the doorway after Carl with a weapon raised but somehow managing to look as if he’d been rolling his eyes for a while now.Gertrude brought up the rear, a hammer in either hand.
What came after all the commotion once they’d gone deeper into the house was an awkward silence.Theo shoved his hand into his pocket while letting the hammer dangle from the other.He tried not to look at Miel, who’d gotten a black eye at some point either during the struggle or while being hogtied.The bruised color of it was really setting in now—still red, but darkening—and Theo was pretty sure that position hurt a lot, especially after a hammer to the knee.
