"The cops will want to interview everyone, of course," said Alex, "but I won't be the one dealing with it. I only did the ones in the room because people's memories get all muddled as time passes." He resolutely ate a giant bite of sausage, making Lucas snort a laugh.
"What will you do now?" he asked.
Alex chewed and swallowed pointedly before answering. "We'll go through the drawing room and see if it can be released for use. I want to say yes, but I can already hear Lapointe yelling at me."
"It's fine, we have the den and library," said Lucas dismissively. "I'd rather keep it locked, anyway, we can put some black bunting on the door handles out of respect or something."
"That's a pretty good solution," said Julian.
Alex finished off his tea and stood to get more, since it was his turn. "You're a good host, Lucas."
Lucas' face said that he wasn't so sure.
Given the murder, Alex supposed that was fair.
Chapter 17
Julian followed in Alex's wake as they went into the dark drawing room, lights flickering on and then steadying as the room's spells registered their presence. Everything was as people had left it, drinks cold on the table and furniture slightly moved from its original groupings. Darbyshire-Smyth's glass was in its container on the bar under Alex's magic, even more wards than the body given the lethal nature of its contents.
There were a few discreet plants in the room but nothing big, and Julian went to coo at them while Alex started up a hummed note and began to examine the room.
Julian hummed with him, piggybacking, hearing all the melodies that meshed or clashed from the house, the furniture, someone's lost earring under a chair. That they retrieved, Alex using gloves, and Alex set up a tiny witchlight to tag the spot they'd found it. It was nothing special, and might have even been there since before the party; they'd have to ask Lucas about guests missing earrings.
Alex put it in a baggie and set it on the bar next to the other evidence, then shrugged and came over for a kiss. "I can't sense any other magic, so the delivery mechanism is definitely not in here. I know the sound of the snake by now, so I'll be keeping an ear open if I hear it again."
Julian nodded. "Let's close this up and go pet some cats. It's been a long morning already."
Alex chuckled. "It really has," he said, leading Julian to the door. He whistled a somewhat familiar tune, and Julian felt as much as heard as a light preservation charm settled over the whole room. It wasn't anything as strong as the one on the body or the poisoned drink, but it would keep teacups from moulding before they could be examined.
There was a maid waiting outside with the black bunting, the familiar Alice of yesterday.
"Thanks for waiting," said Alex, stepping back to let her drape it attractively. "We should be done with this room and saving it for the police now."
"Is there going to be luncheon, or should we beg for food now?" asked Julian, making big, piteous eyes at her.
Alice laughed. "There's going to be a lunch, m'lord. I'll make sure our two magic men get extra."
"Thanks, Alice. I'll tell Chudleigh you've done us right," said Julian.
She beamed and bobbed a fraction of a curtsey and left them to themselves, for now.
"We forgot to ask when lunch is," said Alex, staring off into the middle distance.
"Someone will tell us," said Julian, leading him to the stairs and up to their room where there were cats to snuggle. "Things are too disrupted for it to be any other way."
"That's fair," said Alex, letting them into the room. There was no sign of the kittens until they peeked into the basket, getting sleepy-grumpy meows of protest until they closed it.
Julian chuckled. "No kittens for us," he said, taking off his jacket before flopping onto the bed. "Necking?"
Alex laughed and shed his own jacket, then curled his whole long body around Julian. "Cuddling."
"And necking," said Julian, turning so they could kiss as well as snuggle.
Alex twined their legs together and pulled him even closer. "Deal," he said, and then kissed him as sweetly as any pastry.
Julian sighed and leaned into him more, opening their bond more fully as he did. They weren't raising power so much as sharing it in every kiss, one after another, each with a tiny shiver of magic.
Alex felt his body revving up, not too high, just enough to feel the tingle of it on his skin, the anticipation down to his toes.
