Geoff managed an exit without being caught up, thankfully, and Julian stepped up beside Alex for support and said, "If he hadn't had someone in his rooms for a drink, Camellia would still be alive."
"Go to your rooms," said Alex again. "Read. Play phone games. Call your therapists. I don't actually care what you do, as long as you do it in your rooms."
They all made faces but split off to go to their rooms. Evidently Periwig and Salmon were bunking together, which made sense in this modern age, while Halliwell was in the same area of the hallway as the other singles. Her door closed with a petulant little slam, not enough to be rude but enough to make her point.
Alex was unimpressed.
"How stupid do you have to be to have a drink with a suspected poisoner?" said Alex, shaking his head.
"Well, since they're all women, I bet sex was involved," said Geoff. "Men do all kinds of stupid things if they think they'll get some."
"Ugh, gross," said Julian, making a face. "I do remember those men, from before Alex. Even when I was with Cecil, a certain sort of man thought he could horn in and get me in bed."
"Ugh," echoed both Alex and Geoff.
Alex made a face. "I haven't had too much of that, but then again, I was never exactly a sweet, pliant little thing."
Julian and Geoff both cracked up, and they started moving down the hall toward their own rooms.
Geoff nudged Julian's shoulder. "You two should take your own advice. I'm going to go to Chudleigh's rooms and get someone to bring me a giant cup of chamomile and pretend it's actually time to sleep."
"There's still so much time before then," said Julian with a sigh. "Let's hope no one else gets themselves killed."
"So mote it be," said Geoff seriously.
Alex unlocked the door and they tiredly waved goodbye to him, falling back onto the bed carefully, as it had become populated with cats in their absence.
"Who knows," said Alex, getting them situated around and under the kittens, who refused to move to accommodate them. "Maybe we'll get a quiet night in with regular food deliveries, and be feeling restored in the morning."
"I wish," said Julian. He'd ended up on his back at an angle, not quite able to reach the pillows. He put an arm under his head and used the other to pet Cinnamon, who was snuggling pointedly into his side.
Sage was stretching out between them, little paws on each of their bodies as if claiming them both for herself. Nightshade shamelessly climbed onto Alex, who was lucky enough to be up by the pillows, after having forced him to eel his way up there between herself and Sage.
Just to make sure their hands were busy, Horace came flying over and landed on Julian, chirruping until he freed his other hand to pet him.
"You are all spoiled," said Alex fondly, kissing Nightshade's head. "We love you dearly, you know, and we'd be devastated if anything happened to you."
They sent back something like pride to the sentiment, a sense that they knew they were awesome and of course their humans thought so, too.
Alex chuckled and turned to look at Julian again. "I'm glad no one poisoned you, you know."
"I'm glad, too," said Julian wryly. "It looked quite miserable, between the fainting and the rest."
"It was quite miserable, but at least short-lived. I'm kind of achy and tired, still, especially my head, but I don't think it's worth another potion just yet." He sighed again, turning to stare at the ceiling. "I feel like the answer is right around some corner I can't find."
"There's such a small group of suspects," said Julian, "but I can't think of why any well-to-do lady would stoop to poisoning Lucas' guests."
"I was always crap at motive," said Alex, making a face. "People are harder than runes and magic."
"That's why you had Lapointe," Julian pointed out quite sensibly. "She'll be here soon enough."
"I don't know," said Alex with a sigh. "This entire evening feels like one ominous opportunity for more tragedy."
"Pet your cats, you dramatic brat," said Julian with a soft laugh. "It's only dreadful if you bother to dread it."
Alex laughed at that and felt himself starting to relax. "Maybe two dozen nobles will actually obey for once and stay in their rooms until morning?"
"Miracles could happen," replied Julian, sending him the warm feeling of a soft, encouraging kiss through their bond. They were both too trapped by the cats to actually kiss, but it was close enough.
