The bread pudding was studded with wine-poached pears and brandy-soaked raisins, spiced to perfection and so rich it was almost savoury. The ice cream was a cool, simple vanilla thatwent beautifully with the warm pudding and the tale-telling both.
"And so we finally got cut loose after that, since she'd given herself away," said Julian, just as he finished the last bite.
"I'm not sure I can bill for it, given that I didn't accomplish much more than irritating a bunch of nobles," said Alex with a chuckle.
"I'm just happy you survived it at all," said Julian, giving him a poke. "You didn't see yourself all pale and barely breathing with the belladonna."
Alex kissed his hair and snuggled him close, both of their trays floating away again and leaving them empty-handed this time.
"So," said James, reaching into his pocket and producing a deck with a grin. "Cards?"
Chapter 32
Monday morning dawned bright and early, and Alex was very glad they'd slept in their own bed finally. There was a part of him that never quite relaxed until he was home in his own wards, with Julian in his arms. The extra security of their two Guardian friends on site just deepened the feeling.
They got ready for their day in much dressed-down fashion, Alex in his usual tie-less suit and Julian in a collared shirt under another of his warm sweaters with matching slacks. They arrived downstairs to find breakfast all laid out on the table under the skylight along with another surprise guest — Cody had arrived at some point this morning and was going to join them for the meal and a debrief.
"I hear you had some troubles," said Cody as they came and sat, Alex checking the pot to see if the tea was brewed yet.
"It's not," said Alys, and the lid snapped itself shut.
"Sorry," said Alex, yawning. "There was a poisoner, it was stupid."
"He's not wrong," said Julian. "She was all mad about these tiny social slights and worked herself up about it enough for murder."
"Well," said James, coming down the stairs ahead of Jacques, "I always did say nobles are all barmy."
"She was an extra special barmy," said Julian, wrinkling his nose. "Do we have to tell the story all over again?"
"No, no," said Cody, waving them off. "I want to hear about Alex's belladonna premonition, though."
"I'm not sure how much of a premonition it was," said Alex, but he told Cody all the details he could remember, trusting their fellow Guardian to help him figure out if there was any meaning he needed to tease loose.
"So in the end," he said, yawning again as the tea poured itself, "I'm choosing to believe that this weird dependence on the Source to replenish us will even out in a few years and let us travel more than an hour away."
"That does seem where the portents lie," said Cody. "Nothing in our divinations suggested you two would become house-bound, either."
"Until then, patience and short trips," said Jacques. "We're off today to visit the Agency, but just for a day trip."
"I promised Lapointe a debrief today if she let us go early yesterday," explained Alex.
"No wonder you didn't want to tell the full tale," said Cody with a laugh. "Well, eventually it will become a fun dinner story, when it's less of a tedium to tell it."
"Give us a month or two, sure," agreed Julian.
The food, as if to remind them it was there, began serving itself. Rashers of bacon and toast with eggs kept perfectly runny, orange juice and fried tomatoes and mushrooms, a hearty meal for men going off away once again. They'd need the energy if their magic was going to be as exhausting as it had been at Chudleigh's. Although they'd be closer to the Queen's Way in the city, it was far better warded than the Source and tended not to leak enough to borrow from unless one was up close.
Alex dug in like he was still starving, sighing happily at the tastes of salty bacon and rich egg yolk, buttery toast and earthy mushrooms. The orange juice was fresh-squeezed and tasted a little bit like sunshine, somehow, which made something inside Alex stretch happily to be fed so well. He concentrated entirely on the meal until several cups of tea and at least two plates full were distant memories and sat back with a second glass of juice to watch as Julian ate no less intently but a bit more mannered than Alex had been.
"All right, what else has brought you out?" asked Alex, looking over to where Cody was eating just as hungrily.
"I was bored," said Cody with a pout. "I wanted to do a lesson, but I can tell you're going out today."
"It's true, we can't today, but we're doing one tomorrow if you can time it. Should we send Horace through for you?" asked Alex. Lessons were always more fun, or at least less rote, when Cody came along to show them new things.
"Oh, I could manage that," said Cody, perking up again. "Training you two is almost always considered a good excuse."
"Learning about Alex's weird vision probably counts, too," said Julian.
