Chapter Twelve

 

 

 

Imelda Krenick counted down the minutes until she could return to the young warlock’s cell. She prowled the corridors of the office building owned by the Octis Coven under the cover of several shell companies registered in the Caymans. Multiple businesses controlled by Octis members operated out of the tower block in downtown Portland. If anyone ever remarked on the levels of security it was easy enough to cite the dangers of corporate espionage. There was some truth in it. The network of witches in North America was extensive and they were not all allies. Evrain’s blood would give her organization a significant advantage over its competitors for many years to come.

She was taking a risk allowing Evrain time alone with his partner but she would prefer to gain his cooperation without violence. If anyone could convince Evrain to donate his blood, it was Dominic Castine.

“It’s time, Imelda.” One of her assistants approached her.

“Indeed. I’ll go to the viewing room first.” She walked in the direction of the elevators. She wanted a few minutes to spy on the two young men. Their actions might give her a clue as to how to proceed—with carrot or stick.

Imelda stared at the monitor in the small dark office. She clenched her fists and felt her cheeks begin to heat. For a while she wasn’t prepared to accept the fact that the white room was empty. In an uncharacteristic display of temper, she slammed a fist against the table. She thrust her chair back, knocking it over. She twirled on a sharp stiletto heel then swept out of the door, trailed by her assistant.

She made her way to the basement in silence. People she passed didn’t make eye contact or attempt to speak to her. They knew better. When she reached the white room she examined every corner of the bleak space, her assistant shadowing her every move. Other than a couple of spots of blood on the floor, there were no clues. Imelda dipped a finger into one of the spots then tasted it. A few entirely unladylike words hissed from between her crimson painted lips. “This is Dominic’s blood. They didn’t escape. Someone took them. I’m going to flay Symeon Malus alive.” She tapped her foot impatiently. “Get me the video from the last hour,” she ordered her assistant. “We may not have been watching them, but we were certainly recording. I want to know everything they said, every word that passed between them. I want confirmation that Malus was involved. There’s no possible way he could have gotten both of them out of here without help. When I find out which treacherous bitch was involved, she will wish she hadn’t been born.”

Imelda returned to her office. She sat stiffly waiting while the video was retrieved and turned on. Fury filled her when she realized Dominic and Evrain had moved away from the camera’s field. Much of their conversation was inaudible. “They were whispering, damn it.” She could only make out one or two words and they didn’t help. She did see the door open, Symeon’s arrival and the subsequent exchange between Symeon and Evrain.

If she’d had a weapon to hand, Imelda would have destroyed the monitor. “I should have known that double-crossing bastard was not to be trusted. He’s an addict just like any other and not in control of his senses. He might come running back when he needs more of my potion but he’s had his last drop. He can kiss goodbye to any further cooperation from me no matter what he promises. I don’t intend to wait for something to happen either—we’re going to go after him. Vast amounts of time and money went into bringing Evrain Brookes here. I intend to have his blood one way or another. I won’t be thwarted by Symeon fucking Malus.”

Imelda squared her shoulders and pursed her lips. She could barely hold back her rage. She began snapping out orders and making plans. Her assistants made urgent phone calls and text messages were stabbed into phones as she gathered her resources. “They will all soon know that I am not to be trifled with.” The declaration was laced with venom.

 

* * * *

 

Dominic and Evrain made their descent to the sub-basement parking garage in the service elevator. Dominic really wanted to wipe the smirk from Symeon’s face. The man made gloating an art form. In contrast, Evrain’s expression was carefully blank, despite the fact that Symeon was gripping his arm hard enough to bruise and taking every opportunity to touch and grope. Dominic hadn’t gotten an opportunity to let him know that Damon was still on their side. He hoped that Damon’s presence meant that Nathaniel was also nearby.

There was a black van parked in the far corner of the garage behind a pillar and it was toward this that Damon pushed Dominic. Dominic pretended to stumble. Damon cursed and pressed his curved dagger’s wicked blade into Dominic’s throat, nicking his skin enough to allow small droplets of blood to trickle down his neck.

“Don’t fuck with me, Castine.”

Symeon was watching them both.

“I’m not! I stood on a piece of glass…”

Symeon turned his attention back to Evrain, ignoring him. “Sit on the floor, hands on your head. I’ll take a look,” Damon snapped.

Dominic sat, allowing Damon to inspect the sole of his foot. “We have to get that collar off Evrain,” Dominic whispered.

“You think I don’t know that? I have the key. I haven’t been able to get close enough.”

“I have an idea. Give me the key.”

Damon hauled him to his feet, using the move to press a small key into Dominic’s palm. He grasped it tightly then let Damon lead him toward the van.

Symeon was barely keeping Evrain under control despite his bound hands. He cuffed him hard around the head a couple of times but Evrain ignored the blows and continued to struggle. Dominic guessed he was trying to delay Symeon. Once they were in the van, Gregory and Nathaniel would have much less chance of tracking them down. It was good motivation to fight.

Dominic had a significant height advantage over Damon so with little thought for the damage that Damon’s blade might do to his neck he suddenly dropped, twisted and threw the smaller man over his shoulder. Damon’s grunt of pain as he hit the concrete floor of the garage made Dominic feel a little guilty but his bruised ass was in a good cause. The knife had been thrown loose from Damon’s grip. Dominic scrabbled on the floor to reach it, the rough concrete grazing his knees through the thin nylon overalls. He finally grabbed it. He turned one way then the other to see if Damon was coming after him. Damon was still on the floor, holding his wrist and groaning.

Symeon circled an arm around Evrain’s neck, pulling him away from the scuffle. Dominic held the knife up, mesmerized by the glint of the dim garage lighting on the blade. He wasn’t so distracted that he didn’t take note of Damon climbing unsteadily to his feet. He held the knife out in front of his body then backed toward Evrain.

“Deal with him, Damon,” Symeon snarled. “We don’t have time for this.”

Dominic braced himself. Damon charged toward him. They made contact, Damon driving him back like a footballer in tackle practice. Dominic let the momentum carry him. The two of them crashed into Evrain and Symeon and they all ended up on the ground. Dominic scrambled free first, trying to get a picture of who was where. He still had hold of the key but the knife was gone. Evrain had rolled toward the van. Symeon seemed stunned and was holding his head. Damon lay on the floor, moaning. The knife stuck out of his chest.

Dominic froze. He needed to free Evrain. Once the collar was gone and his hands were free, he would be able to use his power. Symeon would have no chance against him. He needed the knife.

Dominic knelt by Damon’s prone form, blocking him from Symeon’s view. “Jesus, Damon. What have you done to yourself?” He couldn’t see much blood.

“Stab vest. Nathaniel insisted,” Damon murmured, keeping his voice low. “Pull the knife out.”

“Fuck, you scared me!”

“Hurry up. Symeon won’t use his power, he’s drained and he hasn’t had any potion in twenty-four hours. This is your best chance.”

Dominic pulled the knife, which came free easily. Damon screamed and clutched at his chest. He was acting his heart out. Dominic stood, gripping the knife. He stared at Symeon, who was scrambling to his feet. Rather than rushing to his lover’s side, Symeon backed even further away, muttering an irritated curse. Dominic took steady paces toward Symeon who, as Damon had predicted, made no attempt to use his power. He had no other weapon that Dominic could see.

“Don’t hesitate, Dominic!” Evrain shouted the words even as Symeon made a grab for him. Symeon forced Evrain across the garage so he stood with his back to a wall with Evrain in front of him. Evrain twisted in Symeon’s grip, fighting hard.

Dominic was at a loss. This was stalemate and he had no idea what to do next. Symeon had a firm grip on Evrain and though the knife still glinted in his hand, Dominic couldn’t see a way of using it without hurting Evrain. Behind him Damon’s groans were getting louder.

“Symeon, help me.” Damon’s words were slurred and difficult to understand.

Dominic wondered if there was a sliver of compassion in Symeon’s psyche that he could appeal to. “He’s dying, Symeon. It sounds as if he’s bleeding to death and he’s going to drown in his own blood if you don’t help him.”

“Shut your mouth! Damon has never been anything more to me than a convenient piece of ass.” He focused his red glare on Dominic. “Now give me that knife, boy, then go and get in the van. Neither of you are going anywhere without me and if we don’t move soon Imelda will have people down here looking for us. I’m sure you don’t want that. I’m a far better option than that bitch.”

The knife in Dominic’s hand wavered for just a moment as he thought about the consequences of Imelda getting her hands on Evrain once more.

“What do I do?” he asked urgently, hoping that Evrain would have some kind of inspiration. Evrain’s beautiful green-gold eyes flashed but he could only shrug.

“I hate to say it, but we have no choice. We need to get out of this building. Give him the knife, Dominic, there’s nothing else you can do.” His words said one thing but his expression said something completely different. His eyes bored into Dominic, making his intent absolutely clear. Dominic gave a minute nod of his head to show that he understood and took a couple of steps toward them.

“Not so fast!” Symeon snapped out the words and gave a vicious yank to Evrain’s hair. “Throw the knife onto the floor, then turn around and walk slowly toward the van.” Dominic made sure his expression was perfect, part desperation, part frustration. He did as he was told and cringed at the metallic clatter of the knife hitting the floor. He avoided Evrain’s eyes and turned toward the van, praying that Evrain would not be hurt by what was going to happen next. Dominic kept walking, nudging Damon’s body with his foot as he passed. Damon gave a faint moan of acknowledgement.

Behind him he heard a sharp scream and whirled back to see Evrain twist violently from Symeon’s grip then throw himself forward on to the ground. Fingers slicked with blood grasped for the abandoned knife. He had launched himself forward with no thought for his bound hands or the fact that he was still shirtless, and as he rolled Dominic could see severe grazing up his arm and across a pale shoulder. His bare feet scrabbled for purchase as the knife skittered just out of reach.

Dominic turned and ran as fast as he could back toward them. Symeon had dived at Evrain’s legs and was clawing his way along his body, pinning him to the concrete floor. Dominic reached them in seconds. He grabbed a fistful of white hair then pulled. Symeon screamed but didn’t let go of Evrain, so Dominic yanked again and this time Symeon rolled away. Evrain still hadn’t managed to grasp the knife so Dominic picked it up. He sliced through the plastic binding connecting the cuffs around Evrain’s outstretched hands. He winced at the damage that was left beneath the ties, but Evrain looked up at him and grinned. Adrenaline flooding his system, Dominic grinned back. He displayed the small key in his hand. There was a key-shaped indentation on his palm where he’d been gripping it so tightly. Fumbling a bit in his haste, he unlocked the collar around Evrain’s neck. Evrain pulled it apart then threw it, Frisbee style, across the garage floor. He struggled to his knees.

“Start the van,” he urged. “Damon probably has the keys. I’ll deal with Symeon.” He scrambled toward the other warlock. A blast of power sent Symeon spinning toward the wall where he banged his head, slumping into unconsciousness.

Dominic searched around for Damon, who appeared next to him.

“I have the keys.” He jangled them. “Can we get out of here now?”

“What the…” Evrain stood. “I thought you were…I mean you had a knife sticking out of you. Didn’t you?”

“He’s with us,” Dominic said. “Sorry—didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

Keys in hand, Damon ran to the van, yanked open the door and started it.

By the wall, Symeon moaned.

“Fuck, he’s coming round.” Evrain gave Dominic a push. “Van. Now!”

Dominic ran to the vehicle. He jumped in next to Damon. Leaning from the open door he yelled, “Let’s go, Evrain!”

Out of the corner of his eye Dominic thought he saw a flash of flame and when Damon pulled forward he could see that Evrain was taking full advantage of access to his power. He wasn’t channeling—this was uncontrolled wild magic. His eyes were glowing, green as a cat’s, and his dark hair was blowing in a supernatural wind. Dust was flying around his ankles. As he brought his arms up he laughed when the pipes above his head burst and water came flooding down. Symeon cowered against the wall, his fingers flickering rapidly, but there was little he could do against such enormous power. In the end, half drowned by water, harassed by wind and dust, all he could do was cover his head and whimper.

Dominic hoped that Evrain had his abilities under control. Symeon must have been praying for his life. Evrain was frightening, standing amidst the elements, blood-streaked arms held aloft, his lips murmuring words of power as he threw water, wind and fire around the basement. Dominic understood his fury but he couldn’t let it continue. He scrambled out of the van and got as close as he dared. The wind buffeted him so hard he could barely remain upright.

“Cut the pyrotechnics and get in the damned van, Evrain!” He yelled in Evrain’s direction. For a few moments Dominic thought that he was going to be ignored, but Evrain stilled and his gaze flicked toward Dominic. He gave a slight nod. He lowered his arms and stared at Symeon’s pathetic figure huddled in the corner. Evrain took half a step toward him and Dominic wondered if things were going to get bloody. Evrain didn’t speak. He deliberately turned his back on Symeon—a calculated insult—then walked over to Dominic. Holding out his arms, he remained still until Dominic walked into his embrace, accepting a thorough, passionate kiss.

“We need to go.”

“Sure. Let’s get out of here,” Evrain agreed. “Imelda can deal with what’s left of Symeon.”

Dominic got back into the van, sliding across to sit next to Damon. Evrain climbed in next to him before slamming the door shut.

“Kissing? Really? You think we have time for that?” Damon snarked. He put the van in drive then headed for the exit ramp.

“For someone who was just supposedly stabbed, you’re remarkably talkative,” Evrain replied. “And opinionated. Brat.”

Dominic glanced from Evrain to Damon and back again. They were both grinning. He sighed. “Can we please just get out of here? I really don’t want to spend any more time in Imelda’s company and she can’t be far behind us.”

Damon drove toward the exit door but it didn’t open.

“Fuck. She’s locked down the building. Evrain—can you do something about it?”

“My pleasure.”

This time Dominic felt the discomfort as Evrain channeled his power. He gathered the air into a spinning whirlwind then threw it against the door. The metal panel blasted outward. Damon revved the engine then tore up the ramp. He skidded into the street and the van filled with the smell of burning rubber.

Emerging from the underground parking garage into the light of a sunny afternoon was blinding. Dominic blinked into the sun and tried to get his bearings, surrounded as they were by anonymous office blocks.

“You were right,” Evrain said. “We’re in Portland.”

“You didn’t know?” Damon asked.

“I was unconscious when I was brought here,” Evrain explained. “Dominic was drugged too. We made an educated guess.”

Damon glanced in the rear view mirror. “We don’t have a tail yet.” He took one hand off the wheel to grope in his pocket. He tossed a phone toward Dominic. “Can you call Nathaniel?”

“Sure.”

“There’s no password. His is the only number. It’s just a cheap burner phone he got me in case I ran into trouble. I wasn’t able to get word to him about the location of the building but he’s probably not far away.” He wended his way through the traffic and eventually found the route out of town.

Dominic handed the phone to Evrain. “Probably best you speak to Nathaniel. I’ll see if there’s anything in the back of the van that you can wear.” He scrambled over the seat into the rear cargo space.

Evrain dialed the single number in Damon’s directory.

“Nathaniel?” He put the loudspeaker on.

“Yes. Evrain, is that you? Where’s Damon?”

“He’s driving. He gave me his phone.”

“And Dominic? You’re all okay?”

“We’re all intact. Damon’s on the list for best actor at this year’s Oscars.”

“We’ll reconvene at your place. I’ll let Gregory and Coryn know. We need to employ some delaying tactics on Imelda and her cronies. That might get us some respite to plan our next move.”

“Don’t have too much fun.” Evrain hung up.

“What are they gonna do?” Damon asked.

“Cause some mayhem, I imagine.”

Dominic clambered into the front seat. “Here. I found an old workman’s jacket in the back.” He wrapped it around Evrain’s bare shoulders. It wasn’t that cold but Evrain was shivering. “Are you okay?” Dominic’s voice was edged with concern as he took in the black hollows beneath Evrain’s eyes and the blood streaking his hands and arms.

“I’ll survive. It’s all my fault we’re in this mess, so don’t waste your sympathy on me.”

Dominic gave an exasperated sigh. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s hardly your fault that a coven of psychotic witches and a junkie warlock are after your blood.” He giggled, a little hysterical. “That sounds insane.”

“I’m glad you can see the humorous side of this, Dominic.” Evrain glared at him through narrowed eyes. “We’ll see how funny you find it when I lock you up at Hornbeam and never let you out again.” He rested his head against the cracked red vinyl of his seat and closed his eyes. “And I haven’t forgotten your reference to my ‘pyrotechnics’ either. Cheeky brat. At the very least that merits a spanking.”

Damon gave a snort of laughter. Dominic’s face heated. He kept his eyes on the road. When he risked casting a nervous, sidelong look at Evrain he had fallen asleep. Dominic breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully by the time Evrain woke up he would have forgotten his threat.

“You’re in soooo much trouble,” Damon said, giggling.

“And when I tell Nathaniel how you risked your life for us, you will be too. I’ll bet that stab vest was for protection only. I doubt Nathaniel sanctioned you actually taking a knife in the chest.”

“Um, there’s no need to mention all the details, is there?” Damon made puppy eyes. “My butt doesn’t need decoration.” He shivered. “Though it might not be all bad.”

“Way too much information, Damon. Just drive.”

“Spoilsport.”

“What are you, three?”

“We’re the same age aren’t we, or close enough?”

“Birth certificate says one thing, your mouth says another.”

“Hey, we’re bickering. That means we must be friends.”

“God help me.” Dominic wished Evrain was awake.

The rest of the drive home was uneventful. Dominic controlled his tiredness and let Evrain sleep. Every now and again he cast a sideways glance at the dark head wedged against the van window, eyelids flickering as Evrain dreamed. There were smudges on his face and the faint marks of developing bruises around his neck where Symeon had held him and presumably where the collar had been tight against his flesh. The filthy workman’s jacket hung open to expose part of his smooth chest, which was rising and falling gently. Dominic brushed at the warm salt tears that welled in the corners of his eyes. Evrain looked so vulnerable and Dominic hated that he had been hurt. He thumped one hand against his seat, beating out the rhythm of his frustration in time to the low rumbling of the van’s engine. To his relief, Damon kept his mouth firmly closed.

The light was beginning to fade by the time Damon parked the van at the end of the lane leading to Hornbeam Cottage. He switched off the ignition with a sigh—of what appeared to be—relief, turning to press his forehead against the glass next to him.

“The others aren’t back yet.” He squinted into the trees. “I can’t see anything suspicious but then I probably wouldn’t.”

“Symeon wasn’t in any condition to come after us by the time Evrain had finished with him,” Dominic said. “If Gregory and Nathaniel are dealing with Imelda then we have some time.”

Evrain began to stir. Dominic placed a reassuring hand on his thigh.

“We’re home. How do you feel?”

Green-gold eyes flickered open and regarded him with piercing scrutiny.

“I feel like taking you over my knee and spanking the disobedience out of you. That’s how I feel. In fact I’ve been dreaming about it.”

Dominic stared at him. Heat built in his cheeks and his cock jerked. “You really are an ungrateful bastard, aren’t you?”

“If things are going to get stormy, I’m out of here.” Damon almost fell out of the van in his hurry to escape.

Dominic gave Evrain a glare he didn’t mean then followed Damon. He slammed the door behind him then leaned against the side of the van. Seconds later, Evrain joined him. He had discarded the borrowed jacket and was bare-chested. The wounds on his arms and around his wrists looked stark against his pale skin and his midnight hair was in wild disarray. He braced one arm each side of Dominic’s shoulders and leaned toward him.

“Do you want me to be grateful that you put yourself at risk? Grateful that you suffered so much pain for me? Grateful that I was such a fucking idiot that I put us both in danger?”

Dominic hardly heard the words. He was too busy trying not to drool at the sight of the muscles flexing in Evrain’s arms and chest. He made an effort and focused. “Was that your attempt at an apology? You need to rethink your…” Dominic’s protests were cut off as his lips were crushed by a forceful kiss. An insistent tongue pushed its way into his mouth, probing deeply, until he thought he would run out of breath. Evrain encircled his wrist with long slender fingers then tugged him away from the van and down the path to the cottage.

Intent on his destination, Evrain didn’t speak again. Even with his feet bare, he moved quickly and Dominic found himself half-running to avoid falling. He felt strange—half scared, half excited, his cock now swollen so much it rubbed against his overalls. Evrain was so intense, no doubt driven by a basic need to re-establish his dominance, but surely he wouldn’t follow through with his threat.

The cottage was empty. Shadow was nowhere to be seen and there was no sign of Gregory, Coryn or any indication that unwelcome intruders had gotten past the wards. The pots and pans used to brew the agrimony solution sat on the draining board, bringing back painful memories.

“Evrain, stop!” Dominic resisted his pulling. “We have company, remember.”

Damon, who had tailed them through the door, wiggled his fingers in a small wave. “Don’t stop on my account. Really. I’m kinda enjoying the show.”

“Can I fry him? Please, can I?” Evrain wiggled his fingers.

“No!” Dominic and Damon spoke at the same time, though Damon’s ‘no’ was more of a yelp while Dominic’s was a reprimand.

“Fuck.” Evrain threw himself into the armchair next to the fireplace. It was already laid. He gestured toward the logs, which burst into flame.

Dominic dropped to his knees next to him. “The others will be back soon. I want to be with you too—more than you could possibly know—but later, when we’re alone and we have time to enjoy each other. Okay?”

“Okay.” Evrain pouted but his lips twitched into a smile. “Sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

“No, I’m not. We could shove Damon outside and lock the door?”

“He just helped save your ass, Evrain. Be nice.”

“I’m not very good at nice.”

“Why don’t you take a shower then put some proper clothes on? Much as I like having you sitting around half naked, you’re filthy. Damon and I will see what we can pull together for a meal of sorts.”

“You need to shower and change too,” Evrain wheedled. “You could come join me.”

“I could, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s an excellent idea, but I’ll let you off this once. I’m starving.” Evrain hauled himself from his seat, fatigue apparent in his obvious effort. “That spanking is only on hold until later.” He sauntered toward the stairs, casting a knowing glance back over his shoulder.

Dominic got to his feet, groaning at his aching muscles. Damon was perched on the edge of the kitchen table, swinging his legs.

“You really have your hands full with him, don’t you?” Damon grinned. “Warlocks are all so dommy.”

“Evrain isn’t cruel like Symeon though.” Dominic felt the need to defend his lover.

“No one, warlock or not, is as bad as Symeon. Nathaniel is totally different.”

“You really like him, don’t you?”

Damon nodded. “He’s given me a proper contract. He hasn’t fucked me even though I wish he would.” Damon sounded wistful.

“He’s giving you time. It’s not that long since you were with Symeon. It will take you a while to get over what that bastard did to you.”

“True. But I kinda feel that I need Nathaniel to give me better memories.”

“Then tell him,” Dominic said.

“Maybe.” Damon hopped off the table. “Now, what are we going to cook? Do you two even keep groceries in the house?”

“Of course we do.” Dominic rolled his eyes. “There are a couple tubs of stew in the freezer. We can put them in a big pot on the stove. I know how to make herb dumplings.”

“You do?” Damon licked his lips with a slurping sound. “I might just have to move in here.”

“Evrain would roast you within a week.” Dominic retrieved the storage boxes of stew from the freezer then emptied them into a big pan. He gathered the ingredients for the dumplings.

“Can I help?” Damon bounced on his toes. “I need to do something, I’m still a bit hyper.”

Dominic laughed. “Can you rub butter into flour?”

“Sure can.”

Dominic roughly measured out the ingredients. “If you do that I’ll pick some fresh parsley from the garden.” He padded to the door where he pulled on an old pair of boots. He couldn’t wait to get out of the scratchy overalls which were all he wore, but he could put up with the ridiculous outfit for a while longer. He opened the door and almost fell as a rocket-powered ball of black fur barreled into his legs. “Hey, Shadow. Where have you been?” He scooped the cat into his arms. Purring vibrated through his chest. “Happy to see me, huh?” He cuddled Shadow, absorbing her warmth. “Evrain’s back. He’s upstairs.” Shadow squirmed until he let her down. She immediately shot toward the stairs.

“Easy to see where the fur ball’s loyalties lie,” Damon called.

“No comment.” Dominic stomped outside to find herbs.

In the garden he automatically checked around. He hated feeling so vulnerable even behind the cottage wards. There was no sign of anyone beyond the garden boundary from what he could see and things felt…normal. The birds were singing. A light breeze rustled the trees. He relaxed a little but didn’t waste any time gathering the herbs he needed. He was returning to the cottage when he heard voices and laughter coming down the path. He recognized Gregory’s smooth tones and Coryn’s chuckle. He waited next to the door for them all to arrive.

“That’s an interesting outfit, Dominic,” Gregory said. “And why are you outside?”

Dominic waved his bunch of herbs in response.

“Where’s Damon?” Nathaniel seemed on edge.

“Damon’s safe inside helping with dinner. Evrain is upstairs getting changed. Even Shadow’s back safe and sound.”

“Then why don’t we all go inside?” That was Felix, bringing up the rear, a broad grin on his face.

Dominic led the way, feeling more than a bit self-conscious in his overalls. He put the herbs on the table but couldn’t give Damon any more instruction because he had flung himself into Nathaniel’s arms. Coryn put his arm around Dominic’s shoulders.

“Well done.”

“We were lucky. Damon helped a lot.”

“We’ll save all our stories for later when we’re all here, otherwise we’ll be repeating ourselves. There’s a lot to discuss.”

Evrain appeared at the bottom of the stairs. His hair appeared even darker than usual because it was still damp. His skin was pale, making the bruises on his skin stand out. Gregory went to him, grasped his shoulders then pulled him into a hug.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I brought it on myself,” Evrain murmured.

“No. You were careless, but things would have come to a head eventually. Don’t beat yourself up.”

Coryn patted Dominic’s back. “Why don’t you go and freshen up? Damon and I can finish off here, then the food should be ready by the time you’re done.”

“That would be great, thanks, Coryn.” Dominic crossed the room. His fingers brushed Evrain’s as he passed. Fire flashed in Evrain’s eyes, holding a promise for later. Dominic was grateful to escape to the bathroom for a few minutes of solitude.

After a rapid clean-up and fresh clothes, Dominic felt a whole lot better. He was tired but eager to hear what had happened to the others. He did take the time to dry his hair before re-joining his friends around the kitchen table. To his surprise, Shadow was ensconced on Damon’s lap, purring with significant decibels. Damon was stroking her and giggling.

“Just a few minutes for the dumplings to cook, then we can eat,” Coryn relayed from his position next to the stove. “There’s a mug of coffee for you on the table, Dominic.”

Dominic took the free seat next to Evrain. “So, can we expect Imelda to come knocking any time soon?”

“Not likely,” Nathaniel said. “Seems there was a small earthquake in Portland today. There’s a significant crevice in the road outside her building. She won’t be going anywhere for a while. I would imagine the foundations will have to be checked too. Her sad little potions won’t be able to deal with that.” He gave Gregory a conspiratorial wink.

“It got rather squally too.” Gregory grinned. “High winds took out all the communications equipment on the roof of that building and quite a few others.”

“You two had some fun then?” Dominic chuckled.

“We did. Felix did good work identifying the locations of all Octis-owned buildings,” Gregory said. “Then we used our strengths to best effect.”

“Won’t the authorities be wondering about all these weird natural phenomena occurring at the same time?” Dominic asked.

“I’m sure they will. It’s always a pleasure to give the scientific community something to puzzle over for a while. In the meantime, Imelda Krenick will be far too busy to chase after us for a while.”

“What about Symeon?” Evrain asked. “I left him alive. Well, sort of. He was a blubbering mess by the time we left.”

“Who knows?” Gregory shrugged. “None of us saw him so we can only assume Imelda got him. If he did manage to get away from her, it will take him some time to recover, especially if he’s cut off from Octis’ potion.”

Dominic wasn’t happy with the idea that Symeon might still be on the loose but he was too tired to care that much.

“Let’s eat.” Coryn distributed plates of stew and aromatic dumplings. Even Shadow got a small dish on the floor, which she wasted no time in abandoning Damon in favor of. “Then Gregory can bring Evrain up to speed with everything that happened after he was captured. Evrain can tell us all about what happened to him and Damon can recount his day with Symeon.”

“Sounds like a recipe for indigestion to me,” Felix commented. “Food first. Talk later.”

Nobody protested and the sounds of contented munching filled the room.