The Apprenticeship of Julian St. Albans (28 page)

Alys
hmphed, but more chairs found their way into the crowded living room, and Jones
and Geoff emerged just as trays started floating out as well. “I still
need to check up on Julian,” said Geoff, taking a chair next to him.

Julian
extricated a hand from his blankets, figuring he’d need it again soon anyway,
and put it in Geoff’s. He felt Geoff’s now-familiar warm energy feed into his
depleted body, and was unsurprised when the diagnosis was, “Clean, but
quite drained. It’s all well and good to help rescue yourself, but you shouldn’t
be taking a page from Alex’s book and killing yourself doing it.”

Julian
giggled when Alex replied, “I’m hardly dead.”

“Good,”
said Jones, “Because that bruise potion is wonderful, and you’re about
out.”

Alex
huffed. “I’m not going to refill it tonight, but there might be another
bottle somewhere.”

“I
can make him up a poultice if need be,” said Alys’ voice, and a tray
floated up to Jones with a good, hearty meal on it.

“We
need to figure out who’s doing this,” said Lapointe, shoving Alex’s feet
off the couch so she could sit there.

Alex
huffed and sat up, wrapped in blankets and grinning at her. “I suppose I
ought to earn my fee,” he said, giving a big yawn before settling a tray
more comfortably in front of him. “I just can’t figure out what they’re
after.”

“We
ruined their seeds,” said Julian, digging into his food. Alys had made a
couple of shepherd’s pies, and the lamb was as delicious in them as it had been
the other night as chops. There were bowls of soup and crisp salads of summer
greens along with the pie, cold water scented with mint and lemon, and more
tea. “Maybe they need someone really talented to make up for it?”

“Well,
we ruined the planting,” said Lapointe. “The seeds are still fine,
though they’re well out of reach.”

“Right,
they’d be in stasis in evidence,” said Alex, between spoonfuls of the rich
bean soup.

“Not
out of reach of everyone,” said Jacques pointedly.

“Well,
yes, but Armistead’s hardly likely to have turned to a life of crime,”
said Alex.

Julian
sipped his tea, and then asked the question he could see on both Guardians’
faces. “What about the new lady, Ms. Eberly?”

“You
think she transferred into the city to start murdering people?” said
Lapointe, though it wasn’t nearly as mocking as it could be. Her name had come
up once in the case already outside of her official capacity. “That seems
like a very long-term plan for a couple of seeds.”

“It’s
not the seeds,” said Julian. “It’s where she plants them. There’s
something, somewhere she wants bound to her, maybe some property or the people
on it.”

“Or
the magic on it,” said Alex. “Duckworth’s confession about the magic
source on your lands would have gone into evidence, and that sort of thing gets
around once it’s out there.”

“That
would explain why they’re so eager to get their hooks in you,” said
Jacques. “And maybe why they started in the nursery.”

“That
site’s really old, though,” said Lapointe. “Our research shows it’s
been some sort of nursery or greenhouse for centuries.”

“Like
the Temple, that’s always been a growing Temple,” said James. They were
all eating while they talked, passing around the basket of herbed bread that
had appeared in the middle of the table, but most of their attention was on the
conversation.

“We
don’t know it’s her, though,” said Thomas. “She’s really nice when
she’s not around Fischer.”

“Fischer
makes everyone a little more horrible,” said Julian, making a face.
“But even if it is her, she’s got at least one more person working with
her, that man Jack.”

“Two
people, two seeds,” said Alex.

Jacques
sighed. “Partner magic can be very strong, but it didn’t feel like
partners the way we’re partners.”

“There’s
other ways for that, though,” said Julian. “I mean, Alex and I are
partners, but not like the two of you, and he’s definitely making me
stronger.”

“You
make him stronger, too,” said Geoff. “And yes, that’s an official
diagnosis, it seems to be at least part of the spiking. I’ve been paying more
attention to the way you interacts with everything.” Geoff looked sheepish
and sympathetic. “Sorry, I know I said it wasn’t you, but it kinda is you.”

“So
I give him energy, too? Not just plants and Horace?” asked Julian. Upon
hearing his name, Horace climbed his way out of Julian’s pocket to sit on a
shoulder.

Geoff
laughed. “Has he been hiding in there with you the whole time?”

“Yeah,
he got in my pocket for the trip upstairs and never bothered to come out,”
said Julian. “You’re feeling okay, though, right?” he asked the
little bird, reaching up to stroke the metal breast.

Horace
chirped and gave Julian’s finger a playful tug with his beak. He hopped down
and flew over to Alex, and then tugged on his hair and gave another little
chirp. Alex whistled back, then smiled quite fondly. “Horace says he was
protecting your heart.”

“He
did a good job,” said Julian, smiling just as sappily at the construct.
Horace had become so much more complex and alive since Julian first met him,
and he was proud to think he might have had something to do with that.
“So, you’ll check out Ms. Eberly?”

“We’ll
have to be discreet,” said Lapointe, “but I’ll call my boss and talk
to him. She’d have been tested for any magical talent during training, but she
could be like you and have come into her powers late.”

“Julian’s
really coming into a powerful magical talent,” said Geoff. “I think
he’ll end up being quite a unique mage, not just a Grower.”

“As
if being a Master Grower is a just,” said Julian, sticking his tongue out.
“No more than being a Healer.”

“Point,”
said Geoff sheepishly. “I meant, you know, that I think you’re developing
something more than just a rapport with plants.”

“Yeah,
I think so, too,” said Julian. “But I don’t want to anticipate
what’ll happen with me next. I’d hate to get arrogant like
some
mages.
Then I might go around alienating everyone who worked with me.”

Alex
laughed. “You don’t know anyone like that,” he teased right back.

“Alex
isn’t so bad now that he’s got you,” said MacLean. “I thought he was
going to hand me my head on a platter a few times, though.”

They
let the subject change to funny stories, first of Alex’s bad temper, then of
other people and experiences, though Julian knew that every one of them was
thinking of their murderer and what he, she or they would do next.

CHAPTER 16

“What
if the timing was about the people?” said Alex idly, curled around Julian
after their bath and post-bath lovemaking. He drew little designs on Julian’s
shoulder with his finger, then kissed them away. “Not significant in the
grand scheme of things, but to the individuals involved?”

“Like
somebody’s birthday or when Venus was in their third house or whatever?”
said Julian sleepily. He knew Alex’s mind liked to work at times like this,
when his body was relaxed and sated, so he didn’t bother to protest that he
wanted to sleep. Alex would keep thinking whether or not Julian paid him
attention.

“Just
like that, yes,” said Alex. “Or significant to the history of the two
sites, maybe. I’ll have to look wider tomorrow.”

Julian
yawned hugely, then twisted around for kisses. “Tomorrow we have to get
checked out, if they’ll let us leave the house.”

“Or
if we can get the doctor here,” said Alex, yawn echoing Julian’s.
“All right, sleep.”

“Good
boy,” teased Julian, shifting back to their warm, comfortable spooning. At
least here he was confident they were safe, within the double shell of Alex’s
wards with their Guardians outside. The Agents had all left, but Jones was
safely ensconced on the couch, with the Guardians taking to their pallets in
shifts and Alys grumbling good-naturedly about the extra work. Julian let
himself relax and drift, thinking of nothing but Alex’s arms around him.

He
was almost asleep when there was a sharp knock at the door.

“There’s
been another murder, and we’re confining you to the apartment,” said James
through the door. “We’ve left a message with Dr. Chesterfield’s
service.”

“Oh,
no,” said Julian sadly. “Who was it?”

James
opened the door, but stayed where he was otherwise. “From the description,
they think it might be your mystery customer, Jack,” he said. “Lapointe
will be by tomorrow with a photo.”

“What
seed did they find?” asked Alex shrewdly, shifting to make sure they were
both covered.

“They
believe it’s a small packet of witch grass seeds,” said James.
“Lapointe is having them sent to a different evidence location under the
excuse that we need to positively identify them.”

“Smart,”
said Julian. He sighed. “Do you need us to get up?”

“No,”
said James firmly. “You need to rest, but I wanted to give you the news.
Will you need anything to help you sleep?”

“A
cup of tea might be nice,” said Alex. “Alys makes me a nice camomile
mint sometimes.”

“I’d
like that, too,” said Julian. Horace chirped from his perch on the
headboard and Julian chuckled. “You can’t have tea, but you’ll keep watch
over us while we sleep.”

“Come
here, Horace, you can supervise the tea-making and I’ll give you a little
energy,” said James.

Julian
beamed in the dim room. “Thank you,” he said, chuckling when James
showed off by lifting his hand at the last possible moment for Horace to land.

“You’re
both welcome,” said James, rubbing his cheek against Horace’s head before
moving him from hand to shoulder. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Julian
snuggled deeper into the covers, though it was just a light blanket and sheet
in deference to the late August weather. He wasn’t too cold tonight, not after
the bath and their post-bath activities, but knowing that someone out there was
murdering people for something he had gave him a chill.
 

Alex
pressed a kiss to his shoulder, and then the side of his head. “We’ll be
safe, love,” said Alex, and it sounded more like a wish than a certainty.

“We
made wishes today,” said Julian. “Even Horace got one, we made
friends with the wish tree at the Temple.”

“Of
course you did,” said Alex fondly. “I bet it really liked you.”

Julian
flushed with pleasure at the warmth in Alex’s tone. “It liked me because I
listened to it. Plants like to tell their stories just as much as people, and
the wish tree is old and knows lots of stories.” He twisted around for another
kiss. “I think you’d like it, if you could listen.”

“I
might be able to, we’ll visit next time we’re allowed out,” said Alex,
kissing his hair. “Maybe we can make it some special fertilising potion,
you’ve been wanting me to work on one for you anyway.”

“Only
in your spare time, of which you have none at the moment,” said Julian
with a chuckle.

“You’ll
both have free time again someday soon,” said James, coming in with two
steaming cups and a cheerful bird.
 

Horace
fluttered down to the bed and hopped over for attention, and Julian stroked his
head, feeling him flush with energy from James and Jacques both. “Are you
bribing my bird to report to you?” said Julian teasingly.

“It’s
not a bribe,” prevaricated James.

“It
totally is,” said Alex, sitting up to accept one of the cups of tea.
“Hand us the pyjamas there?”

James
set the other cup down and brought over the two folded sets of pyjamas they’d
set out for later. “It’ll help him alert us if something’s wrong, that’s
all,” said James. “I’m going to go, but I’m leaving the door cracked
now that you’re done.”

Julian
chuckled. “Thank you for respecting our privacy earlier,” said
Julian, still hiding in the blankets.
 

Alex
tucked Julian’s clothes into the warm space between them and pulled on his own
shirt. “We’ll close it if we’re inspired to need more alone time,”
teased Alex. “How’s Jones?”

“We
told him the news, and he left a message with Victor that he’s trapped here.
MacLean moved his car into your spot so your building manager would shut up; they
got caught up with the work team downstairs and are off to the crime scene
now.”

“Long
night for them,” said Julian with a sigh, shifting around to start getting
into his pyjamas. “Get some rest yourselves, okay?”

“I
plan to,” said James. “We all need it, and Alex’s wards are
strong.”

“I’ve
got my flute by the bed,” assured Alex, rustling around as he dressed.

Julian
sat up to button his shirt properly, then snagged his tea. “Thanks,”
he said, taking a sip. “Mmm, that’s perfect.”

“Sweet
dreams,” said James, ruffling Julian’s hair before he left, door open just
enough for easy access for human, brownie or bird.

“So
if your wards don’t really need the doors to be closed,” asked Julian,
settling into Alex now that they were both clothed, “what are they
anchored on?”

“I
use the building supports, the underlying structure that would make the ceiling
or floor collapse if you got rid of them,” said Alex.
 

“Oh,
that’s clever,” said Julian. “Did you do that at the nursery,
too?”

“Of
course,” said Alex. “And there I used the ground itself, as well, and
made connections to the deep earth.”

“I’ll
have to practice feeling around for your wards,” said Julian. He took a
sip of tea and then said, “I want to get better at feeling magic,
especially if I’m feeding into it.”

“I
think that’s why your amulet gave that mugger such a zap,” said Alex.
“You’d been wearing it a long time, and adding your own power to the magic
I put into it.”

“That’s
comforting, actually,” said Julian. “It means that whatever you give
me to protect myself, I can help it work better.”

“You
helped today, giving James and Jacques your power so the three of us could free
Jones,” reminded Alex.

Julian
smiled and snugged him. “I did, didn’t I? I almost gave too much,
though.” A yawn caught him, and then Alex followed, and they both
chuckled. “Tea’s working.”

“Let’s
finish it and sleep,” said Alex, downing the rest of his. Julian followed
suit, and they snuggled up again, getting elbows and knees sorted out until
they were in a warm cocoon of comfort once again. “You know I love
you,” whispered Alex, breath warm against Julian’s ear.

“I
feel it,” said Julian, pulling Alex’s hand up to kiss the palm. “I
love you, too.”

“I
hear it,” said Alex, kissing Julian’s ear. “It’s become my favourite
melody in all the world.”

Julian
purred and gave him a squeeze. “I love my plants and Horace, but I always
feel best when I’m in your arms,” said Julian. “Now go to sleep or
I’ll make James dose you.”

Alex
chuckled and slowly relaxed, and soon enough Julian followed suit and slept.