by Rebecca Hall
Nikola’s smile vanished. “No. She’s still unhappy about Fluffball and…”
Mitch sighed, Amelie had spent most of the last few days on campus ‘studying’ or hanging out with her friends from her classes. When she was at home she kept the door firmly closed and in their shared classes Mitch often arrived to find her already surrounded by other people or sat next to her only for her to remain stubbornly silent.
“It’s not really much of a birthday present is it?” Nikola asked. “Hey Amelie, I’m leaving. Well once I get the last couple of signatures.” Almost everything else could be done online but Nikola actually had to go and visit his professors with a piece of dead tree to drop out.
“Maybe tell her tomorrow,” Mitch said, eyeing the muffins. The cookie had been good but muffins were better.
Nikola sighed and handed him one. “Maybe she’ll be happy, she won’t have to worry about me stealing you away.”
“You don’t have to steal me,” Mitch said around a mouthful of muffin. Nikola glared at him and he hastily swallowed before continuing. “You’re my best friend, no one can take me away from you.”
“I’m taking him away to Faerie,” Gawain said. Mitch jumped, he hadn’t heard the door opening, and turned to face Gawain. He held two full shopping bags, his hair plastered to his skull by the rain and water dripping off his coat.
“Did you get everything?” Nikola asked.
“Yes,” Gawain replied, setting the bags on the table before stripping off his coat. “No wonder you keep getting sick.” He shook his head.
“At least the rain is vertical today,” Mitch said.
“That shouldn’t be a relevant consideration,” Gawain replied. He hung his coat over the back of the chair and the three of them unpacked the groceries and put them away. Mitch might not know how to cook or bake or mix any of it but he did know where Nikola kept everything. In a couple of days it wouldn’t even matter.
“I’m going to miss you,” Mitch said, pausing to seize Nikola in a hug. It would be easy to believe that Nikola was better, that he could stay, but Nikola was exhausted and as soon as Gawain left he would get sick again.
“You’ll visit won’t you?” Nikola asked in a small voice.
“I already said I would,” Mitch reminded him, giving him a final squeeze before letting go. “I’ll even write to you every day.” It would mean additional visits to the Netherworld to post the letters but he could live with that. The Seelie Court did have a proper mailing address but the Nethermail was faster than the post office.
“I’ll write back,” Nikola said, “Now let me finish cooking, I promised Amelie all her favourites this morning. She actually smiled at me.”
Mitch smiled at him as well and went to get his books while Gawain was pressed into service in the kitchen.
By the time Amelie arrived the three of them were playing cards, the table was set for what looked like a feast and there was a small pile of presents awaiting her.
“Hi,” she waved at them on her way to her room to change, not batting an eye at Gawain’s presence. He must have arrived before she left in the morning. Mitch blinked and looked at Nikola who seemed just as surprised, she’d sounded a lot chirpier than they’d expected.
“Dinner is almost ready,” Nikola said when she emerged a few minutes later. Mitch frowned at her coat and scarf, they’d had the heating on all day. She was wearing her boots as well
“I’m going out,” Amelie said, ignoring Fluffball dancing around her feet.
“What?” Mitch asked. Nikola’s eyes were filled with tears while Gawain looked angry.
“I made plans with my friends,” Amelie said. “You didn’t really expect me to stay home on my birthday did you?”
We did, Mitch thought. And you could have told us that you made plans. Before he could get the words out she was gone. Maybe they hadn’t made any concrete plans but he’d kind of assumed that she’d want to spend her birthday with her boyfriend.
“I talked to her this morning,” Nikola said brokenly. Mitch moved around the coffee table to hug him before he started crying. “She told me what she wanted for dinner.”
“We’ll just have to eat without her then,” Mitch said, rubbing Nikola on the back. “We can’t have all of your hard work going to waste.”
“I’ll start serving,” Gawain said, giving Nikola’s shoulder a quick squeeze.
“It’s alright,” Mitch said, grabbing a tissue and wiping Nikola’s eyes. “Amelie’s just a…” he could think of any number of words but none of them would make Nikola feel any better.
“Do you want to stay with me tonight?” he asked instead. “I’m sure Gawain would appreciate having a proper bed instead of a couch.” Though he didn’t recall ever seeing Gawain on the couch, Nikola was quite happy to share with his cousin.
“He would,” Gawain called from the kitchen.
“It’s Amelie’s birthday,” Nikola sniffed, “I think you’re supposed to stay with her.”
“Screw her,” Mitch said. Nikola made a noise somewhere between a giggle and a sob and Mitch smiled. “I’ll stay with her when she acts her age.” His voice softened, “Say yes?”
“Yes,” Nikola said, shifting into a more comfortable position. Mitch rested his head on Nikola’s, cradling him in his arms until Gawain set three plates down on the coffee table before them.
“No feeding Fluffball under the table,” Gawain warned. The puppy wasn’t big enough to snatch food off the table yet but it was more than capable of looking at them with big, hopeful eyes.
“She’s my puppy,” Nikola grumbled, sitting up and taking a set of cutlery from Gawain.
Gawain rolled his eyes. “We both know she got all the meat scraps while you were cooking. You don’t want to teach her bad habits do you?” Unlike Amelie, Gawain didn’t have any objections to the furball other than the fact that he’d have to brush her when Nikola’s allergies were acting up.
Nikola sighed, “Fine, I’ll just eat it all myself.” Mitch laughed; Nikola never had any trouble clearing his plate when he was healthy.
#
Mitch got ready for bed early. He didn’t want to be up when Amelie got home. Nikola was already curled up on the bed with the book and Fluffball was watching tv with Gawain, or attacking his slippers, or both.
“I’m going to miss your cooking,” Mitch said, dropping onto the bed next to Nikola.
“I’ll make sure to leave plenty of left overs for you,” Nikola said, setting his book on the bedside table and shuffling over to rest his head on Mitch’s shoulder.
“The pillows are probably a lot more comfortable than I am,” Mitch said, wrapping an arm around him.
“Probably,” Nikola mumbled, giving no indication of moving any time soon.
“And softer.”
“Mmm hmmm.”
Mitch sighed and used magic to turn off the lights. “Goodnight Nikola.”
“Goodnight.”
Nikola soon fell asleep but Mitch lay awake for what felt like hours. He strained his ears, listening for the sound of the front door opening but the house was still and silent.
He was drifting off when he heard the sound of raised voices. Nikola stirred.
“Shhh,” Mitch whispered, running a hand through Nikola’s curls. Couldn’t they shout a little quieter? “Just sleep.” Nikola fell still and Mitch closed his eyes and followed his own advice.
Goodbye
“I suppose you’re going to yell at me as well,” Amelie said.
“Not here I won’t,” Mitch replied. They were standing outside stats and while their classmates might enjoy the spectacle whatever lecture was going on inside probably wouldn’t appreciate it. He couldn’t yell at her at home either, not with Nikola still asleep. Or there at all really. He wanted Nikola to enjoy his last days in Dunedin.
“Gawain did it already anyway,” Amelie slumped back against the wall and stared at the floor. “He’s never liked me.”
“The same way you’ve always ha
ted Nikola?” Mitch asked through gritted teeth. Even he could see that Gawain loved his sister.
Amelie sighed. “I’m sorry. I always wanted a puppy you know but first it was Nikola’s allergies and then mum was too busy to take care of one and then it wouldn’t be fair when I was going to school soon…”
“So you thought you’d ruin his birthday instead?” Mitch snapped.
“I didn’t think at all, I just… I’m sorry,” she repeated.
Mitch grunted.
“I’ll talk to Nikola when we get home ok? I’m tell him that I’m sorry and I’ll…” she sighed. “Is he really leaving?” Mitch blinked. “Gawain told me.”
“This weekend,” Mitch said. “I think he plans to finish all the paperwork today.”
“Oh.”
The doors opened and a stream of people filed out into the hall, forcing them to shrink back against the walls.
“Thanks for the necklace.”
“You opened your presents without us?” Mitch asked. He wasn’t sure why that surprised him, or how he’d missed the absence of presents on the table, but it did.
“I thought it would cheer me up, the swan really is pretty.”
“It’s a goose,” Mitch replied. The jeweller he’d commissioned to make it had raised an eyebrow at that but she’d done a good job. He hadn’t really known what to get Amelie, he never did, but jewellery seemed like a pretty good option.
Amelie giggled, “It’s still pretty.”
“So how was your birthday?” Mitch asked awkwardly. There were still people filing out of the lecture theatre, he was beginning to think it was part tardis.
“Fine I guess,” Amelie shrugged. “I can’t believe that Nikola really made everything I asked for.”
Mitch raised an eyebrow.
“Ok, I guess I can.”
“It was all delicious too,” Mitch replied. He’d even had leftovers for lunch.
“At least I got the cake.”
Mitch managed another grunt, he had noticed that that was gone with some disappointment. He’d been looking forward to trying it. Perhaps Nikola would make him another.
#
“What’s wrong?” Nikola asked.
Mitch started, “Nothing.”
“You’re not eating,” Amelie said, giving his stack of pancakes a meaningful look.
“I’m savouring them.”
“You’d have to take a bite first.”
“Yeah well…” Mitch stared at the stack of pancakes buried under maple syrup, cream and fresh berries. He had no idea how Nikola had got fresh berries at this time of year. He’d probably sent Gawain back to Faerie for them.
“Come visit in the holidays and I’ll make you more,” Nikola said gently.
“Sounds good,” Mitch smiled at him.
“They’ll get cold if you don’t eat them soon,” Nikola added. “You don’t want your last memory of my cooking to be cold pancakes do you?”
“But you’ll leave once we’ve finished eating,” Mitch said. Gawain was already sending Nikola’s belongings back to Faerie. Somehow it hadn’t seemed quite real until today.
“Isn’t a hunger strike a little counter productive?” Amelie asked. “You’re the one who convinced him to leave.”
Because it was the right thing to do, Mitch thought, I don’t have to be happy about it.
“Amelie, can you make sure Gawain doesn’t forget anything please?” Nikola asked tightly.
“I guess.” Amelie left.
“Come on,” Nikola said, getting up and pulling Mitch to his feet.
“What? I do actually want to eat those you know,” Mitch said.
“Then pick them up,” Nikola said, grabbing his own plate with one hand. Mitch snatched at the pancakes and Nikola towed him outside, using his magic to blunt the wind. A picnic blanket and Mitch’s favourite toppings appeared on the frost covered grass under the bare tree and they sat down amidst Mitch’s ice sculptures.
“We always used to eat outside remember?” Nikola said.
“Yeah, of course I remember,” Mitch replied. He moved a little closer and used a little magic to take the chill off the air. Gawain would not appreciate it if he made Nikola sick now. “I always had to take your dishes in for you.” He supposed that this time he’d be doing the dishes for him as well.
“I offered to do it,” Nikola said. “Anyway… I thought, one more time?” he smiled.
“Yeah,” Mitch smiled and finally cut into the stack of pancakes. “One more time.” He took a bite and savoured it as much as he could with a vampire’s atrophied taste buds. He’d have to try and visit Nikola on Halloween when he was human.
“I miss it,” Mitch said between mouthfuls. “Even if they did throw me out. Hanging out with Sam, studying in the library, the glade by the lake…”
“Do you really miss the lessons on how to resist compulsion?” Nikola asked. “I can give you another if you want, it’s been a long time since I last saw you do the chicken dance.”
“And it’ll be a long time before you see it again,” Mitch said, throwing a bottle of raspberry sauce at him. Nikola caught it with a grin and drizzled some over his pancakes. “But I liked it there. We were safe.” It had been their spot, the place that they went to practice resisting illegal branches of magic and talk when everything went to hell. It had been where Nikola had first said “I love you” when Mitch had thought that no one would ever see him as anything more than a monster.
“Have you heard from your old friends at all?”
Mitch shook his head, “Just the occasional postcard or email from Sam,” he replied. Belle was a little better at staying in touch, better than Cullum even, but he’d always thought of her as more of a sister than a friend.
“You know I won’t do that right?” Nikola said, tucking a stray curl behind his ear. “I really will write to you everyday. Gawain won’t need to put me into a coma this time and he shouldn’t have to do anything so big that I need to relearn how to write.”
“I’ll write back,” Mitch promised.
“I’ll come visit after equinox,” Nikola continued. “It’ll be safer then.” From the Fae perhaps, not the angels.
“It won’t be the same,” Mitch said, staring at his nearly empty plate. There were more pancakes inside but he couldn’t eat himself sick just to make Nikola stay five minutes longer.
“It might be better,” Nikola said, setting his cutlery down on his empty plate. “Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to worry about me?”
“I’ll always worry about you,” Mitch said, chasing the last piece of pancake around the plate and finally impaling it on his fork. It had grown cold but he still enjoyed it.
“You know I’ll be safe in Faerie right? Gawain and Morrigan will look after me.”
“I know,” Mitch set his fork down and pulled Nikola into a hug, ignoring his protests that his hands were covered in maple syrup. Mitch had never worked out how it managed to get everywhere. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Nikola sighed. “Don’t let Amelie push you around ok? I want both of you to be happy.”
“Ok.”
“Ready to say goodbye? Gawain’s waiting.”
“No,” Mitch said, squeezing a little tighter. “See you again soon.”
“It’s a promise,” Nikola whispered.
#
“He can’t possibly still be sick,” Miriama said, taking the seat next to Mitch and rummaging through her bag.
“He dropped out and went home,” Mitch said leadenly. He’d thought that he’d got used to getting up early enough to grab a coffee before class and he had woken up on time, but somehow he’d barely made it to the lecture. The lecturer was already at the front of the room getting set up.
“Sorry,” Miriama said, “you seemed like good friends.”
“The best,” Mitch said. “But being here wasn’t good for him.” He glanced to his left where Nikola usually sat or more usually leaned against his shoulder. It felt s
trangely cold without him there though Nikola had missed almost all of their classes this semester.
“I’m finished with your book,” she said after a moment. She pulled it out of her bag and passed to him, looking around so nervously that Mitch worried she’d have a heart attack if anyone spoke.
“You know that anyone who sees it will just assume that it’s for a role playing game right?” Mitch said, raising an eyebrow. Magical texts were leaked all the time and no one batted an eyelid, not with the multitude of reasonable explanations available.
“No one would make a role playing game that complex,” Miriama replied. “There are six hundred pages of tables in that book.
Five hundred and eighty seven actually, and that was an older, abridged version of the complete book. Well it had been, there was probably a new edition by now.
“Did you find something?” Mitch asked, shoving it into his bag.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“I kinda had to guess the numbers, it assumes that you know them already.”
“Oh right.” There were ways of calculating ones’ magical affinity without the Obsidian Mirror but they were long and complex and involved a whole other book full of instructions and god only knew what tools. Mitch had never worried about it before. “And?”
“Animal whisperer,” Miriama said.
“I never thought of you as an animal person,” Mitch said. It wasn’t really something that he associated with maths students though Nikola adored animals. Of course, he’d never thought of Nikola as a maths student.
“I work on my grandparents’ farm in the summer,” Miriama said. “It helps pay for some of my fees.”
“Sounds a lot more productive than my summers,” Mitch said, remembering the long years of watching over his brother while his parents continued their cold war. A job might have been a nice escape.
“Magic summer school?”
Mitch snorted, “Vampire summer school perhaps,” though it had often seemed as if Sieg was more interesting in killing him in video games than teaching him how to be a vampire. “Looks like we’re about to start,” he added, seeing the screen come to life and feeling more than a little relieved that he wouldn’t have to explain further. He did not need Miriama to know about his proclivity for falling off ceilings.