The Apprenticeship of Julian St. Albans (Consulting Magic Book 2)

by Amy Crook

  The surprised laughter was wonderful to hear, and Murielle's whole demeanour changed as the tension drained away. Alex said something else equally horrible once the laughter died down, and then Murielle, the commentary bouncing around the three of them until they were breathless and giddy.

  "I'll never be able to look at either of them with a straight face again," said Lapointe, but she didn't seem to mind.

  Alex smirked. "Good, it'll make them wonder."

  "They deserve it," said Julian. "Jerkfaces."

  Murielle didn't snort her coffee, but it was close.

  "All right, if we're done acting like children," she said, trying to look stern, "we should talk about the case."

  Alex sighed hugely, but he was just playing. "Yes, Mom," he said all singsong.

  "So, Mary Margaret's still not in trouble, right?" asked Julian.

  Murielle nodded. "She's still not, nor are you, we've already established that neither of you knew Angel Billings."

  "I haven't met any of the other apprentices," said Julian. "It doesn't really work like that, though Mary Margaret said there's a big midwinter banquet we could go to if we wanted. It's on the solstice, though, so we'll probably be at Emmy's or Victor's."

  "Probably not Victor's," said Alex. "So boring."

  "Well, that's not for a few months, anyway," said Murielle. "And I turned in my luck charm to Ms. Eberly as evidence in your alibi, Alex. They really are looking into the other 3 buyers, too, along with pretty much the whole client list."

  "Ugh," said Julian.

  "So, is Angel a girl or a boy?" asked Alex curiously. "Er, was."

  "Angel was a young man," said Murielle. "Seventeen, so really a boy. Damn, that's young."

  "Even younger than me," said Julian, who sometimes felt like the little kid at the grown-ups' table around Alex and his friends.

  "I sometimes forget Alex is robbing the cradle," teased Murielle. "He acts so immature, it seems like he's the one barely out of his teens."

  "Hey, I'm twenty-two!" protested Julian, but there wasn't any heat in it. "Anyway, have they done a headcount on the rest of the apprentices to make sure no one else is missing?"

  "The Guild's working on it, but apparently it's the time of year when a lot of you are off in the woods somewhere harvesting things," said Lapointe.

  Julian nodded. "Yeah, I'm supposed to do harvesting trips on both the St. Albans lands and the Benedict lands sometime, Alex even said he'd go with me."

  "Camping?" said Murielle.

  Alex chuckled wryly at the disbelief in her tone. "No, no, we'll stay at the main houses and do our gathering at a few times over the course of a few days each. I promised to carry the baskets and get things off high branches."

  "He'll be well-rewarded for being a helpful, supportive boyfriend," teased Julian.

  "I just bet," said Murielle, dryly.

  "I will also get my pick of ingredients," teased Alex. "Julian's going to start more things growing in the flat, and I get to help choose what."

  "But that's not for a few more weeks, we wanted to wait until after the equinox," said Julian. "Mary Margaret trades with other Master Growers who went earlier, too, so that I don't get distracted from the nursery with harvesting all the time."

  "Okay, so, did you ever figure out if the timing was portentous or whatever?" asked Murielle.

  Alex shrugged. "Nothing I could see, it's not astrologically significant, or a special holiday for any of the religions I looked up, and it's not really the start or end of a growing season. I was thinking of looking into the history of the building, but I got distracted by being a murder suspect."

  "Well, we'll see if we can't get you out from under Fischer's nose today," said Murielle. "I want my real consultant, not the moron Fischer found."

  "Ooh, competition," said Julian. "I'd heard that there were more people trying to take up Alex's profession."

  "Cheaper ones, I bet," teased Alex, unconcerned. He'd been working with the Agency since before he finished university, when he'd fallen into a murder case almost literally and ended up giving advice on the magic involved. His experience was irreplaceable, and Lapointe at least knew and appreciated that.

  "Not as much as you'd think, someone leaked one of your old invoices," said Lapointe. "They're all trying for the good hourly rate, but not many of them have any real expertise to speak of."

  "Not that I had much to start with," said Alex, "but we made do."

  "Was she on your first case?" asked Julian, sitting up. "Alex hasn't told me about how he met you."

  "That's because he's embarrassed," said Murielle smugly. "He nearly got himself arrested being an idiot."

  "I was young," protested Alex. "Younger than you, even, twenty and still in university."

  "Almost 21 as I recall," said Murielle. "We had a body in the college of magic where Alex was studying, and he was walking down the hall with his nose in a book, ignoring everyone."

  "Like he does," teased Julian.

  "When he walked right past our barriers and nearly tripped over the body," finished Lapointe smugly.

  "I was studying for midterms!" Alex protested weakly.

  Julian laughed. "Did you step in the evidence?"

  "He did, so we collected him and questioned him and then he overheard one of the other agents talking about the runes around the body and I bet you can guess what happened," said Murielle, not even trying to hide her grin.

  "He butted in and lectured them for being too stupid to tell one kind of rune for another and told them anyone with half a brain could see what they were for?" said Julian, playing along delightedly.

  "And got myself immediately upgraded from evidence to suspect," confirmed Alex. "But fortunately my alibi for the time of death was airtight, since I'd been in a class full of students witnessing an important astronomical event in the observatory, and had been drafted to be the pointer because her laser ran out of batteries and I had the longest arms."

  Murielle laughed. "I'd forgotten that part, but yes, he was quickly accounted for, and I was smart enough to keep consulting him about the case, since he was already aware of the facts. I even cleared it with my boss."

  "Which is how Agent Lapointe caught the bad guy, and I found my future career," said Alex, in the tone of a storyteller talking to an audience of children.

  "I never did get those shoes back," said Alex.

  "You love your shoes, anyway," teased Julian. Alex really only had the one pair, which were polished to a perfect black shine; Murielle had made a holiday gift of taking them back to their maker for a bit of loving upkeep on spells and leather both.

  "Those shoes saved my life," said Murielle with a grin, "so I love them, too."

  They signalled the waitress for the check and to-go coffees for everyone plus a few extras, and took care of the mundane business of paying. "I plan to protest anything that keeps us here past lunchtime," said Julian, standing.

  "Here, here," said Alex. "My valiant protector."

  "It's only fair," said Julian, tucking his hand in Alex's arm and girding himself for the inevitable annoyances to come.

  "I'm not carrying all of these," protested Lapointe, and they laughingly parted to carry the coffees between them. Alex cheated and used a little spell-push to open the doors of the cafe, and fortunately someone was kind and held the door to the Agency for them, since it was warded against such interferences.

  "Agent Lapointe, Agent Fischer was looking for you," said the door guard, getting the elevator button for them politely.

  "I'll just bet he was," she said. "Here, we got extra," she added, handing the coffee off to the guard.

  "From the cafe? Thanks!" He was genuinely grateful, and stayed to hold the elevator door for them all to file in.

  "You're welcome," she said as the doors slid shut. "Well, that's one person in the building not out to get us."

  "Us?" said Alex.

  "Oh, yes. My boss has been made keenly aware that you are my fault." She chuckled. "I
have made him equally aware of the number of cases you've helped us solve, including those two you did pro bono."

  "Three," said Alex quietly. "I never charge for the kids."

  "That's so sad," said Julian, leaning into him. "People are awful sometimes."

  "Not all of them," said Lapointe. "You're not, none of us here are."

  "Well, Armistead," said Alex.

  "And Fischer," said Julian, putting just enough innuendo in his tone to get them all chuckling, so their good mood was restored by the time the elevator door opened. The agency looked the same as always, so it must have been Julian's imagination that made it seem less welcoming than usual. Either that, or someone had turned the air conditioning too cold.

  "Agent Lapointe, how nice of you to show up," said Fischer.

  "I was here before you this morning," she replied. "Just for that, no coffee for you. Thomas!"

  "Yes?" said MacLean, poking his head up from his cubicle. He was too junior for a proper office yet.

  "I brought you coffee," she said.

  "And she made me carry it," said Alex, offering Thomas the cup. "You'll have to add milk to it yourself, though."

  "Alex's milk is only for Julian now," said Geoff's voice from behind them. "Is one of those for me?"

  Julian laughed. "It is now," he said, handing off the last cup. "How have you been?"

  They meandered into the break room, chatting and completely ignoring the irritated Fischer, who followed them to glare from the doorway. Once Geoff and Thomas had their cups made up and everyone had caught up, Fischer interrupted, "Are you quite through with my witnesses?"

  "It's my case, too," said Lapointe mildly. She was scariest when she was being mild, Julian decided. "And Alex is hardly a witness."

  "I was authorised to consult when I looked over the crime scene, you will recall," said Alex, just as coldly. "Your interference only came later."

  Julian didn't even bother to comment, instead turning to confirm with Thomas about Saturday, which led to Geoff being invited over and the three of them talking about video games as though nothing was wrong. He enjoyed how it seemed to make Fischer twitch.

  "Regardless, I need to interview you today," said Fischer. "I did say he wasn't required."

  "And I called them back to ask him to come in anyway," said Lapointe. "I want him to make notes on one of the maps about his impressions of the plants, we haven't got anyone on staff or on call with Julian's talent."

  Fischer snorted. "More magic, just what this case needs."

  Julian ignored him and gave Alex a kiss. "I'll go do that now. Don't be long, we've got lunch reservations," said Julian sweetly.

  "I'll try not to, love," said Alex, taking another, more lingering kiss before he let Fischer lead him into the little interrogation room.

  "I didn't know he was anti-magic," said Geoff, once the door was firmly closed. "That explains why he's been ducking his physical."

  Thomas went back to work, but Geoff joined them in Lapointe's office. "Speaking of physicals, it's about time for you and Alex both to get your check-ups."

  "My shoulder is fine, you don't have to keep prodding it," said Murielle. She pulled one out of a sheaf of rolled copies that proved to be maps of the nursery. "Would you also fill in anything important that's missing, plant-wise?" she asked. "I think our map-maker got tired of dealing with your weird setup about ten minutes in."

  Julian laughed. "It's confusing," he agreed, settling down with the coloured pens provided. He started by adding in notes and making a few corrections, using the blue pen so they'd be obvious but not overwhelm things. Then he went back through and wrote in green which plants had been healthy, though he hadn't walked the whole place the way he usually did so a lot of that was left blank. Next he took the red pen and wrote down his impressions of the crime scene and the little locked greenhouse, being as specific as he could.

  When he looked up, Geoff had wandered off and Murielle was looking impressed. "You're more than a pretty face after all," she said. "This is really good, thank you."

  "I have a few more notes to make, stuff that came to me while I was working, do you have another colour pen?" he asked, trying to keep the thoughts from slipping away.

  She seemed to recognise his concentration, handing him a glittery purple pen which he used to make some extra notes here and there. He'd picked up more than he thought with Alex boosting him, and he had impressions from a lot of the plants around the crime scene that hadn't been damaged but felt almost offended by what had happened, as though they were angry for the clover, which had only been sad.

  "It seems a bit silly," Julian said, setting the pen down, "but not sillier than that pen."

  She laughed. "I didn't think I'd get away with it," she said. "It was part of a gag gift at the holidays, you know, sparkly purple pen and other such girly crap."

  "You like some of the girly crap," said Julian. "Alex always gets you those flowery macarons, and the mint and rose truffles from Saveur."

  "You like the rose and mint truffles, too," she retorted, but there was no heat in it.

  Julian laughed. "I do, and if you're good I'll get Emmy to invite you up for tea at main house sometime, Alex told me you like fancy high tea with all the tiny sandwiches and little cakes and things."

  "Really?" Murielle said, perking up. "I do love it, but don't let it get around," she allowed.

  "Really, I've been meaning to, anyway, I think you two would get along now that you don't suspect her of murder," he said. "You're both more than you seem."

  "The same could be said of you and Alex," said Murielle.

  "What are you saying about me behind my back?" said Alex cheerfully from the doorway.

  "Good things," said Julian, getting up and claiming a kiss. "You survived Fischer?"

  "I didn't laugh at him even once," said Alex. "At this point not even Ms. Eberly is on his side since the lab mage confirmed the origin of Lapointe's luck charm and its recent make, and they've accounted for all of the ones I gave to the softball team..."

  "Donated," said Murielle sweetly.

  "Fine, donated, and the ones I sold to the 17th precinct."

  "At what the mage assured my boss was a very good price for the quality," she added. "Fischer nearly exploded when he heard that."

  "Anyway, your boss actually came in and rescued me himself, he had a message for Fischer from their new consultant, and gave me official permission to start investigating again," said Alex, and then he leaned in and added smugly. "The best part was he refused Fischer's request to have their new guy look at my house wards."

  Julian laughed wickedly. "And now he's off to find consolation in Armistead's arms."

  "Just for that," said Lapointe, making a note on the map before rolling it up, "you're treating me to lunch."

  "Yes, ma'am," said Julian. They waited for her to seal it into a tube as evidence, then she locked her office and they gathered Thomas and Geoff on their way out.

  "What did I do to deserve lunch?" asked Geoff on their way down.

  "You were were on our side against Fischer," said Julian. "All anti-jerkfaces get to come to lunch."

  Thomas laughed. "I won't complain, I am so tired of doing paperwork."

  "Are you still working on the Jefferson case?" asked Lapointe.

  "Ugh, yes, it's endless," said Thomas, and they complained cheerfully about departmental forms all the way to the cafe.

  "Back so soon?" said the waitress, eyeing up Geoff and Thomas, "And you brought friends."

  "We couldn't stay away," said Julian. Alex stayed quiet, with the faintly embarrassed look he always got when she flirted.

  "Well, what can I get for you, since you've brought your whole harem?" she asked Julian teasingly. The two of them got along quite well, especially since Julian understood her crush on Alex completely.

  "I'd like tea and water, please," he said, "and we're having lunch this time, what's the soup?"

  "Chicken and dumpling, it's really good today," she s
aid. "You'll want that and half a BLT?"

  "Yep," said Julian happily. One advantage of coming with well-liked regulars was that she learned his preferences right off the bat. "Thanks," he added, remembering at the last minute not to treat her like a house-brownie.

  "Will do," she said, making a note and moving on, getting everyone's orders. They all ate here often enough no one even looked at a menu, and soon enough she left to get their drinks with a cheery wink to Agent MacLean, who blushed.

  "You're worse than Alex," teased Murielle.

  "At least I have an excuse for not knowing how to talk to women," said Alex.

  Thomas harrumphed. "It's not that I can't talk to them, I just never know how not to offend them."

  "It's not that hard," said Geoff. "Though in her case I'm not sure Jones would forgive you if you got her number when he hasn't yet."

  "She wants to make sure he's not a cad who won't ever call," said Julian. "Besides, men appreciate it more when they have to work for it."

  "You were worth the effort," said Alex, and Julian gave him a sweet kiss as a reward.

  MacLean groaned. "That's just unfair, you're setting a bad example!"

  "It only works if you mean it," said Julian smugly.

  The waitress returned with their drinks, and they got to the business of adding yet more caffeine into their day. They talked about more mundane things, which came back around to the case and Fischer's behaviour. Julian got to hear the full story of how Alex met him, which did account for some of his animosity, and they decided the rest must be Fischer's general dislike of magic.

  "It won't get him out of his physical," said Geoff, nibbling at the last of his fries. "Nor you two. You could even come down now, I haven't got any appointments until four," he coaxed.

  "Will it be very complicated?" asked Julian. He had a feeling Alex wanted to dive back into his research now that he was allowed, but Julian rather liked Geoff and wouldn't mind a bit longer in his company. Even if he had seen Alex naked first.

  "It won't, I just want to check him over," said Geoff, turning his attention to Julian. "Fifteen minutes for each of them, then another ten correlating their readings, and I'll even make that herbal tea you like."

  "Just think," said Julian to Murielle, "you'd be completely unavailable to Fischer for almost a whole extra hour."