by Amy Crook
"I usually open, though, will you be able to cover that?" asked Julian.
Mary Margaret smiled. "Although Mr. Stone will miss our lazy mornings in bed for a while, I can go back to opening on my own, don't you worry."
"Oh!" said Julian. "But I can't go home, I mean, I'm meant to go by the Agency to give a statement. Agent Lapointe asked me to walk the Gainesbury Temple to see if the plants felt the same as they did here, and she's got a map for me to fill out." He took a sip of tea to stop his own babbling.
The three men conferred in low tones. "I doubt much will happen to you at the Agency. As long as you promise to take care of yourself getting there and home again?" asked Elkhort. "I have to call on the other apprentices so their Masters don't object to losing their labour." His voice was wry, and Julian had a feeling they'd tried a few phone calls first, not that Mary Margaret would have protested for a moment.
Julian nodded. "Alex will be there, and we can call the Benedict driver, he took care of Alex during my Courtship when they were trying to assassinate him."
One of the subordinates' eyes went a bit wide at that, but the Grandmaster didn't appear fazed. "As long as you take care," he repeated.
"I promise," said Julian.
"I'll stop by some afternoons and give you lessons," promised Mary Margaret. "You've helped out enough with your magic and Alex doing the warding for us that you've more than earned it, anyway." She turned to the Grandmaster. "Why don't I show you Julian's good work while we wait for Raul? Can you watch the front, lad?"
"We'll stay," said Elkhort's left-hand shadow. The man on the right had yet to show much sign of life, and Julian fancifully wondered if he was a golem.
"I'll be fine, Master Stone," said Julian. "Oh, we need to order in another set of virgin lilies for that man Jack, he was very insistent, and some more lucky clover, too."
"If we must, we must," said Mary Margaret. "Write it down for me, would you?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Julian, and he let her take the Grandmaster off to tour the nursery while he went back behind the counter for the order book. He made a note of the order and drank his tea and finally he couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "So, who are you two, anyway?"
The one on the left laughed. "Sorry, we're the Grandmaster's Guardians. We're assigned to him whenever it's deemed he requires protection, since he's the strongest talent in the Guild and does many invaluable services for the Temple."
"Oh!" said Julian, relaxing. "I was Guarded once, well, sort of by proxy. James and Jacques, they were taking care of my Alex last year."
The Guards both relaxed minutely, though he could see neither of them dropped their alertness. "I'm Archibald," said the quiet one.
"I'm Rory," said the other. "Jacques and James are friends of ours."
"Mine, too, now," said Julian, smiling shyly. "Have you ever had Jacques' cooking?"
They raved happily about Jacques' food until Raul arrived, and by then the tour was done and Elkhort was back with Mary Margaret.
"Your work is very impressive, my boy," said Elkhort. "Your power is developing admirably. I'll be calling on you again when this is over. Good day, Master Stone, Apprentice St. Albans."
"That's our cue," said Rory with a wink, and they all headed out, Archibald in front and Rory taking up the rear and looking much more like Guardians once they were moving.
"And that's my cue, as well," said Julian with a laugh. "Call me a cab?"
"Not your Jones?" asked Mary Margaret, sounding concerned.
"He'll be out at the estate right now, but I promise to call him while you call my cab," said Julian, making puppy eyes.
She laughed. "All right, you win. But do be careful, I'd hate to lose you now that you're doing so well."
Julian laughed, too, as he was meant to, and got out his phone to call Jones. It was late enough that at least Lapointe would be at the Agency, and likely Alex with her, so he'd be safe enough once he got there. Jones promised to pick them up at the Agency later, and arrange with Victor to be at their disposal.
"I never thought I'd be worried about protecting my passengers again," said Jones wryly. "Maybe I should take some bodyguard classes."
"At least you've got your paired amulets from Alex, those will help us all stay safe," Julian reassured him. The tale of Julian's amulet saving him from the mugging was enough to keep them talking while Julian waited for the cab, and he barely had time to give Mary Margaret a kiss on the cheek goodbye before he headed out.
Julian hopped in the cab and tried to be confident that he was safe as houses for now, though he felt a little paranoid until they got close enough to the Agency that the turnings were properly familiar. He paid and headed inside, figuring he could maybe lure someone out to lunch if they weren't too busy. Having an Agent with him should qualify as keeping safe.
"Julian, you're early!" said Alex, getting up off Lapointe's uncomfortable couch. "Did something happen?" he asked worriedly.
"Grandmaster Elkhort of the Guild is personally visiting all the talented apprentices and asking us to hide away until everything's over," explained Julian, sounding petulant even to himself. "So I'm back to being not allowed to work!"
"You've got something very specific in common with the victims," said Lapointe, her face serious. "I'm glad your Guild is taking it seriously."
Julian sighed dramatically. "Anyway, since I can't have my plants, can I have lunch? If you're both with me no one can say I'm taking risks."
Alex pulled him close for a kiss. "We'll take you to the Temple to start Father Stephen's garden, there's nowhere safer than there."
Julian felt his irritation draining away, as it always did when Alex was there to hold him and help him make it better. "You're a very smart boyfriend," said Julian, claiming another kiss. "I'll call him after lunch and make arrangements. Jones is going to be at our disposal, too, I already called."
"Good," said Lapointe. "I'm going to put a call in to the Guild, letting them know that officers can be made available to any apprentices in less secure situations, you two see if any of the usual suspects want to join us for lunch."
"Yes, ma'am," said Julian with a chuckle. He and Alex slipped out to find their friends among the Agents, Thomas and Smedley both agreeing to join them and, after a quick text, Geoff as well.
"Are we just heading over to the diner?" asked Thomas, shuffling his paperwork and getting it all put away.
"I figured we would," said Julian. "Everyone here knows what they like there, and they've got good coffee."
"Really good coffee," agreed Smedley. "Crap for wards, though, or so I'm told."
Julian huffed. "I'm hardly going to be kidnapped out from under your noses," he said. "Alex even fixed my amulet after that stupid mugger," he added, tapping his chest.
"Are you sure it was just a mugger?" asked Thomas.
"What d'you mean? He definitely wasn't a criminal mastermind," said Julian.
Alex, however, looked thoughtful. "That is an interesting point, though, if our killer uses hired help and wasn't aware of Julian's protections."
"Or wanted to test them," pointed out Smedley.
"You're not comforting me," said Julian crossly. "I'll be fine for lunch."
"You'll be fine for lunch," agreed Thomas, "but that doesn't mean we shouldn't pull the police report on your mugger and look at it with fresh eyes."
"Are you on the case now?" asked Julian, pleased that at least someone he liked was going to benefit from all the chaos.
Thomas ducked his head and the tips of his ears turned pink. "Yeah, Agent Lapointe pulled me in when I finally finished the paperwork on my last one." He chuckled wryly. "Though of course there's more paperwork on this case."
"You'll be a paperwork expert someday, just like the rest of us," said Smedley. "I am not on the case, so I'm just here for the food."
"I'm sorry this is affecting you," said Thomas with puppyish sincerity.
Julian shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks. It's hard to stay grumpy
about it with all you guys helping, though."
"You don't really want to stay grumpy, anyway," said Alex, wrapping an arm around Julian's waist. "I'm the infamous grouch, not you."
"You're our little ray of sunshine," said Geoff, coming up behind Smedley. "Alex is our gloomy raincloud. Don't confuse us by trading roles, it's unkind."
Julian snickered. "Yes, Doctor," he said all singsong. "My shoulder's almost better, by the way."
"Good," said Geoff. "You had excellent care." He paused, then asked plaintively, "Now, why are we all standing here instead of eating?"
"You're waiting for me," said Lapointe, emerging from her office. "The offer of assistance has been made, and they've got my number if they want to arrange things, though the person on the phone seemed to think it was all beneath them."
"The Grandmaster had a pair of Guardians with him, they were nice," said Julian. "I don't think they thought he was really in danger, though, they stayed with me while he looked around the nursery with Mary Margaret."
"Maybe they just thought you were in more danger," said Smedley ominously.
Julian hmphed. "I'm only in danger of starving. Come on!" He dragged Alex, and by extension the whole group, to the elevators and down. They paused to talk to the man at the desk, who was the same one that had gotten an extra coffee the other day, and promised to bring him over a treat. His name, it turned out, was Sherman Wu, and he was really quite nice when they gave him a chance to do more than wave them through security.
"I never knew Agents were so nice," teased Julian. "In books they're always surly and full of deep angst about their partner who was killed or their wives that left them over the job."
"I'd say you have terrible taste in books," said Lapointe, "but I've read them, too."
"Maybe that's Fischer's problem," said Alex, trying and failing to maintain an innocent expression. "Deep angst."
"That still doesn't explain Armistead," said Thomas, doing innocent much better.
They stepped out of the building wards joking and laughing, and Julian felt something strange tug at him. He turned to Alex to ask what was going on, and the world spun, and then went black.
CHAPTER 11
Everything sounded so far away to Julian, like his ears were full of water. He tried to reach up and clear them, but his body was sluggish and unresponsive. He realised his eyes were closed and opened them, then immediately snapped them shut against the bright white glare. It made him aware of the headache that pulsed in time to his heartbeat, dull waves of pain with a sharp edge that made him afraid to try moving his head. He could smell ozone and something charred, but he didn't feel burned, just the headache that seemed to grow with each breath.
Julian could tell there were voices in the sounds echoing distantly around him, but they weren't distinct enough for him to discern who was talking, or to whom. He swallowed and considered opening his eyes again, but the decision was taken from him as fingers pried his eyelids open one at a time. He flinched and whimpered, the sound huge and loud inside his aching head.
"I think he's coming to," floated into one ear, but the response was still a murmur. He became aware of being very cold, except for one hand. Not only was his hand warm, but the heat seemed to be flowing up his arm, slow as molasses. He shivered, and the warmth tingled higher, breaking up into individual streams that grew attenuated as they rushed up toward his shoulder.
The smaller streams pulled the thick mass of warmth along in their wake, and Julian thought it might not be heat at all, but life itself. He could feel, now, someone's hand in his, and as one of those little tendrils reached his ear it popped, and he started to hear distinct voices.
"-ian, can you hear me, love?" said Alex, and it was Alex's hand holding his. Which made the thing flowing into him magic, probably, or just love. Or possibly warmth, given how warm Alex's body was.
Julian nodded, or hoped he did, a tiny movement that set off more pain rattling around in his skull. "Head hurts," he whispered, the words inaudible to his ears and yet, somehow, as loud as the rushing wind inside his head. "Cold. You're helping."
"He's conscious, but we have to get more magic into him," said Geoff. "Julian, do you think you could swallow a mouthful of potion?"
Julian swallowed experimentally, and that seemed to work, though most of his body still felt distant and numb.
"I'll do it," said Alex, and Julian whimpered when the hand left his and the cold started creeping back.
"You keep doing what you're doing," scolded Geoff, and Julian cheered internally when Alex's hand took his up again. "This is a medicinal kiss, and you'll need your energy. You're still all out of whack, remember?"
Julian could practically feel Alex's petulance and he wished he could smile. He felt himself propped upright and held, and he accepted the kiss and the potion with it, swallowing the thick stuff awkwardly, though he managed not to choke. It was followed with another kiss of cool, pure water, and the combined rushes of magic tingled all the way down to Julian's toes.
Another hand took up his left, and he felt things balancing out with a jolt. His heart felt like it skipped a beat, and then the headache began to recede like a huge wave rolling away from shore, leaving sharp debris behind it. "That sucked," said Julian, his voice hoarse.
Alex laughed and kissed his forehead. "I just bet it did, love," he said gently. "Someone targeted you with a rather nasty spell."
"I thought that was really hard to do," said Julian, his voice raspy. More water was pressed to his mouth, in a cup this time, and once he'd drunk a few more cool sips he forced himself to try opening his eyes again.
It still hurt, but not the same way it had the first time, so he blinked to clear them and looked around. He was in Geoff's infirmary, propped in the bed against Alex, with his hands being held by Alex and Geoff both.
"It is, but it's a lot easier if you've got something personal, like a lock of hair," said Alex. "You've got a bit missing in back here, I didn't notice until you fainted."
"What were they trying to do to me?" asked Julian.
Alex kissed his mouth softly, and Julian sighed at the tingle of magic. "I'm not sure yet, your amulet did something to deflect or transmute some of it into heat and light." He chuckled. "It didn't hurt your skin, but your shirt's ruined."
"Oh, that's what I smell," said Julian. He relaxed back against Alex and sighed. "Damn, and I'm still hungry."
"Fortunately for you, once Alex carried you down here, we sent the rest of them away for provisions," said Geoff. "You can have some food as soon as I've checked you over for contamination."
"And if I'm still contaminated?" asked Julian peevishly. Today had not gone well so far, and he wasn't looking forward to more bad news.
"Then we'll take you to the Temple for a purification after you eat," said Alex, "instead of waiting for tomorrow."
"Oh," said Julian, leaning into him and closing his eyes again. "That's all right, then." He was still cold, even though the numbness had left, and starting to feel drowsy.
"None of that, now," said Geoff sharply. "You need energy before sleep, young man."
Julian sighed, but he sat up and offered Geoff his hands. "Go on, check me out so you can feed me and then I can sleep."
"He's a worse patient than you," said Geoff to Alex, taking Julian's hands. "Hm, there is still something, I can't quite say what, though. It's definitely tailor-made for you, though, that's why it's so enmeshed in your subtle body. Hm, though I think your little keep-safe charm is also doing something, maybe because you helped make it?"
"I'll call Father Stephen and arrange for us to take Julian through the purification together," said Alex. "Their mages will be able to help him."
"I'm right here, you know," said Julian. He felt like something was missing, or he had too much of it, or something. Off-kilter and unhappy about it, anyway.
"I know, love, I'm sorry," said Alex, kissing his forehead and then his mouth. "I'm going to listen to your magic while you eat, is that o
kay?"
Julian sighed, but he nodded. "Food now?"
"Tea and food," said Geoff, pulling over a rolling bed tray. There were three big meals on it, and a whole pot of tea, which proved to be Geoff's herbal restorative. They all had cups of it liberally laced with honey, and there was no talking at all for a while as Julian and his two rescuers ate to replace the energy they'd used up.
"I wish I had a sweater here," complained Julian, sipping another cup of tea after the food had been demolished to the last bite. "I hate being cold."
"Jones is going to stop by the house, I sent Alys a message to give him a fresh shirt for you," said Alex, sounding worried. "It's pretty warm in here, though."
"I'll get you another blanket," said Geoff, getting up. "Your persistent body temperature issues might be related to magic use, I was thinking something like that the other day, but it's not really my area of expertise. You should mention it to Dr. Chesterfield when Alex sees him on Thursday." He got a fresh blanket out of a cupboard, draping it around Julian's shoulders like a shawl. It smelled of lavender and other freshening herbs, which made something inside Julian relax.
"I will, if I'm allowed to go with him," said Julian, leaning into Alex again and sipping more of the tea. "I don't know where I'll be able to go if he's casting spells at me."
"Well, I have good news and bad news about that," said Alex. "I can break the connection between you and your hair so he can't use it against you, assuming he's got any left."
"But?" asked Julian.
"But it means a haircut," finished Alex. "Not all of it, but I'll need at least one big lock of hair."
Julian laughed, tired and relieved. "That's fine, whatever you do my stylist can fix it," he said, giving Alex a kiss. "I thought it was going to be something awful, you git."
"Perhaps our vain mage thinks that would be something awful," teased Geoff. "One more pot of tea, and you can have a little nap while we wait for Jones."