H Mallory - To Kill A Warlock

I nodded, silently pleased I wouldn't have to do any more detective work tonight. Hey, I was tired.

Knight faced Sam. “Thank you, Sam, you are some witch.” She beamed. “I hope you understand I'll have to swear you to secrecy, Relations Office orders.” I rolled my eyes. Goddamn, Knight and his Relations Office orders. “I understand,” Sam said simply. “One more thing,” Knight started before glancing at Trey, who’d returned to watching TV. “He can't remember what went on today.” “What the hell does that mean?” I insisted, thinking Knight was putting a hit out on Trey or something. Sam smiled. “It means he wants me to give Trey a forgetting potion.”

Oh, well that was better than killing him. Sam rummaged through her bag. “Dulce, do you have any chocolate syrup or anything?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I think Knight got some maple syrup but that's all we have.”

Sam glanced at Trey and then nodded. “Yeah, he'll like that.”

I grabbed the maple syrup and handed it to her. She fished inside her satchel and produced a vial of what looked like tea. “What's that?” I asked. “Forget tea. It'll wash his short term memories right out of his head.” “And you just carry that around with you?” I asked with a smirk. “I came prepared.” She laughed. “Can you boil some water?” I grabbed a saucer. Filling it with water, I threw it on the stove and turned on the flame. “Pour a little syrup in it. The tea can be tart.”

I nodded and squeezed the syrup over the saucer until the liquid turned a caramel brown. Once it started boiling, Sam put the tea into a metal sifter and plopped it into the syrup water. After a few seconds, she removed it with a spoon. Grabbing a mug, she poured the tea and handed it to me. I carried it into the living room and presented it to Trey. “Drink this.” He willingly accepted it, blowing on it wetly before he brought it to his lips. “Mmm, takes like syrup.” I just smiled as I walked back to Sam, who was packing all her things into the grocery bag. “Well, looks like my job here is done.” “Thanks, Sam.” I said.

She started for the door, Knight and I right behind her. Her gaze drifted to Trey, who was sipping the tea like I'd told him. “He'll sleep like a baby tonight,” she said with a little grin.

I shut and locked the door behind her. Then, crossing my arms against my chest, I thought about how tired I was. I sure as hell didn’t need Knight’s half naked body next to mine. I’d never be able to sleep. “Trey,” I said as he glanced at me. “You're sleeping in my room tonight.” Then I addressed the unimpressed Knight. “You get the couch.”

Knight was asleep on the couch, and Trey was at work. I was also working-on my Bram novel and getting closer to finishing it day by day. This Relations-Office-imposed hiatus was great for writing my novel, even if it was a bummer to no longer be on the team. And I missed Quillan, so what? I was disappointed he hadn't stopped over or called since discovering Knight was living with me.

I pushed thoughts of Quillan out of my mind. It wasn't my fault he was too proud or too whatever to continue our friendship. It was out of my control, and things out of your control should be left alone cause there isn't a damned thing you can do about them.

I finished chapter twelve with a smile and stretched my limbs, eyeing my outline. I had four more chapters to write, then I'd be finished.

The sound of Knight shifting on the sofa captured my attention, and I glanced over just as he threw a pen at me. It landed at my feet, with a tiny thud.

“Do you have to type so loud?” he muttered and crossed his arms behind his head. The blanket covering him shifted until it was only concealing his bottom half. A brown nipple appeared to be winking at me.

I threw the pen back, and it landed just beside his head. I wished I had better aim. “If you don't like it, go back to your hotel.”

“You should be happy I’m forfeiting a comfortable hotel room to sleep on your uncomfortable couch to make sure you’re safe,” he said and shook his head. Sitting up, he threw me an unamused frown. The blanket dropped from around him, revealing his hunter-green boxers. With a groan, he hoisted himself to his feet and headed for my bedroom.

“I'm sleeping in here,” he mumbled. “I don't care if you don't like it.”

Actually, I did like it. Let him box himself up in my bedroom so I could actually get more work done. It was a hell of a lot better than having to feign disinterest in his half-clothed body.

I sighed, thinking I should be asleep, also, but I wasn't tired. Last night was the third night we'd spent camped outside the abandoned warehouse on Magnolia Street, or snooping outside Dagan's club-wherever the creature went, we went. But, unfortunately, in those three nights, the creature hadn't been summoned by its master even once. And the spell’s expiration date of two weeks loomed over us like a tornado.

I just shook my head and reread the notes Bram had left me when we'd put Trey under his less-than-thrilled, but watchful eye. The notes were really three pages of anecdotes and stories from his life written in an impressive hand. I found myself admiring the curlicues and tendrils of what looked like calligraphy. Hmm, I wouldn't have thought Bram would have such nice writing. Then I remembered how ancient he was, and I found myself sorely wishing I could've learned eighteenth century graphology in grammar school.

The notes were so detailed, I didn’t need any more interviews which was great because it wasn’t like I had lots of free time with Knight and Trey living with me.

I glanced at the postscript:

Perhaps these notes will suffice for the remainder of your book. I am not interested in watching the hobgoblin again.

Yours,

Bram

I smiled as I reread the note-at least he was honest. And I couldn't say I blamed him. I was getting mighty sick of guarding Trey, too. And, you could throw Knight into that sentiment as well. I couldn't wait for my humble apartment to be mine again.

I shuffled through Bram's notes for at least the fifth time and thought about what a full life he'd led. Three hundred years…it seemed Bram had made good use of it, although I was convinced he'd exaggerated some of the accounts-the claim he was able to overcome two master vampires without suffering any injury to himself, being just one example. Oh, and there was also the amusing little account of his five-some at the Court of Queen Victoria with four of her ladies in waiting… But, other than those embellishments, I had to admit Bram was roguishly entertaining, and his liaisons would provide plenty of fodder for an interesting book. Well, at least I hoped they would.

“I can't sleep,” Knight complained as he reappeared in my living room, rubbing his eyes. Apparently, modesty wasn’t part of his vocabulary, and he strutted into my room practically naked.

“If you're looking for sympathy, you've come to the wrong person,” I said snidely. “I've had less sleep than you.”

He grimaced as he lumbered into the kitchen where he reached for a bag of ground Starbucks and poured some water into my Mr. Coffee-a cherished birthday present from Quillan. I decided to fight the urge to think of Quillan again and steered my attention back to Knight, who leaned against the counter, massaging the back of his neck as he waited for the coffee to run its course.

“And for Hades sake, put on some damned clothes.”

Knight chuckled as he performed isometrics on the edge of the counter until his muscles bulged, the show-off. “You appeared to enjoy rubbing your hands across my chest the other night.”

He was never going to let me live that night down. This was the sixth time he'd brought it up in the course of three nights and four days. “You talk about it so often, I think you’d like a replay.”