running the last ten miles.”
Running?
“Yes, of course,” she murmured, attempting to mask her alarm and, she had to admit, curiosity, and called to the other man, “How do you take it?”
“With two fingers of whisky,” he replied, still grinning at her. He waited for Callum to set down a small satchel on the coffee table and sit before he took his seat, looked at Callum and repeated, “Really, your grace, she’s seriously pretty.”
Your grace?
“I noticed,” Callum replied, humor in his tone.
In spite of herself, hearing Callum agree she was “seriously pretty” with that warm humor in his voice made a shiver dance across Sonia’s skin.
She pretended that didn’t happen, found the whisky, poured in two fingers, added the coffee, took it to the living room and handed it to the man.
“Thank you for bringing my –” she started but before she could finish Callum’s hands shot out, curved around her hips and she was flying through thin air for a moment before she landed in his lap.
This made Waring grin again.
It made Sonia twist around and glare before snapping, “Callum!”
Callum completely ignored her, his arms closing tight as he asked Waring, “You want a sandwich or do you want Sonia to grill you a steak?”
Waring patted his flat belly and said, “Had some fast food before I transformed. I’m good. The coffee and whisky will set me up. The weather’s not half bad a bit down the mountain. It’s just up here you’re really getting it.” His grin widened and he said, “And it’s all downhill on the way back.”
Both Callum and Waring laughed at this like it was the height of hilarity.
Sonia didn’t get it.
Then again, Sonia wasn’t getting anything. Except the fact that Callum, Sonia noted with extreme annoyance, had a great laugh.
Which was also part of the cosmos’s joke, no doubt.
“So, we go on campaign, is Queen Sonia coming with us?” Waring asked, grinning at her again. “She’d be useful. Makes good coffee,” he finished before he took another sip.
Queen Sonia?
Campaign?
“Likely not,” Callum answered. “She’s human. Only way to assure her safety.”
Human?
Safety?
“Figured,” Waring muttered.
Slowly, Sonia turned her head to look at Callum.
When her eyes met his, he dipped his head, rubbed his temple against hers, her body went rock-solid and he whispered in her ear, “I’ll explain later.”
He pulled his head back, she glared at him and then turned to Waring. “I don’t think we’ll be going on campaign since there are so many things Callum’s going to be,” she lifted her hands and made quotation marks, “‘explaining later’ that it might take until the new millennium for him to do it.”
Both Callum and Waring laughed at that too.
Sonia decided not to inform them she wasn’t being funny.
Then she decided, since this was way too weird for words, not to object that Callum seemed perfectly happy chatting away with Waring while she sat in his lap. Something which she was not perfectly happy about.
When Waring finished his coffee, Callum stood, taking Sonia with him and placing her on her feet. Waring stood after him and Callum left them to go to the laptop.
“Take this data stick to Caleb, will you?” he asked, handing the stick to Waring who took it.
“You got a back up?” he enquired and then looked at Sonia and said preposterously, “Saliva. Probably not good for data sticks.”
“What?” Sonia breathed but Callum was pulling her medication from the satchel and she saw it was wrapped in brown paper and taped to oblivion.
When the satchel was empty, he tossed it to Waring.
“Good thinking,” Waring said to Callum and again turned to Sonia. “That’s why he’s king.”
“King?” Sonia whispered but Callum was beside her. His hand sliding along her shoulders, he tugged her against his side and together they walked Waring to the door just like they were an old married couple moving to wave away a party
Running?
“Yes, of course,” she murmured, attempting to mask her alarm and, she had to admit, curiosity, and called to the other man, “How do you take it?”
“With two fingers of whisky,” he replied, still grinning at her. He waited for Callum to set down a small satchel on the coffee table and sit before he took his seat, looked at Callum and repeated, “Really, your grace, she’s seriously pretty.”
Your grace?
“I noticed,” Callum replied, humor in his tone.
In spite of herself, hearing Callum agree she was “seriously pretty” with that warm humor in his voice made a shiver dance across Sonia’s skin.
She pretended that didn’t happen, found the whisky, poured in two fingers, added the coffee, took it to the living room and handed it to the man.
“Thank you for bringing my –” she started but before she could finish Callum’s hands shot out, curved around her hips and she was flying through thin air for a moment before she landed in his lap.
This made Waring grin again.
It made Sonia twist around and glare before snapping, “Callum!”
Callum completely ignored her, his arms closing tight as he asked Waring, “You want a sandwich or do you want Sonia to grill you a steak?”
Waring patted his flat belly and said, “Had some fast food before I transformed. I’m good. The coffee and whisky will set me up. The weather’s not half bad a bit down the mountain. It’s just up here you’re really getting it.” His grin widened and he said, “And it’s all downhill on the way back.”
Both Callum and Waring laughed at this like it was the height of hilarity.
Sonia didn’t get it.
Then again, Sonia wasn’t getting anything. Except the fact that Callum, Sonia noted with extreme annoyance, had a great laugh.
Which was also part of the cosmos’s joke, no doubt.
“So, we go on campaign, is Queen Sonia coming with us?” Waring asked, grinning at her again. “She’d be useful. Makes good coffee,” he finished before he took another sip.
Queen Sonia?
Campaign?
“Likely not,” Callum answered. “She’s human. Only way to assure her safety.”
Human?
Safety?
“Figured,” Waring muttered.
Slowly, Sonia turned her head to look at Callum.
When her eyes met his, he dipped his head, rubbed his temple against hers, her body went rock-solid and he whispered in her ear, “I’ll explain later.”
He pulled his head back, she glared at him and then turned to Waring. “I don’t think we’ll be going on campaign since there are so many things Callum’s going to be,” she lifted her hands and made quotation marks, “‘explaining later’ that it might take until the new millennium for him to do it.”
Both Callum and Waring laughed at that too.
Sonia decided not to inform them she wasn’t being funny.
Then she decided, since this was way too weird for words, not to object that Callum seemed perfectly happy chatting away with Waring while she sat in his lap. Something which she was not perfectly happy about.
When Waring finished his coffee, Callum stood, taking Sonia with him and placing her on her feet. Waring stood after him and Callum left them to go to the laptop.
“Take this data stick to Caleb, will you?” he asked, handing the stick to Waring who took it.
“You got a back up?” he enquired and then looked at Sonia and said preposterously, “Saliva. Probably not good for data sticks.”
“What?” Sonia breathed but Callum was pulling her medication from the satchel and she saw it was wrapped in brown paper and taped to oblivion.
When the satchel was empty, he tossed it to Waring.
“Good thinking,” Waring said to Callum and again turned to Sonia. “That’s why he’s king.”
“King?” Sonia whispered but Callum was beside her. His hand sliding along her shoulders, he tugged her against his side and together they walked Waring to the door just like they were an old married couple moving to wave away a party
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