Page 356 of Flirting with Darkness

Ross shoves my shoulder, shooting me a playfully condemning glare before pushing away from the fridge.

“Yes, there are plenty of strumpets,” he hisses beneath a cupped hand. “I mean crumpets left, Uncle El.” Winking at me as he grabs a jar of honey from the wall shelf, he places it on the table in front of my aunt and uncle.

“Um, where is Win?” I ask, curious where she could be. Even more I wonder where Lux is. Although I have no intention of touching the obol as Kharon insisted, putting my sights on it means Kharon can save his sister. No one answers me. Typical. They simply carry on as they always do, ignoring me.

“Merry Christmas everyone!” Melchior cheerfully announces as he comes in from the side door.

“Merry Christmas son!” Uncle El exclaims, quickly rising from his chair to hug his son.

“Melchior, dear, please don’t tell me you’ve been outside without a coat,” Aunt Vivian chides, as he kisses the top of her head. “And why are you limping? Are you okay?”

“Oh, Vivian, please don’t make a fuss. He’s a grown man,” Uncle El says, as he sits back down. Grabbing a butter knife he begins spreading honey on his crumpet.

“Thank you, father,” Melchior answers with a strained smile, making his way to the coffee pot.

“Women will try to mother you to your grave if you let them,” he playfully grumbles, tossing a heap of bacon on his plate.

Swiping his hand and taking away three strips of bacon from him, Aunt Vivian shakes her head. “Yes, and without us women you men would make your way to an early grave. You see Rae, they complain about us, but they need us.”

I smile. “Yes, they do.” My mind drifts to Kharon. I can only hope he finds the obol soon. The sooner he finds it, the faster we can get back to us. Besides, I’m sure I could disappear again without much notice.

“Is that so, Rae? Do tell,” Ross taunts me from across the room with his arms folded across his chest.“I’m watching you,”he mouths, pointing two fingers from his eyes toward mine.

Thankfully, neither our aunt nor uncle see his machinations or entertain his insinuation as they continue eating breakfast. As odd as it is, I’m used to being unnoticed by them. It’s not blatant disregard, but they certainly don’t take me seriously. However, Melchior steps in between me and Ross, shifting a mildly probing stare over his shoulder. Hunching his shoulders, he steps closer to the table as he sips his coffee.

“Well actually I thought everyone was joining us outside,” Melchior says.

“Us?” I wonder.

“Yes, Lux is teaching Win to ice skate now. She’s actually taking to it quite well. That is, after falling on her bum a time or two.” Melchior laughs, setting his cup down on the table. “So who’s joining us?”

Hopeful to get from under my twin’s daggered-eyed stare, I lift my hand. “Me!”

22

KHARON

Iam surprised how quiet the grounds are on Elysian Manor this morning. While Elysian is known to give his staff time off until after Boxing Day, I expected there to remain a full-on search for me. There’s no trace of the Guard nor any of Elysian’s security detailing the property.

Although it helps me get around without much concern, I am slightly disappointed. For the last few years, I’ve spent my days as a trusted friend to Elysian. In that time, I’ve stressed how important it is for him to ramp up protections on the island, and specifically around his estate. Mostly, he’s taken most of my advice to heart, beefing up security where needed. Yet in one night, it’s like he’s disregarded all my advice.

But why?

Why would he so flagrantly ignore all I’ve taught him? Especially when the one he believes to be his primary adversary has yet to be captured. I can only wonder what falsehood the Guard has given him to cause him to act so foolishly.

Still, I cannot linger on the issue. I need to find my obol.

I sense its power is still here on the island but for some reason the exact location feels hidden from me. Perhaps I’ve been on this earthbound plane for so long, I’ve lost some of my Nether-like sensibilities. The same way Lux and his brother were able to pry the obol right from under me, am I at a loss for its location now.

Remaining unseen as I sweep through the mansion, I make my way upstairs and find Rae’s bedroom. It’s the first time I’ve been on this level, but the scent of her carried me right to her suite. Situated next to her cousin, Winter’s room, the two share a Jack and Jill style bathroom.

While I don’t go into Winter’s room, I’m impressed by Rae’s décor. Unlike the neutral pallet through the estate, Rae’s room is vibrant and full of color. Bright shades of yellow, orange, blue and green perfectly mirror her vibrance. Rae has always been the bright, bubbly, albeit more bashful one of the Elysian family. Whether she’s trading inside jokes with her twin or bouncing around the kitchen while baking all sorts of decadence, I’ve long known there remained a hidden treasure in Rae.

I’m simply thankful to have unearthed such a treasure last night.

My manhood flinches at the thought.

Looking around her room, I see a large book on her desk. Seeing the titleRae’s Recipe’son the cover, I figure it’s not too intrusive for me to sneak a peek. Recipes for muffins, cupcakes, and cakes are the first I see, and it warms my heart seeing just how much she enjoys baking. But when I see the scribbling ofKhari’s Scones, my interest piques.

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