Page 20 of The Light Within

They pounded down the narrow corridor. Julien was dripping wet himself from the splash back, but he couldn’t really complain, he supposed.

Down the stairs.

They took them two at a time, then three. Then, out into the cool night. In their absence, the air had swollen with drizzle, light yet instantly drenching. At least it would wash the toilet off him.

“That was Kayla. We’re lucky she’s a cocky bastard who never bothers calling for backup.” Elliot threw Julien’s coat back to him.

“Cocky Kayla. Got it. Let’s get out of here before she recovers from her drowning.”

By the time they’d reached the Verdant Conservatory, the light rain had rapidly transformed into large droplets pelting down on them.

“Are the files okay?” Devastation would be the word if they risked so much to be left with a soggy, illegible mess.

“Depends how waterproof this jacket is.”

A sudden flash of light.Flashlights,in fact, two of them, over near the barrier.

Elliot cursed as Julien pressed himself against the wall, then nodded towards the entrance to the conservatory.

Surprisingly, his device wasn’t required to open the door this time—apparently the perceived risk of people stealing mote-enhanced plants and flowers was very low.

A few footsteps inside, and the patter of drizzle on the crystal-clear domed glass of the conservatory came to a trickling halt. A few stars revealed themselves. Julien meandered up the chunky cobblestone path, brushing his fingers across the soft petals of bioluminescent orchids, glowing softly in shades of gold.

Well, while they were here…

“Where are you off to?” hissed Elliot, hot on his trail.

“To find mistletoe.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s Christmas.”

“You hate Christmas.”

Christmas. It had been a November, whenMèrehad died. They’d spent that holiday season in silent grief, with Béatrice refusing to come out of her room on Christmas Day. Julien passed the day spending his time picking out pine needles from the tree, arranging the spiky leaves in abstract patterns across the floor and meeting any interaction from his father with silence. Each year since, Julien worked to ignore the jovialfestivities. Hard, when people erected giant inflatable eyesores of creepy looking Santas on every other road, but he did his best.

They finally located the mistletoe, growing in the far right of the maze-like conservatory, high in the branches of a lone tree.

Instead of only white berries, it boasted waxy clusters of crimson-red and dark green fruit. The leaves had a slight shimmer to them, promising the plant was infused with everglaze, and would appear as fresh as the day they were picked for months.

Standing on tiptoes, Julien ripped a bunch from the tree.

“I don’t think you need mistletoe to get Cinn to kiss you.”

Julien studied Elliot’s expression. He wore a light, amused smile that seemed held in place for Julien’s scrutiny. Whether it was all a facade or not, he’d take it. The two of them avoided the topic of Julien’s dating life like the plague, since Elliot had bravely made his feelings clear many years ago. Julien was lucky Cinn was so instantly likeable, as it would have been hard for Elliot to hold on to any animosity.

“So, are youtogethernow?” Elliot asked, further surprising Julien with the probing questioning.

Together. Julien marvelled at the word—it had never before applied to him. He hesitated for a moment, slanting another look at Elliot. “We haven’t said as much, but,oui?”

“Don’t worry. He’s clearly smitten.” Elliot rolled and unrolled an elliptical black leaf into a tube, eyes firmly glued to it. “But I suggest you stop pissing him off. You can’t count on flowers to save you every time he catches you out in your web of lies.”

Web of lies seemed a little extreme, but Julien let it slide, lest he spoil Elliot’s remarkably happy acceptance of his relationship.

They walked in silence back to the entrance of the conservatory, opening the door a tentative crack. There was no sign of the gendarmerie, so they resumed their creeping journey through Auri, making it past the barrier and back to their vehicles without issue.

Elliot handed Julien the now tragically damp files before grabbing his motorcycle helmet from the saddlebag. He paused. “Are you going to show him this?”

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