Page 25 of A Deeper Blue
Azure felt a strange tightness in her chest and rubbed her breast bone, trying to lessen the feeling.
“Alekos?” asked Rafe.
“He is my friend, the wolf!” said Milo cheerfully. “He rescued me from the barren wasteland of Greece and brought me here. And he introduced me to one of my wives!”
“Oh,” said Rafe, blinking slightly.
“He is a good friend. I wish that he may find a mate, raise many wonderful children, and a healthy pack!”
“That is…” Rafe paused and then laughed. “That is a wonderful thing to wish on anyone. He is lucky to have you as a friend.”
The tightness eased, and Azure took a deep breath.
“Azure, are you all right?” asked Milo, squinting at her. “You have the look like the second sight dances on your soul.”
“A little just now,” said Azure ruefully. “But it’s passed. Sometimes I just get weird vibes,” she said to Rafe’s questioning look. “I can’t always explain them.”
“And then sometimes there are trolls,” said Milo.
“Trolls?” demanded Rafe, and Azure groaned.
“Ignore him,” she said, pulling out the tin of gingerbread. “Here, have some gingerbread.”
“I don’t want—” Rafe’s nose visibly twitched. “OK, maybe a little, but then we’re talking about the trolls.”
“I will sing you the entire ballad!” exclaimed Milo.
“No,” said Azure. “No, no, no. It was very nice of Hugh to compose it, but I don’t think those events need to be memorialized in song.”
“Yes, they do!”
“Mm-mm!” agreed Rafe around a mouthful of gingerbread.
“You see? Rafe wishes to hear the song!”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yes, he does,” said Rafe, finally swallowing and then grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“I like you,” said Milo.
“You like everyone,” said Azure repressively.
“I like most people,” said Milo with a shrug. “I’m a wood nymph. You know we can’t help it. We’re an exceedingly friendly people.”
“I sometimes think wolves are about the least friendly Supernaturals around,” said Rafe conversationally.
“Not true!” disagreed Milo. “I have known and loved many wolves!”
Azure hoped that Rafe wouldn’t get weirded out by the part about loving many wolves. It was undoubtedly true—in all the varieties thatlovingimplied—but Milo could never get the hang of discretion, and interspecies romances sometimes freaked people out. On the other hand, Rafe was with her and didn’t seem bothered by their brand of interspecies loving, so he was probably fine. She wondered if she ought to explain her multi-species ancestry to him. It was always awkward to explain that human, elf, fairy, nymph, dryad, and possibly one fire god were in the mix. Mostly, she and her siblings just said they were Fae and called it good. If they said anything at all.
“Wolves are not unfriendly,” continued Milo. “You are reluctant to trust, which seems foreign to my people but is not a stance that is without merit. Once trust has been built, then wolves are one of the most giving species! You care about and for others. Your sense of community and family is a source of great strength.”
Rafe grunted. “Yeah, it’s real great if you’ve got one.”
“Rafe’s out on his own,” said Azure, feeling like Rafe’s pack-less status was probably a sensitive topic and wanting to warn Milo away from it.
“Not anymore,” said Milo, grinning. “Now he has you.”
