Page 44 of A Subtle Scar
Charon dropped his hand from my cheek. He had very soft hands, but that worked with everything he was. Soft on the outside, but made of something dark that rested just barely beneath the surface of his being.
“Well, he can just as well teleport us there. Wait here, I’ll get Hermes.”
I grunted, but shook my head and stood. “I’m driving. I have my bag in the car. And I just didn’t get to sleep much last night, that’s all.”
Charon was still for a long moment. Then he nodded. “If you say so.”
Five minutes later, with an immortal on either side of me, I found myself walking out the building.
By the time I pressed my fob to get my car open, it finally, finally occurred to me that I’d been wanting to get rid of the twosome of immortals who were still trailing me, not get them closer to me.
I turned around to face them.
“You two…”
Hermes was smiling, and so was Charon. Needy. They looked needy. For whatever reason, I couldn’t summon the energy to get them to piss off. It seemed like too much work, and I couldn’t handle anything else for that day, couldn’t handle a conversation. I could barely handle myself in that moment.
I took a calming breath. “You two. See you tomorrow, if you’re still in town.”
I turned again and got in my car.
Before I could even power the car up, an immortal appeared in the passenger seat, and the back door opened. I watched Charon glide into the seat behind the passenger seat, and Hermes was looking pleased with himself.
“Ronny said you weren’t feeling well, so we can’t let you drive by yourself. If you let me, I could drive.” He pointed behind himself with his thumb. “Ronny could as well, technically, but I don’t think he’s been behind the wheel of anything for the past century, so I’ll make a far better chauffeur.”
Needy. Too damn fucking needy.
I powered the car up. “I don’t need a driver. I’m fine.”
“I’m here just in case you change your mind,” Hermes said, fixing the seat belt across his chest.
The drive felt long, but at least the two immortals kept to blessed silence. I pulled in a spot in the hotel’s garage and put the car into park, then got out.
The two immortals did as well, although Hermes teleported again, which was a fascinating skill and maybe even one I’d like for myself. I’d experienced it before, with Mistress Trony.
“Thanks for tagging along, but I’m good now,” I said. I opened the trunk and got my bag out—but Charon whisked that from my fingers.
“We should put you to bed, make sure you have everything you need. You still look a little pale, darling. Your fingers are icy cold.”
“I could give you a nice back rub,” Hermes offered with a genial smile.
The two of them were a lot. I didn’t have the energy.
“This is not ending in us fucking,” I said and reached for my bag.
“I got it, darling,” Charon said and pulled the bag just out of reach. “I insist,” he added with a smile.
“And fucking isn’t everything,” Hermes said and closed the trunk. “Which is not in any way saying that I am not good at it. Or that Ronny isn’t good at it. We are both very good at it. Accomplished, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes, very,” Charon agreed, bobbing his head. “Giving. Hermes is very giving.”
“And Ronny’s ass—he has a very beautiful ass, you know,” Hermes said.
I made one last lunge for my bag, failed, and finally walked toward the elevators wordlessly. The two immortals followed. Once the doors closed and we were alone with the boring music, I frowned at them, and they each gave me a cheerful smile, once more making me wonder what weirdness I’d stepped into here.
They fell in step on either side of me when the elevator opened and spit us out in the lobby. The place was the impersonal thing I needed right now, gray floors, thick gray carpets to soak up any potential spring rains by the door. Glass tables and off-white armchairs sat in the waiting area, and the reception desk was an equally neutral white. Behind it, the person smiling was all professional and judgment free, barely a person in her uniform. “Sabine,” her name tag read.
“Good evening, and welcome to the Four Seasons,” Sabine said.
