Venom And Vice

15

“That seems like something you should be more excited about.” She shot me a questioning glance. I took a deep breath and launched into an explanation of everything that had happened the night before. When I was done, Becca stilled out front of the coffee shop, her eyes wide. “Holy s**t, Ash. I don’t even know what to think.” “Tell me about it,” I grumbled, leading us inside. We ordered our drinks and a couple of scones, then found a table once our order was ready. “First,” Becca began quietly. “I’m so excited for you to finally get to explore your … gifts. I know how frustrated you’ve been these past few months.” “It’s a relief for sure. I just wish I hadn’t made things so awkward.” “It was an accident. Casek will understand. And now that you know what you can do, you won’t make that mistake again.” I appreciated her confidence but wasn’t as convinced. “I’ll certainly try not to. I’d hate to hurt anyone else, but I’m also a little worried about what this means for me. What if word got out? I’m not sure I want anyone else to know what I can do.” Becca chewed at her cheek. “I think you’re right. The fewer people who know, the better. Casek will probably tell Lochlan, but outside of the four of us, no one else needs to know.” She studied me, worry creeping into her features. “You’re going to have to be careful, Ash. These powers you’ve been given … they might put you in danger.” “Trust me, I’m beginning to see that. I wanted to show some sign of power, but what I did felt wrong. I hated it.” She clasped my hand in hers. “I had my share of awkward accidents when I was learning. It’ll get better.” I nodded, hoping she was right. “So are you going to tell me where you disappeared to yesterday? And you still haven’t told me what you and Lochlan were up to back in Faery after we talked to the queen.” Becca fidgeted in her seat, taking a second to sip from her steaming coffee. “Just tying up some loose ends. Nothing major.” Okaaaay, that was vague. She didn’t have to tell me every detail of her life, but I thought we’d moved past keeping secrets from one another. I wasn’t sure if I was reading into her behavior or not. Either way, my curiosity had been piqued. I’d have to start paying more attention to my friend and make sure she wasn’t holding anything back that I should know about. It was a problem we’d already run into once when she first tried to keep her involvement with the Fae a secret. Her attempt to protect me had only made things worse. “Things with Lochlan going okay?” I figured I’d fish around for information just to be safe. Becca’s answering grin was so effervescent that it left no room for doubt about its authenticity. She detailed the past few days she’d spent with her boyfriend in the words of a woman hopelessly in love. I was so incredibly happy for her and couldn’t help but feel uplifted by the time we returned home. She came back to the apartment with me but retreated to her room for a shower. I got comfortable on the sofa with my laptop and began to get some muchneeded work done. My boss had allowed me to work remotely so that I could continue working from Ireland, and I didn’t want to piss him off by falling behind. When a knock sounded at the front door two hours later, I was crosseyed from staring at the computer and zoned out enough to forget to check the peephole. I opened the door wide, then stumbled backward in surprise, falling on my ass. “s**t, s**t, shit.” I shuffled away from the entry, standing as soon as I could get my feet under me, not taking my eyes from the enormous white wolf at Lochlan’s side. “Knight!” Becca cried happily from the kitchen before racing over. She and the beast met in a slobbery reunion, Lochlan smirking at the scene. “This guy was waiting out front for permission to enter,” he explained. “I figured he was here for you.” I suddenly recalled that she’d told me about a dog who’d saved her from Ronan and adopted her briefly. When she mentioned a dog, I'd thought she’d meant a normal dog, but this beast was enormous. He had to weigh two-hundred pounds if he was an ounce. Becca scratched behind the dog’s ears, his lolling tongue evidence of his eternal gratitude. “It’s so good to see you, boy. Did Merlin send you?” She looked up at me, eyes bright. “Knight is Merlin’s companion. I’m guessing he’s here for you now that Merlin has named you his apprentice.” My eyes rounded comically wide. “Me? What do you mean here for me?” I’d slowly retreated, my legs now plastered against the back of the couch. We never had pets growing up. I’d wanted one for years, but by the time I was old enough to own one myself, I’d lost interest. They shed and shat and were more trouble than they were worth, and this particular beast was terrifying. Knight parted from Rebecca and trotted in my direction. I stopped breathing. With no time to react, I held perfectly still as he licked my hand, then leaped over the back of the sofa to make himself comfortable on the gray cushions. My mouth gaped wide. “Yeah, I’d say he’s here to stay.” Becca chuckled. “What?” I squeaked. Lochlan closed the door, joining Rebecca on the loveseat across from the beast. “Agreed. Looks like you have a new housemate. I’ll make sure to update the wards and let the others know.” Knight huffed and laid his head on his front paws. “So he just lives here now?” Was I the only one having trouble with this new development? Becca smiled softly. “He’s not like a normal dog. He kind of does what he wants, so I wouldn’t worry about him. This shows us that Merlin is keeping an eye on you. I’m relieved to know you’ll have the extra protection.”