Page 6 of Bitten & Burned

Two

GILDED CONVERSATIONS

Caer Voss, Sol, Verdune

“You’re not eating. Is it bad? You can send it back, you know.”

Thalia was talking with food in her mouth again. At least this time, she was covering it, so we didn’t have to see her partially chewed lentil tart.

“It’s fine,” I replied. “I’m eating it, just slowly.”

“It’s a sandwich, Rowena, you’re intended to eat it together,” Bram said. “If you eat it piecemeal, it’s not going to taste as good.”

“How about I eat my food and you mind your business, Bram?” The jab was good-natured, and Bram reached over to steal my pickle. He took a large bite, gaze trained on me to gauge my reaction.

“Hey, I was saving that…”

“Yeah? I don’t think we’re going to be here for the heat-death of the universe, so I wanted to eat it before then.

” He grinned, and his cheeks dimpled. With his blonde hair and icy blue eyes, he was often mistaken for a much younger man.

He hated it now, but I reckoned he’d probably love it when we were all in our fifties.

I rolled my eyes. “As you were saying, Thalia?”

“If you don’t want the sandwich, send it back, Ro.”

I sighed heavily. “I like it. It’s good. Beetroot bread, grilled pheasant, shallot and sage jam, blackberries on the side… all heavenly. I would talk about the pickle, but it’s gone, and I never got to taste it because some big, annoying bird plucked it off my plate.”

“Good gods, there…” Bram tossed what was left of the pickle at me.

“I don’t want it if you’ve been gnawing on it.” I tossed it back.

“Persnickety…” he replied, throwing it back.

Thalia reached for it and popped it into her mouth with a crunch. “There. Now… do you actually like it or are you too chicken-shit to send it back?”

“I’m not chicken-shit,” I replied. “I’m eating it.”

“Okay, well, if you’re sure.”

“I am,” I said with a huff of indignation. “Now, where were we?”

“Oh, right, the new client!” Thalia said excitedly. She clapped her hands excitedly. “Okay, so… they want to sell my bath sets in a chain of stores all across Verdune!”

“Really?” I asked. “Oh my gods, that’s amazing, Thal!” I pictured her little jars on shelves from Avonlynne’s sunlit boardwalks to the salt-scented stalls of Serpentine Bay’s open-air market.

I leaned over to hug her, and she practically bounced out of my arms.

“Ask her why she dyed her hair pink,” Bram said, reaching for one of his chips and popping it into his mouth. “Ask her.”

“Gods, Bram, no one’s talking about that,” Thalia said with a heavy sigh. “I was telling my good news.”

“Right, and you told it, so now tell Rowena why you dyed your hair pink this time.”

I looked at her. Sure enough, her hair was pastel pink now, almost a rose quartz color. It suited her. I’d noticed but hadn’t said anything when I arrived because, honestly, she was always changing her hair color. It was usually when she broke up with someone, so that meant—

“Oh gods, you and Edric broke up?”

She sighed heavily and glared at Bram. “Big fucking mouth.”

“I didn’t say a word, I simply pointed out your new ‘do,” Bram replied curtly. “Besides, I never liked him, and now we get to trash-talk him, and Rowena’s so good at that.”

I smiled, but turned to Thalia first. “Are you alright? You should have sent word, I’d have come over…”

“I know, doll. But you’ve got your vamp and that thing on your leg, plus your job, I figured you might be too busy.”

“I’m never too busy for you, Thalia…” I said, feeling like an absolutely shitty friend because I wasn’t there for a friend who had always been there for me.

“I know you aren’t, babe, but I didn’t want to add more to your plate. Gods, Rowena, you look… so fucking tired.”

My shoulders slumped. “I know, it’s—” I waved a hand, cutting myself off. “This isn’t about me. Let’s just talk about you, Thalia.”

“Fine. But you’re next,” she said, pointing at me.

“And after her—me?” Bram asked hopefully.

“You’re the only one who wants to talk about you, Bram.”

I laughed as Bram scoffed.

“Edric had someone else… well.. someones,” Thalia began.

“Fuck him,” Bram and I said in unison.

Thalia grinned at both of us, reaching over to grab my hand. “I missed this, you know?”

“Me too,” I replied.

“You should see if your vamp will let you out more often,” Bram said, taking another chip.

“He doesn’t keep me from going out, Bram…”

“Yeah, then why do I never see you?”

“I go and do things. I go get groceries, I go to work, I go to the library, I go to Thalia’s shop…”

“You do? You never come to mine! You haven’t for at least six months.”

“I can’t keep plants alive anymore, Bram. Thalia sells me herbal tea for my inflammation.” The sigil’s curse seemed to have sapped my green thumb as well as my ability to wield Inera’s magic.

“I don’t just sell plants, and you know it,” he countered. “I’m like a doctor.”

Thalia snorted. “Yeah, the last big sale you had was on those Wormwood roots, for… what was it? Chronic constipation?”

“Thalia… for fuck’s sake. It’s an important problem.”

“Anyway, Thalia,” I said, putting my hand in Bram’s face to shut him up. “Edric was seeing someone else.”

“Yes, he was. And when I found out, he gave me the same old spiel they all give: ‘She’s a friend. She’s a client. She didn’t mean anything, baby, not like you…’ I swear to the gods, all these men ever want is a piece of my business.”

“It is,” I insisted.

“She’s not wrong,” Bram agreed.

“It’s not that successful yet,” she countered.

“Stop it, you’re going to have your bath sets in chain stores, Thalia, that’s huge. Plus, you built this up from nothing,” I reminded her. “Bram inherited his greenhouse.”

“Yeah, yeah…” He acquiesced. “It’s impressive that you started this on your own, Thal.”

She blushed to a shade of pink just a touch darker than her hair. “Okay, well, I mean…”

“Yeah, so you don’t need Edric,” I supplied. “You don’t need anyone. So when you look for the next one, keep that in mind. They’ve gotta be fucking amazing if you accept them into your life, you know?”

She grinned. “Or at least amazing in bed. I’m so sick of settling in that department. I’m about to start sleeping with people on the first date, and if there aren’t any sparks, I’m moving on.”

“That’s the spirit,” I said, taking another small bite of my grilled pheasant.

“Speaking of…” She rested her chin in her hands. “Let me live vicariously, Ro. Tell me what he’s like.”

I blushed. “Thalia…”

“Rowena… tell me, please. I've heard vampires are incredibly skilled in bed. Is it true?”

“I heard they have no refractory period,” Bram added.

I sighed. “There’s a refractory period, it’s just… shorter than human guys,” I said with a smirk.

“Is it insanely good? I already know it is, or you wouldn’t be blushing right now.”

Sighing, I grinned and nodded. “He’s amazing.”

Thalia squealed. “Oh my god, tell me everything, do you let him bite you during?”

I nodded.

Bram’s eyes were wide. “Really? I’d be too scared.”

‘Nah, it’s not scary at all… plus it helps with… the wound-thing.”

“Really? How?” Thalia asked, leaning forward on her chair.

“He has to bite near it, so he…” I trailed off before mumbling “bitesmyfemoralartery.”

“What?” Bram asked.’

“I got it,” Thalia said. “He bites her femoral artery.”

“Oh… oh,” Bram said, waggling his eyebrows.

“Alright, that’s all I’m going to say,” I said, raising my hand for the server. “I do have to go meet with Dr. Drummond before I head home to pack. Vael’s taking me up to Kravenspire this weekend.”

I couldn’t help the little flutter in my chest—Kravenspire’s cliffs always felt alive, Halemont’s wards hummed through the ancient stone like a magical wave; going there was like stepping into the center of Verdune itself.

“You’re so lucky your guy’s rich,” Bram said dreamily. “I’d love a rich guy to spoil me and take me places.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not about that.”

“No, but I bet it’s fucking nice, though.”

“I mean, yeah, I guess... anyway, I have to see Dr. Drummond before I head home, and he leaves his office at four on weekdays, as I recall.”

“Dr. Drummond.” Thalia mused, her eyebrows raised. “You mean our Cursework professor from university who is still inexplicably in your life?”

“Thalia… he’s helping me with the curse.”

“He gave you an amulet that you have to bring to him regularly, or it stops helping,” Thalia said.

“It’s the nature of the stone, Thalia.”

“Did you ask your dad about the amulet at least?”

I sighed heavily and took another bite of my sandwich. “My, but this pheasant’s amazing.”

“Ro… you should go see your dad. Did you even tell him about the…” she snapped her fingers in the direction of my leg. “The thing?”

“I sent word that something happened,” I said. “He sent me his condolences and a bouquet of psalknots.”

“Psalknots?” Bram asked, wrinkling his nose.

“They’re good for inflammation, if you dry them,” Thalia explained. “You’d think you’d know that, owning a greenhouse and all.”

“I know. There are just better herbs for it.”

“Not if he grows them at home, where Rowena was born. In that case, it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory. And a very sweet gift,” Thalia said the last bit for my benefit.

“Yes, well… I mean… he’s still my dad. Even if he’s not proud of me.”

Thalia sighed. “Well, did you tell him about that amulet?”

“What’s to tell? It’s bloodstone. And silver.”

“Exactly. Bloodstone, something your mother would have known all about. And silver, your father’s domain. I’m sure he’d have plenty to say about it.”

“He’d just be upset I got something he didn’t make.”

“Fuck, Rowena, if my father were Ambrose Marlowe, the most powerful arcane silversmith in Verdune, I’d rather wear something he made than an amulet my old, creepy professor made. Just saying.”

“Well, then, when it happens to you, you can call my father and… do that.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Never mind. Just… be careful, Rowena. I love you and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Nothing will.”