Thought of his children encourages him to reach out to see what they are doing. He can feel Toby’s amusement and Rae’s frustration at him. Obviously they have been having fun but he is too content to pry deeper. No doubt Rae will inform him at great length when the bath is over.
He sips the drink and reviews the day. The attack of the Bulmäs distracted him. He was meant to be finding out about the girl. Still Rae was talking of her in present tense so he is pretty sure she is ok. If things had gone differently she would have said. Stone house. The significance of the name is not lost on him. Silas uses a number of surnames, Maynan, Tremaine but they all come from that root. He ponders for a moment as to whether that is deliberate. Given Aaron will have had some hand in setting up the other identities it’s unlikely to be coincidence.
So the Bulmäs were expecting to find Silas, or may be a son. But their killer is female. Suddenly he is not so sure the attack is connected at all.
And then there is Polar’s absence from the announcement. That was strange. Surely Christine could have held off something as important as that until her right hand woman was available. Unless...
His shudder disturbs the bath water.
Unless Chris was making a point. That Polar was deliberately excluded from the family event. Punishment for some transgression. But what could she have done that would piss Chris off that much. He suddenly realises he needs an excuse to go back to the Island and get a few answers.
But not tonight.
He stands up, the bath water draining away leaving his skin smooth and dry. He reaches out and his favoured Kimono, the one with the 'burning chicken' design on it; Rae's less than complementary name for his personal crest, appears in his hand growing from a blue glow. He slips it on and goes to locate his family.
On his way up to the families rooms he passes today’s baby sitter on the way out. He can’t help grin at her. She shrugs.
“See you next week?” He asks. Half expecting a ‘you have got to be kidding answer’.
But Vapour just smiles. “Bye Paul.”
He shakes his head and climbs the stairs. He moves through the castle to their own quarters, more permanent structures than the paper walls of the lower floors. He strides up the wide wooden stair in the centre of the building. The style of these rooms are more western and modern, but long rice paper banners and japanese blades on the walls insure it still has an oriental feel to it.
Rae is standing on the balcony watching Vapour leave, he sees her relax as the woman fragments into her various forms and vanishes off into the different realities.
Paul's arms slip round her waist, and kisses her right arm.
"What did he do?" He asks gently.
"He left Vapour thinking she was sitting in a ward." Rae replies with a sigh.
"Thinking?" The kiss moves to the other arm.
"It was just a circle there was no power in it."
Paul snorts a laugh.
"Don't you'll only encourage him." She replies.
"Well she should have checked." Paul retaliates.
He turns her round gently, looking up at her. This close the 4" height difference is significant. He snorts again, amused at his son's behaviour.
"Don't." She protests. "How am I going to persuade him to behave if you keep laughing?"
"Lighten up Rae. No one got hurt, I bet even Vapour found it funny after the fact. They are kids, kids get into mischief."
"Yes but It’s every time..."
"It’s not every time." He responds. "It’s nowhere near every time. Actually they are well behaved, it’s just when they are not..."
"When they are not people coalesce." She finishes.
"When they are not they can be more inventive than most kids." He correct her.
"They have more ammunition than most kids."
"That too." He admits. He pushes the oil stained hair from her eyes. "You need a bath," his hands run down her hair to her shoulders, feeling the tightness of the muscles. "and a massage." He takes her hand. "Come on."
He leads her up the stairs to their bed room, a hot tub of water waiting for her. He eases the tight black shirt from her shoulders, gently massaging the skin as it comes into view. She relaxes as he strokes her. He pushes her down so she is sitting on the edge of the tub. Pulling off the tight boots he starts to rub life back into her tired feet.
"I should be doing this for you," She protests slightly.
"No. I'm all better." He shows her the damaged arm, just a faint scar remains. He hopes she doesn’t question where he got the energy from to heal that quickly.
He pulls off the tight Kevlar and cotton standard issue trousers, slipping them carefully over her hips first, mindful of the bruise she picked up when the Bulmäs struck her. He drops a kiss onto her belly to distract her as moves the waistband over the damage. She sighs deeply at his touch.
"Impressive." He gestures to the blue and purple bruise.
She looks down at it. "Deep too." She responds, noticing it for the first time. "When..." She starts, then she remembers the impact that sent her flying. "Ahh yes."
"In the bath." He instructs. "There are herbs in there that will heal that in no time."
She follows his command, sinking deeply into the water, enjoying it’s warm and soothing effect. She lies back, resting her head on a small pillow at the end of the tub. He sits beside her stirring the water gently to allow the currents to caress the damage. She closes her eyes, the action making her sleepy.
"Did you know Ryan was mainlining Fay blood?" She asks.
"Humm huh." He affirms. "Where did you think he was getting it from?" He replies with a smile.
"Why?" She asks looking up. "Surely he could just get a transfusion from Christine. There has to be enough Wyrd in her."
Paul shrugs, "She said she's saving that for a special occasion." He replies. "You're not going to go all two faced on me are you?" He asks, amusement in his voice.
"No but..." She replies, lying back again and closing her eyes.
"Ooo, it’s nasty stuff and you never know what you are going to get..." He starts in his high squeaky 'Mrs busybody' voice. "Maximising profit, that's all they care about these dealers. They cut it with all sorts of stuff, washing powder, talc you name it. Makes it go further you know....."
"Blue minty gel." Rae responds in dark slow voice referring to a joke he played on her in their deep dark past after the body swap when she was still relearning to use her fate gifted abilities.
"Well yes." Paul replies in his own voice. He scratches his nose. "It’s just a crutch Rae, like it was with you. Just something to give him the confidence, get him used to pushing that sort of power around whilst he gets up to speed."
"I hope so." She observes.
"You worry too much about him." He replies.
"Well it’s not as if I have to worry about you." She responds.
"You can still worry about me." He is hurt by her words. "Just 'cos I'm immortal doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. If you prick me do I not bleed, if you kick me in the balls do I not roll on the floor in agony" He miss quotes.
"Just because I don't worry doesn't mean I don't care." She reassures him, picking up on his disappointment. "I care a lot Paul. It’s just I always know you are coming home." She moves to sit up, but he pushes her back down into the bath, sitting on the edge.
"Give it a bit longer, let it soak in." He instructs.
"I'm falling asleep." She protests.
"So?" He replies, "What are you going to do? Drown?" He laughs at her, reminding her of her immortal status.
She shrugs, but she lies back closing her eyes. He leans down kissing her forehead gently.
"Do you want me to give up my immortality so you can worry about me?" He offers, and for the briefest of seconds he even means it.
She shakes her head. "I played the game of loosing you once. I don't want to play it again." She replies.
"Then worry about me." He replies. "Worry about how much blood I am going to leave behind on the battle field, and how much skin I'm going to leave in the bath tub."
"I thought you wanted me to stop worrying." She asks, opening her eyes as she feels him stand up.
"Well if you are going to worry about pointless meaningless things then they might as well as be me." He justifies. “I’m about as meaningless and pointless as they come.”
He heads for the stair case up to the children's quarters.
+*+
Paul pushes the door open to the bed room. Gen is sat in the top bunk reading. It is a thick leather bound treaties on magic. Toby is curled on the bottom pretending to be asleep.
Paul sits on the bottom bunk, prodding his son, with increasing force, until he admits to being awake and rolls over.
"What did you do to Vapour?" he asks, there is no hint of accusation or anger in his voice.
"It was just a silly joke." Toby replies.
Paul just shrugs.
"What did you do today dad?" Gen asks. Fielding for her brother as usual.
"Collapsed a Ley gate, fought some bulmäs, usual thing." He responds matter-of-factly. He looks up. "Gen, What do you know about unbounded Ley gates and Followers of Hürn Bulmäs?"
"It’s rare. Some high tech Bulmäs can do it. I can look it up for you." She offers.
"I think you're mum would like to know." He replies. He looks at his son. "Just chalk eh?" The smile creeps to his lips.
"She sat there for an hour and a half." Toby smiles back.
"Yeah she could have got up at any time." Gen giggles. "It was so funny."
Paul shakes his head and then stands up. He leans forward kissing them each in turn. "Goodnight."
"'night Dad." They respond in harmony. As Paul reaches the door the light goes out.
"An hour and a half. " He whispers smiling.
Then he shakes his head and heads back to his wife.
