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Yeah… it was fine and dandy to ball chicks and guys in bars, but he would mate someone like Blay’s mother. A female of worth. And he would stay true to her until the end of his days.
Assuming he could find someone who would have him.
Blay’s mother stepped back to let them in. “You know you don’t have to knock-” She looked at the platinum chain around Qhui
Glancing at John, she murmured, “So that’s how the king fixed it.”
Yes, ma’am, John signed.
She turned to Qhui
In a whisper, she said, “We would have kept you here. You didn’t have to go.”
“Couldn’t do that to you.”
“We’re a stronger lot than you think.” She loosened her hold on him and nodded to the rear staircase. “Blay’s upstairs.”
Qhui
“We have to get out of the city. Most of the glymera are staying, but with… what’s happened, it’s too dangerous here.”
“Wise idea.” Qhui
“Blay’s father is looking for some vacation time, so the three of us are going to make the rounds of family down south-”
Blay appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Crossing his arms, he nodded at John. “Wassup.”
As John signed a greeting back, Qhui
Well, duh. Wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?
Blay’s mom squeezed Qhui
Jesus, John signed as she took off. How long are you guys going to be gone?
“Don’t know,” Blay said. “A while.”
In the long pause that followed, John looked back and forth between the two of them. Eventually he made a snorting noise and signed, Okay, this is stupid. What the fuck happened between you two?
“Nothing.”
“Nothing.” Blay nodded over his shoulder. “Listen, I gotta go up and finish packing-”
Qhui
Oh, hell, no. John marched over to the stairs. We’re going to your room and sorting this out. Right now.
As John put sole to step, Qhui
Upstairs, John shut the bedroom door behind them all and put his hands on his hips. As his stare went back and forth, he was like a parent standing over two recalcitrant children and a mess on the floor.
Blay went over to his closet, and as he opened it, the full-length mirror on the back side caught Qhui
“Nice new piece of jewelry there,” Blay murmured, looking at the chain that marked Qhui
“Not jewelry.”
“No, it isn’t. And I’m happy for you two. I really am.” He took out a parka… which meant the family was either going “down south” as in Antarctica, or the guy intended to be away a long time. Like, into winter.
John stamped his foot. We’re ru
“I’m sorry,” Qhui
“You tell John about it all?”
“No.”
Blay dropped his coat on his Prada duffel bag and looked at John. “He thinks I love him. As in… in love with him.”
John’s mouth slowly fell open.
Blay’s laugh flared and stopped short, as if his throat got tight. “Yeah. Go fig. Me in love with Qhui
Qhui
Blay glanced down at his duffel. “He’s right.”
Well, didn’t John look like he’d been nailed in the foot with a spike.
“Yup,” Blay said. “That’s why I could never get into the females all that much. None of them compared to him. No other guys do either, by the way. So I’m fucked royal, but then, that’s my biz and not his or yours.”
Christ, Qhui
“I’m sorry, Blay,” he said, because he had no idea what else to do.
“Yeah, I bet you are. Makes things hella awkward, huh.” Blay palmed the parka and slung the Prada bag up onto his shoulder. “But it’s all good. I’m getting out of town for a while, and you two are solid. So cool. Now I gotta go. I’ll text you in a couple of days.”
Qhui
Shit.
Blay turned away. “Later.”
As his best friend in all the world showed them his back and headed for the door, Qhui
The scream that came up from the first floor was high-pitched.
Blay’s mother.
The three of them were out of that bedroom like a bomb had gone off in it, shooting down the hall, thundering down the stairs. In the kitchen, they found that the nightmare of the war had come home.
Lessers. Two of them. In Blay’s motherfucking house.
And one of them had his mother up against his chest in a choke hold.
Blay let out a primal yell, but Qhui
The lesser smiled as he dragged Blay’s mom across the kitchen and out of the house, toward a minivan that was parked by the garage.
As John Matthew dematerialized out of sight, another slayer came in from the dining room.
Qhui
While the hand-to-hand went wild and the kitchen got trashed, Qhui
Please let Blay’s mom not get taken down in the cross fire.
As yet another slayer came through the door, Qhui
The bullets decimated the fucker’s head, blowing the top of it clear off-which gave Qhui
Pop! Pop! Fizz-fizz! Oh, what a relief it is.
As the thing disappeared in a flash of light, Qhui
Time to back up John.
Qhui
In a smooth move, John jumped out of the Town amp; Country and slammed the door shut; he pounded on the quarter panel and the thing reversed at a dead run. Qhui
“You okay, J-man?” Qhui