Chapter 12 - Carick’s Bromance

“She did what?” Carick’s bellow carried down the hall and into Flint’s bedroom, where he’d just gotten out of the shower and was pulling jeans on. He went to his dresser for a shirt so he could see what the Steward was making a fuss about.

An index card lay on top of the dresser, under the enameled white-and-yellow daisy pin that Flint had carried as a memento ever since his family died. It had belonged to his older sister, Daisy, a trinket she bought at the mall on one of their rare trips into town from the wilds of Yosemite, and she had worn it constantly until the day she died. Flint rubbed the tips of his fingers across the petals absentmindedly as he took a closer look at the card.

It was lemon yellow with red whorls at the corners, and written on it in even, flowing script was a recipe for “Zucchini Sunrise muffins”. Cool, someone had dropped him the recipe. But who? Maybe someone had brought Molly to the house.

Flint pulled his shirt on and strode out to the common room where a few shifters - Aven, Dario, Bryce, Jameson - were held captive to Carick’s continued ranting. “Impossible! No switch could refuse her coven. What excuse did she give?”

Jameson rolled his eyes. “She’s got a roommate she won’t leave. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, the point is she’s not ready. They’re moving into the duplex today.” He gave a nod in the direction of Bryce, who was standing by the bar, oblivious to the conversation, eyeing a pitcher of thick green liquid with suspicion. “Bryce is next door, he’ll be able to keep watch.”

Carick made a sound of disgust.

Flint stood. “Bryce will do a great job, right Bryce?”

Bryce sketched a salute. “I’m all over it.” He went back to eyeing the smoothie.

Flint grabbed the pitcher and poured one. Bryce’s expression changed to one of confusion and horror. “Bro, what are you doing?”

Carick grunted, then changed the subject. “We need a watch on Vernon’s house.”

Jameson shook his head, confused. “Who?”

The Steward gave an impatient flick of his fingers. “Vernon Bunn, the human in charge of Triumph Over Victory. The vampires were at his house. I have been speaking with him since the incident, and I believe Vernon could prove to be a great asset. He will be protected.”

Dario looked surprised. “Oh. First names.” Then his face broke into his trademarked wide grin. “Okay, then. I didn’t know it was serious like that.”

Jameson kept a straight face, but Flint could tell it took effort. “Aven, can you add Mr. Bunn to your surveillance schedule, get enough shifters to cover?” The raptor nodded to his superior, but his eyes remained fixed on the Steward, studying him for flaws, for motives.

Carick motioned to Flint, thundering his question. “Any other progress to report on the switch? Anything you’ve learned that might be useful?”

Flint nodded. “You don’t have to yell inside. Yeah, a bit. She can do magic.”

A murmur ran around the room. Next to him Bryce laughed. “What, did she pull your rabbit out of his hat? That’s not magic, bro. Lots of women can do that.”

Flint punched Bryce in the shoulder. Hard. Bryce sulked and went back to glaring daggers at the green smoothie.

“She was chasing a vampire-” A collective straightening of spines in the room had Flint addressing the obvious. “Yeah, in Shady Pines again. Shit is going down. We need patrol or something. Back to Goldie, she almost got hit by a car, but she did this-,” Flint mimed how Goldie had placed her hands, elbows out, fingers pointing toward each other, one forearm above the other. “-and green magic shot out of her hands, and then she was flying. I caught her.”

Carick was nodding his head. “Good. Magic is natural to the switches during the hunt, but strongest with one in each coven. This Goldie is very valuable if she is the most magical of the Breath switches.”

“Magic leaks out of her fingertips, too, or at least it looked like the green air bubble she made in the street, but this was here, no vampires around.”

The Steward’s eyebrows were raised, his eyes sparkling for the first time that Flint had seen. He might have smiled. “It has been many years since I have seen magicks flow from the fingers of a strong switch.” He broke eye contact to look at the walls and ceiling surrounding him, then fixed Flint with a meaningful look. “She must join us. Entice her if you have to. You have what she wants.”

Flint swallowed hard. Freaky shit.

Carick pressed forward, staring directly at Flint. “You offer her protection, stability, strength, and adoration. You cannot help but to do so. All switches desire such from shifters. Show her your natural fascination with her, display your simple heart that wishes only to be of service, and she will come. She will join us. If that fails, bring her a vampire.”

Flint snorted, but didn’t speak. Carick did not get how the real world was, he was still living in that cave. But Flint couldn’t deny that desire to be “of service.” All kinds of service.

He would start by cooking for her. “Yeah, I’ve got an idea. See ya.” He dropped his smoothie on the counter.

Bryce looked at it. “Why’s it green, man? Kale and shit?”

Flint laughed as he headed for the stairs. Okay, Resperanza, where do you keep the springform pans?