House of the Unwanted: A House of Frost Novel

Chapter 12

By Dabeagle

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We made a quick plan to visit the fire site that afternoon in order to let the fire department do what they needed to. Since it wasn't actively burning, that meant Michael wasn't there, so we had a little time. Nick had rented a place in town as a base of operations and had moved his friends there. Keats was bringing me to school, and I assumed Lewis would bring me to the shop after school.

“You know, we need to get you a license,” Keats said as we pulled out of the driveway.

“Why? I like riding you. I mean with you. Well, both.”

He rolled his eyes and smiled at me. “So you can get places when I'm not there, like after school. Lewis has been great, but he drops you off and goes back to school for practice.”

“Oh. Yeah. You can't come get me?”

“I work,” he said.

“Right. I guess I should learn. How much of a car guy can I be if I don't drive?”

“There you go,” he said.

I thought for a moment. “How is it you know so much? Your dad obviously recognizes how much you know, and you're doing a lot of different things in the shop.”

“I basically grew up in that shop,” he said with a little smile on his lips. “My dad had a wrench in my hand when I was little and always showed me how to do things. I think he was thrilled I absorbed and enjoyed it.” He sighed. “Then Joachim went back to Mexico, with the way things are changing for the worse around us.” He glanced at me. “Joachim was an all around car guy at the shop for a long time.”

“Oh. I guess he would have stayed otherwise?”

“Yeah. He was sending money back to his family.” He sighed. “Anyway. Another guy retired, and one guy was drinking at the shop, so we're short-handed. Plus things are slow during the winter in terms of restorations. We do some collision work, but dad's heart is in the old iron. But to your question: I do know a lot, but I'm still learning.”

“Your dad trusts you.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I mean...we're alike about some things, and we get on each other's nerves, but...he's a good guy. Really.”

Keats dropped me off, and I headed off to my first class. My head was a little in the clouds, but not as bad as I had been over the weekend. I did my best to focus, but that became difficult once I got to lunch.

“So,” Lewis said, dragging the word out. “I heard my cousin is dating again.”

“Keaton?” Sid asked.

“Yep,” Lewis said smugly.

Sounding confused, Gomez asked. “Some college guy?”

“Nah. Little closer to home,” Lewis said, giving me some unsubtle side-eye.

“Really?” Gary asked. “You're here, what, a month? And you bag Keaton? Bro, who are you?”

“Yeah, really,” Lewis asked with a big grin. “Who are you?”

“Well, Lewis wasn't available – plus he's violent. Hit me with his truck.”

“Bro!” Lewis said with a smile and a shake of his head. “My cousin though?”

I rolled my eyes. “What? We fit. What else is there to say?”

“A lot,” Jas chimed in. “Keaton was always fire, but really questionable dating choices. Who was that guy that chased him so hard?”

“You mean that loser he broke up with?” Lewis asked. “I don't talk about him.”

“Is that the one that broke up with him just before the road trip was supposed to start?” I asked.

Lewis nodded. “I mean...okay, if a road trip isn't your thing, you maybe bring that up? How much of an asshole do you have to be to act like that?”

I nodded. “He showed up at the shop Saturday. Andrew went out to yell at him.”

“I'll bet he did,” Lewis said with a grin. “They might piss each other off, but nobody gets to say or do anything against Keaton. Not while Uncle Andrew's around.”

“When did you guys get together?” Sid asked.

“Saturday.” I couldn't help but smile. “I guess I was there at the right time, since the ex had just pissed him off.”

“Oh, is that the story Keats sold you?” Lewis said with a laugh. “He asked me what I thought, and of course I said you seemed like a good guy, and he just acted like he was puking and said I say that about everyone.”

“He has a point,” Jas said.

“Tell me one thing Til's done to make you think he's not a good guy,” Lewis challenged, with a grin. “And now he's dating Keats, which I didn't see coming – except that Keats has been talking about Til since about the minute he saw him.”

That certainly brought a smile to my face. I looked to Jas. “How did you get together with Lewis?”

“He begged,” she said demurely and then burst out laughing.

“It was the dancing, bro. I told you,” Lewis said with a big grin.

“They got paired as dance partners at the beginning of show choir,” Sid said. “They've been up in each other's business ever since.”

“You make it sound dirty,” Jas told him.

“It is,” Lewis said and stuck his tongue out, waggling it around. She threw a chip at him and called him a pig while laughter raced around the table.

“What about you, Sid? You dating?”

He bobbed his head. “My girl's on debate team. I'll introduce you Saturday.”

I widened my eyes. “What's Saturday?”

“Didn't Keats tell you? We have a show. You have to come support the choir, bro,” Lewis said.

“Oh? Yeah, definitely,” I replied. I looked over at Gary and Gomez. “What about you guys?”

“He's not my type,” Gary said.

“Fuck I'm not. Bitch,” Gomez said, and they both laughed. The bell rang and lunch ended, but I liked that I knew more people. I liked how they reacted to news that I was dating one of their own, so to speak. In fact, it put me in mind of Nick and his friends. Nick was proof a magus could have strong connections to the normal world – even as his bonded. I thought about that a lot.

After school Lewis brought me to the garage, and I thanked him for being so nice about giving me a ride every day, going out of his way.

“All good,” he said. “I like to think I helped you and my cousin get together.” He paused. “You do know, though, I'll hate you forever if you hurt him. Just sayin'.”

“No worries,” I replied. We bumped fists, and he left while I wandered inside. Keats was out on a tow, so I got pulled into the back booth, where the truck bed was being sanded and cleaned for paint. Leonard explained how after welding, body filler like Bondo was used to even things out. Once everything was smooth and even, paint could be applied, and that's where we were. I worked with a long scraper going down the flat plane of the side of the truck bed, stopping to feel with my hand to check how smoothly it was coming along. Leonard worked near me and helped guide my efforts.

Eventually Keats got there, and an edge I hadn't really been aware of inside me eased with him being closer. Around four thirty the truck bed was pronounced ready for paint. Leonard had me suit up, and he showed me how to lay down the primer coat to seal the metal and body filler against moisture that could cause the paint to bubble or peel. I applied the paint in even sweeps with the spray gun, with Leonard standing beside me guiding my movements.

“Okay. Let's go get changed out of these things, leave that coat to bake overnight,” Leonard said. We peeled out of the disposable coveralls and set the breathing masks inside their cabinets. We walked back to the front office, to find Ty waiting for us with Nick's grandmother.

“What's up?” I asked, bumping fists with Ty.

“Nick went out ahead to scout around the fire scene. Brad and Cara are walking around to see if there is anywhere that might have gotten any video, but it seems like the area is a little out of the way.”

“That building was the only one I remember seeing,” I replied.

Ty nodded. “Nick's grandmother offered to port us.” He rolled his eyes a bit. “Porting upsets Nick's stomach. It's better than it used to be, but he still doesn't like it.”

“Ever since he was little,” his grandmother confirmed. She glanced at Leonard. “Will Dorothy be joining us?”

He shook his head. “Just me.”

“Keats, too. Let me find him,” I said. I went back out into the garage and found him talking to Andrew.

“Oh, well, good thing you're here, I guess,” Andrew said. “Okay, so, his mom's not over the moon about the plan with you guys sleeping over so much this week. I suggest you help out and maybe entertain the little ones to help with that.”

Keats had his arms crossed. “You're usually the one to rile up the twins,” Keats said. “Plus, you were mentioning babysitting? How much are we bribing you?”

“Hey,” Andrew said with a big grin. “Two responsible young men at home taking care of the kids means I can take my wife out for dinner.”

Keats looked at me and then back to his dad. “Well. Being married to you, she does deserve something.”

“You can stop doing your Leonard imitation anytime, you know,” Andrew told him. They poked fun at each other, and I interrupted to tell him we needed to port over to the fire scene.

“Port?” Keats asked.

“Yeah. Like transport. We can come back to get your car,” I told him.

His eyes got wider, and he started to smile. “We get to do that? Let's go!”

We nearly ran to the front of the garage while Andrew called at us to make sure we got home to watch the kids. Back in the office, we got together as Nick's grandmother opened a portal. It was really a thing to see, and I'd only ever seen one or two. Basically the area in front of the caster shimmered like asphalt on a hot day, then you stepped through and appeared wherever it was the other end of the portal was set to.

“Okay. What's this hazy thing here?” Leonard asked, squinting.

“It's a portal to the location of the latest fire. You just walk through it,” Nick's grandmother replied.

“Oh. Is that all,” Leonard said nervously.

My stomach flipped as I passed through the event horizon, and moments later Keats, Ty and Nick's grandmother joined me. We were joined momentarily by Nick, Brad and Cara.

“Okay, the area is cordoned off, but there's no danger of fire – Michael or otherwise,” Nick reported. “Tilman, can you confirm the same fire magic smell as the last location?”

“I'll check,” I told him and started out across the parking lot. The building hadn't been large, but now it was reduced to the sill plates and a few stubs that once were part of the frame. The rest was just ash, besides some kind of metal machinery that was charred. As I drew closer the smell rose up and hit me – a smell like charred, rotten meat. I don't know if all fire magic smelled like this. I thought it likely didn't, as I'd been around a couple of fire mages, but they weren't strong at all. I don't know if strength equaled the smell or if it was just Michael. Maybe whatever had happened to him when Nick severed him had changed his magic, when it was meant to cut him off?

“What do you think?” Nick asked, his voice pitched low.

“Same smell. I don't know if that means it's Michael, but this fire was tied to the last one,” I told him.

“That brings up a good point,” his grandmother said. “It may change the math somewhat if we aren't facing Michael. Maybe we should go back to the Homestead and see if Tilman can tie all three fires together?”

I nodded. “Okay. Do you think the smell might stay that long?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea. We're gathering information, so at the least we should see what we can learn from a visit.”

Nick sighed. “Okay. I'll open a portal.” In moments we were all stepping out into a wooded area. There were the remains of a structure, something that had clearly suffered a catastrophic fire. I slowly walked forward, mentally struggling with the Homestead as it had been and the ruin it was now. I hadn't stayed to the end, but even without the stink of fire magic, this was clearly the work of the same person.

Nick moved beside me. “What do you think?”

I pushed my lips together. “It's the same person. The smell is unmistakable.”

“It suggests a common practitioner, and I think it means Michael is the culprit,” his grandmother said.

“How's that?” Leonard asked.

Turning toward him she said, “The likelihood is quite high, given the odor Tilman is picking up. To be sure, we should see if the magic of another fire mage sets off the same stink.”

“Okay. I mean... I missing something?” Leonard asked.

“That the odor is at all three fires is the first thing, but if you mean the odor itself,” she began, and Leonard nodded. “For instance, Nicholas is a life mage. While he is powerful, he can also do things like create a light to see by, open portals and such. A mage will usually have a primary skill and then many other smaller things they can learn, like utilities to place in one's tool belt.”

“Okay, I'm with you so far.”

“There are very few who are extremely powerful in one area, but weak to the point of incapability in others. Michael is like that – hyper focused on fire, but unable to wipe his nose.”

Leonard pressed his lips together. “Okay. So you're trying to make sure you know what kind of mage you're dealing with – spicy or extra crispy.”

She smiled thinly. “In manner of speaking. I think the only real question is if Tilman can scent all fire mages, or just the odor wafting from Michael.”

“What do we know about the ability to sense a practitioner by an odor?” Nick asked aloud. “What are the rules around that?”

His grandmother sighed. “I admit, I don't know much about that. We could see if the interchange has any information. Being a null magus, I tend to shut things down and have never noticed any smell.”

Nick nodded slowly “Well, going back to fire odors, the only one I know that comes close is Mr. Halstead,” Nick said. “But he's really just an adept. I'm not sure he could spark a flame if his life depended on it.”

“He could if I helped him,” Ty said. He smiled at Nick. “We haven't seen the curmudgeon in a minute.”

Nick sighed. “Okay. Portal it is.”

I looked back at the ruins, trying to see things as they had been.

“Are you okay?” Keats asked.

I looked at him and smiled tightly. “It's just...I grew up here.” I waved a hand toward the mess and then rubbed my eye. “I can close my eyes and see the place. Where the front door was, the stairs up to my room.” I shook my head. “Doesn't matter that I shared it with two others or that there wasn't a lot of fun here. It just...it's just really tough to see it gone.”

He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in, and I leaned my head against his. Leonard placed a hand on my shoulder. I'm glad he didn't say he was sorry or try to come up with something that was really no more than a throwaway line, a platitude. Just being here with me made the difference.

Nick stepped in front of us, blocking my view of the ruin. “I have a...friend. He may be willing to help us. If he uses Ty as a conduit, he may generate enough flame for you to tell if it's something common to fire mages you smell, or just Michael. Are you willing?”

I nodded. Glancing past him I said, “There's nothing left for me here.”

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

“Good heavens, am I being invaded?” the man asked, opening his door.

“Only by friends,” Nick said. “How are you, Mr. Halstead?”

“Retirement suits me,” he said with a smile. “Come in, come in. Bradly. Cara. Good to see there aren't any pregnancies yet. Madam Frost. Who the devil are these three? Here, are you dating madam Frost? What a brave soul!”

There was a solid round of laughter. “I think my wife may have something to say about that,” Leonard replied.

“Careful; you're not sure what she may say,” she replied with a mischievous grin, which was really something to see on a lady her age.

Nick took on a formal tone. “Mr. Halstead, may I present Leonard and Tilman McKinley, and Tilman's bonded, Keaton Davidson.”

Mr. Halstead shook hands around. “You're welcome under guest rules,” he said, also in a formal tone.

“What's that?” I asked.

“It means no fuckery in my house,” Mr. Halstead replied. “Oh, and I can't poison you or anything.”

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Is that a concern?”

“Academically,” Mr. Halstead said. “Considering there is a rather accomplished life mage with you.” He grinned and held his hand out to usher us inside. He bustled getting a small tray of cookies laid out and making a pot of coffee to accompany it.

“I'm gathering this isn't a strictly social call, though it is nice to see most of you.”

“One assignment. One! You going to hold that against me forever?” Brad asked with a grin.

“Maybe once you actually, you know, turn it in?” Mr. Halstead replied.

“You're right. We are here on a bit of nasty business.” Nick sighed. “We think we are tracking Michael. Our newest friend, Tilman, has been able to show that three fires of significant magnitude have been cast by the same fire mage. In order to try to figure out if Tilman is scenting Michael's brand of fire, or if it's fire magic in general, we thought to see you.”

Mr. Halstead sipped from his cup. “I'm not sure how I can help, Mr. Frost. As you know, my talent is limited.”

“That's where I come in,” Ty said. “We think if you channel through me, I can make you strong enough – temporarily – to answer the question.”

Mr. Halstead sipped his coffee and then nibbled on a cookie as he thought. “Well. I suppose I don't see the harm.”

“Thank you,” Nick said.

Mr. Halstead smiled at him. “I think I once told you if you kept your legs closed and your mind open, you may go far.” He glanced at Ty and back to Nick. “I guess you only needed half that, eh?”

“It would have been much less interesting, yes,” Nick said, grinning as the others laughed.

“Well. How do we do this?” he asked.

“Just touch me and then try to cast,” Ty said. “I'll open my gift to you.”

“Easy. I'm not sure you're legal, and your bonded would make mincemeat of me,” Mr. Halstead quipped nervously. He glanced at Nick and then reached slowly for Ty's forearm. Ty held his arm out by Mr. Halstead, who let out a small sound of surprise, and then a gout of flame erupted from his fingertips, singing the ceiling.

“Good gravy! I have no idea how to channel that much flame safely!” the old fellow gasped.

“Let me close off some of my gift, and we can try again,” Ty said.

Mr. Halstead shook his head slowly and reached once more for Ty. A moment later he held a flame in his hand, perhaps six inches high. The old man looked at the fire in amazement before it went out suddenly.

“Tilman?” Nick prompted.

I shook my head. “No smell.”

Nick nodded. “Okay. Well, I guess that gives enough to plan as if we are facing Michael. I have an idea for a plan, but I need to think on it some more.”

“Your last plan had me die and get resurrected,” Brad said with a grin.

“You died?” Keats asked, his voice laced with skepticism and worry.

“Don't let him tell the story; he can be dramatic,” Nick said.

“Well, I was there, too,” Cara said. She looked toward Keats and I. “The plan was we were supposed to stay away from the fight. But...Nick and Ty are our friends. We lost sight of Ty, but Brad was in front of me, running toward the sound of fighting. We saw this guy in the hallway, and he just looked like he didn't belong in a school.”

“Mages can sometimes appear in clothes that are significantly out of fashion, given some tend to deal very little with the outside world,” Nick offered.

“Anyway, Brad saw him heading for a classroom he heard fighting coming from, and he figured this guy wasn't on our side. So he grabbed him in a choke hold, but then Brad started to choke.” She took Brad's hand. “He was on the floor holding his neck, and I was trying to help him, but I didn't know what to do.”

Ty spoke up quietly. “Michael had burned Nick severely. I was...saying some emotional things about him not leaving me and asking him to use my spark to heal himself. That's when that guy walked in. The real hero, though, was Mr. Halstead.”

“Oh, please,” the old man said and slurped his coffee. “I saw my students running off, and I felt the magic – I think the crowd in the gym felt it, though I have no idea what their systems may have interpreted it as. In any case, I also saw the man Brad had seen, and I saw Brad lying in the hallway – apparently dead. If anyone was going to help it, it would be Mr. Frost. So I went into the room and acted on instinct, casting a small thread of fire to burn his skin and get his attention.”

“Nick managed to touch him and lock him out of his own motor functions,” Ty said. “We got the other guy out to Brad's body, and Nick used that guy's life to save Brad's.”

Nick cleared his throat. “And in all that, Michael disappeared.”

“Uh, no,” Brad said, landing a hand on Nick's shoulder. “And you brought me back from the dead. Let's not leave it out like you failed at something.”

“You never would have been in that mess if you'd picked your girlfriends more wisely,” Nick said with a little smile. Glancing at us he said, “A story for another time.”

“Uh. We're supposed to babysit, so,” I said, trailing off. “Maybe we can talk tomorrow? Figure out what to do next?”

“Yes. I have to think about this some more,” Nick said. “But I have an idea.”

Nick's grandmother opened a portal back to the shop, and I told her I really wanted to learn to do that. She gave me a knowing smile; maybe every mage who saw portals wanted to learn? Or maybe there was some trade to be had in order for me to learn more? I had no time to ask as Leonard, Keats and I stepped back into the office of the garage.

“Well. That was new,” Leonard said and sat down. He took a few breaths and then looked up at me. “Til. Is there anything that can be done to...I don't know, keep this Michael puke from finding the house?”

I thought for a minute. “I think it can be warded, but if he's tracking my magic, I haven't casted...oh. Well, I guess I have. A little.”

“I think I'd sleep better knowing we were protected. I think I'm going to take Dorothy to a hotel tonight, just to be safe. Can you get your new friends to help out?”

Feeling bad, I said, “Yeah, of course. I'll talk to him about it first thing when I see him.”

Leonard nodded. “Okay. I'm going to run home, take my wife out to dinner and find a nice place to stay. Maybe someplace with a hot tub, so I can soak my aching joints.” He patted my shoulder. “You be safe, the both of you.”

Leonard set off, and Keats and I went to his car. Conscious of the idea Michael was somehow attracted to my magic, I told the kids I couldn't do any tricks that night. Instead, we played video games with them and then watched a movie. Trinity had been at a friend's house, but she was back before her parents returned. We got the little ones to bed and then retired to Keats's room.

“I need a shower,” he said.

“Me too. Do you think your parents would mind...?”

“I think it bothers them enough knowing what will go on in this room, so let's not put it in their faces,” Keats said with a wicked grin.

After we'd both showered and gotten ready for bed, the need to be intimate overcame everything else. I was glad I didn't blow as soon as he started to suck me this time, since I got more enjoyment out of it. Tonight, Keats was changing things up, though, trailing his tongue down to my balls and forcing my legs back before running his tongue down to my hole.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” I whispered hoarsely.

“Sounds like I found something new you like,” he panted, and I swear I heard a smile in his voice.

“Keats!” I said urgently, only to have him clamp his hand on my mouth and go back to work with his tongue. Another minute of that, and I was wiggling all over the mattress, and then he was inside me. Although it may sound like it's the same thing every time, feeling the waves crash through me, feeling like blossoms of lust, love and everything in between were literally blooming like flowers across my skin, their petals caressing me wherever his skin wasn't. It was a feeling of complete overload, and yet I felt it all. Rather than being repetitive, it was like welcoming a new season, a new harvest growing and sustaining me. I scrambled to pull myself up to him to kiss him as I fountained between us, shifting and clamping my muscles down to coax him into his own release.

We lay side by side, panting into the darkened room.

“I have no idea...how I even have any cum left,” he said, chuckling. “I should be dry.”

“Keats,” I said softly. “Do you see us glowing? Like our skin? When we're together like that?”

“Um. Yeah. I thought maybe it was just my eyes. You know, the bonding. Maybe dehydration.”

I shook my head. “I'm going to ask Nick, but...I think it's something...I don't know. Special seems like a dumb thing to say.”

“Yep. Dumb,” he teased.

I rolled onto him and kissed his chest. “Are you okay? How are you doing with all this?”

He ran one hand up and down my back while the other cupped my behind. “I'm...in a way it feels disconnected, like maybe it's not real. I don't exactly feel like I'm going to wake up and this will all have been a dream of some kind. But...in some ways I'm really, really happy about the whole bonding thing.”

“Why?”

“Well, you dated, right?”

“A little, yeah. One boyfriend. Didn't last, obviously. A little sexual experience; but I told you that.”

“Sure,” he said softly. “The thing is, you go into a relationship, and it's all questions and hope and fear. Will the other person think I'm weird because I think or do something? What if I just don't click with them, and the time is kind of wasted? I mean...it's not, of course. You date to learn what you like and stuff – it's practice, in a way.”

“But it's not like that with us.”

“Exactly. I have no fear about just being myself with you because I know you love me. I mean,” he said, stopping his hand in the middle of my back and pulling me closer, “I can feel it. Confidence in us. Love like everyone should get a chance to experience. It's such a relief to know I don't have to think about dating scrubs or worrying about if they only like what I look like – like they only want to date me for the chance to experience me physically, but never know me.”

With a grin I said, “I get both.”

He chuckled. “You bring out such an aggressive side of me in bed.”

“So...once the Michael thing is over...what do you want to do? What kind of plans do you have?”

He resumed stroking my back. “I'd love to do that road trip. I don't think we can afford it, maybe not the whole summer. I want to share the things I like with you, like the car work. But I also want to learn about you. You've spent all your time getting to know me on my terms, I don't even know what you do for fun – and I don't mean sex.”

“Well, before you there wasn't much of that,” I replied. “Not going to lie, I'm not really sure what I like. I didn't have hobbies at the Homestead, besides practice with my talent and chores and schoolwork. There weren't any clubs like show choir, so no singing and dancing like Lewis and his friends. No learning to play instruments or sports to play. I guess...I have to figure all that out.”

“I look forward to finding out with you, then.”

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