Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy) (23 page)

“Always, General.
Your bidding is my bidding.” Darcia said, bowing even though he was sitting.

“General…” Mathieu rolled the word over his tongue for a moment. “Nope, just don’t see it.” Mathieu grinned broadly, sticking his tongue out.

Kiev’s face matched his. “Me neither! I serve him, but I can’t seem to see him the sense of my General.”

“He’s more of a…hm…what’s the word…let me think…” Mathieu’s fist met his palm. “That’s it.
A sibling.
Solomon acts like a big brother.”

“Humph. And how do you figure this?” Solomon’s eye twitched when Avanon nodded in agreement to Mathieu’s assessment.

“Simple. You’re annoyingly persistent, don’t let people wallow, train us with high expectations,” Mathieu said, counting the traits off on his fingers. “You’re just like a brother should be. You’re also kind of passive-aggressive, unnecessarily rude, and a bit dodgy.”

“…Dodgy?”

“Dodgy.” Mathieu concurred. 

The blond gave the group at large a flat look before he shrugged. “I can accept most of that answer. So as the ‘big brother’, I declare that it’s getting late and we should all head back. Nathan will return soon and I don’t want to put him into a bad mood unless necessary.”

“Slave driver.”
Avanon mumbled as she got to her feet and took her weapon back to its cabinet. Kiev followed suit and soon the group was assembled.

Darcia tapped his foot. “Solomon, you can’t move this
many of us, can you? I mean we could go on foot, but it’s a long run and I bet dinner isn’t even started.”

Shaking his head, Solomon looked around. “No, you’re right. Teleporting will be faster. I can probably take the girls together, then you, Darcia. I’ll bring Mathieu through last. Sound good?”

“Like a plan.” They agreed.

Kiev stepped up to Solomon and took his hand, waiting patiently as Avanon took his other hand and darkness wrapped up around them, leaving Darcia and Mathieu alone together.

“Er…” Alone, Mathieu found the raven to be surprisingly creepy.

Darcia crossed his arms. “Listen, we don’t have much time. You seem nice, but you better listen well when I tell you that if you hurt Solomon, I won’t hesitate to tear you apart. He’s something like my brother and my son, and I’ve watched him be alone for many years. I don’t care what comes to fruition between you two, but I’d recommend that you think about whatever you decide to do. Don’t make me have to repeat this conversation.”

Solomon reappeared at that moment and smiled at them.
“Okay, children.
Come here, Darcia.
Your turn.”

Darcia took the other’s hand, giving Mathieu one last look, and they too disappeared.

Mathieu stood there, dumbfound. He had no idea what the hell Darcia was talking about, and he felt like he’d been blindsided. To him, it seemed a lot more likely that
Solomon would snap him in half like a twig for being annoying than he would hurt Solomon in some way. Huffing, he chalked it up to just not knowing Darcia well enough to understand what the man was getting at. Looking at the glass shards that littered the floor, he wondered idly if the mirrors could be fixed.

Picking up a piece that had flown across the room and was now at his feet, he stood and turned it over in his hand.

Warm breath fanned over Mathieu’s shoulder. “You should be careful. Glass tends to cut quickly.”

Mathieu let the shard fall to the ground, where it clattered in the ensuing silence. “Let me ask you something.” He said, turning to the blond.

“Alright.”

“You and I…You seemed like you hated me yesterday and found me repulsive, in fact you were pretty pissed that we have to share a room, yet now you’re treating me just like one of the others. I don’t get it.”

Sighing, Solomon folded his arms over his chest. “Actually, it’s simple.” The blond chuckled.

Mathieu’s eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head. He didn’t quite understand what the man meant. Something he did realize, however, was that after having spent some time with one another, and maybe it being just the two of them helped, but Solomon actually seemed to be a bit relaxed and open now. “What do you mean?” Mathieu questioned.

“Haven’t you ever met someone who just rubs you the wrong way because of how they behave? I don’t like sadness or people who let it control them. I thought you were going to let Avian’s death take over and consume you, and I wanted no part of it if you were just going to wallow.” Solomon’s eyes met Mathieu’s holding his gaze. “But this morning…you smiled, and that was enough for me.”

Mathieu blinked and a shiver ran through him. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter

Ten

Solomon’s fingers twined into Mathieu’s and pulled him closer. “Sorry,” Solomon said, “but this many jumps so quickly makes me weak. I can’t move as large of an area as normal.”

“It’s okay. How can I help?” Mathieu asked, looking up
at him.

Solomon pulled Mathieu’s arms around his waist and held him close. “Now put your feet between mine. Just like that. Thanks. This makes it like only moving
myself
. Try to relax, okay?”

Closing his eyes, Mathieu relaxed against the other and let the darkness lap around his ankle, forcing him tighter to the blond. This time, ‘jumping’ felt different, faster and smoother. He wondered if it was because Solomon was only trying to move one person instead of multiple. In a mere moment, they went from the training facility to standing in the glass kitchen, looking between a rather irate Kiev and a piss-and-vinegar Josette.

“And I’m telling
you
, you have to cook.” Josette was staring the taller girl down, small flames flicking at the tips of her hair.

“I just cooked last night! This is crap! Solomon! Tell this wench that it’s not my night to cook!” Kiev shrieked, a finger pointed at Josette.

Solomon sighed and released Mathieu, looking between them. “Quit yelling, both of you. Tell me what’s going on?”

Josette flicked long black curls over her shoulder. “Elric isn’t feeling good and I don’t want to cook. That means it’s up to her, what with so many gone.”

Not one to watch people bicker, Mathieu stepped forward. “I’ll cook. I don’t mind, and I’m pretty good, too.” He smiled between Josette and Kiev.

Kiev made a sound suspiciously
like an ‘awe’
and batter her lashes. “I can help. I just hate cooking alone.”

Josette just sneered at him.
“How
kind
of you.
Don’t expect
a thanks
. Pull your weight around here, stupid.” She stalked out of the room and the cute blonde woman, Adele, latched onto her arm. Adele giggled and waved at them over Josette’s shoulder, going into a different room.

“Wow. She’s scary.” Mathieu said, adjusting his shirt self-consciously.

“Josette is a bitch. Adele is the only balance to her that exists in the known universe and luckily, she rarely goes anywhere without her healer. But don’t mind her! What do you want to cook?” Kiev looked at him with big eyes, hands on her hips. “We can make anything you’d like!”

Mathieu rubbed his chin, thinking. “How about we make some stew? It’s warm and makes quite a bit. Plus, it should help make, er, Elric I think it was
,
feel better.” She nodded in agreement, so he began to poke around the large kitchen, unearthing everything that someone could want for a stew. Mathieu set Kiev up with making the broth base, while ehe went about chunking the meat himself. Solomon, who had lingered around, watched from his seat at the small table in the corner.

“Don’t think I forgot about you,” Mathieu said over his shoulder, “get over here and chop these greens. I’m gonna cut the potatoes and then I’ll help. Throw it straight into the pot.” He ordered, making a short whistle when Solomon didn’t immediately move.

The blond dutifully pushed his chair back, making something of a show of doing it, rolled up his sleeves,
and came to the counter. Picking up a knife, he started to cut the assorted vegetables Mathieu had set out; his cuts were precise and even. 

“Holy crap!
Come quick, Darcia! Solomon is helping cook!” Kiev was giggling as she shouted across the house for everyone to hear.

Many sets of curious eyes turned to them, and a flush climbed Solomon’s neck to his cheek. “Dead, Kiev.
Dead.
Just you wait…” He brandished the knife in his hand at her.

“Er, is this unusual?” Mathieu raised an eyebrow but didn’t look away from the slab of meat he was cutting.

“Yes.” Kiev said simply before deciding to elaborate. “Solomon doesn’t cook.
Ever.
So for him to help without so much as a struggle, well, I’m sure you understand how odd that is. But it’s good. About time he started to help around here.” She hummed idly as she stirred the stew.

Mathieu smiled to himself and watched the two as Kiev continued to casually throw insults at Solomon and he promised her returned pain. They had a very different relationship. Solomon and Avanon had a very friendly, yet intimate relationship, something he could see being more than just friends; whereas, Solomon was clearly just friends with Kiev and seemed to get away with saying things that the others wouldn’t dare. Happiness glowed inside him. It was something of a relief how here he could feel the pain of Avian’s loss while still finding it within himself to be happy.

The sadness hadn’t eclipsed who he was, yet he hadn’t forgotten about her either. Talking about her somewhat
indirectly a bit earlier had helped ease the tension he felt in his chest every time he thought of her, however. With potatoes chopped as well, Mathieu moved to stand beside Solomon, dicing a few peppers. He playfully nudged the other man and a watched as a little smile touched Solomon’s lips.

“Whatcha want, Blondie?” Solomon asked him with a curious tone.

“Excuse
me
? I am
not
a blond. This,” he tossed his head and his bangs flipped, “is white. Blond implies a yellowish tone. Do you see any yellow? ‘
Cause
I don’t.
Sheesh.”

Chuckling, the man who was actually blond tossed his hair. “True. Blond is too sexy for you.” Solomon dumped his vegetables into the pot before carrying his knife to the sink and washing his hands.

“It smells good.” Kiev stood over the pot, stirring occasionally.

“I’m glad. I haven’t made a stew in a long time, so I wasn’t sure if I missed anything.” He grinned at the girl and went to look down into the pot. The overall effect was rather appetizing and his stomach grumbled from the practice, traveling with Solomon and getting his butt kicked.
Twice.
He took a moment to season the meal.

“When is it going to be done?” Avanon poked her head in, carrying an empty bowl in her hand.

Mathieu shrugged. “It needs to simmer for a bit, but it shouldn’t be too long ‘til it’s done.”

“Wonderful. By the way, Elric is fine.
Just a cold.
I
swear,
a healer who gets a cold. Who does that?” Huffing, she dumped the bowl into the sink and washed her hands, making sure to flick the water at Solomon.

Solomon just ignored the childish antic, casting his gaze across the house, and looking into the room at the far corner. “He’s moving around, so he’s probably fine. Don’t worry so much.” He gave the girl a knowing look.