CHAPTER 218

"Here, let me get it." Beth walked past him to where the tea kettle was. He handed over the cup that had contained the spider, and she poured in some tea. He couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a white dress with red spots on it that hugged her stomach and butt, then flared out dramatically just under her thighs. The last week had been so busy with home repairs that he had barely seen her except at meals.

"Thank you." He took the cup from her and sipped it, the sweet aroma of chamomile flooding his sinuses.

"You're welcome." Beth sat down on the edge of the desk again. "I feel like I haven't seen you."

"It's been busy," he replied. Was Beth wearing perfume? He couldn't tell if it was the chamomile or her, but he caught the occasional whiff of something pleasant. "Between fixing everything, buying new computers. That police thing where they came looking for Marco."

Apparently after being reported missing, police had done a welfare check on Marco and had discovered the ramblings of a madman in a journal he had kept by the bed. Though they didn't suspect Beth had been involved in his disappearance, they did tell her they thought he was dangerous and to be careful.

"Oh my god, don't even get me started. How many times did they want a statement from me? I hated having to lie like that, but I wasn't about to tell them any semblance of the truth. That was emotionally exhausting, and I hated how much time I wasted every day giving them official statements. As for new computers, that lightning storm of Quetzalli's fried everything, which meant we were in the dark ages for a few hours. Sure, I got a new phone out of the deal, but now I have to redo all my playlists." She tossed her hair back and laughed. "Kisa has been giving me recommendations. She's really opened up."

"She has." In fact, when he had woken up that morning, it was to discover that Tink and Kisa had curled up with him during the night. The memory of what had happened next put a smile on his face. "Though I still need to figure out what it means to have a familiar."

"You'll get there." She leaned back on the desk and looked at the wall. "I'm still sorry that the house got wrecked so bad."

"I thought I told you to stop apologizing for it?"

She shrugged. "You did, but I still feel bad. I just keep thinking that you would have done a better job of protecting the home."

"Hmm." Mike set down his tea. "I haven't talked much about what happened with the faerie queen, but that's been deliberate. I didn't want bad blood with anyone else, but I feel like I can share this with you. When I was trying to rescue Cecilia, she showed me what was happening to the house."

"Oh?" Beth arched her eyebrow and turned to look at him.

"Yeah. She wanted me to know just how bad it was, showed me that you were in trouble, and wanted me to bail on Cecilia." He spread his hands wide. "Obviously, you know what I chose."

She looked away from him, her hair hiding her face. "But did you really have a choice?"

"I did. She even offered to send me home right away. But I'll tell you the same thing I told her. I trust you. You're way smarter than I am, and I know you love this house and its occupants just as much as I do." He stood and moved around the desk so they could stand face to face.

When she turned toward him, their eyes locked, and his mouth was suddenly dry. Now that he was thinking about the conversation with Titania, he was remembering the rest of it, too. About how it made sense to have a life with another human, about how they could have a family of their own. An image of Beth with a swollen belly flashed through his mind, and his ability to comprehend English temporarily vanished.

Was that future a possibility for him? Could he start a family with Beth or someone else in the house? Was it even a good idea? These questions were very new to him, and he had no idea what to think or feel. It was a mixture of curiosity and terror, and he couldn't figure out which emotional thread to untangle.

"—and I've just been feeling like I don't contribute to the home like the others do," Beth continued.

Mike realized that his mind had wandered, and he hoped that he had at least been nodding along.

"So I guess I want to say thank you. Thank you for believing in me." Her eyes were shining now, and her face felt like it was closer than before. "It means a lot to know that you do."

"Uh, yeah, um..." He could no longer think. Now that she was close, it was her scent that he could smell. It reminded him of roses with just a faint hint of cherries, much like the circles on her skirt. Was that her perfume, or was it just her?

Her hand touched his, and he felt his heart slamming in his chest. What was it about Beth that made him so afraid?

"I'm just so grateful to know that I can lean on you when I need someone I can count on." It was the best that he could do, and her lips blossomed into a smile. The floral scent washed over him now, suddenly stronger, and he inhaled it, allowing it to seep into his senses.

She was so close now, and her eyes were closed.

"Wait." He held up his hand as a thought occurred to him.

Beth's expression went from soft and alluring to puzzled as she opened her eyes and scooted away from him.

It had been a stray thought, just a tickle on his mind, and he fought to recapture it. He closed his eyes and focused on what had snapped him out of his reverie with Beth. It had been her scent, almost like a sense memory, and he saw the flash of green in his mind's eye.

The Mandragora! Her smell had reminded him of the Mandragora, but it was more than that.

"What did I say to you just now?" he asked.