kind.” He chuckled darkly. “I think we’re all happier that way.”
The flood of relief ought to have shamed him, given the circumstances, but impending fatherhood made his own childhood scars feel raised and itchy.
The drive back to the grocery store parking lot was made in heavy silence.
Forehead to the glass, Corbin made clear he dreaded another confrontation with his one-night stand.
Linus wasn’t enthused for another bout of psychoanalyzing either.
Neither of them had rallied by the time he parked, and they exited the van near a fading crosswalk.
The chocolatier staff propped open their front door as he and Corbin approached, and Linus entered the shop to place his order while they waited on Leisha to arrive.
“You’re spoiling Grier.” Corbin bought himself an apple dipped in caramel, chocolate, and crushed Snickers bar pieces. “Oh, wait.” He took a healthy bite. “She’s already spoiled rotten.”
“We haven’t been married long.” Linus allowed himself a tiny smile. “It’s good to hear I’ve been making progress.”
“All that’s left is for you to carry her everywhere so her feet never have to touch the ground, or hire someone to do it for you.”
“Grier would never consent to that.”
“I was joking, but I can tell the thought has crossed your mind.”
“There aren’t many thoughts involving Grier that haven’t crossed my mind.”
“That was a joke.” Corbin squinted at him and passed over the apple. “Right?”
Out of politeness, Linus took a small bite then handed the apple back without answering.
“There you are,” Leisha grumbled as they exited the store. “Do you realize what time it is?”
Had she been less avaricious, he might have pitied her the late hour, by necromantic standards, and the bright sun. “Yes.”
Corbin kept eating his treat, but Linus remained bodily between him and Leisha.
As the spouse of another rarity, one who begot this one, Linus was used to the covetousness of others. He required Leisha’s help for this next part. After that, he intended to make it clear she would not contact Corbin again. For any reason. He could reach out, if he decided that was what he wanted, but she would face consequences if she continued her pursuit.
Jarring Linus from his thoughts, Corbin asked, “What did you think of the apple?”
“Very sweet.”
“Aww.” Corbin bumped shoulders with him. “You say the nicest things.”
Recognizing the teasing for what it was, Linus had to smile. “You’ve spent too much time around Grier.”
The Deathless vampire made quick work of his treat and tossed his trash. He was ready to assist, if need be, when they reached the manhole cover.
Miraculously, Leisha blocked out Corbin long enough to focus on the ward and give Linus a reading.
“I can tell it’s been used recently,” she said after a moment’s deliberation. “That’s not saying much, considering you already told me.” She sat back. “There are layers here.” She spread her fingers over the cover, and her eyes drifted shut. “Hmm.” The better part of five minutes lapsed before she opened them again. “It was triggered twice yesterday. I can’t tell by who, now that my connection is severed, but I can confirm three people entered the first time and two the second.”
Honestly, that was more information than he had expected her to extract from that type of working for that same reason. The magical umbilical, for lack of a better term, had been cut, the connection between practitioner and ward severed to limit her access to what she had helped create.
“The one near the bunker is more precise.” She bumped the cover with her shoe then waited for Linus to shift it aside, which he did for expediency’s sake. “I’ll know more once we get down there.”
With a fresh mystery to occupy her, Leisha left Corbin alone. The vampire still kept Linus between them and did his best to dissolve into shadow rather than catch her eye again, and Linus didn’t blame him.
There was more to this situation between Corbin and Leisha than he could read. He would have to leave it up to Grier to decipher for him later. She was better at understanding people’s complexities.
The glamour on the bunker didn’t slow Leisha down, but chances were good she could see through it as the person who cast it.
“Here we go.” She waded into the illusion, disappearing from their sight. “Boaz keyed open the bunker, I can tell his blood was used, but the Grande Dame entered first. There’s no sense of time here, no way to tell how long ago this happened or how long between each entry or exit. This