#providentiallydemonic

“I don’t know that!” Vivi seethed, lifting the tablecloth to glare into his eyes. “He could have done any number of things when we can’t keep our eyes on him.”

Mystery resisted the urge to sigh heavily. “Vivi, we would have heard about any disappearances. And, not to put too fine a point on it, no livers have washed up on the shore recently.”

“So he’s hiding them, or eating them too!”

“Vivi, he is not doing that. He has admitted that due to the high iron content of liver, he cannot digest it. It’s not quite poisonous, but it does him no favors.”

“Good,” Vivi dropped the tablecloth and returned her attention to the man who was even now accepting a receipt from the server. “Remind me to make him some Foie gras pasties.”

Just then, Calder turned around and fixed her with an unreadable look before striding off, his back stiff.

“See!?” Vivi crowed. “Proof he’s up to no good!”

“I’m relatively certain he could feel you glaring at him,” Mystery opined cautiously. He was well within kicking distance if she took exception to his words.

“Not even just that.” A voice whispered from thin air. After a moment, Lewis faded back into visibility behind a screen of bushes, stepping back to take a seat across from Vivi and put on the sunglasses waiting for him on the table. “He said to remind you that he can sense me, even when I’m invisible. And he’ll thank us not to spy on him.” His last words took on a hint of Calder’s distinctive Scottish brogue.

Vivi growled low in her throat. “What was he doing?”

“Nothing illicit that I could see,” Lewis assured her. “It looked like he was buying a gift certificate.”

“Vivi—” Mystery tried again.

“He had to be up to something.” Vivi turned to glare in the direction the target of her ire had gone. “Maybe he conned that poor server into giving him a certificate for… like leaves under an illusion to look like real money. Some of my books say faeries are prone to do that!”

“No,” Mystery stuck his head out from under the table. “I would have sensed that.”

Vivi’s irritated gaze snapped back to him. “You couldn’t even sense anything from him when you were sitting under the same table he was at!”

“Not his personal magics, no. In his human form those are well hidden. But illusion magic I can sense, easily. He was using none. He has not broken his word or his sworn trust.”

“What trust?” Vivi asked suspiciously, reaching down to snag his collar. “He didn’t give us any trust, He just said he wouldn’t try to steal Arthur again. When did he give you his word?”

Mystery’s eyes skated sideways. “It doesn’t matter. Suffice to say, he swore to do no harm to any of us.”

“Talk!” Vivi commanded, giving his collar a little shake.

“Woof.” Mystery said dryly.

“Mystery!”

“Vivi,” Lewis attempted to soothe her. “That doesn’t really matter. It just means he wasn’t up to no good, this time.”

Vivi was in no mood to be soothed. “This time! That doesn’t mean he’s not planning anything. I don’t trust him any farther than I can throw him.”

Mystery shook off her grip on his collar. “Considering your chances of lifting him to throw him are between zilch and none, that’s hardly sensible.”

“Don’t you give me any of your lip, butt-sniffer!”

“Really, Vivi? Name-calling?” Mystery stuck his nose up in the air. “I am insulted.” “You’re gonna be assaulted if you don’t start talking!”

Lewis put a hand on her arm. “Inside voice, love.”

Vivi scowled at him, but lowered her voice. “We’re not inside,” she pointed out, waving to the open-air cafe.

“Point,” Lewis conceded, chuckling. “But you were getting way too loud.”

Vivi puffed up her cheeks in a pout but didn’t try to contradict him. “I don’t trust him. He’s a sneaky, slimy— evil— murderhorse!”

“He’s been behaving himself lately,” Lewis reminded her gently. “Why are you so sure he’s up to something?”

“When has he not been up to something?” Vivi stared at her drink, running a finger around the rim of the glass.

“You need to let go of that grudge, Vivi, before you strangle yourself with it.” Mystery stretched out in the shade of the table. “You know well enough that no good comes of keeping anger in your heart.” His pointed glance darted to Lewis, who ducked his head.

Sticking her tongue out, Vivi blew a raspberry in Mystery’s direction. “I don’t want to. It is my indelible right to hate his giant horse butt.”

“Vivi—” Mystery’s tone was exasperated. “He has been true to his word. He has even been helpful, of late. I borrowed the book that helped you deal with the fuath from him.”

“What?” Vivi’s eyes narrowed.”I wondered where that book had come from. And where it had vanished to.”

“We returned it to its rightful owner,” Lewis put in.

“Proof that he was being helpful.” Mystery added, stretching his paws out.

Vivi made a dismissive noise. “He probably just didn’t want it anywhere near his territory.”

Yipping annoyance, Mystery fixed her with a flat stare. “It was all the way over the border into Louisiana. Calder only claimed the lake and its environs here.”

“He probably th—”

Lewis’s palm over her mouth stopped her. “Vivi, I think Mystery is right this time. He hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re letting your temper get the better— Did you just lick my hand?” Lewis’s tone was a blend of horror and amusement.

Vivi fixed him with a smug look. “And I’ll do it again if you try to shoosh me like that again.”

Lewis wiped his hand on a napkin. “Very mature, Vi.”

Snorting, she leaned back in her chair. “I never claimed to be mature.”

“While this is all very entertaining, can we draw the conclusion that he is not up to something this time?” Mystery yawned deliberately.

Vivi snorted at him, but subsided. “I just don’t trust him.”

“I believe we are well aware of that,” Mystery shook his head and sneezed.

~~~

Vivi sailed into Kingsmen Mechanics, arms full of takeout boxes from Pepper Paradiso. “Artie, I come bearing food. You better come get some before I—” Her voice trailed off when she realized Lance was the only one there, standing in front of the counter with a wary look on his face and a wrench held defensively in his hands.

“Uncle Lance—?” She paused, setting the takeout on the counter. “What’s going on? Where’s Arthur?”

Lance tilted his head toward the rear of the shop, his expression, going from wary to bemused. “He’s out back in the junkyard. I sent him out there to sort scrap when I got the damnedest phone call. I didn’t even know that horse-faced creep had a phone.”

Wary now, Vivi glanced back over her shoulder. She knew exactly who Lance was talking about. “Neither did I. Why did he call you? I thought you told him in no uncertain terms he wasn’t allowed to come here.”

Lance huffed. “Right enough, I did. Made damned sure he knows where he stands with me. Preferably as far away from Arthur as possible an’ still be on the same planet.”

“What did he want?” Vivi demanded, darting to the back door to peer out into the junkyard. Her relief at seeing Arthur peacefully sorting through piles of scrap, his head bobbing in time to the music on his headphones, was palpable, filling her chest.

“That’s the funny thing,” Lance responded, setting his wrench down. “Asked me, all polite like, to make sure that Arthur had this Friday off.”

“What?” Vivi knew her voice scaled into painful ranges when Lance winced away. “What the hell?”

Lance jiggled a pinky finger in his ear before shaking his head. “Damned if I know. Thought maybe you did.”

Fuming, Vivi pulled out her phone and dialed Lewis’s number with a violent stab of her finger. “No. But you can bet I’m gonna find out!” As soon as Lewis’s voice answered, she barked, “Lewis, Kingsmen’s now for a strategy meeting. I told you that sneaky bastard was up to something!” She hung up before Lewis had a chance to make more than a startled interrogative noise.

“I knew it!” she seethed, pacing. “I knew he was up to something when I saw him the other day! I just knew it!”

“What’s he up to then, girlie, an’ how many ways do I have to beat him black an’ blue?” Lance’s face was set in a thunderous scowl.

“I don’t know, and all of them,” Vivi retorted. “You— none of us— are letting Arthur out of our sight Friday.”

A burst of purple fire heralded Lewis’s arrival. His human facade had faded into bone and swirling flame. “What is it? What’s going on? Is Arthur alright?”

An oily rag sailed past his head. “Cool yer damned jets before you set the whole place on fire, boy!” Lance barked. “My insurance ain’t gonna cover overwrought ghost inferno. An’ put your face back on before you scare off a customer.”

Vivi hurried over to Lewis and gripped his arm. “Nothing has happened to Arthur yet, Lew. But I told you that horse’s patootie was up to something!”

Lewis paused, his human features replacing the skeletal visage. “What? What’s going on?”

VIvi filled him in quickly.

Lewis held up a hand after a moment, before she could launch into more detail, and, to be honest, probably more accusations. “Wait. So he what? Start at the beginning and go slowly.”

Vivi opened her mouth, but Lewis laid a gentle finger across her lips. “Mr. Kingsmen first, please, love.” Vivi huffed and debated licking his finger, but subsided after a moment.

“I’d sent Art out to sort scrap for his latest project since it’s a slow day,” Lance waved at the empty stalls of the garage in illustration. “The phone rang an’ I answered it. It was that Calder fella, recognized his accent right off. I started to hang up on him when he said ‘I know you don’t care for me, but I have a favor to ask.’ I asked him ‘what favor?’ and he, all polite, goes— ‘Could you see your way to givin’ Arthur this Friday off?’ ”

“Did he say why?” Lewis asked.

“Nah. I asked, an’ all he said was he thought Arthur might enjoy a long weekend.” Lance scowled accusingly at the phone on his desk. “Then he thanked me, still polite, mind ya, an’ hung up.”

“That’s all?”

“Everything.” Lance nodded stoutly.

Lewis turned his attention to Vivi, who looked ready to explode. “So he wanted Arthur to have a long weekend and this is an emergency how?”

“Don’t you see? He has to be planning something for this Friday!” Vivi jittered in place. “If we take our eyes off Arthur, who knows what he’ll do? He might even try kidnapping him again!”

“I think you are letting your paranoia get the better of you.” Mystery had eeled in the open door and hopped up on a stool to address them. “Also, Vivi, think before you send Lewis off in that state, I could sense him all the way back at the apartment. So could anything with supernatural senses. Eau de’ hysterical spectre leaves a lovely trail in the aether.”

Lewis ducked his head a little.

“I am not paranoid!” Vivi rounded on Mystery, fists on hips and cheeks red. “He’s a fae. They never do something without an ulterior motive! And he’s less trustworthy than most of them!”

“You are letting your anger color things,” Mystery responded serenely. “Yes, He did some terrible things in the beginning. We all made mistakes then. All of us, including Calder. And since, he has kept every promise he has made to us. He does not hunt humans, he has kept his distance from Arthur and indeed, all of us, and he has willingly lent us his knowledge, be it books or simply things he knows better than mortals.”

“He what now?” Vivi simmered, glaring at Mystery. “Are you talking about that book?”

Mystery chuffed softly and met her gaze calmly. “That and some few other times Lewis or I have asked for his aid. And to be honest would you have accepted knowing where the information came from?” he laughed. “I think not. More likely you would have thrown it back in his face, if we had told you the source, even if it was knowledge we desperately needed.”

Sighing, Lewis nodded. “Vi, I don’t care for him either, and believe me, I haven’t forgotten what happened, but—” he chuckled wryly. “I’ve moved on.”

Vivi flinched, her glare softening. “Let me guess, if you can get past it, I should be able to, too?”

Drifting forward, Lewis cupped her cheek. “You wouldn’t be you, if you gave up on anything, but you also know when to let logic trump emotion. Tell me, are you being reasonable about this? Given the evidence, are you letting your anger rule or are you going to look at it logically?”

Vivi gritted her teeth. “I don’t like or trust him.” She heaved a sigh. “But you say he’s been keeping his word, and you, I trust.”

Lewis pulled her into a hug.

“How about explaining it to the peanut gallery,” Lance grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. “I ain’t inclined to trust him either, Blue, not after what you two and him told me went down.”

Lewis released Vivi and stepped back, his hair flaring a little. “It’s not that we trust him, Mr. Kingsmen—” he began.

“As Vivi told you before, Calder is a fae creature. That means that he is bound by his word. A fae might try to twist the wording of a bargain to their advantage, but their word, once given, is inviolate. They cannot break it. Calder swore on his honor and on the names of the eldest fae, commonly called gods and goddesses, that he would not try to steal Arthur away again.” Mystery finished for him.

Lance stared the dog down for a long moment, but Mystery did not flinch. Finally he sighed heavily. “So what’s he after, wanting Arthur to have the day off?”

“That, I do not know. But I do not think it is done with any ill-intention.”

Vivi and Lance managed a disgruntled sigh in complete unison.

“So what? I just give the boy the day off an’ hope nothin’ happens?” Lance’s displeased look could have curdled cream.

“I think that would be for the best.” Mystery prodded, glancing at Vivi.

She heaved another sigh. “I hope you two are right about this.”

~~~~

Friday dawned bright and sunny, just cool enough to be comfortable, but not chilly. Vivi was decidedly reluctant to let Arthur get out of bed, snuggling close to his chest and grumping. “Uncle Lance gave you the day off, right? I vote for staying right here in bed.”

Arthur chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “While it sounds good to me, Lewis is already up and any minute—”

“Up and attem, slugabeds,” Lewis’s voice called. “Breakfast is ready.”

“Told ya.” Arthur chortled.

Vivi groaned but dragged herself out of bed, the call of Lewis’s cooking too tempting to linger.

In pajamas, they trooped to the kitchen, where Lewis was dishing out wonderful smelling omelets onto plates. The table was already set, with orange juice in glasses and Vivi’s over-sized coffee mug already filled to the brim. In the center of the small table was a vase filled with flowers, and Vivi couldn’t help a suspicious glare at them. Water hyacinth, water lilies, and lotus blossoms filled the vase. It was more than easy enough to guess where they had come from. Even Arthur paused to look at them oddly.

Lewis set the plates down, including one at his own seat, and grinned. “Bon Appetit!”

“Uh, Big guy?” Arthur stared at the third plate, confusion in his heterochromatic eyes.

Mystery chuckled from his place on the floor, with his own plate of omelet. “I think it’s time to come clean, Lewis.”

Lewis snorted and fixed Mystery with a mock glare. “You couldn’t let me enjoy the looks of confusion for a little longer?”

“No.”

Vivi fixed Lewis with a glare. “Are you really Lewis?”

Lewis laughed, hair throwing off little sparks of pink. “I am, I promise.”

She got up and grabbed the front of his shirt. “Then I would like some answers to what the hell is going on now, please!”

Lewis smiled and detached her hands from his collar. “Calder was up to something, just not in the way you thought, love.” He pulled a tiny charm from under his shirt. “This is part of it. This lets me eat and drink… and taste the food… like normal. It only lasts for a day before it has to be recharged, but he gave Mystery the spell to do so.”

“And before you ask, I made very sure there is nothing else to the spell. It does exactly as advertised. It merely allows Lewis to enjoy food like he used to.”

Arthur gaped at Lewis. “Really? That’s awesome!”

“I think I’ll let him explain the rest.” Lewis said with a grin.

“What!?” Vivi bolted upright, glancing in alarm at the paper wards that were above every door and at every window of the apartment. They were undisturbed.

“Calm down,” Mystery looked up with a canine grin.

Lewis set a pearl on the table. It shimmered in the overhead light and glowed with its own soft radiance. An image formed in the air above it; Calder, from the shoulders up, one eyebrow quirked and a wry half smile on his lips. He shoved a hand through his tumbled bangs. “Ah, an’ here I was thinkin’ you’d sleep the day away. Mornin’.”

“Calder!” Arthur exclaimed, voice bright with surprise.

Vivi moved to lean over Arthur’s shoulder and stared at Calder’s image. “What are you up to?” For once the hostility in her voice had mellowed.

“Why, bein’ more trouble than I’m worth, I’m sure. Can I nae do somethin’ for the birthday o’ one o’ me friends?” Calder chuckled dryly. “It happens I thought I might do somethin’ nice for the lad, as much as against my nature as it might be t’ be nice.”

“Calder!” Arthur scolded.

“Ah, dinna mind me. Now that I got that frightenin’ old man o’ yours t’ give y’ the day off, I bethought y’ might wanna spend it enjoyin’ the company o’ those you love best.”

“Ah?” Arthur’s face was a study in confusion.

Puffing his cheeks out, Calder exhaled a gusty sigh. “I mean for y’ three t’ go out an’ about doin’ whatever romantical-date-type things people do when they’re datin’. Go out t’ eat, watch a film, go on a walk, chase ghosts… or is that last one only you lot?”

“Hey!” Vivi stuck her tongue out at Calder’s image.

“My point bein’, go out an’ have a nice time for Arthur’s birthday. Take him places, treat him t’ nice food an’ nice things.” Calder retorted, exasperated. “The lad deserves a nice day out, an’ by dint, I suppose y’ do too.”

Arthur was blushing, his face and ears gone bright pink. “C-Calder, that’s not necessary. None of you have to do anything for my birthday. Not you and not them. You don’t need to go through that kind of trouble for me!”

“Hey now—!” Lewis began.

Vivi’s attention snapped to Arthur. “You shoosh that talk, bucko. You’re our boyfreind and if we want to spoil you on your birthday, we can. I was gonna have a small party for you tomorrow, but this will do just fine, even—” She cut herself off.

“A sneaky slimy connivin’ murderhorse planned it,” Calder finished, green eyes sparkling with amusement. “Though I’d be thankin’ you t’ remember I’m nae a horse.”

“He just plays one on TV,” Mystery chuckled.

“An’ sure’n that’s enough outta you, mutt.”

Lewis held up a hand. “Seriously, Artie, we’re not obliged to do it, we want to. It’s no kind of trouble at all.”

“Lissen t’ your spectral lover, lad. There ‘tis no obligation in wantin’ t’ treat y’ with love and the good things y’ deserve.” Calder said solemnly. “That’s why I went about doin’ this, because it’s somethin’ you deserve, even when y’ think y’ don’t.”

Lewis reached over to cover one of Arthur’s hands with his own. “Let us… all of us, do nice things for you today.”

“Right enough,” Calder broke in before the moment could get too maudlin. “Now, I got you a certificate t’ that cafe y’ like so, the one where the mutt ‘tis welcome. I dinna know where you’d like t’ go after that, but just… have yourself a good time for your birthday.”