DISCLAIMER: THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE HOLLOWS AND ALL CHARACTERS THEREIN ARE OWNED BY THE LOVELY KIM HARRISON.

In the Bedroom

CHAPTER 12

My breath caught seeing Trent standing before me under the glare of the security floodlights overpowering the soft glow of the moonlight in the sky above, a fact that was not lost on Al and was probably not lost on Trent.

Al audibly grumbled his disapproval at my obvious schoolgirl-like crush on the elf and Trent's smile became cocky and self-assured.

"Uh. Hi, Trent," I said. "You're looking…good."

"As are you," he replied. Smooth. Suave. Sexy.

Trent's hands were resting in the pockets of his flannel trousers and he wore a crisp white dress shirt with the top button or two undone and the sleeves rolled up. The man looked like a cover model for GQ. It was all I could do not to stare. Or, not to stare so blatantly.

"How's Lucy?" I asked.

Trent's smile transformed from cool and cocky to genuinely warm.

"She's terrific," he gushed. "She's really settling in nicely."

Something deep inside me stirred and softened watching him light up as he talked about his daughter.

"That's great," I said, a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. "That's… really great, Trent."

"Thanks," he said, his face losing all traces of lightness and laughter as his eyes looked at the demon standing by my side. "So you need my help, huh?"

"Yeah, uh," I said, blinking a few times to clear my head. "Al and I do, actually."

I looked over at Al and expected him to look pissed but he wore the same smirk he had when I was speaking with Quen earlier. Clearly, he was enjoying watching me squirm. Which, on many levels, was better than the alternative… wasn't it?

"Yes," Trent replied. "I can see you brought your pet demon with you."

The first traces of nervousness appeared as one of Trent's hands reached up to smooth his baby-fine blond hair.

I frowned, not liking Trent speaking of Al so derogatorily.

"He's not my pet, Trent," I said.

"Only on nights when we're not role playing, that is," Al chimed in.

I inwardly winced. What was with Al? I knew he wanted this curse removed as much as I did. But apparently he just couldn't help himself.

"Al!" I moaned, turning my head to look at him.

"What?" Al shrugged. "It's true."

"In your dreams, perhaps," I said.

"Mmm," Al hummed. Though Trent and I were no longer smiling, you couldn't wipe the smile off Al's face with industrial cleaner. In fact, Al seemed to be the only one enjoying himself.

"What is it exactly that you need, Rachel?" Trent asked. "Quen said you mentioned something about a spell."

"Um, yes," I said. "A demon cursed us with an elven spell and only you can dispel it for us."

"Why me? Why not just ask a different demon to dispel it for you?" Trent asked.

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"We just can't, okay?"

"Rachel."

I looked at Trent, heat rushing to my face.

"I thought we had agreed to be honest with each other," he said, his voice soft as brushed velvet.

I nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"So," he prodded, gesturing to me with one hand. "Explain."

I inhaled and held my breath, a groan escaping my lips as I looked at Al before continuing.

"We'd never be able to find a demon who'd be willing to dispel it for us," I said.

"Because...?" Trent said, prompting me to continue.

I hesitated, not knowing exactly how to word it without sending Trent right off the proverbial cliff. But why should I be ashamed of what happened between Al and me?

"Well," Trent continued, "what kind of spell was it?"

"Umm," I stammered. "It was… uh… that is… it is, I guess… present tense… 'cause it's still on us, right…?"

"Rachel!" Trent interrupted me, his voice just this side of a shout. A deep crease furrowed Trent's brow.

I looked at the grounded and blurted it out. "It's a chastity curse, okay?"

I sighed, smacking my forehead with the open palm of one hand. God, could this get any more embarrassing?

When I looked up, I saw Quen staring at me with his usual relative neutrality, Trent measuring me with his pale eyebrows raised and a calculating look on his face, and Al looking at me with a proud smugness like I was his prized trophy wife.

"A chastity spell?" Trent asked. "Rachel, why would another demon curse you with a chas…" he said, a faint gasp escaping him as he finally put two and two together, solving the algebraic equation which placed me plump smack in Al's bed.

"You slept with him," Trent whispered. His tan face lost all coloring and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"Are you going to help us or not?" I said, getting pissed that Trent of all people would pass judgment on my lifestyle.

Trent shook his head, his fine blond strands lifting into the air on the slight breeze that stirred the air. "I can't believe it," he said. "You fucked him. Him!" Trent yelled, pointing to Al.

"Sa'han," Quen said quietly but Trent was not to be deterred.

"Your demon!" he shouted.

"Oh, please," I said. "Like you're in any position to judge me! You had a baby with a woman you're not even married to," I spat. "And…" I continued, before he had the opportunity to cut me off, "you weren't even in love with Ellasbeth, so don't start crying to me that I'm to blame for breaking up your marriage."

"Oh! And then…!" I shouted, getting more and more irate as my tirade continued, "…you stole said child away from her mother!"

"Rachel, you know I…"

"Not to mention the fact that you've murdered countless numbers of people to keep your illegal drug empire under wraps," I said, lowering my voice to an angry whisper as I looked around to make sure no one but us could hear my accusation.

Al's voice cut through my red haze. "Rachel…" he said, his voice a low warning that I should shut my mouth before I ruined our chances of getting from the elf what we wanted.

"Look," I said, trying to steady my voice. "Trent. You're really blowing this out of proportion."

"Am I?" he responded. "I give you a second chance. I give you choice. And this is what you choose?" he spat, gesturing to Al once more. "I thought you were getting smarter about your decisions."

"I am!" I shot back. "And he's not a 'this'! He's…" I stopped, turning my head and meeting Al's gaze. What, exactly, was Al to me?

"He's not a 'this'," I said again, my voice echoing the soft affection I felt when I looked at Al. "He's a man," I said, not taking my eyes off Al, whose expression had suddenly grown serious. "And he's…" my voice left me even if my conviction did not.

"And he's important to you," Trent said, finishing the thought for me and bringing my attention back to him.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, shuddering slightly at the coldness of the late-summer evening breeze. Al stepped closer and a warmth enveloped me when he draped his coat around my shoulders, his hands lingering on my body longer than was necessary. I felt myself unconsciously lean into his touch.

"Yeah," I admitted. "He is."

A silence hung in the air before Trent shuffled his feet and the sound of gravel shifting underfoot drew my eyes from the ground to Trent. Perhaps it was the unsolicited affection shown to me by my demon in front of Trent, Quen and the heavens above. Whatever it was, something had swayed Trent's decision as he looked from me to Al and apparently came to some sort of conclusion.

"Fine," Trent sighed. "I'll help you. Both of you."

I exhaled sharply, not even aware I had been holding my breath. "Thank you."

"Now," Trent said, "I'm going to have to do a little research before I try the spell. I would appreciate it if you and…" he paused briefly and just when I worried he would say something spiteful, he surprised me by saying, "Al… would let us escort you to my library."

I knew it took a lot for Trent to extend that degree of trust to Al. To trust me when I promised Al would not harm him or anyone else during our visit.

As if hearing my thoughts, Trent remarked, "I meant it when I said I trusted you since camp, Rachel. And besides. I know damn well you and he could have gotten past any protections we have in place around the grounds. I appreciate you respecting me enough to give me the choice."

"Choice?" I asked.

"Of whether to help you or not," he replied.

Quen stepped forward and muttered a phrase in Latin and when he waved his hand in front of the iron gate, a door appeared in the fencing, the creaking sound of metal scraping against metal as the door swung open, granting us passage onto the grounds.

Trent and Quen walked ahead of us as we started up the gravel road leading to the mansion. Al and I trailed slightly behind them. Our surroundings made me feel like we had landed in a Henry James novel. All I needed was a bustle and a parasol. I already had my English gentleman… err… gentledemon. Okay, so Al wasn't all that gentle on most occasions. But as I wondered if he was feeling the same, he hooked my arm in his and we walked together, his green velvet coat still draped around my shoulders.

The mood was oddly romantic and loving… and then Al had to speak.

"That was a very touching speech Trenton made back there," Al whispered in my ear. "About choice and trust."

I stiffened my posture, for a moment concerned Al might do something out of spite or jealousy. But instead, he continued, his warm breath tickling my ear in a not so unpleasant way. "But I'm telling you now, itchy witch, if he makes us all hold hands under a tree in the moonlight and sing Kumbayah, we're outta here."

Whether it was his use of the modern phrasing or the image of two elves and two demons holding hands in a circle under a starlit night, I busted out laughing and leaned into him as we continued our walk up the drive.