Chapter 2

I felt his sense of triumph as the warmth of the line filled me and Al closed us both up in a protective bubble before I could react with my own. Now I was really getting worried. He'd been subdued in my kitchen, even taking hold of one of my bags without a fuss. But now that I was in the line with him, sharing emotions, I could feel him, and he was anything but subdued now. The vibes I was getting off him were damn near exuberant. I'd never felt such heady emotions from him before, and it frightened me even more. And I knew in return he could feel my fear and trepidation.

We came out of the line in his library. I wasn't sure what to think of this, but maybe he was still cleaning up the workroom. I glanced around quickly to make sure his large and grumpy gargoyle wasn't anywhere about. Satisfied we were alone, I did my best to glare at him, which was damn hard when he was standing too close, his red eyes staring down at me.

"I told you," I said firmly while snatching away my bag from him. "This is temporary, you didn't win, so don't act all…" I waved my hand around vaguely, unsure how to exactly categorize what I'd felt from him the line. It was his usual possessiveness, sure, but there had been more than that.

Al's red eyes narrowed at me, and one of his gloved hands grasped my chin before I could gasp in surprise. "You want respect. You want to learn to travel the lines. You want this, that, and the other things. Now, now, now," he said, the last bit in a mocking whine of my own voice. "If you want something, you'd best be prepared to sacrifice something in return, and right now you need to start acting like an adult, and that means honoring your word." Al's British accent was thick with the anger, and I wouldn't have been able to hold his eyes if he hadn't been forcing my chin up. I gulped, how screwed up was this, Al trying to lecture me on honor?

Just as suddenly as it was there, his hand was gone, and I stood there blinking stupidly. Al stood with his back to me, building up the fire.

"I'm not going back on my bet," I said in what I hoped was a calm voice. Al grunted noncommittally but continued with his task. I drew my eyes off his trim backside and stared at the sparks beginning to blossom under his skilled hands.

"I got one of the head Coven leaders to agree to get off my back in exchange for not dragging the Coven's name through the mud, and once the witches' meeting is held, my shunning will be officially revoked," I said with much more confidence than I felt. How would I get it revoked now that Oliver was apparently going back on his word?

"Fascinating, itchy witch," Al said dryly as he straightened up, taking off his gloves to warm his hands now that the fire was going strong. "But not relevant to your predicament any longer." He turned to me suddenly, and I couldn't help but take a step back. He blinked and smiled at me. "Let's go take a peek at your room, hmm? Get you all settled in?"

"My room?" I asked, completely dazed. I'd been expecting something, but sure as hell not that! Seeing him move to stand on the frightening face glyph he used as a door throughout his rooms, I lunged after him before he could disappear. "Al, wait!" I yelled after him. "I don't want a room!"

His firm gloved grip seized my elbow and pulled me to stand by him. I could feel the heat of his hand through his gloves anyway, and his grip tightened almost painfully when I tried to pull away.

I gasped at the suddenness of it. The room was small, almost dorm-sized but with furniture too nice to have ever seen the inside of a dorm. My few bags settled beside my feet, and Al pulled me into the center of the room to take it all in. The sharp smell of fresh paint and laundry almost hid the burnt amber emanating from Al. The walls had been painted a soft cream, and one wall was nearly covered in a purple and gold flowered tapestry. The bed was a twin, which made me feel slightly better, since I couldn't imagine Al trying to crawl into a twin bed with me.

Al released my elbow to begin poking about the room. My room, I reminded myself, and felt strangely possessive of it all of a sudden.

"Hey!" I shouted when he opened up one of the walls, revealing a closet almost the size of the room. I blinked in surprise. Oh crap, where those the clothes he was talking about?

Al ignored me and glanced through the closet briefly but thoroughly before closing it. I stood there, berating myself for my idiocy. What the hell had I been thinking? Al had gotten me a room, and he was always bitching about the cost of living space in the ever after. But he had bought me a room. God damn it, he really wasn't getting the whole "temporary" thing!

"Hurry and get cleaned up, itchy witch. We're going out," Al said, drawing out his snuff box and taking a discreet sniff while I stood there dazed.

"Out where?" I asked, not sure I could be shocked anymore in one day. The sudden, strong whiff of brimstone made me feel even more unreal for a moment.

"To eat, to celebrate your homecoming," he said with a grin that made my stomach drop. Before I could protest, he was gone, and I was standing in my new room in the ever after.

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Woot, I'm proud I got this one out so quick.