Bloodlines: Ichor || [2]

I. The Beginning Stages

"TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, Julius pulled an idiot card and disappeared. Amos and I went to pick Sadie and Carter up from London and I called you when we got back here. Sadie's on board. We just have to find a way to convince Carter that the only world he's ever known is a giant lie. Following?"

Ophelia shook her head. "Not really, no."

There was a time back in August when she'd gotten a similar call. That time, Melody had just slammed her thumb in a cabinet and needed emotional support. It was also a way to lure Ophelia back home after being gone for so long. When she'd gotten the call about eight hours ago, she assumed it was a similar situation. She was...objectively wrong.

Melody did not look impressed. "I deliberately slowed down for you!"

Sadie looked between them, shrugging. "I followed."

Amos was pouring himself a cup of coffee, nodding. "It was quite succinct."

He did not look dressed for a Christmas morning, that was certain. His tailored suit was made of blue wool, he wore a matching fedora, and his hair was freshly braided with dark blue lapis lazuli, one of the stones the Egyptians often used for jewelry. Even his glasses matched. The round lenses were tinted blue. A tenor sax rested on a stand near the fire pit, and Ophelia had memories of him serenading the East River.

Ophelia rolled her eyes at their comments. "Okay, sure, but why am I here? I was on a mission for The Chief Lector." That was a lie, but she was under specific instructions not to tell Melody that.

"And we thank you for coming upon such short notice," Amos said. "But I think even he would agree that what has taken place far surpasses your mission."

The terrace door creaked open, and a boy stepped outside. His skin was darker than Sadie's by a mile, his black hair in short curls. He was dressed similarly to his sister, the white linen outfit, but Sadie had managed to keep her combat boots. She looked pretty comical with that and her red-streaked hair.

"Ah, Carter," Amos said. "Merry Chrstmas, my boy. Join us."

"About time," Sadie grumbled. "I've been up for ages."

"Um...Amos?" Carter asked. "You didn't have any pet birds, did you? Khufu's eating something with pink feathers."

"Mmm." Amos sipped his coffee. "Sorry if that disturbed you. Khufu's very picky. He only eats foods that end in -o. Doritos, burritos, flamingos."

He blinked. "Did you say—"

"Carter," Sadie warned. She looked a little queasy, having already had this conversation. "Don't ask."

"Okay," he said. "Not asking."

"Please, Carter, help yourself." Amos waved toward the buffet table piled high with food. "Then we can get started with the explanations."

Carter did ask questions like "why do you have a crocodile in the swimming pool" and "why is his name Philip of Macedonia?" However, he eventually sat down at the table with the rest of them.

"He's quite harmless to our friends," Amos assured the other set of siblings. "In the old days, no temple would be complete without a lake full of crocodiles. They are powerful magic creatures."

"Right," Carter said. "So the baboon, the crocodile...any other pets I should know about?"

Amos thought for a moment. "Well, Melody has her garden on the roof. I'd advise you not to enter without her company. But as for others...visible ones? No, I think that's it."

Ophelia noticed Carter had taken a seat as far from the pool as possible. Muffin the cat circled his legs and purred.

Carter focused on Ophelia, as if noticing she was there for the first time. "Hello? Are you another erstwhile family member I don't know about?"