вlood & peтalѕ [ ĸoтlc - тιana ]

ch. viii

This is legit crazy. 

This book hasn't even been out for three whole days and it's already tapped a hundred reads! I love you guys so much!

Now watch me make you all cry....*evil laughter*

Dex watched the twins leap away with a crease between his eyebrows. He didn't notice he was full-on glaring at the grass until Sophie nudged him in the ribs and asked if he was okay. He nodded and went back to staring at the grass.

It was pretty evident that Tam and Linh were hiding something. And it wasn't until Fitz pointed out that the smell of blood and roses had vanished, that he put the pieces together.

***

He had never been to Tiergan's house before. None of them had, barring the twins and Wylie, obviously. 

Now that he was actually standing in front of it, Dex found that the mansion was just as grand as Havenfield, albeit with only two floors. The lack of size in the main building was made up for by the sprawling grounds surrounding the house as far as the eye could see. As he rapped the doorframe with his knuckles, Dex found himself wondering how many gnomes worked to keep the estate as beautiful as it was then.

Before his Technopath senses could give him a decent estimate, the door flew open. "Oh, Tiergan, good thing that you're back. Tam just coughed up a whole lot more of- Dex? What are you doing here?" Linh goggled at him openly, as Dex offered a small smile.

"Hi. Can I come in?"

She glanced briefly over her shoulder, as if checking for something, before lifting a single shoulder in a half-shrug. "Sure. Mind you, it's a bit of a mess right now...."

"That's okay," he said hastily. "It couldn't possibly be worse than anything the triplets came up with."

Linh's mouth curved into half a smile, before she stepped back to let him in. "Tam's...taking a nap."

"Oh, that's okay. I actually needed to talk to you." Dex shuffled his feet awkwardly, looking everywhere except at her. Tiergan's house was a LOT fancier than he'd expected, with the standard crystal walls and glittering chandeliers. Only difference between it and Everglen was that it looked a LOT more lived-in, with personal knick-knacks scattered here and there.

"And...?" Linh swept a stray piece of hair into her hasty braid. "Go on."

"'Kay." He finally tore his eyes away from the small photo of Wylie propped on the mantelpiece. "Is Tam okay?"

Linh bit her lip. "Uh, of course he is. Why?"

"Because you're a terrible liar. No offence meant." Dex blew out a breath. "Seriously, is he okay? Because the blood-smell vanished as soon as you guys left, and the way you left abruptly like that? Kinda suspicious."

Linh looked cornered. "I....Uh...."

"And when you opened the door for me, you said something about him...coughing up something?" Dex prompted. "Doesn't sounds like he's okay. And he was coughing a lot today, and we all know that he doesn't get colds."

"No...he doesn't," Linh admitted, biting her lip again. Something flashed briefly in her eyes, before she glanced at the hallway which probably led to the bedrooms, before saying, "might as well tell you now. But first you need to promise you won't tell anyone. This is important. Like, life-changingly important."

Dex nodded, plopping down on the more-comfortable-than-it-looked couch. "Deal. Now, tell me all."

Gotta love Dex.

He deserves love. And appreciation. And recognition. And love. Did I say love already?

*cough* mUsIc *cough*