And his bedside table has many objects upon it.
He’s never had a reason to have a box before that wasn’t to do with weapons.He’s never had anything to store that was precious or irreplaceable.Everything he had could be bought elsewhere.
Now he has little treasures.
He has need of a box.
And Margot’s postcard is the newest addition.
Her message was simple and it was signed,Margot, Evan, and the demon spawn.She wrote a return address, but Lachlan won’t write back.They don’t really need to talk anymore after he sent her his full one-year advance.
It makes him happy that the money can do some good.
Lachlan is two years down out of five.
He has three years to figure out how to get these kids safely away from Alistair Penhalyx.Heknowshe can do it.
There’s no doubt whatsoever in his mind, but for now he focuses on ensuring the flow state of his protection and spending time with Mimi.It’s Lachlan’s birthday in a few weeks and he religiously avoids celebrating it, but Mimi seems to have other ideas.She’s already asked him when his birthday is because she wanted to make a calendar.
Everyone’s birthdays are on there.
Jules’ is way ahead in November, Mimi’s is in August, Blaire had a red velvet cake and accepted only handmade gifts in March and Vasily’s is lucky last, far ahead in the tail end of December.Lachlan’s is only weeks away in May.
‘Nogifts,’ he insists when Blaire asks.‘But let the kids do whatever they want.Cake and games, make it like it’s their birthday.’
‘You’re such a spoilsport.’
‘I hate my birthday.’
‘So let us change that.’
‘No.’
Blairetuts.
Lachlan goes on duty.
Jules slips out for a couple of hours.
It’s become routine.
Lachlan lets him out once a week with a few hours’ headstart.Thus far, Jules has been respectful of the allowance.Jules never goes further than thirty miles.He takes the old tracking bracelet, and he lets Lachlan bring him in quietly without anyone noticing.
Danya helps cover for them, using Zaitsev to do it.Surveillance pauses and un-pauses in careful intervals, wrapped around them inside a moving blind spot.Lachlan doesn’t ask how Zaitsev is doing it, though eventually he’ll have to.There’s technical skill and then there’s whatever this is.
Lachlan’s earlier research into Paranaturals led nowhere, but Carrigan had been right.Zaitsev was held in Project Spectrum.The available records are thin to the point of uselessness, though that’s hardly surprising.Lachlan can’t risk digging deep enough to attract attention.
He doesn’t particularly care if Zaitsev is a Paranatural.Brightling.Modern-day witch.Unlike many, Lachlan has never had much patience for that kind of prejudice, though he knows parts of his team still do.Fenwick certainly wasn’t alone in his opinions.If Zaitsevisa Paranatural, Lachlan needs to know, but like much else that’s low urgency right now, it can wait.
Lachlan trains Jules five out of seven days a week.He breaks it up accordingly but wakes him early each morning even on rest days because to lose the rhythm would encourage backsliding and Lachlan is military through and through, knows the value ofroutine.
On “rest days” he trains him in different ways.
Tactics, language, style study and once a week, Tai Chi which Jules pretends to hate.Lachlan doesn’t know why because he never sees him more at peace than when he’s making the motions.
‘Why don’t you teach me other stuff?’Jules asks when they head inside together after Tai Chi bathed in sunrise.
‘Like what?’Lachlan asks, eyes on Jules while they’re outside.
