Page 129 of Serpent and Shadow

Caelum suspected he would.

He wasn’t sure what he thought of that idea himself, honestly.

Being in the house might just remind everyone Arcturus was there, and give ideas to some of the more twisted among the Dark Cathedrals. Sirena, in particular, already made too many cracks about Arcturus. She talked about him and to him in ways that reminded Caelum of how she used to talk to him when he was the kid’s age.

It made him uneasy.

He didn’t want Sirena going anywhere near Leda’s brother.

He wouldn’t give his father any reason to let that happen.

“You’re late,” Arcturus said, apparently giving up on him answering. He exhaled, looking up at Bones. “He’s been waiting for you.”

Arcturus motioned with the hand holding a quill pen, and Caelum followed the kid’s eyes to the translucent, primal-like fire fox, which was sitting on the floor, its tail curled lightly around its hind legs. It squatted down as Caelum watched, laying its head down on its front paws and wrapping its flaming tail higher around its haunches.

It looked mostly white today.

He frowned a bit as he stared at it.

He and Arcturus still hadn’t exactly decided what it was.

Caelum knew he should be wary of it. He should tell the kid to be wary of it, too, and do what he could to keep it away from him and his magic, and away from the kid’s strange Obeah magic. He never seemed able to do that effectively, though.

Even now, when he pulled himself up off the stone to walk over and sit on the rug closer to Arcturus, the fox crept along with him, and when he stopped, sitting cross-legged a few feet away from the kid, the fox crawled into his lap. It wound in a quick circle and then plopped itself down in the opening between his legs, curling into a tighter ball before it sighed and lowered its head back to its paws.

Exactly like Wraith might’ve done.

Bones didn’t try to push it away.

He leaned back on his palms, only wincing a little when it pulled at the wound in his chest. He reached a hand up then, and pressed it over the hole left by the crossbow.

“You got hurt again?” Arcturus observed.

Bones nodded. “It’s not serious. It was stupid. My fault.”

Arcturus didn’t comment, but picked up the plate of biscuits to set it exactly between them. “Is that where you were?” he asked after Caelum plucked up one of the chocolate ones. “Getting patched up?”

Bones didn’t answer, taking a bite of cookie.

“Took a really long time, if so,” Arcturus commented.

Caelum basically inhaled the biscuit, and brushed off his hands while still chewing. He leaned over to grab another one, giving the kid a sideways smile.

“You worried about me, runt?” he asked.

“Don’t call me that.” Arcturus looked at him with a serious, warning stare. “That’s what that horrible woman calls you.”

“Witch,” Caelum corrected.

“I can see Leda in your magic,” Arcturus said, before Caelum could shove the second biscuit in his mouth.

Caelum didn’t manage to stop the motion of cramming a second chocolate biscuit into his mouth, so he choked on it instead.

Arcturus frowned at him while he coughed, trying to force it down.

“I don’t know why you lie to me,” the younger mage complained. “You know what I am. You must know I would recognize her magic. You’re positively swimming in it right now. I can feel her all over you, like you two were…”

He paused, blushing.