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“Relatively sure? Or relatively safe?”
“We’re safe, Devyn. These woods are miles thick,” he explains, sweeping his hand toward the trees. “We’ve been running perimeter checks every day all week, and we haven’t seen anything alarming.”
“That’s a lie.” I shake my head adamantly. “You told Azarius you found footprints in the woods.”
“Okay, yes, I did. But I followed them and checked that entire half of the woods. Whatever it was came in and left. It was probably lost.”
I purse my lips, unconvinced, but there’s no point in arguing. We’re already outside. If something attacks us, he better handle it.
Otherwise, I’m kicking his ass.
A small garden of different colored plants blooms beside the mansion. It’s beautiful, but I wish I could see it under the clear light of Earth’s sun to fully enjoy the different hues. The green light cast by the suns overhead distorts them until I’m not sure what colors they really are.
“Who tends to the garden?” I ask, almost expecting him to say himself since he handles a lot of the housework.
“Rafe, believe it or not.”
I don’t believe him.
“That’s a good joke.” I laugh and we stop by the rows of plants. “It’s Azarius, isn’t it? He seems like the tree-hugger type.”
Elio shakes his head. “I was being serious. Rafe spends a lot of time out here in the garden. Ironic, I know. But he can grow plants better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
I stare down at the different shaped leaves and flowers, trying to wrap my brain around Rafe the gardener.
“Are these special plants?”
“Some of them are, but the really special ones he keeps in a small greenhouse on the roof.” Elio points to a tiny plant near the mansion wall. It has diamond shaped leaves and small prickly flowers. “These are poisonous. He hides them throughout all the plants in case something comes and messes with his garden—it’ll kill them.”
“Ah, you should have led with plants that kill. I see the appeal now.” I nudge him playfully with my elbow. “Make it murderous, and Rafe will be all about it.”
He looks over and his eyes lock with mine. “I know you’re joking, but that’s accurate.”
I snicker and Elio joins in, our laughs playing off one another until we’re cackling together.
We keep walking, curving our way around to the back of the building. I’ve seen enough of the yard through the windows to know there’s nothing out here but the garden, but it’s still strange to see such a beautiful, elaborate house in the middle of nothing.
They could have at least put a firepit or something out here to make it a little more inviting.
Not that Rafe gets a lot of guests.
It’s just him, Azarius, and Elio now, and he keeps the boys on their toes with assignments and errands. They would never have time to entertain people anyway, all things considered.
“Do you ever get lonely out here?” I ask.
Elio glances over briefly and looks ahead again, avoiding my gaze. “Occasionally. Azarius and I normally hang out when we have downtime, but it’s not often. Rafe has us chasing down monsters most of the time.”
“It’s good that you have him. He seems really nice.”
Elio scoffs. “He’s nicer than most monsters, that’s for sure. I think spending time with the humans has made him soft. Empathetic. He wasn’t always like that. In fact, he was fucking scary when we met.”
I try to imagine Azarius being a raging asshole like Rafe, or even a decent pain in the ass like Elio, but the image doesn’t form. It feels wrong, like two puzzle pieces that don’t fit together, and it doesn’t sit well with me.
“Being nice isn’t a bad thing,” I point out. “You should try it sometime.”
“I don’t know.” He rubs his chin dramatically as though he’s considering it carefully. “I have the reputation of being a dickhead to uphold. I wouldn’t want anything like manners to go besmirching my good name.”
I dissolve to laughter again and Elio stops walking to let me catch my breath.
