Page 8 of A Vampire in a Pear Tree
“My question is why you want to be here.You told us you didn’t want to lead the Hour any longer,” Finch protested, his ire well and truly engaged now.“You claimed we had to pay for releasing the thane, and that we were responsible for keeping the other three contained, as well as tending to the rest of the occupants.We have done so to the best of our abilities.”
Troy gave an abbreviated roll of his eyes.“You didn’t think I meant for you to take the job permanently, did you?Leo!Did you not tell this Dark One that he was to mind the Hour for me while I was exploring what it was to be a social media star, and not take over the thing forever?”
“No, sir, I didn’t tell him that.You seemed very adamant that you were done with the Hour, and wanted nothing more to do with it,” Leo answered, shooting us an apologetic glance.
“As if I could do that even if I wanted, which I do not,” Troy answered with a little snort.“I’m bound to the Hour by its articles of creation.”
“You had me give Finch and Tatiana your seal,” Leo pointed out.
“I know not of what you speak,” Troy said, waving away the point in order to set up his phone on the mantel above the gorgeous antique fireplace that Finch had sourced from another Hour.He posed in front of it.“I am the lawful lord of the Hour.I have always been so, since the day it was created.Do you remember that day, Dark One?Of course you do not.You weren’t here when that dragon and the Sovereign asked me to lead the Hour, not to mention the fact that you’re not even a demigod, let alone a god like me.Everyone knows gods rule the twelve Hours.Leo, make sure that my band is here by the evening.I see there is a celebratory banquet scheduled, and the denizens of the Hour, as well as the tourists, will enjoy watching me listen to music.”
Of all the pigheaded, conceited, narcissistic jerks,I muttered, wanting badly to do something extreme, like throw paint on Troy, ruining his expensive suit.
Do not, under any circumstances, aggravate him,Finch warned.He may be treating us without thought, but as he pointed out, he is an actual god, and he has a prior claim on the Hour.
“Yeah, but we did all the work,” I complained out loud, wanting Troy and Leo to know how unfair it was for the former to come marching in and tell Finch we were no longer in charge.
Life, as my mother frequently said, is anything but fair,he murmured, allowing me to feel his own frustration with the situation.
I made a sharp gesture toward Troy.“We got all the paperwork together to bring in tourists, and we held countless town halls explaining to the residents about our idea, and everyone was super excited about Axegate Walk Underworld, and now we’re supposed to walk away on opening day?It’s not right!”
Troy held up a metal disk about three inches across.“I bear the seal.The Hour is mine by right and practice.Your time here is finished.You may return to the mortal world to do whatever it is you do there.”
“That’s ours!You took it from Finch’s desk!”I had a whole lot more to say when Troy tucked away the Hour’s official seal, but Finch stopped me by taking my hand and giving my fingers a little squeeze.
“Even if we wished to leave—and as my Beloved said, we have worked for over a year to get the Hour to the state you find it—as residents of the Hour, we are technically dead, and can’t return to the mortal world.”
“Also, I’d like a guitar.I used to play it some sixty years ago—do you remember?I wore a turtleneck while I played romantic songs,” Troy told Leo.“I will play the guitar for the tourists, and wear my turtleneck.My Instagram followers will love it, as well.What?That is a minor point, Dark One.”
“Being dead might be a minor thing to you, but I assure you that Tatiana and I find it of great importance,” Finch said, biting off the end of each word, which told me just how annoyed he was.
Annoyed doesn’t begin to cover it.
Preaching to the choir,I told him.
“Fine,” Troy said with an obvious roll of his eyes.“If you’re going to be obstinate about it.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that there was no way we were going to miss seeing the results of a year of our hard work when he waved a hand, a brilliant golden light poured over us, one that inexplicably filled me with joy, and then suddenly I was on my knees on a rough surface.
I looked up, for a moment too stunned to believe what I was seeing.
Finch?
Right here.He swore in Czech.I don’t believe it.
“We’re back?”I said, taking his offered hand, slowly getting to my feet as I looked around.It was nighttime, but we were standing on a pavement, a salty breeze whipping around us.I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I gave myself up to the moment.
We were home.
“Ravenfall,” I said on a sigh, opening my eyes so I could fling myself on Finch, kissing him five times before releasing him to spin around, my hands jubilantly in the air.“We’re back where we belong!”
“And we’re alive,” Finch said, incredulity giving his voice a distinct teal-blue tinge.
“Holy shit!”I yelled, turning back to him, goose bumps rippling down my arms.“You’re teal!”
He looked down at himself.“I am?”
“Your voice!There’s a teal overtone to your forest-green voice.Finch!My boon is back!We’re alive, and I have my boon, and we’re in Ravenfall.What the hell happened?”I did a little dance of happiness, wanting immediately to run down the streets to reacquaint myself with the town, and also to spirit him away to the nearest bed so I could have my way with him.
