The Tales and Tellings of Hallows' Grove (MLM)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

                "You're the creepy twig guy that smells like death?" were Charlie's first words to Simon when Henry introduced them, his arms crossed.

"I haven't the faintest idea where he got that from," said Henry in response to Simon's look. "Charlie's my brother."

"There really is more than one Everwood in this town," Adele stepped forward hesitantly, eying Charlie as though she expected him to shoot fireworks from his hands. "Are you a witch, too?"

Charlie drew himself up. "I'm a policeman."

Adele's eyes fell to the ground. "Oh . . ."

"Look," he gaped, "I didn't want to do this at all! But no one disrupts my brother's peace, so I'm here to help."

"How?" Simon asked. "What are you planning to do against a ghost, policeman? Shoot at it?"

"I do know some magic, you idiot," Charlie huffed, pushing past Simon and unslinging his bag off his shoulder. "I just don't spend my time brewing potions and enchanting the brooms to clean for me."

"I'm far too busy for that sort of thing," Henry shrugged.

"Besides," said Charlie, "as I recall, it's your brother who's dragged mine into his nonsense."

Simon puffed his chest out. "Don't you blame Edward for being a ghost!"

"Oh," he said dully, "is that his name?"

"This is going well," Edward muttered to Henry. "They'll just end up killing each other before Halloween."

Henry chuckled and stuck a hand in Edward's pocket, eager for his warmth after their day in the rain. He pressed close to his side, glad to be the only one to see him and how he clung to him.

"Charlie's just grumpy," he said, "that's all. He's used to being highly respected, and I don't know if you've noticed, but of the two of us, it's not me people prefer."

"That's silly," Edward shook his head, and Henry could hear the disdain in his voice. "I prefer you."

"As I prefer you," Henry murmured and gave his jaw a quick kiss so that no one noticed. He straightened. "Right then," he clapped his hands and the teapot on the stove whistled loud enough to drown out Charlie and Simon's voices and have them covering their ears.

"Knock it off, will you?!" Charlie demanded. Henry could only tell by reading his lips. Henry snapped his fingers and the sound faded to a teapot's regular whistle until he crossed into the kitchen and turned off the stove.

He poured out a mug of tea and let it float to a wide-eyed Adele. "I don't like shouting in my home," he said simply, stirring a spoonful of sugar to his own mug. "Edward, tea?"

Edward sat on the counter across from him, his hand in Henry as he took a cup. "Here's a question," he said. "If we can't find Vera, how are we going to stop her?"

"Charlie's already started looking," said Henry with a smile at his brother. "Haven't you?"

Charlie was still grumbling under his breath. He pointed a warning finger at Simon and Adele. "If either of you ever say anything about this, I'll find you and let you rot in a cell for the rest of your lives for your little Houdini act." He sighed. "But yes. While my brother had always had a gift for charms and spells, I'd been particularly good at . . . just one."