The Judgement Of Divinity (TMOE #2)

Chapter 8: Perks of the undead

"I've already had this talk with someone else," he therefore said before the man could say anything.

"What talk?" Ethan asked, but his tone implied he knew very well.

"The 'do I like him' talk."

"Oh that." Ethan looked smug. "Well if you've already had it..."

"I don't know, alright? Let's leave it at that."

Ethan smiled again, though this time it didn't look so genuine.

"Well, just friends wouldn't be so bad either." Then he averted his gaze, lowering his voice into a mumble. "Probably for the best, actually."

Lucius cocked an eyebrow at him to explain, but the vampire said nothing more on the matter and besides, he'd decided not to have that talk anyway. So he let the conversation die out after that, only replying to Ethan's occasional comments about various flower arrangements in windows.

Finally they reached the outskirts of town where the manor was located, and Lucius' eyes narrowed at the huge garden in front of it. He'd seen it before when sneaking inside the first time, but he figured it deserved another glare. So much waste of space and money for just a garden. Imagine what the money could have been used for instead.

In actuality he was more than a little jealous, but he was far from humble enough to admit that.

"So what do you think?" he asked as they walked past a fountain with a four-winged swan statue. "Should I go for a basement window? It's worked before."

Ethan's face twisted into a pained grimace.

"No, the basement might actually be the worst option. Don't worry though, I know a good way in."

He proceeded to point up at the roof of the building, and Lucius stared at him in disbelief.

"The roof?"

"The attic."

"Listen, I may be skilled and all but I can't climb walls."

"Yeah no, I get that." Ethan nodded and disappeared in a trail of smoke.

Lucius looked around, feeling much more exposed in his sudden solitude, but before he could complain about it Ethan had already reappeared before him.

"This'll help," he said and handed Lucius a rope. "From the tool shed."

"To get to the roof?" Lucius received it, gazing up at the tall building again. "I'm... Not sure I have the arm strength for that. And how do we attach it in the first place?"

"I'll walk." Ethan pointed upwards again, and Lucius assumed he meant the poofing thing. "I'll hold it for you. I can even pull you up if needed."

Lucius looked down at the rope again with a frown.

"Can't you just hold me and poof your way in there?"

"I can't shroud-walk with living beings." Ethan shook his head, nudging Lucius along to walk around the manor with him. "Or, I don't dare to. Took me the longest time just to get my clothes to follow. Don't want to risk parts of something living being left behind."

Lucius nodded at a rapid speed, agreeing very much with that.

"Still, maybe someday." Ethan patted his shoulder again. "Give it twenty years or something."

Once again, Lucius tried to make sense of the man's age to little avail.

They stopped here and there along the way, Ethan making sure no one was looking through the windows from the inside before continuing on. Finally, they reached a spot where Ethan held up his hand.