Page 66 of Something Worth Keeping
“Patricia Holbrook is not a threat. She’s an incompetent administrator in dated power suits who mistakes process compliance for actual competence.” Julian stood, moving to where Cillian hovered at the edge of corporeal. “I’m not upset. I’m satisfied. I just quit a job that never valued me for a position where my skills are actually utilized.”
Cillian’s shadows reached for him automatically, wrapping around Julian’s wrists. “You’re certain?”
“Completely. Though I think you need to spend some time among humans.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been in Shadow House for three days straight and you’re getting twitchy.” Julian laced his fingers through Cillian’s. “You can take me for coffee. A proper date, like when you were courting me.”
The tension in Cillian’s form eased slightly. “You want to go out?”
“I want to drink overpriced coffee and watch you intimidate baristas with excessive eye contact.” Julian smiled. “It’s entertaining.”
“I don’t intimidate them on purpose.”
“I know. That’s what makes it entertaining.”
Rook snorted. “Domestic bliss. Adorable.”
Thorn’s voice carried from the tactical room. “If you’re going out, pick up those modifications for the surveillance equipment. Silas left a list.”
“See?” Julian tugged Cillian toward the stairs. “We can run errands as well. Very normal couple behavior.”
They emerged from Shadow House into afternoon sunlight. Cillian materialized them on a rooftop threeblocks from their usual coffee shop, then shifted to fully human form. He wore dark jeans and a black sweater that made his pale skin look luminous.
“Better?” Julian asked.
“You look happy.” Cillian studied his face with unnerving intensity. “Your supervisor tried to diminish you, and you’re smiling.”
“Because I win. She thought I’d come back grateful for probationary employment. Instead, I have permanent work that actually uses my capabilities, colleagues who respect precision, and a mate who wants to murder people for inconveniencing me.” Julian started toward the fire escape. “It’s objectively satisfying.”
They walked through the warehouse district toward the commercial area. March weather had finally started warming, though Cillian probablycouldn’t feel the temperature anyway. Julian noticed people still gave them a wide berth on the sidewalk. There was something about Cillian’s presence that made crowds part automatically.
“I could still visit her,” Cillian offered. “Leave a reminder about proper employee notification procedures.”
“No visiting former supervisors.”
“Just a small reminder.”
“Cillian.”
“Very small. Barely noticeable.”
Julian laughed. “You’re not allowed to terrorize librarians.”
“She’s an administrator, not a librarian. Different species.”
They turned onto Main Street, approaching the coffee shop. The weekend crowd filled the sidewalk. There were couples window shopping, families with strollers, andteenagers clustered outside the vintage clothing store.
A man in an expensive suit shouldered past Julian without looking up from his phone, knocking Julian’s shoulder hard enough to make him stumble.
Julian caught his balance, automatically cataloging the unnecessary force, the lack of acknowledgment, the…
Shadow erupted across the sidewalk.
Cillian’s human form blurred at the edges, darkness spilling from his feet and hands. His eyes had gone completely black, reflecting nothing. The temperature around them dropped ten degrees instantly.
The man froze mid-step, phone clattering to the sidewalk. Around them, pedestrians suddenly found urgent reasons to be elsewhere.
