The Apprenticeship of Julian St. Albans (Consulting Magic Book 2)

by Amy Crook

  "Everything's still here, the lock's intact," she reported. "But the plants look a bit wilted, maybe he needed them close but not right there?"

  "Hm. If there's a mage with the crime scene techs, you might get him to look it over, or I can come back after Julian's settled in for the afternoon."

  "I'm not a delicate flower, you know," protested Julian.

  "Alex just likes to tend to you as though you were," teased Mary Margaret. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

  "I know for a fact that your Mr. Stone still spoils you rotten," retorted Alex. "So don't go making my Julian think I ever intend to stop."

  There was laughter and goodbyes, and then more kissing, which made Julian very happy. "And how will you 'get me settled,' then, hm?"

  Alex grinned. "I thought perhaps once we'd had our sweets, we'd have a bit of dessert," he said sensually, stroking Julian's side down his flank and then sneaking up under his shirt. Alex's hands were always so warm, all of him radiating welcome heat into Julian's body when they were close.

  "I do have a very favourite cream-filled treat I'd enjoy," said Julian.

  Their tea was finished in short order after that, the dishes and sweets set aside for the brownies to deal with. Alys could get tetchy if they tried to clean up after themselves, which had taken Alex a lot longer -- and several rather inconvenient pranks -- to get used to. Julian kept fond memories of the day Alys charmed Alex's soap to turn him bright blue, revealing that he was a very thorough bather, but forgot the spot behind his left ear.

  Alex swept Julian off his feet, carrying his giggling body to their bedroom and the big, soft bed they shared. Clothes were scattered, and they got tucked under the warm blankets together, Alex's longer legs tangling with Julian's in a way that always felt possessive in the best of ways. "I want to fill my mouth with you," whispered Julian, already thinking of how much he loved the taste of Alex's skin, and the firmness stretching his small mouth wide.

  "Let's taste each other," whispered Alex, stealing another kiss. "We haven't done that in a while."

  Julian laughed as Alex's long fingers tickled his sides, murmuring his agreement. There were the usual clumsy moments getting arranged, but soon enough he had Alex's long body draped over him, with Alex's hard, damp cock and heavy balls hanging above him like the most tempting of fruit. He licked at Alex's balls first, teasing them both, moaning against the thin skin when Alex dipped his curly head down to tickle at Julian's thighs. Strong hands spread Julian's legs wider, pinning him down and sending a jolt of need straight to Julian's cock.

  Julian loved the way Alex gladly took control of him like this, as generous with pleasure as he was with his home and his affection. He slid his hands up to cup and fondle Alex's balls, and tug his cock down to Julian's mouth, sucking on the head. The skin was velvety soft, perfectly filling his mouth like a ripe apricot, though the fluid that welled up was more salty than sweet. He relaxed into the familiar need, whimpering when Alex's hips pushed forward just a little, and sucking harder in response.

  Alex sucked both of Julian's balls into his wide mouth, that wicked tongue teasing the sensitive skin. He rocked his hips lightly, letting Julian relax and take the gentle, shallow thrusting, letting him forget the day and his worries and just be Alex's to have and to pleasure. He sucked and licked and swallowed, taking more and more of Alex's length as it was offered, feeling his own pleasure ratchet up as Alex returned the favour. He wouldn't last long like this, not if Alex was determined, but sometimes Julian thought he could float in this place forever, suspended between his own pleasure and his lover's.

  Alex let sensation build slowly but steadily, pulling back whenever he sensed Julian getting too close. Julian had no idea how long they spent there under the covers, but he swallowed eagerly when Alex spilled into his mouth, and followed with his own needy moan, the pleasure sweeping away the tension of the day and leaving him worn and limp, sated and sleepy. And safe; Alex gathered him up and got them turned around, curling around him and petting him until he dozed off.

  CHAPTER 2

  "They still need me back at the crime scene, did you want to come? You're learning to listen to the plants, you might be able to tell them something I can't," said Alex, to Julian's sleepily blinking form.

  Julian snuggled a bit more in the covers, then sighed, letting the delicious post-nap lassitude fall away. He stretched and yawned. "What time is it?" he asked; he'd slept through the phone ringing, and awakened slowly to the sound of Alex's voice talking to the person on the other end, a familiar sound from these past months. People did have a tendency to need to consult Alex at inconveniently early hours, a fact that annoyed them both, which made it better, somehow.

  "Half three, we had a good long nap," said Alex, leaning down for a sweet kiss. "Come on, let's have a quick shower and we'll stop at the bakery for something for Mary Margaret."

  "She likes the gingerbread men," said Julian with a smile. Alex could be very thoughtful, when he bothered, and it made Julian proud to be one of the people about whom his lover bothered. "You'll be up half the night researching, make sure you let Alys know you'll need snacks."

  Alex grinned. "You'll be up with me, after that nap," he retorted, and they bantered back and forth like that through their shower and into their clothes.

  Julian was still getting used to the idea of work clothes, soft jeans and layered shirts that could be shed if he got warm hauling boxes of seedlings or digging in the earth. Alex said it looked good on him, especially the warm touches of colour from his time in the sunlight, lightening his auburn hair and adding to the dusting of freckles across his cheeks. He was building up muscle, too, though Alys fed them like magic users so he hadn't yet managed to lose all of his posh softness.

  Alex seemed to like that, too, so he couldn't really object. He liked Alex's whipcord-lean body, with its long lines and interesting scars. Julian still spent long minutes sometimes kissing the little puncture scar on Alex's thigh from when he'd been attacked during the Courtship, and being glad Alex had been with someone who listened well and thought fast.

  Julian shoved away those morbid thoughts and gave Alex's creamy mounds a little squeeze, getting a laugh and a kiss in response. "Thinking of giving me a ride tonight, love?" asked Alex teasingly.

  "Maybe," said Julian, blushing. Alex let him top when he wanted, but he still most preferred being on the bottom.

  "Perhaps I'll ride you, instead," said Alex teasingly. They emerged from the bedroom to tell Alys and Nat where they were off to, getting assurances from the brownies that food would be waiting and their home kept safe and sound while they were gone.

  "How many feathers are left from Horace's wing?" asked Julian curiously, setting out a fresh dish of milk, honey and bread as they left. The brownies weren't technically allowed to give the fairy offering, so they handed the plate off to one of their humans and took the dirty one from the previous day back. "We haven't seen Con in a while."

  "Four, I think," said Alex. "He got two during the Lassiter case. Actually, I should see if he can help here, having an earth sprite look around can't hurt." Alex did one of those little tricks that he seemed to think were nothing, but always made Julian's heart fill with wonder. He whistled a little tune, and a glowing green and blue butterfly appeared on his finger, listening to his instructions before fluttering off.

  They caught a cab over, and got a whole box of assorted treats to take back to the hardworking officers and agents overrunning the nursery like busy bees in their hive. Tiny, still stuck on door duty, was especially grateful when Julian brought him a fresh cup of tea and a gingerbread man.

  "So," said Murielle, happily nibbling on a macaron, "whose idea was this?"

  "Mine, but Julian paid for it," said Alex, snugging him proudly.

  Julian blushed. "Well, it was his idea to bring something for a few of you, it was my idea to get a big box," he corrected, grinning. "I wouldn't want you to think Alex actually cared if Armistead got cookies."

  "H
e's not even on this case," said Alex smugly.

  "Nope, he's busy so we get the far more pleasant Ms. Eberly, who is new and hasn't dealt with Alex yet," said Murielle, amused. "You should butter her up with a biscuit before she does."

  "I'd say I'm on a diet," said a voice from behind them, "but we all know that's a lie." They turned, and Julian found himself impressed by Ms. Eberly's statuesque figure. She was nearly as tall as Alex but as curvy as Alex was stick-thin, and as dark as Alex was pale. "What'd you bring us?"

  "All the good things," said Julian, stepping forward with the box. "I'm Julian St. Albans."

  "You're the one who found the body, then," she said, "Ooh, gingerbread men. How did you find these in August?"

  "Alex knows a place," said Murielle. "This is our famous consultant, Alex Benedict, the man lucky enough to have won Julian's heart."

  "I'm Ellora Eberly," she said, switching hands with the cookie so she could shake with him, and Julian as well. "Armistead really hates you, so I expect we'll get along."

  A nearby officer nearly snorted his tea at that.

  Alex just looked smug. "If you like Murielle and Geoff, I've been told it's a good litmus test." He handed her a cup of tea, and then Julian helped her get sufficient sugar in it to go with the cookie. "We're here to look at the virgin plants greenhouse, Mary Margaret said there was some wilting."

  "Since you were already here, they didn't send over an evidence mage," said Ellora. "So we do need you to take a look. But why's he back?"

  Julian found he liked her directness, which made him think of Alex. "I've got an affinity for plants, so Alex wants me to see if I can get a feel for what's ailing them," he said, feeling shy about his newly-discovered talents.

  "He's coming along quite well, for all we're muddling through teaching him," said Mary Margaret, coming up behind them and jingling her keys. "Come on, lads, finish your treats and let's get this over with."

  "Will we spoil them, going in there to listen?" asked Julian curiously. He'd not yet learned all the protocols for dealing with the two special greenhouses, so he didn't have much to do with their maintenance.

  "It shouldn't do any more damage than the murder did," said Alex wryly. They finished their tea, then left the cups on the counter with their names scrawled on them.

  "He's right, we'll have to get it all re-consecrated," said Mary Margaret with a sigh.

  "Alex had an idea for that," said Julian, telling her about Master Stephen's request as they walked back to the greenhouse in question.

  "I'll help you, and if we provide most of the plants, then, the Temple should be happy to trade the blessing, that's a good idea," she said, pleased. "That's one less worry, anyway, I knew you were a good one under that face you put on for show," she said to Alex.

  Julian snickered. "He doesn't put it on as much anymore, now that he's realised how nice it is to be liked."

  Alex harrumphed. "The lock?"

  But he was smiling as he said it.

  She chuckled and unlocked the room, and Julian felt a wave of distress coming off the plants the moment the door opened. "Oh, you poor babies," he said, slipping inside.

  Mary Margaret sighed. "Ah, well, they were all a write-off anyway."

  "You'll rebuild," said Alex. Then he pulled out one of his tuning forks and did his magic thing, pinching the tines and coming into the little room behind Julian.

  Julian was touching the plants, cooing to them, feeling their indignation and violation from whatever foul magic had touched them. They were all quite depleted, and he was worried several of them might die. "Can you get some of the special liquid fertiliser, please, ma'am?"

  "Oh, of course, I'll be right back." Mary Margaret hung the open lock on the door and went off to the supply room on the back of the office, so Julian turned his attention back to the plants.

  Alex ignored him completely, his hearing in another realm entirely as he listened to each plant individually. Julian led him over to the little clutch of lilies, which were nearly gone, then snuggled up to his side. He'd learned that he could 'steal' a little of Alex's magic this way, just by sending his own energy to plants with Alex touching him, and his lover had given him permission ages ago to do it when needed.

  "I hope this doesn't interrupt," Julian said softly, then he began talking to the dying lilies, sending the energy where it needed to go.

  They drank in the magic the way parched soil drinks water, and by the time he'd led Alex around the room, everything was looking healthier and Mary Margaret was back with her dropper.

  "You've done a good job, haven't you?" she said, peeking inside. "Go on, it's always got a bit more charge when you do it." She handed him the bottle and dropper.

  Julian smiled softly, "Thanks. We'll be fine here if they need you, I can lock up."

  "She might be enjoying the respite," teased Alex, snuggling back up to Julian from behind. "That was smart, reenergising them while I was listening. I got a lot more information that way, hearing where the plants were most damaged and how they healed."

  Julian's smile turned into a grin. "Really? I just wanted to borrow off you, like you showed me."

  "That was smart, too," Alex assured him. "Come on, I want to listen while you add that," he said, pointing to the fertilising potion. It wasn't just nutrients, but a charged magical potion that would help with the depletion. Usually they used it when they needed an extra-potent batch of plants for a mage's special order, but it would do perfectly here.

  "I'll go see if your Agent's done with my week's accounts, we did put her onto the man who ordered the lilies," said Mary Margaret. "Don't forget the lock, they may not be virgin anymore but some of those are still valuable."

  "Yes, Mary Margaret," said Alex and Julian in unison.

  She laughed and waved them off as she disappeared among the maze of greenery.

  Julian turned to Alex for a warm, sweet kiss. "You can snuggle again if it helps listen," he said, mock-innocently.

  "I will, and it does," said Alex, cuddling up behind him in such a way that Julian would have his hands free and could just tug Alex along with him as they went around the room. "But I'd do it even if it didn't," he added, before pinching his tuning fork again.

  Julian had grown used to the pure, soft tones whenever Alex worked, though he still liked the rarely-used flute better. Julian relaxed and started at the top right shelf and worked his way methodically through the whole room. He gave each plant the dose that felt right with that new sense he was only just learning to use, that seemed like intuition until he paid attention to it. It was almost like seeing something, but not the way James or Jacques said they saw magic. His magical sense was subtle, but it was like the plants could signal to him when they were full and happy again.

  In the end, they saved every plant in the room, even the delicate fire orchids and the original white lilies that seemed to have taken the brunt of things. The bottle of potion was three-quarters gone, but Julian didn't think Mary Margaret would resent replacing it. She hated to see a plant wither and die just as much as Julian did, even though she maintained that she herself was a purely mundane Master Grower.

  Julian swayed against Alex as they stepped out into the main nursery, suddenly exhausted. "Wow, that was..."

  "A lot of magic," said Alex, giving him a sweet, tingly kiss. "You'll need a good, big meal and a nice long sleep."

  Julian smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. "I had all this enchanted stuff in my house, but I never really had magic before you," he said.

  He loved it when Alex blushed for him.

  "Come on, let's see if there's any sugar left from the ravaging hordes, and I can report to Lapointe."

  "Sir, yes, sir," said Julian with a giggle. He felt a bit punch-drunk, like he'd been up all night, and he could tell a crash was coming.

  Alex took the bottle of potion and led him back to the front desk, proving once again that he was one of the few people who could find their way around the nursery just as well as
the people who worked there.

  "I used a lot of it, but I think I saved everything," said Julian, handing the bottle back to Mary Margaret.

  "If you saved that fire orchid, then it's worth every drop," said Mary Margret. "I'm glad Alex convinced us to give your apprenticeship a go."

  "Me, too," said Julian. "Ooh, sugar," he added, when Alex put a fairy-cake and a cup of very sweet tea in his hands. He bit into the cake, mmming, then washed it down with the tea.

  "He's a little depleted, he hasn't learned yet how to regulate his own magic," said Alex, before nibbling on a jam tart. "We both put a fair amount of energy into your plants today."

  "And did you learn anything from your extended snuggle?" asked Murielle teasingly.

  "Physical contact facilitates magical transference," said Alex, pretending to be huffy.

  "He learned loads, he told me he had things to report," said Julian, giving Alex a little poke.

  "Let's go sit in the office," said Murielle, eyeing them. "You both look about to fall over."

  "We'll be fine, we had a nap," said Julian. "Alys promised treats when we get home, too."

  "Ooh, maybe I should take your statements at your flat, then," replied Murielle with a grin.

  "You could," said Julian, quite seriously. "You know they love it when we have guests." Their brownies seemed to thrive on extra work, so their friends had taken to leaving things there to be mended, dropping in for random visits, and generally abusing poor Alex's inhospitable nature by forcing him to enjoy having friends.

  Julian loved it, and he knew Alex secretly did, too.

  Murielle grinned. "Let me see if they can spare me, then, things seem to be mostly wrapped up here anyway."

  "You'd be welcome, too," said Alex, but Mary Margaret waved them off.

  "My Mister will be by in a bit with some food for us, and then we'll get the weekend crew in to start cleaning up once they release the crime scene in a few days," she said. "You need to rest, and so I don't plan to see you until I call you in, all right?"