Snake in the Glass

by Seanan McGuire

  "The Covenant of St. George maintains a breeding program," said Dominic. Aunt Lea and Uncle Mike reacted with expressions of surprise and, in Lea's case, disgust. Angelo and Lydia's faces remained neutral. They were waiting to see where he was going to go with this.

  Dominic continued. "My parents were matched by their elders, who had looked at the historical strengths of both the De Luca and Koerte family lines. They did not argue. They did not attempt to evade their engagement. They simply married, and had a son together, before they died. A successful outcome, from the perspective of the program--or was it? They had no love for each other. Those who knew them have made that perfectly clear to me, although I believe everyone who told me tales of my parents was hoping that what I would take away was their devotion to their cause, and not the fact that at the end of the day, neither of them had anything to make them believe that they had reason to come home."

  Angelo and Lydia stared at him. Dominic pulled our joined hands from under the table, settling them between our plates. His tone had remained calm and reasonable throughout; even now, it didn't waver.

  "I think that love is important. Love is an anchor; it gives us a reason to come back when we might otherwise have gone too far into vengeance or anger or sorrow. Love can't be the only thing we depend upon, but if there is a chance to find it, it should be pursued. However much that may change the life we believed that we were going to lead."

  "Holy shit, Verity, are all Covenant boys secretly romance novels walking around with knives strapped to their thighs, and if so, can you find me one?" asked Aunt Lea, causing Uncle Mike to roll his eyes. But he was looking at her fondly as he did. If ever there had been an endorsement for love over duty, they were it, the cryptozoologist's son and the lady from the water.

  "Sorry, he's taken," I said.

  "Father, I don't want to marry Manos," said Vasia. Her interjection was abrupt. We all stopped talking and looked at her.

  Even Dina was looking at her sister. She swallowed hard, and said, "But I do."

  Angelo paused. "What?"

  "I said, I do." Dina turned to her father. "I want to marry Manos. He's kind. He's not clever, and he's not hard--nothing has ever come along to harden him--but he's kind, and that's important to me. I want to go somewhere. I want to see more of the world than just this city, and I can do that as his wife. I can't do it as your daughter."

  "His family's offer was for Vasia," said Angelo.

  "So we make a counter-offer," said Dina. "We say she doesn't want to get married, but that I'm available. Manos likes me. I'm not the pretty one--"

  "Stop that," said Vasia.

  "--but I'll do, and I'm willing," said Dina, ignoring her sister's interruption. "I don't love him yet. He doesn't love me. Give us time, and we could figure it out."

  "Most things grow better in fertile soil," said Uncle Mike. We all turned to stare at him. "What? I thought this was 'say portentous shit like it somehow makes sense' night."

  "He has a point there," I said. "I love you all, but you sort of talk like you think you're being graded sometimes."

  "Verity claims I got exceedingly high marks in my 'pretentious bastard' class," said Dominic.

  Aunt Lea laughed.

  Angelo was still looking at Dina. Most of the gorgons were. Their faces were calm, but their snakes were in a state of high agitation, twisting and twining atop their heads. Even the most composed gorgon couldn't fully control their snakes. It made it hard for them to lie to each other.

  "If Manos won't have you? What then?" he asked.

  "Then I guess he doesn't have me," said Dina.

  "I'll have her," said a new voice. We all turned.

  The man who had greeted us when we first arrived was standing about ten feet away from the table, still wearing his funeral director's suit. His mushroom cap was gone, and his snakes were lying docile and calm. Out of everyone around us, he was the only one who seemed perfectly at ease.

  "What was that?" asked Angelo.

  "I said, sir, that I would have your younger daughter." His eyes were on Dina as he spoke. "I didn't come here looking for a Helen. I have no need to launch a thousand ships. Not that she's not beautiful--I find her quite pleasing to the eye. I just don't think beauty is the only consideration. My bride and I would have to get along. She'd have to be someone I'd like to spend a lot of time with. I think your younger daughter and I would be able to manage both those things." He glanced to Vasia, looking suddenly nervous. "If it wouldn't offend the daughter I was meant to be courting, this would be...I think this would be perfect."

  "Vasia?" said Angelo.

  "I stand aside, and gladly," said Vasia. She leaned back in her seat, putting more distance between herself and her former suitor.

  "I simply stand," said Dina. She rose, looking at her father.

  There was a pause. Then Angelo stood as well, and beckoned for Manos to come closer. "Come," he said. "Sit down. There's plenty."

  "Thank you, sir," said Manos. He walked quickly over and took one of the open seats. Angelo sat down, and the second course of our dinner began to circulate, carried in by teenage gorgons whose blank faces couldn't conceal their agitated snakes.

  "I'm gonna need more wine," I said.

  Aunt Lea laughed.

  The rest of dinner was nowhere near so exciting, thankfully. By the time I hugged Aunt Lea goodbye, I was ready to retreat to my room and sleep for a week. Manos and Dina were sitting in the lobby, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, when Dominic followed me up the stairs. He smiled a little at the sight of them. I grinned, elbowing him lightly in the side.

  "You're a big sap," I said. "That's what you are."

  "I've never denied it," he said. "It's...nice, being in a world where people are allowed to make their own decisions. Soothing. I know that if you're with me, it's because you want to be."

  "There's no 'if' about it, buddy. You're stuck with me now." We had reached the top of the stairs. It was a short walk from there to our room.

  Dominic turned and grinned at me, so brightly that it made my knees go slightly weak. "I was hoping that would be the case."

  "Aw, did I void your warranty?"

  "Something like that." He unlocked the door to our room, pushing it open. "I think I like things better this way."

  "Oh, trust me." I reached up to caress his cheek before walking past him and inside. "So do I."

  He closed the door behind us, and the rest of the night was perfectly normal for two consenting adults, and needed no explanation. The walls were thick, the bed was soft, and somewhere below us, two gorgons were getting engaged.

  I love Chicago.