LISETTE: [mutters] He won’t be the last.
SHELDON: I’m sure he wo—Wait. What?
LISETTE: Never mind. To which incident are you referring?
SHELDON: The lollipop stick incident. A certain someone, who shall remain nameless—
LISETTE: Tracy?
SHELDON: Yes, damn it! Are you reading my mind?
LISETTE: Yes, this time.
SHELDON: Well, stop! There are freaky things up there that I don’t want you to see.
LISETTE: [grimaces] You’re telling me.
SHELDON: [flushes again] Why did Zach go ballistic when Tracy threw away a couple of discarded lollipop sticks?
LISETTE: Because they weren’t discarded. Zach was saving them. Or rather he is saving them. Fortunately, we found them in the trash bin in time.
SHELDON: [frowns] What’s he going to do with them?
LISETTE: Nothing. He’s saving them because they have meaning for him.
SHELDON: Lollipop sticks?
LISETTE: [nods] The first time Zach was tortured for aiding the Immortal Guardians, Ami sensed his pain, sought him out, and offered him solace… along with two lollipops. Those lollipops were the first gifts Zach had ever received.
SHELDON: [stares] Seriously? He’s lived, like, thousands of years.
LISETTE: Which is why the sticks are important to him. Tracy saw them on the mantel and threw them away. Zach was furious.
SHELDON: And Tracy spent the next several nights sleeping at David’s place. Zach is freaking scary. Almost as scary as Seth. Which brings me to my next question: How terrifying was Seth when he found out you were seeing Zach? Seth did, after all, declare Zach a traitor and tell you to stay the hell away from him.
LISETTE: Terrifying doesn’t even begin to cover it. Next question, please.
SHELDON: You don’t want to talk about it?
LISETTE: I would prefer not to.
SHELDON: Okay. Moving on. I always kinda thought you’d end up with someone else.
LISETTE: [squints suspiciously, then widens eyes] You knew?
SHELDON: Are you reading my thoughts again?
LISETTE: Yes. How did you know about…?
SHELDON: I’m more observant than you guys give me credit for. And stop reading my mind. Freaky things, remember?
LISETTE: Did you tell anyone?
SHELDON: No.
LISETTE: Good.
SHELDON: But I’m pretty sure everyone knows. Or rather knew.
LISETTE: [face fills with dismay] Everyone?
SHELDON: Well, everyone except for Richart and Étienne. They’re your brothers and would’ve wanted to kick his ass if they knew, so everyone kept it hush-hush.
LISETTE: Great.
SHELDON: Does Zach know?
LISETTE: [growls] Yes.
SHELDON: And Zach didn’t try to kill him?
LISETTE: No! Well, yes, a little. But that was before he… [clamps lips together] Next question.
SHELDON: I’m starting to see why you said there have been incidents plural. Now—[jumps and cries out when Zach abruptly appears, six foot ten inches of muscle clad only in leather pants and boots, his dark wings spread so that the feathers brush the walls on either side of the room.]
LISETTE: [smiles] Zach, what are you doing here?
ZACH: [scowls] I sensed you were upset.
SHELDON: Dude! Seriously! You gotta give a guy some warning before you do that! You scared the crap out of me!
ZACH: [narrows his eyes] I’ll do more than that to you. What did you say to upset Lisette?
SHELDON: [rises and backs away nervously] Nothing. Really. We were just shooting the breeze and she… uh… read my thoughts and… saw a weird… sex thing in my memories that involved a, uh… bullfighter’s uniform. [nervous laugh] Hey, is that my phone? I think that’s my phone. [pats his pockets and retrieves his phone] Hello? … Uh-huh. … Yyyyeah. I’ll, uh, I’ll be right there. [lowers phone] That was Richart.
ZACH: [withering look] Your phone didn’t ring. You weren’t talking to anyone. We have heightened hearing, remember?
SHELDON: [swears softly] It was… on vibrate, and the other guy was whispering. Anyway, thanks for the interview, Lisette. Gotta go! [hurries away]
ZACH: [cocks a brow at Lisette]
LISETTE: [shrugs] It wasn’t all a lie. There actually was a weird sex thing involving a bullfighter’s uniform in his memories.
September 2014
Night Unbound Blog Tour
SHELDON: [stares]
ZACH: [arches a brow] Why are we just sitting here?
LISETTE: Sheldon is interviewing us for the network’s newsletter to make the humans who work with us more comfortable around us.
ZACH: Why? Do they fear you?
LISETTE: I don’t know if fear is the right word. They’re just… uncomfortable around beings who are so much more powerful than they are and who have special gifts.
ZACH: Yet they continue to aid you.
LISETTE: Yes.
ZACH: Yours is a peculiar world.
SHELDON: [snorts] And yours isn’t?
ZACH: [narrows eyes]
SHELDON: [swallows] Right. So. First question. Zach, are you friend or foe?
LISETTE: Sheldon!
SHELDON: What? It’s the first thing people ask when Zach’s name comes up in a conversation because everyone knows he’s on Seth’s shit list. So… Zach, which are you? Friend or foe?
ZACH: I believe the jury is still out on that one.
LISETTE: [frowns up at him] You know, you really don’t help your case when you say things like that.
ZACH: I’m not making a case.
LISETTE: [mumbles something under her breath]
ZACH: I heard that.
LISETTE: [winks] You were meant to.
SHELDON: What’d she say?
ZACH: Next question.
SHELDON: Ooookay. What’s the deal with the shirt?
ZACH: What shirt?
SHELDON: Exactly. Why don’t you wear one? I mean, I know the women all love it. But I think the married male immortals don’t approve.
LISETTE: [laughs] Shirts interfere with his wings.
SHELDON: Does it bother you, Lisette, when other women drool over him?
LISETTE: No. [links her fingers through Zach’s] He’s all mine.
ZACH: [smiles and rests their clasped hands on his thigh]
SHELDON: Wow.
LISETTE: What?
SHELDON: Nothing. It’s just… Zach can be pretty freaking terrifying. I didn’t realize he could get such a sappy, lovey-dovey look on his face.
ZACH: [glares daggers at Sheldon]
SHELDON: Did I say sappy? I meant… intimidating. Incredibly intimidating. Like, make-a-man-wet-his-pants intimidating.
LISETTE: Next question, please.
SHELDON: Thank you. Zach, where are your wings?
ZACH: Tucked away so I can sit comfortably in this chair.
SHELDON: Can I see them?
ZACH: [sighs and rises, huge dark wings springing into view and spreading to brush the walls on either side of the room]
SHELDON: Those. Are. Awesome!
LISETTE: Yes, they are.
ZACH: [retracts his wings and reclaims his seat]
SHELDON: What would you say if someone were to… I don’t know… ask you if you’d let him climb onto your back so you can fly him around like Superman?
ZACH: I would ask him how much he wants to live.
SHELDON: Right. It was… just a hypothetical. Anyway. How did the two of you meet?
ZACH: [smiles] She kidnapped me.
SHELDON: No way! You’re almost as powerful as Seth! [regards Lisette with awe] You really kidnapped him?