The Lady of the Valley

TLotV Chapter 33

33.

It wasn't so much a choice of whether or not to tell the girls, it was how to tell them. He spent nearly an hour trying to figure out how to spell it out in food. In the end he just told them over food. It wasn't going so well.

"You just happened to run into Ellie?" Astrid's voice was arctic. "After sneaking out of my bedroom?"

Derek slid three maple-flavored sausage links onto the plate in front of her. "I didn't happen to. I sought her out. And hit the grocery too."

"I see."

Her voice was as sharp as her swords.

"I didn't offer myself up like some sacrificial lamb, like you forbid," he continued quoting her former arguments. "I negotiated like an adult."

"Good for you."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, you can spank me later."

Ari chose that moment to flounce in, practically by her nose. "Why are we spanking Derek today?"

"He sneaked out last night, slash this morning, and went out looking for his sister then negotiated with her," Astrid said.

"Oh, and how is Ms. Bi--" Ari caught the look on his face. "--Ellie today?" She grabbed a sausage link off Astrid's plate and occupied her mouth.

"Well she's not leaving. So again, I negotiated. Since none of us are going to let this go, we might as well combine resources. She did let it slip that Sarris attacked a friend of hers, someone she cared or cares enough to seek retaliation for. That's why she followed him here. She's not just going to go away. She wants blood."

"Ah, vampire obsessive compulsive behavior at it's best," Ari said. When they both side eyed her she huffed and pushed Derek away from the stove and the eggs, forcing him to talk directly to Astrid.

"And that means what, exactly?" Astrid asked.

Derek opened his mouth. But Ari answered, "So we use her."

"What?" Astrid said.

Ari shrugged and cracked eggs into the pan with the sausage grease. "Mom says she wants us out of it. Everyone else says they want me out of it. So he and Ellie can do all the stalking bits. You and he can do the fighting and watching each others' backs bits and I can pretend to stay out of it."

"Pretend?" Astrid said, the corners of her mouth turning up a smidge.

"By the way, Drake is going to come stay over a bit. To keep me occupied. If my choices are staying here or at my parents' I choose here. But Freya knows I need my own outlet for," she waved the spatula at the two of them, "all of this."

"Hey!"

"Oh, don't be pissy. I'm very happy for you two." She stole another sausage link which Derek replaced from his plate with interest. "I just want to be happy too. And that means getting to be your monster fighting support and having my own, other support."

The room remained silent until Ari slid a mound of cheesy scrambled eggs onto Astrid's plate. "I feel like this is a trap," Astrid said.

"With Ellie, or in general?" Derek asked.

"This." She pointed to the food.

"It's not a trap, it's a bargaining tool." Ari said. "He's not trying to lie to you or fool you. He's trying to be soothing so you listen instead of react with," she eyed Astrid, "worry."

Ari the instant mood ring.

Derek stole part of the eggs for himself. "Ellie isn't going to stop until she gets Sarris. "