The Masquerade Of Black Death (UNDER RE-WRITING AND HEAVY EDITING)

Chapter Nine

Claude-Laurence woke up during the night with a high fever so he decided to go get some water from downstairs. When he did, he saw two figures in the kitchen whispering.
"I like this look." One laughed.
"I didn't do it for you." The other groaned. Claude-Laurence focused his eyes until he could see enough to light a candle. When he did he shone it into the kitchen to see a man that resembled Aurelian with another man hidden, they were kissing.
"Jesus mother of God!" Claude-Laurence dropped the candle and turned around. Aurelian pushed away from Eden. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's you." Aurelian exhaled. "It's good." Claude-Laurence picked up the candle. Luckily it was still intact and alight.
"What did you do to yourself? Aurelian you look so different."
"Aurélie cut my hair and gave me new clothes." His hair was cut somewhat short, he had a small mullet, with his hair flipped over his right eye. His few days old stubble shaven down and with a new shirt. Half was sheer showing off the multiple scars down his chest. The sleeve rolled up just under his elbow.
"You're handsome." Claude-Laurence looked him up and down.
"Isn't he?" Eden smiled. "That's my mans." He giggled cutely while holding Aurelian's waist.
"Just some water. Fever." Claude-Laurence scurried past.
"Upstairs, fever medicine, powder. In that one weird room with nothing else but medicines in." Aurelian pointed upstairs. Claude-Laurence scurried last them again.
"Enjoy the sex."
"I hate you!"
"It's not scary! Even Lia has done it."
"You bastard!" Eden grabbed Aurelian. "Let me go! I'll fucking kill him! I'll rip every hair off his ball sack one by one and make him eat them!" Aurelian was almost foaming at the mouth.

Claude-Laurence was dreading the morning. When he woke up Aurelian was gone. Eden was in his place doing the finishing touches on the food. The children dancing at his feet.
"How mad is he?" Claude-Laurence bit his lip.
"Mad enough to not be here to greet Ophelia good morning. The only times he doesn't is when she's said something about his mother. Twice it's happened." Eden held up two fingers. Ophelia danced in the stopped in the doorway behind Claude-Laurence. "He's not feeling well." Eden lied through his teeth.
"No, Peré said Uncle Claude is a putain and he can't stand to breathe the same air as him." Poppy spoke loudly, before Eden could get down and stop her she spoke it all.
"What did you say?" She looked up at Claude-Laurence with admiration in her eyes. Admiration and fury.
"I told him we had sex and he shouldn't be scared off it." Claude-Laurence looked away. He felt a cold small hand tug on the lobe of his ear. Her nail piercing a whole in his lobe.
"I don't mind telling Lee anything about me. For Gods sake we bathed together. But telling him I had sex?! At seventeen!"
"Thats old for most woman I've had sex with." Claude-Laurence shrugged. Eden put his hands over the kids ears. One hand clamped on each head smashing them into his legs.
"Then go have sex with them! I need to find Lee. Did he do a job last night?" Ophelia looked over at Eden.
"He was called out for a separate reason, something to do with homeland loyalty. I saw him afterwards and he seemed fine, for a hour or so. Someone came by and took him again. He promised he'd be safe, it's just a funeral he was going to."
"We're a family of doctors. A funeral to us means killing someone."
"Then why didn't he say that? I've known him for a while"
"Why are you men so stupid?!" Ophelia huffed. "Honestly! I'll go find someone to go look for them! You make sure his fever goes down and you. Sit quietly like a good boy. If you don't I'll make you sit with Iris as she scolds you for a whole day. Am I clear?" She pointed at Eden then Claude-Laurence.
"Yes." They both said.
"How clear? I want you to say it."
"Crystal clear." They both said.
"Good. Poppy, Flynn, do you want to come with me today?" The children walked up and grabbed a hand each. "Let's get dressed. Leave
The idiots to work." Ophelia took them upstairs and dressed them in clothes Aurelian has laid out the night before. Which he always did. His children were his pride and joy.

She found Iris and they both went out. "Did he propose?" Iris was holding Flynn on her hip.
"He did. Gosh he was to romantic. We spent the day together, then we went to the hill. We spent most of the night on the hill." Ophelia swooned side to side. "Then he told Lee we had sex."
"Silly boy. Is that why I heard crashing early morning? I went to check but there was nothing."
"I assume so."
"So, what are we doing?"
"Making the idiots scared. Aurelian is out for a funeral isn't he?"
"Yes, an old friend apparently. Him and Aurélie left together early morning, it's outside of London, near a place called Willowdale. He asked for time off, asking if I'd keep an eye on things. He said he'd be back within the day. Why must you worry? He's capable of ripping tongues out with his bare teeth."
"I just worry, Iris."
"Why Ophelia?"
"What if he dies too?"
"He has brought literal eyeballs back to you as a souvenir. I doubt he'll get killed anytime soon. Blind or not he's good. Even before he went blind, he'd always close his eyes during fighting. I did ask the old drunk why and he said it's because sometimes we relay on our eyes too much. We're staring at one person or thing like a hand, while something else is coming we usually don't have enough brain power to watch both."
"You know a lot about this huh?" Ophelia laughed.
"Someone has to." Iris let out a long breath. "Do you two want to go see my mother?" She looked at Poppy who nodded and Flynn who smiled brightly. They loved Irene, she was a senile old woman but she often babysat them for Aurelian.