Rise of the Blood Empress

III: In Good Company

"I'm not expecting anyone," Beau said, exchanging a surprised look with Simone.

The doorbells chimed again, somehow more insistent the second time.

Getting quickly to her feet, Simone followed him out into the vestibule, patting her hair and hoping she looked at least marginally presentable. She noticed that the battle scene surrounding the hall was showing its age. Humidity and generations of children roughhousing had taken a toll on the details of the marble masonry.

"I'm coming!" Beau barked in agitation when the visitors rang the bell for a third time. Turning the latch to release the heavy deadbolt, he opened the door.

The sky was overcast, a bleak grey that promised a good day for staying indoors and relaxing. A sudden, biting gust of wind ripped through the door, past the two men standing on the welcome mat.

"What a coincidence," he pushed the door open further, and Simone peered around her brother's broad shoulders.

Her eyes widened, and she squealed in delight, "Jude!" Practically knocking over Beau, Simone forced her way out onto the porch, throwing herself at her other brother.

Jude laughed and hugged her tightly, squeezing hard enough to force air from her lungs with a wheeze. He let her go and held her at arm's length, looking her over, "Do they ever feed you at the Academy?"

With a laugh, she swatted his hand away when he made to poke her in the ribs, "Of course they fed me."

"Come inside, and introduce us to your guest," Beau urged, waving them in.

They were more than eager to when a second, stronger gust of wind helped propel them into the manor. Beau closed the door heavily behind them.

Jude, the shorter and younger of the two brothers, wore an easy smile that went all the way to his amber colored eyes. His straight, sun kissed brown hair, stood up from his head at odd angles that he had no doubt calculated and arranged precisely. The boy Simone had known was nowhere to be found; before her stood a strong, capable man. Manual labor had suited him, and long hours spent sifting through sand in the blistering sun had tanned his skin.

He shook his eldest sibling's hand with thickly calloused fingers, "It's been a while."

Beau grinned, "Indeed it has, you look well."

"I feel well," Jude assured him with a wink. He clapped his companion on the back, "This is my very good friend Aeras; Aeras," he turned to each of his siblings in turn, "This is my brother, and patriarch of our family, Beauregard, and this is my lovely sister, Simone."

Aeras, who had to this point been silent, gave Beau a firm handshake, "Pleasure to meet you."

To Simone, he gave a cordial smile and a nod that made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. "Miss Chevalier, you are a vision. Jude never mentioned that detail," he frowned and gave him a sidelong glance.

"Thank you," she smiled, and looked up to Beau, "I'll put some water on to boil."

Beau lead the procession through the house to the kitchen. Simone hung back with Jude when he gently gripped the elbow of her blouse.

"I'm fine," she turned to face him, "But I can't talk about it," her hands ached with the memory of the flames. "Not now," Her eyes darted forward, darting quickly from Beau's back to linger on Aeras.

Simone could swear she saw a hitch in his step, and he rolled his shoulders back, trying to shrug off her gaze before following her brother through the swinging kitchen doors. She swallowed down her sense of unease and took Jude's arm, "What are you doing home?"