"I do not remember inviting you into my home."
"I let myself in."
Elias had just come back from the market with a brown bag of groceries wrapped around his arm. Silky planned to prepare Monte Cristo sandwiches for dinner. He made it past the frame of the living room when he was met with the blond priest he loathed immensely sitting on his sofa. The fold of his headdress covered his skeletal face from the shivering priest. His housekeeper had just set a tray of biscuits and a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea on the wooden coffee table. Simon was all too eager to reach for the china.
Elias argued, "Some would consider that a home invasion."
"It's a blessing when it's a priest."
Elias felt reluctant to comment. "If it's about your medicine, I'll have it ready in a few minutes," he said as he hung his coat on the hanger beside the door frame. There was a dark grey coat and wool-knit scarf hanging from the other rack. He handed the bag to the Silky, who took it directly to the kitchen in the other room.
"Come now, do I always need a reason to visit an old friend?"
"I do not think we have the luxury of calling each other companions," Elias said as he sat on his designated seat.
Before he had a chance to comment on Elias' statement, Simon coughed onto his fist. The tea had nearly spilled on the floor as he struggled to catch his breath. His coughs sounded dry and hoarse. Elias assumed that the changing weather must be a contributing factor to his violent coughs. He knew they had gotten worse, but it sounded like his throat was being ripped to shreds. Elias sent the Silky to fetch the medicine.
"You must not strain yourself with your duties," Elias commented. "I recommend talking to your superiors about your condition. Or better yet," he added, "ask them to relieve you of your duty as my watchman," he added.
Simon laughed at the Silky handed him a glass of water, she had his medicine in hand in a brown paper bag. He took a sip of the water and sighed as the cool liquid relieved his throat. He said, "As long as you ground yourself to this land, I'll always keep my eyes on you."
Elias rest his cheek on his fist with his arm on the arm rest. He watched Simon's Adam's apple bob up and down as he chugged the remainder of the water. He handed the glass to the Silky, who took it to the kitchen where she stayed for the remainder of the day.
Elias remembered the first time Simon followed him to his home. He recalled a summer day over a decade ago. He had just come from attending to an ill fae in the inner city of London and wanted nothing more than to get away from the bustle of city life. He felt Simon's overbearing presence follow him along the cobblestone wall that lined the side of the dirt road. He remembered wanting to cast the young priest deep in the woods and let the fae deal with him. Once they reached his home, Elias was quick to shut the door behind him. He watched through the window of the living room as the Silky chased the priest away with a hatchet she used to cut wood with. Annoyance was an occurring emotion he would associate the priest with.
"It's quiet without her here." Simon blurted as he held the brown bag to his stomach.
Elias was aware of the cold shroud that came to the home after Chise left. Even so, he couldn't understand why pointing it out left a faint strain in his chest. He asked, irritably, "Do you not have a sermon to attend to?"
"What? I'm not going out there," Simon retaliated. "Look!" He exclaimed as he pointed toward the window.
Pellets of ice slammed onto the window as the once green scenery had been consumed by a dense wind of white snow. Frost had gathered at the sides of the glass as viscous winds swirled through the air. No ordinary fae would be willing to set foot in such a blizzard, let alone a human.
