"Perhaps in the future you will think twice before whisking away an underage girl," Mark said, glaring at Emrys. "We're her guardians and we take that job seriously," he continued in a voice laced with steel.
"I'll take it under advisement," Emrys patronized. "Like all of you, I care about Jordyn and have been nothing but truthful with her."
Haniel and Mark exchanged looks, and I couldn't help grinning slightly. Score one for Emrys.
"So, Emrys, why don't you tell us a little about yourself," Krista said, trying to bring the conversation back around to some semblance of civility.
"What would you like to know? Emrys asked, relaxing his posture.
"What do you do when you're notworking?" she asked, saying the word carefully.
"I enjoy spending time at the theater."
"Really? Broadway?" Krista asked surprised.
"Porn," he answered. "Kidding," he corrected quickly before their heads exploded. I wish I had a camera to capture the looks on Mark's and Krista's faces at that moment.
"I'm actually more a fan of the undiscovered productions over in Italy," Emrys continued. "Italy has been a famous backdrop for theater companies for many centuries. Italian storytellers have a way of making a story come alive. Most times they are set in Latin and then translated. England has always been fond of the Italian storytellers, like Boccaccio and Ariosto. I like to enjoy them before mainstream popularity discovers them. Small theater has an intimate feel that I prefer," he answered with passion.
I couldn't help gaping at him in astonishment. I would have never tagged him as a theater buff.
"Hey, what can I say, I'm a sucker for romance," Emrys said, meeting my amused stare.
"I just pegged you more for a barhopping thug," I teased.
"Gee, thanks, but since I can't drink or eat that pastime is rather lackluster," he quipped. "Theater only requires my patronage to be entertaining."
"Why don't you tell her about your work," Haniel said, speaking for the first time. His point was clear. Emrys casting himself as a sensitive theater crony didn't bode well for the soul sucking image he was supposed to have.
"My work seriously bends your feathers doesn't it, Archie?" Emrys mocked. "You'd think someone in your position would appreciate someone like me. Perhaps you've missed how many souls I've delivered to your boss."
"I am more concerned about those you have not delivered to us," Haniel answered tightly.
"Hey, man, that's not my decision. My job is to get them to the Between. If you've heard otherwise, you're talking to the wrong being," Emrys said, all humor gone from his voice.
"I have been informed that many of you Traders have bypassed the Between," Haniel shot back.
"Informed by who? Who are these sources? Are you a reporter now?" I interrupted, trying to defuse the situation. The tension radiating off of Emrys was tangible.
Emrys laughed out loud at my questions while Haniel merely acknowledged them by pulling his eyes away from Emrys. I guarantee Haniel had no idea why it was funny, but either way, he seemed uninterested in divulging where he'd received his so-called information.
"So, Emrys, where exactly do you live?" Krista asked, once again steering the conversation to a safer topic.
"I have a home in the foothills, just beyond Boulder in Colorado that I stay at sometimes, and a small chateau in Italy that I visit when I have time. Lately, I've been hanging out a lot, locally," he said, smiling at me.
"We can see that," Krista answered dryly. "We'd appreciate for the time being if you could refrain from taking Jordyn anywhere that would take longer than an hour to get to by car."
"What kind of car?" Emrys deadpanned before cracking a smile. "Kidding. I'll keep things local."
"And no sex," Mark blared, out of the blue.
"Holy frick, Uncle Mark," I screeched.
"Dear, no," Krista said at the same time as me, shaking her head negatively at him.
"What, too much?" he asked with false innocence.
"Just a bit," she answered, holding her fingers up an inch apart.