The Cambion's Hoard

The air in the house was sticky with tension and despair. I could smell the scent of drying blood and sickly sweet offal. I'd forever associate that scent with my brother. How I almost lost him, my other self. He hated to think we were alike, but we were. Biggs was my more confident, powerful, and angrier ego.

Tiny daggers dug into my shoulder and I grimaced.

"Yow!" Wallace yelled into my ear.

I tried to lift him from my shoulder but he clung to the fabric of my shirt. He fought to stay close to me.

"Easy, buddy. I'm trying to adjust you. I won't put you down." I stroked his raised tail against his rump, smoothing it against him.

Wallace relinquished his grip on my skin. Fuck. I couldn't blame him for his fear and need for comfort. We had to leave him alone, in this house full of pain.

"Thatcher." Patti's voice echoed from the kitchen.

I held Wallace firmly and headed towards the back. As I hurried past the stairs Wallace buried his face in my shoulder. Poor thing.

Henson pushed out the chair next to him and I sat down. He reached out and scratched behind Wallace's ears.

"I hate that he can't leave this place. He probably wants to be anywhere but here." He was right, I wanted that too.

Patti smoothed a paper roll onto the table. It was a floor plan, lots of floor plans. She placed a few cups on the corners.

"So we have to take care of two things. One to cleanse the energy out of this house. Two rearrange." She put her hands on her hips.

Kelley's hand raised in the air and I snorted. "Um, what do you mean rearrange?"

She smiled. It reached her eyes, crinkling in the corners. "Wallace is going to rearrange the house."

"Patti, I don't think he is in any shape to do anything. Especially rearrange things in the house." I rubbed gently down his spine. He nuzzled closer.

"We're changing the floor plan of the house. Wallace can move the interior around into a new configuration. He needs a good enough reason too."

Henson leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face tiredly. "Patti tells us what to do. I'm tired, angry, sad, and want to be someplace other than this damn table."

I was with him on that. I would rather be with Rose right now. Holding her against my body so she'd relax and sleep. Though, she'd be furious if we didn't take care of Wallace.

I jumped when Patti launched a cigarette in our direction. It hit Henson in the eye. "You will quit sassing me, boy. So help me I will make you think twice."

She let out a long breath through her nose. If she'd been a dragon, the smoke would have been impressive.

"Now. I need you two to think of things your mates need. About your needs and the things, you don't. Rooms, furniture, number of rooms..."

Henson leaned forward. "A bigger fucking tub. A bigger tub for fucking."

I slapped his thigh. "Or just another bathroom. Do we need a dining room? A kitchen with more storage? Shit bigger bedrooms. We could even get rid of the indoor pool and Wallace could use some of the space for himself."

The little gremlin perked up at that. I'd wondered if he'd ever had a space of his own. When Benny bought the place from the previous owner, then sold it to Biggs, the layout had been the same. The eat-in kitchen, a garage we didn't use, an indoor pool, three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and bathroom. It wasn't our style.

"Well decided how you want things. Once you're done we'll see if we can convince Wallace to use his special brand of magic." Patti walked around the table and headed to the living room.

"Kelley, would you mind helping me cleanse the house? Rose used some potent magic earlier and we need to push it out of the house."

Henson and I turned. I loved Patti, but if she kept dropping bombshells on us. I was going to strangle her.

"Patti, Rose doesn't cast spells. She can share her energy, that's it."

She snorted. "Rose is finally tapping into the abilities of a succubus. Mind you, I think hers will be a little different than the average. Her touch now holds the power of persuasion. Well, not persuasion so much as a release of wills. She breaks down the barriers that keep you from pleasure. Whether that is fear from a secret to the relief of telling it or an unquenchable rage to fragile calm. Rose can remove that barrier."

"Has she done that to us before?" Henson's words were soft.

Patti hummed, it was melodic and happy. "Only Biggs. That ability's development saved his life last night. It reached him when his human half was buried deep in his psyche. Rose is blooming quite beautifully under the careful care of such skillful hands."