Chapter 9

Eventually, someone would realize James was missing and come looking for him. Hazel and Eli knew he was working at Storm House that weekend. Hazel might not miss him until Sunday evening when she, James, and Parker were due to meet for their weekly dinner, but Eli would be worried when he got home from work that night and James wasn't there. Unless Eli spent the night at Parker's and didn't go home. In that case, James was screwed until tomorrow.

He went back inside and found Sebastian in the kitchen.

Sebastian was crouched in front of the cast iron stove, his back to James as he added wood to the low-burning fire. "I had some dough proofing, so I'll probably put that in the oven soon."

"Okay," James said flatly as he sat at the table.

"I'm sorry." Sebastian closed the oven but didn't turn around. "I just need someone to fix things." His tone came out pleading, almost desperate.

James made himself let go of his annoyance. There was no denying how genuinely in need of help Sebastian sounded right now, no matter how he'd acted outside. There had to be a reason Sebastian was behaving like this, and James wanted to understand.

Since Sebastian was living out here, avoiding everyone, perhaps it had to do with trust. Maybe he'd thought James wouldn't help if he'd known the job was more complicated than rewiring. It also seemed likely Sebastian had some sort of mental health condition that was affecting how he dealt with things, so James was going to give Sebastian the benefit of the doubt and forgive the guy for getting him stuck here.

"I can try my best to fix things," James offered. "But if something is draining all power from the property, that's a magical problem. I'm just an electrician. My magical expertise is limited."

Sebastian was still crouched in front of the oven, facing away. "You said you'd help me."

"I will. I just—you have to tell me what's going on."

"I'll try and do better," Sebastian whispered as if he hadn't meant for things to turn out this way. Then he straightened and went to check the dough resting under a towel on the counter.

"I'm not going to get scared off. No matter what you tell me." James tried for a reassuring tone. "You've got me now. Not figuring out what's sucking up all the power out here is going to bug me until I figure it out." That wasn't even a lie. James liked fixing things and hated leaving anything undone.

Sebastian only nodded, seeming marginally reassured.

"You don't have any theories about what's going on?"

"No theories, no." Sebastian grabbed some mugs from the cupboard.

"Could it be related to the haunting? The energy here feels distorted—wrong—surely it's connected."

"Do you think?" Sebastian stared at James. He seemed startled, almost scared.

James tried not to let that make him nervous. Sebastian lived out here. It couldn't be dangerous, or surely, he would have left. Besides, he'd just promised not to get scared off.

They had a light lunch of fruit, mixed nuts, and hot cider as Sebastian baked his bread. Eli wasn't due home until after ten that night, so James had a long while to wait for someone to come looking for him.

There wasn't much point in continuing his work. He'd need his power tools for one, and even though there were a few jobs he could do without them, there wasn't much point before the draining issue was understood. What if it couldn't be fixed? Power might never work out here.

James tried to remember if he'd ever heard of dead zones like this but came up blank. He couldn't even look anything up without his phone. Maybe he should have gone poking around the property, looking for answers, but he didn't really like that idea. He'd go home and do some research, and then, when he had half a clue where to start, he'd come back and help Sebastian.

The awkwardness between them eased as the bread baked, neither seeming to mind the other's quiet company. James liked watching Sebastian in the kitchen. Sebastian obviously knew what he was doing and seemed to get lost in his tasks in a way James found difficult to look away from. He could almost forget about everything else.

After the bread came out of the oven, Sebastian gracefully chopped garlic and herbs. James had rarely seen someone put so much care into every aspect of food preparation.

Sebastian set his chopped ingredients aside and washed his hands at the sink. "I like you watching me." He turned to face James.

"Oh." James would much rather have enjoyed the moment without Sebastian mentioning it, but he supposed it was a good thing Sebastian liked his attention. It was better than the alternative.

"You like watching me too, I think," Sebastian went on, no trace of embracement anywhere to be seen.

"Um."

"Like with the piano and now." Sebastian waited for a response, but James didn't give him one. His voice dropped lower. "You could watch me do other things if you want."

"I—what?" James sat up straight, startled.

Sebastian gave him a sly smile. "You wanted me to explain things more plainly, so here: I'm considering seducing you."

James swallowed. "Considering?" He could not believe Sebastian was going there after everything else that had happened that day.

Sebastian seemed to bite back a laugh. "Yeah, I've been considering it since you first showed up. You're attractive. You like to look at me. I like you looking. Seems like a good combination for some fun."

James's face was hot. What was going on with this guy, and why was James as intrigued as he was confused? "I meant for you to explain things about the house more clearly. Not—" He shook his head.

"I know." Sebastian approached the table. "But it seems we have some idle time on our hands." He leaned forward, palms on the table, towering over James where he sat. "You haven't said you're uninterested, but I'd prefer if you were upfront too. Like a yes or no would be good."

"This isn't a good idea," James said, aware he wasn't strictly declining Sebastian's offer. He couldn't tell Sebastian he wasn't interested when he was, and he didn't want to say no. Sebastian was attractive, there was no questioning that, and the idea of letting Sebastian seduce him was tempting.

But not tempting enough to ignore what a bad idea it was. Something was going on with Sebastian, and James didn't think they should add intimacy to their dynamic until they understood each other better. There was also the faint possibility that Sebastian was playing games with him, that all this was calculated and seduction was part of it. Somehow.

Even if that wasn't what was happening, and Sebastian was genuine, James still didn't want to get attached. He was too involved already, worrying and promising to solve problems it wasn't his job to fix.

"Bad ideas are usually the best kind." Sebastian's hand moved toward James's, where it rested on the table.

James tucked his hand into his lap, and Sebastian backed up. "I'm the boring guy who follows the rules, remember?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "There aren't rules against this."

"No. But I don't embrace bad ideas. That's what I'm saying."

"Suit yourself." Sebastian shrugged like it really didn't matter, and James fought with irrational disappointment. Sebastian cocked his head. "So, am I allowed to try and change your mind? I'm not trying to harass you, you know."

"I'm not saying you are," James responded too quickly. "You're not harassing me. It's fine." He didn't want to lose the companionable moments they had, and he liked the flirting. Which meant he shouldn't let Sebastian keep trying to seduce him, but James wasn't perfect.

"Interesting." Sebastian crossed his arms. "You think I need to work a bit harder at it, do you?"

"It's not that at all." James gave him a stern look. "Let's just focus on the house—I mean, the manor. Act however you want. Just don't expect me to fall for any of it."

"Hmm."

James rushed on before Sebastian could voice whatever he was thinking. "Besides, I'm not exactly dying to kiss you after you let my truck's battery drain away, knowing full well I'd be stuck out here. Feels a bit devious."

"I said I was sorry." Sebastian looked more frustrated than sorry. "And it's adorable that kissing is what you think I want to do with you."

James blushed. Sebastian had something more explicit in mind, no doubt.

Trapped in a haunted house with an erratic man trying to get him into bed. James had been in worse situations, but that didn't mean he was pleased.

He didn't want to feel good about Sebastian being attracted to him. He knew he was attractive. People liked his lean, muscular frame and broad shoulders. It didn't matter that Sebastian had noticed his appeal. He should have done a better job of turning Sebastian down, left no room for confusion or hope. But there he was, hoping and toying with the idea in his head. Wondering if there was anything else Sebastian liked about him, beyond his body.

It was all bad. Trouble, just as James had suspected.

Things only got worse when the sun went down. James was thankful for the strong warding as the shadows lengthened. He could already see shades moving around outside the window, coming out of the trees and crossing the lawns, getting closer and closer to the house.

They shut the curtains and lit candles, but it was nowhere near enough light. Sebastian didn't seem to mind as he cooked dinner. James supposed he was used to it.

James would have liked to occupy himself elsewhere while his host cooked to discourage more direct advances. However, he had nothing to do. He also wasn't keen on wandering the house alone, wards or not.

He'd asked Sebastian to explain things but hadn't gotten any more information. It would be silly not to be wary of more surprises or to assume there wasn't more Sebastian was deliberately holding back, for whatever reason. Compulsive or calculated as it may be.

James ended up watching Sebastian cook for them. He enjoyed it more than he should have, given everything else. Sebastian made pasta with a rich red vegetarian sauce and garlic bread. The kitchen was warm from the stove burning all afternoon and smelled amazing, like a bakery and an Italian restaurant blended together.

Low candlelight flickered around James, dancing on the pink cupboards and white walls. Sebastian had two old oil lamps on the counter next to where he was working so he could see better, but it didn't detract from the mood the candlelight set.

Once Sebastian had dished up the food, he disappeared, lamp in hand, and returned with a bottle of red wine. "Drink?"

"Sure, why not." It was already feeling way too romantic. He might as well go all in.

Sebastian set some nice crystal glasses on the table and poured, then went to retrieve the cooling garlic bread. He sat down, leaving both lamps over on the counter. "Hope you didn't have plans for tonight."

"No." James took a slice of bread. "I'm not even sure if my brother will miss me until morning."

Sebastian sipped his wine. "I didn't have plans either, in case you were wondering."

"Oh, um, that's good then."

Sebastian snorted a stifled laugh. "You're so polite. I was being sarcastic. Obviously, I didn't have plans. Or, pasta was my plan. You just happen to be here for it now."

James took a bite of pasta, deciding he was glad he could provide Sebastian with some company. "What do you do in the evening besides cook?"

Sebastian waved his wine glass. "I read or sometimes play the piano if there's enough moonlight and the shades don't press their noses to the glass in the ballroom. Mostly, I jerk off and try to fall sleep early so I can wake up when it's light again. Especially in winter."

James coughed. "You really didn't have to tell me that."

"I'm being open, remember?" Sebastian turned his attention to his food as if it had been perfectly reasonable to share something so personal.

Now, James was plagued with images of Sebastian touching himself, as was probably the intent of the comment. He really shouldn't be thinking about it. He normally didn't let people get to him this way, but he suddenly felt frustrated, and not with Sebastian's antics.

"It's boring out here," Sebastian said after a few minutes of them eating in silence.

James didn't doubt that, but maybe it was something he could help with. "If you're bored and want to go somewhere else for a while, I can always give you a lift," he offered.

Sebastian didn't seem to have any way of getting into town, no car parked on the road and anything that might be tucked away on the property would be dead. James hadn't considered transportation to be a potential barrier before. Sebastian hadn't brought it up, but maybe he was self-conscious about it.

James rambled on, hoping he could show Sebastian it wasn't something he had to worry about needing assistance with. "I know you can't call me when you want to go somewhere, at least not before we fix things, but we could arrange something for regular rides. There's also Craig Stills, who fixes up used cars and sells them for reasonable prices. I can set something up with him if you're looking to buy one."

Sebastian's mouth disappeared into a thin line as James spoke, his eyes hard. "I thought you weren't going to keep bugging me about going into town. Didn't I tell you I don't want to go? If I wanted a car, I'd have one. I don't need you offering me rides."

His curt tone gave James an uncomfortable guilty feeling. He had promised not to hassle Sebastian about avoiding town, and Sebastian seemed angry at having to explain himself. Whatever was keeping him away from society must hold more weight than his complaint about boredom.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bug you about it."

Sebastian took another bite of his food, his rigid posture and shuttered expression making it clear the topic was closed. He didn't tell James it was okay or not to worry about it, so this misstep obviously bothered him more than when James had invited him to the diner.

James ate, casting around in his mind for something else to say. "Do you ever cast magic lights?" he asked as his gaze settled on the candles between them.

Sebastian perked up, as if glad to move on and talk about something else. "Sometimes, but it's too tiring to cast lights all evening. My magic is pretty meh." Sebastian grabbed more garlic bread, previous anger nowhere in sight. "Most of the stuff I like doing is outside, other than cooking. I can't go out at night. There's too many shades."

There were significantly more of the pests out here than in town, and Moonlight Falls had lights all over the place to keep the ones that were there away.

Dealing with large numbers of shades was a whole different game than one or two on their own. Any beast was more formidable in large numbers. It was the difference between being trapped in a room with one rat or a swarm. James wasn't planning on setting foot outside until the sun was up. Unless Eli came by with his high beams on.

"You do lots of gardening?" James had seen a few patches and raised beds around the property.

Sebastian nodded. "I grew most of these ingredients. I get flour and dried goods delivered from town, but I don't have to buy produce."

"Wow." James had a new appreciation for his delicious meal. "It doesn't bother you, spending time outside the wards? Growing all this would be a lot of work."

Sebastian cocked his head. "Being outside doesn't bother me."

James put his fork down. "You don't get that skin-crawling feeling?"

"I hardly even know what you mean."

That was strange. Everyone in town knew about the haunted nature of the place, and anyone who'd ever been here had felt it. However, Sebastian being somewhat unaffected explained how he could stand living here. "It's good you're immune."

"I guess." Sebastian didn't sound totally convinced.

"Do you know why you can't feel it?" James asked casually, even though he was dying for any information about Storm House.

Sebastian shrugged and went back to eating. He didn't seem to be acting cagey or like he was hiding anything. Maybe he didn't know much more about the property's strange energy than James and didn't think it was a big deal since he wasn't affected, but James couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that.