(19) Two vampires, a ghoul and a shifter.

"How the hell are we going to get away with Roderick here?" Linden asked after licking his lips to make certain he didn't have any blood left on them. Charged up now, he needed to be doing something, anything, and the idea that they couldn't go back to the castle to continue their quest did not sit well with him.

"That, Lin, is a good question to which I have no answer just yet." Piers squeezed his shoulder. He knew that sitting around idly doing nothing right now would only lead to Linden driving him up the wall. "Well," he said moments later after staring at the ceiling pensively, "we could go riding."

"You and me or the three of us?"

"You know Rod's not going to let us go off on our own while he's here, so yes, him too."

"That doesn't solve the problem."

"No," Piers agreed with a smile, "but it gives me time with him."

Linden turned his head to look at Piers. "Which you need; I totally understand. It would drive me crazy to be so in love with someone I couldn't have."

Piers chuckled softly. "I thought you were; with me."

"I love you, but I know nothing will come of it. Besides—" Linden paused, looking off into space with a half-smile on his face.

"Okay, what haven't you told me?" Piers asked, sitting up to look down at his friend.

Linden shrugged. "Nothing."

"Exactly. You've told me nothing. What's going on?"

"Helmut kissed me. It wasn't much of a kiss but he did."

"Oh boy." Shaking his head, Piers sighed. "You know he's the kind of man who loves them and leaves them, at least according to rumor."

"Yes, Mrs. Pope told me already but it would be nice to have the attention, even if it's only for a little while. It's not like we're going to run off together."

Which would end in you dying, if you did. Piers didn't say that aloud. Instead, he gave Linden a hug before getting up and going to the bathroom to shower and get himself ready for the night.