“This is Evangeline or Evan. She’s a succubus and an expert of blending into her surroundings… as long as there isn’t any technology involved,” she indicated the succubus who was dressed exactly the same as she last saw her, actually gray was the only color she dressed in ever. “This is Charlie a diplomatic specialist and martial arts master,” she said, introducing the lithe young looking vampire.
“And last but not least is Dorin which most of you already know but he’s the vampire that helped me bring down Xavier as well,” she explained and Tony stood up, greeting each of them individually.
“So Lily tells me that one of your wolves knew about Silvano?” Jessie asked getting directly to the point and Tony nodded.
“My lead enforcer overheard him talking about the situation. When we questioned him, he said he had heard it from a friend that works in the Aequivalere but has yet to give up the name,” Tony explained. Lily slowly made her way to the door, allowing them to hash it out. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple to munch on.
“So I’m a diplomatic specialist now am I?” She heard Charlie ask and she gave him a small smile.
“Well it’s sort of true, sounds better than saying you’re a shrink and a hell of a whole lot better than saying you’re my shrink,” she told him sitting down at the table and he chuckled.
“I hate that word, shrink. It sounds so demining,” he grumped and her smile grew. “There’s nothing wrong with admitting you were seeing a psychiatrist to help you adjust. This day and age who hasn’t gone to one at least once,” he added.
“Maybe, but I don’t want to go boast around that I was one step away from the looney bin,” Lily argued and he rolled his eyes at her. “I thought you hated that gesture… that it was for children and the uneducated!”
“I guess you’re rubbing off on me,” he teased. “So how are you?” he asked with his shrink tone and Lily knew he wanted much more than a shrug of the shoulders. She glanced at the door as she took a bite of the apple.
“It’s been good… a little too good in some areas,” Lily said quietly and Charlie nodded and she was sure that he knew she was referring to James.
“How is it too good?” Charlie asked and Lily thought about rolling her eyes at him now.
“I kissed him a few nights ago,” Lily practically whispered, but the vampire heard her anyways.
“I see,” he stated with that shrink tone that tended to really grate on her nerves. “Why do you think you kissed him?”
“Hell if I know Charlie! You’re the damn shrink here not me! You tell me,” she snapped with irritation at the fact that she didn’t have an answer. Lily had no idea why she kissed him. Charlie tilted his head to one side and gave her a pointed look.
“I thought we agreed to stop using aggression as a defense against uncomfortable situations,” Charlie told her with a disapproving tone.
“I’m sorry… I’m trying,” she apologized. “It’s just so frustrating. He agreed to a fresh start and to the whole friends deal but some weird crap is going on Charlie and it’s freaking me out,” she admitted.
“What kind of weird crap?” He asked, pinning her with that intense gaze of his. Weren’t shrinks supposed to relax their patients, not intimidate them?
“Do we really have to talk about this?” Lily asked with a scrunched up expression of disgust and he gave her a small smile.
“Not if you really don’t want to, but you know you want to,” Charlie replied once more. Lily narrowed her eyes at him, wondering how he managed to always know what she was thinking.
“You know, I hate it when you do that,” she scowled at him and he shot a smirk at her. She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at him with her own smirk and told him about the tingling, the pull she felt, and so on. Charlie nodded and listened to her intently without butting in or making half ass assumptions.
“Well Lily,” Charlie started when Jessie shouted for him from somewhere in the house and he got a slight look of irritation on his face. “I think that one is beyond my help,” he mumbled and Lily smiled at him sympathetically. “Don’t stress too much over these things. Just concentrate on what you want and what’s good for you. You’re doing well Lily; you’re not finished yet but doing well. Keep up the good work and you’ll get there.”
“Thanks, Charlie,” she said as she got up from the chair.
“Now Charlie,” Jessie demanded, standing at the door with a look of impatience on her face.
“Yes Ma’am,” he replied. “Times like these make me miss the days when women stayed in the kitchen,” he mumbled very quietly so Jessie couldn’t hear him but Lily shot him a hard look and he simply shrugged. Another smile broke out on her face as she walked with them to the door.
“Good work Lily but starting tomorrow I want you outside the house more. We need to draw out Silvano,” Jessie ordered.