by G. K. Lund
Peter sighed and looked at the nymph again. Time to accept it. You either ran around the world with that look on your face or you accepted not understanding it all and got on with it. Ben didn’t even seem keen on getting Winter’s help anyway. There had been a dead body and two injured people in his apartment a couple of hours ago. Maybe this was how far it should go. Leave it and deal with whatever came next. Peter knew it was odd that he felt guilty for hurting the person who had tried to kill him earlier, but the sense of relief at letting go helped. He couldn’t control any of this anyway.
He startled as Mishka jumped onto his lap. The cat seemed to glare at him before settling and purring. “I’m sorry about your mistress,” Peter said as he scratched the cat behind the ears. It made Mishka halfway close his eyes as the purring continued.
“I’ll tell you that later,” Peter heard Ben tell Olivia as they came closer. “His collar was under one of my chairs,” Ben said a little louder as they sat down on the couch opposite Peter. All around them were candles that seemed to rise out of tallow that had dripped and covered the candlesticks. Somehow it seemed cold in the room since they weren’t lit. A room as warm and dark as Sophie’s red and purple living room needed that kind of warm light.
Peter only nodded at Ben’s information. Mishka must have lost it when one of the intruders sent him packing.
“Are you alright?” Olivia asked as she looked around. None of her colleagues were close enough to hear them. “This is the second time you’ve been involved with these guys tonight. That takes its toll.”
“No, I’m fine,” Peter said and meant it. Yes, he was numb, but he was also not bothered with any guilt from interfering. These thugs hadn’t been in the right. At least both Evy and Ben were safe from them for now. Peter himself was happy to be alive.
“Okay then,” Olivia said with a tone that made it clear she was not entirely sure she believed him. “So, your story checks out as far as the evidence goes. We have these guys on the surveillance tape across the street when they arrived, thirty-four minutes before the two of you. Sophie arrived four minutes before you. Since neither of you touched the gun we can verify that as well. The guys have taken tests, and they want to check you as well before they finish. After that, we’re done. Obviously, I can’t report the whole Yorov part, but we have them for breaking in. It looks like they wanted to rob you.”
“Breaking in? That woman, Esme, killed that guy, David. She tried killing the both of us.” Peter indicated himself and Ben with a hand.
Olivia nodded. “You won’t see her again. The paramedics said she’s likely badly concussed. She might be in the hospital now, but she won’t be going home when she’s discharged.”
Peter nodded at this. He would not soon forget the sight of Esme’s cold eyes as she pointed her gun at him. Mishka stirred and jumped off Peter’s lap before sauntering out the open front door.
“Can you look after the cat?” Olivia asked Ben, who looked surprised at the thought.
“Yeah, he can,” Peter answered for him and made a tiny smirk appear on Olivia’s face.
“Good,” she said, the problem settled. “Do you need a ride home?” she added to Peter who declined. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to stay where he was either. Instead, he tuned out the other two as he got his phone out and texted the one person he wanted to be with after such a night. It was almost six in the morning, but he knew George was working the late shift at Winter Fortress today. If he was lucky she might hear her phone. He turned out to be exactly that. His phone buzzed as her reply came back.
I’m up. R u okay?
Sort of. I’ll expl later. Do u want some company?
Always when it’s you. Come over.
Peter smiled and didn’t care that the other two gave him puzzled looks. There were times in life when change was a good thing.
Chapter 32
I was running a little late but noticed that Evy was as well as she reached the table where Peter and George sat enjoying their drinks. It was already dark but the heating lamps outside the bar made it possible to stay there. They were not alone as fifteen or twenty more people occupied the tables around them. Evy seemed to have come out of nowhere as she went straight to Peter and hugged him like an old friend as he got up. She then shook hands with George and the three of them looked happy, all smiles and laughter as they greeted each other. I hadn’t seen Evy like that before and realized that Peter hadn’t cracked many smiles the last couple of weeks either. It made me content to see this, but I also felt like the outsider I was. I remembered who I was now, and I had been right all along. I was not human. But I was in a human body, still trapped to my everlasting disappointment, and being human meant doing something right for others. So I kept walking. I had something important to do tonight.
As I reached the table, the smiles extended my way, and it furthered my contentment that I was welcome. Evy, true to breaking with previous characteristics, met me with an embrace as well. She seemed so different now that Winter’s protection had been extended to her. Her eyes were not darting to the side all the time, checking for followers who meant her harm. She was dressed in a white tunic, with non-contrasting white embroidery at the neckline and on the sleeves. It reached her mid-thigh over light-blue jeans. Her long hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and I noticed as she touched her cheek against mine that it had a most pleasant floral aroma. She smiled up at me as she stepped back, and she looked like she should, not the suspicious and flight-ready woman I had seen before. Then I noticed the cast on her left hand.
“How’s the hand?” I asked and nodded toward it.
“So much better now,” she said and raised it.
“I guess Winter has some in-house doctors,” Peter commented.
“Yes. And considering a certain concussed woman ended up in the hospital a couple of nights ago, I’m glad I didn’t have to go there.”
Peter smiled a weak smile, but at least he managed one. The smile on Evy’s face became rather stiff at this. If she knew about the attack in my apartment, then there was only one place she could have gotten that information. I knew better than to pry though. She had been onto me early on. Knew that I was not after Winter’s protection like she was. I had been after information, and now… I didn’t need it anymore. No, now I was after something else. Something I was certain she would not agree with. So I left the others to talk. Evy thanked us for our help, not mentioning particulars as George had no idea what had really happened. As far as I knew, Peter had only told her the story Olivia had kept to. George would have a hard time believing all of it anyway. Peter had. It had taken a lot for him to realize his old friend was not the same anymore.
“Ben? Are you with us?” his voice broke through my thoughts, and I noticed all three of them staring at me.
“What?”
“How is Sophie?” this seemed to be a repetition of something already uttered.
“Oh. Not good. She is still in a coma.” I had been to see her and though she was not bleeding from the wound in her head anymore, there had been a lot of damage. The bullet had lodged in her cranium and caused a devastating impact on her brain. According to the doctors, there was nothing to do but wait and see if she would wake up. I had found that this saddened me. I hadn’t lost anyone I knew before, not that I had been alive long, but still… that didn’t lessen the blow. Somehow, despite knowing so well that these things happened all the time everywhere, that didn’t sit right with me. Which is why I was even there at the bar in Charton, meeting friends, I guess.
Peter and George excused themselves after a few more minutes of small talk. They had a reservation at a restaurant a block away and seemed eager to be in each other’s company no matter where.
“You’re sure you don’t want to join us?” Evy asked. Peter had after all been at Cury Square too.
“No,” Peter said and smiled at George, whose golden locks framed a loving smile in return. “You don’t need me for that. I’m just glad something
will be done.”
I could see the hint of confusion in George’s eyes at this, but she would soon forget the way those two eyed each other. Peter had taken the clarification about Evy surprisingly well the day after the break-in to my place. Now, he was looking forward instead of the other way.
“Okay then,” Evy said to me as we watched the other two leave. “I guess it’s just you and me.”
“Technically, only one of us is needed,” I pointed out.
Evy smiled and took hold of my hand. I don’t know if it was to reassure me or herself. “You ready for this?”
Chapter 33
The car ride was quiet and comfortable. I watched street lights fly by in the darkness they staved off as Evy drove us out of the city in a large, dark sedan no doubt provided by her new helper. I decided not to care at the moment. I would deal with him later. So I turned my thoughts to nothing in particular and watched her drive the vehicle with little difficulty despite her broken hand. I realized as I was now trapped again, that I needed to begin to learn these skills. Still – I’d had the possibility to leave the body and go back to my true existence, surely I could achieve that again? I didn’t appreciate the nagging doubt in the back of my mind and turned away from those thoughts as well as we headed out of Northwater. We continued northeast toward the Ashdale Correctional Facility that was situated in a more rural part beyond the outskirts of the city.
The warden, a Mr. Formosa, met us in the parking lot, an unusual thing in itself, but then again, there was nothing usual about our errand. Mr. Formosa was a middle-aged man with a few extra pounds around his waist, a thick set of salt-and-pepper hair, and a tired angular face behind a thin beard that looked to be there more by neglect than choice. Calling his face tired was also an understatement as the man looked drawn and troubled, despite giving several signs of being more or less healthy. He didn’t shake any of our hands in greeting.
“Miss Moon,” he said, voice flat as he saw her, and then gave a quick nod in my direction. He knew we were coming.
“Are you coping, Mr. Formosa?” Evy asked him. They had met before. The day after the attack in my apartment. Evy had called me that day to thank me for my help, as she had been given medical care and could think clearer as she had put it herself. I’d been washing the blood from the floor and watching the news at the same time, seeing that the Grenade-man had made a guilty plea. There would be no trial for him; only imprisonment, which was fine. Only, that meant little closure for those affected. His reasoning had come out through the press, and it did little but anger people at the lack of guilt in the man. Nothing more than righteous condescension.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Mr. Formosa said in answer to her concern and told us to come along. I was technically the one that had done this to him. I was more in tune with the body now, and with that came emotions I was not used to. Anger and resentment among them. It angered me that Gil Barber had done such a heinous and unnecessary thing to other people that had meant him no harm. I resented his self-indulging reasons. So, I had asked Evy for her help. Again, her newfound connection was what had facilitated anything happening, and again, I ignored that part.
We were led into the prison and escorted through hallways and security checkpoints at various stages. All the time escorted by a couple of prison guards and the warden.
Mr. Formosa bore the effects of Evy’s ability. He had gone to meet with Winter that same day and ended up meeting Evy as well. They had checked to see he hadn’t committed too many horrendous things in his life. It didn’t take much to have a reaction from what I understood. Hurtful comments, cheating, stealing, bullying and on and on. I knew what had happened to the man who threatened us outside the bomb shelter. He hadn’t even waited for the effects to set in fully, before stopping it himself. Now, two days later, Mr. Formosa, looked like a guilt-ridden man. According to Evy, if you survived, you would heal, but you would never forget what you learned and understood afterward.
I saw Formosa’s hunched shoulders as he finally stopped by a door with an armed guard posted outside it. Evy had needed to convince the warden in order to gain access to this prisoner. It was the only way to make him understand. It was the only way he would let us in.
The door opened to reveal a barren room. Gray walls surrounded a table. A man was seated beside it and chained to it. Gil Barber looked at Evy and me with mild interest and an amused smile as we entered.
“Knock on the door if you need anything,” Mr. Formosa said as he closed the door behind us. I noticed the confused faces of the guards but didn’t care much. Instead, I sat down in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table from Barber.
“So, what branch of the government are you from?” he asked as I did this. It was clear he liked visitors. It made him feel important. His eyes followed Evy a moment, as she remained standing and gave a snort to his question, but returned to me. Somehow he looked like a small man behind the table, dressed in a gray jumpsuit that was too big for him. I knew he was of average height; had seen so many photos of him on the TV the past few days. He looked so ordinary with his oval face, eyes spaced evenly apart on each side of a short nose. Thinning hair, as was normal for a man his age. Nothing out of the ordinary with this one. No widow’s peak and pitch-black hair, no pointed beard, and diabolical grin. Nothing remotely villainous at all. Nothing that could be seen with the naked eye… but it was there. I had seen it in a different place on a nice sunny day. People had minded their own business and enjoyed each other’s company when that part of him had struck.
“We’re as civilian as they come,” I told him.
This seemed to surprise him a little. “Then why are you here?” He had a little smile on his lips, but his next question revealed it was for show. “How did you get in here?”
“She’s got all kinds of tricks up her sleeves,” I said and indicated Evy.
“Hmm, you were there for my display, weren’t you?”
“Display?” Evy blurted, her outrage not concealed in the least.
“Here for revenge?”
“Not my thing,” I said.
The hint of unease grew a bit stronger in the man then. He was a coward, I realized. Grenades are not personal, are they? His targets were not anyone who could put up a fight. Only ordinary people going about their peaceful lives. Barber had been far away when his weapons executed his plans.
“But yes,” I continued, “we were both there. Suffice it to say – it didn’t sit well with us.”
“Was it not impressive?” he asked. He looked like a child in his misplaced glee. Gripping the end of the table as he leaned forward a bit, the chains on him rattling, reminding him where he was. He had thought himself too smart to get caught. He glanced at the cuffs and quieted.
“Not impressive enough,” I taunted and smiled at him.
“Why are you here? You survived, didn’t you? What business do you have with me?”
“You’ve avoided too much punishment,” Evy said as she stepped closer.
Barber’s eyes glanced at the closed door a moment, and I could suddenly smell the sour scent of fear over the disinfectant chemicals used to clean the room. He was visibly sweating. Had thought himself safe here because he was protected against the general population. Too many in there knew someone who had been affected. He hadn’t counted on strangers being let in to see him.
“You won’t have time to kill me,” he claimed as he made his assumptions. “The guards will come in here if you try anything.”
“Kill you?” Evy repeated. “Why would we want to do that?”
“What?”
“We want you to live a long life, Mr. Barber,” I chimed in. “Hopefully you’ll live for decades more.”
His confusion was evident. “I don’t think you understand why I—”
“I don’t care,” I said as I broke him off. His justification was not interesting. “I truly don’t care,” I emphasized as Evy walked around the table. Barber paid her little heed, not afrai
d of a woman perhaps. That would be his mistake. She was, in this particular case, the most dangerous person there was. “Death will happen to you, as with everyone,” I continued. “And it is so patient. Until then, don’t you think it’s right that you should have some true knowledge? You know, of hell on earth?”
“I don’t…” Barber began as the conversation had taken a ninety-degree turn while he tried continuing straight ahead.
And then the tips of Evy’s index and middle fingers connected with the man’s temple as she focused on using her ability on him. I saw his brows crease in confusion at the sensation. It was supposed to feel like a tingling pressure, not the stinging electric jolt I had been dealt by her. She had told me it worked somewhat the same as pain. It didn’t matter where she touched someone as it traveled to the nerves like pain did, but the closer to the brain, the quicker it would take effect.
Barber didn’t know yet what had happened to him, and it would likely take him longer to connect the dots than it would for him to feel the effects. To feel the screams, the pain, the fear, the pointless injustice of it all. He would understand it, and he would live with it.
“What did you just do?” He startled and tried moving away from Evy, but his chains kept him in the chair.
It didn’t matter. She was done. She smiled with relief and walked around the table to me.
