"Cookies!" I didn't even cringe at the delighted squeal that came out of my mouth. "You all need cookies."
Jonathan and Logan sat uneasily and watched me mix and bake cookies. Waiting for them to bake was driving me nuts, so I cleaned everything in the kitchen that I missed when I cleaned it the first time. The floors were being erratically scrubbed when Rider arrived.
"Is she okay?" Rider asked.
"I'm great." Great was an understatement. "Let's go out!"
Moving felt wonderful, and each time I finished something and bounced to the next thing, a little thrill went through me. There was so much to be done and so much I wanted to do. There had to be something bigger, though.
"Can you tell a difference in her?" Logan asked.
Rider picked me up and sat me on my feet.
I wrapped my arms around him, giving him a big hug before slipping out of his arms and going into the living room. "We really should go somewhere. Have you traveled much since you've been here?"
Logan followed me into the living room. "Rider needs to take a look at you."
Logan looked worried, so I relented and turned to Rider. He looked me over carefully, but standing without moving caused me to fidget. I needed to move.
"Your heart is racing," Rider studied my face, “and your eyes look strange. What happened?" He gently took my bruised wrist and held it close for inspection. "Her smell is off again."
"I thought it might be," Logan said.
"My smell is off?" Standing still was almost painful, so I took my arm away and began to inspect every item in the room.
Rider followed me, as though trying to look me over. "You really should sit."
"Can't," I replied. "If I don't move, it's bad."
"Maybe we should use the tranquilizer," Logan said.
"No way." This felt great and I wanted to keep it.
"Do we know anything that acts this way?" Jonathan asked.
"Not that I can think of," Logan said.
While I was rearranging some of the smaller items in the living room, my world slowed. I could feel the newly held power retreating.
"We need to keep these things away from her," Rider said.
Normally that kind of statement would have aggravated me to no end, but I was too content to be disturbed. "That 'her' is in the room." I said it out of habit more than anything else. "It's not like I took it on purpose. Besides, we don't know what they are. It could be stored energy, stolen away."
"I don't think so," Logan said. "Seeing this makes me revisit our original idea. This isn't only energy. I think you’re pulling in a part of someone. Part of them that has broken off and stored away."
"Did Hank find anything on a missing minotaur?" I asked.
Logan shook his head. "Nothing came up in the area."
The jittery feeling faded, and a part of me wanted that high back. As I slowed down even more, I began to realize what that meant.
"It's a drug." This time, I cringed at the excited little squeak that broke through.
Logan and Rider looked at me expectantly.
Once I felt confident my voice was under my control, I continued. "It leaks out and affects a person. Someone wears it and gets a little dose of what's inside."
"But when you touch it, you get the whole thing," Logan said, catching on.
"Right," I said, "maybe it has to do with my gifts. It jumps into me."
"All the more reason to keep you away from it," Jonathan said.
"Maybe," I said, "but now that we have a better idea of what's going on, I have a chance of controlling it."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Control it?"
"Well, more like block it. I don't go around grabbing energy or essence out of everything I touch. Now that we know what to expect, I can try to come up with a way to block it. Maybe I can make its Path not enter my own."
"That might be possible," Logan conceded, "but we can't assume that yet."
"This could be the drug that the DEA is looking for." I yawned and didn't want to be standing anymore, so I sank into a seat. The more I felt like myself, the more tired and achy I became.
"She is returning to normal," Rider said.
"That's for sure." The almost overwhelming euphoric emotions died away with the rush I had experienced.
"Thanks for the help, son. You can take off. Put that tranquilizer gun back where you found it."
"Sure thing, Dad." Jonathan got up, he hesitated for a minute, but his dad motioned towards the door and he left.
"Is it gone?" Logan asked.
I rolled my shoulders, trying to expel some of the ache that was taking up residence in my joints. "I'm feeling normal. Tired and sore, but I feel like myself."
"That doesn't answer the question," Logan said. "Is the first one there?"
You can't keep things from your partner. The office and your boss? That was no problem. Logan and Rider deserved the truth.
"It's not like it's front and center. With the first one at least, I barely notice anything. The second will probably be the same. It's already settling in."
Rider radiated concern. "It did not go away? Can you make it leave?"
"I can try," I said, "but it's difficult to pinpoint. At first, the whole thing feels alien. I can tell it doesn't belong. Once the general effects are over, I don't really notice it anymore."
Logan and Rider didn't say anything, but they didn't look too happy either.
"Look," I said, "it's not like I'm hurt. It'll probably fade further away as time goes on."
"Could be," Logan said, "but keep your guard up. Meditation might help. Rider had a good suggestion, force it out if you can."
"I'll do my best." I yawned and stretched. My muscles felt like I had run miles.
Logan stood. "Get some rest. I'll be by in the morning to pick you up."
"Take some cookies with you. Rider, you too." It felt like I sank further into my chair.
Rider looked confused. "You will be okay on your own?"
"Sure, and Gran will be home in a while, and I might have company later tonight." As though to prove a point, I got up and went to the kitchen to divide out cookies.
Rider took a few and left looking reluctant.
Logan went out the back door. I could hear him chirp to Cici who responded by twittering back. The language of the fairies was not one that I was privy to. Not that they would talk to me anymore anyway.
When Gran came home, we talked before making dinner together. After that, she busied herself with a few chores before she went to bed. I was determined to stay up, at least for a while, despite my fatigue.
My computer called to me as a distraction. Pulling up my email, I discovered that Quin had been in contact the night before. Opening the letter, I felt bad getting it so late.
Dear Anala,
It was good to hear about your experiences with the shadows in the Path. It set my mind at ease. It has cropped up from time to time over the years, so I'm glad I don't have to worry on it any longer. I've never been moved into the future of the Path for more than a minute or two. I spend my time looking through the past. Have you wandered into the Path when a monument has been built? I spent hours the other day, watching one under construction. It was beautiful.
Your question about the blank spot in the Path has me intrigued. I don't know of anything that could leave such spots on the Path. I've never seen an area where the Path didn't flow. It makes me step back and wonder what type of person could cause the Path to disappear when they walked through? Whatever is causing it, I think you should leave it alone. I'll let you know if I find anything similar.
Sincerely,
Quin
I read the letter twice before closing the laptop. Having another Reader to turn to was a treasure, but I do have to keep on my toes. Reading the Path had altered for me in the past year. I'm stronger, but I also have less control. On top of that, too much of my work was confidential.
Chapter 13
It was ten thirty when Ethan te
xted. Not too late in the scheme of things. I replied, giving my address and letting him know that I would be up for a while longer if he wanted to stop by.
Before I had time to get nervous, he was at my door.
Despite the long day, it felt good having Ethan here. "Hi, come on in."
"I feel pretty lucky you were up," Ethan said, as I led him into the kitchen.
"I'm glad you came over." Once I grabbed some drinks and a plate of cookies for us, we sat at the table.
Ethan looked tired, but like me, he looked pleased with where he was. "You have a nice place."
"Thanks."
"Are we going to bother your grandmother?"
I grinned. "Not at all, Gran's used to me having people over late."
"She is, is she?"
"For work." Embarrassment was written in red across my cheeks. "I meant that Logan and Rider sometimes stay late to work on a case."
"And what would she think of someone not work related stopping by?"
"'Good for you.' I'm pretty sure that's exactly what she'd think." She probably would have added, 'it's about time,' 'good luck' or possibly even 'go for it,' but I wasn't going to throw that out there.
Ethan chuckled. "I look forward to meeting her." He was close enough that it was easy for him to take my hand. "I probably shouldn't stay long, tomorrow is bound to be another long day."
His hand was warm and it felt good entwined with mine.
"I'll bet," I said. "Still, it was good of you to stop by, even for a while."
"With our jobs coming together yesterday, I was worried."
"What about?" I almost held my breath, hoping I hadn't made a total fool of myself leaving.
"Well, you were upset. Logan said the shrink bothered you, but I thought I may have done, or said something." Ethan looked down, embarrassed.
"Sorry to make you feel that way. We shouldn't have to work together much, so it'll take us a while to get used to it."
Ethan frowned. "What happened?"
"With the psychiatrist?" I twisted in my seat, unsure about telling him.
"No." He held my hand and then slid up the edges of my shirtsleeve.
"Oh yeah."
"May I?" Ethan asked with his hands over the buttons on my sleeve.
"Um, yeah. I guess."
He carefully unbuttoned the shirtsleeve and rolled it up. He traced the edges of a bruise with his finger, which made me shiver. When he didn't say anything, I bit my lip, and then reached to push down the sleeve.
Why did I say that was okay? "It looks worse than it feels."
His brow furrowed, and when I had the sleeve back down, he took the other hand and peeked around the edges.
I sighed and took one of his hands in both of mine. "Work hazard. It's no big deal."
Ethan looked pale. "That may be harder for me to adjust to."
A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down. "You've never picked up an injury on the job?"
"I keep trying to think of what situation would cause bruises like that. For someone to grab you that hard. Where was Logan? Or that other partner of yours?"
I had to admit that the bruises probably looked bad from his point of view, but trying not to get aggravated was difficult. "My partners were right there with me." I let go of his hand and leaned back. "And we all help each other, but the job isn't always easy."
He appeared to struggle with what to say, but I could tell his eyes were focused inward.
My frustration levels dropped when I realized he had more ugly images in his mind than the run of the mill person on the street. "You see bad things, every day. I get it; it's your job to stop the evils in the world. It's my job too." He tried to interrupt, but I kept going. "But, sometimes things look much worse than they are. You know I can't tell you what happened, but remember, it's not all bad. Someone might grab hold of someone if they're scared or in pain, and it would cause as much damage."
Ethan seemed to think that over. "You're right, sorry."
My face was flushed red. There was so much I wanted to say, and not all of it was friendly, but I liked Ethan. I could tell his mind had been striking out in bad places, but I also had to make him understand.
In the silence, I gathered my words together. "Before we decide to move forward from here, there are a few things I need to say."
Ethan looked like he was trying to bring his thoughts back to the light. "Okay."
"First, my partners and I, we look out for each other, but it's not their job to make sure that nothing ever happens to me. We all carry our own weight. Second, you have to understand that I'm not a woman with a nine to five work life. We both have jobs that are tough, and I have training, same as you. And this is so important for you to understand, I am not helpless, and if you ever try to treat me like I am, we're going to have issues."
Ethan's face was flush. "Anything else?"
"That covers most of it."
"Okay, my turn."
His turn?
He must have sensed I was going to break in, because he held out a finger, to wait. "You're right, in this job, your thoughts go to some bad places, and like it or not, I'm going to be upset when I see you injured. It's only going to be worse since you can't tell me what happened. Also, I don't know your partners at all, so yes, I may question what they were doing when you're black and blue, and they seem fine."
I crossed my arms but kept my mouth shut. How would he know if they were injured or not?
"And yes, I'm going to put your welfare above theirs." He held up a finger again, to hold back what I was going to say. "I really like you, and it's going to pain me to see you injured. But do not mistake my concern for you as an indication that I think you can't take care of yourself."
"Can I say something?" I kept my voice level.
"Two more things." Ethan's voice slowed. "You’re definitely not an ordinary woman, which I think is why I like you so much. And I'm going to say and do the wrong things along the way. It's a fact that I've learned to live with."
I bit my lip to keep the corners of my mouth from turning up. "Anything else?"
"Yes." Ethan let out a steady breath. "I shouldn't have said or assumed anything about your partners. Now that I know you're okay... are they? Logan looked fine, but I didn't see the other one today. Agent Wolfe, right?"
I looked into Ethan's face and saw genuine concern. "Rider, yes. He and Logan are okay."
Ethan stood up. "I'm sorry about tonight. Seeing someone I care about hurt and not being able to do anything about it, well, it's hard to deal with."
Studying his face, I also stood up. "Too hard to deal with?"
We stood there, looking at each other and I could feel the question hanging heavy in the air.
One corner of Ethan's mouth turned up. "It's going to be a big adjustment."
The tension that had been building died away. "Yes and the fact that I'm amazingly clumsy isn't going to help matters."
Ethan stepped closer, and the look in his eyes made my heart beat faster. "I'm sure it'll take a lot of patience on your end to put up with me."
I inched closer and took his hands. "Patience is not one of my strengths. I have witnesses."
"Where does that leave us then?"
Eyes locked together, I wrapped my arms around him and we kissed. He held me tight, and soon my eyes shut, and I lost myself in the moment.
That time stretched out and into the living room. After having to keep so much control over the past few days, it was almost a surprise that I could let myself go so completely. There was a hitch when he unbuttoned my shirt and saw bruises on my stomach. I froze, expecting a bad reaction, but he traced his fingers lightly over the skin, kissed me again, and seemed to forget the whole thing. When his phone rang a minute later, we stopped kissing to catch our breath.
The phone was in his pocket, but Ethan wasn't in a hurry to answer. Still, I knew our evening was over, which was probably for the best, even though a part of me wanted to smash his phone. It was the
same part that was confused as to why we were wearing so many clothes, even with half of them on the floor, so it was best to ignore that inclination and lock it away for now.
"You are beautiful," Ethan breathed, giving me a kiss that was much more chaste.
He looked dreamy, but I gently pushed him up. "You should answer your phone, Detective Parker."
"Was that a request, Agent Heidrich?" Ethan kissed me again.
I laughed through the kiss, and then broke apart. "I wasn't aware there was the option of an order. But now, you know, you can never call me Agent again while on the job."
Ethan sounded amused, but when he looked at the caller ID on his phone, he sighed and stood up. He was tucking in his shirt on the way to take the call in the kitchen.
I stretched out on the couch and closed my eyes, wanting to keep hold of this feeling.
Unfortunately, I could tell from Ethan's tone of voice that he would be on his way out the door soon. Patting my hair, I tried to make sure it wasn't too bad when I went into the kitchen. Ethan looked almost put together. When he got off the phone, I had a plastic food bag with cookies waiting for him.
"Sorry, I have to go," Ethan said.
"Work is work." With a kiss, I handed him the bag.
"You didn't have to-"
"Gran would be horribly embarrassed if I didn't."
"Only if you told her," Ethan said, stowing the cookies in a jacket pocket.
"Trust me, she always knows."
***
The next day, Gran left early after giving me the warning to stay out or Rider's way, which was cryptic. Since Rider was my partner, I was not sure how it would be possible either.
Being alone allowed me to work through some tangled thoughts. It would have been wonderful if my sleeping mind had dwelled on my evening with Ethan, but the case was weighing me down. Last night, nightmares showed me blurry images of my partners having their souls ripped out and stuffed into jewelry that I wore. In the dream, I had tried to take the necklace off, but it clung to my skin.
The morning’s coffee didn’t wash away the dreams, so when the phone rang, I groaned and assumed it was bad news ready to ruin my day.
"Good morning, Cassie." Ethan's voice put a tremor in my stomach.
Broken Paths (AIR Book 2) Page 11
