by Kat Quinn
Surveying the scene, it kind of seems like she’s right. Kieran’s already manipulated and reformed all the bent bits of furniture and metal cutlery. Monty’s mended some of the more brutalized cups and plates. Lilly found a broom somewhere and made fast work of the food scraps. All I’ve done is yell at a half-crazed wolf shifter, try not to roll my eyes at a delusional old man, and accepted free food from a nice lady in pink who’s got no reason at all to be so nice to me.
“Well, I apologize all the same.”
“Like I said, hun, don’t worry about it. Come back again real soon and give my food another go if you really want to make it up to me.”
I smile stiffly and nod.
We can never come here again. The embarrassment is just too much. I’ll need to shave my head and wear a mask and gain like 50 pounds if I ever want to try and get a taste of her turkey club again. Damn it. Lilly was right.
After we finish up, my apologies are once more brushed off by the unbelievably understanding woman in charge. Arm-in-arm with Lilly, I stroll back towards our own shop. My heart and my stomach sneak longing glances at the take-out bags carefully secured in Monty’s capable and non-disastrous hands. By the time we get back, all the rage adrenaline has withered out of me and my body revisits being limp and sore.
Ever the caretaker, Monty stops me from flopping into one of our comfy arm chairs and insists I settle down for a nap in his clinic. Aria agrees, curling up against me for a world class cuddle-nap away from everyone. In a way, despite all my bad luck, we got out of all that pretty luckily. I’m still peeved with Kieran, but right now sleep and a bit of space take priority over coming to a solid agreement.
10. Kieran
“Well what did you think would happen if you followed her, you big galoomf?” Lin casually flicks his wrist. “After the morning you two had? You have to know she’s at her wit’s end, dear. Best to give a bit of space.”
My eye twitches and I resist the urge to bare my teeth at his suggestion that I back the fuck off. What’s worse is I know, consciously, that’s exactly what I’m supposed to do to keep her happy and stabilize attitudes among the pack. But my stomach twists violently and the hairs on my arms itch and bristle just at the fucking thought.
Lin gracefully places a hand on my shoulder, “Have you even had a proper conversation with her? I know it’s difficult, but she does deserve to understand.” The hand on my shoulder smooths down a wrinkle in my shirt, stopping to gently squeeze my upper bicep.
I scoff at him. “Have you?”
Removing his hand from my arm, Lin elegantly fans his fingers out and then down, the movement impossible not to follow and be enchanted by. “No, but I haven’t needed to.”
“Then shut up.” The side of my nose twitches, one sharp canine’s tip slipping free of my lips at the movement. “I don’t need to, either.”
Flicking his fingers out, palm up, “Clearly, you do. Because if you don’t? You’ll find yourself banished to the dog house my ferocious little wolf friend. She’ll push you away whether you like it or not.” A small throwing knife appears in the hand I hadn’t been tracking, flipping smoothly between Lin’s knuckles. “You’re not the only one keeping watch, you know. But you’re the only one who lacks subtlety.” Flicking the wrist of the hand with the knife in it, the blade vanishes as seamlessly as it appeared. “Perhaps it’s time you learn restraint, before it is taught to you against your will.”
There’s a scratching at my heart, hidden underneath a bubble that keeps trying to inflate its way up my throat. Each time I think about giving her space, the scratching becomes a full set of claws, slashing and piercing my heart until its beats stutter so badly I may as well be flatlining. The emptiness in my ribs expands and chokes me, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets due to lack of oxygen. She may not know it, but there isn’t a single place she’s gone in the last few weeks that I haven’t followed. I can’t NOT follow. It would kill me. But I know she’s fed up-I can feel her frustration even through my own-and I suspect she would kill me if she could hit the broad side of a barn with any sort of attack.
Of all of us, she’s the one who’s shown no combat skills at all. Though even the most highly-trained combatant can still be felled by any enemy when their number comes up. If she displayed the ability to stand even half of a chance I might feel more at ease. As of now, every day only reaffirms my need to keep constant watch over the most vulnerable member of our pack.
“I don’t know how to do this,” I admit.
“I’m betting neither does she. We know her skeletons, it’s high time you take her on a walk through your cemetery.” Lin pauses, “Ah, poor taste. Apologies for being crude, but all the same, you either talk to her now or she runs from you later.”
“Pft. Good luck to her, then. A wolf will always catch what it chases.”
Lin cocks a disappointing and somehow sarcastic eyebrow at me, “And if you chase her while she’s prey, what happens when you catch her? Better to run beside her, than to try and fight her.” He takes a few steps backwards, heading towards the tea counter, “Think on it. Before something breaks that can’t be fixed.”
Unable to help myself, I retreat as he does, finding myself obsessively pacing outside of Monty’s clinic, deeply aware she’s inside. It’s obvious now, even to me, that my overprotectiveness may have crossed a line, but it’s one that feels impossible to shift into reverse and go back over.
Lin’s right, it’s time to talk.
11. Lin
“Yes, sir, I can see right here there’s something you’re worried about,” Emmaline squints as she points to a splotch of tea leaves plastered to the side of her customer’s cup. “Do you want to tell me about it?” Just like I taught her, her other hand casually keeps contact with the seated man she’s reading, for the best possible connection.
The man, a plainly-dressed larger fellow with a distinctive 70’s pornstache, sits like a pile of bricks in his chair. Almost emotionlessly, he blankly looks at her and just states “No.”
“Surely there’s something I can help y’all with?” Emmaline leans in to peer closer at the glassy eyes of Pornstache. Her gaze flits quickly to Pornstache’s companion, a somewhat younger, slender man wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt. The clothes fit him in a way that looks unfamiliar, as though they’re seldom worn in this fashion. A line crinkles between Emmaline’s brows as they furrow in confusion. It’s subtle, but the side of her cheek dips inwards while she clamps the inner flesh between her teeth.
As I approach, both men turn their heads simultaneously and look blankly at me. The coordination chilling in a way that twins in shadowy hallways of horror movies wish they could emulate. Breaking from symmetry, the taller one smiles in a way that’s just a hair shy of actually being welcoming. Standing behind the gentleman being read by Emmaline, he places a hand on Pornstache’s shoulder in a familial way. She cocks her head ever so slightly, both eyes squinting minimally, as though there’s a problem in front of her she’s trying to solve.
“My father lives a simple life, without many worries. Some may even say one empty of them at all.” Clearly in on some joke, the corners of the taller man’s lips twitch upwards the tiniest of notches. Emmaline’s eyes widen, no longer suspicious or confused. Every one of her changes in expression is microscopic, but after years of studying potential marks closely for any tip I can unbury, they may as well be loudly shouted directly into my ear. Something in my gut pulls taught, twinging with the tiniest note of mistruth, though I’m not sure from of its origins.
I step closer smoothly, proffering a polite bow while extending my right hand as though for a gracious shake. Tucking the left behind my back, I cooly finger the hilt of a tanto blade tucked snugly against my spine. “Good afternoon, gentlemen! Welcome, welcome! I see you’ve been partaking of our wonderful tea readings, but may I ask what else brings you to our humble shop today?” Pornstache, the seated man, stiffly takes my hand in his and shakes it in a perfect and polite manner. His g
rip is solid and precise, pumping our clasped hands exactly three times in a perfectly acceptable and well-practiced handshake. However brief the contact, it’s enough for me to work my own brand of magic on him.
Often when I seek out someone’s truth, I am gifted film-like glimpses of their past. Other times, I receive images that are more up for interpretation, or a general feeling in my gut. Lies never work on me, and nothing can remain hidden or indecipherable. Anything closed can be opened.
So when I shake Pornstache’s hand and am only greeted with a vast, blank emptiness, it doesn’t sit right with me. There is never nothing; never. I’m beginning to understand Emmaline’s dilemma, the empath’s impressions of her targets not entirely dissimilar from my own.
As our hands unclasp, for the briefest of moments while our fingers brush against one another in parting, an electric icicle crackles freezing pain through every one of my veins. Violence. Extreme and unapologetic violence. And an insatiable hunger.
Fully grasping the hilt of the short sword hidden up the back of my silken vest, I extend my hand to the taller man in an identical gesture of welcome. “It really is such a pleasure to see new faces in our midst.” The smile I display is one of calculated innocence, meant to disarm and put at ease any who see it. Some are born with charm, but mine is a well-practiced skill earned through countless encounters with my good friends trial and error.
The tall man takes my proffered hand without a second thought. “Well, we’d heard so much about the place and figured it was time to check it out ourselves. My father could really benefit from being in such a healing environment. He doesn’t get out much these days, it seems.” Constriction. Binding. Tight and choking control. Frost around the edges, barely a crack between the slithering ropes to escape from, but it’s there. Inside, a tiny ember of warmth buried deep and held tightly by the layers and layers concealing it; trying to force it into submission and death. “Tell me, when do you leave here? We’d like to stick around as long as possible. For the greatest benefit, of course.” The handshake ends, but the vile taste of it still crawls across my senses, ripples of unease left in its wake.
“Of course,” I reply. “Our hours are posted publicly on the door, you are welcome to stay for as long as you’d like.” Coolly, my right hand loosely slides into one of my vest pockets, the move meant to be casual is anything but. Yet another blade is immediately within reach.
“Nah, I meant when do you leave. If we wanted to stay late, I mean. We’ve come from such a long way off, figured it best we get as much time here as we can.” The taller man shrugs casually, but I suspect he’s still an apprentice of charm, whereas I am its master.
“As I said, our hours are posted publicly and you’re welcome to stay during them, but I’m afraid I must insist that all customers follow those guides. Wouldn’t want to inconvenience our staff and keep them from their homes, after all!” I give my biggest smile, eyes so close to being shut any onlooker would assume they are, but I never let my gaze stray through the narrowest of cracks between lashes. “Emmaline, would you be a dear and get our new friends a refill for their drinks? I’m dismayed to disappoint them with the fast-approaching conclusion to today’s timeline, but we could still show them a bit of hospitality to make up for it. On the house, of course.”
The tea cup rattles slightly on its coaster, currently held by both a trembling Emmaline and Pornstache. Tall man’s nostrils flair slightly before he speaks. “Nah, that’s okay. Wouldn’t want to put you out. Besides, looks like Pops here might need to take a bit of a break anyway, isn’t that right, Dad?” My gut goes on guard again.
Pornstache turns his head to face the tall man in a strained way, neck stiff with effort. “Yes. We will go.” Standing abruptly, saucer still clutched in his hand, it rips from Emmaline’s startled grasp. “Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you. We look forward to more of your hospitality.” The tall man smiles again in a way that comes nowhere near his eyes while releasing the cup and saucer from Pornstache’s grip, hading it back to us.
“Ah yes, that would be lovely. May I ask when we can expect you in again? I’ll be sure to make the proper preparations for your visit. Only the best for your father, of course,” I nod towards the mustachioed man who, despite my obvious suspicions, does genuinely look a bit pale.
“We’ll be around. There are a few errands we need to tend to during our visit, but rest assured, you’ll be on our minds.”
“Thank you, that’s very kind. It was nice meeting you…?” I inquire.
“Preston. And you as well, Lin.” Preston nods his head as though tipping a hat in my direction. “Come now, dad, let’s get you rested.”
I give a cheery wave to their backs as they slowly cross the threshold, Preston keeping a supporting hand on his father the entire way. His father isn’t even particularly old.
My grip on the blade at my back remains firm until well after they’re no longer visible. I never gave him my name.
12. Lin
“Did you feel that?” Emmaline whispers to me as we slink off casually towards the back of house kitchen.
“I felt something, yes. You did splendidly by the way, dear. Very impressive.” I hush out of the side of my mouth as our steps hasten the closer we get to the kitchen’s swinging doors. Hidden safely from prying eyes, I pivot quickly to face her directly. “Now, tell me what you felt from them.”
“Nothing,” she shudders visibly. “I mean literally nothing. It was like the biggest, deepest emptiness. One so big it could swallow you right up and you’d disappear forever into it before you even noticed.” Her arms are crossed, palms rubbing up and down in a warming motion. “It felt so… cold. But it’s a darkness sorta like one I’ve had the misfortune to feel before. So I got to thinkin’ maybe I’d try to warm him up a bit, give him a little happiness to hold on to for fightin’ back that chill. And I know he soaked it on up, could feel a little bit of ease driftin’ on into him. But then it got snatched right up!” She snaps two fingers together sharply, “Just gobbled away by that emptiness again. I could swear there was something else for a second there. Something like hunger, and hate, and… patience? But in an impatient sort of way.” Her southern drawl seems to become more pronounced the more dismayed she gets recalling her emotional surveillance. “Sorry if it ain’t makin’ much sense, can’t rightly say I’m sure about what went on. All I know was something weren’t right about them two, and it gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinkin’ ‘bout it.”
The door swings open quietly and we both jump, relieved to see it’s only Garrett. Rather than letting the door sway back in place on its own, he carefully keeps hold of it, guiding it silently to the resting position. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but notice a bit of tension; came back to check on you as soon as I could. Are you both okay?”
“Yes, we’re quite alright,” I respond, one eye watching Emmaline resume her warming motions. “Possibly a bit unsettled, but otherwise right as rain. Thank you for your concern, my good fellow.”
Garrett nods, “I wasn’t sure if something was going on or not with those guys, but when you both rushed past me at the bar without a word, I feared my instincts were right. You all looked perfectly polite and welcoming, but something in the air felt turbulent.”
“Interrrresting,” I purr at his observant nature, displaying an inherent empathy despite not being skilled in such discipline. “You could suss that out even at a distance?”
“Mr. Kieran has instilled in me the importance of constant vigilance, and my… raising… has necessitated awareness of the tension in an environment. Of course I would watch over you both if I felt something were off.”
“Of course he did, the furry moron.” Cue eye roll. “All the same, it’s a comfort to know that you were an extra set of eyes at our back. Thank you.” I settle a hand on Emmaline’s forearm, “Now, I would be more comfortable if you were to spend the next few days adopting that same mindset. Constant vigilance, never alone, always in public as o
ften as possible. It is unfortunate that we weren’t able to extract more from them during the interaction, but is it safe to say we agree that encounter was suspicious enough to warrant a bit of precaution?”
Emmaline chews on her pinky nail, but nods, eyebrows raised in concern. “It ain’t like me to see the worst in folks, but there’s somethin’ that don’t sit right about all that. Gives me the creeps how they asked after our schedules, too. Didn’t feel like he were just curious about the shop hours, neither.”
“If I may,” Garrett interjects, “I’d be happy to drive you home tonight, Miss Emmaline, so you don’t have to walk alone. And if you don’t mind getting up early to open with me, it’s no trouble to retrieve you on the way in as well.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to put you out like that, sugar. It’s only a couple of blocks, and there’s plenty of street lights so there ain’t no creepy shadows to hide inside. Should be plenty public enough.”
“Truly, it would be my pleasure,” he responds, ducking his head politely. “Like Mr. Lin said, a bit of extra precaution may be good. Besides, it’s on my way. And I’d love the company.”
Emmaline kicks the heel of her cowboy boot on the floor lightly, tucking a thick chunk of blonde hair behind her hair as she nods in assent. “Alright, thank you kindly.”
