having to make eye contact.
"You had no right," I said tersely, staring daggers at the back of her head. She spun around, anger flaring up in her own eyes, making me flinch at the intensity. "You had no right
to lie to me," she hissed, slamming her hand against the workbench, making the mugs rattle at the impact.
I lowered my eyes to the table, escaping her glare by studying the grains in the wood before me. I was beginning to wish that I'd never found out about Jez's disappearance. It was more trouble than it was worth.
"Look, I can't tell you. If you want to know where he is, take it up with Thierry," I said, noting the tightness in my own voice.
The anger instantly drained from Rashel's face as if someone had pulled a plug, letting the emotion seep out of her. "Thierry?" She asked, curiosity and concern filling her tone. I
could smack myself, why hadn't I just brought up Thierry's name to start with? It was clear that no one around here questioned him.
I nodded my head in response, rubbing my tired eyes as I did so. Blinking, I looked back towards her, ignoring how my vision was becoming fuzzy around the edges.
"Is everything okay?" Rashel asked, gliding across the kitchen and taking the seat opposite me. She dipped her head close to mine, acting as if we were in on some big conspiracy.
I hesitated unsure on what my answer should be. Was everything okay? I'd assumed so until I'd talked with Hugh. Now I wasn't so sure.
"It's not really my place to say. Like I said, you'll have to talk to Thierry," I said carefully, knowing that my lack of a clear answer was an answer enough in itself.
Rashel lent back, her face a blank canvas. "So that's a no then. Something's wrong." I didn't reply, keeping my mouth firmly shut. I think she realised that she wouldn't get any more out of me, because Rashel pushed herself up from her chair, pacing the kitchen. I was glad that she didn't further interrogate me; I didn't have the energy for that sort of
thing.
After a while, Rashel's pacing and cursing, began to ware on me. Her lithe form moving back and forth across my line on sight had the effect of a pendulum, gently lulling me to
sleep. "Enough," I burst out, rubbing my eyes awake. I couldn't take it anymore.
My voice clearly surprised Rashel, her head snapping towards where I sat. I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd forgotten I was there altogether. "What?" She asked in confusion,
not realising how her actions were seriously endangering my sanity.
"Look I know you're a friend of Ash's_"
"Best friend," Rashel interrupted, her eyes focusing down on me, clearly wondering where this was going. I ignored the pang of jealousy in my chest at her statement, continuing.
"So I'd really like it if we could get along. And that's really not going to happen if you keep doing that," I finished, indicating her pacing.
She stopped dead on the spot, giving a surprised but apologetic look. "Sorry," she mumbled, leaning back against the counter again, gripping the top of it so tightly her knuckles
turned white. "I just don't like not knowing what's going on."
It was ironic, that I was wishing that I didn't know what was going on, whilst she wanted the complete opposite. I didn't grace her with a reply, instead leaning my elbows on the
table and my head in my hands. Resting my eyes for a couple of seconds wouldn't hurt, would it?
"Hey, are you okay?" Rashel asked, only now noticing my state of exhaustion. "M'fine," I mumbled back, my voice muffled my hand. My eyelids felt like a tonne of bricks, instantly making me regret closing them. I knew I'd never be able to open them again.
I felt, more than saw, Rashel move closer to me, hovering at my shoulder. "MaryLynnette," she began slowly, as if testing the waters. "You were in a pretty brutal attack less than
twentyfour hours ago. I don't think you're fine."
I mumbled out an incoherent sentence that not even I could tell was an agreement or protest. Was I fine? Was it normal to feel this tired?
"I think you need to go back to bed, Mare. I'll help you," she trailed off as I shook my head. Giving a bitter chuckle I said, "There's no way I'll be able to make it up the stairs."
I opened my eyes a slit, just enough to see Rashel nodding her head in thought, a look of concern on her face. It made me feel bad for taking a disliking to her. I could see that she
had a big heart, which was probably the reason why Ash was so fond of her.
"Well the sofa will have to do then, I'll go fetch a pillow and duvet. Maybe I should talk to Thea, she might be able to give you something." I was touched at the thought, but I shook my head, not wanting to bother Thea any further than I already had.
"Not Thea," I said, using all the effort I had to drag open my eyes. The fuzziness had taken up my whole vision now, making Rashel look like a tall blob with dark hair. "Okay, I
won't get Thea," she agreed, the worry shadowing her voice increasing as she spoke.
My own set of panic began to flutter in my chest. Why couldn't I see? I took calming breaths, digging my fingernails into my palms, concentrating on the stabs of pain.
"Stay here," Rashel said, leaning close to me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, as if trying to push some of her own energy into me. It was a nice, if futile, effort. I didn't
reply, knowing my voice would give away my panic. I was relieved that Rashel was managing to stay calm; it helped me to steady myself.
"I'll be back in a second," she said, leaving somewhat reluctantly. It was hard to believe that we only met less than an hour ago. The level of worry she was showing me was that
expected from a sister. Where were the sisters anyway?
I noted vaguely that Rashel had left, breaking off into a sprint in her haste. She was doing so much for me here; I couldn't expect her to carry me into the living room as well. No, I
had to be useful somehow. It wasn't too far away; I could probably do it myself.
With great effort, I pushed myself up on wobbly arms, ignoring the fact that my vision was becoming more and more cloudy by the second. My attention was too focused on the
screaming of my muscles as they protested against my movements. "Shut up," I snapped at them, knowing that I needed to do this, no matter how hard it was.
It turned out that I'd overestimated how much energy I really had. After taking one agonisingly shaky step in the direction of the door, my legs gave out. I tried to latch onto the
table with one last attempt to save myself, but the effort was wasted as I hit the ground with a thud.
Surprisingly, I didn't pass out like I thought I would. My eyes remained open, taking in the blurry world around me, and the empty kitchen. The tiles felt cool under my skin,
relaxing my muscles at their touch. Why hadn't I thought of laying down here sooner? It was so comfortable.
Still, I knew that it probably wasn't the best place to have a rest. Someone could walk in at any moment, raising awkward questions. Deciding I needed to get up, I tried to move myself into a position where I could grab the counter and haul myself up, no matter how ungraceful it would look.
That's when I discovered I couldn't. My muscles actually wouldn't move, it was like they were cut off from my brains, which was painstakingly awake.
My heart thrummed in my chest, each beat feeling like it would break my ribcage. Why couldn't I have just listened to Rashel and stay where I was? I'd never felt so useless before,
wanting to be able to move my body and finding that I couldn't. What the hell was happening o me? I knew for certain that this wasn't right. Gillian and Thea must have missed
something. Maybe during the attack I'd suffered brain damage?
Tears stung my eyes at the thought. Thant couldn't be right, could it? Surely someone would have noticed.
Before I debate it any further, Rashel's fuzzy figure was back. "Oh my goddess," she shouted, dropping whatever she had in her hands and dropping to her knees. "MaryLynnette,"
"I'm here," I slurred, sounding drunk. "Can you get up?" Rashel asked, checking over my body to see if I'd suffered any injury. I didn't feel any pain, which hopefully was a good
sign, right?
"No," I said, my voice breaking in the middle of the word. "I can't move," I sobbed, not caring that this girl I'd just met was seeing me cry. "Shhh, it's okay," she whispered, her
voice soft and reassuring. Her thumb wiped the tear that had fall, brushing it from my cheek.
'Tell me to stop if you feel any pain." Before I could take in her statement, or question it, she wrapped her arms under my armpits and across my chest. "What are you doing," I
stuttered, noting absently that this girl had an amazing amount of strength for a human. "Getting you to the living room," she grunted, beginning to drag me across the kitchen
floor.
Was sure we must have made a comical sight, and had to fight the sudden urge to giggle.
Somehow, although I couldn't quite remember how, I ended up on the sofa, a pillow under my head, and a duvet covering my weak form. "Thank you," I mumbled to Rashel, who
was sitting at my feet, her hands playing with the covers.
"No problem, I do this sort of thing all the time," she said jokingly, making me smile. I could feel the allure of sleep tugging at me, and knew that I couldn't fight it much longer.
Before I went under, I knew I had something left to settle. "You can't tell Ash about this, Rashel," I said, forcing my eyes to keep open. The girl at my feet looked uneasy at my
request, biting her bottom lip.
"I can't lie to him, MaryLynnette. He has to know about this," she replied, lowering her gaze. I should've realised that her loyalties swayed more towards him than me. "Please," I
begged, desperation tingeing my voice. "I don't want to worry him."
"He has every right to be worried. I don't know what happened back there but he needs to know."
"No," I replied strongly, suddenly sitting up and grabbing her arm. "Don't ell him." She looked slightly stricken, my sudden movement catching her off guard. "Mare, you need to lay
back down, and then you need to sleep.
I knew that the others hadn't had any luck either. Thierry had called me a couple of hours ago saying that he'd pulled Delos out of the search, because of his status as a Wild power.
It made sense for Delos to return to safety, but Morgead was still furious at the idea of having less people searching.
With every passing second, and with every empty location, I could see the desperation in Morgead's eyes growing. I had to feel sorry for the guy. If I were in his place and it was MaryLynnette the one who was missing, I'd be pretty panicked too. As it was, I was already beginning to worry about her. When I'd asked Thierry how she was, he'd told me that
she was sleeping.
I didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. If she was resting, then nothing bad had happened. But I was sure that it wasn't normal for someone to have to sleep so much. Thea's words about the curse haunted me, and I had to shake them out of my head. I had to focus on Jez.
"This is useless," Morgead growled, as we neared another club. I had to admit, I was pretty doubtful myself that we'd find Jez in as shady a place as here. It was the place that
filtered in the dregs of the Night People. Witches that weren't part of a circle, werewolves without a pack, and shape shifters that had the misfortune of turning into nothing better
than farmyard animals.
I didn't see any reason why Jez would have wound up here, where she would be under immediate danger. I knew for a fact that any one of these people would jump at the chance
to turn in a wild power and claw their way up the ranks of society. Jez was impulsive and sometimes a little reckless, but she wasn't stupid.
"You never know," I said back, trying to sound hopeful. As we made our way into the club, a little bell marking our arrival, faces turned in our direction. Looks of nervous confusion
filled the room, as obviously Morgead and me weren't the normal clientele. Still, I'd passed through these sorts of places before, and knew how to react around such lowlifes.
Any emotions Morgead and I had been showing before we'd entered disappeared immediately, our faces turning into stone masks. I walked with the same cocky arrogance I'd used
before meeting Mare, adopting my predatory nature once more. As I passed a decrepit looking vampire and a hagged old witch, I threw them a sneer, radiating dominance.
Soon I began to notice the other patrons nervously diverting their gazes as we strode past, pretending to be suddenly interested in their drinks or card games. Only once we were
out of their area would they peep at us from the corner of their eyes. I made sure to glare at anyone who stared too long, burning holes in them with my own gaze. I noticed
Morgead doing the same thing, but he did that anywhere he went, even at the mansion.
The room was dark, the lights dimmed until they were nearly off, but still my eyes cut through the darkness perfectly. Cigar smoke swirled in front of my face, as well as just about
everywhere else, creating a murky film in the air. Under normal circumstances, I'd never be caught dead in a place like this. When I'd been part of the Black Iris, I'd only gone to much classier venues.
A quick scan of the room showed that Jez was nowhere in sight, and in my peripheral I could see Morgead visibly deflate. No matter how unlikely we'd thought the chances of her
being here were, we'd both still hoped.
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" The bartender said, in a low grumbling voice. I could tell straight away that he was a vampire from the ghostly pale tone of his skin, but he
lacked the grace and finesse found in others of his kind. He was a great bulking mass with yellowed fangs, and a stench of decay. I had to fight the urge to hold my nose as I
replied. "We're looking for someone," I said vaguely, keeping my tone hushed.
The guy lifted a pair of bushy eyebrows, giving us a crooked smile. "We get a lot of people in here, so I'm afraid you're gonna have to be more specific, sir." He spat the last word
out, clearly resenting us for our social class. I could see that he wanted nothing more than for us to leave his grotty little club so that he could go back to being the most important
person in the room. He probably also knew that if he tried to kick us out, his head would end up adorning a pointed stick.
I flashed him my fangs, letting my eyes glint dangerously. A glance at Morgead showed me that he was just about ready to rip the vampire's throat out. "We're looking for my
cousin," I said, not willing to give any further detail. I seriously doubted any Redfern would find themselves in a place like this, so if one had, I was willing to bet it was Jez.
The bartender scoffed, producing a ragged cloth and wiping down the counter. "We don't often get your kind down here. Think you're too good for us, don't ya?"
"So no one out of the ordinary has come in here? No one who doesn't exactly fit in in a place like this?" I asked, hoping for just the tiniest piece of information. Anything that would
give us even the slightest clue would do.
"Well I didn't say that, did I?" The vampire grumbled, a hungry look in his eyes. Instantly, I was on him like a hawk.
"Who?" I asked, leaning against the bar so that my face was inches away from his. "Who's been in here?" Morgead growled from beside me, his tone eager for answers, despite
sounding low and deadly.
The bar tender took a step back, a crooked smile forming on his face. I could see that he was pleased at having us captivated, which probably wasn't a good thing for us. He toyed
with the dishrag for a couple of seconds, running it through his hands, whilst his eyes roamed lazily over Morgead and I.
"I can tell you alright… but it'll cost ya," the vampire said, licking his lips hungrily. His repl
y wasn't exactly unexpected. Everything in places like this came with a price whether it
be money, blood or favours. I wasn't jumping at the chance to give this man anything, but if it meant answers, I was sure we could work something out. Apparently Morgead wasn't
so cooperative.
He moved quickly even for a vampire. One second he was next to me, and the next he was on the other side of the bar with the tender by the neck, pressed up against the wall.
"Tell who was here! We aren't playing around," Morgead growled in the vampire's face, a look of death on his face.
The bar tender hissed, clawing at the hand that held him by the throat. Morgead's vice like grip only tightened, causing rivulets of blood to slide down the vampire's skin where it
had been punctured by Morgead's fingers.
All of that bulking muscle was doing the bar tender no good against Morgead's strength. Even I had to admit that I was impressed by the power in which Morgead possessed, and
would be unwilling to get on the wrong side of him.
"I told you, that information comes at a price." I honestly couldn't believe the bar tender was being so stupid. If he thought that Morgead would hold back on killing him, he was
wrong. I'm sure he had a multitude of ways to extract information from even the most unwilling sources, and knew they would not be pleasant.
"Look, just tell us what we need," I tried to reason, leaning casually again the bar, playing good cop. "Not until_" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before he was ripped away
from the wall and slammed down onto the bar with teeth rattling force. "Tell us who was here," Morgead raged, smashing a fist into the vampire's face.
The other patrons were looking at the scene with wideeyed expressions. Some of them looked on the edge of their seats, about to intervene. "There's nothing to see here," I
snapped menacingly. The last thing we needed was a load of Night People with inflated egos getting in our way. At my voice, the majority of people turned away, pretending to not
see us beat the crap out of the bar tender.
It took a little bit longer for the guy, who I'd found was called Derrick, to crack, along with his ribs, nose and arms. I had to give it to him, he held out longer than I thought he
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