by Honor James
“He will turn to you, Lilly, more than me. You’re much softer than I am, and he’ll need that.” He finished his water and pointed to her plate. “Finish up. I’ll let you pick what you want to watch as we wait to get some news from Gav.”
“I hope that you are right,” she whispered and nodded. Finishing her food because she knew she needed the fuel, she leaned back in the chair and sighed. “That was actually delicious,” she told him with a smile. “How long do you think that we will be able to see him again?”
“No idea,” he said, grabbing up her plate. He stood and took everything to the sink. Turning, he hit the main lights, the ones over the sink providing the only light. “Let’s go and sit in the living room. That way, you can stretch out and be comfortable.”
“Sounds good. Will you come and be with me soon? I don’t want to be alone, please,” she whispered softly. “I need for you to be here with me. I know that when you are with me I’m safe, and I also know that he will likely need us both to begin with.”
“I’m going to go right in there with you. The dishes can wait. You are more important than a few dried-on crumbs.” Taking her hand, Ax pulled her up from the chair and into his arms. “It will be all right, Lilly, promise.”
“Thank you.” Lilly let out the breath that she had been holding and sighed. “Thank you for coming with me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you are willing to be with me, that you are willing to let go of all that you need to do, for me.”
He pressed a kiss to her hair and gave a squeeze. “You are my mate, Lilly, I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Come.” He drew back. Taking her hand, he led her out of the kitchen toward the living room. In there he turned on a lamp, but left all other lighting off. Sitting down on the sofa, he pulled her into his lap.
She moved right along with him, and when they were settled she sighed as she curled up against him. “I’m happy. Here in your arms, while we are waiting for everything to happen. Hopefully when he comes home, he will have some sort of answers about his mom, or she will at least be back to normal.” They could pray, at least.
“We can hope,” he said softly. He rested his cheek to her hair. “I just hope that he’s not hurt by whatever happens there. He’s a kind soul, feels too much sometimes. Makes him good with victims in our line of work. He’s got a big heart and knows the right things to say. Unlike me.” He gave a snort. “Probably why the captain keeps me away from the victims and sets me after the killers. It’s what I’m good at.”
“I know. Same here.” She sighed and shook her head. “You have been nothing but kind and generous to me. You are amazing. You have such a kind and generous soul, well at least where myself and Gav are involved,” she added with a grin. “Admit it, you have a soft spot for him, too, or your guys’ working relationship wouldn’t have survived this long.”
“Don’t you mean he wouldn’t have survived this long?” he grunted. Leaning back, he stared at her from under lowered lids. “I like the kid, and yeah, I suppose I have a soft spot for him. He’s got heart and balls of steel. ’Course his mother having my number and being able to nearly make my head explode does make me less inclined to allow him to continue breathing without assistance.”
“I just wish that there was some way we could block her from doing that to you. I really hate that you have to hurt for it to happen. I truly do. I want there to be a place where you are able to have pain-free times, ya know?”
“Most of the time, I have no problem with it. Though, I will admit, it is one of the few times I regret our seemingly ingenious leap in technology. It’s also one of the reasons I’m damn well having it removed. I’ve got an appointment in about a week and a half to go and get it out. It will mean resorting to a cell phone, but I’m all for it. I’m done with having my head split open like an egg every time she gets it into her mind to call.”
“I can’t say I blame you.” Lilly frowned and cocked her head to the side. “We were told that they were irreversible. That once they are in, they are in for good. Is that not accurate?” she asked. “Because there are days I could do without the one that I have. Even though I rarely use it, likely because I do rarely use it.” Typically she was so scatterbrained that she forgot about ninety-nine percent of the things she did.
“Only in rare cases is it irreversible. Like in the case of Gavriel’s mother. Hers was an early implant and one where it was too close to the bone of the skull. The body sees them as intrusive bodies, which they are. So if they are in the wrong place, the body attacks them. Hers is grown into the skull, or rather, the skull has grown around it. They are worried about trying to break it free because they don’t know exactly where it is now. Because of the organic properties of the chips, they can’t exactly get a read on it. Mine’s right where it’s supposed to be, so I can have it removed. Most Luhpynes don’t actually have the chips, because of the magic that controls their bodies and their shifting. They can’t have them in their heads. Hell, the chips that hold all their data and monies are heavily fortified in their wrists so they aren’t damaged during the change.” He tipped his head to look at her. “If you want to have yours removed, I’ll get you an appointment, too.”
“That would be wonderful.” She hated the implants, a great deal. She was a throwback to a time before the implants. “I would very much like to have it removed. I’m sure that Gav wouldn’t appreciate it, but I hate them. I really do. I know that they are supposed to be able to make things better and all that, but I honestly and truly dislike them a great deal.”
“The one in your wrist will have to stay, that’s a law now. But the one in your head we’ll get out. And Gav doesn’t have one in his head. The one in his wrist is shielded since he’s a Spiryte and his magic would otherwise fry it. He’s a very powerful Spiryte, power yet untapped fully, unlike his mother, whose abilities lie in science and not in magic. So he really can’t say much of anything about you having yours removed.”
“Wonderful,” she said with a grin. “So how will we all communicate? Cell phones? I know that they do still make them, and we should be able to link them with our implants in our wrists so that it will boost the signal or something.”
“There are still the old-fashioned cell phones, but in our case we’ll use something a little different. It’s something the Luhpynes use, and those of the other races that can’t have the implant in their heads. It’s a device like your world’s old Bluetooth devices. It clips on over the ear, a piece sits against the jaw line for you to speak into, and the on-off is a small tap to the back that lays behind the ear. It’s quite sleek and lightweight. You’ll barely know it’s there, and you can wear it at all times while you’re awake.” Artaxias smoothed a hand over her hair. “To anyone looking on, it will appear you still have the implant because the motions are nearly identical to activate it.”
“Ah, very cool. All right. That will be far better than what we have now,” she admitted. “And the fewer people that know that we don’t have them, the better, right?” she asked with a frown. “So they aren’t able to falsify the tech to pretend that they are us.”
“No one could falsify anything where you are concerned, little mate,” he said with a smile. The smile dropped as they both turned their heads toward the sound of the front door opening and then shutting. “We’re in here, Gav,” Ax called out. He sat up a little, taking her with him, his arm around her waist keeping her from sliding off his lap.
Gavriel appeared in the doorway a moment later, looking exhausted. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, obviously from fingers being raked through it constantly. He wandered deeper into the room and fell onto the sofa next to them. “Hey,” he muttered, sounding even more tired than he looked.
“Hey.” Lilly moved so that she could wrap her arms around Gavriel and settled into his lap. Hugging him close, she rubbed her cheek to his neck. “I am so sorry that you are hurting. How can I help you, Gav?” she asked and pressed a kiss to his neck.
“This is good,
” he said with a chuckle. His arms wrapped around her and held her tight before loosening, but not letting her go. He heaved a sigh and rested his cheek to hers. “This very good right now and just what I need.”
“Good,” she said and rubbed her cheek to his neck again. “This is what I need as well. I’ve missed you,” she admitted quietly. “You just tell me what it is that you need, and what you want, and we will do it, okay? I only want your happiness. I need it so very much.”
“Shh,” he murmured. His hand was rubbing up and down her back. “I just need to hold you for now, Lilly. And then I need a long, hot shower, something to eat, and bed. Not necessarily in that order. I may switch it up to bed, food, and shower, given how beat I currently feel.”
Lilly nodded. She looked to Artaxias. “Will you make him a sandwich? He can sit here and eat it and then we can all go up and go to bed together? In the morning will be soon enough for a shower, right?”
“Of course,” Ax said. He got up and touched her hair with a smile before leaving the room.
“He’s a good egg,” Gavriel murmured. “Don’t tell him I called him that, he has enough issues with what I call him behind his back without adding another to the list.” He let out a loud, long yawn and slouched down more in his seat. “What have you guys been up to since I left?”
“Ax fed me and we chatted. We are both going to have our implants for calls removed. Him because of obvious reasons, and me because honestly I hate the tech in my head.” She shrugged and began to pet him slowly, softly. “That’s about it. Oh, that and we figured out what was setting me off with the body in the morgue. It’s the tattoos. They are working on breaking them down now.”
“Wow, you guys have been busy.” He blinked at her. “I’m rather impressed. But I do have to ask you, just how did you narrow it down to the tattoos? I know how I’d likely have done it, but how did Artaxias narrow it to just those?”
“He took me to a clean room and we went over the images one at a time, slowly. He knew that it was the right one when I was suddenly desperate for a phone, needing to make a landline phone call instead of using the implant.”
“Interesting,” he said with a nod. “He was always methodical about such things.” Gavriel was stroking her hair slowly, his fingers combing through the strands over and over. His other hand was on her thigh, holding tight like he was afraid she might jump up at any moment. “I’m glad you figured out what was setting you off, love. I hate the fact you’re being yanked around by an unknown person or persons.”
“You and me both.” Lilly sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m happy you are back with me. I’ve missed you,” she confessed. “Even though we’ve been going and going, I’ve still missed you.” Her hand over his chest, she asked, “How is your mom? Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” he muttered. But then he heaved a sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face. “She’s getting worse. She knows who I am, but when she’s like this, when her mind isn’t all there, she thinks I’m barely big enough to pull up my own pants. When I try to discuss things with her, she shushes me and tells me to go play or go to the kitchen for a sweet. Then she has moments of clarity that I try to get everything done in. Mainly because I never know if that’s going to be the last chance I get with her. That’s the part that hurts the most, never knowing when I’m going to lose the woman she is for the woman she was. But, I got her to sign everything necessary and she’s going in tomorrow to have the chip behind her ear disabled. It’s a ten-minute procedure but it will never activate again, and she’ll have to irritate Ax the old-fashioned way. Video conferencing or good old phone calls.”
“I’m so sorry, Gav. I can’t even begin to imagine the hurt and the pain that you are going through right now. It’s never easy to lose someone that we love, but a mother? I just wish that I could help you somehow. I want to be there for you, I need to be there for you. As long as you will let me, I will be, too. I just. I just want to help.”
“You are helping me, little mate,” he said quietly. “Holding you like this, being with you right now, is helping me a lot. I don’t need much else, just you like this.” Gavriel squeezed her closer to him and kissed her cheek. He held her like that for a long time before he lifted his head and looked past her.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Artaxias said. He came up next to Lilly’s hip and held out the plate and bottle of water.
“Mmm, thank you, Artaxias,” Lilly said and accepted the plate of food. Looking to Gav, she smiled, “You going to eat with me?” She wasn’t ready to leave his lap and she had a feeling he wasn’t ready to let her go. There was something in the way that he was holding her that made her think that he was just millimeters from falling apart.
Nodding, he smiled at Ax as the other man headed out of the room. “He’s giving me time with you,” he commented. “He knows I’m on shaky ground right now. I really hate his ability to read my thoughts. Drives me bonkers most days. At this moment, though, kinda glad he’s got it.”
“Same here,” Lilly admitted to him. “I’m glad that he’s giving us time together because I think that I needed it, too. I’m pretty sure that he knows that as well.” Adjusting the plate on her lap, she looked up at him and smiled. “All right, come on Gav, eat. You need to eat. Food is a very good thing.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said softly. He picked at one piece of the sandwich for a moment. Lifting the piece, eventually he took a bite, but didn’t look overly enthusiastic. He seemed to be chewing on automatic, his thoughts not on the food but elsewhere.
She watched him as he slowly ate, and felt bad for him. “I know that this is not what you want, I really do, but I truly do want you to stay healthy, okay? You and I both need to ensure that you remain healthy, right?” Just as he would demand that she stay healthy as well.
“Yeah,” he muttered. He finished off one half of the sandwich but shook his head at her when she lifted the plate in offering to him. “I’m too tired to even think about eating that other piece. If you want it, though, go for it. It was very good, but I’m at that point of exhaustion where it’s too much effort.”
“I ate earlier.” She moved out of his lap and held her hand out for him. “Come on, let’s go and have us some sleep. Tomorrow is soon enough for us to start thinking of anything much more than simply crawling into bed. Tomorrow, the three of us will sit down so that we can discuss what needs to happen next, okay?”
Nodding, he stood up and took her hand in his. “Sorry, little mate, I’m just so fried right now that I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I wish I was better company,” he said with a lopsided smile. He followed her as she tugged him along toward the stairs and up to the bedroom.
“It’s okay. Let’s get you into bed and we will worry about everything else later.” She hesitated. “Do you want your bed, or do you want to have all three of us in Artaxias’s bed? Or is your bed as big as his is?” She hadn’t been in Gavriel’s room, so she didn’t know. “Because I would rather have both of you with me, if you wouldn’t mind terribly?”
“Mine’s about the same size, not quite, but pretty close. It doesn’t really matter where we end up, but I do need to get out of these clothes or else I’m never going to sleep. So that means a trip to my room at the very least, and then you can decide where we’re laying down for the night.”
“Well then, we will end up in Ax’s bed so that we have all the room that we want and need. Go, do what you need. I will wait here in the hall for you, okay?” she asked and leaned against the wall. “Hurry. If you aren’t out soon, I am going to come in looking for you.”
“Likely a good plan, in case I fall asleep on my feet. Or fall over and fall asleep.” He reached out to touch her cheek gently. “Thank you for looking out for me, Lilly. You are one hell of a woman and the best mate any of us could ever pray to have.”
“What can I say? I’m pretty special, but so are you boys. We all belong. The three of us. Now go. I will let you hug and touch me when you are c
lean and we are in bed, okay?” she asked softly. “Go, or I’m going to ask Ax to go in with you and make sure that you hurry your rump up.”
“No thank you, that is really unnecessary.” Gavriel made a face and turned into his room. “I’m just going to grab clothing and then shower in his room. That way I can just collapse afterward. A hot shower will likely do me right the hell in.”
“All right, then I will come in with you,” she said without letting him argue. Instead, Lilly walked into his bedroom and waited on him to follow. “Come on already. Let’s get this done so we can get you showered and in bed as soon as possible. Remember, I’m impatient.”
“Just clothes from here, Lilly. Need to be close to whatever bed I’m falling into. Because once I’m out of the shower, it will be minutes before I collapse.” He went to his dresser and dug around before turning to face her with something folded in hand. “Let’s go.” He waved toward the door.
Moving with him, Lilly wrapped an arm around him, her worry thick in the air for him. When they entered Artaxias’s room, Lilly smiled. “We are all sleeping in your bed. He’s going to shower and then, in his words, collapse onto a bed. So let’s get up and into bed so that he can join us?”
Nodding, Ax frowned. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, just tired. You know how it is when I’m there,” Gavriel said. Smiling at Lilly, he walked through the room and into the bathroom, the door shutting with a small sound.
“Unfortunately, I do know how it is when he’s home, well, his mother’s home. He gets nearly no sleep, always going because, while he loves her, he doesn’t want to be there too long.” Artaxias looked her way. “If you want a shirt to sleep in, go and raid the closet.”
“Thank you.” Lilly didn’t hesitate but instead went to the closet, pulled out one of the shirts, and stripped right there in the room with him. Leaving on her panties, she pulled on the shirt and turned to him. “What about you, aren’t you getting ready for bed?”