Marysue took his arm, “Let’s.”
Alburet, Karen and Stacia the group bantered a bit more as they headed for the main doors behind Gerald and Marysue. Nodding to the guards as they entered the keep proper they made it to the Sergeant’s desk, where Sergeant Granite sat.
“Alpha Company, welcome back,” the sergeant boomed at them. “Did you finally finish off the Queen?”
“We did,” Gerald said.
Dwayneson’s eyes flickered from Gerald to Alburet, who was behind Gerald, and then back. “I see. That is good news.” The sergeant was obviously curious as to why Alburet wasn’t speaking for the group as he had in the past. “Let me get you your rewards.”
“We also have something you might want, Sergeant,” Gerald chuckled as he placed a massive chunk of meat on the desk.
Dwayneson blinked as he looked at the twenty pounds of meat before him. “Is that from the Queen?” His eyes glazed for a moment as he checked the status of the meat, “I am indeed interested in a piece of Queen’s Tail. Do you have a price for it?”
Gerald shook his head, “You would know better than us what it’s worth, Sergeant. Just compensate us accordingly.”
Dwayneson grimaced, “I can’t. It’s worth more than I can spend.”
“How about ya split what ya cook with us,” Stacia suggested. “Could ya make up the difference then?”
Gerald glanced back at Stacia, before turning to Dwayneson. “Can you?”
Dwayneson’s smile split his face. “Yes. I can also give you an extra chit to the quartermaster.”
Gerald nodded his head, “Works. We’ll be over at the inn while we wait for the food.”
Dwayneson set bags of gold on the desk beside the chunk of meat, as well as small markers. “Here is your gold and the markers to get something from the quartermaster. I’ll bring the food over in about an hour.”
Gerald handed out the rewards, “Looking forward to it.”
None of the loot the quartermaster had was useful to them, but would be good for the next guild raffle. Once at the inn, they ordered a couple of bottles of wine and relaxed while they waited for Sergeant Dwayneson.
“Tiny, Bob, Kitten, we’re done for the night. Go enjoy your families and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Time to live up to my Copy’s new name,” Bob said, vanishing with a snicker.
“I shall return when you call,” Tiny rumbled before he also vanished.
Kitten vanished with a saucy wink. Alburet glanced at Stacia, who was smiling seductively at him. “She be a quiet one at times,” Stacia smirked.
They had just finished the first bottle and were starting on the second when Dwayneson came in the door with a steaming pot in his gloved hands. “There you are, and here we go,” Granite said as he placed the pot on the table. “Now, can you smell what Granite is cooking?”
The group was silent for a moment as a tantalizing aroma drifted up from the pot before them. Alburet took a deep breath, sighing in appreciation. “Gumbo.”
“You’ve had it before?” Dwayneson said as he motioned the innkeeper for bowls.
“Not with Langistor, but yes,” Alburet nodded.
Marysue looked a little wary of it, but took the bowl when it was offered to her. “Thank you.”
Once everyone had a bowl they took a bite. Each of them paused to savor the full flavor of the dish. There was an underlying zing that snuck up on them after a moment, not hot, but tingly to the tongue.
“This is good, if different,” Fluffball said first.
“This is actually very good,” Marysue agreed as she took another bite.
“Makes me think I’m down on the bayou on a business trip,” Gerald added.
“Not my usual fare, but very good,” Karen said.
“Nicely done, Sarge,” Alburet said as he also spooned another portion into his mouth.
“This is very good, indeed,” Stacia commented.
“Glad you all like it,” Granite laughed. “The Innkeeper will get the pot back to me. Enjoy the rest of the meal.” Smiling, he walked out of the inn, leaving them alone to eat his cooking.
The silence stretched as each of them focused on the meal before them. The pot ran empty, as did the second bottle of wine after some time. The group sat there, full and sated, with smiles on their faces.
“Well, that was a good way to end the day,” Gerald chuckled. “See you all tomorrow for the next set of zones?”
Karen, Fluff and Alburet all agreed as Gerald got to his feet. Taking Marysue’s hand, the couple Homestoned out of the fort. Once they were gone, the quartet sat there a moment longer before anyone spoke up.
“We should be goin’ as well,” Stacia finally said. “We be lookin’ at another of ya memories tonight,” she said, looking at Alburet.
“How bad is this one going to be?” Alburet asked, a small tremor of fear washing through him.
“We be lookin’ at a painful memory for ya,” Stacia told him as she got to her feet. “I be thinkin’ it be best to confront ya memories instead of lettin’ ya try to hide from them.”
Getting to his feet slowly, Alburet nodded. “So I’ll end up bawling like a baby again?”
“We will be here with you,” Fluff said as she put her hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll even wipe your tears away,” Karen added as she held out her Homestone. “Ready?”
“No,” Alburet admitted as he pulled out his own Homestone. “But this is to help me, so I’ll do it anyway.”
The quartet vanished from the inn, reappearing before their home. They bathed in uncharacteristic silence, Alburet clearly not looking forward to the evening. Eventually they wound up in the master bedroom. Alburet looked at the three beauties around him, feeling their love wash over him.
“I hope it isn’t as bad as last time,” Alburet said as he got comfortable.
“We’ll be here for you,” Fluff reminded him as she bent to kiss his forehead.
Stacia began to sing, as she knew he was stalling. They watched as his eyes closed, his breathing evened out and his face relaxed. Stacia paused her song to look at the other two. “We be ready.” Once they touched her and him, she sang on, pulling them all into Alburet’s mind.
They stood in an isolation cell. Seamus was sprawled out on the bed reading a book titled Office Wars. As he turned the page the cuff flap unlocked, making him frown as he looked at the door.
“Seamus, your attorney is here,” Jasperson called to him. “Come give us your wrists.”
Grunting as he put the book aside, Seamus got to his feet. He put his arms behind his back, allowing the guards to cuff his hands behind him through the cuff flap. The cold metal ratcheted down until they were snug. As the door opened Seamus saw that Sergeant Jasperson had another guard with him. “I didn’t think I had an appointment with Moorehead today.”
“You didn’t,” Jasperson replied. “Are you doing okay in iso?”
“Still don’t know why I’m in here, but yeah. At least I don’t have to deal with assholes,” Seamus replied.
Jasperson walked Seamus down to the attorney room. “I hope you remember all this someday, Seamus.”
Eyeing Jasperson and wondering if the Sergeant had a screw loose, Seamus shrugged. “I remember things just fine. I just wish this place was closer to home, maybe then mom would actually visit me so we could talk.”
Wincing, Jasperson looked away from Seamus, remembering the scene months ago when Seamus had learned of his mother’s death. “I don’t think that would help any at this point,” Jasperson finally said as he paused outside of the room to open the door.
“Moorehead, your client is here,” Jasperson announced as he led Seamus into the room and cuffed his hand to the bench. “We’ll be outside.”
Moorehead waited for the guards to leave before he spoke, “Seamus, how have you been?”
“Jasperson asked how I was doing in isolation earlier. Still don’t know why I’m in there, but I’m sure it’s for a good reason,�
�� Seamus shrugged. “What brings you out here today?”
Moorehead fiddled with his briefcase for a minute. “Well, that is the question, and I don’t think you’re going to like the answer. Do you recall the last time we talked?”
“Dad’s estate, but that was about six months ago,” Seamus said, as he rubbed at his brow with his one free hand. “Sorry, I just had a head rush.”
Moorehead knew this was not going to go well, but he had to fulfill his obligations. “It involves a legal matter as an executor of an estate.”
“We did all of Dad’s paperwork,” Seamus grunted, as he closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. “Man, this headache is getting worse.”
“We did finish that, as well as your mother’s,” Moorehead replied while watching Seamus carefully.
Alburet shivered as he watched the scene, his own head starting to throb. “I think I can remember this,” he muttered while rubbing his head.
Stacia held him from behind, “It gets worse.”
Seamus blinked against the pain in his head. “Mom? What about her? Did she send me a letter through you?” His face was contorted in a pain-laced grimace, as he rubbed his temples. “So what are we dealing with today then?”
Pulling a simple sheet of paper from his briefcase, Moorehead passed it to Seamus. “Your friend David McMullen wanted you to have this.”
“David?” Seamus was puzzled as he took the paper to read it.
Seamus,
I’m sorry it’s come to this, old friend. I couldn’t face you after that last time when you asked me about Kaylee. I was too weak to confront you about the truth then, hell, I’m still too cowardly to do it now. I’ve talked to everyone I could to find out if there was a way for me to help you. All of them advised me to wait, that you would come out of it on your own. It’s been over a year and you haven’t, which depresses me.
When we met, we both took to each other, and I could never ask for a better friend. You were there for me and Kaylee, Uncle Seamus as she frequently called you, or dad when she wanted to be a brat to both of us. She loved you as much as I did. If I had a brother I only hope he would have been as good as you are.
I never got the chance to thank you, for killing that fucking bastard. It helped the heaviness in my heart some when you did. I still couldn’t find real joy, though. I talked to your dad and he helped me come back to God. I have finally come to terms in my own mind about who or what God is. He might not be infallible, but I sincerely hope there is a heaven for you, me and Kaylee.
With the passing of your family, I know you probably hoped that I would be here for you. I won’t be though, not if you’re reading this. I hope one day that you will understand and forgive me, my truest friend. Kaylee loves you and she is in good hands until you can hold her again. I hope you come to fully recall and know what has come before, and if there is a heaven we will be waiting for you.
Your friend forever,
David McMullen
Seamus seemed to crumple in on himself as he clutched the letter to his chest. Deep sobs wracked his body, shaking his entire frame.
Alburet was in much the same condition. Stacia had put an enlarged copy of the letter before all of them, so they could all read it easily. He fell to the ground, Stacia unable to support him, deep wracking sobs shaking his body. The trio of women huddled down next to him, holding him, rocking him, and whispering softly to him as they brushed at his tears, trying to comfort him.
As Seamus began to sob hysterically the door opened, allowing Sergeant Jasperson and three more guards into the room with a stretcher. “Figured this might happen,” Jasperson sighed. “Are you done, Moorehead?”
Moore shook his head, “I’ll need to come back later and have him sign some paperwork. I might have to arrange for it when he is in care of the doctor, like the last time with his mother’s paperwork.”
“Make arrangements ahead of the next time, please. He gets more unstable every time you bring news like this.”
“I’ll do what I can, Sergeant,” Moorehead watched as the trio of guards got Seamus onto the gurney and strapped in. “Poor sod.”
“He was a good man, before all this,” Jasperson said. “I can’t really blame him for what he did. We all talked about it when he got here, and most of us would have done the same thing in his place, if we’d been in his shoes. I hope they can get him straightened out in time, he should at least know the truth.”
The scene froze there. Alburet was still crying in the embrace of the trio of lovers. His head ached to the point of splitting as tears flooded from his eyes. “No. Gods, no. Dad, Mom, and now David. Who’s taking care of Kaylee? How could he do that to her? Poor, sweet, innocent Kaylee, all alone now that David is gone.”
Stacia felt a massive spike of pain and anguish rip through Alburet, far greater than anything she’d been expecting. She quickly slammed him into unconsciousness. Alburet vanished suddenly from their arms as she did, making the other two blink in confusion. “Tha’ nay be good,” she said as she brought them all back into the world.
“What’s not good?” Karen asked as she looked at Alburet, who was snoring lightly.
“He had a surge of pain and anguish just before me severed the memory,” Stacia replied worriedly as she stroked his hair. “He seems to be okay, though.”
“What should we do?” Fluff asked.
“Hold him close,” Stacia advised her. “He be dealin’ with the loss of his friend. He mayhap be as shaken or more than he was when he found out about his Ma’.”
Fluff and Karen curled up on either side of Alburet, snuggling close to him. Each of them tried to set aside their own emotions of fear and worry as they held him close. Stacia sat at the foot of the bed, gently rubbing his legs under the blankets. She kept her face carefully blank as she kept a close watch on her husband. After a while she started to hum, calming the other two and helping them find sleep. As they finally slept, Stacia got to her feet to retrieve her Mindstone. She had questions to ask Mother. She was worried that maybe she had hurt her husband.
Chapter Fourteen
Alburet woke with the worst migraine he could recall ever having. As he struggled against the pain, the memory of last night came crashing back to him. His breathing became fast as he remembered the loss of his closest friend. He jerked upright, gasping against the pain in his head. Clutching his skull, which felt like it was on fire, he was dimly aware of people holding him. “David? Why did you do that? Who’s looking after Kaylee now?” The words were hoarse as they came unbidden from his raw throat.
The crushing despair he felt lessened a fraction. He looked up, between the fingers of the hands clutching his face, to find Stacia at the foot of the bed. Her face was full of worry, fear and love. He could feel her emotions and the emotions of Fluff and Karen beside him, all of them worried for him. “Master, we be here. Ya need to let us be here for ya.”
“Al,” Fluff murmured into his left ear. “We love you and want you here with us. Please hold on to that thought.”
The pain in his head throbbed anew as tears began to fall from his eyes again. “He killed himself,” Alburet sobbed. “I remember that now, Moore told me when he came back to speak with me.” His hands still clutched at his head. The pain was intense enough that he was sure his head would break apart into a myriad of shards. “Why would he do that to Kaylee? She needs him. She needs him!”
The door to the room opened and Mother stepped inside with a concerned look on her face. “I came as soon as I could, Stacia.” Her eyes turned to Alburet on the bed, her lips pulling into a strained smile, “Alburet, I see you are having some issues.”
Alburet’s teeth ground together as he felt the pain growing, “No, everything is fine! My parents are dead, my best friend killed himself and my daughter is all alone. Everything is fucking peachy!” The last few words came out a harsh shout as his emotional control broke. His hands left his face, curling into fists as his eyes bored into Mother. “You started this. This is your fau
lt!”
Mother eyed him with compassion as she stood up straighter, “No, your mind was already trembling when I met you. I was not the first to prod you along the road to recovery. I am here at Stacia’s request, to try to aid you. Your mind is teetering between acknowledgement and full denial. If you give in now it means you will possibly forget everything you know, all these loved ones with you now, and everything that came before, including what you have lost. Or you can be the man we all know you to be, and confront the horrible truth that you have kept from yourself for far too long. Choose wisely.”
“Al,” Karen said quickly, “Fluff is right. We love you. God knows it happened fast, but I don’t want to lose you.”
“Please,” Fluff whispered as her claws dug into his flesh.
Stacia hung her head, “It be me fault, master. I was worried tha’ goin’ slow would put ya mind under more strain. I chose badly and now ya be in pain.” Tears fell from her eyes as she gently touched his foot. “Forgive me, please. I called her here to help ya confront ya final horror.”
Fractured Spirit (Alpha World Book 5) Page 13