Into the Twilight: a Between the Worlds Novel

by Morgan Daimler

  Brynneth gave him a long look, but let his avoidance go for the moment. “She is still very ill and in pain, but she will live. I cannot predict the rate of her recovery.”

  Jess nodded eager to push on to other topics before anyone else could interject a question he didn’t want to answer. No doubt Bryn would corner him later and get the details he wanted. “Allie’s cousin is the one who poisoned her. We must find her with all speed. Bleidd is to stay here, at Allie’s request, but you will stay as well to guard her.”

  “Is anyone else permitted to enter?” Brynneth asked, seemingly unperturbed by the revelation of the perpetrator’s identity.

  “Only her roommate Jason,” Jess said. He knew that Bryn would remember the human well enough; he still spoke of him sometimes. Apparently their single night together had left an impression, and Brynneth had asked about Jason’s wellbeing at the scene of Standish’s shooting.

  Brynneth looked thoughtful. “I will stay and be sure no one else enters as a visitor, but what of the staff? If this is a wider conspiracy can we be certain they are all trustworthy?”

  Zarethyn frowned. “At this juncture we cannot be certain of anything. We do not know the numbers of this new coven, nor any living members, save Liz McCarthy and that is as much assumption as certainty.”

  “Could Aliaine be moved?” Mariniessa asked. Jess had not expected any concern from her over Allie’s safety or health, but then again it could be simple pragmatism.

  Brynneth hesitated for a long moment and then shook his head. “I could not swear that it would be safe to do so, no. I have never seen anyone survive iron poisoning before and it’s difficult to know what the course of her recovery will be. Perhaps tomorrow if she is stronger and in less pain.”

  “Then we have no choice but to guard her here,” Zarethyn said.

  “Could we not alert the human police and get their aid in this?” Natarien said quietly. Jess turned to the young elf who he had almost forgotten was there.

  “If they find Liz before we do they will have her in their own system and we will likely never get to speak to her, nor will we be able to bring her to see Allie,” Jess said.

  “And you think that essential?” Mariniessa asked.

  “I think that Allie will be able to get her cousin to talk more effectively than any of us will,” Jess said simply.

  “Yes,” Zarethyn agreed. “But if we don’t inform detective Riordan it could be problematic later as well. We will call him and tell him what has transpired but not that we know who is behind it. Jess, Natarien go now and examine Aliaine’s home; as soon as the police are notified they will surely do the same and I want us to inspect it first. Mariniessa and I will go seek Liz as soon as I speak to the police. Brynneth stay here until Jessilaen returns.”

  Each of the Elven Guard bowed slightly to their captain and set about fulfilling his orders. As Jess walked down the hallway towards the entrance he felt a grim resolve filling his heart. One way or another he would see that this new coven was rooted out and the threat they represented was ended once and for all.

  Whatever it took.

  Chapter 8 - Sunday

  Saturday afternoon had passed in a blur of feverish delirium and pain punctuated by intervals of lucidity. She had vague memories of Jason holding her hand and talking to her, although the words had just been a blur of sound, and of Brynneth’s cool touch easing some of the worst of the suffering. It was pretty clear to her that she was still dangerously ill, even though she did feel better as the day wore on.

  Despite dozing on and off most of the afternoon Saturday when night fell she was seized with a terrible certainty that if she went to sleep she’d never wake up again. Nothing either man said could convince her otherwise and she’d been increasingly agitated until they’d both agreed to stay with her. Allie had fallen asleep late Saturday night sandwiched, at her own insistence, between Bleidd and Jessilaen. It was irrational and she could see more psychological healing in her future, if Brynneth was willing to work with her on it, but she was afraid to sleep. Only when she was safely tucked between them on the not-meant-for-three-people hospital bed had she felt safe enough to sleep, knowing that one or the other of them could help her if she needed it.

  As she slept she dreamed and found herself sitting back in her own kitchen at home. She felt a surge of unhappiness as she looked around, thinking of her cousin in that very room fixing her the drink that would nearly kill her. How could you do it Liz? Allie asked herself, fighting back tears. How? We are all the family we have. I could never do anything to hurt you….

  Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted by her friend Syndra drifting in from the hallway. Somehow Allie wasn’t surprised to see her friend, although she had hoped that maybe Syndra’s spirit had passed on by now. Syndra seemed confused though, almost dazed, distracting Allie from her own worries. “Hey Syn, what’s up?”

  “You tell me Al,” Syndra said, moving slowly over to sit at the table. Everything about her was hesitant as if she wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to be doing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Once again, you tell me.” Syn said, her fingers tracing patterns on the table.

  “I don’t understand,” Allie said softly.

  “You called me here, so you tell me why. Damned if I know. Figuratively I mean, pretty sure I’m not actually damned.”

  “Huh?” Allie said cleverly. “I called you here?”

  Syndra looked frustrated, as if she was being very dense. “Wow, I always forget how slow you are when you’re dreaming. Yeah, Al, you called me here. Not that I mind, but I’m not sure why.”

  “Well, don’t look at me,” Allie said, totally baffled. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t even know how I did it. If I knew how to call you I’d talk to you more often.”

  Syndra sighed, “Well, I’m not complaining. I like it here where I can really feel things again.”

  Allie looked away, out the window into the endless night that seemed to be the norm in this place. “So you know we found the killer?”

  “And Jason shot him, yeah,” Syndra agreed. “I also know you and Bleidd were shot last week. Couple things there by the way, since we’re on the subject, you really have to stop trying so hard to get yourself killed because I was only kidding about you keeping me company here. And what the Hell are you doing screwing things up with Bleidd?”

  “Screwing things up?” Allie frowned. “It’s not like I wanted him to get shot…”

  “I’m not talking about that,” Syndra cut in. “I mean screwing around with his heart Al. I didn’t think you were the type to do that. So what the fuck are you thinking?”

  “I’m not…” Allie started, only to be interrupted again.

  “You are. Okay I get that the whole him sleeping with you thing wasn’t exactly your fault – don’t give me that look. I was here waiting for you, to meet you when you crossed over, except you didn’t, so I saw what happened. And I’m glad you aren’t dead, props to Jessilaen for that, but you know how much he, how Bleidd, feels about you and you totally friend zoned him but you’re also pulling this damsel in distress don’t leave me crap. That’s not fucking fair Al.”

  “I know it isn’t,” Allie mumbled, regretting all the times she’d wished to be able to talk to Syndra like this. She knew her friend was right but she really didn’t want to hear this right now. Or ever. “I know it isn’t fair, but I…I need him Syndra. I don’t mean I just need him as a friend or even as more than that, I mean I need him. Like I need Jess. I can’t even get my head around the idea of him – them – not being there.”

  “Is this some weird elf thing I don’t understand? Or do you just need major therapy?” Syndra said, drinking from a coffee cup that was now on the table in front of her. Allie wondered if Syn could manifest stuff like the drink intentionally or if it only happened when she wasn’t thinking and forgot the cup wasn’t supposed to be there.

  “I don’t know, maybe it’s a weird empath t
hing. Maybe it’s a weird me thing. Maybe my best friend died a few months ago and I was shot a week ago and almost died horribly today and found out my own cousin was the one who tried to kill me and I can’t deal with any of this,” Allie said, her voice rising on each word until she was close to yelling. “Maybe I can’t stand the idea of losing one of the few people I really care about that I have left.”

  Syndra watched her calmly, sipping her coffee. When it was clear Allie was done she put the cup down. “Feel any better?”

  “Not really.”

  Syn laughed. “Yeah, life’s a bitch that way. But all I’m hearing is ‘me, me, me’. What about him? Are you going to leave the other guy for him?”

  “I can’t do that Syn.”

  “Well where does that leave him then?”

  Allie groaned and dropped her head to the table. “What if I can’t leave Bleidd either?”

  “Well that’s great, it’s Sophie’s choice for shallow people.”

  “Hey!”

  “What? You don’t like the truth? You want exclusivity in your relationship right? You don’t want the person you are with to be with anyone else, right? So that means, Miss Raging Hypocrite, that you can’t string them both along. Pick one and stick with that choice. And if you don’t like that then change your expectations and let them have multiple partners too,” Syndra said.

  Allie closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn’t put into words that it wasn’t that easy. Not anymore, not since she had a spellbond with Bleidd too now. Even if she was willing to walk away from him entirely unless she could get herself out of his head she’d be aware – intimately aware – of every single time he was with someone else. Which was going to happen anyway now, she realized. Once she thought about it she had no illusions that Bleidd, like Jess, would choose celibacy if she wasn’t an option. She knew too well from their decade of friendship how strong a drive sex was for him. She groaned, as the realization hit that like it or not she’d be an eavesdropping witness to his future assignations, which were likely to be frequent and enthusiastic. Even if she did choose a more elven approach and sleep with both of them that wouldn’t change Bleidd’s lifestyle. Damn she thought I could not possibly have screwed this up more.

  “You know what? I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Allie said, lifting her head.

  Syndra gave her a long look, her coffee somehow having changed into a beer while Allie’s head was down. She drank slowly, watching her friend. “Okay. Be in fucking denial. Don’t say I didn’t try to help. So back to business. The second killer is dead courtesy of Jason. And your cousin tried to kill you.”

  “Nicely recapped,” Allie said, making a face.

  Syndra stuck her tongue out, then took another drink. “So are these two things related?”

  “Well it’s an awfully big coincidence if they aren’t,” Allie said grimly.

  Syndra stopped, putting the beer down. Her eyes narrowed. “So…that would mean…that Liz – fucking Liz – is part of the group behind the killings?”

  There was something in her tone that made Allie tense. “Didn’t you already know that?”

  “I’m dead I’m not fucking omniscient,” Syndra snapped. “Or I’d just tell you all the answers and boom, done. But I’m right, aren’t I? You and the elf brigade think Liz is part of this new ritual group, don’t you?”

  “Looks like there’s a good chance.”

  “So fucking Liz is part of the reason I was killed?”

  “Ummm,” Allie was caught off guard by the sudden rage coming from Syndra. “It looks like she’s at least part of the same group. I mean I can’t believe she’d be part of a plan to have you killed…”

  “She fucking tried to kill you!” Syndra yelled, making Allie flinch. “Why the fuck should she think twice about me? Holy fucking shit! No wonder I’m fucking stuck in Ashwood purgatory!”

  “Ahhh, Syndra,” Allie started, not sure what to say to calm her friend down.

  Syndra ignored her, standing up and radiating righteous wrath. “Now I understand why I’m stuck here. Why I can’t fucking move on. Not just because I need to help catch the killer, or because I need to stop this conspiracy but because I need to see justice come to the person I fucking trusted who sent me to a fucking altar to get raped, tortured, and murdered! That motherfucking bitch!”

  Allie was sitting wide eyed, pinned in place by the intensity of Syndra’s anger. It was like sitting out exposed under the full summer sun; she felt like she was baking. Finally she managed a weak, “Ah, Syn…”

  “I trusted her! Oh I’m not sitting on the sidelines for this one. I’m going to find her myself,” Syndra said, still furious. “And we’ll see if this ghost can jack up her day in a way that matters.”

  Syndra started to fade out, making Allie shake her head and rub her eyes. But it was no good, as she watched her friend grew translucent and then was gone leaving Allie sitting alone in the kitchen. Allie stood, turning around the empty space and calling her friend’s name over and over….

  She woke to Jess’s hands on her shoulders, shaking her gently. He was calling her name, his voice worried, but at first she was too disoriented to respond. She could still feel Syndra’s anger like a burning coal and the emotional sensation merged with the very similar feeling of the residual iron poisoning in her gut, creating an overwhelming sense of being on fire. Jess’s hands felt like ice against her skin.

  “What’s wrong?” That was Bleidd she realized after a moment, his voice coming from somewhere towards the door. An instant later he appeared next to the bed, his worried face mirroring Jess’s on her other side.

  “I don’t know,” Jess said anxiously. “She was sleeping but then started to struggle as if she were fighting something. She was calling out her friend’s name, the one who was killed, and I can’t wake her…”

  “I’m awake,” Allie mumbled, still feeling disoriented.

  Bleidd reached out, his hand cold against her cheek. “It’s another fever. Is Brynneth still here?”

  “No he’s gone to find his own rest. He exhausted himself yesterday,” Jess answered unhappily. “Damn! I thought we were past this.”

  “Guys,” Allie said, struggling to sit even as they pushed her back down. “Really I’m awake. I was having a, ummmm, well not a nightmare exactly. I was talking to Syndra.”

  Bleidd looked grim, “Is she hallucinating again?”

  “Hallucinating? I am not – wait when was I hallucinating?” Allie said, even more confused.

  Jess relaxed slightly. “Allie do you know where you are?”

  “What? Of course. I’m in the clinic,” she replied.

  “And do you know why you’re here?” Bleidd asked, still tense, his hand brushing her hair off her face.

  She made a face. “What’s with the twenty questions? I’m here because someone I trust – trusted – slipped iron into my damn coffee.”

  Bleidd and Jess exchanged an amused glance and she could feel their fear and worry dissolving into a sort of exhausted concern. Bleidd kept stroking her cheek, the coolness of his hand unexpectedly pleasant. Jess met her eyes, “You are running a fever Allie, so we wanted to check how rational you were. Yesterday you had several bouts of high fever where you were…not.”

  Allie’s eyes went wide. “Define ‘not’?”

  “You were hallucinating. The details don’t matter but it is a good thing that Bleidd or I were always here with you because at times only speaking to your mind would calm you and Brynneth advised against any sort of sedation,” Jess said.

  “I thought…I think I remember Jason being here?” Allie said uncertainly.

  “Yes,” Bleidd said. “He was here visiting for a little bit. I think it frightened him to see you so ill.”

  “Oh Gods he doesn’t know who did this does he?”

  “No, my heart,” Jess reassured her. “No one has told him yet. He thinks we are investigating and didn’t ask too many questions.”

  Allie close
d her eyes and took a deep breath. “Have you found Liz yet?”

  Jess shook his head. “No. She has not returned to your home, nor has she gone to work. Zarethyn and Mariniessa are attempting to track her, but she is proving elusive.”

  “Why the two mages? Why not you or Natarien?” she asked after a moment.

  He smiled, “It is good to see your mind is sharp. It was decided that there was a risk that she might be a mage or witch if she truly is associated with this new ritual group.”

  “Liz?” Allie said, blanching. “No. She was never interested in any magic.”

  “Allie,” Jess said so gently that she knew bad news was coming.

  “No,” she repeated shaking her head. “I can’t believe that I’ve lived with her all this time – that Bleidd lived with her – and we never knew she practiced any kind of magic.”

  Bleidd sighed. “I did not want to believe it either, but truly how would we know if she never actively cast anything around us and was careful not to act like she knew anything?”

  “But she never had any shields…” Allie said weakly.

  “Perhaps she trusted her safety to something else, like a talisman, knowing that shields would give her away,” Jess said. “But I assure you, she does practice. When Natarien and I examined her room we found the clear evidence of her art, well hidden as it was.”

  Allie lay there, stunned. It was almost more of a shock to hear that her cousin was a witch than it had been to find out Liz had poisoned her.

  Allie tried to sit up again, annoyed at trying to hold a conversation while flat on her back. It was embarrassing to realize that something which should have been easy was such a struggle but a moment later Bleidd lowered the side rail and slide in next to her, pulling her up until she was sitting leaning against him. As his arms wrapped around her, supporting her, she relaxed back into him, but not without a twinge of guilt. She couldn’t get Syndra’s words about him out of her mind. At least she felt nothing negative from either elf about Bleidd’s closeness – there was no jealousy from Jess and no challenge from Bleidd. They were both perfectly relaxed.