Syndra gave her a strange look, but that last statement seemed to make his mind up for him and he nodded slightly and headed down the hall without a word. As soon as she was sure he was heading down the stairs she started back to her room; after a moment Syn followed. Allie sat back on her bed and Syn stood awkwardly by the door.
“What’s up?” Allie asked, her voice sounding oddly flat even to her own ears.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Syndra said, sounding subdued.
Allie couldn’t hide her surprise. “Sorry? Why?”
“Because you called me when you needed help and I…”
“Syn, don’t,” Allie started but her friend interrupted.
“Just let me say what I need to say,” Syndra took a deep breath and went on. “I was mad at you for not telling me before about the task force thing and then you called and I came to the store and you were hurt. I said I’d help but I didn’t tell you I’d called them in, I didn’t warn you…”
Allie was shaking her head, but Syn held up her hand and pressed on. “I didn’t warn you they were coming. I was mad, but not at you. I was mad at whoever hurt you but I think I kind of took it out on you. You’re like my best friend Al, and I know I’m a cop and I’ve handled stuff like this before but never with someone I know. Never a friend. I get there and your bleeding all over the place and you won’t tell me what happened. We get to the clinic and you won’t let them help you. I can see,” she took a deep breath, looking away “I can see that your jeans are ripped and you won’t let them take your clothes or examine you–you think I’ve never worked a rape case before?”
“Syn, I wasn’t…”
“I should have known better. I’m your friend. I should have…” Syndra broke off, shaking her head.
“Syn, really, I wasn’t. It was close. He was, that was what he was trying to do, but he didn’t. Really.” Both women fell silent, and then Allie added “I’m sorry I threw that ice pack at you.”
Syndra laughed, “Don’t be. I deserved it.”
“No, you were trying to help me, and I just didn’t want to hear anyone saying that word. It was childish. You know, I guess I almost died–could have died anyway, yesterday.”
“Allie, please don’t,” Syn said, obviously upset.
“No let me talk. You had your turn. I could have died and I was sitting in that hospital bed while you all were watching me on video or whatever…”
“Allie”
This time Allie ignored her and kept talking “And all I could think was, if he’d killed me in the store I’d have died with all my friends mad at me. No one was speaking to me…”
“Oh, fuck Al,” Syn had started to cry, something she never did.
“And it just, it made me feel so sad, you know? To think that I’d screwed up and that I was letting stubbornness keep me from reaching out to you. We’ve been friends a long time Syndra. You’re like my really bossy gun-toting sister.” Syndra laughed at that, breaking the somber mood. “And I don’t want us to fight over stupid things. And I really don’t want to die with us not speaking over something dumb.”
“Yeah. It’s a good thing you didn’t go and fucking die on me Allie. I’d never have forgiven you or, more importantly, myself, and I’d end up a lush like Bleidd.” Both women laughed.
“So,” Allie asked slowly, “are we good?”
“Of course we’re good,” Syn said simply. Then “So are you and tall, blond and elfin an item now?”
“Yeah,” Allie said simply.
“Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but you should know, I heard them talking–well the whole task force actually–and they have you under protective custody. That’s why he’s here. They think whoever attacked you is going to try again and might be connected to the murders.”
“Well, at least that should help clear Bleidd,” she said, realizing that the Guard must have listened to her about the Dark Court.
“I’m serious Al. I’m just saying, whatever he’s telling you, just keep in mind he’s here in an official capacity, okay?” Syn sounded unhappy and Allie thought she was probably waiting for more yelling to ruin their fragile reunion.
“Yeah, I will,” she said instead. “How is Bleidd taking our new house guest?”
Syn winced, “Not well. It’s not just your special friend by the way, one of the other three is always here too; they take shifts.”
At that moment Jessilaen reappeared carrying a bowl in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. Syndra gave Allie a pointed look as she headed out the door, “I’ve gotta get some food myself, or at least some coffee, but I think I’ll eat downstairs.”
Allie sighed. A week ago Syndra would have stayed, or gotten food and come back up with it. A few months ago when Allie had been sick with the flu Syndra had all but camped out in her room for three days, making sure she was well stocked with ginger ale and tissues. Obviously Jessilaen’s presence was changing everything and Allie didn’t like it.
The source of the domestic turmoil seemed oblivious to his effect on the humans around him; he came over and sat next to her on the bed, offering what turned out to be a glass of orange juice and bowl of oatmeal. Allie managed not to make a face over the oatmeal, which she detested but would do her best to eat anyway, and thanked him, wondering to herself how upset everyone else was with her about the Elven invasion.
****************************
As soon as Syndra reached the first floor hallway Liz grabbed her and dragged her into the living room. Syn complained, more from surprise than real annoyance.
“Hey! I need some coffee. I’m working on like 5 hours of sleep here and I have to work tonight.”
“How is she?” Liz asked, whispering.
“You don’t have to whisper Lizzie. And she’s your cousin. If you want to know how she is, go ask her yourself.”
Syndra watched emotions play across the older woman’s face and was suddenly struck by how different the two cousins looked. Syn was 26; she often forgot that Allie wasn’t her own age or a little younger, when in fact she and Liz were both in their late 30’s. Liz certainly looked her age, despite her efforts not to, and this morning without her usual artful make-up and trendy clothes Liz showed every day of her 38 years. Her shoulder length brown hair hung limply and she didn’t look like she’d slept. Syn’s expression softened as she took in her roommate’s red, puffy eyes and pale face.
“She’ll be fine. She’s pretty banged up but nothing that won’t heal. I’m sure she’d like to see you.”
Liz shook her head, “No, I don’t want to intrude.”
“Intrude? Lizzie, you’re her cousin. You’re like her only living family. You wouldn’t be intruding.”
“No,” Liz shook her head again looking uneasy “He’s up there with her, isn’t he?”
“The Elven Guard? Jess-something? Yeah he is, so what? Trust me, they aren’t doing anything you need to be afraid of interrupting.”
“Syndra!” Liz sounded genuinely outraged.
“Lighten up Liz. I guess they’re kind of dating now so we’re all going to have to get used to him hanging around. And personally I think she could have done worse and she needs to get a social life. Working and hanging out with us all the time doesn’t count,” Syndra tried to keep her tone light and ignore her own misgivings about Allie’s choices.
Liz swallowed hard, “But he’s–he’s not good for her.”
“Why? Because he’s a cop?” Syn frowned and Liz gave her an annoyed look.
“Of course not. Because he’s, well, I mean, do you really think he has any long term interest in her? Really?”
“Besides wanting to get into her pants? I have no idea, but you know maybe getting laid would do her some good.” Syndra was only half kidding but Liz recoiled looking truly appalled.
“Lizzie, you have Fred. I have, well a couple good friends. Fuck, even Jason has an on-again-off-again boyfriend. Why shouldn’t Allie have someone? And who else is she going to date in this shi
tty town?”
“How about a nice human guy?”
“Did you seriously just say that?” it was Syndra’s turn to feel appalled. “You want to go tell your half-Elven cousin to stick to your own species?”
From the guilty look on her face, Syn realized that was exactly what Liz wanted to do and she shook her head. She never would have guessed Liz felt that way. Living with Bleidd for so long she’d never shown any signs of being anti-elf. Or maybe, Syndra thought cynically, she doesn’t mind it as long as it’s not in her family, which makes no sense because Allie’s already there. To cover the awkward moment and possibly sensing that she’d gone too far, Liz said defensively, “What about Bleidd? They’d be great together.”
Yeah Syn thought, too bad Bleidd was too fucking stuck in beating himself up for something that happened before she was even born and waited too long. Which you know. Which is why you’re suggesting someone who hasn’t dated anyone in the entire time you’ve known him. Way to cover your ass there Lizzie. Since that wasn’t a fight she wanted to pick tonight she said, “They’ve been friends for more than a decade. If anything was going to happen there it would have by now.”
Liz shrugged. “Well I don’t trust this guy or the others. I don’t want them in my house. The poor cat’s been in hiding since they got here and I don’t like feeling uncomfortable in my own home.”
“They’re afraid whoever hurt Allie might try again.” Syn stopped short when Liz paled and sat down suddenly in the closest chair.
“What?” Liz looked really scared, “Why? I thought it was just, some sort of robbery or something.”
Syn frowned, “What’d the cops who called tell you?”
“That she was at the clinic. That someone had attacked her at the store and she was hurt but nothing critical. That you were with her. Not much else,” Liz looked at Syndra, wide eyed. “What’s going on?”
“A couple guys came into the store yesterday looking for something and one of them jumped her, beat her up pretty bad,” Syn hesitated for a second, but decided whether or not Allie liked it Liz needed to know “tried to rape her.”
Liz shook her head wordlessly and Syn continued “The cops are concerned they might come back to finish what they started, so they have her in protective custody. Which is why there’s always someone with her.”
“What were they looking for?” Liz asked, obviously subdued.
“A book, I think,” Syn said, looking away.
“Why would anyone do that to someone over a book?”
“I don’t know, Lizzie, I don’t know.”
************************
Allie passed most the day in her room, alone. Jessilaen had been called back to the Outpost, she suspected to give his full report. Since she really didn’t want to deal with any of the other three Guards–including Brynneth who she was grudgingly starting to like–she had finally promised to stay in her room until Jess could get back. It was extremely annoying to be made to feel like a prisoner in her own home, but she didn’t like the idea of sitting and making polite conversation with the other elves either. She had a sinking feeling that she’d get an earful from her roommates later about the disruption to their routine that her situation was causing, especially from Liz, who had always been uncomfortable around elves. Even Bleidd, although Allie wasn’t sure anyone else noticed. Between that thought and the knowledge that the store would have to stay closed for the day–indeed, it would need hours of clean up that she didn’t want to think about before being reopened–she found it easier to stay in her room and ignore the outside world.
At first she tried cleaning up her room, embarrassed to realize that Jessilaen had seen it in all its usual disorganized glory. Despite Brynneth’s excellent healing work she felt stiff and achy and quickly lost her desire to move more than she had to. Jess was just going to have to accept that she came with a certain inevitable level of attendant mess. After that she tried watching television, but she couldn’t find a comfortable position to sit in to see the little TV set on her dresser. Reading was also out after she found herself re-reading the same lines over and over, unable to focus. At one point the house cat, who technically belonged to Liz but shared her time equally among the roommates, appeared and kept Allie company. Although gifted with a queenly name, Riona was a high-strung, skittish, pain in the butt and Allie was not especially fond of the orange tabby who regularly got into her room and knocked things over. Today, though, she found the cat’s presence soothing, and she was glad that all the disruption in the house didn’t have the poor thing cowering under a bed. Eventually Ri wandered out, leaving Allie without even that tenuous distraction. She wanted to think about anything except what had happened to her the day before, so naturally her mind kept flashing memories from the attack, leaving her feeling tense and near tears.
In the end she spent most of her time alternating between napping and staring out the window trying desperately to think of where she had seen any kind of ritual that was similar to the murders. It was a frustrating process; she normally had a fairly good memory but trying to go over decades of reading and casual conversations in her head and match anything to the scant clues she had to work with seemed futile. Yet the more she realized it was impossible, the harder she tried to think of where she had recognized it from. Somewhere in the back of her mind was the grim certainty that if she didn’t fit the pieces together fast enough someone else was going to die because the police and the Guard were relying on her to give them a lead.
She was sitting on an overturned milk crate that usually held books staring out the window watching the light shift to the west and the shadows start to lengthen when she heard a soft knock at her door. She rubbed her tired eyes without thinking and then winced at the flash of pain on the left side of her face. She wasn’t sure who it was, but she hadn’t actually promised Jess not to let anyone else in, just that she wouldn’t go out, and if it was anyone trying to kill her she doubted they’d knock first so she said, “Come in,” and lowered her wards slightly.
She rested her chin on the window sill, watching as the tiny gnome that lived at the edge of their garden trundled across the dry grass towards the huge oak he lived in. It was odd to think that humans couldn’t see him in his bright red and white clothes when he was so clear to her eyes. The door creaked open slowly behind her and she listened as someone walked part way into the room and stopped. She waited, but whoever it was stood there without speaking. Finally she gave in to her own curiosity and turned slightly until she could see Bleidd’s reflection in the glass. She knew what it must have cost him to come up here and she wanted to say something funny or clever to break the tension; instead she said, “Hey.”
He was silent for a long time and they stayed like that, staring at each other in the glass, until she couldn’t stand it any longer “I don’t want you to be angry with me Bleidd. We’ve been friends for too long to stop speaking now because of a misunderstanding.”
“Angry with you?” his voice was mystified. “Allie, I swear, sometimes you are impossible. I came here expecting you to yell at me, throw things, tell me what a false friend I was, and you’re worried about my feelings?”
“You’re talking nonsense. I don’t throw things,” the image of the ice packing hitting Syndra’s chest flitted through her mind but Allie pushed it away. “And you had every right to be angry with me for not being honest with you.”
“You have never lied to me”
“A lie by omission is still a lie,” she said softly. Another uncomfortable silence fell. Allie looked back out the window, feeling listless.
“Syndra found me last night–well early this morning actually–and she told me you had been hurt,” he said, his voice tight. “I was quite drunk, as usual. Too drunk to be of any use to anyone. As usual. I woke this morning and find the Guard here, staying here. And I was angry at first. I thought it was all part of a larger plan to have an excuse to spy on me.”
He stopped for a moment, looking down. �
��I have been–hiding in my room like a sulking child and I finally realized something important. I am being very self-centered Allie. I am looking at all of this as if it was about me, but it isn’t. It never has been about me, except in a peripheral way, and I shouldn’t have waited so long to come up here and speak to you. I should have come up right away, and the Guard be damned, but I was afraid you would tell me to leave. I rather think I deserve for you to tell me that actually. I said many things the other day out of anger that I should not have said, and I realized that I have gotten too accustomed to being able to–assume your good nature will allow for my bad behavior.”
She sighed, “I don’t know what you want me to say to that.”
“You needn’t say anything. I just wanted you to know that I realized I was wrong, that I badly over-reacted to… everything. You have always been a good friend to me, even when I least deserved it.” He sounded as tired as she felt but she had a hard time trusting this sudden turn. Bleidd was a lot of things, and she truly believed he was a good person, but deep personal introspection wasn’t his forte.
“You should know,” she hesitated slightly, and then decided it was better to get it over with quickly “that I’m seeing Jessilaen.”
The silence stretched out to a point where she started to brace herself for something spectacular. But when he finally spoke he sounded calm. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you warned me not to trust the Guard. That they would try to manipulate me. And I think you have a right to know that whether it’s wise or foolish, he wants to be with me and I said yes.” She fought to keep her voice even as she spoke. Bleidd had been her friend for more than a decade, there had even been a time early on when she had a crush on him, but he had never reciprocated in anyway and they had eventually fallen into a solid friendship. She didn’t want to see it ruined now.
Murder Between the Worlds: A Between the Worlds Novel Page 10