With Shards of Broken Glass
Feb. 7th, 2020 10:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladydeathfaerie posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
marysuevirusTitle: With Shards of Broken Glass
Chapter Two: Cracked
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: mature. this one is set in the darkness that is the Beyond Death universe. language, murder, gore, non-con, violence and sex apply as warnings. possibly others. we'll see when we get there
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar. though i do not view this as an actual MSV story, the original characters established in Beyond Death still belong to their creators and i am merely borrowing them for the purpose of this fic
Author's Notes: so... hey. here's a fic that i probably should have just let go. but a dive down the Wikipedia hole a couple months back brought this to life. this fic starts roughly two to three months after the ending of Beyond Death
With Shards of Broken Glass - The Index
It was just past two when Aedan staggered into the kitchen area, hair hanging in her face and robe barely closed. She looked like she wasn't with it at all as she tugged the fridge's door open and went in search of some caffeine to kickstart her day. Minette, who had been conversing with Micah, fell silent and watched the other woman with intense scrutiny. There didn't seem to be any kind of expression on her face, suggesting she was once again not happy with the woman. Rhia glanced at Janika, who shrugged and took a drink of her coffee.
"You're up earlier than I expected, Aedan. You didn't get to bed until after eleven this morning," Minette said, tone cool. Aedan came out of the fridge with a bottle of Coke and gave her friend a look, then grunted something that could have meant anything from So what? to Fuck off. She made her way to the table and sat, where she twisted the top off the bottle and downed half the contents in less than thirty seconds. "You should go back to bed."
"Can't sleep. Clowns will get me," Aedan muttered, gifting Minette with a grimace of a smile that did little to kill the image of a homeless serial killer she was presenting.
"Aedan. You're running on vapors," Minette replied. There was annoyance in Minette's words. And concern.
"Got too much to do," she said, eyes focused on her beverage. That brought about a frown.
"You need to sleep, idiot. You're pushing too hard."
"Tell that to my latest murder victim," Aedan shot back, a little more life in her voice. And a lot more anger. "Sorry, deceased woman. Can't do my job today. Minette says I need to sleep. I'll have to figure out who murdered you with a fucking glass dick later." The implication of what she wasn't saying was more than obvious.
The last sentence left every one of them staring. Rhia watched as Minette's face paled slightly. "You said it wasn't as bad as Paul and Grace," Minette whispered. There might have been a touch of accusation in her voice.
"Trust me. Nothing was as bad as Paul and Grace. Except maybe the last demon summoner crime scene. Oh. Wait. You don't know what that one was like." There was definitely accusation in Aedan's tone.
"That's not fair, Aedan," Minette began, only to fall silent when the other woman shot her a dark look.
"You know, I can accept the fact that you don't want this shit in your head. I respect that, even. But don't you think you can sit there and act all high and mighty with me when you've got no fucking clue what its like." Rhia frowned and glanced at Janika. She'd never heard Aedan rip into Minette like this before. And, given the look Minette was wearing, it seemed highly likely that Aedan had never gotten this vicious with the other woman. Too little sleep. Too many nightmares. Too few happy memories.
"Aedan," Micah began, but she turned that hot, dark look his way and he promptly fell silent.
"Don't you dare tell me that I'm being too mean. You lived through the sickness Paul was capable of. You barely survived it. Tell me that you want to live with that shit in your head day in and day out. If you do, I'll call you a fucking liar to your face," she shot at him. Aedan slowly rose to her feet, letting her stare rest hot and heavy on Micah and Minette. "Now you take the shit they did to you and you magnify that by one billion. That's what I live with every goddamn day. Every goddamn day. So don't you dare try to calm me down or get me to apologize or any of that shit, Micah. I'm not having it."
"Aedan," Janika took her turn. She got a slash of Aedan's hand for her effort and she promptly fell silent.
"I don't expect you to want to know what happens when I go to a crime scene, Minette. I understand that you don't want to live with those horrors. But you seem to think I do. I hate living with the fucked up, depraved things that human beings do to one another rattling around in my brain. And I don't get to go hide my face and pretend it didn't happen. Its my fucking job. The crime scenes are bad enough, But they're compounded by the fact that I have to deal with Dolph's attitude. Every fucking time I see him, I get the disappointed glower." The anger had left Aedan's voice, leaving it threaded through with exhaustion. Weariness. Rhia thought she saw the woman's hands shaking. Just a little bit. "And then, when I get home, I have to deal with that same look again. From you."
"Aedan, I don't..." Minette began, but Aedan held up a hand to bring her words to a halt.
"The minute I got out of the car this morning, you turned into my mother. You started chewing me out without letting me say anything. It wasn't until you smelled blood on me that you stopped. And then you turned back into my mother so you could chew on me again. I don't need a mother, Minette. I need a friend. I need someone who isn't going to chastise me. I need--" Aedan's voice cut off as she wobbled on her feet. Rhia thought she might have gone down, but Micah was out of his chair in a heartbeat in order to grab her before it could happen.
"You need to sleep. Idiot," Minette said, tone harsh. The look on her face was soft, though, and she rose from her chair. "You're going back to bed. Excuse us, ladies. I have to deal with an unruly necromancer having a tantrum." Minette glanced at them before turning her attention back to Micah. He nodded and turned Aedan toward the door.
"Fuck you. Too much to do," she said. The anger in her voice might have been effective, but the yawn that came on top of her words killed any chance that the anger would sway the other woman.
"Its just going to have to wait. You're going back to bed," Minette replied, absolutely unconcerned with Aedan's temper. Aedan muttered something, but it was too faint for Rhia to hear it. And soon, the three of them were gone, leaving Rhia alone with Janika. She glanced at the other woman and frowned.
"Should we be worried?" she asked. Janika gave her a look and shook her head.
"You're asking me? You're the Seer. You should know these things," Janika replied. Rhia rolled her eyes and chose a chunk of melon off her plate. The cantaloupe was sweet and juicy, crisp enough to snap between her teeth but not so crisp that it was hard. She chewed slowly, waiting to see if it was going to go down or if it was going to be another one of those days. After almost a minute, it seemed like she was going to have a good day and she gave her attention over to Janika.
"You know it doesn't work that way," Rhia returned, jabbing a finger into the redhead's arm for emphasis. Janika chuckled softly before her gaze flicked toward the doorway into the kitchen. Rhia didn't need to be psychic to know she was worried. "She looks terrible. When is Jean-Claude going to put an end to this?"
Janika shook her head. "I don't honestly know. I think he's afraid of setting her off. She's teetering on the edge and he's not certain just what will set her off. To be honest, I think he should say fuck it and do it anyway. She's going to kill herself if he doesn't."
Rhia nodded absently. One hand rubbed at her belly as she did so, an unconscious action she'd taken to doing while she was lost in thought ever since she'd discovered she was pregnant. Even so, she didn't miss the way Janika eyed her. "Its soothing," Rhia told the other woman without shifting her attention away from her thoughts. "It helps me think."
"What are you thinking about?" Janika asked, slipping from her chair to fetch herself another cup of coffee. Rhia frowned and tried to find the words for it.
"This whole thing," she began, her empty hand motioning vaguely toward the door. Janika nodded as if she understood before snagging herself one of the fresh pastries sitting on the counter. Then she returned to her seat at the table and took a considering bite.
"Aedan and Minette?"
"Yeah. Its obvious that whatever Aedan saw last night, it rattled her. And its just as obvious that Minette has no clue what she saw. But this is one of the first times I've seen Aedan let anyone know that it bothers her."
"Can you blame Minette for not wanting to know what Aedan sees at her crime scenes? I've seen a few and I know I don't want to see any more of them."
"That isn't what I mean. I've seen a thing or two. And I don't blame Minette in the slightest." Rhia paused to nibble some more fruit. She washed it down with a sip of juice. Janika waited patiently while she did so. "No. I mean the way Aedan went after Minette. I've never seen her do that before. I got the impression that the two of them were tighter than anything. This gap between them is... odd."
"A lot has changed in Aedan's life in recent months. Hell, a lot has changed in all our lives in recent months. I'm pretty sure Aedan is still getting her feet. Give it time and things will smooth out," Janika insisted.
Rhia frowned, not as certain about that as Janika. But worrying about it wasn't going to do her any good. And there were other things to think of. She was still trying to get used to the surge in power she'd gotten with Cassadore's death. Most days, she had it under control. But some days, it ran away from her before she really had a chance to realize what was happening. She'd had all kinds of weird things come to her when she wasn't looking and it got very disorienting.
"Thought about names yet?" Janika asked, pulling Rhia away from her thoughts.
"No. Not yet. I'm waiting until a little later in the pregnancy. It almost feels like its too early to make that decision," Rhia admitted.
"Any visions of tiny Nathaniels and Rhias?" Janika questioned, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to stifle her smile.
"No. It doesn't work like that," Rhia said, a faint sigh following her words. She almost wished it did. It would make the whole thing that much easier. Still, Rhia was content to wait until the last trimester to start picking names. She didn't want to rush anything. Or jinx it, either.
"You want me to see if I can get something?" Janika asked, one hand lifting away from the table to hover over Rhia's. Rhia shook her head, a faint smile on her face.
"Thank you, but no. I appreciate the offer. But I'll wait until nature takes its course."
Janika studied her face a moment or two, then nodded her head and reached for her pastry again. "Let me know if you change your mind, hon. I don't think looking would be such a hardship. Can't be worse than looking at crime scene photos and getting flashes of psycho killer thoughts."
Rhia blinked at that. She'd known that Janika had the gift of sight, but she hadn't known that her sight worked like that. She wondered what it must be like to see things like that, then decided that she was probably better off not knowing. "That's how you profile for the FBI?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Janika nodded. "It isn't all bad. Sometimes it helps me help them find missing people before something bad happens. But sometimes, it just shows me what the bad people are thinking when they do something bad."
Rhia nodded. She found it interesting that they saw things in their own fashion. That they saw different things in their own fashion. She was just about to say something to the effect when her phone chirped in her pocket. Rhia fished the sleek device out of said pocket and glanced at the screen. Odd. She connected the call and put the phone to her ear. "Hello."
"Good afternoon, Rhiannon. I hope I am not disturbing you?" Christophe sounded hopeful.
"Of course not, Christophe. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" she asked him.
"I would like to meet with you, if you are available," he informed her. Rhia blinked at that. She hadn't spoken with Christophe since Cassadore's death and she'd gotten the impression that, for some reason, he laid blame for that at her feet. At least in part. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have had to kill his old friend.
Immediately upon the heels of that thought came another. That she was not to blame for the things Cassadore, or at least the entity inhabiting his body, had done. She was the victim. It was because of some creature from another plane that Christophe had been forced to destroy the body of his friend. "Rhiannon?" Her name startled her out of her thoughts, and she realized that Christophe was still waiting for her answer. She also realized that he sounded hesitant. Curious.
"Of course I'm available," she responded, making sure her tone was bright and cheery. There was no reason not to meet him. "When would you like to meet? And when?"
"One hour. At my shop. If that is acceptable to you." The last of it suggested Christophe was offering her a way out.
"It is. I'll see you in an hour," Rhia assured him. There was a moment's pause, then she spoke again before the impulse skittered away. "And Christophe? Its good to hear your voice."
"And yours, Rhiannon. I will see you in an hour." There was a lightness in his tone when he hung up that hadn't been there when she'd answered the call. She tucked her phone away and pushed back from the table.
"Going some place?" Janika asked, though there was no need to. Rhia came to her feet and nodded her head.
"Yes. If you'll excuse me, I need to go get ready." Janika gave her a look and took a sip of her coffee. Rhia felt the woman's curious gaze on her back even after she'd passed through the door to the kitchen and out into the hallway beyond.
~*~*~*~*~
"Of all the stupid, idiotic things," Minette grumbled as she kept pace with Micah while he guided Aedan back to her bedroom. He shot a quick glance her way to see that she was very visibly angry. To the point that her hands were fisted at her sides and her eyes had darkened to the green of her leopard. Aedan sagged against him, her feet dragging against the stone floor as they moved slowly up the hall. He wasn't sure if she was doing it intentionally in an effort to avoid going back to bed or if she was so tired she literally could not pick up her feet.
"Fuck you," Aedan managed around yet another yawn. It seemed to be the only thing she had to say and it was obviously starting to wear thin on Minette's nerves.
"You're too tired to enjoy it," Minette snapped. "And I don't like my partners comatose. Shut up before I gag you."
Aedan straightened in his hold and he felt her muscles tense in an attempt to pull away from him. He tightened the arm he had around her and kept her pinned to his side. The last thing he needed was for either one of them to have a pissing contest in the middle of the Circus. And letting Aedan's temper run wild would slow down the process of getting her back to bed. "Save it, Aedan," Micah warned softly.
"You're not the boss of me," she snapped back, still trying to muster the strength to break away from him.
"No, he isn't. But someone needs to be. You're going to kill yourself at this rate, Aedan. You need to slow down and rest. Eat. You're no good to any of us if you wear yourself down any further," Minette said, her voice filled with displeasure and concern.
"I'm fine," the woman said. She almost sounded normal. But the yawn that followed her statement killed any hint of normal she'd given off.
"Bullshit!" Minette snarled. They'd arrived at Aedan's room and Minette shoved the bedroom door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. She turned to face Aedan and shot the woman a glare. "When was the last time you slept? When was the last time you ate a full meal? When was the last time you simply relaxed? Jesus Christ, Aedan! You're killing yourself and you don't even care."
"Am not," Aedan retorted. She might have had more to say, but the shrill ring of her phone cut off any forth coming statements. Aedan tried to untangle herself from Micah's hold, but Minette was across the room in the blink of an eye to scoop up the phone. She glanced at the number and frowned, then hit the button to answer the incoming call.
"Hello?" she asked. "No, she isn't available right now. I'll have to take a message." Minette's eyes were on Aedan as she spoke, daring the other woman to contradict her. Aedan made yet another effort to pull from Micah's hold, but he refused to let her go. "I'll tell her when I see her." There was another pause before Minette spoke again. "I have no idea where she is or when she'll be back. But I'll relay the message when she returns." After another moment, she pulled the phone away from her ear.
"Who was that? What did they want?" Aedan asked, though the words were hard to make out. They kind of slid into one another with Aedan's exhaustion.
"It doesn't matter, because you aren't getting your phone back until you sleep," Minette informed her friend, taking a moment to power the thing down. She tucked it into her pocket and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're going to climb into that bed and go to sleep. And you're going to stay there until you are coherent enough to hold a conversation without telling me to go fuck myself."
"Go to hell," Aedan snapped, though her tone lacked heat. It did hold an abundance of exhaustion, though.
"Put her into bed, Micah. Tie her down if you have to," Minette ordered, her gaze never leaving Aedan's face. "Just keep her there. I'll be back in a few minutes." Without waiting for an answer, Minette stalked from the room and made a good show of slamming the door behind her. Aedan tugged herself from Micah's hold and took a few steps away from him, so that she was standing in the middle of the room. She was very careful not to look at him.
"What's going on, Aedan?" Micah asked her softly. He felt certain there was more going on than a busy schedule. There was a kind of tightness around her eyes and mouth that couldn't be explained by lack of sleep. "What's wrong?"
Aedan shook her head at him and he swore he saw a hint of hysteria in her eyes before it disappeared behind a jaw cracking yawn. He watched as she measured the distance between herself and the door. Between the two of them. As she weighed her chances of getting past him. He saw, for just a moment, that she thought she could make it, that she planned on trying to run for the door. And he realized then just what this was all about.
She was scared. She didn't want to sleep because she was scared of what would happen when she closed her eyes. It wasn't a good look on her.
"How bad are the nightmares, Aedan?" He made sure his voice was soft and gentle. Non-threatening. He made sure the same could be said of himself as he approached her. He thought, for a moment, that she would deny there were problems. That she'd tell him to go fuck himself. But then her eyes went wide and a faint tremor ran the length of her spine and her arms. She curled her hands into fists and shook her head, then looked away. "That's what's going on here, isn't it? You're having nightmares."
That had to be the problem. Aedan had seen and been through so much in just a few short months. She'd suffered some serious trauma, both mental and physical. Between the crime scenes and the things she'd had done to her, that she'd been forced to do to people, it was no surprise that she wanted nothing to do with sleep. He'd suffered at the hands of her deranged siblings and that had been enough to inspire some sleepless nights. He couldn't imagine all the horrors she'd seen. And the only time she let her guard down was when she slept. So it would make sense that she was suffering through all of her trauma over and over again in her dreams. "Aedan?" he asked when she failed to respond.
"No," she said, voice a sharp and hoarse whisper in the silence. But that single word wavered, laden so thickly with falsehood that he was surprised she'd managed to get it off her tongue. Micah moved closer, reached out a hand to touch her. She jerked in surprise at the graze of his fingers across her arm, then sprang back while swinging a fist his way. He caught it easily and tugged her into his arms. Held her there while she struggled and fought to be free. Free of him and of the panic that was rising up inside.
"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked her, kept his voice low and soft and gentle.
"Let me go, Micah," she ordered, hands planted against his chest as she tried to shove him away from her. He only tightened his hold on her and tried to share his strength with her. "Let me go! Now!'
"Aedan, you can't run from the nightmares," he said in reply.
"Let me go, Micah!' she snapped, voice growing strident.
"Have you gotten help?" he asked, still keeping her in his embrace. Based on the way she fought, he was thinking the answer was a resounding no.
"Let me go. Please!" This time, she begged. Her voice was raw with fear.
"Aedan. You need to talk to someone about the nightmares. You've suffered a lot of trauma in a short period of time. You need to talk to someone about it before it takes a permanent toll," he whispered.
"I can't, Micah," she shook her head. But she'd stopped trying to free herself of his hold. She stood stiff and still in the circle of his arms, body shaking. "No one should have to live with those things."
"Aedan." He nudged her back just enough to see her face, to see that it was pale and her eyes were far too wide. Tears rolled down her cheeks to hang on the edge of her jaw for a few moments before dropping onto her chest. He lifted her chin with one hand, his actions slow and gentle, so that she was forced to look at him. So that she knew he wouldn't hurt her. "You shouldn't have to live with those things. It may be your job to investigate those crime scenes, to bring the people responsible for such horrible things to justice, but that doesn't mean you have to live with the things they do. You need to find someone to talk to, before you drive yourself insane."
She stared at him, the expression on her face suggesting that his words were alien to her. Micah gave her a soft smile and motioned toward the bed. "There's time for that later. For now, let's concentrate on sleep. Right now, you need that more than you need to find someone to help you deal with the trauma."
"I can't," she whispered, eyes shifting toward the bed.
"Minette and I will stay with you," he promised her. Aedan turned to look up at him. She looked lost and unsure. Afraid. Micah gave her a soft smile meant to reassure. "We'll hold you and keep the nightmares away so you can sleep. I promise you. No nightmares today. Just uninterrupted sleep."
"Micah's right, Aedan. We'll keep the nightmares at bay," Minette's voice came from the vicinity of the door. Aedan glanced around him to stare at her friend with wide eyes.
"Minette," she began. The other woman held up a hand to bring Aedan's words to a halt.
"There's no need, Aedan. I should have realized," Minette told her. "I'm sorry I didn't. I'm sorry you've got to live with all of that horror in your head. I wish I could take it away for you. I can't. But I can hold you so you can sleep. Micah and I can do that for you," she said gently.
"So can I," Jason added as he came through the door. Micah glanced at Minette, a question in his eyes. She gave a slight incline of her head, letting him know that she'd asked Jason to join them. It wasn't the same thing as being wrapped up in a vampire's arms. Micah knew that their power was more soothing for Aedan than that of a lycanthrope. But since the vampires were all dead to the world for the day, he and Minette and Jason would have to do.
Minette and Jason crossed the room, the door closing behind them, and joined he and Aedan in the middle of the floor. Minette took her friend from his hold and hugged her close. "Let us do this for you, Aedan. I've already called Animators and let them know that you're not working tonight. I told them tomorrow was up in the air. And I've turned your phone off. No one will disturb us. You can sleep. Get real rest. And we'll keep the nightmares at bay."
Aedan looked from Minette to Jason. Then she looked at Micah. Finally, she turned back to Minette. "Okay, Minette," Aedan said, voice a mere whisper of sound. Still, Micah heard the exhaustion that ate at her in that single word. Minette hugged Aedan to her, arms wound around her friend tight, and made the silent promise to keep her safe from her nightmares with that single action. Then she tugged the robe from Aedan and pushed her toward the bed.
"I'll go get you a glass of water," Jason told her before heading off into the bathroom. Micah watched as Aedan climbed up into the bed, not bothered by the fact that she was naked. Minette started stripping down, and it almost distracted Micah from the sound of the medicine cabinet opening from the other room. That left him puzzled a moment, but then Minette was naked and climbing into bed with her friend. Micah rid himself of his clothes and followed suit just as Jason returned from the bathroom with a glass of water in hand. "Here. Drink," Jason said as he offered the glass to Aedan.
She took it and drank, emptying the contents. It was set aside on the bedside table, then Jason stripped down and joined them. Whatever was in the water didn't take long to work. In only minutes, Aedan was deep in sleep, caught up tightly in Minette's arms.
~*~*~*~*~
Rhia glanced at Nathaniel before reaching out to undo her seatbelt. He put a hand over hers, stopping her from completing the task. It brought her gaze back up to his face. He wore a serious expression, which didn't look right on his face. "You don't have to go through with this," he told her softly.
She had a second to wonder how he knew she was having second thoughts, but then she realized he could probably smell it on her or something. She offered him a smile, then leaned in and kissed him. It was a brief, sweet, chaste press of her lips meant to tell him that she appreciated everything about him. He was always looking out for her best interests. Even now, when she was still trying to work through the trauma lingering after the entity living inside of Cassadore had attempted to do terrible things to her. When she wasn't sure if she was going to freak out if Nathaniel touched her. He was still looking out for her. She didn't deserve him or his love. "I'll be fine. I've got you at my side. Nothing bad will happen."
"That isn't what I mean, Rhia," he replied, voice still soft and gentle.
"I know exactly what you mean, Nathaniel. I have to do this. I know that Christophe is not to blame for anything Cassadore did. And if I don't do this, I may never do it. He needs to know I don't blame him. That we're still friends," she said in reply. She lifted his hand from hers and pressed a kiss to his palm, then went back to the buckle of her seatbelt. It disengaged with a click, and Rhia turned to open the door. She was halfway through the process when Nathaniel appeared next to her door, ready to help her out of the vehicle.
He'd been so much more careful of her ever since Cassadore. Her person and her feelings. It was sweet. But it was also grating. She wasn't going to shatter at the first sign of stress. She was making good progress with her therapy sessions. At least, that's what Doctor Tilson kept telling her. She was going to trust the expert. She let him take her hand and help her from the car, then she pressed a kiss to his cheek and reached up to rest her palms against his cheeks. "Nathaniel. Stop. I'm okay. I'm not fragile," she told him. She made sure her tone was gentle and without any inflection that might make him think she didn't appreciate that he cared.
He frowned, a faint touch of color coming to his cheeks. She knew because she could feel the heat against her palms. "I'm sorry, Rhia. I don't mean to be clingy. Its just--"
She cut him off by laying a finger against his lips. "I know, Nathaniel. I know you were scared for me. For us," she added, bumping her belly against his. "But you can't treat me like I'm going to break if you look at me wrong. Therapy has been helping. Doctor Tilson is very good at her job."
She hugged him close to show him that she loved him. That she loved touching him. His arms wound around her slowly and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm just afraid of trigging a bad memory." He whispered the words against her hair.
"I know, Nathaniel. And there are times when I feel a flash of fear. But that's nothing to do with you. That's all me. Doctor Tilson tells me its normal. And it won't ever fully go away. But you can't handle me with kid gloves because you're afraid of setting me off. It'll happen or it won't, no matter how tender you are with me. And when it does happen, we'll work through it together," she assured him.
Because it was obvious he had things he needed to work through surrounding Cassadore's attempted rape. She wasn't the only one suffering trauma from that event. She almost wanted to suggest he come with her to see Doctor Tilson, but she wasn't sure if her therapist was okay with it. Doctor Tilson catered to women who had suffered from sexual assault. She wasn't sure she wanted to have a man in her sessions. Especially since Rhia knew she was a victim herself. So she'd do what she could to help him using what she'd learned in her therapy sessions.
"Okay, Rhia. If you're sure," Nathaniel said. She gave him a nod and hugged him close once more. He was the one to pull away first, and he was the one who set them on a path toward the front door of All Saints, Cassadore's shop. The man in question pushed the door open before she and Nathaniel reached it, a broad smile on his face that told Rhia she'd made the right call by coming here.
"Rhiannon, you look radiant," Christophe intoned, his voice as deep as ever. Her name sounded almost exotic when he twisted it around his accent. She smiled at him and allowed a brief hug. Christophe turned to Nathaniel and offered a dark hand. The two men stared a moment before Nathaniel accepted the hand and shook it. "Nathaniel. It is good to see you. Please. Come in. I have tea brewing. And there are fresh lemon cookies on the table."
"Lemon cookies sound heavenly," Rhiannon said, her tummy letting her know it was very interested in the offered sweets. Christophe stepped aside, holding the door open with one hand, and allowed Rhia and Nathaniel to enter. When they had stepped past him, he let the door shut, then turned the lock and flipped the sign to closed. He motioned with one hand toward the back of the shop and Rhia led the way toward the stairs in the back that would take them up to Christophe's private quarters.
Very little had changed since the last time she'd been there. Everything was bright and cheery and welcoming, despite the fact that Rhia could feel Christophe's power surrounding them. Not only did it roll off him in gentle waves, but it had soaked into the walls and permeated the air like a subtle incense. Despite the fact that his magic was tied to death, it was a comforting feel and Rhia felt tension she hadn't realized she was carrying simply slip away.
The table in his kitchen was set with tea for three. The teapot was one of those old ceramic pots, the kind you thought of existing in a granny's house. The belly was squat and fat, with a handle rising from the bowl on one side and a spout growing up from the other side. It had that gentle, almost ess like curve to it and steam escaped through the end of the spout. It smelled like a chamomile and she wondered if he'd chosen it because he knew she'd be nervous or if it was simply the first type of tea he'd put his hand on. She decided she didn't want to know and allowed Nathaniel to settle her into one of the table's chairs. He settled on one side of her. Christophe took a chair on the other side.
There was silence as Christophe poured tea into each of the three cups. He'd laid out cubes of sugar, a bowl of cream, and one of milk in case anyone wanted to add on to their tea. Rhia didn't bother and simply took a sip of the steaming brew. It was perfectly steeped, allowing her to thoroughly enjoy the familiar flavor. As she sipped, Christophe used tongs to settle two of the aforementioned lemon cookies onto a small plate before her. He did the same for Nathaniel and then himself, then settled back to enjoy his tea.
Rhia lifted one of the cookies and took an experimental nibble off of it. It was a ridiculously amazing thing with crispy edges and a soft center. Crystals of sugar clung to the delicious cookie, and the flavor of lemon wound its way across her tongue slowly, as if it was launching a carefully crafted assault on her taste buds. The lemon wasn't overpowering, with just enough sweet to keep the sourness of the citrus fruit at bay. Rhia had never tasted anything quite so complex and amazing and she had no problems with devouring her cookie in a few quick bites.
"My mother will be pleased to know you enjoy her recipe," Christophe said, a warm chuckle audible in his words. Rhia wanted to be embarrassed by pigging out on the cookie, but it was too good and she'd enjoyed it far too much to let herself be anything other than appreciative.
"The cookies are very good," Nathaniel agreed. Rhia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to see he'd eaten both his cookies and was halfway through his tea.
"Thank you. Baking relaxes me," Christophe admitted. He lapsed into silence for a little while longer, taking only the occasional sip of his tea. Rhia could sense that he was uneasy, and she wondered if he was as worried about this encounter as she was. Finally, his cup empty, Christophe set the delicate cup down and looked at Rhia. "I want to thank you for coming, Rhiannon. I was not sure you would."
There was regret buried in his words. And fear. She realized that he laid the blame for what had happened at his feet. She offered him a smile and reached out to cover his hand with her own. "What happened that night, Christophe, is not your fault. It isn't my fault. The blame lies with whoever it was that was living inside of Cassadore."
"Perhaps, but had I not introduced you to him, none of this mess would have happened," Christophe said, voice heavy with regret and a touch of anger.
"You don't think that Cassadore would have found me on his own?" she asked him. Christophe opened his mouth to answer, then closed it slowly as he gave serious thought to her question. "Its old news, Christophe. I don't blame you at all for what happened."
He considered her words for a short while, obviously weighing the truth in them. After some time, he simply nodded his head in acceptance and took a moment to enjoy one of his cookies. He dusted crumbs from his hands and from the front of his shirt, then returned his attention to her. "I have no doubt you have been wondering why I called you here." It wasn't a question, but Rhia answered him anyway.
"I have. If it was to apologize, there's no need," Rhia told him. She made sure that her tone was firm so he knew she was serious.
"It was. In a small way. I have a gift to give you. You may consider it a peace offering, if you like. It is both those things, and more." He glanced out the window a moment, distracted by something Rhia couldn't see, before bringing his attention back to where she sat. "I am in the process of cleaning Cassadore's home out. He had no family and I was his only friend. I felt it my duty to deal with his estate."
"Okay," Rhia replied. She was sure that her voice carried in it the uncertainty she felt. She had no clue why his cleaning out Cassadore's house would be of any interest to her. But she held her tongue. She knew Christophe would get to his reasons for calling her soon enough.
"Much of his library was populated by texts pertaining to the demon realm. But some of his books were related to the art of Seeing. There are also several handwritten journals. Both the books and the journals contain information that I believe would help you understand your new powers. Perhaps even take them in hand and gain control of them."
How he knew she was having problems with control was beyond her, but she'd learned not to worry about such things. She'd come to the conclusion some time ago that Christophe was more than a vaudaun priest. The most important thing was that he was offering her books that might help her transition into her new role with a little bit of ease. She'd be a fool not to take them. "Any help would be welcome," she told him warmly.
Christophe smiled at her before leaning over to pull the fourth chair out from under the table. There was a box sitting in the seat. She imagined that it contained the books and journals he'd mentioned. He put a hand on the lid, a touch of sadness in the action, and she wondered how he'd dealt with Cassadore's death and his role in it. She should have checked up on him before now, should have made sure he wasn't kicking himself for doing what needed to be done. "There are two more like this filled with books and papers. They are yours."
"Three boxes?" she asked, eyes going wide in surprise. It was more than she'd hoped for. Hell, she'd been living with the notion that she was going to have to learn how to use her powers through trial and error. Even a single box of information would be welcome. She wasn't sure what she'd do with three boxes.
"There are more, but many of them are private journals and not in English. Or any language that exists on this plane." Christophe sounded a little regretful here, as if she would think he should give her everything.
"They aren't of any use to me if they're in a language I can't read. Though it is possible I could learn something merely by touch." The last was mostly said to herself, but Christophe shook his head at her.
"I do not think such a thing would be advisable. There is an aura of..." He trailed off and gave the appearance of thinking about it a moment or two. Then he shook his head again and gave her a rueful smile. "There is an aura of something akin to evil surrounding them. Not quite the darkness that comes with evil. But close enough that I do not wish to see you endanger yourself by attempting to touch them."
There was a hint of worry in his voice that left Rhia feeling uneasy. "Should you be touching them?" she asked him softly.
He smiled, a broad flash of white against his darker skin. "The loa are there to protect me, Rhiannon. You have no such protection. Do not worry about me."
"Of course I'll worry about you. You're my friend," she replied. Just in case he needed reminding. His smile mellowed to something a little softer at that, telling her she'd said just the right thing.
"Your concern warms my heart, Rhiannon," he told her truthfully. Then he lifted his tea and sipped. When he set the cup down, it was obvious to her that the tension he'd felt upon her arrival was gone. He leaned back in his chair and studied her with a critical eye. "How are you feeling? I know the child must drain much of your energy."
"It does," she nodded. The smile that came at the concern his voice was warm and gentle. "Nathaniel takes good care of me."
"As he should," Christophe said. There might have been a hint of warning in his tone, but it was so faint that she wasn't sure she'd actually heard it at all. "You are glowing, Rhiannon. With happiness. And love."
"I am very happy. I love Nathaniel deeply," she confirmed.
"And I love her even more," Nathaniel supplied, as if he felt Christophe needed the verbal confirmation.
"You are also glowing with power," Christophe told her. Rhia blinked. That wasn't the first time she'd heard that, but she hadn't given it much thought before. Aedan had mentioned something about it not that long ago. But Rhia had thought it was some kind of metaphorical statement. As far as she knew, Aedan wasn't capable of seeing power or auras. But maybe Rhia had been wrong because now Christophe was telling her the same thing. "It has not brought about any problems, has it?"
"Problems? What kind of problems?" Rhia asked him.
"Power draws people to it," Nathaniel told her. "Some people just want to be close to it, to... bask in it the way a cat basks in the sun. Some people want to take it for themselves. The kind of power you have, Rhia. Someone might want to try and take it from you."
"Nathaniel is correct. You should learn to protect yourself," Christophe said, giving a nod of his head.
"Protect myself. How?"
"I am so glad you asked me, Rhiannon. Because I will tell you," Christophe replied with a twitch of humor in his lips. She wondered for a moment if she'd been set up and let her gaze wander to where Nathaniel sat. If he knew anything ahead of time about this visit, he was keeping it off his face. But that didn't mean he was innocent. She gave her attention back to Christophe and waited for him to explain.
This was proving to be a very interesting meeting.
~*~*~*~*~
He found Aedan in the kitchen, in the process of making herself a sandwich. To be honest, he was surprised that she was still there. He'd expected her to go off to work and ignore the fact that she was stretched far too thin to continue going on as she was. He wasn't sure why she wasn't at work, but he didn't care. He was happy and relieved to see that she was going to take a break and try to rest.
She lifted her head and smiled at him before he could close the distance between themselves. He didn't like that her face was so pale. Nor did he like that she looked as exhausted as she had that morning when she'd returned from her crime scene. When he opened his arms to her, she stepped into them without complaint and leaned into the hug a little more than she might normally have done. He could feel exhaustion eating at her. "Good evening, ma mie," he said softly, voice filled with warmth and pleasure at seeing her.
"Hello, Jean-Claude," she replied. He heard her inhale deeply and, a moment later, a sense of peace washed through her.
"I am surprised to see you here. I expected you to go to work." He let her hear the surprise in his voice. She sighed and pressed her face into his chest.
"Minette called the office this afternoon and told them I wasn't coming in tonight," she explained.
"She was wise to do so. You are exhausted, ma mie," he told her gently. She pulled back to give him a look that was hard to read. He smiled and leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips. "What do you plan to do with your night off?"
"I'll probably sit in bed and watch television," she replied, giving a faint shrug as if she wasn't sure that's what she planned on doing.
"Would you like company?"
His question caught her by surprise because she gaped at him a moment or two before finding her voice to answer. "I thought you were working tonight?"
A smile came at that. "Seeing as I am the boss, I can make my own schedule. I would like to stay here and spend time with you. We can sit in front of your television and watch whatever you like. We can even order a pizza, if you like."
"Bribing me with pizza, are you? What's really going on?" she asked, only half joking. He smiled at her.
"Nothing is going on. You deserve to have a night of indulgence. If that indulgence takes the form of pizza and mindless television, then that is what we will do," he told her.
She gave him a skeptical look. "You don't do mindless television. You don't do pizza. Indulgence is the only thing I can see you doing, but you indulge in other ways."
He offered her a smile before stepping around her to open the door to the refrigerator. It was little work to find the bright red bottle he searched for, and he drew it out before shutting the door and offering it up to her. "I like indulging with you, ma mie, in whatever way makes you happiest. I enjoy spending time with you."
Aedan took the bottle of Coke he offered and twisted the top off. The soft 'fsssst' of the seal breaking and the trapped gas escaping filled the air. Then she was taking a drink and he swore he could feel the bliss that filled her at such a simple thing. After she lowered the bottle, she put the cap back on and gave her half-finished sandwich a look. He knew what she was thinking before she even turned back to him. "Put it in the fridge and leave it for someone else. You know it will not go to waste here."
His words brought a bit of a snort to her lips. "True. Someone will eat it," she agreed. She made quick work of putting the ingredients back in the refrigerator, then turned to look at him. "Can I have a pizza with everything on it? And some breadsticks?"
"It has already been ordered," he assured her. She gave him a look, poking a finger into his ribs. He caught the offending digit before she could pull it back and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the tip of it. She flushed, blossoms of faint pink staining her cheeks. It was something he never tired of seeing. He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side, then turned for the door. "Come, ma mie. Let us go seek out your television and see what mindlessness we can discover this evening."
She let him pull her along with him, doing her best to match her steps to his. But she faltered enough to let him know she was thinking about something with particular intensity. So he waited, taking time to ensure she didn't trip over her own feet. She would say whatever was on her mind when she was ready to do so.
"Do I look that bad?" The question came only moments later, and it surprised him enough that he nearly faltered in his own steps. She turned her face up to his, eyes seeking the answer on his face. Her brows were pulled down and she wore a frown that let him know she wouldn't let it go without a proper answer. So he stopped them in the middle of the hallway and turned to face her. His hands framed her face, cupping her cheeks gently as he gave her his full attention.
"You look as if you are going to fall over at any moment," he informed her, making sure that she heard his concern in his voice. Saw it in his eyes. Understood that he, like everyone else, was worried about her. "You slept today and still you look ready to drop from exhaustion. You push yourself too hard, ma mie, and it worries all of us."
She said nothing, simply stared at him while she digested what he'd said. Finally, she glanced away and stared at some spot up the hall. "Micah told me I should talk to someone. So did Edward," she whispered.
"They are correct. They fear what will happen if you continue to bottle it all up. As do I," he said gently, one hand catching her chin to bring her face back around so she was looking at him. He wanted her to see the honesty in his eyes. The fear and the concern.
Aedan nodded. Opened her mouth to say something. But the words froze in her throat as her gaze stole behind him. Whatever she'd been about to say, she had already shoved back down. He wanted to take his frustration out on the wolf behind him, but it would only make everyone more anxious and tense than they already were. He turned to the wolf, who looked as if she realized that she'd interrupted something important.
"Today's mail," she said quickly, offering up the small stack of envelopes she held in one hand. He inclined his head toward her and took the slight burden from her grasp. She let her gaze slide to Aedan before she turned and hurried away. It was obvious she was afraid one of them would take her to task for the interruption. Aedan shook her head.
"Am I that much of a bitch?" she asked.
"Only when you are awake," he told her. She frowned at him a moment, then reached out and poked him in the chest.
"Ha ha. Very funny. You can be replaced," she snapped, though he could tell it was all for show. He smiled at her before leaning down to take her lips in a kiss that he knew from experience would curl her toes. When he pulled back, he gave her a smug look.
"Perhaps I can be replaced. But you will never find someone who can kiss you like that," he said, assured in his ability to sweep her off her feet. She shot him a look, then glanced at the pile of mail he held.
"Does this change plans?" She sounded almost hesitant, letting him know that she had been looking forward to spending the evening with him. He smiled and shook his head, then looped his arm through hers.
"It changes nothing, ma mie," he promised.
They continued on to Aedan's room without speaking. She had a tight lock on her power, but there were a few trace wisps of it curling around the two of them, shifting and moving as if it was ivy in the wind. It was a comforting feel for him. He'd gotten the same sense of peace from her more than once, letting him know that his power acted in much the same way for her. He liked that he didn't have to do anything to bring her a sense of contentment.
Her room was a mess, with clothes left haphazardly on the floor and the bedding askew. He could smell that Micah, Jason, and Minette had been here. It told him that she had woken sometime after he'd put her to bed. No doubt she'd been woken by nightmares. He wasn't sure why they weren't there now or what had woken her in the first place. But he was going to have to see to it that someone was there to help keep the nightmares at bay. He'd thought that making love to her until she fell asleep in sated exhaustion would have been enough. He'd obviously thought wrong.
They climbed up onto the big bed together, Jean-Claude taking time to shift the pillows around so that they were propped up to act as cushions. He settled back against the mound he'd created of them, then pulled Aedan down next to him. The remote was in her hand and she pushed the button that brought the screen to life. As she flipped from one channel to the next in her search for something to watch, he sorted through the stack of mail he'd been handed.
There was little of interest. Solicitations from companies looking for an endorsement from the Master of the City. Letters from acquaintances. Junk mail that had made it past the people who screened his mail. And one invitation.
That wasn't unusual. There was at least one invitation to some affair every week. Most of them never made it past the people he employed to go through his mail. Only the really interesting invitations came to him. The ones tied to worthwhile charities were usually the ones that were forwarded to him. He tugged the invitation from the opened envelope and read it over.
The Anubis Foundation was having a charitable ball and they wanted him to join them for the event. He frowned faintly. The Anubis Foundation was not very well known among humans, as it had been started by vampires quite a long time ago. Well before the undead had come out to the general public. It's original purpose was to find ways to advance the cause of the undead, but it had been forced to fly under the radar when the vampire council had discovered its existence. He hadn't heard of any activity for a good long while and had thought that it had finally died a long overdue death.
Apparently, he'd been wrong.
"Jean-Claude? What is it? You're frowning so hard, its kind of scaring me." Aedan's question cut across his thoughts and pulled him away from the invitation. He looked up at her to find she was watching him with curiosity and concern. He offered the card to her, letting her take it from his hand in order to read it. When she was done, she gave her attention back to him. It was plain to see she was confused. "The Anubis Foundation? I've never heard of it."
"Nor should you have heard of it," he replied, plucking the card from her hold. He glanced at it again and frowned. "It was a secret vampire organization formed in the early twelve hundreds. A group meant to find ways to advance vampires in a world of mortals. The council banned it sometime in the thirteen hundreds. The last time I heard of it was just before the sixteen hundreds. I had thought that the group had finally disbanded for good. Apparently I thought wrong."
"Why are they inviting you? You're the vampire's poster boy for how cool and harmless the undead can be," Aedan said. The question was meant for him. The observation was more for herself. He smiled at her description.
"I do not know. I am tempted to simply ignore the invitation. I want nothing to do with the Anubis Foundation."
She frowned and glanced once more at the card he held. He could see that she was thinking about something intently by the way lines formed between her brows. Finally, she reached out a finger and traced the gilt lettering at the top of the invite. "There's something going on here. I can't put my finger on it, but something doesn't feel right."
"What are you thinking, ma mie?" he questioned, because he'd seen that look in her eyes before. He hadn't liked it then and he didn't like it now.
"You should accept. Does it specify whether or not you can bring someone with?" There was a curious tone to her words, letting him know that there was little he'd be able to do to dissuade her from whatever path she was plotting in her head.
"It does not," he replied, even though he knew she would have seen that when she read the invitation. "Aedan, whatever you are thinking, it is not a good idea."
She glanced up at him. "I'm a Federal marshal, Jean-Claude. You're hesitant to go because it doesn't feel right. I can tell just by reading the card that it doesn't feel right. We need to go because I need to know whether or not they're doing something illegal. If they are, I'm duty bound to put a stop to it."
"Aedan, you are one person," he reminded her. Not because he thought it would convince her to ignore whatever she was thinking, but because he needed to say it. She needed to understand that she couldn't take on the world by herself.
"I know that," she responded testily, as if she resented being reminded of such petty things. "Just accept. When is this event supposed to take place?"
"A week from tomorrow."
"Good. Time enough for me to find something appropriate to wear," she told him. He was about to argue with her, but there was a knock at the door. "Ooo. Pizza's here! Let's watch the cartoon network while I stuff myself full of ooey gooey, cheesy goodness."
Jean-Claude sighed and shook his head. Nothing good was going to come of this. Nothing good at all.
~*~*~*~*~
"Marshal Kinkade, a pleasure to meet you." The medical examiner held out her hand as Aedan stepped into her office. Amelia Yun was of Asian persuasion, though Aedan wasn't sure which part of Asia she hailed from. She had shining black hair and deep brown eyes that were bright with intelligence. She was taller than Aedan, and it looked like she liked to wrestle alligators in her spare time. Aedan put her hand in the other woman's, pleased to find she had a firm grip and gave a good hand shake. "I only wish it could be under better circumstances."
"There are never any good circumstances when it comes to death," Aedan replied. Amelia Yun nodded her head in agreement. She released her hold on Aedan's hand and motioned toward a door behind her, moving that way without saying anything. "Zewrbrowksi speaks very highly of you. You've impressed him with your medical examiner magic."
The woman smiled as she stopped at the other door. "He speaks highly of you, too, Marshal Kinkade. You must be very good at your job."
"Call me Aedan," she said immediately. "And its entirely possible that I'm just very good at not losing my lunch at crime scenes. Though its been close a few times."
"There are cops who have been on the job for years who can't say the same thing," the woman acknowledged. She studied Aedan a moment before giving a faint nod of her head and pushing the door open.
The room beyond was obviously where Amelia Yun worked. It was all stainless steel and sickly green and tile flooring that gleamed brightly in the cold lights shining down from the ceiling. The room smelled clean, though there was a faint touch of death lingering under the scent of chemical disinfectant. Aedan took in a set of stainless steel cabinets on one wall, with a sink set into the center of it. Another wall had small, square doors on it, obviously the vaults where they kept bodies. Several trays of instruments were set up and pushed up against the far wall. Various cabinets and storage units surrounded the doors.
Her eyes were drawn to the half dozen tables bolted to the floor in the center of the room. Three of them gleamed in the overhead lights, devoid of anything. Three of them were draped with sheets, the thin barrier formed to the hills and valleys of the bodies hidden beneath them. Amelia Yun moved toward the tables with a light step. Aedan followed her, silent and intent on her reasons for being there.
"I was surprised you called," Amelia said as she waited for Aedan to come to a halt next to her. "I'm not used to anyone beyond our local law enforcement being interested in the bodies after I'm done with them. And given what I know of your particular area of expertise, I don't understand exactly what you hope to accomplish here."
Aedan glanced at the medical examiner a moment before shrugging. "I have multiple areas of expertise." It was a non-answer and they both knew it. Before the other woman could ask too many uncomfortable questions, Aedan motioned to the first table. "Let's get this started."
"Of course. You are a busy woman, after all," Amelia stated. She reached out and took hold of the edge of the sheet on the table they stood beside. It pulled back to reveal the pale face of the victim from the crime scene she'd visited two nights ago.
"Have you IDed her yet?"
"Trina Plunkett," Amelia supplied, glancing at the chart she'd picked up. "She was twenty two. We got a positive ID off a tattoo she has on her back." Aedan filed the name away with absent efficiency, her eyes glued to the woman's face. She looked so much younger than twenty two. She looked like she was barely a teenager. She took hold of the sheet and moved it lower so she could get a look at the scratches she remembered being on the girl's body.
The Y incision and its dark, thick stitches were a stark reminder of where she was standing. The urge to raise the woman from the dead and ask her questions was overwhelming, but she wasn't about to start doing that with the good doctor standing at her back. She shifted her gaze away from the visible signs of autopsy and moved to the scratches she recalled.
They were cleaner and neater after they'd been cleaned and examined. They weren't as brilliantly red as they had been at the crime scene, but that was a good thing. Because now Aedan could see the exact shape of them. She leaned closer to peer at them, using one hand to hold her hair back while the other mapped the shape and spread of the scratches in the air above them. When she lifted her eyes to the medical examiner, it was to find that Amelia Yun was watching Aedan closely. "They look like animal claws. But they don't look right. And they don't look deep enough," Aedan said.
"You're correct," Amelia agreed. "They were made by an animal's claws, but they weren't made by an animal."
"So some sick human is trying to shift the blame," Aedan murmured.
"Does that really surprise you, Kinkade?" The voice brought both Aedan and Amelia's heads up. Aedan wasn't surprised, but Amelia was. Her gaze slid from Aedan to the rather unimpressive blonde standing in the doorway. His lips almost twitched up into a smile. Aedan shook her head.
"Doctor Amelia Yun, meet Federal marshal Ted Forrester. Ted, this is Amelia Yun, the chief medical examiner for St. Louis," Aedan introduced before turning back to the body. "The bite marks are small," she said, mostly to herself. But she felt the attention of the other two people in the room focus on her. She moved to the next table and gently pulled the sheet back. The body there was Janice Waterston. Aedan made a quick visual exam of the injuries that marred the woman's skin. She moved on to the third table, where Candace Baker had been laid out for her inspection.
She was no expert in such things, but she was pretty sure that the scratches and bites were all the same size. "These were all done by the same person, weren't they?" she asked quietly, her eyes going from the scratches on Candace's right shoulder to her left shoulder. "And they look to be right handed?"
"Very astute, Marshal Kinkade," Amelia said. The woman moved across the room to one of the many cabinets near the door. One of the drawers slid open and, from within its depths, she produced a file folder. The interior was packed with pictures and sheets of paper. No doubt Doctor Yun's official notes on the case. "Each one of the bites was made by the same mouth. The span of space between the left and ride side of the teeth is roughly two inches. The scratches are shallow, with the deepest at a depth of only a fraction of an inch. The scratches on the left side of the bodies are all uniform and even. Those left on the right hand side are slightly askew and awkward. Your perpetrator is very definitely right handed. And likely on the short side. Without much upper body strength."
"What makes you say that?" Edward asked, obviously faintly curious by the conclusion.
"There are no restraint marks." Amelia motioned toward Trina's wrists, which were unblemished. And Detective Zerbrowski informed me that Marshal Kinkade said she detected spent magic at the crime scene. Whoever did these horrible things to Miss Plunkett obviously used that magic to contain and control her."
Aedan stared at Candace Baker's face a moment before turning to look at Edward and Amelia Yun. "You made a computer generated guess at what the murder weapon looked like," she began, her thoughts spinning madly in her head. "The evidence I saw at the scene supports that guess."
"What evidence, Aedan?" Edward asked. She glanced at him, wondering why he was asking such a question. Normally, he had his nose in everything before he showed up on her door. Which left her wondering why he was really there.
"There were glass shards removed from Miss Plunkett's vagina," Doctor Yun supplied. "The same kind of shards were found embedded in the vaginas of our other two victims." There was the rustle of paper and the sharper sound of photos as they were shifted and shuffled around. She drew one out and handed it over to Edward. Aedan saw the clinical look on his face as he studied the image for all of ten seconds.
"Someone used a glass dildo to murder the victims?" he asked softly. Aedan wasn't sure if he was doing so because he was upset with what he'd seen or if he was playing a role for the medical examiner. She didn't care.
"It was used to penetrate each woman's vagina. And then it was used to murder them," Amelia said, voice devoid of inflection. Edward said nothing, which could have meant anything.
"Which suggests that our perpetrator is either incapable of achieving an erection and has to resort to alternative means," Aedan said slowly, her mind still turning things over. "Or our perpetrator has no penis with which to get an erection."
"Aedan?" Edward asked. She heard the order in his voice, almost buried under the curiosity.
"Either our perp is a very small man," she began, hand motioning to a set of bite marks. "Or we've got a female serial killer with a specific type on our hands."
"A woman?" Amelia asked, sounding as if she didn't quite yet buy it.
"Well, shit," Edward added. Yeah, Aedan thought. That just about summed it up.
Chapter Two: Cracked
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: mature. this one is set in the darkness that is the Beyond Death universe. language, murder, gore, non-con, violence and sex apply as warnings. possibly others. we'll see when we get there
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar. though i do not view this as an actual MSV story, the original characters established in Beyond Death still belong to their creators and i am merely borrowing them for the purpose of this fic
Author's Notes: so... hey. here's a fic that i probably should have just let go. but a dive down the Wikipedia hole a couple months back brought this to life. this fic starts roughly two to three months after the ending of Beyond Death
With Shards of Broken Glass - The Index
It was just past two when Aedan staggered into the kitchen area, hair hanging in her face and robe barely closed. She looked like she wasn't with it at all as she tugged the fridge's door open and went in search of some caffeine to kickstart her day. Minette, who had been conversing with Micah, fell silent and watched the other woman with intense scrutiny. There didn't seem to be any kind of expression on her face, suggesting she was once again not happy with the woman. Rhia glanced at Janika, who shrugged and took a drink of her coffee.
"You're up earlier than I expected, Aedan. You didn't get to bed until after eleven this morning," Minette said, tone cool. Aedan came out of the fridge with a bottle of Coke and gave her friend a look, then grunted something that could have meant anything from So what? to Fuck off. She made her way to the table and sat, where she twisted the top off the bottle and downed half the contents in less than thirty seconds. "You should go back to bed."
"Can't sleep. Clowns will get me," Aedan muttered, gifting Minette with a grimace of a smile that did little to kill the image of a homeless serial killer she was presenting.
"Aedan. You're running on vapors," Minette replied. There was annoyance in Minette's words. And concern.
"Got too much to do," she said, eyes focused on her beverage. That brought about a frown.
"You need to sleep, idiot. You're pushing too hard."
"Tell that to my latest murder victim," Aedan shot back, a little more life in her voice. And a lot more anger. "Sorry, deceased woman. Can't do my job today. Minette says I need to sleep. I'll have to figure out who murdered you with a fucking glass dick later." The implication of what she wasn't saying was more than obvious.
The last sentence left every one of them staring. Rhia watched as Minette's face paled slightly. "You said it wasn't as bad as Paul and Grace," Minette whispered. There might have been a touch of accusation in her voice.
"Trust me. Nothing was as bad as Paul and Grace. Except maybe the last demon summoner crime scene. Oh. Wait. You don't know what that one was like." There was definitely accusation in Aedan's tone.
"That's not fair, Aedan," Minette began, only to fall silent when the other woman shot her a dark look.
"You know, I can accept the fact that you don't want this shit in your head. I respect that, even. But don't you think you can sit there and act all high and mighty with me when you've got no fucking clue what its like." Rhia frowned and glanced at Janika. She'd never heard Aedan rip into Minette like this before. And, given the look Minette was wearing, it seemed highly likely that Aedan had never gotten this vicious with the other woman. Too little sleep. Too many nightmares. Too few happy memories.
"Aedan," Micah began, but she turned that hot, dark look his way and he promptly fell silent.
"Don't you dare tell me that I'm being too mean. You lived through the sickness Paul was capable of. You barely survived it. Tell me that you want to live with that shit in your head day in and day out. If you do, I'll call you a fucking liar to your face," she shot at him. Aedan slowly rose to her feet, letting her stare rest hot and heavy on Micah and Minette. "Now you take the shit they did to you and you magnify that by one billion. That's what I live with every goddamn day. Every goddamn day. So don't you dare try to calm me down or get me to apologize or any of that shit, Micah. I'm not having it."
"Aedan," Janika took her turn. She got a slash of Aedan's hand for her effort and she promptly fell silent.
"I don't expect you to want to know what happens when I go to a crime scene, Minette. I understand that you don't want to live with those horrors. But you seem to think I do. I hate living with the fucked up, depraved things that human beings do to one another rattling around in my brain. And I don't get to go hide my face and pretend it didn't happen. Its my fucking job. The crime scenes are bad enough, But they're compounded by the fact that I have to deal with Dolph's attitude. Every fucking time I see him, I get the disappointed glower." The anger had left Aedan's voice, leaving it threaded through with exhaustion. Weariness. Rhia thought she saw the woman's hands shaking. Just a little bit. "And then, when I get home, I have to deal with that same look again. From you."
"Aedan, I don't..." Minette began, but Aedan held up a hand to bring her words to a halt.
"The minute I got out of the car this morning, you turned into my mother. You started chewing me out without letting me say anything. It wasn't until you smelled blood on me that you stopped. And then you turned back into my mother so you could chew on me again. I don't need a mother, Minette. I need a friend. I need someone who isn't going to chastise me. I need--" Aedan's voice cut off as she wobbled on her feet. Rhia thought she might have gone down, but Micah was out of his chair in a heartbeat in order to grab her before it could happen.
"You need to sleep. Idiot," Minette said, tone harsh. The look on her face was soft, though, and she rose from her chair. "You're going back to bed. Excuse us, ladies. I have to deal with an unruly necromancer having a tantrum." Minette glanced at them before turning her attention back to Micah. He nodded and turned Aedan toward the door.
"Fuck you. Too much to do," she said. The anger in her voice might have been effective, but the yawn that came on top of her words killed any chance that the anger would sway the other woman.
"Its just going to have to wait. You're going back to bed," Minette replied, absolutely unconcerned with Aedan's temper. Aedan muttered something, but it was too faint for Rhia to hear it. And soon, the three of them were gone, leaving Rhia alone with Janika. She glanced at the other woman and frowned.
"Should we be worried?" she asked. Janika gave her a look and shook her head.
"You're asking me? You're the Seer. You should know these things," Janika replied. Rhia rolled her eyes and chose a chunk of melon off her plate. The cantaloupe was sweet and juicy, crisp enough to snap between her teeth but not so crisp that it was hard. She chewed slowly, waiting to see if it was going to go down or if it was going to be another one of those days. After almost a minute, it seemed like she was going to have a good day and she gave her attention over to Janika.
"You know it doesn't work that way," Rhia returned, jabbing a finger into the redhead's arm for emphasis. Janika chuckled softly before her gaze flicked toward the doorway into the kitchen. Rhia didn't need to be psychic to know she was worried. "She looks terrible. When is Jean-Claude going to put an end to this?"
Janika shook her head. "I don't honestly know. I think he's afraid of setting her off. She's teetering on the edge and he's not certain just what will set her off. To be honest, I think he should say fuck it and do it anyway. She's going to kill herself if he doesn't."
Rhia nodded absently. One hand rubbed at her belly as she did so, an unconscious action she'd taken to doing while she was lost in thought ever since she'd discovered she was pregnant. Even so, she didn't miss the way Janika eyed her. "Its soothing," Rhia told the other woman without shifting her attention away from her thoughts. "It helps me think."
"What are you thinking about?" Janika asked, slipping from her chair to fetch herself another cup of coffee. Rhia frowned and tried to find the words for it.
"This whole thing," she began, her empty hand motioning vaguely toward the door. Janika nodded as if she understood before snagging herself one of the fresh pastries sitting on the counter. Then she returned to her seat at the table and took a considering bite.
"Aedan and Minette?"
"Yeah. Its obvious that whatever Aedan saw last night, it rattled her. And its just as obvious that Minette has no clue what she saw. But this is one of the first times I've seen Aedan let anyone know that it bothers her."
"Can you blame Minette for not wanting to know what Aedan sees at her crime scenes? I've seen a few and I know I don't want to see any more of them."
"That isn't what I mean. I've seen a thing or two. And I don't blame Minette in the slightest." Rhia paused to nibble some more fruit. She washed it down with a sip of juice. Janika waited patiently while she did so. "No. I mean the way Aedan went after Minette. I've never seen her do that before. I got the impression that the two of them were tighter than anything. This gap between them is... odd."
"A lot has changed in Aedan's life in recent months. Hell, a lot has changed in all our lives in recent months. I'm pretty sure Aedan is still getting her feet. Give it time and things will smooth out," Janika insisted.
Rhia frowned, not as certain about that as Janika. But worrying about it wasn't going to do her any good. And there were other things to think of. She was still trying to get used to the surge in power she'd gotten with Cassadore's death. Most days, she had it under control. But some days, it ran away from her before she really had a chance to realize what was happening. She'd had all kinds of weird things come to her when she wasn't looking and it got very disorienting.
"Thought about names yet?" Janika asked, pulling Rhia away from her thoughts.
"No. Not yet. I'm waiting until a little later in the pregnancy. It almost feels like its too early to make that decision," Rhia admitted.
"Any visions of tiny Nathaniels and Rhias?" Janika questioned, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to stifle her smile.
"No. It doesn't work like that," Rhia said, a faint sigh following her words. She almost wished it did. It would make the whole thing that much easier. Still, Rhia was content to wait until the last trimester to start picking names. She didn't want to rush anything. Or jinx it, either.
"You want me to see if I can get something?" Janika asked, one hand lifting away from the table to hover over Rhia's. Rhia shook her head, a faint smile on her face.
"Thank you, but no. I appreciate the offer. But I'll wait until nature takes its course."
Janika studied her face a moment or two, then nodded her head and reached for her pastry again. "Let me know if you change your mind, hon. I don't think looking would be such a hardship. Can't be worse than looking at crime scene photos and getting flashes of psycho killer thoughts."
Rhia blinked at that. She'd known that Janika had the gift of sight, but she hadn't known that her sight worked like that. She wondered what it must be like to see things like that, then decided that she was probably better off not knowing. "That's how you profile for the FBI?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Janika nodded. "It isn't all bad. Sometimes it helps me help them find missing people before something bad happens. But sometimes, it just shows me what the bad people are thinking when they do something bad."
Rhia nodded. She found it interesting that they saw things in their own fashion. That they saw different things in their own fashion. She was just about to say something to the effect when her phone chirped in her pocket. Rhia fished the sleek device out of said pocket and glanced at the screen. Odd. She connected the call and put the phone to her ear. "Hello."
"Good afternoon, Rhiannon. I hope I am not disturbing you?" Christophe sounded hopeful.
"Of course not, Christophe. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" she asked him.
"I would like to meet with you, if you are available," he informed her. Rhia blinked at that. She hadn't spoken with Christophe since Cassadore's death and she'd gotten the impression that, for some reason, he laid blame for that at her feet. At least in part. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have had to kill his old friend.
Immediately upon the heels of that thought came another. That she was not to blame for the things Cassadore, or at least the entity inhabiting his body, had done. She was the victim. It was because of some creature from another plane that Christophe had been forced to destroy the body of his friend. "Rhiannon?" Her name startled her out of her thoughts, and she realized that Christophe was still waiting for her answer. She also realized that he sounded hesitant. Curious.
"Of course I'm available," she responded, making sure her tone was bright and cheery. There was no reason not to meet him. "When would you like to meet? And when?"
"One hour. At my shop. If that is acceptable to you." The last of it suggested Christophe was offering her a way out.
"It is. I'll see you in an hour," Rhia assured him. There was a moment's pause, then she spoke again before the impulse skittered away. "And Christophe? Its good to hear your voice."
"And yours, Rhiannon. I will see you in an hour." There was a lightness in his tone when he hung up that hadn't been there when she'd answered the call. She tucked her phone away and pushed back from the table.
"Going some place?" Janika asked, though there was no need to. Rhia came to her feet and nodded her head.
"Yes. If you'll excuse me, I need to go get ready." Janika gave her a look and took a sip of her coffee. Rhia felt the woman's curious gaze on her back even after she'd passed through the door to the kitchen and out into the hallway beyond.
~*~*~*~*~
"Of all the stupid, idiotic things," Minette grumbled as she kept pace with Micah while he guided Aedan back to her bedroom. He shot a quick glance her way to see that she was very visibly angry. To the point that her hands were fisted at her sides and her eyes had darkened to the green of her leopard. Aedan sagged against him, her feet dragging against the stone floor as they moved slowly up the hall. He wasn't sure if she was doing it intentionally in an effort to avoid going back to bed or if she was so tired she literally could not pick up her feet.
"Fuck you," Aedan managed around yet another yawn. It seemed to be the only thing she had to say and it was obviously starting to wear thin on Minette's nerves.
"You're too tired to enjoy it," Minette snapped. "And I don't like my partners comatose. Shut up before I gag you."
Aedan straightened in his hold and he felt her muscles tense in an attempt to pull away from him. He tightened the arm he had around her and kept her pinned to his side. The last thing he needed was for either one of them to have a pissing contest in the middle of the Circus. And letting Aedan's temper run wild would slow down the process of getting her back to bed. "Save it, Aedan," Micah warned softly.
"You're not the boss of me," she snapped back, still trying to muster the strength to break away from him.
"No, he isn't. But someone needs to be. You're going to kill yourself at this rate, Aedan. You need to slow down and rest. Eat. You're no good to any of us if you wear yourself down any further," Minette said, her voice filled with displeasure and concern.
"I'm fine," the woman said. She almost sounded normal. But the yawn that followed her statement killed any hint of normal she'd given off.
"Bullshit!" Minette snarled. They'd arrived at Aedan's room and Minette shoved the bedroom door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. She turned to face Aedan and shot the woman a glare. "When was the last time you slept? When was the last time you ate a full meal? When was the last time you simply relaxed? Jesus Christ, Aedan! You're killing yourself and you don't even care."
"Am not," Aedan retorted. She might have had more to say, but the shrill ring of her phone cut off any forth coming statements. Aedan tried to untangle herself from Micah's hold, but Minette was across the room in the blink of an eye to scoop up the phone. She glanced at the number and frowned, then hit the button to answer the incoming call.
"Hello?" she asked. "No, she isn't available right now. I'll have to take a message." Minette's eyes were on Aedan as she spoke, daring the other woman to contradict her. Aedan made yet another effort to pull from Micah's hold, but he refused to let her go. "I'll tell her when I see her." There was another pause before Minette spoke again. "I have no idea where she is or when she'll be back. But I'll relay the message when she returns." After another moment, she pulled the phone away from her ear.
"Who was that? What did they want?" Aedan asked, though the words were hard to make out. They kind of slid into one another with Aedan's exhaustion.
"It doesn't matter, because you aren't getting your phone back until you sleep," Minette informed her friend, taking a moment to power the thing down. She tucked it into her pocket and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're going to climb into that bed and go to sleep. And you're going to stay there until you are coherent enough to hold a conversation without telling me to go fuck myself."
"Go to hell," Aedan snapped, though her tone lacked heat. It did hold an abundance of exhaustion, though.
"Put her into bed, Micah. Tie her down if you have to," Minette ordered, her gaze never leaving Aedan's face. "Just keep her there. I'll be back in a few minutes." Without waiting for an answer, Minette stalked from the room and made a good show of slamming the door behind her. Aedan tugged herself from Micah's hold and took a few steps away from him, so that she was standing in the middle of the room. She was very careful not to look at him.
"What's going on, Aedan?" Micah asked her softly. He felt certain there was more going on than a busy schedule. There was a kind of tightness around her eyes and mouth that couldn't be explained by lack of sleep. "What's wrong?"
Aedan shook her head at him and he swore he saw a hint of hysteria in her eyes before it disappeared behind a jaw cracking yawn. He watched as she measured the distance between herself and the door. Between the two of them. As she weighed her chances of getting past him. He saw, for just a moment, that she thought she could make it, that she planned on trying to run for the door. And he realized then just what this was all about.
She was scared. She didn't want to sleep because she was scared of what would happen when she closed her eyes. It wasn't a good look on her.
"How bad are the nightmares, Aedan?" He made sure his voice was soft and gentle. Non-threatening. He made sure the same could be said of himself as he approached her. He thought, for a moment, that she would deny there were problems. That she'd tell him to go fuck himself. But then her eyes went wide and a faint tremor ran the length of her spine and her arms. She curled her hands into fists and shook her head, then looked away. "That's what's going on here, isn't it? You're having nightmares."
That had to be the problem. Aedan had seen and been through so much in just a few short months. She'd suffered some serious trauma, both mental and physical. Between the crime scenes and the things she'd had done to her, that she'd been forced to do to people, it was no surprise that she wanted nothing to do with sleep. He'd suffered at the hands of her deranged siblings and that had been enough to inspire some sleepless nights. He couldn't imagine all the horrors she'd seen. And the only time she let her guard down was when she slept. So it would make sense that she was suffering through all of her trauma over and over again in her dreams. "Aedan?" he asked when she failed to respond.
"No," she said, voice a sharp and hoarse whisper in the silence. But that single word wavered, laden so thickly with falsehood that he was surprised she'd managed to get it off her tongue. Micah moved closer, reached out a hand to touch her. She jerked in surprise at the graze of his fingers across her arm, then sprang back while swinging a fist his way. He caught it easily and tugged her into his arms. Held her there while she struggled and fought to be free. Free of him and of the panic that was rising up inside.
"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked her, kept his voice low and soft and gentle.
"Let me go, Micah," she ordered, hands planted against his chest as she tried to shove him away from her. He only tightened his hold on her and tried to share his strength with her. "Let me go! Now!'
"Aedan, you can't run from the nightmares," he said in reply.
"Let me go, Micah!' she snapped, voice growing strident.
"Have you gotten help?" he asked, still keeping her in his embrace. Based on the way she fought, he was thinking the answer was a resounding no.
"Let me go. Please!" This time, she begged. Her voice was raw with fear.
"Aedan. You need to talk to someone about the nightmares. You've suffered a lot of trauma in a short period of time. You need to talk to someone about it before it takes a permanent toll," he whispered.
"I can't, Micah," she shook her head. But she'd stopped trying to free herself of his hold. She stood stiff and still in the circle of his arms, body shaking. "No one should have to live with those things."
"Aedan." He nudged her back just enough to see her face, to see that it was pale and her eyes were far too wide. Tears rolled down her cheeks to hang on the edge of her jaw for a few moments before dropping onto her chest. He lifted her chin with one hand, his actions slow and gentle, so that she was forced to look at him. So that she knew he wouldn't hurt her. "You shouldn't have to live with those things. It may be your job to investigate those crime scenes, to bring the people responsible for such horrible things to justice, but that doesn't mean you have to live with the things they do. You need to find someone to talk to, before you drive yourself insane."
She stared at him, the expression on her face suggesting that his words were alien to her. Micah gave her a soft smile and motioned toward the bed. "There's time for that later. For now, let's concentrate on sleep. Right now, you need that more than you need to find someone to help you deal with the trauma."
"I can't," she whispered, eyes shifting toward the bed.
"Minette and I will stay with you," he promised her. Aedan turned to look up at him. She looked lost and unsure. Afraid. Micah gave her a soft smile meant to reassure. "We'll hold you and keep the nightmares away so you can sleep. I promise you. No nightmares today. Just uninterrupted sleep."
"Micah's right, Aedan. We'll keep the nightmares at bay," Minette's voice came from the vicinity of the door. Aedan glanced around him to stare at her friend with wide eyes.
"Minette," she began. The other woman held up a hand to bring Aedan's words to a halt.
"There's no need, Aedan. I should have realized," Minette told her. "I'm sorry I didn't. I'm sorry you've got to live with all of that horror in your head. I wish I could take it away for you. I can't. But I can hold you so you can sleep. Micah and I can do that for you," she said gently.
"So can I," Jason added as he came through the door. Micah glanced at Minette, a question in his eyes. She gave a slight incline of her head, letting him know that she'd asked Jason to join them. It wasn't the same thing as being wrapped up in a vampire's arms. Micah knew that their power was more soothing for Aedan than that of a lycanthrope. But since the vampires were all dead to the world for the day, he and Minette and Jason would have to do.
Minette and Jason crossed the room, the door closing behind them, and joined he and Aedan in the middle of the floor. Minette took her friend from his hold and hugged her close. "Let us do this for you, Aedan. I've already called Animators and let them know that you're not working tonight. I told them tomorrow was up in the air. And I've turned your phone off. No one will disturb us. You can sleep. Get real rest. And we'll keep the nightmares at bay."
Aedan looked from Minette to Jason. Then she looked at Micah. Finally, she turned back to Minette. "Okay, Minette," Aedan said, voice a mere whisper of sound. Still, Micah heard the exhaustion that ate at her in that single word. Minette hugged Aedan to her, arms wound around her friend tight, and made the silent promise to keep her safe from her nightmares with that single action. Then she tugged the robe from Aedan and pushed her toward the bed.
"I'll go get you a glass of water," Jason told her before heading off into the bathroom. Micah watched as Aedan climbed up into the bed, not bothered by the fact that she was naked. Minette started stripping down, and it almost distracted Micah from the sound of the medicine cabinet opening from the other room. That left him puzzled a moment, but then Minette was naked and climbing into bed with her friend. Micah rid himself of his clothes and followed suit just as Jason returned from the bathroom with a glass of water in hand. "Here. Drink," Jason said as he offered the glass to Aedan.
She took it and drank, emptying the contents. It was set aside on the bedside table, then Jason stripped down and joined them. Whatever was in the water didn't take long to work. In only minutes, Aedan was deep in sleep, caught up tightly in Minette's arms.
~*~*~*~*~
Rhia glanced at Nathaniel before reaching out to undo her seatbelt. He put a hand over hers, stopping her from completing the task. It brought her gaze back up to his face. He wore a serious expression, which didn't look right on his face. "You don't have to go through with this," he told her softly.
She had a second to wonder how he knew she was having second thoughts, but then she realized he could probably smell it on her or something. She offered him a smile, then leaned in and kissed him. It was a brief, sweet, chaste press of her lips meant to tell him that she appreciated everything about him. He was always looking out for her best interests. Even now, when she was still trying to work through the trauma lingering after the entity living inside of Cassadore had attempted to do terrible things to her. When she wasn't sure if she was going to freak out if Nathaniel touched her. He was still looking out for her. She didn't deserve him or his love. "I'll be fine. I've got you at my side. Nothing bad will happen."
"That isn't what I mean, Rhia," he replied, voice still soft and gentle.
"I know exactly what you mean, Nathaniel. I have to do this. I know that Christophe is not to blame for anything Cassadore did. And if I don't do this, I may never do it. He needs to know I don't blame him. That we're still friends," she said in reply. She lifted his hand from hers and pressed a kiss to his palm, then went back to the buckle of her seatbelt. It disengaged with a click, and Rhia turned to open the door. She was halfway through the process when Nathaniel appeared next to her door, ready to help her out of the vehicle.
He'd been so much more careful of her ever since Cassadore. Her person and her feelings. It was sweet. But it was also grating. She wasn't going to shatter at the first sign of stress. She was making good progress with her therapy sessions. At least, that's what Doctor Tilson kept telling her. She was going to trust the expert. She let him take her hand and help her from the car, then she pressed a kiss to his cheek and reached up to rest her palms against his cheeks. "Nathaniel. Stop. I'm okay. I'm not fragile," she told him. She made sure her tone was gentle and without any inflection that might make him think she didn't appreciate that he cared.
He frowned, a faint touch of color coming to his cheeks. She knew because she could feel the heat against her palms. "I'm sorry, Rhia. I don't mean to be clingy. Its just--"
She cut him off by laying a finger against his lips. "I know, Nathaniel. I know you were scared for me. For us," she added, bumping her belly against his. "But you can't treat me like I'm going to break if you look at me wrong. Therapy has been helping. Doctor Tilson is very good at her job."
She hugged him close to show him that she loved him. That she loved touching him. His arms wound around her slowly and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm just afraid of trigging a bad memory." He whispered the words against her hair.
"I know, Nathaniel. And there are times when I feel a flash of fear. But that's nothing to do with you. That's all me. Doctor Tilson tells me its normal. And it won't ever fully go away. But you can't handle me with kid gloves because you're afraid of setting me off. It'll happen or it won't, no matter how tender you are with me. And when it does happen, we'll work through it together," she assured him.
Because it was obvious he had things he needed to work through surrounding Cassadore's attempted rape. She wasn't the only one suffering trauma from that event. She almost wanted to suggest he come with her to see Doctor Tilson, but she wasn't sure if her therapist was okay with it. Doctor Tilson catered to women who had suffered from sexual assault. She wasn't sure she wanted to have a man in her sessions. Especially since Rhia knew she was a victim herself. So she'd do what she could to help him using what she'd learned in her therapy sessions.
"Okay, Rhia. If you're sure," Nathaniel said. She gave him a nod and hugged him close once more. He was the one to pull away first, and he was the one who set them on a path toward the front door of All Saints, Cassadore's shop. The man in question pushed the door open before she and Nathaniel reached it, a broad smile on his face that told Rhia she'd made the right call by coming here.
"Rhiannon, you look radiant," Christophe intoned, his voice as deep as ever. Her name sounded almost exotic when he twisted it around his accent. She smiled at him and allowed a brief hug. Christophe turned to Nathaniel and offered a dark hand. The two men stared a moment before Nathaniel accepted the hand and shook it. "Nathaniel. It is good to see you. Please. Come in. I have tea brewing. And there are fresh lemon cookies on the table."
"Lemon cookies sound heavenly," Rhiannon said, her tummy letting her know it was very interested in the offered sweets. Christophe stepped aside, holding the door open with one hand, and allowed Rhia and Nathaniel to enter. When they had stepped past him, he let the door shut, then turned the lock and flipped the sign to closed. He motioned with one hand toward the back of the shop and Rhia led the way toward the stairs in the back that would take them up to Christophe's private quarters.
Very little had changed since the last time she'd been there. Everything was bright and cheery and welcoming, despite the fact that Rhia could feel Christophe's power surrounding them. Not only did it roll off him in gentle waves, but it had soaked into the walls and permeated the air like a subtle incense. Despite the fact that his magic was tied to death, it was a comforting feel and Rhia felt tension she hadn't realized she was carrying simply slip away.
The table in his kitchen was set with tea for three. The teapot was one of those old ceramic pots, the kind you thought of existing in a granny's house. The belly was squat and fat, with a handle rising from the bowl on one side and a spout growing up from the other side. It had that gentle, almost ess like curve to it and steam escaped through the end of the spout. It smelled like a chamomile and she wondered if he'd chosen it because he knew she'd be nervous or if it was simply the first type of tea he'd put his hand on. She decided she didn't want to know and allowed Nathaniel to settle her into one of the table's chairs. He settled on one side of her. Christophe took a chair on the other side.
There was silence as Christophe poured tea into each of the three cups. He'd laid out cubes of sugar, a bowl of cream, and one of milk in case anyone wanted to add on to their tea. Rhia didn't bother and simply took a sip of the steaming brew. It was perfectly steeped, allowing her to thoroughly enjoy the familiar flavor. As she sipped, Christophe used tongs to settle two of the aforementioned lemon cookies onto a small plate before her. He did the same for Nathaniel and then himself, then settled back to enjoy his tea.
Rhia lifted one of the cookies and took an experimental nibble off of it. It was a ridiculously amazing thing with crispy edges and a soft center. Crystals of sugar clung to the delicious cookie, and the flavor of lemon wound its way across her tongue slowly, as if it was launching a carefully crafted assault on her taste buds. The lemon wasn't overpowering, with just enough sweet to keep the sourness of the citrus fruit at bay. Rhia had never tasted anything quite so complex and amazing and she had no problems with devouring her cookie in a few quick bites.
"My mother will be pleased to know you enjoy her recipe," Christophe said, a warm chuckle audible in his words. Rhia wanted to be embarrassed by pigging out on the cookie, but it was too good and she'd enjoyed it far too much to let herself be anything other than appreciative.
"The cookies are very good," Nathaniel agreed. Rhia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to see he'd eaten both his cookies and was halfway through his tea.
"Thank you. Baking relaxes me," Christophe admitted. He lapsed into silence for a little while longer, taking only the occasional sip of his tea. Rhia could sense that he was uneasy, and she wondered if he was as worried about this encounter as she was. Finally, his cup empty, Christophe set the delicate cup down and looked at Rhia. "I want to thank you for coming, Rhiannon. I was not sure you would."
There was regret buried in his words. And fear. She realized that he laid the blame for what had happened at his feet. She offered him a smile and reached out to cover his hand with her own. "What happened that night, Christophe, is not your fault. It isn't my fault. The blame lies with whoever it was that was living inside of Cassadore."
"Perhaps, but had I not introduced you to him, none of this mess would have happened," Christophe said, voice heavy with regret and a touch of anger.
"You don't think that Cassadore would have found me on his own?" she asked him. Christophe opened his mouth to answer, then closed it slowly as he gave serious thought to her question. "Its old news, Christophe. I don't blame you at all for what happened."
He considered her words for a short while, obviously weighing the truth in them. After some time, he simply nodded his head in acceptance and took a moment to enjoy one of his cookies. He dusted crumbs from his hands and from the front of his shirt, then returned his attention to her. "I have no doubt you have been wondering why I called you here." It wasn't a question, but Rhia answered him anyway.
"I have. If it was to apologize, there's no need," Rhia told him. She made sure that her tone was firm so he knew she was serious.
"It was. In a small way. I have a gift to give you. You may consider it a peace offering, if you like. It is both those things, and more." He glanced out the window a moment, distracted by something Rhia couldn't see, before bringing his attention back to where she sat. "I am in the process of cleaning Cassadore's home out. He had no family and I was his only friend. I felt it my duty to deal with his estate."
"Okay," Rhia replied. She was sure that her voice carried in it the uncertainty she felt. She had no clue why his cleaning out Cassadore's house would be of any interest to her. But she held her tongue. She knew Christophe would get to his reasons for calling her soon enough.
"Much of his library was populated by texts pertaining to the demon realm. But some of his books were related to the art of Seeing. There are also several handwritten journals. Both the books and the journals contain information that I believe would help you understand your new powers. Perhaps even take them in hand and gain control of them."
How he knew she was having problems with control was beyond her, but she'd learned not to worry about such things. She'd come to the conclusion some time ago that Christophe was more than a vaudaun priest. The most important thing was that he was offering her books that might help her transition into her new role with a little bit of ease. She'd be a fool not to take them. "Any help would be welcome," she told him warmly.
Christophe smiled at her before leaning over to pull the fourth chair out from under the table. There was a box sitting in the seat. She imagined that it contained the books and journals he'd mentioned. He put a hand on the lid, a touch of sadness in the action, and she wondered how he'd dealt with Cassadore's death and his role in it. She should have checked up on him before now, should have made sure he wasn't kicking himself for doing what needed to be done. "There are two more like this filled with books and papers. They are yours."
"Three boxes?" she asked, eyes going wide in surprise. It was more than she'd hoped for. Hell, she'd been living with the notion that she was going to have to learn how to use her powers through trial and error. Even a single box of information would be welcome. She wasn't sure what she'd do with three boxes.
"There are more, but many of them are private journals and not in English. Or any language that exists on this plane." Christophe sounded a little regretful here, as if she would think he should give her everything.
"They aren't of any use to me if they're in a language I can't read. Though it is possible I could learn something merely by touch." The last was mostly said to herself, but Christophe shook his head at her.
"I do not think such a thing would be advisable. There is an aura of..." He trailed off and gave the appearance of thinking about it a moment or two. Then he shook his head again and gave her a rueful smile. "There is an aura of something akin to evil surrounding them. Not quite the darkness that comes with evil. But close enough that I do not wish to see you endanger yourself by attempting to touch them."
There was a hint of worry in his voice that left Rhia feeling uneasy. "Should you be touching them?" she asked him softly.
He smiled, a broad flash of white against his darker skin. "The loa are there to protect me, Rhiannon. You have no such protection. Do not worry about me."
"Of course I'll worry about you. You're my friend," she replied. Just in case he needed reminding. His smile mellowed to something a little softer at that, telling her she'd said just the right thing.
"Your concern warms my heart, Rhiannon," he told her truthfully. Then he lifted his tea and sipped. When he set the cup down, it was obvious to her that the tension he'd felt upon her arrival was gone. He leaned back in his chair and studied her with a critical eye. "How are you feeling? I know the child must drain much of your energy."
"It does," she nodded. The smile that came at the concern his voice was warm and gentle. "Nathaniel takes good care of me."
"As he should," Christophe said. There might have been a hint of warning in his tone, but it was so faint that she wasn't sure she'd actually heard it at all. "You are glowing, Rhiannon. With happiness. And love."
"I am very happy. I love Nathaniel deeply," she confirmed.
"And I love her even more," Nathaniel supplied, as if he felt Christophe needed the verbal confirmation.
"You are also glowing with power," Christophe told her. Rhia blinked. That wasn't the first time she'd heard that, but she hadn't given it much thought before. Aedan had mentioned something about it not that long ago. But Rhia had thought it was some kind of metaphorical statement. As far as she knew, Aedan wasn't capable of seeing power or auras. But maybe Rhia had been wrong because now Christophe was telling her the same thing. "It has not brought about any problems, has it?"
"Problems? What kind of problems?" Rhia asked him.
"Power draws people to it," Nathaniel told her. "Some people just want to be close to it, to... bask in it the way a cat basks in the sun. Some people want to take it for themselves. The kind of power you have, Rhia. Someone might want to try and take it from you."
"Nathaniel is correct. You should learn to protect yourself," Christophe said, giving a nod of his head.
"Protect myself. How?"
"I am so glad you asked me, Rhiannon. Because I will tell you," Christophe replied with a twitch of humor in his lips. She wondered for a moment if she'd been set up and let her gaze wander to where Nathaniel sat. If he knew anything ahead of time about this visit, he was keeping it off his face. But that didn't mean he was innocent. She gave her attention back to Christophe and waited for him to explain.
This was proving to be a very interesting meeting.
~*~*~*~*~
He found Aedan in the kitchen, in the process of making herself a sandwich. To be honest, he was surprised that she was still there. He'd expected her to go off to work and ignore the fact that she was stretched far too thin to continue going on as she was. He wasn't sure why she wasn't at work, but he didn't care. He was happy and relieved to see that she was going to take a break and try to rest.
She lifted her head and smiled at him before he could close the distance between themselves. He didn't like that her face was so pale. Nor did he like that she looked as exhausted as she had that morning when she'd returned from her crime scene. When he opened his arms to her, she stepped into them without complaint and leaned into the hug a little more than she might normally have done. He could feel exhaustion eating at her. "Good evening, ma mie," he said softly, voice filled with warmth and pleasure at seeing her.
"Hello, Jean-Claude," she replied. He heard her inhale deeply and, a moment later, a sense of peace washed through her.
"I am surprised to see you here. I expected you to go to work." He let her hear the surprise in his voice. She sighed and pressed her face into his chest.
"Minette called the office this afternoon and told them I wasn't coming in tonight," she explained.
"She was wise to do so. You are exhausted, ma mie," he told her gently. She pulled back to give him a look that was hard to read. He smiled and leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips. "What do you plan to do with your night off?"
"I'll probably sit in bed and watch television," she replied, giving a faint shrug as if she wasn't sure that's what she planned on doing.
"Would you like company?"
His question caught her by surprise because she gaped at him a moment or two before finding her voice to answer. "I thought you were working tonight?"
A smile came at that. "Seeing as I am the boss, I can make my own schedule. I would like to stay here and spend time with you. We can sit in front of your television and watch whatever you like. We can even order a pizza, if you like."
"Bribing me with pizza, are you? What's really going on?" she asked, only half joking. He smiled at her.
"Nothing is going on. You deserve to have a night of indulgence. If that indulgence takes the form of pizza and mindless television, then that is what we will do," he told her.
She gave him a skeptical look. "You don't do mindless television. You don't do pizza. Indulgence is the only thing I can see you doing, but you indulge in other ways."
He offered her a smile before stepping around her to open the door to the refrigerator. It was little work to find the bright red bottle he searched for, and he drew it out before shutting the door and offering it up to her. "I like indulging with you, ma mie, in whatever way makes you happiest. I enjoy spending time with you."
Aedan took the bottle of Coke he offered and twisted the top off. The soft 'fsssst' of the seal breaking and the trapped gas escaping filled the air. Then she was taking a drink and he swore he could feel the bliss that filled her at such a simple thing. After she lowered the bottle, she put the cap back on and gave her half-finished sandwich a look. He knew what she was thinking before she even turned back to him. "Put it in the fridge and leave it for someone else. You know it will not go to waste here."
His words brought a bit of a snort to her lips. "True. Someone will eat it," she agreed. She made quick work of putting the ingredients back in the refrigerator, then turned to look at him. "Can I have a pizza with everything on it? And some breadsticks?"
"It has already been ordered," he assured her. She gave him a look, poking a finger into his ribs. He caught the offending digit before she could pull it back and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the tip of it. She flushed, blossoms of faint pink staining her cheeks. It was something he never tired of seeing. He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side, then turned for the door. "Come, ma mie. Let us go seek out your television and see what mindlessness we can discover this evening."
She let him pull her along with him, doing her best to match her steps to his. But she faltered enough to let him know she was thinking about something with particular intensity. So he waited, taking time to ensure she didn't trip over her own feet. She would say whatever was on her mind when she was ready to do so.
"Do I look that bad?" The question came only moments later, and it surprised him enough that he nearly faltered in his own steps. She turned her face up to his, eyes seeking the answer on his face. Her brows were pulled down and she wore a frown that let him know she wouldn't let it go without a proper answer. So he stopped them in the middle of the hallway and turned to face her. His hands framed her face, cupping her cheeks gently as he gave her his full attention.
"You look as if you are going to fall over at any moment," he informed her, making sure that she heard his concern in his voice. Saw it in his eyes. Understood that he, like everyone else, was worried about her. "You slept today and still you look ready to drop from exhaustion. You push yourself too hard, ma mie, and it worries all of us."
She said nothing, simply stared at him while she digested what he'd said. Finally, she glanced away and stared at some spot up the hall. "Micah told me I should talk to someone. So did Edward," she whispered.
"They are correct. They fear what will happen if you continue to bottle it all up. As do I," he said gently, one hand catching her chin to bring her face back around so she was looking at him. He wanted her to see the honesty in his eyes. The fear and the concern.
Aedan nodded. Opened her mouth to say something. But the words froze in her throat as her gaze stole behind him. Whatever she'd been about to say, she had already shoved back down. He wanted to take his frustration out on the wolf behind him, but it would only make everyone more anxious and tense than they already were. He turned to the wolf, who looked as if she realized that she'd interrupted something important.
"Today's mail," she said quickly, offering up the small stack of envelopes she held in one hand. He inclined his head toward her and took the slight burden from her grasp. She let her gaze slide to Aedan before she turned and hurried away. It was obvious she was afraid one of them would take her to task for the interruption. Aedan shook her head.
"Am I that much of a bitch?" she asked.
"Only when you are awake," he told her. She frowned at him a moment, then reached out and poked him in the chest.
"Ha ha. Very funny. You can be replaced," she snapped, though he could tell it was all for show. He smiled at her before leaning down to take her lips in a kiss that he knew from experience would curl her toes. When he pulled back, he gave her a smug look.
"Perhaps I can be replaced. But you will never find someone who can kiss you like that," he said, assured in his ability to sweep her off her feet. She shot him a look, then glanced at the pile of mail he held.
"Does this change plans?" She sounded almost hesitant, letting him know that she had been looking forward to spending the evening with him. He smiled and shook his head, then looped his arm through hers.
"It changes nothing, ma mie," he promised.
They continued on to Aedan's room without speaking. She had a tight lock on her power, but there were a few trace wisps of it curling around the two of them, shifting and moving as if it was ivy in the wind. It was a comforting feel for him. He'd gotten the same sense of peace from her more than once, letting him know that his power acted in much the same way for her. He liked that he didn't have to do anything to bring her a sense of contentment.
Her room was a mess, with clothes left haphazardly on the floor and the bedding askew. He could smell that Micah, Jason, and Minette had been here. It told him that she had woken sometime after he'd put her to bed. No doubt she'd been woken by nightmares. He wasn't sure why they weren't there now or what had woken her in the first place. But he was going to have to see to it that someone was there to help keep the nightmares at bay. He'd thought that making love to her until she fell asleep in sated exhaustion would have been enough. He'd obviously thought wrong.
They climbed up onto the big bed together, Jean-Claude taking time to shift the pillows around so that they were propped up to act as cushions. He settled back against the mound he'd created of them, then pulled Aedan down next to him. The remote was in her hand and she pushed the button that brought the screen to life. As she flipped from one channel to the next in her search for something to watch, he sorted through the stack of mail he'd been handed.
There was little of interest. Solicitations from companies looking for an endorsement from the Master of the City. Letters from acquaintances. Junk mail that had made it past the people who screened his mail. And one invitation.
That wasn't unusual. There was at least one invitation to some affair every week. Most of them never made it past the people he employed to go through his mail. Only the really interesting invitations came to him. The ones tied to worthwhile charities were usually the ones that were forwarded to him. He tugged the invitation from the opened envelope and read it over.
The Anubis Foundation was having a charitable ball and they wanted him to join them for the event. He frowned faintly. The Anubis Foundation was not very well known among humans, as it had been started by vampires quite a long time ago. Well before the undead had come out to the general public. It's original purpose was to find ways to advance the cause of the undead, but it had been forced to fly under the radar when the vampire council had discovered its existence. He hadn't heard of any activity for a good long while and had thought that it had finally died a long overdue death.
Apparently, he'd been wrong.
"Jean-Claude? What is it? You're frowning so hard, its kind of scaring me." Aedan's question cut across his thoughts and pulled him away from the invitation. He looked up at her to find she was watching him with curiosity and concern. He offered the card to her, letting her take it from his hand in order to read it. When she was done, she gave her attention back to him. It was plain to see she was confused. "The Anubis Foundation? I've never heard of it."
"Nor should you have heard of it," he replied, plucking the card from her hold. He glanced at it again and frowned. "It was a secret vampire organization formed in the early twelve hundreds. A group meant to find ways to advance vampires in a world of mortals. The council banned it sometime in the thirteen hundreds. The last time I heard of it was just before the sixteen hundreds. I had thought that the group had finally disbanded for good. Apparently I thought wrong."
"Why are they inviting you? You're the vampire's poster boy for how cool and harmless the undead can be," Aedan said. The question was meant for him. The observation was more for herself. He smiled at her description.
"I do not know. I am tempted to simply ignore the invitation. I want nothing to do with the Anubis Foundation."
She frowned and glanced once more at the card he held. He could see that she was thinking about something intently by the way lines formed between her brows. Finally, she reached out a finger and traced the gilt lettering at the top of the invite. "There's something going on here. I can't put my finger on it, but something doesn't feel right."
"What are you thinking, ma mie?" he questioned, because he'd seen that look in her eyes before. He hadn't liked it then and he didn't like it now.
"You should accept. Does it specify whether or not you can bring someone with?" There was a curious tone to her words, letting him know that there was little he'd be able to do to dissuade her from whatever path she was plotting in her head.
"It does not," he replied, even though he knew she would have seen that when she read the invitation. "Aedan, whatever you are thinking, it is not a good idea."
She glanced up at him. "I'm a Federal marshal, Jean-Claude. You're hesitant to go because it doesn't feel right. I can tell just by reading the card that it doesn't feel right. We need to go because I need to know whether or not they're doing something illegal. If they are, I'm duty bound to put a stop to it."
"Aedan, you are one person," he reminded her. Not because he thought it would convince her to ignore whatever she was thinking, but because he needed to say it. She needed to understand that she couldn't take on the world by herself.
"I know that," she responded testily, as if she resented being reminded of such petty things. "Just accept. When is this event supposed to take place?"
"A week from tomorrow."
"Good. Time enough for me to find something appropriate to wear," she told him. He was about to argue with her, but there was a knock at the door. "Ooo. Pizza's here! Let's watch the cartoon network while I stuff myself full of ooey gooey, cheesy goodness."
Jean-Claude sighed and shook his head. Nothing good was going to come of this. Nothing good at all.
~*~*~*~*~
"Marshal Kinkade, a pleasure to meet you." The medical examiner held out her hand as Aedan stepped into her office. Amelia Yun was of Asian persuasion, though Aedan wasn't sure which part of Asia she hailed from. She had shining black hair and deep brown eyes that were bright with intelligence. She was taller than Aedan, and it looked like she liked to wrestle alligators in her spare time. Aedan put her hand in the other woman's, pleased to find she had a firm grip and gave a good hand shake. "I only wish it could be under better circumstances."
"There are never any good circumstances when it comes to death," Aedan replied. Amelia Yun nodded her head in agreement. She released her hold on Aedan's hand and motioned toward a door behind her, moving that way without saying anything. "Zewrbrowksi speaks very highly of you. You've impressed him with your medical examiner magic."
The woman smiled as she stopped at the other door. "He speaks highly of you, too, Marshal Kinkade. You must be very good at your job."
"Call me Aedan," she said immediately. "And its entirely possible that I'm just very good at not losing my lunch at crime scenes. Though its been close a few times."
"There are cops who have been on the job for years who can't say the same thing," the woman acknowledged. She studied Aedan a moment before giving a faint nod of her head and pushing the door open.
The room beyond was obviously where Amelia Yun worked. It was all stainless steel and sickly green and tile flooring that gleamed brightly in the cold lights shining down from the ceiling. The room smelled clean, though there was a faint touch of death lingering under the scent of chemical disinfectant. Aedan took in a set of stainless steel cabinets on one wall, with a sink set into the center of it. Another wall had small, square doors on it, obviously the vaults where they kept bodies. Several trays of instruments were set up and pushed up against the far wall. Various cabinets and storage units surrounded the doors.
Her eyes were drawn to the half dozen tables bolted to the floor in the center of the room. Three of them gleamed in the overhead lights, devoid of anything. Three of them were draped with sheets, the thin barrier formed to the hills and valleys of the bodies hidden beneath them. Amelia Yun moved toward the tables with a light step. Aedan followed her, silent and intent on her reasons for being there.
"I was surprised you called," Amelia said as she waited for Aedan to come to a halt next to her. "I'm not used to anyone beyond our local law enforcement being interested in the bodies after I'm done with them. And given what I know of your particular area of expertise, I don't understand exactly what you hope to accomplish here."
Aedan glanced at the medical examiner a moment before shrugging. "I have multiple areas of expertise." It was a non-answer and they both knew it. Before the other woman could ask too many uncomfortable questions, Aedan motioned to the first table. "Let's get this started."
"Of course. You are a busy woman, after all," Amelia stated. She reached out and took hold of the edge of the sheet on the table they stood beside. It pulled back to reveal the pale face of the victim from the crime scene she'd visited two nights ago.
"Have you IDed her yet?"
"Trina Plunkett," Amelia supplied, glancing at the chart she'd picked up. "She was twenty two. We got a positive ID off a tattoo she has on her back." Aedan filed the name away with absent efficiency, her eyes glued to the woman's face. She looked so much younger than twenty two. She looked like she was barely a teenager. She took hold of the sheet and moved it lower so she could get a look at the scratches she remembered being on the girl's body.
The Y incision and its dark, thick stitches were a stark reminder of where she was standing. The urge to raise the woman from the dead and ask her questions was overwhelming, but she wasn't about to start doing that with the good doctor standing at her back. She shifted her gaze away from the visible signs of autopsy and moved to the scratches she recalled.
They were cleaner and neater after they'd been cleaned and examined. They weren't as brilliantly red as they had been at the crime scene, but that was a good thing. Because now Aedan could see the exact shape of them. She leaned closer to peer at them, using one hand to hold her hair back while the other mapped the shape and spread of the scratches in the air above them. When she lifted her eyes to the medical examiner, it was to find that Amelia Yun was watching Aedan closely. "They look like animal claws. But they don't look right. And they don't look deep enough," Aedan said.
"You're correct," Amelia agreed. "They were made by an animal's claws, but they weren't made by an animal."
"So some sick human is trying to shift the blame," Aedan murmured.
"Does that really surprise you, Kinkade?" The voice brought both Aedan and Amelia's heads up. Aedan wasn't surprised, but Amelia was. Her gaze slid from Aedan to the rather unimpressive blonde standing in the doorway. His lips almost twitched up into a smile. Aedan shook her head.
"Doctor Amelia Yun, meet Federal marshal Ted Forrester. Ted, this is Amelia Yun, the chief medical examiner for St. Louis," Aedan introduced before turning back to the body. "The bite marks are small," she said, mostly to herself. But she felt the attention of the other two people in the room focus on her. She moved to the next table and gently pulled the sheet back. The body there was Janice Waterston. Aedan made a quick visual exam of the injuries that marred the woman's skin. She moved on to the third table, where Candace Baker had been laid out for her inspection.
She was no expert in such things, but she was pretty sure that the scratches and bites were all the same size. "These were all done by the same person, weren't they?" she asked quietly, her eyes going from the scratches on Candace's right shoulder to her left shoulder. "And they look to be right handed?"
"Very astute, Marshal Kinkade," Amelia said. The woman moved across the room to one of the many cabinets near the door. One of the drawers slid open and, from within its depths, she produced a file folder. The interior was packed with pictures and sheets of paper. No doubt Doctor Yun's official notes on the case. "Each one of the bites was made by the same mouth. The span of space between the left and ride side of the teeth is roughly two inches. The scratches are shallow, with the deepest at a depth of only a fraction of an inch. The scratches on the left side of the bodies are all uniform and even. Those left on the right hand side are slightly askew and awkward. Your perpetrator is very definitely right handed. And likely on the short side. Without much upper body strength."
"What makes you say that?" Edward asked, obviously faintly curious by the conclusion.
"There are no restraint marks." Amelia motioned toward Trina's wrists, which were unblemished. And Detective Zerbrowski informed me that Marshal Kinkade said she detected spent magic at the crime scene. Whoever did these horrible things to Miss Plunkett obviously used that magic to contain and control her."
Aedan stared at Candace Baker's face a moment before turning to look at Edward and Amelia Yun. "You made a computer generated guess at what the murder weapon looked like," she began, her thoughts spinning madly in her head. "The evidence I saw at the scene supports that guess."
"What evidence, Aedan?" Edward asked. She glanced at him, wondering why he was asking such a question. Normally, he had his nose in everything before he showed up on her door. Which left her wondering why he was really there.
"There were glass shards removed from Miss Plunkett's vagina," Doctor Yun supplied. "The same kind of shards were found embedded in the vaginas of our other two victims." There was the rustle of paper and the sharper sound of photos as they were shifted and shuffled around. She drew one out and handed it over to Edward. Aedan saw the clinical look on his face as he studied the image for all of ten seconds.
"Someone used a glass dildo to murder the victims?" he asked softly. Aedan wasn't sure if he was doing so because he was upset with what he'd seen or if he was playing a role for the medical examiner. She didn't care.
"It was used to penetrate each woman's vagina. And then it was used to murder them," Amelia said, voice devoid of inflection. Edward said nothing, which could have meant anything.
"Which suggests that our perpetrator is either incapable of achieving an erection and has to resort to alternative means," Aedan said slowly, her mind still turning things over. "Or our perpetrator has no penis with which to get an erection."
"Aedan?" Edward asked. She heard the order in his voice, almost buried under the curiosity.
"Either our perp is a very small man," she began, hand motioning to a set of bite marks. "Or we've got a female serial killer with a specific type on our hands."
"A woman?" Amelia asked, sounding as if she didn't quite yet buy it.
"Well, shit," Edward added. Yeah, Aedan thought. That just about summed it up.
Tags:
- author: ladydeathfaerie,
- character: aedan kinkade,
- character: christophe boule,
- character: edward,
- character: janika odon,
- character: jason schuyler,
- character: jean claude,
- character: micah callahan,
- character: minette poulson,
- character: nathaniel graison,
- character: rhiannon fitzpatrick,
- universe: anita blake
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-07 06:43 pm (UTC)Oh man, the angst -- poor Aedan and the nightmares, Rhia meeting up with Christophe...love!
And my fave lines: ' "Am I that much of a bitch?" she asked.
"Only when you are awake," he told her. She frowned at him a moment, then reached out and poked him in the chest. '
*snicker*
And holy shit, you and your crimes and plots...I can't wait to see how this progresses! Glass dildos as weapons...it's either pure genius or pure--ah hell, it's pure genius! *evil grin*
More soon? :)
xxoo
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-07 07:08 pm (UTC)i think Aedan has seen more than her share of disturbing things and she's used to internalizing it all because she didn't have any positive outlets when she was younger. its going to take her a while to get to a point where she can actually share it.
i did very much like that tiny bit of teasing.
my brain is already trying to twist the plots here. i'm trying to keep it from happening. but we'll see how well that goes. glass dildos came about because, quite literally, i was looking Texas counties up on Wikipedia and there was legit a county named Glasscock. and, well... my brain ran. so here we are. we'll see what comes of it all
glad you enjoyed, bb.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-12 01:18 am (UTC)Is it sad that I gave a tiny little squee when I saw this posted? I do so much love this 'verse! That was an awkward sentence, but you know what I mean. So happy that you're still playing in it. And can I just reiterate how much I love Rhia and Nathaniel? Because I do. And Christophe.
This invite does not bode well. Not at all. What mischief do you have planned?
Also, I think Edward summed it up well there at the end. lol
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-12 09:01 pm (UTC)Cat has said the same thing. she loves this 'verse. to be honest, i really love it, too. i feel like i've created something really solid and rich here. something that is very close to LKH's original vision, but that's still not quite so much HER thing. i don't know when i'll stop playing here. or even if. i love how everyone plays out on the page and how they interact with one another. and i do love Rhia and Nathaniel. i feel like they're so well suited to one another. like they're the yin and the yang. you know? and Christophe. he's such a warm soul in my mind. so kind and loving. but powerful. and probably older than we realize.
you'll see what kind of mischief i'm up to. when i get to it. assuming, of course, i have mischief planned. you might just be paranoid.
Edward is good for that kind of thing. the excellent summations. i like that about him.
i'm glad you enjoyed. and is it sad that i got happy that you squee'd over this chapter? cos i did.