My hands twist around the seatbelt as Felix talks about…something and I stare out the window. I’m starting work at Felix’s office today. Felix announced this at dinner last night, which I was really not expecting, because…well, what the hell? He just offered me the job yesterday, so I figured there would be, like, preparations or something he’d need to make. Pretty much everyone else was surprised, too (except Sage), but no one objected, surprisingly. Well, Neve started to, but Faolan said something that shut him up.
Even if I manage to win over the rest of them, I doubt Neve will ever accept me.
“We’re here.”
I jolt out of my thoughts, peering at the building in front of us as Felix slides into a parking spot. It looks like just a regular office building, nothing at all like what I pictured from the mystery novels I read.
“Forget everything you’ve seen in movies,” Felix comments, sliding me a grin while turning off the car. “It’ll probably be boring.”
“I don’t mind boring,” I reply, following him out of the car. I’ve dealt with enough shit in my life to appreciate boring.
We downtown, just a few blocks from the financial district. The small building also contains a law office and a yoga studio, according to a sign out front, and I can see a bookstore down the street. Yeah, this is definitely not what I imagined when I pictured his PI office.
Felix leads me up the stairs to the second floor, which is pretty nice looking with a hardwood floor and cream-coloured walls. Judging by the architecture, I’m guessing it’s a fairly old building.
“Here we are.” Felix stops in front of a glass door with O’Malley & Associates emblazoned in gold lettering.
“Fancy,” I comment, lips quirking as I watch him unlock the door.
Felix merely grins, before leading me inside. “It’s pretty small, but nothing really happens here aside from the work you’ll be doing. The rest of us will spend a lot of time out of the office.” He flips on the light and tugs open the blinds on the door.
The room contains a leather couch and large desk, situated in front of a wall of filing cabinets. There are two doors on either side of me, all shut. Definitely cosy, but I like it.
“So that’ll be your desk,” Felix says, leading me over. I study the computer screen on the desk, before glancing at the other doors. Felix is already unlocking the one on the left closest to me. “This is my office, and the two over there”—he gestures to the opposite wall—”belong to Ava and Jo.” When he looks back and sees my raised eyebrow, he adds, “The other two detectives. Ava was the receptionist before you.”
“Oh.”
I warily sit at my new desk, watching Felix wander around the office and unlock the rest of the doors, turning on lights as he goes. He taps on the last door after unlocking it. “Kitchen and washroom are in here. Well, kitchen’s kind of pushing it—it’s a counter with a bar fridge, a microwave, a coffeemaker, and a kettle. Always offer clients a drink when they come in.” Felix runs a hand back through his unruly hair and frowns. “I guess that’s it for the office.” He turns and strides over to me, leaning against the desk less than a foot away from where I’m sitting. “Questions?”
Trying to ignore his proximity (and how good he looks in those jeans), I shrug and gesture at the computer. “Just…how to do all this stuff, I guess?”
By the realisation on his face, I’m guessing he forgot about my lack of computer skills. But his smile doesn’t falter, and within seconds, he’s pulling up another chair and getting right into my personal space.
And so begins my lesson on computers.
***
“Who are you?”
I look up from the spreadsheet I’m attempting to create and blink at the woman standing on the other side of the desk. Her honey-coloured dreadlocks are piled on top of her head, the colour warming her light brown skin and bringing out flecks of gold in her hazel eyes—which are narrowed and fixed on my face. She crosses her arms across her chest and raises an eyebrow.
“Do you not speak Correnian?”
Hastily clearing my throat, I sit straighter in my rolling chair. “Sorry. I’m Kit. I, uh…I’m the new receptionist?” My eyes flick to Felix’s door, but he’s out on an errand or something. Bastard.
“You?” Her eyes flick down, sizing me up. “And…Felix hired you?”
I nod tightly, gritting my teeth. She seems about as pleasant as Neve. Fantastic.
She shakes her head with a sigh. “Alright, then. I’m the other PI. Well, one of the others, now that Ava’s graduated from manning the desk.” She sticks her hand out, blue nail polish catching the light. “I’m Josephine.”
After warily eyeing her hand, I carefully reach out to shake it. “Uh, hi.” I try to pull my hand back after one pump, but her grip tightens. Suddenly, I’m on high alert, heart speeding up and wide eyes fixed on her carefully made-up face. Her expression is still neutral, but I know not to trust that.
“Let go,” I say, mouth dry.
She studies me a second longer, and then releases my hand with a roll of the eyes. “Don’t know why Felix would hire someone like you.”
Pressing my hands in my lap, I flush at the insult. It takes years of practise to keep from snapping back at her, because when has that ever ended well? Without another word, Josephine turns away and walks into the office to my right, her steps punctuated by her heeled ankle boots. Between those and the dark grey skirt suit, I have to wonder if she’s not in the wrong line of business. How does she hide in bushes or stalk people down alleys?
The door shuts behind her, and I slowly relax. The phone on my desk hasn’t rung at all, but Felix said most of their clients communicate by email or call the investigators directly, so I guess it isn’t really surprising. No walk-ins, either, like the books, but apparently those are even more rare.
Glancing warily at Josephine’s closed door, I return to the spreadsheet I started. I’m in charge of compiling each detective’s list of expenses, which means I have to go through a pile of receipts and scribbled notes to put into the computer. It’s easy enough, I guess, but it seems like it would be more efficient if they just typed up this stuff as they went.
But then I guess they wouldn’t need me, and I’d be answering sketchy ads from the classifieds.
***
About an hour later, Josephine is still in her office, and I’m adding the final numbers to the invoice for what appears to have been the case for a lost pet, if the dog food and kennel receipts are anything to go by. I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself for successfully creating a spreadsheet without, like, blowing up the computer or something.
Then the phone rings.
I jump, staring at it with mild horror, before scrambling for the sticky note Felix left for me and tentatively reaching for the phone.
“Um, th-thank you for calling O’Malley & Associates,” I carefully read from the note, my voice not nearly as steady as it should be. “How may I help you?”
A woman who is clearly more confident on the phone than I am replies, “I am looking for a detective.“
“Uh…” I flip over the note, but there’s nothing guiding me on what to do past a greeting. Fucking Felix. “Well, there are detectives here…” Trailing off, I wrack my brain for something else to say, but even my encyclopaedic knowledge of mystery novels isn’t helping me.
“Yes—that’s why I called.” Her impatience makes me wince—I’m really not good at dealing with people.
“For fuck’s sake,” someone mutters, and before I can stammer out something else moronic, Josephine is snatching the phone from my hand and apologising to the potential client for “our new receptionist—he’s still training”. I didn’t even see her come out of her office.
Obviously used to this, Josephine efficiently takes the woman’s information and arranges an appointment for the coming Friday at 4 o’clock sharp. Shoulders hunched, I watch her hang up, and then hastily look away when those sharp eyes flick to me. I expect her to berate me, but instead she says mildly, “Well, at least you tried, I suppose,” before pulling out her cell and typing something in. She looks back up, eyebrow raised. “Have you ever done reception work before?”
Mutely, I shake my head, wondering how the hell she’s so intimidating. Something about her…aura, I guess.
She sighs. “How the hell did you get this job…”
I shrug awkwardly and bite my lip. “Uh, nepotism, I guess…”
“What, you’re his cousin?” she asks doubtfully.
Blinking at her, I realise that Felix hasn’t told her about me, which…isn’t that the kind of thing you should probably tell your coworkers?
“We’re, uh…we’re married,” I reply, even as part of me wonders if Felix wanted to keep that a secret. Oh well. If there’s any dramatic fallout, Felix can deal with it—I’m still annoyed that he apparently didn’t tell me nearly enough about what to do in the case of a phone call.
Josephine is frowning at me, confusion softening her previously intense expression. “Married…”
“It’s pretty recent,” I add, voice rising at the end to add a questioning tone to the statement.
Still staring at me, she slowly nods, before pocketing her phone and returning to her office. I watch the door click shut, and then glance down at my wedding ring. Well. That was strange.
***
I pull open one of the filing cabinet drawers and flick through the folders, looking for STAUNTON, CHANDRA. She’s not under S, so I check C, but…nope. Felix must have a filing system that normal people don’t use. Which, considering what little I know of him, doesn’t surprise me.
Shoving the drawer shut again, I step back and look at the other cabinets for any hints.
I suddenly sense someone behind me, and then arms wrap tightly around my waist. My heart stops, and then I slam my elbow back into a hard stomach, before I drop into a crouch and grab my attacker’s arm. I haul on it hard enough to make him yelp, and then he’s flying over my shoulder and crashing into the filing cabinets. Blood rushing, I pounce and grab him by the throat, claws piercing soft skin—
And then I realise who it is.
Shock makes me fall back, eyes wide. I stare at the man crumpled on the floor, my mouth going dry. “F-Felix!” He isn’t moving. “Felix?”
Oh shit, oh shit, what did I do?! Is he unconscious? Is he…is he…
But then he groans and slowly moves, pushing himself to his knees. “Fuck, Kit,” he hisses, voice tight and pained. “Why’d you have to throw me?” He flexes one hand, then the other, probably checking for breaks or something.
“I didn’t know it was you!”
“You could’ve checked!”
I’m trying to stay calm, I’m trying, but…but is this it? Is this when he decides I’m not worth it? I mean, I threw him into a wall of cabinets…
I press a hand over my mouth, suppressing a groan as my eyes begin to prick. I threw him into cabinets. Why couldn’t… What happened to all my training?! I know not to resist, I know, and it’s just Felix, so why…?
My groan slides into a whimper as I watch Felix painfully get to his feet, wavering slightly. This is it. I’ve ruined everything.
He doesn’t say anything; he just turns and shuffles into his office, shutting the door behind him.
The tears spill over, and I try not to sob. I’ve fucked up. I’ve really, really fucked up.
***
I stare blankly at the computer screen, no longer processing the numbers. It’s been almost half an hour, and Felix still hasn’t left his office. I know I should leave, find my way back to the house, get my stuff, and run, but…but I can’t. I’m so fucking tired of running.
The sound of the door opening attracts my attention, and I brace myself for dealing with a client, but it’s…
“Sei? Why are you here?”
He closes the door and studies me for a moment, dark eyes narrowed. He’s dressed better than usual, wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top. I can’t help but stare at him, especially his…really nice legs, but I quickly look away.
Vampire. Never forget that.
“Felix called me,” Sei says, crossing the room. “What the hell happened?”
I glance at Felix’s office door. Still shut. “What do you mean?” I keep my tone casual, but judging by the way Sei rolls his eyes, he isn’t fooled. Instead of saying anything, though, he goes to Felix’s office and opens the door without knocking. He slips inside and shuts the door before I can get a look inside. I stiffly wait, trying to hear what they’re saying, but the door is either too thick or they’re talking too quietly for me to hear.
Taking a deep breath, I clench my hands in my lap. I’m not gonna panic. I’ve gotten out of worse before.
It isn’t long before the door opens again and Sei reappears. He rubs his forehead and jerks his head toward the front door. “C’mon, we’re going.”
I slowly stand up, squinting at him. “Where?”
Sei digs keys out of his pocket, glancing back at me with a smirk. “You always this suspicious?”
I watch him without moving, jaw clenched. Apparently figuring out that I’m not going to follow him without some sort of explanation, Sei finally sighs and shrugs. “We’re just going home. Promise.” When I still don’t move, he adds, “Unless you want to stay here?”
Before I can stop myself, I look at Felix’s door again. Fuck.
“Fine.”
I round the desk and shuffle after Sei, crossing my arms when I’m a foot away. He doesn’t comment, though, and the trip to the car is quiet. I gingerly slide into the passenger seat, dragging my fingers across the soft leather, and buckle up. The radio comes on when Sei starts the car, spouting traffic news.
“You eaten?”
Wrapping my hands around the seatbelt, I glance at Sei. “No…”
“Want to pick up something, or are you fine until we get home?”
“Home’s fine.” I watch the office building disappear in the side mirror, but I don’t know which window is Felix’s. “What did Felix tell you?”
Sei rolls down his window, and a blast of wind blows my hair into my eyes. I grimace, while Sei replies, “He said you were having a hard time and wanted me to take you home.”
A hard time? How am I supposed to interpret that?
I rest my head against the window, watching pedestrians, cyclists, and other cars go by. I’ve got nothing else to say, but neither does Sei, it seems, so we drive back with just the sound of the radio and outside world breaking the silence.
By the time we get back to the house and pull into the garage, my stomach is grumbling, and all I can think about is what’s in the fridge. After unlocking the door and taking off his shoes, Sei heads down to the basement without a word. I watch him until he disappears, before leaving my shoes next to his and shuffling to the kitchen. The house is quiet, so I guess everyone else is at work.
I pull out a plate of leftover chicken from last night and close the fridge, peeling off the cellophane. That and a glass of water are enough of a snack for me, so I sit at the island (facing the doorway in case anyone comes in) and slowly pick at the cold meat with my fingers.
I don’t know how badly I hurt Felix. I don’t know if he hit his head, or if he broke something, or how deep my claws dug into his neck…
What if he’s afraid of me now?
The chicken suddenly feels dry on my tongue, and I shove the plate away with a shuddering breath. I don’t want him to be afraid of me. I don’t want him to hate me.
Swallowing hard, I gulp down my glass of water and return the chicken to the fridge. I know what I have to do.
***
I pause with my hands plunged into the soapy water in the kitchen sink, listening as a door opens and closes. It takes me a moment, but I realise it’s the front door when I hear shoes hit the floor as they’re presumably kicked off. I slowly pull my hands from the water and creep toward the kitchen doorway. Everyone’s gone to bed, so who…?
A quick peek around the corner, and I relax. Felix.
…shit, Felix.
Swallowing hard, I hurry back to the sink and return to washing dishes. I need to compose myself if this is gonna work. He’ll probably go upstairs, so once I’m done this, I’ll follow and—
“Kit?”
I freeze, the glass in my hand nearly slipping back into the sink. Setting it on the drying rack and wiping my hands on the dishtowel, I turn around with an only partially feigned look of surprise.
“Felix!” Dropping my gaze to the floor, I add, “You’re late…”
“Has everyone already gone to bed?”
I mutely nod, and he sighs, coming further into the kitchen. Licking my dry lips, I glance up and step away from the sink. Felix isn’t looking at me.
“Felix…” I walk until I’m in front of him, and then reach out to touch his cheek. His bright green eyes abruptly meet mine, and I bite my lip. “Are you okay?” My fingers brush against the shell of his pierced ear and slide into his messy hair.
“I’m fine,” Felix replies, voice hoarse. His eyelids flutter when I scrape my fingernails against his scalp. I run my other hand along his side, searching his sharp face.
“But you hit your head…” The tremor in my voice is real, and I quickly clear my throat as I search for bumps, finding a small one above his right ear. He grimaces when my fingers press against it, and I quickly move my hand away. “Sorry.”
Felix shakes his head, offering a tight smile. So he’s still mad.
I drop my other hand to his waist and slip my fingers under his T-shirt, his skin warm against my palm.
“What are you doing?” he murmurs, arms dangling by his sides.
“Checking for injuries,” I breathe, skimming my hand up to his hard chest, while the other presses against his ribs. He hisses when a nail catches his nipple, his breath rushing out when I press closer. “Does it hurt? I’m sorry…”
“It’s not your fault,” Felix says roughly, back hitting the island when he steps back. His face is red.
I almost want to laugh. Not my fault? How?
Letting my fingers fall to the waistband of his jeans, I rest my forehead on his shoulder. “I’m not a very good husband, am I…” A quick tug and his jeans are undone. Felix stiffens. “Is your neck okay?” My claws left deep scratches, which have scabbed over. I press my mouth against the longest ones, guilt twisting my stomach. Felix’s pulse is quick against my lips.
“Kit…”
A practiced flick of the wrist unzips his fly, and I slide against his body as I sink to my knees, hooked fingers dragging his jeans and underwear down with me. His breath hitches, and I lean forward, flicking my tongue against his piercing. This is the first time I’ve really taken a look at it. An apadravya, I think it’s called. An ex-boyfriend of mine was a body piercer, so I know the names of piercings, even if I don’t have any myself. Had to have been painful as hell to get it, but judging by Felix’s full body shudder from just my tongue, it doesn’t hurt anymore.
Gripping his hips, I slide his cock into my mouth and suck hard.
“Oh, fuck.” Felix arches over me, and his hands fly to my shoulders, squeezing. Years of practise keeps me from choking when his erection swells, and I relax my throat to take him deeper. Prickly hairs tickle my nose as the movement buries my face in his groin. I slowly pull back until just the tip of his cock rests on my tongue and slide my hands up the soft skin of his inner thighs.
Gods, I’ve missed this.
“K-Kit,” Felix stammers breathlessly, body trembling. I swallow him down again, interrupting whatever he’s about to say. Felix gives up, and for the next few minutes, the only sounds in the kitchen are Felix’s moans and my slurping.
When his breathing grows more erratic, I pull back and gently tease Felix’s piercing with my teeth. Suddenly, his grip tightens on my shoulders, and he comes with a strangled groan. I quickly close my eyes as cum spurts across my face and lands on my tongue.
“Oh, shit, sorry.” Gentle fingers wipe across my eyelids, and I lift them to peer up at Felix through my bangs. Post-orgasm is a good look on him.
We stare at each other as he strokes my cheeks with an unreadable expression. His mouth opens, and he starts to say something…
“That you, Felix?”
Eyes widening, I scramble back and get to my feet, while Felix twists to look at the doorway. Sei looks surprised for a second, before one eyebrow lifts.
“Looks like you two have made up.”
My whole body burns in shame, and before I can think, I’m shoving past Sei and running upstairs. I hear someone call after me, but I don’t stop until I’m in my room and leaning against the closed door. Growling under my breath, I yank of my shirt and wipe off my face before tossing it aside.
I didn’t want anyone else to see that. Sei must think I’m disgusting.
Frustrated, I cross the room and crawl into the closet, burrowing in the blankets. What was Felix going to say? Was blowing him enough to make him forgive me? Will he let me stay?
Or will I have to do more?
I squeeze my eyes shut and press my face into my cool pillow, trying to calm down. Eventually, little by little, my body relaxes, but it’s a long time before I fall asleep.
***
I splash water on my face and rub my eyes, before leaning against the sink and peering blearily at the mirror. I hang my head with a groan. I’m exhausted, but is it even worth it to go back to bed? Fragments of blood and hands and eyes cling to my mind, and every time I close my eyes, I see…them.
Drying my face, I sigh, but stiffen when my breath crystallises in front of my face. The bathroom is suddenly freezing, and as I watch, frost slowly creeps across the mirror.
“The hell…?”
Turning, I look around the room, but nothing’s changed—aside from the ice overtaking the floor. I hiss and scurry back toward my room, feet stinging from the frozen floor. But before I can slip inside, I hear something that sounds like sobbing.
I look over my shoulder at Neve’s room, breath held—definitely crying. Should I…?
Biting my lip, I stare at his closed door. If I go in there, he’s just gonna get pissed at me. But…but what if something’s wrong? Even if he hates me, I can’t just ignore him. So, taking a deep breath, I creep across the icy floor to his door and knock. There’s no answer even after my second knock, so—reluctantly—I turn the frozen knob and slowly push the door open.
A blast of cold air hits me, and I flinch back, before hunching my shoulders and stepping inside.
Everything is covered in frost. I stare at the bed, where a lump I’m assuming to be Neve is shaking and whimpering between unintelligible words. He’s alone, so I guess he’s having a nightmare, too.
But why is it so cold?
Leaving the safety of the doorway, my numb feet take me to his bed. When I stop next to his pillow, I can see the tears frozen to his pale cheeks, the sheets twisted around his legs. I hesitate only a moment, before whispering loudly, “Neve, wake up.”
Of course, that doesn’t work, so I carefully reach out to shake his shoulder. “Neve—”
His hand clamps around my wrist, and only years of practise keeps me from screaming as a thick layer of ice suddenly coats my arm, burning deep into my skin. My vision tilts, and I yank my arm free before stumbling back a few steps to collapse against the wall.
“What the fuck, Neve?!” I demand hoarsely, curling protectively around my arm. It’s heavy and numb, like the times when my body was drained of blood, but this time it’s ice, and—and how did this happen?!
I hear rustling over the pounding in my ears, followed by: “Why are you in my room?!”
But now I’m shaking too hard to answer—shock? I think that’s what someone said once.
My knees meet the thick grey carpet with a muted thud, and I start doing my best not to pass out. My mouth tastes like blood; maybe I bit my tongue.
I vaguely hear the bed creak. “What the hell is wrong with you? I told you to stay away from my room, so why the fuck are you in here?” He stops in front of me, and I force myself to look up, blinking hard. His face finally comes into focus, straight white teeth bared in a snarl. “Well?”
“S-sorry,” I automatically reply, voice barely above a whisper. I clench my jaw against my chattering teeth and squint when my vision blurs again. “I-I just…you…were having a nightmare…” I weakly twist away from him, clutching my frozen arm as it throbs. I shouldn’t have come in here. What if he does something worse?
No, not what if—I know he will.
I hunch my shoulders, trying not to cry. That just spurs them on.
“What are you hiding?” Neve snaps, taking a step closer.
Shaking my head, I rasp, “Nothing,” even though I know he won’t believe me. His harsh laugh just confirms that.
“Did you steal something? Is that it?”
“No!”
“Really, Kit?” he drawls tightly, taking a few more steps until he’s looming over me. “You might have Felix fooled, but I know what kind of person you are. Crying on demand must be a pretty handy trick.”
He suddenly drops into a crouch, and I scramble back, but he manages to grab my left arm before I can escape. With a low whine, I plead, “Wait, Neve, st—”
“Shut up.”
I yelp when he yanks on my wrist, exposing my frozen arm. I try to push him away, but his grip tightens.
Panic grows as I stare at his hand, imagining what he’ll do to me now that I’m trapped. Before I can stop myself, my feet slam into his chest, a panicked snarl escaping me. He hits the side of the bed as I jump up into a crouch and pounce.
Neve yelps and tries to roll away, but my claws rake down his cheek and catch in the front of his buttoned nightshirt. His cold hands shove me away, buttons popping off and leaving his nightshirt gaping. I go for him again, but he’s ready this time and lunges, shoulder slamming into my chest and sending me to the floor. As I gasp in surprise, mildly winded, Neve slides on top of me with his teeth bared. Eyes widening, I aim a punch at his face, but I’m too slow.
Ice bites into my left wrist, shooting down my arm, and I scream in panic, because if he freezes both arms, I’ll be helpless, and then—
But my scream makes Neve jolt back and release my wrist, and I use his distraction to buck my hips and roll, quickly pinning him underneath my shivering body. I shakily wrap my hand around his neck and start to squeeze, terrified of what will happen if he gets free…
I feel him trembling, and when I meet his eyes—I stop. What am I doing? That expression…how many times have I worn the same one?
He’s scared of me.
Clenching my teeth, I shove away from him with a growl and stumble to my feet. My heart’s still pounding, making my ears buzz, but the urge to just…tear Neve apart is gone.
If I gave in, that would make me no better than…
My eyes flick back to Neve when I hear him move, and I flinch, but he just gets to his knees, blood trickling sluggishly down his cheek. He watches me warily, hands clenched into fists against the frozen carpet, and I stare back, panting. Is he going to come after me? My right arm is dangling uselessly at my side, and my left…
I glance down at it, stomach twisting, but although it’s red, I can move my fingers.
Unlike my right hand.
“Are you planning to attack me again?”
My eyes meet his, wide and disbelieving. “W-what?”
Neve is clearly regaining his confidence, because his usual scowl is back, and he’s standing up with far more grace than I could ever muster. “You snuck into my room while I was sleeping. Again,” he hisses.
“I-I…” My feet crunch against the frozen rug as I back up. “You were crying and—” Something catches my foot, and I stumble with a sharp gasp. Before I can regain my balance, I’m shoved up against the wall, Neve’s face inches from mine.
“Shut. Up.” His hands twist in my shirt. “This isn’t your home.” There’s a dangerous tone in his voice when he adds, “You’re lucky I don’t kill you for invading my territory.”
I swallow hard, afraid to open my mouth. Please let me go…
There’s a strange glow under the skin of his shoulders, and ice crackles under our feet. Shivering, I close my eyes. I won’t beg; begging always makes things worse. If I stay quiet, maybe (hopefully) he’ll lose interest and leave me alone.
But he presses closer and mutters something under his breath, before suddenly letting go of my shirt. I open my eyes, expecting him to finally do something…but then I realise he’s grabbed my right arm and is staring at it in confusion.
My eyes widen, teeth nearly catching my tongue as I whimper, “Don’t!”
“It’s frozen…” Neve mutters, brow furrowing. His fingers trace the pale, waxy skin, but I can’t feel it. I…I can’t feel it.
“Y-you…” I want to pull my arm away, but what if he makes it worse? “You d-did it…” What does it mean that I can’t feel it? Am…am I going to lose my arm?
Neve’s eyes meet mine, wide and horrified. “What?” His voice is barely a whisper.
My ears are buzzing again, vision tunnelling. “Y-you froze my arm…” I swallow hard, try to focus, but the cold is getting worse, making me heavier, and…and if I don’t move, don’t get away…
Suddenly, Neve yanks me away from the wall and drags me toward the bathroom door. I want to stop him, but he’s pulling me by my frozen arm, and if he pulls too hard—
Inside the bathroom, he brings me to the tub, not letting go of me as he turns on the taps. Steam rises in the cold air, and Neve plugs the drain, frantically adjusting the water. I grab the side of the tub and squeeze my eyes shut, struggling just to breathe. Then my knees hit the floor with barely registered pain, Neve quickly kneeling next to me. I don’t know what’s happening anymore.
When the tub’s half full, he plunges my arm into the warm water, but I don’t feel it. I pant, staring down at my arm as the skin seems to…swell, the colour edging on purple. I hiccough, eyes watering. It’s gonna fall off. I know it’s gonna fall off.
“Neve! Neve, are you okay?!”
Neve swears and stands up, but doesn’t leave my side, even as footsteps come pounding through his room. Faolan and Sei slide into the room, Faolan tugging at the pyjama pants hanging low on his hips, and Sei shoving his messy hair out of his face, wearing only a pair of black boxers. I press closer to the tub with a swallowed sob.
“What the fuck happened?” Sei demands, voice hoarse with sleep. “Why’d you cover the place in ice?”
Faolan is the first to spot me, a frown creasing his forehead as he glances back at Neve. “Were you fighting?”
“He came into my room again!” Neve snaps, voice thin. “Why do I have to sleep on the same floor as him?!”
Faolan holds up placating hands, taking a step toward him. “Neve—”
“No! I am sick of this!” He points a trembling finger at me, and I flinch instinctively. “I am sick of dealing with him!”
I drag my arm out of the water and pull myself to my feet with the edge of the tub, swaying as my vision swims. If I can just get back to my closet…
One step forward and my legs give out, but before I can hit to frozen floor, Sei’s grabbing me. I weakly struggle to get away, but I just…I can’t. Everything hurts.
Neve’s still yelling, but Sei cuts him off with an impatient, “What did you do to him?”
Neve goes abruptly quiet and stares at Sei in shock. His mouth opens, shuts, and opens again, voice cracking when he says, “I…I didn’t mean to…”
“Mean to what?”
“Give him frostbite!” Neve wraps his arms around himself, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. “He shouldn’t have been in my room…”
Sei growls something I don’t understand, before snapping, “Grab me a towel.”
A shudder runs through me, and I sag against Sei, closing my eyes. I feel so heavy…
My stomach rolls as I’m picked up, but I can’t open my eyes, and I don’t fight when my arm’s wrapped up in what feels like a towel. There’s more yelling, but everything’s…buzzing.
I can’t stop crying.
***
Everything’s a blur. Leaving the house, the car ride, the walk into the hospital… Staying upright’s hard, but I refuse to let anyone touch me, flinching away when Faolan offers me his arm. I am not letting him carry me again. I keep a tight grip on my numb arm, trying not to pass out. At least the towel keeps me from looking at the bloated skin.
I’ve never been to a hospital before. Inside, everything’s too big, too crowded, and I can’t keep track of anything. My nose stings from the smell of antiseptic. We end up in a small room with nurses behind desks, and I stumble along behind Sei even though I just want to hide. I take a deep breath and shiver.
The nurse wants my name, my age, my race, but my throat closes up with a whimper. Faolan takes over, reciting everything I’ve told them, and the nurse types it into the computer. He wants to know what happened. Faolan glances at Neve, before giving a quick explanation that hurts to listen to, because I don’t want to think about what’s happening. I close my eyes, wavering on my feet, until something touches my elbow. My eyes open, and I take a step back from Faolan.
“We have to go to the waiting room,” he says, and waits for me to nod before leading the way. Sei and Neve follow a few feet behind, but I’m too focussed on walking to listen to what they’re saying. Just one foot in front of the other.
***
The doctor is a witch. I can smell the magic on her the instant she pushes aside the curtain, bright purple curls bouncing as she moves. Neve is sitting in the only chair, and I’m perched on the bed, trying not to pass out. I don’t know why Neve’s here. I don’t want him here.
“Mr. O’Malley?” Her voice is quick and light, carrying an accent I don’t recognise. I give a weak nod, and she smiles brightly. “I’m Dr. Vira. What brings you to Emergency tonight?”
I silently unwrap the towel from my arm and avoid looking Neve’s way. Dr. Vira clicks her tongue and leans over to peer at the swollen limb, pulling on a pair of gloves. I stare down at my lap as she lifts my arm and turns it over.
“How did this happen?”
“It was an accident,” Neve quickly says, voice strained. I don’t react.
Dr. Vira straightens. “Mr. O’Malley, I need to know exactly how you got hurt. Walk me through it?”
I briefly meet her hazel eyes before glancing at Neve. He’s scowling, arms wrapped tightly around his torso. He grabbed a pair of pants before leaving the house, but he’s still wearing his torn nightshirt.
“It’s frostbite,” Neve snaps, eyes fixed on my arm. “He caught me off-guard.”
Dr. Vira’s dark eyebrows shoot up. “Are you a magic user?”
“Ice.”
“Hm.” She takes my hand and studies my fingers. After a moment, she looks at Neve again and says, “I need to examine the rest of Mr. O’Malley. So if it’s alright with you, I’ll get you to return to the waiting room, and I’ll let you know when I’m done?” She makes it sound like a question, but it’s obviously an order.
Neve glances between me and Dr. Vira, hesitating, before slowly standing up. He looks down at my arm again, but I can’t decipher the look on his face. Then he pushes aside the curtain and slips outside. Once he’s gone, Dr. Vira meets my eyes.
“I get the impression you were a little uncomfortable with your partner being here. I’m concerned that maybe this wasn’t as much of an accident as he’s saying.”
My shoulders rise and fall. What does it matter? “He was having a nightmare, so I woke him up. I guess I scared him.”
“Does this happen often?”
I shake my head, staring at the scuffed linoleum floor. “First time.” At least with Neve. And frostbite.
Voice gentle, but stern, she continues, “Has he ever hurt you unintentionally before?”
“No.”
“And intentionally?”
“No.”
She nods, the picture of understanding. “Okay. And today, are you hurt anywhere other than your arm?”
I shake my head, getting tired of all the questions. Obviously sensing this, she says, “Alright. I can tell you’re getting tired.” Rolling up her sleeves, she gives me a small smile. “I’ll just give you a quick look, but I think it’ll be a rather simple healing process.” After a moment, I stretch out my arm, and she rests a hand on the swollen skin. I can only feel the ghost of her fingers, but I still wince. Her eyes flick up to briefly meet mine, and then they shut. Pale purple light shimmers across my skin and disappears.
The examination only lasts a minute before Dr. Vira pulls back with a satisfied nod. “It seems the ice stopped short of the bone, which makes things easier.” Straightening, she tugs her sleeves back down. “We’ll clean and dress it, and I’ll give you a prescription for a cream to counteract the magic and speed up the healing process. I don’t think you need to be admitted, but see a GP in a couple of days for a wound check.”
I have no idea what a GP is, but I nod anyway. I just want to go home. Apparently that response is enough, because Dr. Vira gathers together the first-aid supplies.
My eyes keep sliding shut as she wraps up my arm, but I manage to jerk back to consciousness each time. Finally, she’s done. The extensive bandaging is stark against my skin, but it’s a vast improvement over what lies beneath. Still, I avoid looking down as I’m led back to the waiting room.
Stifling a wide yawn, I quickly look around the crowded room, braced for dealing with Neve. But Faolan’s alone in the corner, flipping through a magazine with hooded eyes. He pauses, and then looks up, dark eyes fixing on me. His flicker of a smile takes some of the stiffness from my shoulders, and I shuffle over to him. Setting aside the magazine, he stands up and waits for me to stop next to him. Without a word, he wraps a strong arm around me and gently presses me to his side. Too tired to fight, and soothed by his warmth, I sag against him and stifle another yawn as he leads me out of the waiting room.