safer?”
“Right here as far as I’m concerned.”
“I’m going,” Felicity announced.
“No,” I stated in the most adamant tone I could muster. “If they want me there, fine, but only me, not you. Those are my terms, and they’re non-negotiable.”
Felicity had pulled back slightly and now fixed me with an unforgiving stare as she piped up again. “Aye, but they’re not yours to dictate, Rowan. If you are going then I am going. Those are MY terms.”
“Felicity…”
“No,” she insisted, her glare hardening. “Best you not argue with me on this because you won’t win.”
“But…”
“Aye, Caorthann, I said no.” The stern quality that filled her voice when she cut me off was as much magickal as it was earthbound, maybe even more so.
This time, her use of the Gaelic version of my name was coupled with an undeniable energy. She meant to drive home a point, and she did so with earnest. She was correct. I couldn’t win, and continuing to argue was just a waste of time. My desire to protect her was being trumped by her desire to protect me. Any other cards I could play would only bring us to an impasse.
I frowned and brushed my hand across the lower half of my face then shifted my gaze back and forth between Ben and Mandalay as I spoke. “Okay, but I want her as far removed from this as possible.”
“Both of you will be,” Mandalay replied. “The HNT is just going to be interviewing you, that’s all. So you definitely won’t be in any line of fire.”
“I’ll get our coats,” Felicity announced, pulling away from me and skirting around Ben as he shuffled to the side.
“It’s gonna be okay, white man,” my friend told me.
“I hope so,” I replied. “I don’t have a very good feeling about this.”
“Twilight Zone?” he asked.
I centered on the anxious energy that was using my spine as a multi-lane thoroughfare and felt the ache rise inside my skull as my scalp tightened. “Yeah, definitely.”
Constance tried to assuage my obvious fear. “It’s going to be okay.” She gave me a slight smile then looked over to Ben. “We can take my car. Where’s your coat, Storm?”
“On the couch.” He gave a nod back toward the living room. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” she answered as she stepped around him. “Just don’t get used to it.”
“Jeez, Mandalay, now you sound like my wife,” he jibed over his shoulder.
Her voice filtered back to us. “I knew I really liked Allison for some reason.”
Ben swiveled his head back and focused on me. He stared at me in silence for a moment then jutted his chin toward me in a quick gesture as he brought his hand up to gingerly smooth back his hair.
“You seein’ somethin’?” he asked quietly. “One of those visions?”
“No. Just feeling some stuff right now.”
He gave me a questioning look. “So can’t you do some hocus-pocus or something?”
“I wish I could.”
“What about tossin’ some salt around?” he asked. “I’ve seen you two do that. Ain’t that some kind of protection thing?”
“Yes it is,” I replied. “But trust me, this apartment has already been salted enough to give an elephant high blood pressure.”
“So there’s nothing you can do?”
“Stay grounded,” I replied. “That’s about it, I guess.”
“Well do that then,” he instructed. “So does this have anything to do with all that floppin’ around you were doin’ earlier?”
“I don’t know, Ben.” I reached up and began massaging my scalp again. “Maybe. I still have no idea what that is all about. All I can say is that something about this just feels wrong. It’s almost like it’s a big puzzle, but there’s a crucial piece missing that would bring it all together and let you see what the picture is. Do you know what I mean?”
“Well, I don’t know about a puzzle, white man,” he echoed. “It seems pretty straightforward to me.”
I shook my head. “No. There’s something hinky about all of this.”
“Hinky how?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know.”
“You ain’t helping me here, Row.”
“That’s pretty much the theme of the day, isn’t it?” I retorted. “I’m sorry. This is all just going pretty fast, you know?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I know.”
I started to glance at my watch out of reflex and realized that I hadn’t put it back on after my shower since it had been shattered. I turned and looked over my shoulder at the automatic coffeemaker. The digital display shimmered a five into a six as I watched, displaying the time as 8:36.
“Is it really that late?” I asked aloud.
“Uh-huh,” Ben grunted. “Long day, huh? You get much sleep earlier?”
“I got a few hours, I guess, but they weren’t exactly quality.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. So, maybe all this is just the exhaustion and stress.” He offered the second half of his observation with a shrug.
“Maybe,” I verbally agreed, although in my head, I doubted it. Then I gave him a serious stare. “Listen, I need to ask you a favor.”
“What’s up?”
“Felicity,” I said. “I need to know she’s going to be taken care of.”
“You’ll both be safe, white man,” he reiterated. “We already told ya’ that.”
“That’s not what I mean,” I replied. “I mean if something goes wrong.”
“You ain’t talkin about what I think…” He let his voice trail off as he furrowed his brow.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “If something happens to me, I need you to promise me that you’ll take care of Felicity.”
“Nothing is gonna happen to you, Rowan.” He informed me with absolute conviction in his voice while thrusting his splayed hand at me for effect. “They’re just gonna interview you.”
“But just in case.”
“Don’t be sayin’ this shit, Row,” he demanded. “Because if you’re not gonna stick to the plan, you ain’t goin’. Hear me?”
“Just promise me.”
“Awww, Jeez, Rowan,” he said. “Tell me you’re going to play by the rules here.”
“Please, Ben?” I appealed. “I need you to do this.”
“Okay, yeah,” he returned. “You know we would anyway. You two are family to Allison and me. But, I’m tellin’ you that nothing is gonna happen, and if you try to do something stupid, I’ll cuff you to the bumper of a patrol car; AFTER I kick your ass. Got me?”
“Yes, Ben, I understand.”
“I’m not kidding, Row.”
“Yeah. Me either.”
“Maybe I’m wrong here, but shouldn’t we have some lights flashing and sirens blaring?” I asked.
We had just pulled out of the parking lot of the apartment complex and onto the main drag with Constance behind the wheel and Ben riding shotgun. Felicity and I were parked in the back seat of the sedan, with me positioned behind Mandalay since Ben’s seat was pushed back as far as it would go. My petite wife had even shifted more toward center in order to have any legroom at all.
We were belted in, and I had been fully expecting a mad dash through the city as soon as we began moving.
