Late Eclipses

“Really.”

Walther stepped up next to her, saying, “Not to sound like a doubting Thomas, but how are you planning to do that?”

“In the long run, I don’t know. For now … ” I turned to Tybalt. “You were watching the Tea Gardens before. Will you keep watching them long enough for me to find out what’s going on?”

From the look on his face, Tybalt expected the question. He took my hand, studying me gravely as he asked, “Why me, and not one of your more accepted allies?”

“Right now, there’s nobody I trust more than I trust you.”

“Ah. The truth.” He smiled, looking almost tired as he released my hand. “Go, then; I’m sure you have promises to keep. My cats and I will guard your flotsam until you return.”

“I appreciate that,” I said, skirting the forbidden thanks.

“I know you do. You always do.” Tybalt sighed. “She was my friend, too. Find whoever killed her. If you need me, call.”

“If I can.” I wasn’t making any promises, but I meant it.

He paused before reaching out to brush my hair back with a surprisingly gentle hand. “Don’t run yourself to death until you know you have no choice.”

“I have to go.” I pulled away, turning back to Walther and Marcia. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What?” asked Marcia, sniffling.

“Keep everyone here until we know what’s going on.” I wasn’t sure Luna and Lily were targeted because of their connection to me, but the odds were too high to ignore. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Marcia nodded, whispering, “I promise.”

“I can’t stay here,” Walther said. “I have class.”

Lily mentioned him testing her water; I hazarded a guess. “You teach forensics?”

“Chemistry.”

“Close enough. If I bring you something, can you test it for poison?”

Walther nodded. “Sure.” He dug a business card out of his pocket. “My class schedule and office hours are on the back.”

“Great.” I took the card and flipped it over, checking to be sure I could read his writing before tucking it into the pocket of my jacket. “I’ll see you soon.”

That was that. There were no more excuses to stay and too many reasons to go. Walking out of that garden alone was still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Lamentations filled the air behind me. I was almost to the gate when a new voice joined in, adding its own harsh, deep sobs. I didn’t look back.

Tybalt would never have forgiven me for seeing him cry.

I had to walk in circles with my hands stretched out in front of me for several minutes before my palms bumped into my still-invisible car. When May casts a don’t-lookhere, she really casts a don’t-look-here. Unlocking the door took several more minutes. I was swearing steadily by the time I got inside.

There was no traffic so close to dawn, and having an invisible car meant there were no speed limits, either. I drove home fast enough to be a danger to myself and others, so focused on the road that I didn’t notice I was crying until I reached my apartment complex, parked the car, and realized my cheeks were damp. I frowned, trying to figure out why. That’s when it wore through the shock and hit me all the way: Lily was dead, and Luna was dying, and nothing I did seemed to be making things any better. I was failing them. “Oh, Lily,” I whispered, wiping my cheeks. “How could you?”

I left the car in a daze, pausing only to retrieve Luna’s cup. I should have given it to Walther while we were both in the same place … or not. I’d feel safer if I could be there while he ran the tests, and that needed to wait until his office hours. My head was pounding, and tears were running unchecked down my cheeks, but that didn’t matter. Even I’m allowed to grieve.

The living room was dark. I shoved Luna’s cup into the front closet without turning on the light, then paused, frowning. Spike was compacted into a ball on the corner of the couch, and the cats were pacing in front of May’s door, yowling. May never locks the cats out. She’s more tolerant than I am, and she doesn’t mind being woken at seven in the morning because the girls want to be fed.

Cagney gave me an indignant look, clearly expecting me to open the door. I moved her aside with my foot, knocking instead. “May? You in there?”

“Go away!”

That wasn’t good. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Something hit the inside of the door. She was throwing things. “I said go away! ”

I frowned, putting my hand on the doorknob. My Fetch is normally good-tempered in the extreme, unless you’ve done something to piss her off. She might have heard about Lily, somehow; she’d know what the Undine’s death meant, for both of us.

“I’m coming in,” I said. She wasn’t ready to deal with this, and she definitely wasn’t ready to deal with it on her own.

There was no answer. I opened the door.

May’s room amazes me. I’m not tidy—I tend toward “congenial clutter”—but I’m not a pack rat, whereas May would happily keep a souvenir for every moment of her life. Her room reflects that. One wall is lined with mismatched bookshelves holding her “collections;” the other wall is occupied by two dressers and an oak vanity that I helped her carry home from a garage sale. No one needs as much makeup as was spread across the top of her vanity, or that much costume jewelry.

May herself was huddled in the middle of the bed with her legs drawn up to her chest and her forehead pressed to her knees. There was something wrong with the shape of her. I just couldn’t tell quite what it was, and that scared me.

“May?”

“Lily’s dead, isn’t she?” she asked, not moving.

I stepped the rest of the way inside, closing the door behind me. “Yeah.”

“Thought so.” May raised her head, looking at me through the washed-out brown curtain of her hair. I froze, realizing what was wrong as she offered me a bitter smile. “It grew out about an hour ago. Look.” She pulled back her skirt, displaying a circular scar on her upper thigh. “That’s where Blind Michael’s men shot you, isn’t it?”

“May—”

“Don’t. You know what this means. We match because the universe thinks you’re going to die soon. And that means I’m going with you.”

“We can cut your hair.” I didn’t think we could fool reality that easily, but it was worth trying. Anything was worth trying.

“I already did.” She waved a hand at the floor. A small heap of hacked-off hair lay near the foot of the bed. Some of it was streaked in magenta and blue; the remains of her dye job. “It grew back. You can’t cheat fate, October. We were stupid to try.”

“No, we weren’t.” I sat down next to her on the bed. “I’m not sorry.”

May sighed. “I guess I’m not, either. It’s been fun, y’know? This whole thing, it’s been fun.” She shook her head. “I’ll miss the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building. And Telegraph Avenue. And Danny’s crazy Barghest rescue service.” More quietly, she added, “And Jazz. I’ll miss her.”

“Hey. We can still win.” I stroked her hair back from her face. “Tell me more about Jasmine. Where did you meet her?”

“On Telegraph.” May sniffled, offering a wan smile. “She runs a junk store. I was buying costume jewelry, and she asked if I wanted to join her in the office for coffee. She was pretty obviously flirting, so I started flirting back. I said sure. I didn’t want her to think I was … you know … ” She waved a hand, indicating me.

Since I’d never met Jazz before the Ball, it seemed unlikely that she would have mistaken May for me. I ventured, “Daoine Sidhe?”

“Yeah.” May’s smile grew. “Full disclosure, y’know? So as soon as we got out of the public shop, I dropped my illusions and told her what I was. I figured she’d throw me out as soon as I said ‘Fetch.’ ”