I
was being observed by someone as well.
Even
so, I hadn't predicted I'd need to step in and save the girl. That much was beyond the scope of my duties, my Mistress
had only instructed me to watch her.
Yet,
seeing the metal come crumbling down on Gale... I'd simply acted.
Phasing into the plane beside her, snatching her up in my arms, all
of that had been no effort, simple.
What
wasn't simple was going to be explaining to my Mistress the details
of my evening.
She
wouldn't be pleased to learn we were being watched. That someone had
wanted to pull me from the shadows, make me show my motives, and had
succeeded in it.
One
to pull the strings, the other to be the muscle.
This
was no mystery. There only existed three source twaelin, incuding my
Mistress. Three beings capable of using their own energy to create
servants.
If
I'd wondered which of them was sticking their nose into my business,
seeing Ethlyn confirmed it.
I
was being watched by the Corpse King himself, Valenforth.
Ethlyn f erreted
me out rather quickly. Perhaps I SHOULD have been more subtle. If
Valenforth's curious enough to get involved, my Mistress's prophecy
is surely hinting at something large on the horizon.
Once
more, I stared down at the street. The young woman was now speaking
warily to a reporter on the scene.
Gale
Everette.
Why
is everyone so interested in you?
Chapter 4.
Gale
Everette
Reaching
out, I took the pills and bottle of water from Becky eagerly.
“Thanks,” I said, choking them down with a mouthful of
cool liquid.
“ You're
really sure that's all you need? Something for your headache?”
she asked dubiously, hovering over me where I sat on the cement
ground.
Nodding,
I pushed my crimson hair from my neck, letting the air cool me down.
All of the questions, the concerns, it was burning my already
exhausted mind to bits. “I'm fine. Remember, I didn't get smushed by a giant sign. Okay?”
“ Don't
joke,” she grumbled, crouching down beside me, staring across
the street at the remains of the twisted metal. After the news crews
had done their pieces and the police their surveying, most everyone
had cleared out.
There
was, however, one familiar face still talking to a certain set of
parents and their little girl. Seeing her green eyes fix on me, my
heart stuttered.
Glancing
my way pointedly, detective Remmy nodded to the family, then crossed
the street towards me.
Becky
saw him coming, her confusion in contrast to my disdain. “Is
he coming to talk to you?” she whispered.
“ Yup,”
I sighed, watching his calm face as he approached. When he arrived,
stopping a foot away, I didn't bother to stand.
Clearing
his throat, his mustache bristling, he gave me a weak smile. “Hello
again, Gale.”
“ Detective,”
I replied flatly.
My
roommate looked between us, chewing her lip uncertain on how to
respond. The pink gloss she'd been wearing had worn off over the
evening from similar behavior, yet amazingly, despite her tears of
relief when she'd found out I wasn't dead, her makeup was still
pristine.
Remmy
frowned, but he pressed on carefully. “I'm sure you're tired
and just want to go home, after all of this. I hear you're a hero.”
“ Not
really,” I muttered, though I felt a flicker of pride at the
word. “I just acted on instinct.”
“ She
says you pushed her out of the way.”
“ That's
right.”
“ Well,
then take the title for what it is,” he said, sounding like he
was trying to be humorous.
I
wasn't in the mood for any sort of ribbing. Especially not after
being brushed off at the station earlier.
Standing
with a groan, my body sore from all the stress I'd put it through, I
looked at the detective warily. “Is there something you
needed?”
He
considered me a moment. “After seeing you only a few hours
ago, I was just surprised to come to this scene and find you here.
Call it coincidence, but I thought I would take the chance to make
sure this wasn't connected to what we talked about