Unfallen Dead by Mark Del Franco Read Free Book Online Page A

“Something going on, Meryl?”
    She clicked her mouse and shook her head. “No. Briallen and I are having a disagreement about something, that’s all.”
    “What about?” She raised an eyebrow that made me shift in my seat. “Fine. Don’t say.”
    She leaned back in her chair. “How’d you get in this time?”
    The various ways I gained official access to the Guildhouse amused Meryl. “The hearing. I’m scheduled to testify.”
    She dropped her head back and stared at the ceiling. Not amused. “I did yesterday. They want me back tomorrow.”
    “It didn’t go well, I take it.”
    She rocked her head back and forth. “Ceridwen’s a pompous bitch. She said she didn’t like my attitude.”
    I compressed my lips. Meryl didn’t take criticism well. Since she was already annoyed, I figured I might as well say what I had been wanting to say for the last couple of weeks. “You’re hardly known as Miss Congeniality around here.”
    She scowled. “It’s a job, not a beauty pageant.”
    “So quit.”
    She sighed again. “I would, but I like the job. I stupidly keep thinking one of these days this place will recognize me for what I do and not be so damned political. The last thing I want to hear right now is that I’m cranky to work with.”
    I picked up a paper clip and tossed it at her. “You have been cranky lately.”
    She tilted her head forward, a healthy anger storm building in her eyes. “Lately? You mean lately, like since I was possessed by a drys and let it die and thought I watched you die and then thought I was going to die? That kind of lately? Or are we just talking this week?”
    I felt a flush of heat. Between her words and the exhaustion in her voice, I didn’t know what to say. Nothing bothered Meryl. Actually, everything bothered Meryl, but nothing usually penetrated. We made sarcastic jokes about Forest Hills. I didn’t realize what lurked behind the jokes. “Meryl, I’m sorry. I thought you were talking about work. I wasn’t considering what you went through.”
    She shook her head. “You don’t remember it, Grey. It sucked. Now I have Briallen bitching at me, and Ceridwen prying into stuff that’s none of her business.”
    A drys was a tree spirit, one druids held sacred, assuming their philosophy went in the way of worship. I wasn’t so sure it was a demigoddess, but it was powerful and humbling. I did remember Meryl’s being possessed by the drys. She looked amazing. She looked powerful. And scary. Then a cloud descended over my memory. I don’t know what happened after that until I woke up with my face in the dirt. “I don’t believe you let the drys die. Whatever happened, happened because it needed to.”
    She shook her head. “You don’t remember it.”
    I leaned forward. “I don’t need to. You would never have done anything that drastic if it could have been avoided. You did what needed to be done. I believe that.”
    The corner of her mouth dimpled. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a long time.”
    I smiled. “I didn’t say it to be nice. What can I do to help?”
    Again with the up-and-down shoulders. “Nothing. I’ll figure out something. It’s just crap that needs to be ridden out.” She gave herself an exaggerated shake. “Okay. Pissy fit over. You look like you haven’t slept.”
    “The dream. It’s happening more than once a night,” I said. The same dream had plagued me for more than a week. A stone fell through the sky, fell and fell, until it plunged into a dark pool of water. The impact made ripples that grew into waves. The air filled with mist and a sound like thunder. The images became confused, without any clarity, things moving and rushing and calling. The mist vanished, and two figures appeared in the distance, one all black and the other all red. They struggled, then there was a white flash and I woke up with the sound of screaming echoing in my head.
    “I still think it’s a simple cause-and-effect metaphor.