TANSTAV part 28

Chapter 8 part 2

As could be expected, I decided to go home from work early.  I tried to relax, but my heart felt ready to burst from worry.  I leaped out the window of my office, and was flying toward my building-when I realized that I had forgotten Calla.  It's hard to do an about-face in midair, but somehow I managed it.  I saw Calla standing at the window.  Our eyes met, and I heard her thoughts say, Go.  I'll catch up.  Sending a wave of gratitude in reply, I turned back, and zoomed to Xen's apartment window.  The blinds were closed; I couldn't see if she was there or not.  I banged frantically on the glass, praying she would come.  No answer.  Hoping she would forgive me for this, I jumped off the ledge, flew backward a bit, and then went full-speed towards the glass.

Once again, CRASH!!

I was starting to make a habit out of smashing through windows.  That part of my brain that thinks really weird things at inopportune moments wondered if someone would start paying me for it.  Recovering, and brushing glass out of my hair, I leaped to my feet- and saw Xen, spinning around to face me, something in her hand.  As soon as she saw who it was, relief covered her visage, and, dropping whatever it was onto the table, she sagged limply against her easel, which was set up nearby.  Before I could go to her, the door to her apartment burst open, and in came Calla, gasping for breath.  When she saw Xen was still there, she sighed with the same amount of relief as my technically-not-girlfriend was exhibiting.

"You're still here!  We're early enough that maybe-"

"Actually, you're late," said Xen calmly.  We gaped at her; finally, she said, "The shadow was here, but he didn't get me."

"Why not?"

She gestured wordlessly to the object on the table, which I finally recognized as her palette knife.  It was coated in a red, sticky substance that was definitely not paint.

"I told you I'd have it handy.  He got away before I could bite him, but not before I'd dealt a few good blows.  I'm not about to let myself get kidnapped again."

I finally crossed the room to Xen, and wrapped my arms tightly around her.  Now I knew she was scared, possibly in shock, even though she was trying to put up a brave front for my and Calla’s sakes; I could feel her body trembling as she clung to me, and smell her convulsive sweat (which is not as gross as you might think; it reminds me of aloe vera).

"Good for you," I said softly.

"Was it-fatal?" asked Calla, gingerly examining the knife.

"I doubt it.  I think I only got the shadow in the shoulder, and the arm.  But I can tell you this.  It wasn't Jessup."

I pulled back a little, and looked her in the eyes with a frown.

"You sure?"

"Yeah.  I'd have recognized his smell.  This smell...it was of a human being, or at least something mostly human.  Male mage, I'd say."

I thought about this.  It did not connect with the previous information I had collected.  Obviously, there was still a missing piece to this puzzle.

"I don't understand," Calla suddenly said.

"What?"

"One of my visions...it didn't come true.  They always come true!"

"And yours did," said Xen with a shaky smile.

Calla turned to her.

"But I saw you get kidnapped!"

"No, what you saw was the shadow appearing and grabbing me while I was painting, correct?"  Calla nodded.  "Your vision just missed the part where I whirled around, knife in hand, and stabbed him.  You then automatically jumped to the conclusion that I would let myself be taken easily."

The kid looked down at the floor, her eyes misting a little, and immediately Xen went to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that sounded mean.  It was an easy conclusion to make.  Besides, maybe the fact that you told us made it possible for me to not be captured."

Calla looked a bit hurt still, but smiled tentatively.

That night, Xen stayed at my place, because we'd had to report the illegal entry to the police, and after the cops had searched the apartment for any information, in the unlikely event that I wouldn't be able to find it, she was feeling a little overwhelmed, and didn't want to have to stay there by herself.  Besides, I had no intention of letting her out of my sight, now that the shadow had tried to get her.  Maybe he would try to get revenge, and even though she'd proven to be capable of handling herself, I wanted to be able to help protect her should the need arise.  It was the second time she'd been up almost all day, so she was exhausted.  At the same time, however, she was afraid to go to sleep; I could tell.  She was lying on the couch, while I tried to make myself comfortable on the floor.  But for a long while, I could see the lavender glow of her eyes in the dark, staring up at the ceiling.  Finally, I said aloud, "Can't sleep, huh?"

"Not really.  The memory of what happened keeps playing over and over every time I close my eyes, and I don't-"

She cut herself off; a quiet sob, which she tried and failed to suppress, resounded in her throat.  I got up, and gently lifting her out of the way, sat down on the couch.  Xen sat up next to me, and leaned into my shoulder.  I wrapped my arms around her.  She cried for a long, long time.  I said nothing, just sat and took my turn to be the one offering emotional support.  By the time her last bits of hysteria had subsided, that part of my shirt was thoroughly soaked.  Noticing, she whispered, scrubbing at her eyes, "Sorry about your shirt."

"It doesn't matter," I replied.  I took her face in my hands, and kissed each tear away.  Finally, I kissed her mouth (which had a slight flavor of salt).  That definitely seemed to help.

Xen fell asleep with her head in my lap, and soon after, I dozed off too.