Page 73 of Grave Beginnings
I grumbled my irritation at a guy I’d only ever met once and focused on my brother for a second. He nibbled his sandwich and sipped his cocoa, gaze darting away from us.
“I’m going to jump in the shower. You okay?” Not that I thought Angel would do anything to him, but I wanted Ivan to feel safe. He gave me another quiet nod as Peanut Butter settled into his lap for pets.
Angel pulled me in close for a second, nuzzling my neck and whispering in my ear. “We’re going to interview the parents of that kid from the daycare today.”
I tensed, and his hold tightened.
“I thought it best we talk to them directly. If you don’t want to…”
I swallowed back bile with my fear. “No. It’s a good idea. If it was my variance, maybe I’ll see something? If not, then I’ll know it was just my brain being stupid.”
Angel’s heat lingered as I hesitated to pull away and begin theday. He slid his cheek along mine and eased his hold to let me step free and head to the bedroom to gather clothes for the shower. Before I slipped into the bathroom, I saw him sitting down on the couch a few feet from Ivan, pointing at Ivan’s phone and chatting about a web comic he liked.
The shower hissed to life. Steam curled up to fill the space as I undressed and threw everything in the hamper before stepping under the spray. The water rained down on me with heat just shy of the fires of hell, waking my senses and driving away the exhaustion from the bad night of sleep.
The idea of the interview roiled my stomach. I wanted the monstrous face the kid displayed on the replay to be in my head because, if it was real, that meant something only I could see. Maybe. Probably. How would I prove it to anyone?
I washed, stepped out to dry off, and ran through my quick routine, debating for a few minutes how pro I needed to be. The clothes would be pressed gray slacks and a teal blue button-up, a business casual I often wore to interviews. No tie, and the color was brighter than I’d have worn if only adults were involved. Kids found the typical black and white to be intimidating, and if I had a chance to talk to the kid, I would try.
Angel said they were non-verbal, but maybe my ability would sense something? I’d had my fair share of convincing children to talk to me. Joe said I had the sort of face that people found approachable, whatever that meant. If it helped in any of these SED cases, I’d use whatever I had.
I styled my hair, added a touch of eyeliner like a layer of armor, and made my way out. Angel’s gaze slid over me as I exited the bathroom, appreciative; though he leaned against the counter, nursing his coffee, not commenting. Ivan perched on the edge of the couch, his blanket folded neatly, pillow on top in the opposite corner. His suitcase was zipped closed beside the couch. It felt final, like he was leaving. Did he want to? I knew Xavier was some sort of supernatural powerhouse, but I’d hoped mylittle brother would give me a chance, even if I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing.
“Ready?” Angel asked, gaze flicking between me and Ivan. Ivan had already been dressed when I got up.
“Do you need time in the bathroom?” I asked Ivan.
He shook his head, standing as he shoved his phone in his pocket.
“I saved some cookies for you,” I told Angel. “Some for the office too.”
He raised a brow, but I grabbed the container from the counter and handed it over, pretending it wasn’t a big deal. Angel accepted it and let me slip away from him to finish my tasks around the apartment.
I gave Peanut Butter pets, made sure his bowl had food, and grabbed my work laptop before stepping into my shoes by the door and opening it. Ivan followed, sliding past me into the hall as Angel took up the rear. I closed and locked the door, heart pounding as we quietly made our way to the elevator.
“You sure you’re going to be okay?” I asked Ivan as we rode down to the parking garage.
“Xavier sounds nice,” Ivan said.
Nice isn’t how I’d have described him, but maybe that was because he was a shifter and my magic didn’t like him much? The whole shifter-necromancer divide thing? Though, as Angel leaned against the side of the elevator—he really did have that sexy lean down—his aura settled a lot of my rising anxiety.
“You know the community center is across the Veil, right?” I asked.
Ivan shrugged.
“Will you call me if you need me? I don’t think the community center is far from my SED precinct.” I glanced at Angel for confirmation and he gave me a slight nod. “I can come get you if you’re not comfortable.”
Ivan studied me, the bags around his eyes heavy, though I knew he’d slept. The bruise on his face was still fading. “I’ll call.”
I suspected he wasn’t used to checking in with anyone who cared, any more than I was used to asking him to, but I reached out and gently squeezed his forearm as we stepped out of the elevator and Angel led us to the guest parking where his SUV sat. Ivan took a seat in the second row and I wondered if I should sit back there with him, but Angel opened the passenger side door for me, waiting until I got in to close it and make his way around.
Angel flipped his radio to a familiar pop station for the drive, and steered us toward the highway. The section of road overcome by the Veil loomed ahead, and I balled my hands into fists for the coming nausea. Would Ivan get queasy, or was that a me thing?
“Crossing the Veil makes me a little nauseous,” I warned Ivan. “If you feel something, it should pass pretty quickly.”
Ivan’s wide gaze met mine as Angel steered us through the divide. He didn’t take the first few exits, and I sucked in air as my anxiety rose. The stomach-churning unease came and went with a few breaths, but the apprehension grew. Ivan stared out the window as if fascinated by the giant necropolis across the Veil. It stretched in the distance, not unlike pictures I’d seen of Shanghai at night; tall buildings and endless lights. How far did it go? Some said you could enter the Veil here in Minnesota and exit it in New York in minutes. Strange, and terrifying, mostly because I wasn’t certain what was true and what was propaganda to ensure people didn’t flock through the Veil.
Angel took an exit, reached over to take my hand, and slid his fingers through mine as he guided us through the dark space of unfamiliar streets mixed with old landmarks I remembered from my childhood. The radio fizzled twice, going out and coming back. I tried to pay attention to where he went, determined to know how to return to the community center if Ivan needed to go again.