interfere. Maybe he wanted to know the truth
too.
“I didn’t steal. It’s nothing
to do with that. It’s about you and uh, him.”
“Yeah? So what did you do? Let
me guess. You’ve had your eyes on him for a while, right?
Pretending to be my friend, cosying up to Kirin?” He nodded, which
surprised me. I never thought I’d get him to admit it. “What else?
Badmouthing me?”
“No! Of course not.”
“Yes, you did,” Kirin said. I
felt him close behind me. “I remember now. All that talk about
Javen’s empathy.”
“I was just being sympathetic,”
Devi said, but the guilt was back. And fear.
“I bet,” I said. “I bet you
were such a comfort to poor, poor Kirin. I noticed you never came
near me. Afraid I’d find out what you were doing?”
“I wasn’t doing anything.”
“We talked for hours,” Kirin
said, anger rising. “After I heard about Javen’s empathy being
triggered and him having to leave the police force. You were over
at the house all the time. I thought you were trying to help, but
all you talked about was how empaths can know all our secrets and
that’s why the law had been changed. How hard it would be living
with one.”
I slammed the wall next
to Devi’s head, making him jump. “How subtle, cockface. How charming .”
He pouted, which looked
ridiculous on him and in the situation. “I only told him the truth.
I was right. You can’t be trusted. Look what you’re doing now.”
“ Exposing you? First time
since the shooting I’ve been glad I’ve got this power.” I stepped
away in disgust, as he folded his arms and failed to meet our eyes.
“You’re a prick. I never cheated or lied to anyone, empath or not.
But you did.”
“ Because I love Kirin! I
appreciate him more than you ever could, you uncouth cop .”
“Maybe. But he wasn’t yours and
you had no right.”
“He’s not yours any more.
Kirin, tell him.”
“Tell him what? That you played
both of us? Get out of my sight, Devi,” Kirin said, his voice rough
with emotion.
“Kirin, we can talk—”
“No, I don’t think so. Just get
out.”
Devi slid along the wall, and
left the room at a half-run. I turned to face my shame-faced ex.
“You don’t need to say it,” he said. “I was a fool.”
“Yeah. We both were. So I guess
I’m done. You know who the thief is, and we can probably get him to
confess tomorrow.”
“But if the pendant’s gone, I’m
still screwed. I can prosecute Jishnu, but I can’t save our
reputation.”
“I think I know a way to do
that. Let’s talk to Jishnu, and then I’ll let Shrimati Gemate know
that the governor’s son would like to pay her a call.”
His eyes widened. “You’d do
that for me?”
“No. I’ll do it for your
innocent employees who deserve better. I’m still madder than hell
at you.”
“I don’t blame you. I can’t
even blame Devi entirely.”
“Can’t force the willing,
right? You already believed all that crap about empaths, and you
let him persuade you to do what you were half-inclined to do. So
much for loving me.”
“I did. I do,” he whispered. “I
made a terrible mistake. Javen....”
I cut him off with a slicing
motion. “I don’t want to talk about it. Close up, and you can give
me a lift home.”
We rode to Yashi and Tara’s
house in silence, me trying to ignore Kirin’s churning emotions and
the headache they’d given me, and him thinking about who knew what.
I didn’t envy his situation but at least part of it, he’d brought
on his own head. At least he still had his job, his career. His
home. And this auto.
He pulled up outside the house
and cut the engine. “So...see you in the morning?”
“First thing. Pick me up on
your way through, okay?” I put my hand on the door to open it.
“Javen.... We really should
talk. A lot’s happened, and I was so very wrong.”
“It’s too late, Kirin. You
broke it, and it can’t be mended.”
“Can’t it?” He put his hand on
my thigh. “I care about
too.
“I didn’t steal. It’s nothing
to do with that. It’s about you and uh, him.”
“Yeah? So what did you do? Let
me guess. You’ve had your eyes on him for a while, right?
Pretending to be my friend, cosying up to Kirin?” He nodded, which
surprised me. I never thought I’d get him to admit it. “What else?
Badmouthing me?”
“No! Of course not.”
“Yes, you did,” Kirin said. I
felt him close behind me. “I remember now. All that talk about
Javen’s empathy.”
“I was just being sympathetic,”
Devi said, but the guilt was back. And fear.
“I bet,” I said. “I bet you
were such a comfort to poor, poor Kirin. I noticed you never came
near me. Afraid I’d find out what you were doing?”
“I wasn’t doing anything.”
“We talked for hours,” Kirin
said, anger rising. “After I heard about Javen’s empathy being
triggered and him having to leave the police force. You were over
at the house all the time. I thought you were trying to help, but
all you talked about was how empaths can know all our secrets and
that’s why the law had been changed. How hard it would be living
with one.”
I slammed the wall next
to Devi’s head, making him jump. “How subtle, cockface. How charming .”
He pouted, which looked
ridiculous on him and in the situation. “I only told him the truth.
I was right. You can’t be trusted. Look what you’re doing now.”
“ Exposing you? First time
since the shooting I’ve been glad I’ve got this power.” I stepped
away in disgust, as he folded his arms and failed to meet our eyes.
“You’re a prick. I never cheated or lied to anyone, empath or not.
But you did.”
“ Because I love Kirin! I
appreciate him more than you ever could, you uncouth cop .”
“Maybe. But he wasn’t yours and
you had no right.”
“He’s not yours any more.
Kirin, tell him.”
“Tell him what? That you played
both of us? Get out of my sight, Devi,” Kirin said, his voice rough
with emotion.
“Kirin, we can talk—”
“No, I don’t think so. Just get
out.”
Devi slid along the wall, and
left the room at a half-run. I turned to face my shame-faced ex.
“You don’t need to say it,” he said. “I was a fool.”
“Yeah. We both were. So I guess
I’m done. You know who the thief is, and we can probably get him to
confess tomorrow.”
“But if the pendant’s gone, I’m
still screwed. I can prosecute Jishnu, but I can’t save our
reputation.”
“I think I know a way to do
that. Let’s talk to Jishnu, and then I’ll let Shrimati Gemate know
that the governor’s son would like to pay her a call.”
His eyes widened. “You’d do
that for me?”
“No. I’ll do it for your
innocent employees who deserve better. I’m still madder than hell
at you.”
“I don’t blame you. I can’t
even blame Devi entirely.”
“Can’t force the willing,
right? You already believed all that crap about empaths, and you
let him persuade you to do what you were half-inclined to do. So
much for loving me.”
“I did. I do,” he whispered. “I
made a terrible mistake. Javen....”
I cut him off with a slicing
motion. “I don’t want to talk about it. Close up, and you can give
me a lift home.”
We rode to Yashi and Tara’s
house in silence, me trying to ignore Kirin’s churning emotions and
the headache they’d given me, and him thinking about who knew what.
I didn’t envy his situation but at least part of it, he’d brought
on his own head. At least he still had his job, his career. His
home. And this auto.
He pulled up outside the house
and cut the engine. “So...see you in the morning?”
“First thing. Pick me up on
your way through, okay?” I put my hand on the door to open it.
“Javen.... We really should
talk. A lot’s happened, and I was so very wrong.”
“It’s too late, Kirin. You
broke it, and it can’t be mended.”
“Can’t it?” He put his hand on
my thigh. “I care about
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