We’re
Paenitentia which means we’re not quite human which is why we can
do that white light thing and move really fast. We were following
you…” He saw her frown, “not like stalking or anything. We were
supposed to keep an eye on you, keep you safe, but we fucked up…”
another frown “sorry, sorry. We made a mistake and those guys came
and got you and we don’t know who they are or why they want
you.”
“Dov!”
“What?” Dov asked defensively. “Look at her.
She’s like that teacher we had, An Aldun. It doesn’t matter what we
tell her. She’s not going to believe us anyway. Besides, you’re
going to thump her and she’ll forget the whole thing and then we’ll
go home.”
“Where Nico will beat the crap out of
us.”
Dov rubbed his shoulder and bleeding arm.
“He’s too late.”
“Nico?” It couldn’t be the man she’d met the
other night. “Very kind, tall, um, long dark hair pulled back,
speaks with a slight accent.”
“Except for the kind part, that sounds like
him,” said Dov, but his eyes were on Col. “So, uh, how do you know
Nico?”
Hope flushed a deep red. “He helped me out of
some trouble a week ago.”
“And you remember it?”
“Well yes, why wouldn’t I? I may have been a
little tip… upset, but that’s no reason to forget a kindness.”
Col raised his hand in front of her face. “I
need to touch you.” She took a step back, alarmed. “No, no, nothing
bad. I just need to put my thumb on your forehead. Okay?”
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t move away.
Col centered his thumb above her nose and pressed ever so lightly.
He closed his eyes and felt the push leave him. He opened his
eyes.
“Do you remember my name?” he asked
quietly.
“You’re Col, right? And he’s Dov. I’m very
good with names.” She touched her forehead. “What did you do? Nico
did something similar the other night. It tingles.”
“Holy hellions, Batman, we’ve got us another
one.” Dov was grinning ear to ear.
“Batman?”
“Never mind. You’d have to watch a lot of
late night TV.” Col wasn’t smiling. “Hope, I think you need to come
home with us.”
“No. I’m grateful for what you did, but I
don’t know you and I’m not in the habit of going home with strange
men.”
“I think we’ve proven that we’re not out to
hurt you,” Col argued.
“Be that as it may, I wouldn’t be comfortable
sleeping in a house with two young men.”
“It’s not like we live alone,” Dov argued.
“There’s seven of us if you count Grace. She’s Canaan’s. He’s our
Liege Lord, you know, like our boss.”
“And she’s his wife?”
“Not exactly…”
“Then my point is made. I’ll sleep in my own
bed, in my own home, thank you very much.” She looked around and
pointed toward the nearer end of the alley. “Now, if I’m not very
much mistaken, I need to go about a block and a half that way.”
Dov raised his good arm to Col and moaned
with pain. “Help me up, bro; I don’t think I can make it on my
own.”
“What a wimp,” said Col as he hoisted Dov to
his feet.
“What’s wrong?” Hope asked at the same time.
She peered more closely. Between her initial fear and the darkness,
she hadn’t seen the blood. “Oh heavens, you’re injured. We’ve been
standing here blathering while the poor man’s in pain.” She knelt
beside him to examine his wounds. “He needs a doctor. We need to
call an ambulance. And the police.”
Dov answered Hope with another moan. “Please.
No police. Too many questions we can’t answer. No doctor. No
ambulance. I’ll be all right,” he breathed, gasping for air. “My
arm’s torn up and I broke a few ribs when the van hit me. Oh,” he
groaned and grabbed his arm.
Col rolled his eyes. Paenitentia healed
quickly. The cuts would be healed by the following night and the
ribs in two or three days.
“He’s… OW!” Col grabbed his leg where Dov had
kicked him. Dov turned his back to Hope and winked broadly
Paenitentia which means we’re not quite human which is why we can
do that white light thing and move really fast. We were following
you…” He saw her frown, “not like stalking or anything. We were
supposed to keep an eye on you, keep you safe, but we fucked up…”
another frown “sorry, sorry. We made a mistake and those guys came
and got you and we don’t know who they are or why they want
you.”
“Dov!”
“What?” Dov asked defensively. “Look at her.
She’s like that teacher we had, An Aldun. It doesn’t matter what we
tell her. She’s not going to believe us anyway. Besides, you’re
going to thump her and she’ll forget the whole thing and then we’ll
go home.”
“Where Nico will beat the crap out of
us.”
Dov rubbed his shoulder and bleeding arm.
“He’s too late.”
“Nico?” It couldn’t be the man she’d met the
other night. “Very kind, tall, um, long dark hair pulled back,
speaks with a slight accent.”
“Except for the kind part, that sounds like
him,” said Dov, but his eyes were on Col. “So, uh, how do you know
Nico?”
Hope flushed a deep red. “He helped me out of
some trouble a week ago.”
“And you remember it?”
“Well yes, why wouldn’t I? I may have been a
little tip… upset, but that’s no reason to forget a kindness.”
Col raised his hand in front of her face. “I
need to touch you.” She took a step back, alarmed. “No, no, nothing
bad. I just need to put my thumb on your forehead. Okay?”
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t move away.
Col centered his thumb above her nose and pressed ever so lightly.
He closed his eyes and felt the push leave him. He opened his
eyes.
“Do you remember my name?” he asked
quietly.
“You’re Col, right? And he’s Dov. I’m very
good with names.” She touched her forehead. “What did you do? Nico
did something similar the other night. It tingles.”
“Holy hellions, Batman, we’ve got us another
one.” Dov was grinning ear to ear.
“Batman?”
“Never mind. You’d have to watch a lot of
late night TV.” Col wasn’t smiling. “Hope, I think you need to come
home with us.”
“No. I’m grateful for what you did, but I
don’t know you and I’m not in the habit of going home with strange
men.”
“I think we’ve proven that we’re not out to
hurt you,” Col argued.
“Be that as it may, I wouldn’t be comfortable
sleeping in a house with two young men.”
“It’s not like we live alone,” Dov argued.
“There’s seven of us if you count Grace. She’s Canaan’s. He’s our
Liege Lord, you know, like our boss.”
“And she’s his wife?”
“Not exactly…”
“Then my point is made. I’ll sleep in my own
bed, in my own home, thank you very much.” She looked around and
pointed toward the nearer end of the alley. “Now, if I’m not very
much mistaken, I need to go about a block and a half that way.”
Dov raised his good arm to Col and moaned
with pain. “Help me up, bro; I don’t think I can make it on my
own.”
“What a wimp,” said Col as he hoisted Dov to
his feet.
“What’s wrong?” Hope asked at the same time.
She peered more closely. Between her initial fear and the darkness,
she hadn’t seen the blood. “Oh heavens, you’re injured. We’ve been
standing here blathering while the poor man’s in pain.” She knelt
beside him to examine his wounds. “He needs a doctor. We need to
call an ambulance. And the police.”
Dov answered Hope with another moan. “Please.
No police. Too many questions we can’t answer. No doctor. No
ambulance. I’ll be all right,” he breathed, gasping for air. “My
arm’s torn up and I broke a few ribs when the van hit me. Oh,” he
groaned and grabbed his arm.
Col rolled his eyes. Paenitentia healed
quickly. The cuts would be healed by the following night and the
ribs in two or three days.
“He’s… OW!” Col grabbed his leg where Dov had
kicked him. Dov turned his back to Hope and winked broadly
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