over the salad. I knew I'd oversold it.
“For all your intimidation, Lars didn't look too worse for wear. Am I supposed to be prostrate in gratitude for you telling them not to try and kill me? For people who are supposed to be on the right side of this situation, it's a bit questionable that this is even a problem.”
He took a sip of the iced tea I'd poured myself.
“I'm glad you switched brands. I hated that other stuff,” he said as he placed my now empty glass back down and walked into the living area. He dropped onto the couch where Lars had been and kicked up his feet onto my couch, shoes and all.
He looked around, scanning the room and the exits. I'd noticed recently that he did that everywhere he went. For as much as he always looked relaxed, I was starting to doubt that he ever really was. “I think it would be better for you if you came into the fold.”
“I don't need to be in the fold. I’d prefer to stay wrinkled.” The salad in front of me didn't look so good anymore. The last piece went down about as tastily as a piece of cardboard.
Leaving the kitchen, I walked over and perched myself on the dining room table. I only had one couch and I wasn't sharing it with him.
My feet planted on the seat of the chair in front of me, I rested my forearms on my knees. I tilted my head forward and my hair fell in front of my face. I was tired of the cat and mouse game of the last couple weeks. He wasn't going to leave easily, so I resigned myself to hashing this out; to a point, anyway.
“You know I won't say a word about your guys and how they aren’t really retired, or that you know how to cheat the system, so to speak. I would've done it already. And I’ve got zero interest in the invisible boogeyman you are secretly hunting. I've had plenty of opportunity to spill the beans and haven’t, so why don't you tell me what this is really about?”
“I'm trying to do this the nice way.” His jaw tensed. He was still reclined on my couch, but not one part of him appeared relaxed.
“Can’t you just forget that night and leave me out of this?”
He sat up but wasn’t looking at me as he started to speak. “You're strong and you aren't even finished transitioning completely. The mortal that a lot of us sense is still there. And yet...” His eyes finally landed on me across the dark room. “They want you. No one in that room the night you killed Suit believed anything but that. You let him out of that cage.”
It was the first time he’d asked about why I’d killed Suit since it had happened. I felt myself looking at the wall instead of meeting his eyes and then forced myself to look at him.
All those years I’d wondered why some of my clients couldn’t stop themselves from showing their guilt. Being adept at lying wasn’t as simple as I’d imagined it to be. And just like with them, I would still lie. I wasn’t ever going to admit Suit had been after me. Not to him or anyone else.
“I was trying to be nice to him, so I could get information for you, since you believe he’s part of some big conspiracy theory. You’re so intent on finding this disruption you believe exists that I felt compelled to help.”
“Stop lying. I don’t want to hear it anymore. I'd rather you joined us willingly, but if it comes to it…”
There was a threat left unsaid but instead of scaring me, it drove me to anger. “You don’t even know who they are.”
He stood, and as he did, every last shred of his relaxed demeanor fell from him. For the first time ever, I realized I was seeing the real Fate. He wasn’t holding anything back and the energy he put out rippled off him so strongly that I knew he wasn’t someone I wanted as an enemy. This was why he commanded a room and everyone in it. This was that thing everyone sensed. I still couldn’t put a name to it, but it was scary as hell. I had no doubt that if he chose, he could indeed force me to be whatever he wanted.
“What are you?”
He didn’t
“For all your intimidation, Lars didn't look too worse for wear. Am I supposed to be prostrate in gratitude for you telling them not to try and kill me? For people who are supposed to be on the right side of this situation, it's a bit questionable that this is even a problem.”
He took a sip of the iced tea I'd poured myself.
“I'm glad you switched brands. I hated that other stuff,” he said as he placed my now empty glass back down and walked into the living area. He dropped onto the couch where Lars had been and kicked up his feet onto my couch, shoes and all.
He looked around, scanning the room and the exits. I'd noticed recently that he did that everywhere he went. For as much as he always looked relaxed, I was starting to doubt that he ever really was. “I think it would be better for you if you came into the fold.”
“I don't need to be in the fold. I’d prefer to stay wrinkled.” The salad in front of me didn't look so good anymore. The last piece went down about as tastily as a piece of cardboard.
Leaving the kitchen, I walked over and perched myself on the dining room table. I only had one couch and I wasn't sharing it with him.
My feet planted on the seat of the chair in front of me, I rested my forearms on my knees. I tilted my head forward and my hair fell in front of my face. I was tired of the cat and mouse game of the last couple weeks. He wasn't going to leave easily, so I resigned myself to hashing this out; to a point, anyway.
“You know I won't say a word about your guys and how they aren’t really retired, or that you know how to cheat the system, so to speak. I would've done it already. And I’ve got zero interest in the invisible boogeyman you are secretly hunting. I've had plenty of opportunity to spill the beans and haven’t, so why don't you tell me what this is really about?”
“I'm trying to do this the nice way.” His jaw tensed. He was still reclined on my couch, but not one part of him appeared relaxed.
“Can’t you just forget that night and leave me out of this?”
He sat up but wasn’t looking at me as he started to speak. “You're strong and you aren't even finished transitioning completely. The mortal that a lot of us sense is still there. And yet...” His eyes finally landed on me across the dark room. “They want you. No one in that room the night you killed Suit believed anything but that. You let him out of that cage.”
It was the first time he’d asked about why I’d killed Suit since it had happened. I felt myself looking at the wall instead of meeting his eyes and then forced myself to look at him.
All those years I’d wondered why some of my clients couldn’t stop themselves from showing their guilt. Being adept at lying wasn’t as simple as I’d imagined it to be. And just like with them, I would still lie. I wasn’t ever going to admit Suit had been after me. Not to him or anyone else.
“I was trying to be nice to him, so I could get information for you, since you believe he’s part of some big conspiracy theory. You’re so intent on finding this disruption you believe exists that I felt compelled to help.”
“Stop lying. I don’t want to hear it anymore. I'd rather you joined us willingly, but if it comes to it…”
There was a threat left unsaid but instead of scaring me, it drove me to anger. “You don’t even know who they are.”
He stood, and as he did, every last shred of his relaxed demeanor fell from him. For the first time ever, I realized I was seeing the real Fate. He wasn’t holding anything back and the energy he put out rippled off him so strongly that I knew he wasn’t someone I wanted as an enemy. This was why he commanded a room and everyone in it. This was that thing everyone sensed. I still couldn’t put a name to it, but it was scary as hell. I had no doubt that if he chose, he could indeed force me to be whatever he wanted.
“What are you?”
He didn’t
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