better to be.
“We visit Carl’s place. Then maybe visit the archives. ”
* * * *
It was 8:30. Where in the Abyss was she? Hayden sat in the kitchen with Brody and Fallon. “Is Amethyst all right?” he finally asked as he scraped the chair back and stood to pace.
Amusement danced in Fallon’s green eyes as she swept her red hair up and twisted it into a knot. “She is. She was up late, unpacking. Probably couldn’t sleep. She’s sort of nervous if you haven’t noticed.” She gave him a knowing look. “Before you charge up there like a moron, what is it you want from her?”
His voice rumbled with his agitation. “What do you mean?”
“You’re obviously interested. I’ll tell you now she won’t deal well if you push. She’s dealing with enough. And just a warning, if you hurt her, I will twist your balls off and force feed them to you.”
Hayden knew she would. The woman wasn’t one to mess with, and after seeing a little of what she could do, he didn’t want to piss her off.
Brody closed his eyes, and shook his head with a chuckle. “What Fallon is trying to say, is that you should be careful with Amethyst and her heart. You might want to let Fallon go up there to check on her. About the only person Amethyst seems to trust is Fallon. She even seemed a bit nervous around Jess and Jamie.”
Fallon rolled her eyes. “That has nothing to do with her comfort around them, and everything to do with the fact that she knows that too long around either of them and they are going to be asking her questions she doesn’t want to answer, or going prophet on her which she hates even worse than I do.” Fallon fixed Hayden with a look that made him sit back down. “I’m going to get her. Brody has a point; you’ll just spook her if you go up there. Whatever you did last night already did that, at the police station, before you got to the bar.” She didn’t wait, she turned on her heel and left.
The door slammed shut and Hayden looked to Brody , and tried to explain. “Yes, I’m curious about Amethyst. I am going to get answers out of her, eventually. I have to know what hurt her so bad that she’s so afraid. I swear, I only healed the burns from the cuffs, and the bruise Simons put on her arm.”
Brody stilled, but his eyes snapped up to meet Hayden’s gaze with silent fury. “What did Simons do, and how the hell did the cuffs burn her?”
“You could say she’s allergic to most anything with iron content. It’s the same way you all are allergic to silver. Simons held her arm too tightly. She says he didn’t do anything horrible to her, but he did drag her from the car into the station and forced her into the seat. She wasn’t fighting either. Probably trying not to cause trouble or stir up any suspicion.” Hayden sighed. “I just tried to make her feel welcome, and show her that we aren’t all assholes.”
Brody harrumphed. “I didn’t suspect you of any foul play, Hayden. I’ve never seen you disrespect anyone who didn’t deserve it.” Brody sighed as he fixed everyone a plate. “All I know is that her ex, who didn’t beat her or anything, did try to blackmail her into staying with him. Apparently he involved the Council. Preston proved her innocence and got them to release her. I just don’t trust the asshole that put her in their hands to begin with.”
That lit a spark of fury. Someone handed her to the Council? “I wouldn’t either. The council doesn’t like anyone who isn’t a mage. Her hair and eyes alone would raise suspicion. I don’t think that girl would do anything to hurt anyone. Not without a good reason.”
“Fallon assures me she wouldn’t, but she will fight dirty when she’s cornered. I blame Fallon for that, but in our world, that really is a good thing, and I thank God that Fallon can beat the shit out of any asshole who means her harm.”
“Fallon is something else.” At least Brody was happy, but Hayden would never understand how such an
“We visit Carl’s place. Then maybe visit the archives. ”
* * * *
It was 8:30. Where in the Abyss was she? Hayden sat in the kitchen with Brody and Fallon. “Is Amethyst all right?” he finally asked as he scraped the chair back and stood to pace.
Amusement danced in Fallon’s green eyes as she swept her red hair up and twisted it into a knot. “She is. She was up late, unpacking. Probably couldn’t sleep. She’s sort of nervous if you haven’t noticed.” She gave him a knowing look. “Before you charge up there like a moron, what is it you want from her?”
His voice rumbled with his agitation. “What do you mean?”
“You’re obviously interested. I’ll tell you now she won’t deal well if you push. She’s dealing with enough. And just a warning, if you hurt her, I will twist your balls off and force feed them to you.”
Hayden knew she would. The woman wasn’t one to mess with, and after seeing a little of what she could do, he didn’t want to piss her off.
Brody closed his eyes, and shook his head with a chuckle. “What Fallon is trying to say, is that you should be careful with Amethyst and her heart. You might want to let Fallon go up there to check on her. About the only person Amethyst seems to trust is Fallon. She even seemed a bit nervous around Jess and Jamie.”
Fallon rolled her eyes. “That has nothing to do with her comfort around them, and everything to do with the fact that she knows that too long around either of them and they are going to be asking her questions she doesn’t want to answer, or going prophet on her which she hates even worse than I do.” Fallon fixed Hayden with a look that made him sit back down. “I’m going to get her. Brody has a point; you’ll just spook her if you go up there. Whatever you did last night already did that, at the police station, before you got to the bar.” She didn’t wait, she turned on her heel and left.
The door slammed shut and Hayden looked to Brody , and tried to explain. “Yes, I’m curious about Amethyst. I am going to get answers out of her, eventually. I have to know what hurt her so bad that she’s so afraid. I swear, I only healed the burns from the cuffs, and the bruise Simons put on her arm.”
Brody stilled, but his eyes snapped up to meet Hayden’s gaze with silent fury. “What did Simons do, and how the hell did the cuffs burn her?”
“You could say she’s allergic to most anything with iron content. It’s the same way you all are allergic to silver. Simons held her arm too tightly. She says he didn’t do anything horrible to her, but he did drag her from the car into the station and forced her into the seat. She wasn’t fighting either. Probably trying not to cause trouble or stir up any suspicion.” Hayden sighed. “I just tried to make her feel welcome, and show her that we aren’t all assholes.”
Brody harrumphed. “I didn’t suspect you of any foul play, Hayden. I’ve never seen you disrespect anyone who didn’t deserve it.” Brody sighed as he fixed everyone a plate. “All I know is that her ex, who didn’t beat her or anything, did try to blackmail her into staying with him. Apparently he involved the Council. Preston proved her innocence and got them to release her. I just don’t trust the asshole that put her in their hands to begin with.”
That lit a spark of fury. Someone handed her to the Council? “I wouldn’t either. The council doesn’t like anyone who isn’t a mage. Her hair and eyes alone would raise suspicion. I don’t think that girl would do anything to hurt anyone. Not without a good reason.”
“Fallon assures me she wouldn’t, but she will fight dirty when she’s cornered. I blame Fallon for that, but in our world, that really is a good thing, and I thank God that Fallon can beat the shit out of any asshole who means her harm.”
“Fallon is something else.” At least Brody was happy, but Hayden would never understand how such an
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