Day 8: The Final Push
My body was humming as though I had too much caffeine when in reality I hadn't had a drop of it in… how long now? But with my time off for the wedding coming up and the next date with Icarus practically breathing down my neck, I felt like I had the zoomies.
The first date had gone rather well, just a casual coffee date after he got off of work one night. He picked my brain about Frostmaiden and we bonded over our shared nerdy hobbies. I was actually kind of looking forward to getting to know him better even though I would have to keep him at an arm’s length.
My mind was racing, the thoughts pingponging off the sides of my skull.
Which was why it took me a moment longer than usual to key in on Allie picking at her food. “What's wrong?”
“I put in my two weeks.”
I felt as though I'd been dropped into a frozen lake.
No way to tell up from down.
I’d struggle for breath if I still needed to breathe.
This wasn't completely crazy. She had been working to help pay off the family car and for her son's wedding. She had said once the car was paid off she’d be gone. Plus I knew she had some health scares.
But this, this was so sudden.
“Did something happen?”
‘That woman’ Sybill hissed.
“I need to focus on my health. I can't keep calling out or being late. It's not fair to Dr. Shu.” she snapped the lid of her Tupperware, pushing the food away. “I also just .. can't deal with Karen anymore.”
I stilled, listening. I knew all this already. Allie told me to keep an ear to the ground and keep quiet whenever Karen went off on one of her rants.
The pingpongs clattered to the ground and deflated.
Sybill started whispering retribution and restitution, and throwing tea into the harbor, rebellion. Red, coats and snow.
A massacre.
Blood, blood blood.
I offered her a reassuring smile, as much as I could. “I’m glad for you, sad for me.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Rising bile, rage, bitter and sweet demanding to be heeded. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too. I still have two weeks “ Allie smiled, as though trying to act as though it wouldn't change our friendship.
It shouldn't.
I hoped it wouldn't.
“Yeah,” I opened my phone and opened a new contact before passing it to her to input hers. She did. Only then did I realize I just got damn lucky. She didn't see my other contacts like Gandalf, or Icarus, or Sharkbait.
“I need to get back to work. I'll see you later.”
“Yeah, see you “ I watched her go and counted. I gave her until the count of 23 after I heard the elevator ding to get up.
Karen was a contributing factor.
It had to be at least partly her fault. She made Allie feel like she was shit at her job. She made her feel like she was an outsider to her little clique with the other office workers.
She did this
Anger was rushing through my veins. I took the stairs, maintaining enough of my mind to call Alistair. He picked up. “Meet me at Karen’s office. Please.”I said, not trusting my state of mind. I was so…so angry.
I stalked my way there. He leaned against the wall by the door. “You rang?” He was lucid. Good.
“I…am angry. So so angry and I want her to be punished. But I don’t trust myself to not…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. But he knew.
He nodded, opening the door for me. Karen went to stand as we entered her office. “No no. This will be much easier on you if you Sit.” I hissed at her. There was power in that last word. A command. Something I wished I had when I was teaching.
Alistair closed the door behind us, giving us full privacy.
She sat back down.
I slinked behind her. This was all her fault. I sank my hand into her hair, giving her head a sharp tug back. I could rip her hair out.
No. Too instantly noticeable that something happened. Even as my nails scraped her scalp in a way that might have felt good under other circumstances.
If she wasn’t rude, if she didn’t try to pass off her mistakes to someone else…I felt my fangs lengthen, wanting her blood. My eyes flicked to Alistair who nodded. All the incentive I needed to bite her.
Warm blood rushed into my mouth. It was like going from drinking an iced coffee that the ice had started to melt in to a small cup of espresso. I wanted to growl, to dig my claws in. Like a cat that had finally, finally stolen a piece of chicken from an owner’s plate. I felt her body relax under my grip even as I held tight.
“Release.” Alistair’s voice. A command of his own.
I pulled back.
“Lick the wound.”
I did as I was told, watching the skin mend. Now that…was a very neat trick.
“Forget this happened.” He commanded. Karen’s eyes fluttered. “You were just about to put in your two week’s notice.” She nodded slowly. He cocked his head for me to leave with him.
I did, still glaring at her. Once we were safely out of earshot, he turned to me. “I don’t know what happened, but you did well.”
“She got off too easy.”I thought about how much stress Allie had been under, all the snide comments…the passive aggressive way Karen handled people.
Alistair studied me. “You think so? I think she’ll be thinking about the kiss long after she leaves. Not sure why she enjoyed it so much. We could have ghouled her, but that would have meant she stayed around.” He peered at my face. “Are you alright?”
No.
“Fine.” I answered him, part of me itching to go back into her office and make sure she was punished. So something like this would never happen again.
“Take the rest of the night off. Call Talon. Have him come pick you up.”
I snapped my attention back to Alistair, shocked. “I can drive.”
“Not like this. I’ll make sure your car gets home.” He pointed me to the doors. “Go.”
I grumbled, pulling out my phone as I went down the stairs away from Karen’s office to the front of the hospital.
I called Sharkbait- one of my coterie mates. He usually roamed the streets on his bike at night. Keeping tabs, patrolling for trouble. Like Garou. He was one of my new friends, him and Apollo, and Kitty. Sharkbait had hooked us up so to speak when Gandalf and I went to meet Sharkbait and Barney. Sharkbait was impressed, so much so he gave me a favor. And a coterie.
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, it depended entirely on who in the crew you asked and what day it was.
And whether the moon was doing cartwheels in the sky.
“Sup?” I heard Sharkbait’s low voice rumble over the purr of his engine.
“Dad kicked me out early. Can you come pick me up?”
“Can’t you drive?” There was a hint of irritation in his voice but only slightly.
“Yes. But he suggested you. Probably thinks I need a babysitter. Which I don’t.“ I huffed, putting the hand that wasn’t holding the phone to my ear on my hip.
“Sure you don’t.” He snorted. “On my way.”
I started pacing the front of the hospital as I spoke. “I just got a little angry and wanted…wanted to make someone pay.”
“We can make that happen.” The motorcycle rumbled to a halt as he pulled up. He was a broad man, short dark cropped hair and a well groomed beard. Not too long, not too short…handsome. Hints of tattoos peeked from under the sleeves of his leather jacket. Probably a man in his forties if I had to guess. Before he was turned of course. He tossed a helmet my way. “You don’t tend to get worked up. Except when Amir’s involved.”
Amir was our Toreador. Apollo. Golden blonde wavy hair, skin sunkissed and a body of all lean muscle. He was once a model for painters. Even tried to claim that it was his physique that inspired Michaelangelo. He loved the arts, and music and was one of those influencer types with girls and guys fawning all over him. And that had been grating in my mortal life too.
“He's a pretty princess without a crown.” I grumbled, putting the helmet on and climbing into the backpack’s seat.
I felt a rumble of laughter in his chest as we sped off. Maybe Gandalf was right. Maybe I did need to leave early. I was starting to cool off now that I was with Sharkbait.
I liked Sharkbait even if he didn't like me.
He was probably my favorite Sharkbait, well, except for Sharkbait.
We arrived back at the house and he pulled straight into the garage. We headed inside to see- surprise of all surprises-Apollo lounging on the couch swirling a glass of wine not wine and hosting a live chat with his followers. His shirt was tastefully unbuttoned, giving a lovely view to the golden sculpted skin underneath. Handsome, probably had the donations rolling in.
He arched an eyebrow as we came in, annoyance. He had been told he would have the house to himself. And here we were.
Not my fault.
Well, maybe kind of.
I waved. Sharkbait grinned. He was the one who took to annoying Apollo on purpose. So the two of us together…worst case. Best case.
Apollo quickly schooled his expression to turn back to the camera. “Well my lovelies, it seems I need to end a little early tonight,” a pause, his eyes roving the live chat as it popped up on his screen. “I know, I’ll miss you terribly. Yes, I’ll be on tomorrow to make up for it. And trust me,” he purred, voice velvet and seductive even through chat. “It’ll be worth the wait.” He briefly flashed a bit more skin and winked. The chat was full of heart eyed emojis as he blew a kiss and signed off. Once it was over he wheeled on us. “You better have a good fucking reason for interrupting me.”
“I didn’t say anything.” I pouted.
“You ruined the vibe.” As though that was the worst offense of the night so far.
“Good.” Sharkbait flopped on the couch, kicking up his boots heavily on the table next to Apollo’s equipment. I watched Apollo bristle.
“Why are you home?” Apollo moved the delicate equipment out of danger. Not that we would damage anything and he knew that. We didn’t want that fight.
Not again.
Sharkbait jerked his thumb over at me. “Dad kicked her out early. She needed a babysitter. What’s a better babysitter than a fussy Tori?” He grinned.
“No. You are not sticking me with her.” Apollo protested. Because being stuck with me was his worst nightmare. I wasn’t that bad. I didn’t think at least. Then after setting the microphone back on the shelf, he semed to collect himself and asked. “Why?”
“...I got angry. Very angry. Like I wanted to kill someone. Would have.” My tongue flickered over my fangs. I settled on the arm of the couch, pulling my legs under me. “I bit someone tonight.” That got their attention. They knew-and judged hard for how I tended to feed. They understood why of course. But biting someone…a first for me.
I told them about Allie, about Karen being a factor, how I wanted to rip her throat out. How I had called Gandalf who made sure I didn’t cause real problems. But then I was sent home.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you that angry.” Apollo brushed his fingers lovingly over his electronic candles. Very expensive ones that had a remote control to change the color and could be programmed to set the mood for his streams.
“I don’t…really get outwardly angry. It usually just sits and festers. Pack it away to be never addressed. Lose it back in a closet and find it decades later. Like that ugly Christmas sweater your aunt got you.” I tugged at the sleeve of my flannel button down. The blue one. Of course. If I had worn the red one, none of this would have happened.
Apollo’s fingers ran through his hair. Before he could comment the door swung open again and heavy bootfalls were heard. Kitty stopped when seeing us all gathered. “Didn’t know we were having a party.”
She was a tall lady, whether her height was natural or accented by the boots it was hard to tell. She wore dark cargo pants with a worn sweatshirt, her long multi-colored dreadlocked hair pulled back in a ponytail showed heavy dark makeup around her eyes. Like a racoon. The way she did her makeup gave Apollo an aneurysm. Every time.
“We weren’t supposed to. I was supposed to have the place to myself tonight.” Apollo sighed. “Then they showed up.”
“Sup” Sharkbait gave her a nod.
Artemis-Kitty was a Gangrel. Rough around the edges and prickly like a hedgehog who needed hedge-hugs she was our eyes and ears. Sometimes many eyes. She flopped on the opposite end of the couch, her long legs dangling over Sharkbait’s. Three Kindred on a couch.
“Well, that saves me the effort of hunting you all down.” she grinned then it faded quickly.
“And why would you need to ‘hunt’ us down?” Apollo rolled his eyes, his entire night soured.
“The Chameleon found me.” That got his attention. “We’re wanted at the baron’s. Tomorrow night. Supposedly we have a mission.”
Apollo groaned. He’d be late to his own stream. Again. “Fantastic. Then I best get to work.”
“I thought you were done for the night.” I said. He had signed off and promised to stream again tomorrow night. Well, not that that would be happening now.
His gaze skimmed over the three of us with disgust. “I need to make you three presentable. And that is going to take a miracle.”
Kitty flipped him off. Followed by Sharkbait.
I just shrugged.