Page 66 of A Divided Duty

A brief zing of guilt ran through me, and I winced. “I wasn’t mad at you to begin with, Danny,” I said. “I just thought maybe you wouldn’t want me to bother you after everything that happened.”

“Toby, I always want you to bother me!” he said, voice loud enough that it set off a cascade of snarls and yelps in the background. Half-muffled, he yelled, “Quiet, all of you! Tilly, Iggy, behave!”

I smothered a smile, waiting for him to remember that he was on the phone. Danny operates what I believe is the only Barghest rescue in the Westlands, nasty little semi-canine monsters with fangs, claws, and scorpion tails, none of which could pierce his stony skin. As a Bridge Troll, Danny had less to worry about than many of us did.

“You home?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s early enough that most people don’t need me yet, and those new rideshare services have really been cutting into my short-haul drives. I figure I won’t be needed until around noon. Why? You need me for something?”

“Only if you’re sure I won’t be taking you away from paying work,” I said. “I just need a ride back to the house before Tybalt decides he’s awake enough to carry me after all…”

“Where are you? Is it in the city? I’ll be right there!”

“I’m at the Luidaeg’s apartment,” I said, glancing to her for approval. When she nodded, I rattled off the address, then added, “I can be outside in ten minutes if that works for you?”

“I’ll be there,” he said jubilantly, and hung up.

I did the same, turning to Tybalt as I did. “Danny’s on the way,” I said. “We’ll have you home in no time.”

“Much as I would prefer to accompany you to Shadowed Hills, I’m exhausted, and I fear you’re correct; I would be better served by going home and taking a nap with our daughter,” said Tybalt regretfully. “Milady will forgive me if I choose the restful route?”

“I suggested it. I won’t be mad if you agree to go for it,” I said, and smiled, before shifting my attention to the Luidaeg. “Appreciate the terrifying welcome, see you later, and keep you posted, yeah?”

“Yes,” she agreed, inclining her head. “I’ll be here.”

“Good.” I flashed her another smile, then started for the front door, Tybalt trailing along behind.

He really did look wrecked from the lack of sleep. My own overclocked healing was clearing the fatigue toxins from my system as quickly as they could accumulate, but he didn’t have that sort of boost, and more, he was a cat. Cats sleep a lot, naturally. Keeping him awake for this long probably constituted a form of torture.

Outside the apartment, it was still early enough that the fog off the bay hung thick and misty all around us, cooling the air and lending a faint aftertaste of salt to every breath. I inhaled deeply, looking for signs of kelpies hiding in the nearby fog, but found only mortal tides. That was good. The kelpies didn’t mess with me so much now that I was stronger and tended to go around fully armed at all times, but they were still a threat, and I really didn’t feel like trying to fight them off in a formal gown when I was tired, hungry, and needed a shower I wasn’t going to be getting any time soon.

Tybalt stood beside me, slightly slumped from the exhaustion that was threatening to rise up and claim him. He gave me a sidelong look. “How do you still look so fresh?” he asked.

“I heal like I breathe,” I replied. “Call it an unfair advantage, and focus on getting back to Andi. You know she’ll be glad to see you.”

“I wish you could come home with me,” he said. “I wish this was all done, and you could rest.”

“I wish for the same thing, promise,” I said. “I get restless, but I don’t like it when my work keeps me away from the two of you like this. It’ll all be over soon. And we’ll have Raysel back at home where she belongs, with her … us.”

I had almost said “with her family,” because more and more, it felt like that was what we were, more than the people at Shadowed Hills were: we were her family. We were the people who actually knew her, not just the idea of her, the ones who cared about keeping her safe and sane rather than trying to force her into a box she was never going to fit.

Maybe there was a kinder version of the world where that Raysel would have been able to exist. But we don’t live there, and even Titania hadn’t been able to figure out a way to make it hold together long enough to throw it over us.

“I know,” said Tybalt. Then: “I don’t think I care much for coming to work with you.”

I managed, barely, not to laugh. “No, I didn’t think you would. You’ve never really been interested in hunting for adventure. Whereas I can’t go two steps without adventure coming hunting for me.”

“That’s as may be, but I will be sure the fire is always lit in our hearth, and I’ll always come when you need me.”

I tilted my head back and smiled up at him. “Yeah. I know you will.”

He smiled back, putting his arms around me, and we stood in the fog, waiting, until headlights split the gray ahead of us, quickly followed by the sound of Danny MacReady shouting, “Hey, blondie! Your chariot’s here!”

I laughed, heading toward the lights. “I’m not that blonde,” I called back.

Tybalt gave me a sidelong look. “Your magic has been bleaching you one shade at a time for years,” he said. “Soon enough, you’ll be able to compete with Amandine for the title of ‘closest resemblance to a wheat field.’”

I wrinkled my nose at him. “Don’t be a dick,” I suggested.