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“Charlie, my people do not find happiness or glory or peace anymore. We are slaves. I was extraordinarily lucky to be freed. I am one of few. While I count myself lucky to be free and content, all of us are born without a part of ourselves. Cursed and ripped apart, half our soul gone, flung across the universe, never to be found again. Without our other half, we will never be whole or happy or as powerful as we once were. With holes in our hearts, otherworlders easily turned us into slaves. We offered no resistance.”
He gaped at me. “Wait, what do you mean, ripped apart? Like, you were the same person, but then you got split?”
“I do not know the extent of the ripping, as it did not happen to me. It is a story I was told as a child. Yes, we were once powerful beings, but to take our power, the Fates and the gods split us apart.” I stared at my hands and the purple glowing scars that laced them. They were a constant reminder that I was powerless. Half.
When I looked up Charlie was glaring at me. “Okay, so you want to find Margaret to get your power back?”
I stepped back as the accusation hit me, and I bumped into the lounge chair. The bang echoed around the room as I collected myself to answer, “No. No, I do not care about the power. I don’t even know what power it is.” Swallowing, I forced the next words from my mouth. “I … I want the … companionship. The … love. Living with Savida and Daithi has proved that there is such emotion, and I … want … that.”
I struggled to describe how much I ached for someone to look at me as Savida and Daithi gazed at each other. How I always felt as though I was missing something. How I would pray every day for her. How I would wake up with a name on my lips and snippets of dreams cut too short.
He raised an eyebrow. “Why does it have to be with your soul pair? Why can’t you find love with someone else? You ever heard of Tinder?”
“That is not your business.” I crossed my arms defensively. I had already given too many of my secrets and didn’t wish to display any more vulnerability.
Charlie’s brows were high on his face. “I didn’t think that was an intrusive question. I take it you’re defensive because you were rejected by someone or hurt and don’t believe in love without a bound? Some shit like that?”
“I do not enjoy your inquisitive nature,” I growled.
“You don’t enjoy it when I’m interrogating you. But otherwise, my nature benefits you in finding your soul pair. But why do I have to? ‘Love Is All Around,’ as Wet Wet Wet would say. Let’s get you signed up to Plenty of Fish. They love freaks.” He turned to tap at something on his desk, the clicks sounding louder in the quiet office.
Confused and disorientated, I pushed on. “I don’t want to be wet or with fishes. She is the only one I can be with. I—” I took a deep breath and spoke quickly, “I’m not interested.”
Charlie paused his tapping. “Sorry?”
“I’m not interested,” I repeated.
“I’m lost,” Charlie announced, pushing away from his desk.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. Taking another breath, I gave him another secret, “Sexually. I am not interested sexually in any other.”
When I opened my eyes, Charlie looked at me wide-eyed. “I’ll not ask how your race survives, but I want to know another time.” He shook his head and collected his thoughts. “I don’t think you’ll find a ninety-year-old sexually attractive no matter if she’s your other half.”
“We will have to see when we find her.” I refused to believe she was dead. I looked at him, desperation etched into my face. He sighed and nodded.
He stood up and walked to the door, saying, “Come on. I’m sure Clawdia will have marmalized Savida by now, and that’ll cheer us up.”
We stepped out into the living room to find Savida wearing Clawdia like a hat and massaging Daithi’s feet.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Charlie choked out, half laughing, half shocked.
“Master Charlie, you’ve returned. How can I serve you?” Savida asked, dropping Daithi’s foot and walking to Charlie, Clawdia still perched on his head.
“Are you playing weird, kinky games with my neighbor’s pussycat on your head?”
Daithi grabbed Savida’s hand and turned him back around to face him. “You don’t serve anyone but me,” he growled and pulled him down for a kiss.
Clawdia jumped down from Savida and padded over to where Charlie and I stood, shocked, confused, and amused.
Charlie bent down to pick her up and whispered, “If he was playing weird, kinky games with you on his head, you can tell me. I’ll give him a right good hiding.”
“No kinky games, Charlie, I promise. She was my slave master, and I was her slave. She made me do many things. I fluffed pillows, I rearranged the plant on the table and, as you saw, massaged Daithi’s feet.”
“I’m sure she did.” Charlie rolled his eyes and put Clawdia down. “She doesn’t seem traumatized, so you’re forgiven.”
Clawdia meowed, and I smiled. “How could she be a slave master? She is too kind.”
Charlie snorted. “Kind? You should have seen what she did to my office the other day.”
