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“No, you’re my priority right now. Besides, you’re a witness, too…no one will question me staying by your side.”
“Please.” Her voice wavered, her hazel eyes avoiding my gaze. “Just…go do your job.”
I wouldn’t have listened to her, but the desperation in her voice was potent; a need for alone time, a need to process the shock that was settling deep in her bones. I knew that feeling; it was painful and slow, infecting every inch of you from body and mind to soul, until you could finally accept what had happened.
“Alright.” I patted her hand, taking a step back. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
I spent the next hour helping the local forces document the crime scene and move the suspects’ bodies into a wagon. As directed, we were having all three of them brought to the Compound so Beckett could do the autopsy, all of us curious just how much blackthorn had been in their systems, hoping it would lead to an answer as to why all three of them committed suicide.
Once all of that was cleared and the rest of the Faction was working on interviewing the other witnesses, I went back to Lea, a smile spreading on my lips when I saw Beckett personally giving her the wellness check everyone was mandated to have.
“I see you got lucky and nabbed yourself the best physician here.” I hopped onto the edge of the wagon next to her.
“Lucky for me, I have the best connections.” She tried to laugh, but her typical bright chuckle came out shaky, strained against her full lips. She was shivering, a fuzzy red blanket wrapped loosely around her.
“Here.” I leaned over, pulling it tighter against her shoulders. I kept my arms there, locking her in a side embrace in hopes that some extra warmth seeped through.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Nolan came up behind Beckett, “but I wanted to come and introduce myself. I’m Nolan, the new Alpha of Kasha’s Faction.”
“I’m Lea.” She gave a little wave through the blanket. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I’d ask if they were all good things,” Nolan’s gaze flicked to me, amusement filling those green eyes, “but knowing who your roommate is, I think I’d rather stay in the dark.”
She laughed again, the shaking in her voice lessening. “That’s probably smart.”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you mind if we ask you a few questions?” Nolan said. “I can leave, of course, if you’re more comfortable with just Beckett and Kas.”
“No, it’s alright, I suppose you’ll all find out my answers anyways.” She looked over to me. “I’ve learned enough about Kas’s job to know whatever I’m about to say will end up in a report of some kind.”
“Can you tell us anything that stood out to you about them?” I rubbed her arms, trying to subdue the shivers that continued to rack her body. “Besides the obvious drug use.”
“Barely.” She scrubbed her hands up and down her tawny face, smothering the word. I moved the blanket back up her shoulder. “At first, they were just ranting about some of the most outlandish things, but you could tell they thought they were making complete sense.”
“Consistent with the amount of drugs they seemed to have in their system,” Beckett said, handing her a waterskin, urging her to drink. She took a few tentative sips, the jug shaking in her grip.
“I know it’s difficult, but do you happen to remember anything they said?” Nolan’s words were gentle and kind, his face soft, giving all his attention to Lea. Nothing about his stance seemed agitated or stressed as if he was desperate for information. I wasn’t sure if it was because Lea was connected to me, or if this was how he always treated witnesses, but I couldn’t help myself—I was impressed with his tender manner.
Lea fiddled with the cap, her eyes downcast. “Mostly just about how we were all lucky they came in to save us. How we would thank them once they introduced us to the truth that would set us free.”
I stiffened. That didn’t feel right, not typical for those of blackthorn addicts. When they went on rampages, they didn’t care to talk, they just wanted blood and pleasure.
“And then they kept chanting those odd words.” Her shoulders tensed. “Something like…Chi Fan nasomething.”
“Yes, we heard.” I had already written the words down with notes to contact local Universities in hopes of finding an Old Kazolanian Linguist who might know what they meant.
A well-known chirping interrupted us, my hand instinctively going to the pocket at my side, but my unit was still.
“Excuse me,” Nolan pulled his Comms out, the screen lit up. His eyebrows wrinkled as he walked away for privacy.
“You need lots of rest,” Beckett instructed. “You weren’t injured, but your body isn’t used to the loads of adrenaline it’s working through. Along with the shock, I suggest taking a few days off from work.”
“But I have orders to fill,” she mumbled, her fingers tightening in the soft red blanket. She was a workaholic, but judging by the weakness in her voice, she wasn’t going to fight this battle hard.
“Don’t care. Physician’s orders.” Beckett checked her pulse one more time, his long fingers pressed gently into her wrist. “If any of your customers have issue with you taking a few days off to recover from a traumatic event, then send them my way and I’ll set them straight.”
“We both will,” I snorted. “I’ll make sure she follows orders.”
“Thank you,” Lea sighed, her eyes closing. “Both of you.”
