I gritted my teeth, the desire to ask if she was okay warring with the knowledge that she wouldn’t appreciate her weakness being acknowledged.
“You, you daft vampire,” Inara growled in response to my question. “Stay out of this, Aileen. I mean it.”
“What if I refuse?”
A corona of power flared around my diminutive friend. Suddenly, her frame seemed to lengthen, her presence stretching and expanding until it filled every corner of the room. All that despite the fact that physically she never grew an inch.
I had the urge to put up a hand to shield my eyes from the searing intensity of her magic. It was like staring directly at the sun, my eyes almost tearing up despite the fact that there was no actual light coming off of her.
“Interfere and this will be the last time you see me,” Inara thundered, the power in her voice echoing like a bell that made the glass surfaces in my house shiver.
“That’s not much of a threat since from what I saw out there, it looks like you’ll be dead soon anyway,” I hissed, my frustration making me snap.
Magic crackled between Inara’s wings. She nearly levitated from the table with anger as she flashed her pointed teeth at me in threat.
Deborah stepped between the two of us, her hands lifted in a placating gesture. “Alright now. That’s enough. You’re both beginning to say things you don’t mean. Let’s take a breath and maybe a step back.”
I remained on edge, glaring at my friend a moment longer before forcing myself to relax.
Stiffly, I nodded at Deborah. “Fine.”
Some tension eased out of her stance as she checked with Inara. The pixie remained stubborn for a second longer before jerking her chin in grudging agreement.
Deborah gave a relieved smile and dropped her hands. “Good. That’s good.”
My companion looked a bit like a bobble head with how much she was nodding as she glanced between us. I was quiet; it was best to let her do the talking since I’d just start another fight if I opened my mouth again.
Figuring out what I wanted, Deborah showed a calm composure as she turned back to the pixie and the Fae. “You’re both hurt. It doesn’t make sense going back out there right now. Whatever is going on, you’re safe here for the night. Rest. Recover. Tomorrow, when everyone is feeling better, we’ll talk again.”
Inara thawed a little, some of her stubbornness easing as she took in Baran’s poor state. She must have realized how difficult it would be for him to go anywhere with his injuries.
“You’re right. We’ll stay the night.” Inara sent me a warning look. “But don’t think I’ll change my mind with a few hours of rest.”
“We’ll see,” I told her.
Things had a funny way of looking different once you put enough time and space between you and the inciting incident. I was hoping that with time Inara would see reason.
If not, I’d just have to drag the answers out of her and hope I didn’t destroy our friendship in the process.
“Great!” Deborah chirped. “I’ll get the first aid kit.”
“Don’t bother. If you want to help, bring me a couple of the flower pots on the back deck,” Inara said grudgingly.
Deborah hesitated but didn’t question the order, instead changing direction toward the deck in question and the flower pots over which Inara had threatened bodily harm should any of us so much as breathe on them.
Deciding our guests were in good hands, I turned toward the stairs. Dawn wasn’t far off and unlike the rest of my household I wouldn’t last long after the sun crested the horizon. I wanted to wash the day away and take care of a few matters before that happened.
I sent Connor a meaningful look, telling him without words to “keep an eye on them.” Deborah might have averted a full-blown fight, but I wasn’t giving up quite yet. Inara and I were going to have another talk once heads had cooled and the situation no longer felt so urgent.
Reading my meaning, Connor dipped his chin in acknowledgment.
Good. I knew I could count on him.
“Aileen,” Inara said, stopping me.
I paused at the base of the stairs, my heart lifting just slightly in hopes she had changed her mind and was going to give me answers.
That hope was dashed when she avoided my eyes, her body language full of guilt and regret.
