“Because the victim you all are making me haul in had a panic attack when I tried to take him outside at night. Which you need to make a note of. Because it needs to be daylight, and remain daylight, when we land, and while we are driving, as I don’t know how he will react if the sun sets while in the car. But I do know he won’t leave a building if it’s night out.”
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, before Killian spoke without any attitude. “Severo, the law is being followed. That is all we can do.”
“Yeah, save it. It wasn’t you who had to watch him fall apart, sobbing and screaming in terror because you tried to take him outside at night. Oh, and it definitely wasn’t you that then ended up causing him to pass out because you couldn’t find the damn light switch fast enough in the hotel room. So really, save the bullshit about the law.”
Killian took a deep breath. “I’ll get a new travel plan set up. You should call Cyrus and give an update.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Severo…call Cyrus. Or I’ll have him call you.”
He hung up and cursed softly before dialing his boss.
“Updates?” the Fate questioned. “Don’t you have multiple ships to catch?”
“Not going to make it. I’m only calling because your boyfriend threatened to tattle if I didn’t.”
“Severo!” Cyrus growled in warning.
“Don’t worry. Our victim is nice and secure, after having a panic attack because I tried to take him outside at night.”
“Severo…”
“What more is there to be said? This case is shit, Cyrus. It’s dirty. You know it, I know it. But you are still going ahead with it because of the rules. Oh, and a chance to catch Preston. You know, I wish we hadn’t found the guy. At least then I wouldn’t be taking part in adding to his trauma.”
“I understand how you feel. Sometimes the law doesn’t work the way it should, but this will get sorted out.” He paused for a moment, before asking, “Do you want to be removed from the case?”
Severo froze at the question…and briefly considered walking away, but then he looked down at Seri’s sleeping face. The Nymph’s nose was red from crying, eyes puffy. What if…the next agent didn’t care that he was innocent?
“I can’t… I promised him that I’d make sure nothing happened to him… I promised him.”
“That’s not something you should have promised. In this life, not everything is set in stone. Much is, yet...the threads are always splitting, twisting, and breaking.”
“Well, fuck, Cyrus. What else was I supposed to say? The truth? That if he comes back, there is a risk his child could fall into Preston’s hands? To his abuser?! That he could go to jail because the court system is still against all of us? Though, in his case, it's more the dirty cops.”
“Of course not…” Cyrus sighed. “Call me when you land.”
“I will not be handing him over to the police, nor to the CEB branch nearest to them,” Severo said firmly. “He can stay in protection at headquarters. And I do mean in one of the protection units, not the jail. And…”
Was there something…he could do for Seri, other than that? Ah!
“I want Killian to work on fixing that shit with his gender. The man confirmed it wasn’t him who changed it. Removing it from his record shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Those are two things I can easily agree on. I’ll arrange both, personally. Considering Preston Chanway’s involvement, it would be best to keep at least the first part between us for now. It wouldn’t be odd if he had someone here in his pocket.”
Severo grunted, “Mhmm,” in response, and hung up, rubbing his face again.
Seri stood stoically beside Severo, holding on to his baby bag and suitcase, with his mini backpack purse on his back. The gate that would end with him back in hell stood before him. The very gate that led to the ship that would take him to the last stop right before Earth.
He traced the black trim and the metal doors on the semi-oval with his eyes. The walls past it were glass, showing the depth of space, and the distant stars... Even with his fear of what lurked in the darkness…space somehow didn’t scare him. Perhaps it was simply because he knew no person, shadow or otherwise, could survive out there.
Seri’s gaze flicked to Severo. He wasn’t wearing anything much different than he’d seen him in before. Jeans, T-shirt, leather jacket, and steel toed boots. The man did have a bandage on his nose still, and a duffle bag strapped across his chest. He was holding Skya’s car seat. The little girl was fast asleep.
It was such a contrast to Seri’s internal turmoil that the man could so calmly talk to the shuttle attendant checking their tickets…
Yet, at the same time, it fit perfectly. Because while his fears, and this deep sense of eternal dread, ran around and around in his head, that’s where it remained—in his head. The rest of his body was not reacting to his thoughts at all.
He should have felt some sort of embarrassment from the freak out earlier. His social anxieties alone should have been drumming up enough embarrassment for him to battle to last a lifetime.
