“One thing I’ve been wondering about, though,” I said.“Who was driving the truck?And where did you get to, Al?”
Brother Al looked all around, peeking his head up and listening carefully.One of the veiled women was standing at the far end of the hallway and moved on for a few steps.
“When the Judge read off his question about when I’d saved you, I realized I had no recollection of the events in question,” Brother Al said.“I took off because I realized that I’d still yet to make my traversal through time.Judging from what everyone had explained, I realized three things.Number 1: Past you had fallen off the bike and I’d saved you.Number 2: Future you needed to be caught when you were dropped off the highway.And Number 3: we still had to rescue Vic’s soul.I used the Paradox in the basement, travelled back in time, and waited in the eaves for you to fall off the bike.Afterwards, when you leaped out of my talons, I grew so upset I wasn’t sure what to do.I realized I still needed to save you.So I commandeered a truck, found a mattress, and timed myself just in time to catch you landing.After Eddie grabbed future you and the whole caravan made it to Hartshome, I went and searched at the coffee shop, waiting in the shadows for the Bruiser to be chased off, and for the three of you to leave.I entered, and scooped Vic’s ashes back up.Then we waited.”
“How long did you wait?”I asked.
“We were trapped in a dark room for nearly three days straight,” Vic said.
“Yes.I had thought it a nice, quiet bedroom to hide in, but when Brynholf escorted you and Nagi in, well…”
Nagisa froze.
“So you heard?—“
“Yes,” Vic said.
“Oh,” I said.My voice came out flat.“Oh.”
“I think we all need to have a long conversation about boundaries, limitations, and communication,” Brother Al said.“And I would highly suggest a relationship councilor.”
“Wait,” Eddie said.“Hold on.How many of us have.”Eddie cut himself off, staring at me, and then sighed and turned his head back to the other members of the council.“How many of us have been intimate with Stacey?Show of hands.”
Everyone’s hands rose.
“Woah,” Vic said.
“Even you?”Eddie asked Brother Al.
“We were in close quarters,” Brother Al said.
Maybe a therapist would be a good thing, I thought.
Chapter13
Life moved on.Not without its problems, of course.The final death toll of the people who had gotten ‘dire toxoplasmotic food poisoning’ wound up being, at max, a hundred people.Large enough to be an issue.Large enough for everyone to remember.But not enough for anyone living to have enough to put their finger on.Not enough proof.CDC officials came in, under government regulation, and gave the medical community an explanation that, even if it wasn’t entirely truthful, it had enough to put people back to sleep.
Andy and Gabe greeted me back at the Feedworthy office when I arrived next week after the whole city had come out of its quarantine.One thing I hadn’t done in court was be honest about what we did here at this place.During everything.Andy and Gabe were clued in on what we’d done and been up to.But that was it.
“So,” Andy said to me.“What’s next?”
“I don’t know,” I said.“I don’t know.How are you all holding up?”
“I’m not doing well,” Gabe said.“Seeing your boyfriend blow himself up and get banished tends to sour one’s entire month.”
“I think I am coming to terms with things,” Andy said.“All the deaths.All the madness.And it was all from a building right next door.Unbelievable how crazy this world is, when you get down to brass tacks.And vampires—zombies—magic—Stacey, if I hadn’t seen all of that happen with my own two eyes, I would think I had just taken a huge dose of acid.”
“It’s hard, isn’t it?”I asked.“Dealing with everything.Knowing.”
“It’s like I need therapy,” Andy said.“Or more drugs.Or both.”
“You get what I’ve been doing now this whole time, right?”I asked.
Andy nodded.Gabe, too
“I’m not going to lie, I thought you were a crazy beotch,” Gabe said.
“It’s a shame,” I said.“About the big boss.You think, uh.You think things’ll be okay?”
