The Marradith Ryder Series: The Art of Shadows, Part 16
Justin stumbled into his house, gorged and bloody.
It had been a long time since he’d Feasted, and the effect made him feel buzzed. That, and the fact that the human drank alcohol before he was taken, had an odd but not unpleasant effect on his system.
He didn’t bother with the lights. In the shower he turned on the steamy water and let it pour over his head for twenty minutes before even picking up the soap. He closed his eyes and visions of the night played themselves out behind his eyelids. There would be memories from the human he’d killed, unpleasant ones. But that would come later, in his sleep. He reminded himself that Ross Stevens was a murderer, a torturer and rapist of young girls.
The bitter draught of the killer’s memories would leave their effect on him, as they had to.
And yet, the flesh tasted as sweet as any other.
Justin was relieved that Marradith wasn’t home. She knew that he Feasted, but she had never seen him right afterwards. She didn’t need to know the details of his state.
Conversely, the blood also made him feel renewed, envigorated. He’d have liked nothing better than to have his girl within arms reach.
Once the last of the blood was washed down the drain and he was clean, he went into the bedroom and checked his phone.
Marradith had called him twice over the evening. He counted the hours. It would be near three o’clock in the morning there, but he punched in the number for her cell. Expecting to hear her voicemail pick up, he was surprised when her warm voice flowed over the line.
“Justin,” she said.
“Hello, baby,” he replied.
“So you weren’t home tonight. How did it go?”
“What go?” he swallowed.
“Initiation,” she said. “Will.”
“Oh, he did fine. Cord is staying with him tonight, to make sure that he handles it okay.”
“Good,” she said, and paused, her voice losing some of its sleepiness. “And you? Did you have something to eat?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’m glad. I could kind of tell you were overdue.”
He laughed. “You’re serious?”
He imagined that she was rolling her eyes. “Yeah, or I wouldn’t have said so.”
“Well enough of that. How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Have Fiona and Daria killed each other yet?”
“Close,” Marradith said. “But the way those two can’t stand each other, it’s going fairly well. Things have gotten complicated with the investigation. It seems that Rafael’s abduction may have something to do with payback - against Fiona.”
“Fi thinks it’s the Graymoor?”
“Yes. Did she talk to you about that before?”
“She has,” Justin replied. “Fiona’s always been afraid that they would come after her, but I don’t know how founded those fears are. The Graymoor is a group that I’m not sure exists anymore, at least not in an organized way. I don’t see why she would even continue to be an interest to them. She’s been a Sojourner for many years now.”
Marradith sighed. Just the faintest sound, but something about it alarmed him.
“Honey….?” he said.
“I want to ask you something, but I don’t want you to take it wrong. Understand that I’m in a weird spot right now, because there are things that Fi told me in confidence that I’m not supposed to repeat. And I couldn’t very well ask her, because that would be just be wrong.”
“Okay, you’re losing me here. What is it you want to know?”
“Fiona has a son. I wanted to know if you’re the Father.”
***
Marradith held the phone.
She had been waiting all night to talk to Justin about this, and now that she had him on the line, he’d fallen silent. Her heart thudded in her chest.
“No,” he replied. “I do know the boy’s Father.”
Marradith breathed. “Okay.”
“What made you ask?”
“Because the two of you are so close. Best friends. And when Fiona danced around the subject of her son and who the Father was, I started considering all kinds of possibilities. She also said that the Father of the child doesn’t know.”
“That’s right, he doesn’t. But I have met her son, and I can guarantee you that he is not mine. So what’s your next question?”
“You had an affair with Fiona, and didn’t think I should know about it?”
“It happened a long time ago. You weren’t born yet, Marradith. Your parents hadn’t met.”
“So that’s a yes.”
“Fuck ! Yes, that’s a yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she screamed. “Every day I’m with her, and you didn’t think this was a detail I might need to know?”
“Listen, you can get bent about this if you want, but you have to remember the circumstances when you and I met. I had Fiona come get you because I knew that I could trust her with you, that she would do her level best to protect you and teach you everything she knows. Not only because she’s an excellent teacher, but because she knew that you are important to me. She repects that. How was I supposed to tell you after you became friends with Fi, and were working with her?”
“That’s the excuse you’re going to use? I’m sure there was a spare moment somewhere when you could have told me about that. Sometime between when we met and got married.”
“I didn’t because I knew you were going to be angry about it. I can’t change it. Besides. It wasn’t a serious thing. We were comfort for each other, and that’s all. She was not my girlfriend. She was with Rafael.”
“And that didn’t bother you, sleeping with the boss’ wife?”
“Rafael wasn’t my boss or her husband back then. ”
Marradith paused. When she spoke again, her voice was deadly calm.
“When I get home, don’t expect to get any comfort from me anytime soon.”
Justin opened his mouth to respond, but the dial tone bleated in his ear.
____________________
©2010 Lori Titus
Watch for two new novellas by this author in Fall 2010: Lazarus (from The Library of the Living Dead) and Hailey’s Shadow (from Lady Luck Publishing). Keep up to date with this author’s projects here: http://spookyfiction.wikia.com/wiki/Lori_Titus
Tags: Justin Granthem, Lori Titus, The Art of Shadows, The Marradith Ryder Series
March 18th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I’ve been waiting for this to happen. LOL!
March 18th, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Yeah, that was bound to happen! I can understand why she’s pissed, but yeah, that couldn’t be an easy thing for him to ‘fess up to.