Promises to Keep by Laura Anne Gilman

Author:Laura Anne Gilman [Gilman, Laura Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sylvan Investigations, novella, fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-61138-273-0
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2013-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

7

“Jesus. Look what the cat wouldn’t bother dragging in.” I’d seen Ellen tired before - we’d worked some insane hours - but this took the proverbial cake, and a cupcake beside. “I hope you left the other person or persons in similar shape?”

She put a brown shopping bag on the desk, and tried to glare at me, but a yawn caught her off-guard. She’d tied a bright blue scarf around her hair. I liked it. It made her seem funkier, younger.

“And you’re late,” I went on, knowing better than to comment on her attire, at least. I made a show of looking at my watch, a clunky wind-up that had survived more than a decade of working around Talent.

“Yeah well, I got us a new coffee machine,” she said, indicating the bag. “And I solved the vision.”

“Oh, good,” I said, although I’d actually made a pot at home, before heading in, and filled a thermos. “And wait, you did what?” I squinted at her. “Shadow, tell me you didn’t go back to the cemetery last night.”

“Okay.” She started to unpack the bag, taking out what looked like a basic but shiny espresso machine. Well, that would be classier than our old Mister Coffee, for sure.

“Okay you didn’t, or okay you won’t tell me?” Jesus, I was starting to sound like my mother. Although there were worse people to sound like, given the situation. “You went back to the cemetery.” I wanted to yell at her but despite all sound-alikes, I wasn’t her mother, and the visions were hers, not mine.

“Pietr was there,” she said, heading off my next question. “So it wasn’t like I was alone.”

She hadn’t known he’d be there when she went, though. I decided not to push it. Instead, I took the bits and pieces of the coffee maker out of her hands, and started assembling them on the counter. “So tell me what happened.”

She told me, complete with shifty-eyed looks when she left something out, and expressive hand gestures I didn’t think she was even aware she was making. Normally she kept her body still and quiet when she spoke, as though afraid to attract attention, or like someone had told her it was impolite to fill the air outside your own personal space.

“I’m still pissed that you went back out there without arranging for backup,” I said when she was done. “That was incredibly stupid.” Even when I was working alone, if I was going into a potentially hazardous situation, I called for help. Most of the time. Enough that I felt justified scolding her. “But you did good. I’m proud of you. And no, you’re not getting a raise. Like you pointed out, this was your gig, your time.”

I fitted the last piece of the machine together and frowned at it. We’d need better coffee, to go with this thing.

“And now we’re back on the clock with the McConnell case. You going to be able to stay awake?”

I turned back just in time to see her pull a two-liter bottle of Dr.

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