Summer in the City_An Urban Fantasy by Ashley Capes

Author:Ashley Capes [Capes, Ashley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Close-Up Books
Published: 2021-02-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13.

Reed knocked upon Emma’s door and waited. When no-one answered he knocked again, then turned to large glass windows that overlooked the river, golden highlights on black water. Far prettier than the muddy green of day. And far nicer than her last place too.

Reed caught his reflection. “Whoops.” He glanced up and down the hall – no-one else around – then removed his robe, folding it over one arm. Emma probably wouldn’t even have seen him if she’d answered right then? He pulled out his phone to dial her number, wincing at the midnight hour – but she answered quickly, raising her voice a little over some music, something that sounded like The Pixies.

“Reed!”

“I’m right outside; I wanted to check on you.”

“On my way, hold on.”

Reed hung up in time for the door to open, revealing a smiling Emma. She wore pyjama shorts and a shapeless t-shirt that half-snagged an arm as she leapt forward to hug him. “Reed.”

He smiled back. “Hey.”

“Max and Lina told me they’d get you back somehow... but I was starting to get worried.”

“Guess I got lucky.” He lowered his head a little to kiss her. His own relief at her recovery lent a bit of urgency and she kissed him back, reaching up to his face.

“Hold that thought,” she said. “I want to show you something inside.”

“Deal.”

Reed followed her into the apartment – spacious, with the open-plan look that barely suggested separate rooms – but it was gleaming with chrome and clean white surfaces – those that weren’t covered in books, maps and notepads, anyway. Emma had turned the music down and was settling back onto one of the stools by the kitchen bench, clicking at her laptop, her other hand sliding him a tablet. “Look at this.”

Reed lifted it. A catalogue page showed a single image, a picture of a sequence of notes. Twelve only, faintly drawn on ancient paper. He squinted. I shouldn’t have given up on learning to read music. “These seem a little discordant, to be honest.”

“Well, it could be something like the song I mentioned before we went beneath the city, the one villagers used to banish the skin demon, remember?”

“Really?”

“No way to be sure until we try it out, I suppose,” she said, then gestured to his robe. “Isn’t that a bit much for this weather?”

“Well, there’s a story behind it,” he said, looking around for a spot to put it aside, and settling on an armchair. “This is a really nice place.”

“And you’re wondering how I can afford it, after losing my job?”

He spread his hands. “Actually, I came to make sure you were okay. I feel responsible for that, if you hadn’t have–”

“It’s fine, really.” Emma pushed some of her research to one side then gestured to the stool beside her. “Want some coffee?”

“That’s how you’re staying up so late each night?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. You want some or not?”

“Why not? Double the milk though.”

“I know.”

Reed glanced down at the research. Various notes around Enki and others, Ea and Anu, Nammu, Ninhursag and others he could not place.

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