Page 112 of Darkness

“Yeah.” The call clicked off.

Farren crumbled onto the ugly gray carpet, staring up at the ceiling. Was Domus truly gone along with any hope, no matter how faint, of ever seeing home again?

***

“Are you certain your realm is gone?” Leary asked from a chair he’d pulled close to Farren. He’d taken Arianna to her rooms while Farren made a few phone calls.

Farren sat on the floor, back to the wall, somewhat shaky from his earlier ordeal. “I heard from fellow travelers of my acquaintance. They all said the same thing.” Colm’s words held the most weight when he’d somehow found a phone to make a call. Though he’d promised never to do so again, he’d tried—and failed—to conjure someone from Domus.

No one answered Farren’s call.

“I don’t know what it means for those of us here. Certainly, there should be no more inbound travelers unless they come from another realm.” If anyone Farren knew had survived until the end, they didn’t now. Had any crossed during the last moments, were even now roaming the streets, searching for a host body? While the highest concentration of travelers he knew of in the US was in and around Atlanta, he wouldn’t mislead himself into believing other cities didn’t have their own influx of otherworldly refugees.

He’d manifested in LA, after all.

Leary drummed his fingers on the chair’s arms. “Do you think this has anything to do with Morrisey James’s disappearance?”

“I don’t know.” Jessa mentioned this Asher guy wanting to control Morrisey. Had he somehow used the Tenebris to bring about the end of Domus? “I’d feel much better if I knew where he was.” The agents watching Morrisey’s apartment had seen nothing. No one named “Asher” appeared in any agency reports, canvassing the bars led to no sightings of Jessa. Nor had the missing person’s report turned up anything.

A full week’s worth of wondering and waiting. Farren no longer seemed able to reach Morrisey mentally. Farren even tried calling twice, before remembering Morrisey’s cell phone now nestled in a desk drawer. He wandered the stars alone night after night in his dreams, searching fruitlessly.

Leary arched a brow. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to your apartment and lie down? I’ve given Arianna and the other travelers the rest of the day off.”

How could Farren rest, not knowing Morrisey’s fate? “I’d rather keep working.” Idleness would give him too much time to think. Memories of what he’d lost would mingle with his host’s even if he managed to sleep. During sleep, the former human Farren occasionally made himself known, synapses in the brain mingling the old and the new occupants of the body.

Those dreams always left Farren disconcerted and sometimes aching for friends and loved ones he’d never actually known.

Leary rose, offering his hand to Farren.

Farren reluctantly accepted the offer, allowing Leary to hoist him to his feet. He stood with his back against the wall, the solid mass a comforting presence.

Leary sucked on his lower lip, sinking down into a chair. “We don’t know for sure if someone took James. Just our luck, the security camera in his building hasn’t worked for three years. What was he doing at his apartment instead of staying here?”

Farren remained standing. “Sometimes he felt the need to check on his belongings.” Now wasn’t the time to tell Leary about Morrisey’s connection to Jessa or what Farren and Morrisey got up to on Morrisey’s couch.

Leary slammed his hand down onto the desk, face an alarming shade of purple. “Damn it! This wouldn’t have happened if he’d stayed here.”

I will not flinch, I will not flinch… “Even he didn’t know the truth back then.”

“How can you be so sure?” Leary’s glare nearly had Farren backed into the wall. Never had the boss shown such hostility.

I know him? Not an acceptable answer. “Because I couldn’t sense him.” Nothing but darkness.

“Are you sure?” Leary narrowed his eyes. “How do I know you two aren’t in cahoots? How do I know all of your kind aren’t in cahoots?” Spittle flew from his mouth.

Cahoots? Farren’s anger boiled to life. “Because you know me. I’m sworn to protect this realm and its occupants, be they travelers or humans.” He threw the very words of his FBI agreement back at Leary. No matter how many years passed, no matter how much Farren sacrificed, he still met with suspicion every step of the way.

He’d about had a-fucking ‘nuff!

Leary dropped his head into his hands, scrubbing his face. “I’m sorry. I’m tired and I don’t know what the hell’s going on. I hate like hell not knowing.”

Farren softened his tone. “I know, sir. Morrisey didn’t leave by his own power. If he could, he’d be here.” While sworn to uphold the law, how comfortable would Leary, and even Leary’s bosses, be knowing of Farren’s growing abilities, or the abilities this Asher might awaken in Morrisey? After all, Asher had defied all attempts to locate him.

“You say James doesn’t know of any special powers he might have.” Leary sounded defeated.

“He didn’t last we talked.” No telling what transpired after Morrisey’s kidnapping. Sometimes powers manifested during times of stress, and the communing with the dead thing didn’t need mentioning at the moment.

“What abilities are possible?” Leary now sounded weary, defeated.

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