Page 9 of The Safest Place She Knows

His phonehummed, and Brexel winced as he answered it. “What is it,Ymer?”

“So, is herchange related to the Elite that just stormed the club asking abouther?”

Brexelstraightened. “What?”

“Three olderElite came into the club and started asking about Iris. The staffwere petrified, and someone came to ask me about her. I just toldthem that she was off tonight.”

“An Elitequestioned you?”

“Yeah, henearly shit himself when I dropped my glamour. He headed out sofast he broke my door.” Ymer laughed. “Whatever you havethere, Iris is more than we thought.”

“We have beenfiguring it out.”

“Oh, good. Iwill join you.” There was a deep laugh, and Ymer hung up.

Brexel lookedat his phone and muttered, “Fuck. Ymer is coming.”

Oren smiled.“And now the band is back together.”

Brexel glaredat him. “Shut up. The band isn’t getting anywhere near Iris.”

“I beg todiffer. I have been inhaling the scent of her blood for nearly anhour. She’s definitely intriguing, and I wouldn’t kick her out ofbed for eating crackers.” Oren smirked.

Brexel’s alarmbeeped, and he turned it off. “I have to wake her up.”

Oren chuckled.“Let me. I will take the shifts. You have the boys coming back inthe morning. You need some rest.”

“Fine. You wakeher twice, and I will take over.” Brexel rubbed his forehead. Hechecked the time. It was nearly four in the morning.

Oren chuckled.“Deal. What will I do with Ymer?”

“I will dealwith Ymer.”

Ymermaterialized in the corner of the kitchen. “What will you dealwith?”

Brexel growled.“Of course, you tripped invisible.”

“I used seventransfer points, including the edge of a volcano. I wasn’t seen orfollowed.”

Oren chuckled.“Hey, Ymer. I have to wake sleeping beauty to make sure she doesn’tslip into a coma.”

Brexel growled,but his friend skipped up the steps as gleefully as asix-and-a-half-foot dark elf could be.

“Ymer, youcould have just called.”

Ymer wasdressed in his standard white shirt, vest, and grey trousers. “Icould have, but precious little Iris is on very dangerous radar. Istill have to keep to my schedule for now, so you won’t be stuckwith me for long. Where is she?”

Brexel sighed.“Blue room upstairs. Oren is doing a check to make sure that sheisn’t badly injured.”

“You said shewas shot.”

“Grazed. Thebullet split the skin between her temple and the back of her skull.Fourteen stitches.”

Ymer frowned.“I am going to go look.”

Before Brexelcould stop him, the other elf was on his way up the steps. Hefollowed.

Silently, theystood in the room while Oren smiled at Iris and got her to sit up.He checked the stitches and asked her some questions.

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