Page 95 of Marked by the Demigod

EVAN WORK (1:03 PM): The Pasadena systems have gone to shit.

That hurts her chest, but in a different way, cause who knows how long Dave had been there, guarding the location, and how long he's been keeping things together by the skin of his teeth.

EVAN WORK (1:04 PM): Sorry bout your grandmother.

And at that, the knot in her chest and the death of Dave seems to morph into one big hurt, and she curls up around her laptop, viciously grateful to be alone.

* * *

Trixie's words,there's got to be a way, echo in her brain for the next few days, as she tries to set up in Dave's old office and unravel the mass of things gone wrong in the library systems. It's as if his life force was keeping everything together, and now that he's gone it's...fragmented.

The programs that Aimes herself installed on the computers are patchy, the wiring to the building going haywire, and internet doesn't seem to come through to the wireless systems quite as easily. Aimes is only one of four different tech workers hell bent on fixing it.

Never has she known an AT&T guy by name before, but now she does, and his name is Brent. And he's just as confused as she is.

The new head librarian, one of the quiet ladies who ran the children's department, brings cupcakes every day and iced water bottles every afternoon. It hurts, like attempting to cover a stab wound with a normal band-aid, but she's trying.

So Aimes throws herself in the mix with an equal part of bitter grief and relief at focusing on something else. And Dave's office is quiet, secluded, and air-conditioned.

Which is why, when a whisper of air displacement ruffles her hair, she only turns around to face Iakov.

To her pleasure, he looks much more healthy than the last time she saw him, his hair combed and his skin smooth and well rested. His light grey suit might even be pressed, and she doesn't know if she's seen him this put together since they first met.

He nods at her, brisk, instead of a greeting, and even his relative health can't quite make her feel better about...him.

"Yes?" She whispers, the quiet library an almost oppressive silence. It’s fine when it’s just her, but with him it presses down, full of things they should be talking about.

He quirks an eyebrow at her, then sprawls in the rickety swivel chair, the very one she sat in when Dave was telling her the news all those months ago. "Are you avoiding me?"

Aimes raises her eyebrow at the computer, typing in some lines of code, cause she's practically having to rewrite the entire thing all over again and the computer is protesting that fact. "Hard to avoid someone who can teleport at will and...hasn't."

His eyes bore into the back of her curly hair, but she tries to ignore it. "It's not quite teleportation, really, it's much more of displacement," he complains.

Aimes resists the urge of smack her head on the already misbehaving keyboard. "Right."

There's a long pause, where the only sound is her clacking on the keys and his breathing.

"I'm sorry."

Her heart pounding, she swivels in her chair around, relishing in the small movement. "What?"

He tries his winning smile, which absolutely does not work on her. "I'm sorry?" He leans forwards, reaching out his hands as if to grasp hers, to hold them close. His face twists, as if saying the words is an affront.

Instead of holding his hands, she crosses her arms against the chill of the air conditioning, and stares at him.

"I'm sorry I put you there without explaining," he all but mumbles. "I thought...I thought you'd rather be safe than know everything."

She blinks at him, slowly, and he blanches. "Did anything happen?" She asks, skirting around the apology like it’s toxic. "You look...better."

He hems and haws, then shrugs. "I've been looking for information, rather than trying to run." And it's an admission, an admission that costs him something, some energy or pride or...something.

Before she can stop herself she leans forward and puts her hands in his. He twitches, before grabbing back as if this could save him. "Did you find anything?"

He tries the smarmy grin on her, too vulnerable to be convincing. "Only that they're well protected, but I...hurt them. When I." He nods at her, clearly not wanting to start an argument again. "I think I can get one down, make it so none of this is needed but..."

Her stomach sinks, for he's going to lock her away, keep her out of danger. "Don't you dare hide me, I'm far too busy at work."

He quirks an eyebrow at her. "I was thinking having you stay at Katya's, and take Katya with me."

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