Thank you all so much for reading and your reviews! I am so sorry that it took me so long to update the fic. I really hope you enjoy the new chapter. I tried to explain more about the sphere, so maybe there can finally be more action in the next chapters. And then I somehow find myself strangely drawn towards the Tamsin-Lauren dynamic. Definitely more than I originally planned to but hey, I really like it. Damn characters, always doing exactly what I don't want them to.
VII
Absent-mindedly Lauren played with her silver necklace while Tamsin rummaged in the kitchen. While her mind was still circling around the events of this and the last day, Tasmin was noisily making coffee with one of those Italian stove-top espresso makers. After asking Lauren how she would like it – strong, please, which produced a grin on Tamsin's lips – she lazily opened various pots and tins, fiddled with them and their content, before finally igniting the gas stove with a quickly kindled match. Meanwhile she rambled much about nothing, mainly complaining about the coffee she got at the police station. Soon after the first flames started to lick at the bottom of the steel pot, it whistled loudly. Tamsin poured the coffee with a dash of milk into a big mug. Its aroma of freshly roasted beans started to fill the room.
Lauren sighed, dropped the necklace again and, not knowing what to do with her hands, brushed her hair behind her ear. Tamsin came over from the kitchen counter, placed the coffee in front of her and returned to the fridge.
Steam was rising from the beige mug. Lauren thanked Tamsin before she eagerly wrapped her fingers around it, held it close to her face and inhaled. It smelled wonderful.
She was sitting in Tamsin's kitchen at the large rectangular table. While Tamsin was making their drinks – although it was not that late she did choose a beer from the fridge for herself – Lauren's eyes wandered through the room. She attempted to find out more about the person who lived here by studying it carefully. That was what she was good at, after all. Analyzing.
Surprisingly, the room contrasted with the one they had been in before. The kitchen itself, a couple of feet away from the sitting area, was mainly chrome as well, but wood dominated the rest of the room, like the large oak dining table. Or maybe walnut. Lauren wasn't sure. There was only one window, at the far end of the room. But still, dim afternoon sunlight streamed through it and illuminated the patterns on the somewhat battered looking parquet floor. Sometimes it creaked when Tamsin moved.
Lauren was beginning to suspect that Tamsin had bought the whole place already decorated and furnished by a professional interior designer. But neither here nor in the living room were any pictures on the wall. No used dishes. Not even paper for grocery lists, or calendars. Although the kitchen had a completely different style, it still didn't look like someone actually lived here.
Tamsin sat down opposite of her, with a beer in her hand. Suddenly her face was again turned towards Lauren. When she had been standing at the stove Lauren had only been able to see her back. Her attention had not been focused on Lauren. Now Tamsin opened her beer swiftly and took a sip, while playing with the bottle cap. The lamp above the table hung so low that the ring of light emitting from it didn't reach their eyes unless they leaned forward, which Lauren did, but not Tamsin. While the other sources of light helped to pour a calming warmth into the atmosphere of the place, Lauren couldn't help but notice coolness streaming from the Fae. The look on her face increased that feeling. Her green eyes glistened in the half-shadow. They were not even once averted from her guest. Lauren was reminded of a cat, patiently eyeing its prey. Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable again. To conceal it she looked away and drank from her coffee.
There was another thing that added to Tamsin's impressing appearance. Though that what the sphere had done to Tamsin had miraculously caused the blood on the side of her head to disappear, and – as Lauren hadn't failed to notice – to give her hair its striking lightness back, there were still large red stains on her otherwise white shirt. Tamsin didn't seem to mind the blood, though.
Lauren chose that topic first. Without further courtesies she asked "What happened at the docks?"
Tamsin tilted her head and smirked. "Dyson told you already. I got attacked by those bastards. I hope they are still in custody, I want to settle that score."
Internally, Lauren sighed again. She thought that would have been the easiest question to start with. By now she could tell by the way Tamsin looked at her that the Fae was holding something back. On the one hand Tamsin's sneering mask worked only so far, and they were discussing serious topics even Tamsin had trouble joking about, and on the other hand, in the last years Lauren had learned how to read people. So, instead of talking back again, she just lifted her eyebrows and waited.
Tamsin hold her gaze.
It was not so much that she didn't want to talk about it, Lauren could sense that, she was just not giving away any information easily. It was annoying.
The silence stretched, but both women seemed to be determined to get the other one to talk first. For Tamsin it was developing into a teasing game again. She enjoyed it. Slowly, a smug grin begun spreading on her face.
Finally, Lauren gave in. "Tamsin, please. It was more than that. They weren't connected to your case."
"Fine. You are right." Tamsin hesitated, took another sip and continued. "There were two more. I didn't manage to take them out as well, they fled, apparently. They must have been following me for some time and waiting for their opportunity to catch me alone." She hesitated even more and looked at the table while saying this. "What do you want to know about them?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe why they nearly killed you?"
"Come on, Doc." Tamsin almost drawled. "They were nowhere near that. It just cost me a little more strength than usual."
Lauren banged the coffee mug back on the table. "You were nearly unconscious! It looked like you were bleeding to death without any external blood loss." She raised her hands in dismay over her inability to explain what she had watched. She could rattle off every single symptom Tamsin had shown, but combined they made no sense whatsoever. The link was missing. "And- And I even held two strands of your hair in my hand! What does that?"
Suddenly Tamsin's head snapped back up. She narrowed her eyes. A note of tension crept back into her voice and she leaned forward. "You did what?"
Lauren held her stare and answered calmly, trying not to cross Tamsin for whatever obscure reason she was now getting angry about, "I have no idea. That's why I want you to tell me."
Tamsin sighed and slumped back in her chair again. Her anger left as swiftly as it had come. Now she sounded bored. "Okay. I guess then it was worse than I imagined. I was already very near the end of my life circle, and getting the sphere out of Norway was… expensive."
"Life circle?"
"I am a Valkyrie, Lauren." Tamsin replied, now equally quietly. "I have powers unlike everything you have ever encountered." She added a wide grin to her flashing eyes, which made the statement considerably less threatening and unpleasantly provoking.
Lauren leaned back. She watched Tamsin attentively. They were finally getting somewhere. "I am listening."
"You know already where I got the stæin from. And you saw what it can do. Which is nothing to boast about, by the way, we once had the nasty habit to burn every human involved in that ceremony. Although strangely as it was it actually seemed to be a big thing for them."
Lauren frowned, thinking that Tamsin was joking again, but restrained herself and asked "We?"
Tamsin just waved nonchalantly with her hand and looked away. "You know, Nordic Fae. Sea burials. One of those long, boring stories."
Now Lauren had to smile a little about Tamsin's gesture of casual indifference at something that seemed not quite so little to Lauren. "Says who?"
Lauren's stomach chose that moment to grumble, quite loudly. The coffee had not filled it, on the contrary. She moaned in annoyance but Tamsin laughed. "I am a bad host, I admit. You didn't have lunch, did you? How about a sandwich?"
Lauren looked up and shook her head. The coffee had been nice, she had to admit that, but then she had definitely not planned to stay this long at Tamsin's place. The mess at her lab had to be cleaned up. And explained. Hale was probably furious by now. There were about 14 different laws preventing Dark Fae from just looking at the compound. They had breached a hundred more when Dyson brought Tamsin in and Lauren treated her. And then there were samples she had tested. Their outcome should be clear by now and she wanted to check them immediately. They were Bo's, after all.
"Could you please stop making excuses, and start talking?"
"Oh my god, Lauren, calm down. Do you know that this is actually the first time someone else actually sits in my kitchen in this house? You could really let me cherish the moment!"
"Tamsin!" Lauren found their conversation not nearly half as funny as Tamsin. She ignored the Fae's remark, but stored it in her memory, to think about its implications later. She knew virtually nothing about the Dark Fae, neither about as a person nor about her Fae abilities. There was a lot of research lying ahead of Lauren, at least on the Fae aspect.
Tamsin almost ignored the refusal. "Maybe later then." She smirked and took a deep breath. Her ease faded as they returned to the topic they were actually handling. "Back to the stæin. Or sphere. However you want to call it. The point is, whoever sent those jerks after me wants the stone back. Remember what I told you about Lofoten? I think that's what it can do as well. Keeping Fae away, protection from them."
A feeling of uneasiness started to settle in Lauren's stomach. She really had no idea what she was dealing with. It made her frown.
Although her eyes were still focused on her guest, Tamsin continued without a pause. "I want to use it for that. And you" - here she pointed with one long finger at Lauren - "have to find out how to do that." After she said that she watched Lauren even more closely, taking another sip from her beer. Tamsin swallowed and looked straight into Lauren's eyes. She was expecting a bad reaction.
Lauren's face dropped. Now she understood. That was it. That was what Tamsin wanted. Tamsin wanted to use the sphere for her own, private purposes. A weapon. Lauren was slowly beginning to see the bigger picture, and she didn't like it. At all.
Real anger started to boil in her chest, while ice filled her stomach. Tamsin had been playing a game all along. Lauren should have never agreed to help her. That Tamsin pursued only her own interests had been pretty clear. Nothing, nothing at all, had ever indicated something else. Her manipulations had led to the final torn straw that had forced Lauren to break up with Bo. And then she had the nerve to draw Lauren into this mess. Despite the fact that Lauren was aligned to the Light Fae, despite the fact that she was Dyson's partner and involved in that crazy Light-Dark-friendship project, and Lauren even allowed herself to think despite Bo, Tamsin dared to try to use Lauren.
Nevertheless, she had allowed herself to be deceived by Tamsin. Lauren was responsible, she could have said no right away. She felt sick. Why seemed all her decisions to be so bad lately? Lauren had a hard time concealing her increasing anger, but she swallowed and asked through clenched teeth "You want me to help you, a Dark Fae, to keep your enemies from Norway at bay? After all you have done?"
Tamsin studied her expression thoughtfully. For once, she wasn't grinning. Her eyebrows came slightly together. It made Lauren even more furious. Tamsin didn't even try to explain. She just watched Lauren struggle.
"You spoke of Bo's safety!" Lauren exploded, stressing the last word. She jumped up. The sudden movement sent the chair behind her flying to the floor with a banging noise. "That is the only reason I am here! And now you tell me this has been all for your own aims? How selfish are you?"
While saying this, her voice was harsh and accusing. Instead of giving way she leant forward and placed both hands firmly on the table, glaring down on Tamsin.
The Fae stayed completely calm, though, still watching Lauren intensely, from below. She was still sitting in her chair and speaking very clearly. "He is not after me."
"What?"
"The Ancient Fae that sent those jerks after me" Tamsin explained patiently. "He's after Bo. And I think the sphere is the only chance we've got."
Lauren took a deep breath. Suddenly she felt the urge to slap Tamsin again.
"Why on earth should I believe you?"
Tamsin looked away, placed her bottle on the table in front of her and eventually found Lauren's eyes again.
"Because of the sphere. You saw it. You felt it. You've felt it when you healed me. It's and instrument. Its sole purpose is protecting me and what I want it to protect and shield. So it didn't harm you when you touched it. It could have killed you just as easily, absorbing all your energy and powers."
It sounded ridiculous. Plainly and utterly absurd. But as Lauren recalled what had happened she couldn't help but feel again what she had felt the first time she had seen the sphere today. They had left it behind in the adjoining room, resting on that small, round table. Not anywhere near to her now. But still, the feeling settled again in her stomach. Or at least a faint echo of it. The sphere had shrunk after all. It did feel like it was calling, or had called, asking her to bring the sphere to Tamsin. It was Fae after all.
Lauren straightened herself and crossed her arms in front of her. She didn't care about the way the sphere was connected to Tamsin, or what she could do with it. She had absolutely no proof whatsoever. Tamsin was spinning her story and probably turned every little detail to her favour. If Lauren hadn't been so furious the amount of efforts at persuading the Fae displayed would have puzzled her.
But Lauren was not going to help her creating some sort of powerful weapon against other Fae. Who the hell did Tamsin think she was?
Now Tamsin stood up as well, grimacing. "Honestly Lauren, do you think I would show you the stæin if there wasn't something seriously wrong?! It's an heirloom of immense worth and powers! Do you have any ideas how much laws and rules I broke when I even mentioned it to you? And then you touched it!"
Lauren winced. Tamsin practically spat the word, as if it was the highest sacrilege imaginable.
But Tamsin didn't seem to address Lauren in that particular moment. It was more like her own actions outraged her.
She threw her hands up. "I can't explain why he wants Bo. But he does. I know it." She swallowed and shifted from uneasily from one leg to the other. "He has proven it, believe me."
While Tamsin spoke Lauren tried to concentrate. She was convinced that Tamsin talked complete nonsense. It fitted too well into the frame that for some unknown reason the identity of the big enemy had to stay concealed. Lauren had learnt her lesson. She didn't trust Tamsin a single inch.
But she didn't want to deny it without listening to the whole story either. If Tamsin really just wanted to use her she wouldn't have put her story that way. Later on, when she was finally at home again, Lauren would think again of that moment and figure out that this was probably caused by the sphere as well. It didn't persuade her to stay and listen, not at all. But it gave her patience and calmness, somehow.
She was not so sure, however, that, if Tamsin was right, the sphere could only influence her when Tamsin really needed help. And what that meant.
After a short pause the Dark Fae continued.
"What happened today is not going to happen again. Traveling all the way up to my old home, finding it and escaping with it took a lot of my strength. But I recovered today. Sadly, that took a lot of energy from the sphere. But I should manage now for some time. All I need is finding out how to extend its powers. I can't control it unless I am in serious danger. And it's definitely not keeping any Fae away at the moment. But if we want to fight the Fae that is coming, we will need it. And I am afraid I can only rely on people who want Bo to be truly safe. So I need your help."
Lauren studied her for a long moment. 'Took a lot of my strength' was an understatement. Tamsin had been in a bad shape.
"At first I want to talk to those two Fae you took out at the warehouse. I want to hear their story. If they tell the same one, and only then, we can talk further about this. I am not saying I will help you. And you will have to tell me who exactly is trying to attack Bo. And why she can't take care of that herself."
At first Tamsin narrowed her eyes. "I am not negotiating with you."
But after a short pause she added "The first point is okay. I can take you there now, if you want to. But people will ask questions. You are a doctor, not an officer."
"Not my problem. You will have to deal with that. It is my first condition."
Tamsin nodded.
Now Lauren hesitated. "And I want to take the stæin with me. To my place."
For a split second Tamsin stared at her in disbelief. Then she crossed her arms as well and tilted her head. Her green eyes were flashing dangerously again. But a smirk played on her lips again as she stepped around the table towards Lauren. "You have no idea what you are messing with, Doc."
She sauntered past her, making a point of getting unnecessary close, as Lauren didn't step out of her way. The human tried to stay exactly where she was, not even moving one inch. Once again Lauren noticed how tall Tamsin was. When she was just at her shoulder she looked down on Lauren, who in turn made a point of staring right ahead and not at the Fae, and said "I will have to change."
As Tamsin left the room and went upstairs - Lauren could hear her footsteps - the doctor sat down again. She didn't mind that her coffee was already cold. But she shouldn't have refused that sandwich.
Lauren drove them in her car, since Tamsin's truck was still at that warehouse in the Docks. The stæin rested in a platinic box on the back seat.
They spent most of the way in silence again. Until Tamsin, fidgeting about, figured out how to open the glove box and found Lauren's portable sampler with filled purification cartridges. Lauren threw an angry glance towards her. She told her, quite firmly, to put them back right now, what Tamsin pointedly ignored and, instead, hold one of them up against the light. They contained Ifrit blood, or maybe Quareen, Lauren wasn't sure, which was why she kept them there. She wanted to hand them to a colleague, or at least fellow scientist, for examination and a second opinion on its nitrogen concentration.
When Lauren finally said what it was, to get her to finally lay them back into their compartment, Tamsin almost dropped it. With a disgusted "Ugh" she practically threw them into the glove box and slammed it shut. Lauren on the other hand was horrified and feared that the cartridge had been cracked by Tamsin's careless behaviour. Tamsin breaking her things was the last thing she wanted right now.
Thus, she was completely focused on her co driver and overlooked a car in front of her. Tamsin reached over in the last second and jerked the steering wheel violently to her side. They avoided a crash by an inch.
"You really need a Doonie in your car," Tamsin remarked dryly when they were back on the road to the police station and she had made certain that nothing had happened to her sphere. Lauren rolled her eyes.
"Do you know how much those samples are worth? And besides, Doonies are just for telling you the route. I'm not dependent on road Fae for directions."
"I am so not trusting you with my things."
They arrived minutes later, just to see Bo's car parked next to Dyson's.
