Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.
Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really
Part 9.
Emma sat opposite Midir in his sitting room. They had dropped Truth home and by silent, mutual consent decided to come to his place. Neither of them had spoken since Truth had left them and Emma wondered which of them would break the crushing silence first.
They'd been alone together the day before but since then a lot seemed to have changed. Before she'd felt utterly at ease and comfortable with Midir but now she felt incredibly uneasy and she wasn't even sure why. There was no reason for the change it had just happened. Midir sighed and Emma could feel his frustration. He felt the same way she did and he didn't know what to do about it either.
"I'm sorry," he said eventually.
"For what?" Emma asked.
"For the way Psyche reacted," he replied.
"It was her reaction not yours," Emma told him, "you don't have to apologise for it."
"But I feel I should."
"If you're going to keep apologising to me for other people's reactions you're going to be saying sorry constantly."
"I know but it was sort of my fault, she was reacting to me; you might've lost a friend because of me."
Emma sighed, "Midir I already told Truth this is no one's fault and I meant it. I'm not going to blame you for Psyche's reaction; I might as well blame Truth for convincing me to tell Psyche with her over optimism. It's not your fault."
Midir let out a deep breath and some tension seemed to leave him. He smiled at her looking incredibly handsome and endearing. Emma felt some of the tension leave her too and she felt a lot more comfortable. She smiled back at him.
"So I'm still your sweetie?" he asked.
Emma laughed, "My sweetie? I've never used that term but yeah, I guess you are."
Midir smiled widely but his face darkened quickly as his lips formed a frown.
"She will tell the others you know," he said, "how do you feel about that?"
"I don't know. I'd rather have told them myself but if Psyche's reaction is anything to go by then I'd rather not be Emma-on-the-spot when they find out. So maybe it's for the best."
Midir opened his mouth to say something but Emma cut across him.
"If you say you're sorry again I cannot be held accountable for my actions."
Midir grinned but in a low, cheerless voice asked, "Do you think Psyche was threatening you, at the end?"
"If you'd asked me that question last week I'd have said no, definitely no but now."
"You're not so sure," Midir finished for her.
"I'm not. I don't think she was, I mean she's a witch, I don't think she'd ever harm anyone intentionally but I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore."
Midir covered the distance between them in two strides and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm."
Emma looked up and pressed her lips to his.
"No more sorries remember."
Midir smiled gently, "If it was a threat what do you thinks she'd do?"
Emma shrugged, "I don't know. Can't we just assume it wasn't for the moment."
"For the moment," Midir agreed.
It started simply. Truth shivered.
"God, it's cold," she said to Emma.
"I don't feel it," Emma replied.
"Really? I'm freezing maybe it's just me."
"Maybe," Emma replied, "you could be getting the flu or something."
"I hope not," Truth said, "I hate being sick."
"Everyone does," Emma said.
"What about hypochondriacs?" Truth asked.
"Always have to contradict me don't you," Emma said smiling.
"Nah, only occasionally," Truth replied.
Emma smiled again; it was the last thing she'd expected to be doing today but then she hadn't seen Psyche yet. She was sure that when she arrived smiling would be the last thing she'd be doing."
"So where's Midir today?" Truth asked.
"I don't know," Emma told her, "he wasn't on the bus."
"Maybe he's driving," Truth said and shivered again.
"You really are cold," Emma exclaimed. "Would you like to go sit by the radiator?"
Truth nodded, "Yeah."
As Emma and Truth walked down the corridor Emma felt slightly dizzy for a moment.
"Emma look out," Truth shouted as Emma tripped over a large bag.
She managed to stop herself falling but she still felt really embarrassed.
"You okay?" Truth asked.
"Yeah unless you can die of shame," Emma replied. "I didn't see the bag at all."
"Well that's what happens if you don't look where you're going," Truth chastised her with a wide grin.
"You enjoy it when I make a fool of myself way too much," Emma said sternly but grinned too.
"Truth," Emma said softly as they sat on the bench beside the radiator.
"Uh oh, this sounds serious," Truth said with a smile.
"It is," Emma replied.
Truth stopped smiling and looked at Emma with a composed and attentive face.
"Okay what?" she asked.
"I want you to know what you're getting yourself into. Midir and I have talked and thought about it a lot but I'm not sure you have to the same extent."
Emma stopped and took a deep breath.
"Truth, the way things are going it looks like I'm not going to have any friends left when they all find out about Midir. I never wanted to have to choose between Midir and you guys; I wanted to have both in my life. It doesn't look like I'm even going to have a choice anymore but you do. I don't want you to lose all your friends because of me."
Truth opened her mouth to say something but Emma cut in, "Just let me finish okay."
Truth nodded and shut up.
Emma sighed and continued, "You have no reason to do this Truth, I at least have Midir. What are you going to get out of it? Nothing, I don't want to be the cause of you losing all your loneliness; I don't want to cause you any pain. I never wanted to hurt anyone but it's too late for that now but I can keep you from being hurt."
Truth shook her head lightly, "Do I get to talk now?"
Emma nodded.
"Okay. What do I get out of it? Why do I have to get anything out of it? But if you want to know what I get, I get you and Midir as friends. And you're right I didn't think it out as well as you and Midir did and obviously I was to optimistic, I didn't see the reality. I guess I thought too much of our friends to think they'd throw away the friendship we have because of something like this. I expected Psyche to understand and she wasn't. I guess I need to reassess my view of the world and our friends but I'm not going to stop being your friend and don't you dare even ask me to."
Emma smiled though there were tears in her eyes.
"Oh Truth," she whispered.
She hugged her friend and drew back in surprise. Her friend's skin was cool to the touch. Emma pressed her hand to Truth's cheek.
"You're really cold. Do you feel okay?"
"Yeah, I feel fine," Truth replied, "just a little cold."
"Okay," Emma said though she was still concerned about her friend.
Midir arrived into the first class late. Emma was sitting with Truth near the front of the class and all her other friends in the class sat at the exact opposite end so she felt safe in smiling at him.
She assumed Psyche had taken the time that morning to tell them all. The glares she was getting from Fiachra and Hern seemed to confirm this. Worse than any of the angry glares were the looks in Hayden and Stella's eyes, they looked betrayed and she supposed they had been a little.
Emma was not looking forward to having to confront them between classes, which was why she dawdled as much as possible after class. The classroom was practically empty when she finished packing her bag. It was then that she felt Truth's cold hand on her arm.
"I don't feel so good, Em," Truth said in a weak voice.
Emma turned to look at her friend who had become extremely pale.
"You don't look so good," Emma replied, "come on I'm taking you to the office. You need to go home."
Truth nodded, " Yeah but bathroom first, I feel sick."
Emma sat in the office with Truth who seemed to get visibly worse as time passed. Emma was really worried, she was so pale and weak and nauseous and it had come on so suddenly. She was holding the class of water the school secretary had given to Truth because Truth's hands were shaking so much she couldn't hold it herself.
Mrs. Nolan the secretary came into them.
"Truth neither of your parents are home but one of the teacher's could drop you home if you wanted or to the doctor."
"I'd like to go home please," Truth said shakily.
"Do you have a way to get in?" Mrs. Nolan asked.
Truth nodded, "I have a key."
"Okay, but I'm not sure you should be left alone."
"I could stay with her," Emma suggested.
Mrs. Nolan looked doubtful, "I don't think you should miss anymore classes."
"Can't Emma stay with me please," Truth asked, "I don't want to be alone."
Truth looked really pitiful and Emma could understand why Mrs. Nolan relented. The only trouble was that Truth wasn't putting it on, she really was that bad.
"Let me try and organise a lift home for you both," Mrs. Nolan said and left again.
Truth dropped her head on Emma's shoulder. Partly for comfort, partly because it was taking too much strength to hold it up.
"I'm so cold," she whispered. "What's wrong with me?"
"I don't know," Emma replied. "I don't know."
Mrs. Nolan returned looking visibly distracted and apologetic. All the teachers who had driven to work were in class and the principle was at a meeting. Mrs. Nolan herself couldn't drive.
"You'll have to wait," Mrs. Nolan said regretfully.
"But look at her, she needs to be in bed now," Emma argued.
"I know but what can you do?" Mrs. Nolan said softly.
"Wait, I know," Emma said struck with sudden inspiration. "One of the boys drove today, he could drive us home."
Mrs. Nolan shook her head. "There's already two of you out of class, I can't let another student miss classes because of this."
In the uncomfortable, hostile silence that followed Truth began to cough in a horrible, hacking, dry way. Mrs. Nolan sighed.
"Okay," she said, "but if anyone asks I knew nothing about it."
"Thanks Mrs. Nolan. You're the best," Emma exclaimed. "Truth I'm going to get Midir and he'll take us home okay."
Truth nodded and smiled.
Emma stood in front of the door to Midir's class and wondered what everyone would think about her calling Midir from class. She realised that she didn't really care, let them think what they wanted as long as Truth got home and felt better she didn't care. She knocked loudly and walked into the room.
"Excuse me Mr. Collins. Midir Boyce is wanted in the office."
Mr. Collins looked up at her like he didn't understand what she was saying and made some sort of gesture with his hands.
"Alright Mr. Boyce go with Emma here."
Emma hurried from the room impatient to get back to Truth.
"Emma," Midir called jogging to catch up with her, "Wait up."
She stopped for a moment for him to reach her and then hurried on again.
"Emma, what's up?" he asked.
"It's Truth," she told him, "she's sick. I convinced Mrs. Nolan to let you take her home. You did drive didn't you."
"Yeah I drove," Midir replied.
When Midir saw Truth sitting alone in the office he suddenly understood Emma's urgency.
"You look like shit," he told her.
Truth smiled, "Good. Glad to know I look like I feel."
Emma grinned wickedly, "If you think this is bad you should have heard her earlier in the bathroom."
"Thanks Emma really, I wanted everyone to know that," Truth said with a smile.
"You seem a little better," Emma said, "I mean your talking in more than 3 or 4 word sentences."
"Believe me I don't feel any better," Truth replied, "Are you taking me home?" she asked Midir hopefully.
"I am," Midir answered then added, "I love being the knight in shining armour."
"Emma rolled her eyes, "Come on," she said tugging on his arm, "we should get going."
On the drive to Truth's house the Emma told Midir about how Truth had felt cold and how suddenly she had felt sick. She wasn't sure but Midir's face seemed to become angry as she told the story. He didn't say anything but Emma knew that there was something more going on here, something that he knew but wasn't telling her.
"I'm going to stay with her," she told him when he dropped them at the house.
"Okay," he replied, "I'll come back at lunch break to see how she's doing, maybe she'll be better."
That was when Emma knew for sure that he wasn't telling her something; there was a knowledge in his voice when he said the last part, a promise even.
"Midir," she said, "what's going on?"
"Nothing you should worry about," he told her.
"Midir my friend is over there really, really sick if there is something going on it is something I should worry about."
"It's okay Em, I'll sort it out and if what I think is going on is going on then Truth will be better soon."
He drove off without telling her anymore and she snarled in frustration. Why was he being so secretive, why wouldn't he tell her what was going on? He made it sound like someone or something was doing this to Truth, if that was true, if someone was hurting Truth for some reason Emma swore she would make them pay.