Leandra thought she was getting sick, though she wasn't feverish. Lately, she'd been feeling nauseous when she woke up, and had even thrown up a few times. She was also feeling more fatigued than usual, but that could have been a lack of proper sleep. She didn't have any other symptoms of the flu though, and the feeling usually went away by midday, after food had settled in her stomach. But smells were getting to her more than before, and she was having a hard time getting used to washing dishes, scrubbing toilets, and doing other nasty chores she was not used to.
Leandra still hadn't found a job, although not for lack of trying. She had applied for several dozen positions, from burger flipper to maid. Her resumé was unfortunately very specialized in music, and she was blacklisted from every theater company, including the small community-run center at Lowtown. But it seemed like not even a McDickens wanted Leandra to represent them.
Leandra was running out of her savings fast and, though Mara had reassured her that all the jewelry and clothes that Leandra had insisted on selling would cover them for a while, Leandra couldn't feel comfortable borrowing money from Mara, especially considering Mara had a child to think about.
Still, Leandra wasn't sure what she was going to do.
Jaheem had offered her a job as a legal secretary at his firm, but Leandra wasn't sure she could take the offer. She was starting to pick up some of the jargon and now had the vague idea of how the law worked after hanging out with Jaheem. Some of the subjects they discussed even reminded her of conversations she'd have with her mother, though these discussions were more productive and interesting.
Jaheem had given Leandra some law books to read when she expressed interest in his work, but they felt so far out of her expertise that she was quickly overwhelmed. She also felt hesitant to get closer to Jaheem.
Leandra had been engaged to Guillaume since she was ten years old, and then she cheated on him with Malcolm. When both of those relationships ended in disaster, she just threw herself at Jaheem without even thinking it through. Leandra was considering that maybe she needed to have a clean break from all men, and experience what it was like to live just for herself. She didn't know how to function without a man by her side. She'd never even considered just being single. Perhaps she should take this chance to expand her hobbies, pick up a few new skills, and just learn who she was and what she actually wanted out of life.
She wasn't sure what to do with her family's slaving secret with Jaheem, Mara, and Harvel under threat. Leandra's post was quickly forgotten about and soon she was paralyzed, forced to adjust to this new normal. She tried to warn Jaheem about the threat, and even showed him the photos. He told her to remain quiet for now, but he didn't seem especially bothered and reassured her that he was taking every precaution to keep himself safe, even going so far as to cook all his own meals to avoid being poisoned.
Leandra was still worried for him. She knew that Jaheem had not stopped investigating the Council, and she feared it would spell his end.
She stopped dreaming of Malcolm three nights ago. She thought she should be relieved, maybe she was finally moving on, but nightmares had only replaced her dreams instead.
For the last three nights, she was set adrift in the middle of an ocean, no land in sight, with high stormy waves threatening to bowl her over. She would scream as the waves slapped her, smacking her body and battering her. In the waters it looked like something was reaching for her, trying to drag her under.
A strange orange Templar that reminded her of Carver would always come in a grand navy ship, accompanied by a pink fairy and yellow owl-child. They would always throw her down a rope ladder and bring her back to shore and then she'd promptly wake up.
On this particular morning after a failed job interview as a front desk worker at a Hightown hotel (not one of Guillaume's), Leandra fell asleep crying on the couch again, and then she was back on the stormy waters.
She screamed for help as she clung to her raft, splinters digging into her fingertips, her throat growing hoarse. Black octopus-like tentacles kept licking her legs, threatening to pull her under. She saw multiple yellow swirling goat eyes peering at her, like crocodiles in the water.
The Carver spirit came back in his majestic ship, wood richly auburn, colorful masts that parted the churning clouds with the flap of the cloth. The creature in the water seemed to flee the rays of the light, hissing like static.
Leandra clung unsteadily to her raft, her fingers sore and raw. She felt relieved to see the strange Spirit again, even if she was unsure why he kept appearing. Leandra hoped she wasn't developing random feelings for Carver now. She couldn't handle it if her heart chose to be even more fickle.
Carver threw the rope ladder down to her like usual, and Leandra quickly grabbed on and climbed up as fast as her shaky limbs would let her. Carver helped her over the ledge and steadied her on her feet, rubbing her trembling shoulders.
The owl child blinked their large eyes at her curiously, the pink fairy sitting sleepily on their shoulder. They never said anything. They just stared at her and giggled creepily.
"You used to have a ward? Why do you not sleep with it anymore?" Carver thinned his lips, his skin somehow a lucent vibrant orange like a flame.
"Ward?" Leandra was hugging herself, sopping wet and shivering. "I don't know what you mean."
"You used to bless your family with it and now your prayers are unspoken. They are needed now more than ever," Carver told her sternly.
"My prayers?" Leandra blinked confused. "Are you talking about my rosary?"
It was now kept in a drawer in Mara's parents' dresser. She couldn't bring herself to pray when the Maker had been so cruel.
"I do not care what you call it." Carver snapped. And then he put his hand over his heart, covering up the Sword of Mercy on his chest as he bowed curtly. "I am sworn to protect you, but my strength is already strained even with Kindness' and Honesty's help." He gestured to the two Spirits beside them. "The magic on your ward will protect you from Zelophehad. It's foolish to go without it right now when the Somniari is compromised."
Leandra shook her head. "I don't understand what you're even saying."
"Just wear your rosary." Carver tripped over the word like it was unfamiliar. He took her by her shoulders. "Listen carefully and heed my words." Carver's lips thinned. "You must return to the Somniari. He needs you more than ever."
There was that strange word again that Malcolm was always called in her dreams. This was also not the first time Carver asked this, but she snapped at him every time and this time was no different.
Leandra's nostrils flared, pushing Carver away. "He should have thought that before he cheated on me!"
Carver pulled back his hands, clenching his fists as he looked down. "He is almost broken. If you don't go… you'll regret it."
Leandra felt a chill run down her spine, his words sinking into the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but feel like he was right.
Then she woke up to a strange shouting.
Harvel and Mara were bickering as they entered the house together, Harvel wagging his finger. "That man is thirty-six years old! Why is he even interested in a twenty-three year-old!?"
Mara rolled her eyes. "You're making it sound creepy. It wasn't like we started dating by checking each other's IDs."
Harvel's face was red from his neck to the tip of his twitching ears. "Still, once he realized that when he was a lad of eighteen, you were still playing in mud puddles, a proper man would have done the right thing and backed off to find a woman his own age!"
"I don't like proper men," Mara grinned teasingly. She nudged her Lolo, as his wrinkles deepened in a scowl. "You're acting like he groomed me or something. Carver and I are both adults that can make our own decisions." She then narrowed her cat eyes in a glare. "You said you'd butt out!"
Harvel huffed. "How can I when you're dating an old man?! I mean what do you two even have in common?"
Mara smirked and crossed her arms with a salacious grin on her face. "Plenty. But probably nothing you want to hear about Lolo."
Harvel went a shade redder and so did Leandra. "Girl, I have no idea what to do with you! You're making the biggest mistake of your life!" Harvel threw his hand up in the air as he leaned unsteadily on his cane.
"And it's my mistake to make." Mara turned on the TV and plopped down on the couch next to Leandra, ending the conversation.
Leandra blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes as Harvel muttered and settled in on his lazy boy recliner with a creak of his knees.
The TV turned to a law and order show, aptly named Order and Law, that was basically a rip-off of real atrocities that happened in Kirkwall, but played up for drama. This particular episode was about a killer who liked to bind up rich couples with their own belts, murder them in their homes, and steal a pair of the woman's expensive shoes as trophies. It was as ghastly as the usual episodes were, and Leandra found it horrifying, but Mara and Harvel were really into them and liked to try to guess who the murderer was. They were constantly making bets.
Harvel's eyes were glued to the TV, eager to speak of something else. He immediately said, "Ten silver that it's the cab driver."
Mara rolled her eyes. "Not taking that bet. It's obviously the cab driver." Her eyes drifted to Leandra and when she noticed Leandra was looking down at her hands, her face grim. Mara touched her knee. "Don't worry. Maybe in the next interview they'll give you a chance."
Leandra noticed her hands were trembling slightly. She gulped down a shiver. "Mara… I had a really strange dream again."
Mara smirked. "What else is new?" She waggled her eyebrows leaning in close. "Let me guess… something raunchy that made you a little too wet."
"Girl, your Lolo is right here!" Harvel snapped, turning up the TV.
Mara giggled at Harvel's scowl and Leandra's reddening face.
"Nothing like that," Leandra croaked embarrassedly. She gritted her teeth and stared at her palms, remembering the splinters in her fingers from the raft, feeling so real. "Actually, I had a dream about Carver… and he told me that there's something wrong with Malcolm." She found her chest tightening in anxiety. "I have a really bad feeling."
Harvel and Mara looked at each other.
Harvel jabbed a knotty finger at Mara. "We agreed not to tell her."
Mara flung her hands out, looking a little desperate. "Doesn't a message from Andraste change things?"
Harvel scowled. "Since when did you become religious?"
Mara crossed her arms huffing, "Even I'm not dumb enough to ignore a sign from the Maker."
Leandra's eyes darted between the two of them in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Mara took Leandra's hand, her face uncharacteristically serious. "While I was at the prison today, Carver told me something… " Mara looked at their clasped hands as her lips thinned. "He just found out Malcolm almost died being punished by the new Knight-Captain three days ago. He's still unconscious and they're not sure when he's going to wake up."
Leandra gasped, her heart thudding as tears flooded her eyes. Three days ago? That's when she stopped dreaming of Malcolm. "No…" The tremble in her hands turned violent. "No, Maker, not again."
Mara squeezed Leandra's hands trying to steady them. "I'm sorry."
"No," Leandra repeated, shaking her head so tears flung off her face. She took her hands back from Mara, all her grief boiling into fury. "The Maker is not doing this to me!" She jumped to her feet, determination flooding her from head to toe. "The Maker will not take him from me!" She rushed for her purse, slinging it over her shoulder.
Mara rose to her feet. "Leandra, where are you going?"
Leandra quickly slipped on her heels. "To see Malcolm! Mara, I need to borrow your car!" Leandra didn't even wait for Mara to answer. She grabbed the keys off of the rack and rushed out the door.
Leandra wasn't used to driving. Honestly, she had poor spatial awareness, which sometimes unbalanced her and made her bump into things, so she always preferred to have a driver. But today was an emergency and everyone else just had to stay out of the way.
She tore out of the driveway, slightly jumping in her seat as she hit the curb. She sped through every street in the tiny white economy car, and even cut through a few red lights, leaving skid marks in her wake and somehow missing every Guard patrol.
She rapidly approached the Docks and pulled into the lot where the train to the Gallows lay. She parked haphazardly, part of the tire on top of the sidewalk. She immediately rushed out, got on the next transport to the Gallows, and stormed inside the Courtyard.
She squared her shoulders, head high and proud, remembering all the training her parents taught her. She knew she didn't belong here, but you couldn't tell from the way she took command of the place. Leandra scanned the Courtyard, seeing the Tranquil selling their enchanted equipment to visiting nobles. She snapped at a nearby mage with blond wavy hair and green eyes. "You! Do you know where Malcolm Hawke is?"
The man flinched at the name, and he narrowed his eyes as he curled his pink lips in a sneer. "Oh, right. You're his slut."
Leandra snarled and slapped the man with an indignant look on her face. "I demand to know where he is, right now!" Her hand was stinging but it was worth it.
The man staggered back, holding his bruised cheek. She had made a red handprint on his pale skin. He sneered. "I'm not your servant. Who do you think you are, putting your hands on me and making demands!? I'm an Elliot!"
Leandra knew the house's name, but they were a lesser noble house where Leandra came from a greater house. She scoffed, unimpressed. She waved him away as if he was a bug. "I do not have time for you."
She didn't want to waste a second arguing so her eyes started darting around for someone else to ask.
A brown Templar with dark slick hair and a tiny mustache walked up to Leandra with high eyebrows and raised hands, trying to calm her. "Ma'am, you cannot go barging in and assaulting our mages."
Leandra narrowed her eyes. "Do you know who I am?"
The brown man went a shade darker as he looked down at his feet, suddenly too nervous to look at Leandra. "Everyone knows who you are, my Lady."
Leandra went red as the noble mage snickered into his hand, but she swallowed her embarrassment, remembering why she came here. "I am also Jaheem Omenma's personal legal secretary, and I've been made aware of civil rights abuses. As of today, I'm taking the whole Circle to court!" She was suddenly glad she had an interview today because, with her grey business skirt suit, she definitely looked the part.
The Templar went pale and looked at his colleagues, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly a small figure careened into Leandra's legs. "Auntie! Auntie!"
Leandra almost tripped in her heels but caught herself. When she looked down, Isaac was wrapped tightly around her. He had a huge ecstatic smile on his face, but there were dark circles under his big red-rimmed eyes.
Leandra couldn't help but scoop her nephew into a hug. How she needed to see his face. "Isaac! How I missed you!" It felt so good to wrap her arms around him. After Colette, Isaac was all she had left of Revka's family.
Isaac's bright smile fell and his lip began to quiver. He clung to Leandra's skirt. "Auntie… I did a bad thing."
Leandra stroked Isaac's cheek soothingly with her thumb. She was just grateful that the Maker gave her this chance to see him. "Whatever you did, I forgive you."
Isaac's eyes started to glisten. "You shouldn't… Malcolm's hurt because of me…" The tears started to spill down his cheeks as he hiccuped, looking down at his quivering hands. "I did a bad thing…"
Malcolm and Isaac knew each other? Did Malcolm reach out after Leandra told him about Isaac?
She held the boy against her as he cried, aware that the Templars were stiffening at the sight, looking particularly guilty.
Leandra held him for a few moments before she got down on her knees and looked Isaac in the eye. "Can you take me to Malcolm?"
Isaac nodded, wiping his wet face, and took her hand, leading her deeper into the building. "I was gonna see him, anyways."
The brown Templar reached out for her. "Ma'am, you need clearance to move throughout the Circle!"
Leandra snapped her head over her shoulder so fast her hair flipped. "Fuck your clearance!"
Leandra flinched with the Templar. She shouldn't have said that in front of Isaac.
Isaac's tears broke into a smile as he hid a giggle in his hands. "Fuck," he echoed.
Leandra sighed deeply, thinking of poor Revka. But Leandra guessed that her children picking up curse words was the least of her problems.
She squeezed the boy's hand. "Let's go, Isaac."
As she walked away she heard the brown Templar turn to his colleagues and say, "Hurry and get the Knight-Captain."
Isaac led Leandra through some hallways. Hand in hand, they passed mages and Templars who all stared at Leandra, knowing she didn't belong but not knowing what to do about it. Soon she was in a chamber with very little sunlight, lined with beds. The walls were barren stone, the beds separated by white sheet dividers that gave some semblance of privacy. Leandra strolled through the room, taking in the Chantry banners of the flaming sun hanging over the beds. Her eyes scanned the patient's faces until she found Malcolm tucked into a corner.
Her heart splintered to pieces when she saw the state Malcolm was in. He was wrapped in bandages from his head to his chest, his face yellowing from healing bruises that looked bone deep. The bandages on his head looked dark with blood. He looked so frail, like a mangled doll.
Malcolm's IV bag dripped fluid steadily. The beep of the monitor scanning his heart was unsteady, out of rhythm. His breathing was shallow and uneven, his face tense with pain.
Leandra rushed up to Malcolm and took one of the chairs already seated beside him. She grasped his hand, still warm but limp.
Isaac took the seat next to her, and laid his head down on Malcolm's stomach, sniffling heavily.
Malcolm didn't respond at all.
Suddenly two people, a strict black elf with purple eyes, and a brown man with shaggy dark hair and a goofy smile came into the hospice. When they spotted Leandra, their mouths dropped and their eyes went wide.
The brown man rushed up to her and pointed as if he was seeing a ghost. "You're Leandra!"
Leandra raised an eyebrow, squaring her shoulders, preparing for whatever insult he was about to fling. "I am."
The man breathed excitedly, taking the seat next to Isaac. "Oh, this is great! Malcolm will be so happy to know you came."
Isaac didn't respond to greet the other two. He just continued to lean on Malcolm, gripping the sheets that were tucked around him with tightly clenched fists.
Leandra smiled, patting Isaac's head. "You must be one of Malcolm's friends."
The man hopped excitedly in his seat, his energy reminding her of a puppy. His brown eyes sparkled at her like diamonds. "Yeah, I'm Charlie. And this here's Taylor." He pointed to the elf standing at the foot of Malcolm's bed, checking his chart.
Leandra recoiled at the name, her lip curling. "Oh… You're Taylor."
She inspected the elf, comparing her features to her own, but Leandra found herself burning in jealousy at the elf's beauty. She had deep brown skin like rich fertile earth, a well-balanced face with a beautifully shaped wide flat nose, and big full lips that looked plush enough to kiss. Her hair was fluffy and stood up on her head like a cloud and she had twisted braids into the top of her head so it made a cute half-do. Her black thick rimmed glasses obscured her eyes and gave her a rather intelligent look, but still her eyes were so vivid. Leandra had only seen that violet in flowers or paintings. They shined brightly in the way only an elf's could.
Taylor raised a disinterested dainty eyebrow. "Yup, I'm Taylor," she said in a monotone voice. She checked the IV drip, adjusting some of the settings with the click of a button as she studied the chart in her hands.
Leandra turned her head, blushing. "Damn it, you are really pretty."
Taylor's eyes widened in surprise and she chuckled. "Well, thank you." She cocked her head, her cloudy hair swaying as she narrowed her eyes, her lips twisted in a smirk. "Wait… do you still think Malcolm and I are dating?"
Leandra crossed her arms blowing her bangs off her forehead with a huff. "Well, that's why you're here, right?"
Taylor and Charlie laughed together, making Leandra feel like she was the butt of the joke.
Taylor walked to the foot of Malcolm's bed and put his chart away. "Let me be clear." She gestured at Malcolm's broken form. "This is a walking disaster masquerading as a man. The fact he hasn't died from his own stupidity is a miracle." She rolled her magical eyes. "Sure, he might be pretty, but then he opens his mouth and you realize he's the biggest dick in existence, and that pretty wears off quickly." She scoffed. "Believe me, lady, you can have him to yourself."
Leandra blinked, speechless and puzzled. "I happen to like what he says… sometimes."
Taylor and Charlie shared a laugh, making Leandra blush.
"Then you really might be meant to be." Taylor touched her chin and gave Leandra a pitying look. "I'm not saying to take Malcolm back. If you do, you'll definitely be putting up with his childish tantrums for the rest of your life, and I wouldn't want to subject anyone to that…" She dropped her eyes back to Malcolm. "But I'm not lying when I say you changed him."
Leandra's eyes widened at that, and she lifted her head, paying attention to Taylor in new interest.
Taylor furrowed her eyebrows in what looked like a frown as she stared at Malcolm, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her full lips. "Malcolm was always a loner. All he did was sleep all day and pull pranks. He picked fights with everyone, even me and Charlie. He is literally the laziest man I have ever met. He never turned in a single assignment because he thinks he can get by on talent alone, and that makes him insufferably arrogant." Taylor chuckled her eyes far away as if in a memory. "The only reason he passed his classes is that he was always able to ace the aptitude tests, but everything changed after he met you. You gave him purpose. " She looked at Leandra with truth in her eyes. "He somehow pulled his grades together and managed to jump ahead to graduation, just for a chance to be with you. Believe me. He wouldn't have done that for just anyone."
Leandra looked at Malcolm, tears filling her eyes. "So, Malcolm was telling the truth? You two dating was just a ruse?"
Taylor's shoulders sagged in relief. "I'm so glad we don't have to do that anymore. It was humiliating." She then walked up to Charlie and stood behind him, putting a casual hand on his shoulder, and ran her dark fingers through his wavy brown hair. She had a bright smile on her dark face. "Besides, Charlie and I are the ones that are actually dating."
Charlie smiled back just as brilliantly and reached up to squeeze her small hand, dwarfing it. "It feels good to finally say that."
The tears started to spill off Leandra's cheeks. If Malcolm was telling the truth about Taylor, then what else was he telling the truth about? Did he truly love her? Did he truly want to marry her?
Leandra remembered when Jaheem found out about her and Malcolm, how she expected that harsh judgment, but instead he talked to her, gave her a chance to explain herself.
She loved Malcolm. If her relationship was that important, shouldn't she have had that conversation before she decided to run away? Didn't he deserve that?
Leandra threw her head in her hands in a sob. "I've been such a fool."
Isaac wrapped his tiny arms around Malcolm's body. Isaac's shoulders were trembling, his wide big eyes on Malcolm's bruised face, his lip quivering. "I'm sorry, Malcolm." Isaac's shoulders started to shake as he broke down again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Leandra was surprised when Taylor reached out and started stroking Isaac's dark brown hair out of his eyes. "Isaac, I already told you. Malcolm is an adult and he knew what he was doing. It was not your fault." She kissed the side of his temple.
"It was," Isaac blubbered, snot running down his nose. "I did a bad thing..."
Leandra's heart was shredding, hearing Isaac sob. She scooped Isaac up and cradled him to her chest, feeling how much he trembled. She bit her lip, looking up at Taylor, trying to blink back the tears blinding her. "I don't understand how this happened."
"It's my fault," Isaac cried, his voice muffled into her chest.
"No, it's not," Taylor repeated, shushing him gently. She patted his head, her lips thinning. "Isaac was just being a boy. He did something that would have gotten him in a lot of trouble and… Malcolm took the blame." She bit her full bottom lip. "I understand why he did it, but… what I don't understand is why he kept pushing Meredith." She gritted her teeth, her voice wavering. "I know he's really hurt, but I'm still so mad at the idiot!" Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. "He wouldn't stop goading Meredith. It was like he was trying to die."
Charlie's lips thinned as he looked at his friend's mangled body, his usual smile unable to shine.
Leandra couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes. The loss of Colette and Revka was so fresh, the fact that Malcolm was shattered in front of her almost broke her. This wasn't the first time Malcolm had saved Isaac either. And not only that, she'd ignored the Maker's sign for three nights and let him suffer all alone. Leandra felt ungrateful for his sacrifices, unworthy of his love. Would he ever forgive her?
How long had he been acting like this? She knew something was wrong when he gave back the ribbon. His eyes seemed so dead, so hopeless. She thought he had given up on her, but it turned out he had just given up. But she couldn't see that then. All she could see was her anger.
The bell chimed several times. Leandra looked around to see Charlie and Taylor shuffling to get up. Taylor grabbed Isaac gently by the shoulders. "C'mon, hon, it's time for class. We'll visit Malcolm again on our next break." She smiled at Leandra. "We should give your aunt a few moments alone with Malcolm anyways."
Isaac sniffled but dutifully untangled himself from Leandra's arms. Isaac had left a mess of snot and tears on Leandra's chest but she didn't mind.
Leandra leaned over and kissed Isaac on the cheek and wiped his snotty nose with the back of her sleeve. "I love you, Isaac. Try to be a good boy."
Isaac nodded, tears falling off his chin. "I'm gonna be a really good boy from now on, Auntie, I promise."
Leandra wiped some tears off his cheek soothingly, and then Taylor grabbed his hand.
She looked at Leandra, her smile turning tense. "Enchanter Jakoby and I have been performing healing sessions on Malcolm nearly every hour on the dot. He is responding to them, albeit a little slowly, but you shouldn't worry. That's normal considering the graveness of his wounds." Her eyes dropped but then she forced herself to look back at Leandra, a forwardness in her gaze as she tried to take on a reassuring tone. "Please allow him time to heal. He will get better," she said with absolute assurance.
Then Taylor led Isaac out of the hospice, Charlie's hand intertwined with hers on her other side, so they almost looked like a family.
Leandra was left alone with Malcolm, or at least as alone as she could be with the other sick mages in bed, but their faces were hidden by the courtesy curtains so she could pretend they were asleep or not listening.
Fresh tears welled up in Leandra's eyes as she stroked the curls off Malcolm's forehead. His hair looked dull and less vibrant. His skin was paler than usual, his cheeks sunken and sallow. He was breathing unevenly, his body so still he looked dead, if not for the slight movement in his chest. She wrapped her hand into his limp fingers, still lifeless to her touch. She held his hand to her cheek, still feeling the warmth there and taking comfort in that at least. "Please, please don't die."
He didn't respond. He just breathed raggedly. His heart was an unsteady drum, out of tempo, and it seemed to be fading with every beat.
"I'm sorry," Leandra sobbed, her tears hitting his chest. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look at the bruises marring his beautiful face. His hand was still lifeless to her touch. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I'm sorry for everything." She squeezed his freckled hand, hoping he would squeeze back, but he didn't respond. The tears dripped off her chin. "Please, I can't lose you, too."
She didn't know what else to do. She leaned over him and cupped his cheek, bringing her lips in to kiss him, as she held his hand to her heart, letting him feel it beat.
He breathed against her mouth, and to her surprise, his lips responded. She could taste the dizzying alcoholic rush of his tongue against hers, even through the bitter iron blood. Her lips sparked with the same electric current she remembered, her heart thudding wildly in her chest, his warmth flooding her with comfort and peace.
She pulled away, to find his honey eyes fluttering open, glinting to gold in the light.
But they were unfocused. He looked past her in a faraway daze. "Leandra?" he whispered, voice weak. His hand finally squeezed back.
She stroked the tension from his cheeks and forehead softly, scared that if she pressed too hard she would hurt him. Happy tears streamed down her face. "I'm here, Malcolm."
The corner of his lips twitched into a smile, but it seemed like even that gesture was too much for him. His eyelids looked heavy and kept drooping down. "Leandra…" he repeated, his voice trailing off as he drifted back to sleep.
His face looked more peaceful, and he started to breathe more evenly, his heartbeat on the monitor steadying to a more stable pace. Leandra smiled through her tears, hoping that her comfort was enough to bring him through this.
Would he even remember this with the head wound? How could she let him know that she was here for him?
Then suddenly she remembered that she still had her ribbon tucked in her purse. She had placed it there back when she was considering giving it to Jaheem, but every time she tried, she just couldn't. It always belonged to Malcolm. She knew that now.
She tied it snugly around his wrist, and then kissed the palm of his hand, feeling his warmth on her cheek. "I promise they won't get away with this."
His fingers gently squeezed back against her hand again.
That's when a blonde statuesque woman with ice blue eyes came marching in. Her scowl etched deep wrinkles into her angular red face.
"What are you doing?! You are not allowed here!"
Leandra wiped the sorrowful tears from her eyes, anger replacing it and she rose to her full height. "Malcolm is barely clinging to life! Is this kind of punishment usual in the Circle?"
Unfortunately, Leandra wasn't very tall, so the Templar towered over her. And she seemed rather unimpressed with Leandra.
"Obviously you don't understand how things work here. Malcolm is a special case, so he needs special punishment." She had a razor smile, like a wildcat playing with a mouse, and she placed a hand threateningly on the foot of Malcolm's bed.
Leandra's heart thudded in her chest as she was hit by the Templar's words. She seemed gleeful that Malcolm had been put in the hospice. How did Malcolm ever survive this place?
Leandra scowled, her hands clenching to her sides. "Who is in charge? I demand to know who put Malcolm in the state he's in!"
The Templar smirked, placing a casual hand on her chest plate. "I'm Knight-Captain Meredith Stannard, and I'm afraid I'm the highest in the chain of command that you'll see." She preened at the title, like a cock fluffing its feathers. Then her blue eyes sharpened at Leandra like a knife. "But I'm not afraid to admit it, I was happy to do the honor."
Leandra recoiled at the name. This was Meredith? She seemed like a ruthless, calculated person and Leandra was terrified for her nephew and Malcolm.
She huffed and then tore into her purse and handed Meredith a card with Jaheem's name, profession, and noble stamp, a crest of a snake with an elephant's head. Jaheem told her the creature was called a Grootslang, and there was a story they told about it in Rivain. The Grootslang was sixty feet long, and once slithered through the land devouring its prey, man and beast alike. And it was not only destructive, but clever, and guarded a cave of diamonds it kept hidden from everyone. The Gods decided they had made the Grootslang too cunning and powerful, and so they had to split the creature into two, an elephant and a snake. Jaheem said his family chose that crest in remembrance when the Southern Chantry split his family's kingdom, but he said someday the families would reunite under one banner and take their country back.
Meredith seemed to understand the implication of the crest. Her face went a shade paler.
Leandra raised her chin. "Paragraph six of page thirty-three of the Mage Civil Rights code states that any punishment a mage receives must not be excessive to their crimes." She pointed to Malcolm's broken state. "This is beyond excessive!" Leandra snarled, her nostrils flaring. "I promise you there will be an investigation to see if there are any more abuses to uncover! I think we can both agree I'll find plenty!"
Meredith looked slightly nervous before she narrowed her eyes and sniffed. She tore up Jaheem's card into little pieces and dropped it in front of Leandra.
"Your little lawsuit doesn't scare me," Meredith sneered. "Now you need to get out!"
Meredith grabbed Leandra's arm in a bruising grip and started yanking her out of the hospice and back to the train yard. Leandra was barely able to keep up with Meredith's quick pace, almost tripping in her heels. Meredith practically shoved Leandra back into the train and Leandra watched the Gallows fade into the distance across the water, Malcolm and Isaac still trapped inside. Her heart had been left stranded behind with them.
Soon Leandra was walking back to the parking lot, rubbing her bruised arm marked with Meredith's fingers, only to find a Guard talking with a tow truck driver. Mara's car was in the back of the tow and the Guard seemed to be waiting for her.
Leandra rushed up to the Guard and tow driver. "Wait, wait, wait, Sers, I'm here! You don't need to tow the car. I can take it back home!"
The tow truck driver leered at Leandra's curves with his dark eyes. "Can't help you, Miss. You were double parked and on the sidewalk. It's a ticket either way."
The severe-looking blond Guard scribbled something down on his notepad. "Make that two tickets." He ripped the tickets and handed them to Leandra. He pointed to Mara's car, chewing a wad of pink bubblegum in his yellowing teeth, pale stubble lining his cheeks. "This license plate was caught on camera, speeding down the highway and running several red lights. I'm afraid it's going to be a pretty hefty fine or you might be facing some serious jail time."
Leandra's heart sunk, cursing her own stupidity. She couldn't ask Mara to pay for this, but she wasn't sure how she was going to cover this herself, especially since she was lying about being Jaheem's legal secretary and definitely didn't have a job.
That's when Jaheem's voice sounded behind her with perfect timing that only the Maker could manage. "Don't worry, Officer. Forward the ticket to me, and I'll take care of it."
Leandra didn't know when he got there or how much of the conversation he heard, but Jaheem was already handing his card to the Guard.
The Guard raised an unkempt blond eyebrow and nodded. "Alright, Messere. Thank you for your time." And the Guard started strolling back to his patrol car, satisfied.
The tow truck driver crossed his hairy, beefy arms. "Does that mean you're paying to not have the car impounded?"
Jaheem smiled gracefully. "How much do I owe you?"
Leandra grabbed Jaheem's hand which was already reaching into his pocket. "Jaheem, I can't possibly let you do this."
The tow driver narrowed his eyes. "It's two sovereigns."
Leandra's mouth gaped. She couldn't afford that. Two sovereigns might not have seemed like a lot to Leandra a couple of months ago, but that would cut her savings in half and she wasn't sure she could survive on what was left.
Jaheem patted Leandra's hand with a knowing smile. "The Gods have blessed me with abundance. Really, it is no trouble to help out a friend in need, especially one as special as you."
Leandra's gut twisted with guilt as Jaheem handed over the sovereigns. The tow driver pocketed them and started lowering the car off of the truck.
Leandra's hands twisted as she fidgeted, unsure what to say about the gesture.
"So I got a call from the Knight-Commander's office, and apparently I have a new case," Jaheem's smile was mischievous, his cocoa eyes twinkling. "I take it that means you've accepted my job offer."
Leandra tucked some hair behind her ear shyly. The guilt pooled in her gut. How could she say anything but, "Yes."
Jaheem seemed delighted, and that stunning smile brightened his dark face. He raised a shaved brow. "I have to admit your methods are a little unorthodox. There's a protocol to even getting an audience in the Circle, you do realize that," he chuckled lowly. "I'm going to have to smooth down some ruffled feathers."
Leandra ducked her head, ashamed. "How else was I going to see the truth for myself?"
Jaheem's eyes narrowed in interest and he touched his large hand to his square jaw. "And what did you see?"
Leandra's face got hot, her eyes down at her feet. "Malcolm was beaten so badly, he was put in a coma. He looked so frail… so broken… I'm not sure when he'll recover… if he'll recover."
Jaheem's smile dropped a touch. "Malcolm? Your ex-boyfriend Malcolm?"
Leandra hesitated, knowing she still needed Jaheem's help, and that the truth might not make him want to… But how could she lie? He would find out sooner or later.
"Yes," she admitted and bit her cheek, rubbing her arm awkwardly. Now she wished she had insisted that Jaheem not pay for her tickets, but the fact was she didn't know who else to turn to.
"As you know, Malcolm's an elf. He has no legal protections unless we give him some." Leandra gritted her teeth. "And I saw my nephew." Her eyes started to glisten as she fought tears again. "That boy is so traumatized I don't know how he's going to heal. Is that even possible in a place like that?" She looked up at Jaheem, pleading, the tears threatening to spill. "Please… tell me there's something we can do."
Jaheem's face was a mask, and Leandra was unsure what he was thinking. She knew this looked bad. Not only had she impersonated being his secretary, she had gotten a speeding ticket and nearly gotten her friend's car towed rushing to see her ex-boyfriend, who she told Jaheem she was definitely not going to see again. And now she was asking Jaheem to protect Malcolm.
But Jaheem didn't seem mad, or at least not outwardly.
He grabbed Leandra's hand and rubbed it with his thumb as he gave her a careful smile. "I've been waiting for a chance to attack the Circle for abuses. Perhaps the Maker gave us this opportunity."
Leandra smiled, her gratefulness pushing the tears down her cheeks. "So you'll help?"
Jaheem smiled but didn't kiss her hand like usual. He just squeezed it comfortingly instead. "I would not turn you away in your hour of need, my Lady." He put his hand over his heart. "I couldn't do anything for your aunt, but perhaps there's a way to help your nephew and Malcolm."
How could she be blessed with such a kind and understanding man like Jaheem? Leandra was overwhelmed. She pulled Jaheem into a hug, her shoulders shaking in relieved sobs. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She just kept repeating those words, again and again, unable to stop.
Jaheem rubbed Leandra's shaking shoulders with a soft smile on his full lips. "No thanks, necessary, my Lady. I'm only doing my job."
