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I felt my jaw drop as I stared at her for what seemed like forever. My head just wasn't getting around all this. Thomas? This girl was friends with my idiot brother?
Things rushed through my mind as to why Syileta would want to find Thomas. Were they friends, did she want to kill him, was it a trick?
"Thomas?" I finally mumbled.
"So you know him." She said. It wasn't so much of a question as it was a statement.
"You could say that." I replied.
I ran through all the possible things that could happen if I brought her to him. My gut told me I could trust her. The soulgaze agreed with that.
"How do you know Thomas?" I finally asked.
"How do you know him?" She shot back. Her shoulders stiffened in defense and her voice became stronger. One hand reached behind her back to her pack and her sword. So that's why she hadn't wanted to ask Ebenezer. Asking one of the White Council where to find a vampire was not the smartest thing to do.
"Let's just say he's a colleague of mine." I said, hoping it was enough. I didn't need her trying to kill me too. "Just answer my question."
"He was a very good friend of my brother and me. He saved my life once. Someone came between us a few years back and I haven't seen him since. I just wanted to see him again before I, well, 'kick it'."
Syileta had a look of pure sorrow in her eyes. I know I can't lie, but I could tell that she wasn't. So I sat there, hoping she'd keep talking.
"I'm not addicted to him, if that's what you're thinking." She said with a laugh after a moment.
That hadn't even crossed my mind. When Thomas feeds of a woman they sort of become addicted to him. That's what had happened to Justine. He's been good as of late though, but I don't know much about his past. Me and him really have to sit down and talk sometime.
"I don't mean to hurt him either." She said. I looked her in the eyes. She was telling the truth. But still, I didn't want to walk into something that could get me or my brother killed.
I turned back to my beer for a moment. It was empty. Figures.
"Harry," Syileta whispered after a few minutes silence, "During the soulgaze, what did you see?"
Huh? That was an odd question to ask. I looked at her, and it was the first time I caught any bit of nervousness in her eyes. A soulgaze reveals the deepest parts of a person's soul, and she was talking to me about it. That would make me slightly nervous too.
"Three scenes," I said softly, "You were young in the first, being attacked, and…" my voice cracked, and I stopped. "In the second one you were older, and were talking to a man, threatening you into working that night. He was creepy; unnatural red eyes." I paused again. It's hard enough seeing it, its worse to try and retell it, especially to the person who's soul it was.
I snuck a look at Syileta. Her head was turned away, but I could still see that she was trying to hold back tears. I continued quietly, I could barely hear myself speaking. "In the last one you were holding your brother's body."
She sat there for a moment, eyes unfocused. "Did you see anyone else in that last one?" she finally asked; her voice weak.
"Two, one dead, the other was standing in the shadows."
We sat there in silence again, this time longer. Mac had come by with two more beers and had cleared away the plates. I knew that Syileta was trying to make a point, so I just waited and drank. Sometimes it kills me to keep my big mouth shut. I was half done my beer by the time she continued.
"Riley and I were basically prisoners growing up in our uncle's house. He used us as he pleased, selling our," she paused, searching for the right way to say it, "assets, I guess. When we got older we began to rebel, and he tried to punish us. One night, we met Thomas. He was the first person we ever trusted. He saved my life not long after that. And he was there for me, through a lot of things. We practically lived at his place," she said with a small laugh, "Then one day it all went to hell. Long story short, the three of us went after our uncle. Thomas and Riley were both badly injured. My brother told me that I should help Thomas, that he would be ok. I wasn't strong enough to save them both though."
She stopped speaking again. So my brother wasn't just a ladies man before I met him. I guess there's more to him than I thought.
But damn, Syileta had been though hell.
She smiled slightly. Tough girl. "Two days later, before we had even buried Riley, something came up; he left."
Syileta's a smart girl, because she read my face instantly. "No, I don't blame for what happened to Riley. But I think he blames himself."
"So that was Thomas standing in the shadows." I mumbled.
Syileta nodded and laughed. "Ironically, Thomas left to save Riley's ex from a Red Court vamp."
That was an interesting fact to remember. Hell's bells, that sounded like how Thomas told me he hooked up with Justine. He had saved her from Bianca.
"Do me a favor," I said after a moment.
Syileta looked at me, all the fear out of her eyes and the strength returned, "Ya."
I paused again for a moment. "Swear to me that you aren't after Thomas for revenge for your brother."
"I swear." She replied instantly.
I nodded. That was good enough for me. "Just let me make a call."
I let the phone ring. And ring. He wasn't answering. The machine finally picked up.
"It's me, leave a message." Thomas' voice said over the recoding.
The machine beeped. Hell's bells, did I want to leave a message. I guess I would want to know if he was bringing one of my old friends by.
"Hey Thomas, it's me." Duh. "Umm, I ran into someone today. We're going to stop by your place. Just wanted to warn you…"
The machine beeped again, cutting me off.
"Peachy," I mumbled. I hung up the phone and headed back to Syileta at the bar.
"Let's go." I said. Syileta smiled as she pulled some money out of her back pocket to pay for the food. Damn she was loaded, I saw her flipping through a couple hundreds before she got to the twenty's.
"Cool," she mumbled, grabbing her coat and bag. I nodded to Mac and we headed for the door.
"You need a ride?" I asked, holding the bar door open for her.
"I'm good, I'll follow you."
I nodded and headed for the Blue Beetle. I opened the front compartment and put my staff in it. After a moments deliberation I grabbed my blasting rod and put it in the back seat. Something didn't quite feel right. Thomas should have been home.
"Nice ride."
I turned around to see Syileta sitting on a black motorcycle. Nothing like Murphy's Harley though. This one was a slender crotch rocket. Looked fast. And expensive.
"You too." I replied.
I froze the whole way there. The Beetle's heater died last winter. And though I'd been working three jobs I still didn't have the money to fix it.
We parked about a block away on the street. It was easier than trying to find a spot in the quest parking. That and it wasn't part of the apartment's security either. I shoved my blasting rod in my duster along with some other small things and got out.
Syileta pulled up behind me and killed the engine. She got off and threw her bag over a shoulder, leaving her helmet hanging on the handlebar.
She whistled, "Nice place."
"No shit." I replied.
Thankfully the guards recognized me as Thomas' 'friend' and let us by.
We walked up to the elevator and exchanged a look.
Syileta chuckled and nodded towards the opposite wall. "Stairs?" she asked.
"Hell yes." I replied.
Like I've said, technology and wizards don't get along too well. Knowing my luck, the two of us would be strong enough to short it out and get ourselves killed. Obviously Syileta had the same idea.
We didn't say much as we climbed the stairs. Granted, there were a lot of stairs and I at least was getting tired. Syileta didn't seem like she was struggling at all. Show off.
"Last one on the right." I said when we got to his floor.
She nodded, and we continued down the hall in silence.
Thomas' place was at the end of the hall from the stairs. We got to the door and Syileta paused for a moment. She looked up at me and I just nodded. She smiled brightly and raised a small hand to knock.
Before her hand reached the door we heard a loud crash, like someone had knocked over a table, and a deep grunt of pain.
We glanced at each other briefly before she pounded her fist against the door.
"Thomas!" She yelled.
I dug through the pockets of my duster as Thomas let out an ear piercing scream, motivating me to move faster. Damn it, this thing had too many pockets. Syileta continued pounding on the door as Thomas screamed again.
"Got it." I yelled, pulling the key Thomas had given me out of one of the inside pockets of my duster. Syileta snatched it out of my hand and tried to shove it in the door know.
"Thomas!" I yelled, after hearing him cry out again. He was in pain. Lots and lots of pain.
"Harry," he replied weakly, "help."
Normally, I'd have just blown the damn door down, but then security would have called the cops. Didn't want that now.
Syileta finally got the door open. I grabbed my blasting rod and we barged through the door.
Just in time to see a sword go through Thomas' chest.
He crumpled to the floor and didn't move.
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