Chapter 9 - The Loving Wife

Eira Barlow woke up after a restful sleep. She smiled as she looked at her husband, James, who had also started waking up. She reached her arm from under the covers to embrace him.

"Good morning, darling."

"Ah, good morning, Eira, my love. Did you sleep well?"

"I always do when you're next to me. Looks like you had a good night too."

"Yeah, good thing, too with the way work's been going lately. Speaking of, I should probably get ready for that."

Eira pulled closer to James, embracing him tighter before he could get out of bed. "Stay in bed with me just a little longer? You feel so warm…"

"Heh, I guess we could…" James began. Before he could continue speaking, he paused. Eira froze in shock as she saw the signs of one of his traumatic episodes beginning to unfold.

—

"You feel so warm… Make me warm too…"

The air in the fallguard stadium ran cold as a brown-skinned salamander woman with silver and blue stripes running down her back spoke. An icy blue halo had just appeared over her head, causing the stadium to erupt in screams of shock and terror. Barlow stared in horror from under his seat as she walked through the stands. The dreamkeepers closest to the woman began to shiver and soon showed signs of extreme cold exposure. In moments, some even stopped moving completely.

"So warm… So hot… Too hot… Too hot!"

The woman started screaming. Raising a hand, she released a burst of flames toward a portion of the audience, who were soon charred by the fire. More screams began issuing from the crowd while the deadly power user continued muttering to herself.

"Too cold again… Freezing… Make me warm again…"

One brave man charged the woman as she spoke. He was quickly caught in her embrace and slowly rendered a frostbitten corpse as she grasped him tighter. This display did nothing to reduce the screaming in the audience, even as a burst of fire silenced another portion of them.

"So cold… Can't control… Need warmth…"

Barlow couldn't move. Fear had stuck him in his hiding place, and he knew the killer would soon be either draining him of his body heat, or roasting him with flames made from the heat of others. He could only close his eyes and hope to be spared while the woman alternated between shivering and sweltering, while the crowds of people paid the price of her power's inability to regulate her temperature.

As the time dragged on and the screaming embedded itself in Barlow's head, the woman walked up to his hiding place, shivering. She pulled Barlow out from beneath the seat and grasped him in an embrace. Her whispered words were the only thing he could hear besides the constant screams as he slipped into a frigid demise.

"You feel so warm… So warm… You're so cold… Are you okay?"

—

"James! Are you okay?"

Eira smiled as she saw James coming back to reality. Tears had filled her eyes from having to watch him suffer in silence for several minutes.

"Oh, darling…" Eira said, reaching to comfort him with a hug.

"So cold… So cold… No, no!" James forced himself away from Eira, falling out of the bed in the process.

"James, darling, what's wrong?" Eira said, watching in shock as her husband distanced himself from her. A damning realization swept over her in an instant. "It… it was me this time, wasn't it?"

"I-I, that…" James started. "I'm sorry Eira. I… I need to be alone right now." He pulled himself up from the floor and left the bedroom.

Eira watched in stunned silence as James left. After moments unable to process what just happened, she broke down in tears. Her husband was tormented and she couldn't do anything to help. Even worse, she was the subject of his latest flashback. Even if she could help, he probably wouldn't want her near him for fear of reliving the horrors of a memory that his mind engineered.

After several minutes, James returned to the bedroom to prepare for work. An awkward silence lingered between him and Eira, which lasted until he left for the day. For hours afterward, Eira went through the motions of her morning routine in a depressive spiral. No matter what she did, she couldn't take her mind off what happened. Her usual pastime of reading up on true crime or detective stories would only remind her of James's job, and how useless she was at helping him through his trauma.

A sudden knock on the door pulled Eira back into reality. She moved quickly and reached for the handle. Marlon was waiting on the other side. The dark-furred weasel had an unusually serious look on his face.

"Hey, Eira. Can I come in? We need to talk."

"Marlon? Shouldn't you be out patrolling right now?"

"It's about Jay. Way more important than work."

"About James? Oh, come on in, then. I was just thinking about… It's a long story."

"Thanks. And I think you've been thinking about the same thing we need to talk about."

Eira moved out of the way to let Marlon in. The two of them went into the kitchen to have a proper conversation. Marlon took a seat at the dining table.

"So, do you want anything to drink?" Eira offered.

"I'm fine, thanks. Better that we skip drinks and talk."

"Okay," Eira replied, taking a seat at the table. "This is about James's flashbacks, isn't it?"

"Yeah, he told me he had another one this morning. One where you were the killer."

"I thought as much. Did he tell you anything else about it?"

"You had some kind of power that drained heat from people and released it as fire, I think."

"Spirits. That would explain what he said about the cold… Was there anything else?"

"Not much. He was mostly beating himself up over how he reacted to you trying to comfort him."

"Oh, James… To think I thought…"

"He'd resent you?" Marlon finished her sentence. "I get it, Eira. Jay's my best friend, and last week he gave me a look like I was about to kill him."

Eira was taken aback. "Really? Just last week?"

"Yep, specifically with a power that puts holes in people. And guess who tried to take his mind off of it with donuts of all things?"

"You're kidding," she said with a faint laugh, "there's no way that happened."

Marlon shrugged. "Not sure what to tell you, but it's just like I said. At least I managed to get a laugh from him about it."

Eira sighed in response. "I just wish I could do something about James's problems…"

"Yeah, me too. It sucks, both of us being stuck on the outside while his mind does this to him."

"You're right. And therapy hasn't been helpful for him either."

"Well, I've been working on something to make him feel better. That power demonstrations case we've been working on, did he tell you about it?"

"A little. You've only gotten started on it, right?"

"Yeah. It's my little way of helping him out. Way I see it, for every criminal doing something related to powers that we take off the streets, he gets a huge boost to his mood."

"I see. That makes sense."

"I'm hoping to get some info on it from my informants today, actually." Marlon rose from his chair. "In fact, I should probably get back to doing that right now."

"Do… Do you think that I could do something like that for him?"

"I'm sure you could figure something out. Maybe not anything related to the powers case, but you might not even have to try that hard. I think even just being here for Jay tonight will do wonders for him."

"I see." Eira rose from her seat and the two headed for the door. "Thanks for taking your time to come and talk."

Marlon shrugged and gave her a smile. "Hey, anything for you and Jay. But for now, I've gotta get back on patrol."

"Right. Well, take care, Marlon."

"Yeah, see you around, Eira."

With a grin, Marlon headed out to continue his rounds. Eira couldn't help but smile as he made his way down the street. Heading back inside, she thought more about what he said. Even just being here for James tonight would be good… But I can't just stop there though. Her thoughts traveled to a more idealized night for the two of them. A hot meal, the two of them sharing each others' company, and a night of passion coming after that…

Eira paused at that last thought. Yes, that could be perfect! It's a bit more forward than I'm used to though, I might need something more, to make it really special…

After racking her brain for an idea, she came to a conclusion. There was a certain shop in Sabbaton that could either have or make exactly the kind of irresistible outfit she had in mind to close the gap that had been torn between James and her. Eira quickly pulled on some casual clothes and headed to the district tower to take a telepad over there.

—

A short trip later, Eira arrived at her destination: the Head to Tail boutique. Heading in, she began browsing through the selection of pre-made clothes, making her way to the back of the store as she did. While she looked through the boutique's stock, a rattling sound drew her attention to the custom order counter. There, the shop's owner Nadine was speaking with one of the customers, a young red snake man wearing a thick winter coat, whose tail was the source of the sound. Eira paused her browsing to listen in.

"Spirits, love! The robe, it's in pieces! I told you to be careful with it," Nadine said as she stared at a pile of white fabric with gold accents the man had produced from a bag.

"I-I'm sorry, I got a little carried away while wearing it…"

"More than a little, it seems." The man's tail began rattling harder. "Oh, do settle down, love. I'm not mad at you."

"Y-you're not?"

"Honestly, I expected a little damage if you were going to bring it back to be completed. And I would have needed to undo the lower quality seams anyway, so this will save some time at least."

"Really? That's a relief…" said the man. The rattling from his tail started to dwindle.

"Still, for it to come apart this much, I have to wonder. What exactly were you doing while wearing it?"

"Ah, just a routine that got out of hand. I was so involved in the action, I didn't notice the damage until it was too late."

"Well, worry not, love. I'll have the robe fixed up for you, no charge. I did promise you as much, after all."

"Oh, thank you. Um, if it's not too much trouble, I do have another design order in mind." He pulled a piece of paper out of his bag. "I have all the details written down here. I won't need it for a few weeks, though. Spirits know I learned my lesson there."

Nadine took a careful look at the paper. "Hm… Yes, I believe I can have this put together for you. Considering your previous measurements and notes you gave me regarding the robe, I imagine the same would also apply to this?"

"Oh, yes. That would be perfect. And thank you. Are you sure I'm not asking too much though?"

"You worry yourself too much. It's no trouble, love. I'll have your robe put back together in the coming days, and after that, we can talk about the price of your next piece."

"Thanks. I appreciate it so much. You're amazing, really," the man said, turning to leave.

"Well, thank you for the compliment, and for your business. I'll see you in a few days, then, Mr. Atrox."

As the man, apparently Mr. Atrox, left, Eira heard Nadine mutter something to herself, with the words "confirms it" sticking out to her. Curious, she went up to the counter to talk with her.

"Ah, welcome!" Nadine paused before continuing. "You were, Mrs. Barlow, correct?"

Eira confirmed with a nod. "Yes, I was just looking around for something when I overheard you talking with that man."

"That would be Mr. Atrox. He is a newer customer, but that isn't important right now. What can I do for you, love?"

"Well, I was hoping to find something to…" Eira whispered her idea to Nadine, who blushed faintly.

"Something to make tonight special, then. More of a 'gift wrap' sort of outfit, as I would call it."

"Gift wrap?"

"Something worn just to be taken off. Not that there's any shame in it. You must really love your husband if you have that in mind for tonight."

"Yes, you see, this morning, well… It's a bit embarrassing to talk about with so many people around…"

"I understand, love. Come, we can talk about it more in the back, and I can take your measurements for the outfit."

Nadine showed Eira into a room behind the counter. Eira explained the events of that morning as Nadine took her measurements.

"I think I understand where you're coming from, love. But that sort of trauma could be hard to get through. Are you sure that you won't end up scaring him more?"

Eira paused for a moment, then spoke again. "Well, whatever happens, I have to try, right? I want James to know that he's safe around me. That I'll be there for him even if his flashbacks make me out to be some kind of monster."

"Ah, well said, love! And for the record, I have no doubts it will work. Why, look at you! You're quite the sight even without a gift wrap outfit."

"Oh, y-you think so?"

"For sure. He'd have to be truly mad to not want you!" Nadine turned to the door. "Now, if you'd follow me, I believe we have some pieces that would fit you perfectly."

Eira and Nadine left the back room. Together, they began looking through the store's selection, gathering lingerie that would suit Eira's needs. Eventually, Eira found a set that she found appropriate. At Nadine's suggestion, she also added a fine silk bathrobe to her purchase to complete the look. With the outfit figured out, the two returned to the counter to finish the transaction.

"So, that should be everything then. Here's your outfit, love." Nadine handed Eira her purchase, stored neatly in a labeled bag. "Thank you for your business. I hope everything goes well with your husband, Mrs. Barlow."

"Thank you. With this outfit, tonight should be perfect." Eira replied with a smile.

With the purchase made, Eira left the boutique. For the rest of the day, she proceeded to gather the rest of the things she would need for the night. A few quick trips to local markets around Anduruna resulted in her getting a vast selection of ingredients for a perfect dinner. She arrived back in Ruskol as the evening began to settle in and returned home to prepare for the night.

—

A few hours later, Eira was putting the finishing touches on her dinner preparations when she heard the front door opening. She quickly moved over to the door to welcome James back home. When she saw him, she noticed he looked mentally exhausted from a day of pushing paperwork for the police department. Without moving to hug him like she would have usually done, Eira greeted her husband.

"H-hi, darling," she started, hesitant to push too hard. "How was work today?"

"Oh, Eira. It, well, I…" he said, before stopping and sniffing the air. "Is that grilled bander I'm smelling?"

"Yes, I thought we should have something nice tonight. Since this morning was kind of…"

"Spirits. I'm so sorry about that, Eira. It was so vivid, and I couldn't…"

"Let's not talk about that right now. You're hungry, right? Let's eat first, then we can talk."

"Well, I was feeling pretty hungry. I suppose we should eat now." James weakly extended his hand to Eira.

"Right. Before it gets cold." She said, reaching for James's hand. She paused as soon as she realized what she said. "Sorry, that was… I shouldn't have said that…"

James grabbed her hand before she could pull it away. "It's fine, my love. Like you said, we can talk about it after dinner."

Eira's heart raced as she felt her husband's hand gently gripping hers. After the moment passed, the two of them moved into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Eira had prepared two dishes of seasoned grilled bander and greens. A cutting board with freshly cut bread lay between the dishes. To the side of each dish was an empty glass, which Eira began filling with fermentae from a bottle that was placed in the middle of the table.

The smell of the food was irresistible, and in time the couple were enjoying their respective meals. Both of them savored the flavors of the home cooked meal, the awkwardness from the morning slowly melting away from the warmth of the moment. With their dinner concluded, Eira and James began to talk again.

"That was delicious, my love." James began. "I can't remember the last time I had bander this good."

"Thank you, darling. I got it fresh from Margate today. That reminds me, I got something else for tonight, if you'd like…"

"That sounds interesting, but for right now, I think we should just talk."

"Oh, right…"

"First off, I want to apologize, Eira. I pushed you away when you were just trying to help me. I am so sorry."

"James, darling. I understand. Those flashbacks of yours, I just wish I could do something to help."

"Right. I swear, though. If it happens again, I'll try harder to let you help. I can't keep pushing you away like that just because I'm afraid of some false memory."

Eira smiled, pulling her chair to be closer to James. "Thank you. That's all I could ask, darling." After a pause, she spoke up again. "So, you never did say how the rest of your day was."

James shrugged as he began to reply. "Pretty much the same as usual. Paperwork and reports. Some more news from the powers demonstration case though."

"Oh? Did you make some headway on that?"

"A little, but it's got some big implications. Mar's informants told him that a second demonstration, or rather some kind of show, happened last night. But this time, they say the speaker was using his own power as part of it!"

"Spirits, that's a bit more than just speaking out against the law."

"That's putting it lightly. I can only imagine where it could go from here. But we're working on finding out where this guy's performing so we can put a stop to it before it gets that bad."

"So no word yet on where the Mirage is?"

"None short of it being in Ruskol. And it seems like a pretty exclusive place. I hear they only let people in on recommendation from the ones on the inside, and none of Mar's informants are the types to have earned that kind of trust."

"Well, I believe in you, darling. You'll find that bar for sure."

"Thanks. It's good to hear that from you, my love."

Eira and James continued to talk, letting each other know how their days went. As the late evening turned into night, Eira remembered her plans from earlier in the day, and excused herself to prepare for the last part of the night. After changing into her new night clothes, she beckoned James into the bedroom. When he came in, she could tell he couldn't take his eyes away from her.

Eira was sitting on the bed, now wearing the silk bathrobe loosely over her shoulders. On her body was a two-piece set of lacy lingerie that complimented her skin tone. A warm smile completed the look as she spoke to her lover.

"Well, do you like it?"

"Eira… Spirits, you're so beautiful Eira…" James took a few steps further into the room, eyes fixed on his wife.

"I want to be there for you, James. Whatever happens, whatever your mind tries to make you remember, I want you to know I'll always be here for you."

"Eira, my love…" He said, now just a few feet away from her. "You're, well, I must be the luckiest man in Anduruna to have someone like you."

Tears began to appear in James's eyes as he reached out and embraced Eira.

"Eira… Thank you. I love you."

"Oh, darling! I love you too, so much!"

With that, the two could hardly keep themselves away from each other, and they began to feel each others' bodies, kissing each other passionately as they did. At that moment, Eira felt happier than she had all day. Feeling the warmth of her husband, her mind began repeating the sentiments she expressed earlier.

James, darling… Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you.