Love and Other Crisis | Season 1

Episode | 31

Often, hurt people hurt those around them. Intentionally or not. Kaliope sighed. Her emotional connection to the case dug deeper into her own wounds.

"Whoa. You think Katerina knew her birth House?"

"Maybe." Kaliope sipped her coffee thoughtfully and recited snippets from the diary. "If they think they've seen the last of me...One day I'll make them see...They won't be able to ignore me then. Who's they?"

Gideon frowned. Returned her notes. "She was a charm mage. Archaic magic is nothing to scuff at. If Katerina found her family, why turn her away?"

"Maybe she was an illegitimate child? A threat to a Main House?"

Gideon nodded, acknowledging the possibility. "They're six families documented with charm bloodline magic. Two are Great Houses. One's a Main House. Doubt they'd confess to an illegitimate heir. Dr. Upton is from the Main House. The last three are Minor Houses; one hasn't seen a charm mage in two generations. We'd ruffle some pretty influential feathers if we went down the murder of an illegitimate heir road."

"A certain tech mage included."

Gideon grimaced and ruffled his hair. "I'm sorry about Gale. He's like..." He contemplated an appropriate description, "an onion."

"True. His stinky attitude is enough to make anyone cry."

Gideon sniggered and waved his hand. "No. I mean, he's complicated and has many layers. It'll take a while to peel them all. Give him some time, will you? He'll warm up."

Kaliope nodded. "Hmm." She maintained her reservations. But one can't have it all. At least she wasn't worried about Ronin steamrolling her into the unemployment line. "Anyways. Boss asked us to look into the families, but if there was no malice or bloodlust, I doubt her murder was personal. Killing a family scandal is personal." Which left them with the black card. A thought crossed her mind. "Do witches have secret societies?"

Gideon's phone chimed, interrupting her question. He chuckled and held up the screen to show a disgruntled Inola covered in cobwebs. While Gale worked on restoring the damaged birth certificate they found in the safe, Inola was rummaging through the files of the now-defunct orphanage where Katerina grew up with a team of support staffers. They learned the name of the facility from one of the old photographs.

Kaliope shared in Gideon's amusement. "Better her than us."

"Agreed."

Gideon returned to reviewing their old case files, and Kaliope to her reading of Katerina's journal.

Inola didn't return by the end of the shift. Neither had Ronin. Gideon said their boss took a personal day. Kaliope supposed he required the rest for the long haul ahead. They all did.

~

"Rough week?"

Kaliope sighed and stirred her noodles. "Can't believe it's only been weeks." Her adventures at Sage Towers defied time. She'd almost died twice, shared breathing space with a curse, and earned a lifetime of hate from a tech mage. She abandoned the noodles and grabbed her beer.

"Whoa. Pace yourself. That bad, huh?"

Kaliope's modified routine included her dining at Tobias' restaurant instead of grabbing her dinner to eat at home alone. His easy company made for a welcomed companionship. Although she withheld details about her job, they talked about the various oddities she encountered. Tobias accepted the highlights of her life she offered, respecting her boundaries. Kaliope liked the freedom of their laidback interactions. No strings. No expectations.

"I hoped the Occult would be less complicated, but you're all disappointingly human." Kaliope finished her beer and started on her cold noodles with sesame-peanut sauce and diced chicken. A new menu item she tested for Tobias the week prior and became obsessed with.

He laughed. "Sorry to disappoint. Ah. One sec. Almost forgot about dessert."

Tobias returned with the sugary offering, and Kaliope coughed at the pastry arranged at the center of the plate.

"Something wrong?"

"No. No. It's nothing."

Kaliope sipped from the glass of water Tobias poured from a pitcher on a nearby counter.

"Everyone loves a good cinnamon roll, but I decided to try something different." Tobias nudged the plate closer to her. "Glazed orange rolls. They're nice and buttery. Not too sweet with the right amount of zing. Try it."

Kaliope stared at the fluffy pastry covered in a drippy orange marmalade glaze. "I don't—"

"C'mon." Tobias cut off a piece of the roll with a fork and offered it. "You'll love it."

Like Inola's, Tobias' eye color changed depending on his mood. They were like golden sunsets as he smiled, encouraging her to taste the treat. Kaliope accepted the pastry, not wanting to be rude or explain her recent avoidance prompted by her involuntary fixation with anything citrus flavored or scented.

Soft, moist, wonderfully sweet, and irresistibly delicious, the orange zest burst on her tongue. Kaliope pursed her lips, thoughts of Ronin's scent, his taste consuming her mind. Her senses. She licked her lips. Would he taste as sweet?

A commotion from the occult section jarred Kaliope to her senses. She filled her mouth with water and swished it before swallowing to remove the taste. It lingered. Its effect branded into her days prior.

Tobias angled his head, his ears twitching as he listened to the uptick of chatter from the other room. The sounds coming from the occult section of the restaurant went unnoticed by regular customers. Whatever Tobias heard worried him.

"What is it?"

"Do you know about the Falgors? They've been in the occult news recently."

Kaliope nodded. Her stomach roiled.

"There was an attack at the estate."

~~~

To read the entire first season, along with Seasons 2 and 3, join me on Ream. The link's in my bio on the home page. Hope to see you there.