1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

XXVI (12.1)

"Oh, look who is back," Mordin the clerk exclaimed in mocking voice from his reclining chair. "You do look beat up but I don't think Mirahn will go easy on you after you missed two days and not even call him. He is angry."

"Hospital called him, and here I am in person," Todor said flatly. He hated this place for some reason and he didn't know why. The only person that he liked was Irry and that wasn't enough to overshadow the years he spent here in total drudgery. Why didn't I leave earlier, damn it? He mused annoyed at himself.

"Is that so? Well, I don't think you will be keeping your old place, Mirahn replaced you," Mordin said with a hint of glee in his voice.

"What do you have against me, Mordin? We just saw each other for a few seconds when I entered the building, I don't know what made you feel so happy that I will get in trouble?" Todor said aloud what he pondered for a long time. True that I didn't even bother to remember his name, but all he did was throw veiled barbs at me every morning.

Mordin was taken aback by Todor's honesty. That was not how their interaction worked before. Mordin will throw insults and jokes at Todor, and Todor will ignore them, and now Mordin didn't know how to respond.

"Yeah, well ... I was just ... you know, banter and jokes and all that," Mordin said abashedly.

"And I have no intention of returning here. I got paid less because I couldn't park in a place that I reserved and paid for with my own money," Todor said angrily, last word almost a yell. "I got punished for other people's incompetence and laziness," he slammed his fist on the Mordins desk. "Warn Mirahn that I am coming to his office, I don't want to catch him with his pants down," Todor said alluding to the case when his manager was accused of indecent exposure which was swept under the rag. He then stormed down the hall not waiting for Mordin to replay.

I am tired of not knowing. I must know, I must learn, I must not be ignorant anymore. And being cooped up in here for seven bloody years makes my skin crawl now. I was hiding from the world because it was strange and unknown. He locked his jaw in a stubborn gesture as he approached the manager's door. He glanced out of the window and saw big Auridilion parked at his parking spot. Or at least the parking spot he reserved and paid for and used once in last two years. The rage increased by a degree.

He slammed the door open without a knocking. Wide-eyed Mirahn looked at Todor, phone in hand halfway to his ear.

"What is the meaning of..." Mirahn started in his nasal voice but Todor just couldn't wait for his dragged out speech to finish. He slammed both palms on the desk making Mirahn jump back and drop the phone.

"I have been paying parking spot since I started working here. First five years I could even use it. But in last two years, some idiot with Auridilion kept taking my spot. My spot! Reserved here at your office, paid from my salary. Fifteen percent of my salary was docked from my paycheck because I was late, and I was late because someone keeps taking my parking spot. At the first opportunity you got, you replace me after seven years?" Todor said in a low, menacing tone he never heard from himself.

"That can be ... arranged, nothing is set in stone," Mirahn said in an unsure tone of voice.

"I want my money back. Parking fee from last two years, I want it all back. You have cameras, check every day if you have to. I used the parking spot twice in two years," he said in that same threatening mild voice. Why am I so insistent on this? I just came to quit this crappy job, he thought, surprised by his own actions.

"Isn't that a bit of an overreaction?" Mirahn asked, first shows of his old arrogant personality showing.

"No, overreaction is replacing me after getting a call from the hospital that I have been hurt. Me asking for my money back for services not rendered is normal," Todor insisted.

"You know that you will not have any future in this company if you go on with this, don't you?" Mirahn replied, all the arrogance and self-absorbed air returning.

Todor grinned savagely.

"You think I will return to this place?" he barked. He took a paper governor gave him and slapped it on the desk. Mirahn looked at it disdainfully.

"What is this?" he murmured as he took the paper and started reading. His dismissive look turned to one of surprise, then his eyes went wide.

"You are governors new constable?" he spat out, a droplet of saliva flying from his mouth. "But you are nobody, you are nothing. Just some kid who got unlucky during the Knitting. Why would governor take you in her employ? She didn't have human constable in ages."

"Don't ask me, ask her," Todor replied coldly. He learned that being a governor's constable wasn't really being a regular cop but something more akin to her seneschal. An officer in charge of justice and control of the administration of her laws. It sounds like an administrative duty but it was anything but. He learned that only after accepting the job.

Todor heard the door open and close behind him.

"I don't know what can he say? You are abusing your power even before taking your position officially," the familiar voice said behind him and Todor's spine stiffened. His palms landed on the sheathed dagger and holstered Jolt special reflexly as he turned around.

There, reclining on the padded door of the office stood Midnight Breeze. He grinned at Todor, his ageless face pasty white, reflecting the halogen lighting of the room. Todor let a loud growl escape his throat.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled at the vampire.

"I spent every morning here for quite a while now. I am after all a donator to this venture. And this lovely folks, in turn, run a nice little lab where they test new tastes of jam that work well with my ... shall we say, unique taste buds," Midnight Breeze said before he licked his lips with an unpleasant relish. "The real question is, what are you doing here?"

"He is just disgruntled ex-worker, Mister Breeze. He was just leaving," Todor heard Mirahn saying placatingly.

"Oh, governors mysteries new toy worked at jam factory? That is some story, from rags to riches," Midnight Breeze said with a grin. "Don't get killed food, I need you still for my own agenda. I had doubts about you, and I thought my instincts fooled me. But now, since that Bloodbeak bitch took interest in you, I am sure."

"I am no one's toy, neither governors nor yours," Todor said flatly.

"Your new girl's roommate is quite the girl. I think you met her at our last meeting? A slip of a woman, fierce and fearless, bald and tastes divine. What was her name, ah Wendy, right. Ringing any bells?" Midnight Breeze's oily voice spilled into the air stabbing Todor's ears with its insincere mockery. Is he reminding me that he can hurt her?

"Is that a threat?"

"Just a warning. You might be out of my reach directly, but there are other ways to ensure man's loyalty," he said dismissively.