Page 16 of Soul Sucker

“It’s like using loaded dice. Sometimes if you try and influence the outcome the results are too predictable and that’s not what the Fae-Web is all about.”

Vadim pushed in his chair and went to study the two photographs on the whiteboard. “Just do your best for me, okay? That’s all I ask.”

A young man bounded into the conference room and grinned at them both. “Hey, what’s up? I’m Sam.”

What the hell were you supposed to say to the greeting “What’s up?”

Vadim’s interest died, replaced by a wave of exhaustion. Definitely not the feisty blond he’d been dreading. Maybe she was just an unimportant intern after all.

* * *

Ella tuckedthe phone between her chin and shoulder and continued investigating the contents of her freezer while she talked to Laney.

“Yeah, I know! Imagine that, a good-looking guy in my office.” She peered at a cloudy zip lock bag and brought it out to the countertop for closer inspection. “Not that he was interested in me, especially after I told him he needed to work on his shields.”

“You didn’t. Oh Ella…”

Ella laughed right back at her. They’d been dumped into the same empath training program at the age of five and had been buddies ever since.

“So, have you heard anything from Otherworld recently?” Laney asked.

“I’m always hearing from them, you know what that’s like.”

“And you know what I mean. I got a letter today, and our birthdays are only a few weeks apart.”

Ella breathed on the bag and tried to read the faded print. It looked like the remains of a lasagna her mother had made for her. She had no idea how long it had been in there. Nuking it in the microwave was the only way to determine whether it was edible or not.

“Ella? Are you listening to me?”

“Yes, hon, I’m just trying to work out what to eat tonight. What did you say?”

“I said, I got a letter about my upcoming twenty-seventh birthday.”

“Really.”

“It was hilarious.”

“Well, they’re a bit out of touch over there and their command of English seems stuck at about 1950.” Ella grimaced at the stack of mail on her countertop that she hadn’t yet opened. “You’re not seriously taking any notice of those idiots are you?”

There was a long enough silence on the phone for her to think they’d been disconnected. “Laney, are you still there?”

“I’ve decided I’m going to meet the male they offer me as a mate.”

“Laney, what the fuck?” Ella sat down abruptly on the nearest stool. “We always said we’d never do that. What’s changed?”

“I’ve changed. I’m scared, Ella. I can’t keep it together anymore.”

Ella gripped the phone. She’d never heard Laney sound so afraid. Her friend had always been the more outgoing and optimistic one.

“It’s okay to be scared, but can’t we work this out together? We’ve always been there for each other in the past.”

“And I know you’ll always be there for me, but it’s not enough anymore. I’m drowning in all this psychic shit in my head. I can’t sleep, I can’t concentrate, and I’m messing up at work…”

Laney worked for the SBLE down in San Jose. Ella shivered as she saw her own future and took a deep breath.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I think I am. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

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