Page 100 of Touched

But fuck…

I’m most certainly not getting my deposit back. Hell, I’m probably getting sued.

Lieutenant Antoine saw it though. He said my apartment was ransacked. He came here. He saw the destruction.

Did he come inside? He had to. He wouldn’t have seen the state of the place otherwise.

Yet, he didn’t call it in… Why not?

As far as I can tell, he’s the only person who saw the condition this place is in.

Fuck… another mystery to solve. But not right now.

I cannot dedicate energy to that shit right now.

After I finish with the blood and sweep up the strewn glass, I start putting furniture back in its place. Glancing at the busted window, I sigh. I need to somehow cover the opening. Spotting an old box I was planning to donate to the shelter up the street from the station, I groan. I always forget about it when I’m leaving, so it’s been there for some time.Blessing in disguise I suppose.Ripping it, I duct tape a large cardboard square from the side of the box over the demolished window. That should keep some of the humidity and bugs out.

Standing with my hands on my hips, I consider how bad it would smell in here if the windowhadn’tbeen shattered during the fight. Sniffing, I groan as the smell that still lingers in the air. Sighing heavily, I walk to the small table that was upended in the commotion.

On the corner is a small golden yellow piece of torn fabric. Holding it to my nose, I inhale deeply.

Aeris.

She must have snagged her dress it in the chaos. Rubbing the material between my fingers, I close my eyes and a vision of her immediately pops into my head.

Is she safe?

Did they make it to the cabin?

Are the wards holding?

Plopping onto the now upright sofa, I look it over. The back and cushions are shredded. Stuffing is spilling out in tufts. I sigh as I massage the decimated leather.

I loved this couch.

“Aeris? Can you hear me?”

After a few beats with no response, my head falls back onto the destroyed leather. Looking around, I grimace at the severity of the destruction.

Fuck!

I could put wards up… or rather, I could have someone put wards up…

I don’t know how to do that. I don’t even know if I can do that. Does a specific type of Gifted have to construct them?

Would I just put an ad in the damn classifieds?

Yeah, right!

Sylph seeking witch or wizard or fairy or whatever can create protection enchantments to ward home and protect it from supernatural, no, Gifted, shit that isn’t supposed to exist. Those who attend whatever the equivalent of Hogwarts is, please reply here…

Sheesh!

We are definitely better off somewhere else.

But where?

The cabin out in the Preserve?

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