The Angriest Angel

Chapter 10

Avery sat at her desk, staring thoughtfully at the flower arrangement before her.  A thick glass vase held two dozen dark red roses and just the right amount of baby's breath to perfectly offset the crimson with frosty white.  Her large eyes were unblinking as she tried to recall the conversation with Nathan.  Although it was thoughtful, why did he feel the need to buy flowers?  And how did he have them sent here so quickly?

The included card simply said, "I'm sorry Avery, I love you.  Nathan."

Perhaps he felt bad for keeping her on the phone too long.  She was late to her meeting, but it was not a big deal.  Everyone—-including her supervisor—adored Avery, and would not hold something so simple against her. 

Nathan was jealous, but the jealousy was unfounded.  Men had always given Avery attention, but she had no interest in anyone other than Nathan.  That he should be bothered in any way didn't make sense to her.

His phone call did disturb her for a different reason, however.  Nathan's plan to psy the indigena who took those pictures and to execute other phases of Lafaye's plan was not right.  It violated a moral covenant.  It went against everything the Caelan people believed.  It was more than just an abuse of power, it was selfish and unfeeling.

Avery suspected that the anger infection had something to do with this.  Ruining the life of an indigena may not be an act of anger, but it may be coming from the same place.  A dark place.  Perhaps anger was only a symptom, masking the real problem.  And perhaps this was just another symptom of that same problem.

Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thought and breaking her gaze.  She fished around in her purse for her phone and angled the screen so she could see it.  Nathan's name flashed.

She smiled and held the phone to her ear.  "I suppose I should thank you for the flowers—they are lovely.  I don't know how you sent them so—"

"Avery, thank God you are there!" Nathan interrupted.  "I have a problem and I need your help.  It's an emergency."

"What is it?"

"Remember the project—that assignment Lafaye gave me?"

"Yes, of course," she said.  "The indigena—what is the problem, has he escaped?"

"No, no, he's fine.  I have him isolated," Nathan said.  "It's this other indigena.  I think my guy may have spoken to him and shared some of his story."

"Did you tell Lafaye?" she asked.

"No, I'm expected to contain this myself," he explained.  "I had every intention of psying anyone who came in contact with the story, just to ensure it died down.  But this indigena—Avery, I tried psying him and it was ineffective.  It didn't work at all."

Avery thought she misheard him.  "What?"

"It just didn't work.  I—I don't know what happened.  It was as if he had claustra as strong as a Regulus."

"Are you sure that he is indigena?"

Nathan paused before answering, "I hadn't considered that.  He didn't look Caelan, and he certainly didn't act as such.  But I don't know for sure."

"What can I do to help?"

"I need you to come down to the Sherriff's office and try to psy him."

"Oh, Nathan," she said, rolling her eyes.

He took a deep breath, "Please, Avery.  Your psy is so much stronger than mine.  Nobody has more powerful mollire than you do."

"Regulus Lafaye does," she said.  "Why don’t you have him do it?"