Now You See Me

Eleven: House Arrest

I rubbed the hand-shaped bruise on my calf, frowning. It didn't seem possible that someone could do this much damage just by grabbing it; I wasn't sure why I hadn't expected it. Perhaps it was because I wasn't used to the idea that Marilyn wasn't human.

I hadn't seen the vampire since the day before, when Leia had had a go at her for eavesdropping on her conversation with Feila. It would have been a lie to say it wasn't a relief, since her limited interactions with me got more uncomfortable every time. It was like she was being forced to talk to me at all.

I sighed, and pulled on my trousers, covering the injury so that I didn't have to see its ugly mottled surface. I grabbed my pile of clothing for the washing and left the room, limping despite my painful efforts to walk normally. When I got to reception I found Thea in there as usual, with David leaning over the desk to look at something on her computer screen. He looked up when I entered, throwing a perfunctory glance at the bundle in my arms.

"You after the washing machine?"

"Please."

He pushed away from the desk and led me out, down a short corridor that led to a room under the stairs. It smelled of dust and detergent and hummed with the sound of machinery. "They're all free at the moment," David said, stepping aside to let me in. "If you have a smaller pile of one wash-load, leave it in there and someone'll add to it eventually."

"Okay. Cheers."

The huge man left me to it, and I started separating my pile into white, dark and colours.

"Are you doing a dark wash?" someone drawled behind me, and I twisted round to find Marilyn silhouetted in the doorway. She reached out to one side; there was a click and the light came on. "That might make it easier. Stick these in for me."

She chucked a dark bundle of clothing at me that I barely caught. I added it to my pile like she asked.

"Why'd you grab me yesterday?" I said, before she could disappear. I continued piling clothes into the nearest machine as if I couldn't feel her glare.

"I would've thought that was obvious."

"It might have been if you hadn't been so rough."

"Want me to kiss it better for you?"

I turned and gave her a heated stare but she only raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. I returned to my washing.

"I'm good, thanks," I replied through gritted teeth. "I was labouring under the impression that bruising someone that badly warranted an explanation at least. Sorry if I'm wrong in that assumption."

She scoffed. "I just touched you."

I pulled up my trouser leg so that she could see the extent of the damage. "Sure you did. And I'm a sandwich."

"That's nothing," she said, but I was sure I heard a waver in her voice. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but instead turned and left as abruptly as she always did.

I sighed, and clicked two of the machines on, leaving the whites in the last machine as David told me. On my way up the stairs I was almost mowed down by Lorien, who stopped just in time to stop us both flying to our deaths on the hallway tiles. He swallowed, wide-eyed, and seemed to take a moment to recognise me. Then he grabbed my hand and started pulling me back up again with surprising force. He ignored my protests as he continued to the top floor, where he stopped at a closed door.

"I cannot get her to open it," he whispered, and I realised that this was Courtney's room. "She left these in my room last night, so she must have forgotten to take them today!"