Where Dark Things Wait: Night Creatures Book One

Thirty-Two - The Things We Need

She woke to the sound of quiet voices, noting that Dunstan's arms were no longer wrapped around her body. He'd kept his promise, arranging for Caldwell to bring lasagne from the cafeteria before holding her until she fell asleep. Only at some point he'd left his bed, and the Major's voice intruded on their uncertain peace.

"Are you sure she'll be up to this? Opening a portal back to that place?" Marcellus Nerva asked in barely a whisper.

"I think she's stronger than anyone gives her credit for, and if she wants to try and free those fae prisoners then she'll do so, with or without the rest of us, and with would be infinitely safer," Dunstan admitted, his tone just as soft. "You should have seen her facing Price. I think, perhaps, this is something she needs to do to reclaim her own power. Or to start reclaiming it."

Perhaps she should have spoken up, but her groggy brain hadn't fully roused and she wasn't ready to face the Major. Certainly not while dressed in only one of Dunstan's t-shirts.

"Beck told me what she said and did when he brought me Price's confession. What a fool. Throwing away a promising career to be an accessory to someone else's crimes," the Major noted, then sighed and added, "At least he's given us names of those he thinks Wren is currently running with. If we can take Tasha Colbeck and Buddy Rizzo into custody as well, it'll be a job well done. They both have reputations and rap sheets as long as my arm, but kidnapping and trafficking fae will be an escalation on their usual burglary.

"The forthcoming mission isn't why I'm here, though. I wanted to talk to you about... well... you. You know I can't let you go without disciplinary action, don't you? You went AWOL for a night and you punched me in the face in front of most of the company's officers. If it had been in private, I could've turned a blind eye, but it wasn't."

"I know," Dunstan answered, and Kalyna could imagine his resigned shrug. "Do what you need to do."

"Restriction of privileges, cancelled leave, and a service compensation order should cover it," Marcellus Nerva stated, then chuckled, "Though with how well my last attempt at giving you additional duties is turning out, perhaps I should just dock your pay instead."

"It was going fine until Maloney decide to bind her with magic..." Dunstan protested.

The Major chuckled again, and observed, "Yes, apart from the fraternisation... But I'm not going to ask you to stop. I can't remember any woman ever turning your head, and if this one is special enough to do so, then I'm not going to demand you give her up. Just remember that at work she is no different to any other recruit or private. In uniform, she is O'Cuinn-Lyall, not Kalyna, certainly not Kallie. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir. Although I'm not sure what there is between us, or what could be between us. She has things to work through, and I'm not going to push her for anything," Dunstan insisted.

"She will have," the Major agreed, then asked, "Does she know? About your past? A out your... needs?"

"She does," Dunstan confirmed. "She knew before she left. Before Maloney made her leave. I don't know why I told her. I expected her to be horrified by what Laelia had turned me into, and to hate me for the pointless deaths I caused after I escaped. I expected disgust and to have her despise me, but she just..."

He seemed to struggle to find the words, and he hesitated before murmuring, "No one has ever listened to that story, not any part of it, with the acceptance and empathy she did. Not even you or Char. It didn't change how she looked at me. No one's ever really made me feel like it's alright for me to be myself, not since I was human, but she did. She does."

"That's a long time to be alive without being comfortable in your own skin," Marcellus Nerva mused. "I'm sorry that I ever made you feel less than that. It wasn't my intention."