Fractured Legacy: Aicil Paranormal Files #1

Chapter 10

Jonah

The next morning, I come downstairs to find Kaylyn sprawled out on the couch—her body tangled with the blanket, an arm and leg hanging over the edge. Chuckling at the sight, I proceed to the kitchen to I round up coffee and a quick breakfast. I still wonder if I've had lost my mind. Whether or not putting my ass on the line to help her will be worth it. But I couldn't come up with an alternative that will make it any easier to sleep at night.

As soon as I turn on the kitchen light, I hear Kaylyn groan. I pour a cup of coffee, then peek through the doorway to see her with the blanket pulled over her head. "You should get up if you're going to work."

"If?" she murmurs, with her face still nestled between the couch cushion and the blanket.

"Well, your house did catch on fire yesterday, as much of an ass as I hear your boss is, I'm sure he'll understand if you missed a day." I lean against the doorway sipping my black coffee, "You didn't have to sleep on the couch, by the way, but the furniture set for the guest bedroom is supposed to be delivered around one today, so I plan on taking my lunch to let them in."

"That's splendid timing." Kaylyn lets her other leg fall off the couch, and slowly pulls herself into a sitting position using the back of the couch—which she then collapses against. "But, they're never on time, you know?"

Wouldn't that just be my luck. "Hopefully, I've built up enough karma this weekend to luck out. I'll call and see if I can get a locksmith here around the same time. You're sure you don't want a day off?"

"Why? So I can stick around here and be bored out of my mind while waiting on your furniture? No, thanks. I'd rather get to the office and find out what's on those tapes." Kaylyn trudges into the kitchen so I hand her an empty mug, and she grimaces at what's in my cup. "There's milk in the fridge, and sugar...," I shrug, "probably somewhere around her.

"You seem in a better mood today," she says, jerking open the fringe and filling her cup with milk and adding a final touch of coffee. I'm not even sure it can be considered coffee anymore.

"I think I got a full night's sleep for the first time in a week."

"I'd say," Kaylyn takes a quick sip of coffee. "You were in bed by nine, old man."

"Yeah, sorry. I should've taken the couch." But she'd been camping out on it watching television by the time I went upstairs to get a shower, and I was too tired to come back downstairs after my shower.

She leans her forearms against the island, clasping the mug between her hands. "I was fine on the couch, I wanted noise. Sleeping with the TV on makes the dream less intense. Like I can use the noise to pull myself out and ground myself...." As if she just realizes she's been talking out loud, she tenses and shrugs. "Or something."

Jonah nod and set my cup on the counter.

"No," Kaylyn says, leaning back with a wrinkled expression on her face. "Don't give me that 'spill your guts' look. I didn't even have the dream last night, and we don't need to talk about it."

I know she's not going to admit how wrong she is. She definitely needs to talk about it. "Fine." I swing open the refrigerator and grab the milk. "I have cereal, if that's fine with you."

I turn behind the building toward my usual parking space behind headquarters.

"As ucht Dé," I mutter under my breath when I find myself staring down a silver Mercedes C300 with a rental sticker on the back.

Kaylyn gives me a sideways glare. "I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure it's not good."

It means the Aicil Council is going through with their threats, but I don't feel like explaining. There's not much explaining I could possibly do anyway. "That necklace... make sure it stays hidden, unless you want to answer more questions."