Oracle

Part 38

The next morning and the world was spinning for Maria. For a moment she stayed on her back, looking up at the cracked white paint on the ceiling of her apartment, waiting for the world to stop. She sat up and looked into the mirror which was opposite her single bed. She was out of her dress and wearing a loose white top with pyjama shorts but her makeup was half wiped across the face making her look like some clown. She groaned and flopped back down again.

"Awake princess?" Tim's voice called from in the other room, surprising Maria slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Maria asked as he came in the room with a cup of green tea. She took it gratefully, closing her eyes at the familiar taste. Her body was aching but not in a way which would suggest bad things, or very good things but still. She had faint memories of dancing with Isaac.

"Isaac didn't want to leave you alone after last night but someone came up so he called me," Tim commented with a smirk in his eyes, sitting down next to her feet. "I heard you were dancing in the Rook?"

"Among other things," Maria groaned, as the memories started to flow back. "Octavius made a snub about my heels. I decided to show him that I can do more in heels than most can do in flats. I owe John so much after last night," she put her cup down on the mess which was her bedside table and buried her face in her hands. "He stopped things going too far."

"Isaac mentioned," Tim grinned before it faded. "He also mentioned about Mattie," his tone was slightly more gentle.

Maria felt tears swell up but pushed them back and stood up off the bed, Tim watching as she grabbed a makeup wipe her face clean in distraction. "I really didn't need this," Maria muttered as she wiped her panda eyes away. "He's a good man but this came out of nowhere," Maria grimaced.

Tim hummed, holding his own cup of green tea, no really watching her, instead leaning against the wall and looking out into the living room through the beads which was dangling on the doorframe. Maria's apartment was only a small thing but wardens were encouraged to be sparse with their possessions from birth. Still, Maria had plenty of home touches to make the apartment her own. It smelt of sandalwood from a scented candle burning in the living room which was enchanted to burn eternally without burning the place down.

"Mattie is a good man and it's not like the profession we are in allows for dating very much," he pointed out softly.

"Not really a good enough excuse," Maria commented, her face now cleaned of makeup and making her look slightly more together. She paused. "I think Justice may have tried to send a message," she commented, changing the topic knowing that Tim was uncomfortable talking about personal issues like that. She was going to have hunt down one of the few other girls in her circle to talk about the issues this was going to bring. She unpinned her hair and let it flow across his shoulders. "Out of the room please," she added.

Tim chuckled before moving back into the living room, Maria shutting the door so it was partly open but hid her while she was getting dressed. "I already read it. Something about cleaning day coming up and he'll send a date soon?" he said while pouring himself another glass of tea, glancing at a photo on the side.

"Ah!" Maria exclaimed. "I dimly remember something about that," she mused as she quickly changed into some clean and respectable. She didn't have work that day but chances were she would be called in at some point to deal with whatever chaos was going on. Being warden didn't allow for days off when half the city always seemed to be trying to pull itself apart.

"What's cleaning day code for?" Tim asked frowning, feeling like he was missing something as he collapsed on the sofa. Maria didn't have a TV but she had stacks of books covering the room.

"Cleaning day?" Maria offered inventively. "John does use the day as an excuse to give the Rook a deep clean as well but the, more importantly, it is the day when John restores the wards and enchantments on the building. It is the one night where the Rook is unprotected. From what I've been told, Justice and Leo are normally given the day off before being locked up at night in the main bedroom so John knows they aren't going to run away."

Tim frowned, "That makes no sense?"

"Eh, it's to do with John's powers. He has more control during the day and more eyes to keep on them. This time, however, he's not letting them out at all. He claimed it's because he is shorthanded at the moment but I think he's getting suspicious of Justice," Maria mused as she opened the door and joined him in the room.

Tim hummed again, tapping his fingers against the sofa arm. "That will likely mean he does this on a tighter timescale. Do we have any ideas when this is going to be?" Tim asked.

"John said after the full moon which is in four days. I assume he wants to do it when the Rook is not normally busy so I'd guess at the earliest in eight days," Maria commented, fluffing her hair out with her fingers. "I can't help you get them out of the building but I can help with transport. I have a contact who has bad blood with John and Calder."

"Doesn't everyone?" Tim said dryly.

"Yes, but most people don't act on it," Maria shrugged, giving Tim a look. "Most aren't stupid enough. This one does regularly and if I let him know it will piss Calder off with John to boot, he will help," she promised, leaning back on the sofa, checking her nails. "He is not a Calder fan at all," Maria chuckled.

"I see," Tim nodded. "So our plan will have to include breaking in and getting Justice and Jaspar out on cleaning day," he stated thoughtfully.

"Best to do it during the day. From what I've heard the boys aren't exactly getting the day off," Maria mused, before smiling. "I think I know how we can get Isaac to help without getting him directly involved," she grinned darkly.

"Anything you could care to share?" Tim grinned.

"Not here," she smirked. "But we are going to need to distract John during all of this and that's where Isaac can help. Some of John's most important businesses are on his turf." Tim smirked back at her following her thinking. They wanted to keep Isaac safe but the young warden would take the chance of bringing down one of John's businesses if the opportunity came up. He was less of a problem for them than Tim had been but they both knew Isaac was binding this time.

"You sure they won't try and hurt him if whatever you have planned plays out?" Tim asked, sounding slightly concerned.

Maria shook her head. "As long as it's a one-time thing, they won't bat an eyelid at it. Isaac hasn't been too 'rebellious' yet." She pulled a face at the term. She had listened to one too many conversations about people being rebellious and how the fae and human lord dealt with rebellious people.

There was a sharp knock at the door making them both jump. Maria frowned, not expecting anyone and stood up to answer it. Tim morphing his hands into claws ready to fight if it was someone who was about to cause trouble. The door swung open to a nervous looking Detective Mathúin.

"Mathúin," Maria blinked in surprise at seeing the man.

"Maria," he smiled with a clearly uneasy look. "How are you this morning?"

"I have a bit of a hangover but otherwise I'm okay," Maria nodded. "Is there something you want?" she said almost too bluntly, considering the man was standing in front of her almost drowning in nerves. She could smell the scent of fear on him.

"Can we talk? About last night?" the human man asked. Maria nodded slowly and opened the door to let him in wordless, in her mind running over what she could say to this man. Mathúin walked in and blinked in surprise at Tim being in the apartment. "Tim," he nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't realise you had company."

"Hi, Mattie. Its fine, I have to go now anyway. Just got a text," Tim waved his phone. "Duty calls," he grimaced as he pulled his leather jacket on. "Anyway, let me know if your Major Li contacts you," he commented, referring to Maria's older brother. "It's unnerving to not hear from them in this long." It was complete bullshit but it gave him an excuse to them there. If Mathúin asked, Maria could just explain about their connection and she would be good.

"I will. Good luck on your case," Maria smiled. Tim shook Mathúin's hand before disappearing out the door. The male warden did not want to be a part of this drama what so ever. Maria desperately wished she could disappear too as the human turned to her with sad puppy dog eyes. How was she going to get out of this one?