The Dark Artifices: Lady of Los Angeles

Chapter 3

She spent the next two nights at the Institute’s library searching for any past records of marks like the ones on her parents. A lonely candle stood next to her at the desk lightning up her face.

     The second night her parabatai joined her.

     “You look like an angel.”

     She looked up and saw him standing by the door.

     “In that light you look”, he hesitated, “like an angel.”

     She smiled at him. “Thanks.”

     “I don’t mean you’re not normally beautiful.” He was rambling.

     “Jules”, she said and looked into his eyes, “thanks. Now are you gonna help me?”

     She’d told him earlier she’d be there tonight. It was his choice whether he’d come or not. “Of course. Why else would I be here?” he asked and smirked.

     Emma rolled her eyes. “To talk me out of it.”

     “I know you’d never listen to me. Now, what do you need me for?”

     She stood up to get some books.

     With a thump the books landed on the desk. “Look through these and try to find those marks or anything else you find interesting.”

      He sat down opposite from her. They were quiet and she only stopped her work to look up at her parabatai once in awhile.

     He’d told her she looked beautiful. Okay, he did tell people compliments a lot, but didn’t hers mean more?

She startled when he started giggling.

     “What?” she asked sleepily. It was well pass 1 am and the caffeine from earlier didn’t stand a chance by now.

     “I’m so very tired and this guy looks really funny”, he mumbled and pointed at a man with a big mustache and small nose.

     “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.” But his head had already fallen down on the desk. A light snoring came from his half-open mouth.

     When they were younger she would have carried him to the library’s sofa, but he’d gotten more muscles and the few inches that had separated them before seemed pointless in their length difference now. 

     Instead she brought him a blanket from the sofa to protect him from the library’s nightly cold.

     “Ems”, she could hear him whisper. She crouched down next to him to be the same length.

     “Yeah, Jules?”

     His eyelids flickered, but he didn’t open them. “I miss you.”

     “I’m here.”

     But he’d already fallen asleep again.

She’d fallen asleep on the floor next to where Jules had been snoring in his chair.

     “Ems, have you been sleeping there all night?” he asked when she groggily rubbed her eyes.

     He sat up in his chair and the blanket she’d given him now lied over her own shoulders.

     “I must have fallen asleep.”

     “On the floor?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

     “You talked to me and I sat down here to hear what you said… and I must have fallen asleep.”