The Aftermath ✔

7 HARD KNOCKS

Slade slept soundly on the mattress and Trixie watched the table, face creased in worry.

"He didn't wait for me."

That was three hours ago. Eli worried less about that moron Manny ending up even more undead and more so about him leading anyone back here.

"He coulda waited."

Was she out of her mind? "That's one of the strongest vampires on Earth you're worried about."

But she did. The way she hunched, arms on the table, face buried there, spoke of distress.

Eli sat up, stunned. "You like him—"

"A do nyot!"

She might have been more convincing if she didn't pull her right wing close and stroke it.

With a heavy sigh, Eli broke the news to her. "He's...he's...he's never been a fan of.... He's never been—"

"Not a day went by that he didn't let me know it. A know it." Trixie shrugged. "Besides, vampire's ain't got nothing to offer meh. They can't even get hard without blood in dem anyway. He's only lucky he got some Fae in 'im now."

Brow narrowed, Eli cocked his head. "What? You...he and you—?"

She gagged. "Urg. What do you take meh for? I just mean in theory. Da dead is still dead."

Her hand went to work stroking that right wing yet again.

"It still hurts?" Eli asked.

Trixie didn't often react to self-pity. "He kicked me right here. It's been years. But A still feel it."

The way she stared at the table meant she was working on a conflict of her own. Eli prayed it didn't involve anything to do with liking Manos Dresden. He might look pitiful now, but he was a cold-blooded killer...and an asshole.

His thoughts fell to Slade, as they often did, more importantly, to her sudden bouts of affection.

"Can I ask you something?"

Trixie pulled her jacket up to cover her wings. "So long as it's not about Legion."

Eli made a groan. "What is—?"

"That, I can't answer."

"Well, how do you get rid of it?"

"Can't answer that neither."

"Well, can you tell me how you recognize it? In the courthouse, her back was to you."

Trixie held her jacket closed with one hand. "Can't tell you dat neither."

Eli let out a sigh. "Please," he begged. "I want this—I want to be with her, but I can't, not if it's not her."

For a long while, Trixie stared at him. Finally, she broke eye contact and muttered. "Legion can't stare at you head on."

As miniscule as this bit of information was, Eli's heart leapt. "Ever?"

Trixie shook her head. "Predators can't look at prey head on."

Her cringy choice of words aside, it was valuable information.

A bang came from the door. Trixie leapt to her feet but Eli caught her by her jacket.

"We don't know who that is."

"Course we do."

Eli hesitated.

Trixie sighed and reached behind her, under her jacket. The size of the dagger she revealed had him flinching.

"Fine. Are you happy now?"