The Gloaming Girls

EPISODE TWO (Part 4/5)

Emory and I don't discover anything new about Ness's case for several days, and I can see it starting to wear on Emory like a physical burden, like she hates that she hasn't figured it out yet, even though I'm starting to think it might be impossible.

On Monday night, when I come back from a late shift, Emory is leaning forward at her desk again, cheek pressed against it. At first I think she's fallen asleep there, but when I sit down on my bed and yank my shoes off, she speaks up.

"Olyss," she mumbles, muffled with half of her mouth plastered to the wood, "am I dumb?"

I blink, and then I laugh aloud. "Is that a real question?"

"It's a real question." She sounds utterly defeated. "I think this case is making me stupid."

"You're not stupid," I say. "I'm going to smack you sideways if you say that again."

"Some aide you are," Emory mutters.

"Dude." I sit down heavily beside her. "Have you been sleeping at all lately?"

She waves a hand, as though it's inconsequential.

"Emory. Sleep is important."

"Not if there's someone around who can walk through walls and is invisible." Emory says. "I've been going through CarthTech records to get info about the department and their specialties. I was thinking that maybe whoever it is could transform into a gnat, or something else, and sneak in underneath, but that still wouldn't solve the energy problem." She breaks off abruptly, as though her brain is doing a total one-eighty. "Did you know that Aron doesn't even have a specialty? He's just been working on using magic for so long that he's made up for it."

I blink. "I didn't know that people without specialties could use magic."

Emory looks chagrined, like she's doing everything in her power not to roll her eyes. "Everyone can use magic. It's just hard, and so most people don't know where to start."

"I thought magic users were really rare." I turn to her. "Isn't that part of what makes you so impressive?"

Emory brushes past my comment. "They are rare. And they can be dangerous. Like Aron, apparently."

"What dirt did Ness have on him?" I ask. "Have you seen it?"

Emory sits straight up. "That's a good idea."

"You haven't seen what he was trying to steal?" I laugh. "Maybe I'm smarter than I thought."

She snorts. "You're plenty smart."

I want to ask her why I get the feeling that was meant as an insult, but she's already standing up. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To see Ness." Emory turns back to me, looking incredulous. "To see the evidence. There might be clues in it."

"Do we even know what he was doing?" I snag a cardigan as I follow her out the door.

"Harassment," Emory says.

"I have ears," I remind her. "I was there. I meant specifically."

Emory shrugs. "Ness didn't say."

"And you didn't ask?"

"If she thought it was relevant, she would have offered that information in the beginning." Emory seems totally unfazed. "But you're right, it's worth looking into."

Worth looking into. I refrain from rolling my eyes as I follow her to Ness's door.

Ness is, fortunately, home, and after several locks clunk on the other side, she opens the door. "Emory?"