The Truth Stands
Quentin
Sleep eludes me, which is the only reason I’m able to answer my wailing phone before it wakes Elochian.
It’s a near thing when I have to crawl out from beneath him. His light snore tapers off when our bodies separate, then starts up again by the time I snatch my phone off the nightstand. His wings rustle, sticking straight as he stretches into the place I once was. I watch, unbothered by the now vibrating phone in my hand, until his wings lazily lay back down on either side of him. For being so thin, they are incredibly warm to lay beneath.
I tip-toe out of the room, and answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Is this Quentin Matsdotter?”
“Yes?”
“This is Officer Wells from Station 7, and I have some questions regarding Arlo Rook. Do you have knowledge of his whereabouts between 6:00 PM and midnight?”
I pull my phone away from my ear, double checking the phone number and time. The number matches the police department, but four in the morning? “Um, I’m sorry, what? Is he there? Has he been arrested?”
“That is correct, sir. He claims that he was with you the entirety of the evening. Is this true?”
“Y—yes, I had a tattoo appointment with him this afternoon, and after we went to get some drinks. I wasn’t feeling well, so he took me home.”
“And what time was this?”
“Um, I don’t know. Eight?”
“And he left right after?”
“No, he—” A floorboard moans behind me, and I turn. Elochian stands in the bedroom doorway, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and hair a tangled mess.
He quickly signs, “I have a message from Arche (moon), Arlo (owl) never came home.”
I run a hand through my hair and calmly say, “No, he stayed with me. We watched a movie together, then he left a little before one.”
Silence on the other end.
“Are you sure about that?”
The threat clears my fatigue, pointing out a key fact I missed.
This is Officer Wells.
Carina’s husband. He’s a known AWO supporter, present at every one of his wife’s rallies. But I’ve never talked with him, only seen him in passing or pictures, I don’t know what he sounds like. It could be a different relation, or none at all. A mere coincidence.
He takes my silence as consideration. He says, “Mr. Matsdotter, you’re a clever man. I don’t think you visited the Magpie at all. I think you went home, parting ways with Rook after your session.”
“I never said I had drinks at the Magpie.”
“Clever, clever. So, what will it be?”
“And what do I get in return? Silence doesn’t come for free.”
He laughs, and it grates my nerves. “Ah, yes. Well, we could get you back to where you belong, teaching the little ones what is and isn’t.”
My knuckles ache, and the phone creaks in my hand. “What you allow me to spoon feed them, you mean. No thanks. The truth stands, I was with Arlo all night. He was never out of my sight.”
Wells hums, lowering his voice until it’s practically a growl. “But he was though, wasn’t he? It was quick, but long enough for you to be exposed. Next time, He won’t leave you behind. Next time, He will steal you away, lock you up, and throw away the key.”
I can hear it, the awe and importance placed on the man who ruined my life. The man who stole my young adulthood. The man who robbed my dignity. The man who took and took and took, simply because he could.
The man who is hurting my friends.
“The truth stands, and so do I. Fuck you, and fuck him.”
After my thumb hits the end button, I throw my phone.
I’m on the other side of the window this time.
Caspian, Lindsey, Gowan, and Felix squish around me, our noses nearly pressed to the glass. Arche, Elochian, Tobias, and Silas wait behind us, pretending to be calm. Each one’s nervous ticks give them away though.
Arche chews his gum, snapping it annoyingly.
Elochian’s wings chatter as he speaks in low tones to Tobias, whose own wings are present and mimic his counterpart’s anxiety. His feathers are quieter than Elochian’s scales as they tremble, like a soft rustling of blankets.
Silas sits in Arlo’s spot on the big couch, feet tucked beneath him and eyes closed, body utterly still. His aura betrays him, a tight orb of shadows barely kept in check.
And then there’s Michael standing in the space between hallway and den, stoic and silent. They watch us, and the door.
“There they are,” Lindsey says, sighing with relief.
Caspian inhales sharply when Arlo and Kitt come into view, and my heart drops. Despite the frost on the outside of the glass and the distance, the bruises marring the left side of his face are plain as day. Arlo and Kitt hold hands, eyes cast down as they walk the frozen path to the cottage together.
“His face, his face, what—” Felix groans, curling in on himself as if in pain.
Arche is there quicker than I can recognize what’s happening. He steers Felix away from the window, leading him to sit beside Silas. He murmurs soft words like breathe and let it out, and Felix does as he says, closing his eyes. He exhales fear and magick, and I can feel it now, not just see it. The way magick pours off him in waves, bathing my skin and soul in unsettled power.
I take off my glasses and rub at my eyes, wincing against the oncoming headache. Lindsey throws me a concerned look. “You alright?”
I smile weakly, putting my glasses back on. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
She studies me, clearly not believing me. Elochian slips an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. I lean against his side, sighing in relief.
“Here they come,” Caspian says quietly, wheeling away from the window and out of the den, towards the foyer. Like an unspoken code, the rest of us wait while Arlo, Kitt, and Caspian have their moment together. It’s always been that way, the three of them sharing a special bond that the rest of us can never hope to achieve. It doesn’t bother me anymore, not like it used to.
But I’m still surprised when moments later, Arlo comes rushing into the room. He cups Felix’s face, bringing their foreheads together, then does the same with Silas. After, he comes straight for me. His arms wrap around my ribcage, neatly extricating me from Elochian’s hold. He lifts me off the ground and hugs me tighter than he ever has. His nose buries into the crook of my neck, and he says, muffled, “You’re okay.”
I hug him back, clueless as to why tears are welling in my eyes. “You’re okay.”
“I was so worried about you.”
“Arlo, you’re the one who was in trouble.”
He puts me down, then cups my cheeks. He gives me a small, firm shake. “And you’re the one who put a target on your back to get me out.”
“I only told the truth, well. Mostly.”
Arlo smiles, but it’s forced.
“What are the rest of us, chopped liver?” Gowan mutters, breaking the tension. Arlo hugs her, kissing the top of her head before moving onto the next, and the next, and the next. He moves to shake Arche’s hand in thanks, but the vampire quickly hugs Arlo too.
Our family has grown.
We all settle together at the dining room table where Caspian’s breakfast buffet waits, long since turned cold. Felix and Silas sit on either side of Arlo, while the rest of us fan out. No one eats, quiet and tense as we wait for Arlo to explain the events of last night. Elochian makes me a small plate of fruit and crescent rolls before sitting down at my left side. I don’t really feel like eating, but if the stern look on his face is anything to go by, I don’t have much choice.
We compromise. Every bite he takes, I match.
Michael seems pleased by this, quiet as they sit at my right. They have been quieter and quieter these days, no longer playful but more serious. Calculating. Vigilant. My deal with Elochian has tweaked their lips upwards a little bit though, and I take pride in it.
Us eating seems to break the dam. Caspian makes Tobias a plate, and Lindsey does the same for Kitt and Gowan. The boys fuss as Arlo serves them food, but it’s superficial complaining. Arche doesn’t eat, but he does pour himself a cup of coffee from the carafe waiting in the middle of the table, as does Arlo.
Only after everyone has begun eating or drinking does Caspian’s calm finally recede. He gruffly asks, “So, what happened?”
Arlo takes a sip of his coffee, wincing. He sets Thatch’s mug down, focusing only on it as he speaks. “Julianna called me as I was headed home, said she had an emergency that she needed my help with and asked me to come by her office straightaway. I did.”
“Why the hell would the mayor be in the office at eleven o’clock at night?” Arche asks.
Arlo smiles at his mug, no humor behind it. “It’s not uncommon. I was with her for about an hour, then I left. She had evidence of dirty council members, and these old maps of Min Isle turned up in her desk, she wanted to give them to me. She was fine when I left.” Arlo sniffs, and I wonder how many times he has said this. I don’t know Julianna personally, but I know that Arlo was always fond of her.
Arlo says, “I was halfway home when they came.”
“The cops?” Lindsey asks.
“If you can call them that. They started screaming at me, and they—” Arlo leans ahead, resting his elbows on the table. He rubs at his temple, sighing heavily. “They arrested me.”
“But what about your—” Cas gestures to his face, but Arlo cuts him off.
“I was resisting arrest, according to them. It’s fine, I’m just roughed up.”
“Arlo, it’s not fine.”
“I’m alive.”
“That’s not—”
“Julie’s dead, Caspian. We have bigger things to worry about.”
Nobody disagrees.
“But why?” Gowan asks, small and unsure. “You didn’t do it.”
“They want to cast doubt. If they could get Quentin to forgo his alibi, then arresting Arlo would be a bonus. As it is, Arlo was the last person Julianna saw, so those who aren’t on our side will latch onto,” Kitt says, picking at her food. “And if the AWO has people in the police department, city council, and Gods knows where else, they’re probably planning something huge. Something permanent.”
“So things are about to get ugly,” Arche says plainly.
“Indeed,” Arlo agrees.
“What can we do?” Lindsey asks.
“Nothing. Nothing but what we’ve been doing. Standing by the truth, showing people who we really are.”
“It could be retaliation,” Elochian says finally. “We embarrassed Kavelli.”
Silence follows, and I hold Elochian’s hand beneath the table. Quietly, I say, “But I saw him, Lochian, and after what the deputy said—”
“I know, but I’m telling you. Kavelli is involved in this, I’m sure of it.”
Arlo says, “I’m sure he is.”
Elochian frowns, but says nothing.
Tobias addresses the group, more commanding than I’ve ever heard him. “I agree with Arlo, that we need to continue as we have been. But no one goes off alone anymore. No one. Elochian and I can arrange security if need be. And we need to keep our minds open.
“Just because Leon isn’t possessing Kavelli, doesn’t mean the demon isn’t a threat. He’s creating a divide in the celestials, and funding the NOJ. This we know for sure. The ascension ball is our best shot at showing the world we are a united front, something to be proud of, not afraid of. But it will also be the other side’s best shot to come at us. We’ll be exposed.”
“No one will be hurt on Adrastus soil,” Elochian says. “The Manor is safe.”
“Can you say that for sure?” Tobias gently adds, “You would have said the same two days ago about the Magpie, right?”
Elochian nods, jaw tense.
“And what about the witches in the End?” Silas asks, surprising the table. When no one answers, he continues, looking between Tobias and Elochian. “You going to provide security for them too?”
“They will be taken care of,” Arlo mutters.
“What does that mean?” Cas asks, affronted. “Last I knew you only had room for a few, not an entire neighborhood.”
Arlo mumbles something and takes off his hat, glancing at Finnegan who smiles fondly at him.
“Say what now?” Cas prods.
“I bought the old apartment complex!”
Absolute, dead silence rules the table for five seconds.
Then Caspian laughs.
Lindsey is next, and then Gowan. Tobias chuckles, and I find myself giggling. Elochian smiles, and Arche does too. In mere moments, the atmosphere has been transformed from rotten dread, to manic hope.
Caspian says, “Of course you did, Lo. Of course you did."