The Happy Trio – Robin, Raven, and Missy – left the room in happy, grogged out spirits.
Antioch returned to his chair by the monitors and sat down.
The life I have known is over and gone. I am a vampire now. So, where do I go? Can I continue to do my job here?
He laid his head on the counter near the monitors.
The various employees strolled past the doorway to get to their various workstations.
Some talked.
Some blabbed.
Laughed.
Or were silent.
Their menagerie of scents filtered into the room in a disordered collection of sweet, spicy, food, and flowers.
I can’t.
I can’t stay here long term.
I know I can’t.
I need to complete another XQ to replace the one I gave away.
I will need to find N1.
He closed his eyes and smiled. MLO will find her.
I know he will.
***
Isellta closed the photo album and set it aside.
He picked up the journal.
It was a high quality leather book with a engraved map of North America on the front and South America on the back. The edges of the pages were an uneven shag as if someone had cut the papers with pinking sheers.
He ran his fingers over the engravings and delighted in the sense of the lines.
He sniffed it. “Mmm. Smells like fresh coffee.”
Isellta opened to the first page.
There was an inscription written in gold ink-gelled letters: “Dearest Jay. Remember: No matter where I am, you’re with me. Love, Mae.”
Isellta traced the letters with his index finger. His thoughts turned to Robin. “You’re with me.”
His chest hurt. “I wish you were right here with me now.” He turned to the next page.
Black ballpoint ink.
Different handwriting.
Well. I’ve never written in a journal before. I wonder if I should date my entries or is that just for diaries?
Anyway….
What am I going to write about? I feel like it should be something good. Something worthwhile. Something worth remembering.
*shrugs*
I don’t know.
I guess I understand why you had to leave. It was a once in a lifetime thing. How could you pass it up?
I didn’t want you to pass it up for my sake.
Still.
I miss you, Mae.
………
??
Should I sign my name? Probably not. It’s my journal so…
*more shrugging*
Later.
Isellta turned to the next page.
Days are long.
Nights are dreary.
What I would give
To have you near me.
I miss you, Mae.
Mark Caten is being unreasonable. Again. Not surprising. I’ve never known anyone so stuck inside his own ego trip. What made him that way? Weak parents? No parents? Overly indulgent parents? I’m sure there’s a whole big backstory about why he is the way he is.
Ahh, but I don’t want to waste this journal entry babbling about him. Hardly seems worth it.
It snowed yesterday.
First snow of the year.
Ha! This is riveting stuff, isn’t it? From Caten to the weather.
Darn.
I’m so bad at this.
But I’m going to keep up with it. Even if it’s full of banal blather.
When you come back from Paris next month, we can read this together.
*smiles big*
I can’t wait til you come back.
Later.
Isellta’s wings flapped as he imagined Jay smiling big for her.
Does Maelin realize how lucky she is to have someone like him? He’s so nice.
He turned the page.
*sigh*
Another attempt on MarkCaten’s life thwarted.
And he didn’t even appreciate it.
I don’t know.
*heavy sigh*
It’s my job. I shouldn’t expect to be patted on the head every time I do my job. And I don’t. I’m not that needy.
Still.
The language he used.
The things he said.
I don’t know. I guess I understand. He was freaking out. This one got a little too close.
STILL.
I did my job.
I saved his miserable life.
And he yelled at me. He actually came close to firing me!
*see my previous entry about him being unreasonable*
Later.
ps (do people ps in journals?): Mae, I miss you like mad. Please come home soon.
Isellta touched the words in that last line. He could almost feel the longing inside the letters.
If I were Maelin, I never would have left him.
I would have stayed.
I wonder why she left.
Power outage. Hahahaha! Yeah. I’m writing about a power outage. At least it isn’t the weather again. And it is not Mark Caten. So, yeah. Power outage. They say the power will be back on in a couple of hours. Problem is: They said that a couple of hours ago.
Caten is throwing fits about it.
I’m staying away from him. Fortunately, Hank agreed to cover for me. I am so indebted to him. Hahaha! And you know why!
Mae.
I miss you. Come home soon.
Later.
Next page.
Maelin. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve written in here. I feel bad, but nothing of great consequence has happened.
Until today.
I don’t know all the details and I’m not going to ask Caten for them, but there is a new fey in our midst. He’s just a young kid as fey go. Probably early twenties? I don’t know. It’s hard to guess fey ages and they don’t exactly keep track of birthdays.
I don’t like how Preyuna’s been staring at him. She looks at him like she wants to eat him head first.
I worry about him. He’s such a skinny little thing. If she came to shoves and blows, he’d collapse.
I just…I want to wrap him up in warm blankets and feed him chicken soup or…I don’t even know what. If you saw him, you’d feel the same way.
If I were a woman, I’d say he’s activating my mothering instincts. Hahaha! Maybe it’s my fathering instincts kicking into gear? Is there such a thing? Does that happen to guys?
Mae.
Oh, how I wish you were here.
Please tell me you’ll come home soon next time you call. I miss you so much it makes me nuts.
I love you.
Later.
ambroseandelsie 