you?"
"She's pretty amazing and has no clue."
"Eldric said there's a lot of interest in her. And now in her father."
"Yes, her father. She has no idea what really happened to him."
"If what you say is true and we don't know that yet."
"Are you going to tell her?"
"It's not my place, Gabriel."
He nodded. "Might I impose on you to ask her to call me?"
"Does she have your number?"
"I called her half a dozen times so I think she has it."
"Then I'll be happy to pass the message along."
"Thank you."
Ellie smiled and when he stood she took his hand. "I hope you and Nev work out whatever this thing is between you, Gabriel."
"So do I. Thank you, Ellie. See you soon?"
"I'm here twenty-four-seven."
Gabriel smiled and let her walk him outside. He took to the air, but did not head home. Instead, he headed in the direction of Nevaeh's duplex. He had to try to make her understand the danger she'd placed herself in.
*****
Nevaeh fought her way to consciousness. Sunlight assaulted her eyes when she cracked them open. What the heck was that noise and what time was it?
She fumbled around on the nightstand for her phone. 7:54. "What the…?"
It had been an hour and twenty minutes since she'd last checked the time. No wonder she felt like she was the walking dead. And who the hell was that banging on her door?
It took a minute to untangle herself from the sheets and make her way to the door. She squinted against the light as she opened it.
"I brought coffee." Elysia pushed passed her and into the duplex.
"Well come on it."
"My, aren't we grumpy this morning? Here have some coffee. It'll perk you right up."
Nevaeh waved away the take-out cup Elysia offered. "No thanks. What are you doing here? I thought we agreed—"
"I couldn't wait. This is important Nevaeh. For us and for you. We just don't have time to waste."
"Whatever. I have to pee."
She left Elysia standing there holding the two cups of coffee and headed for the bathroom. After taking care of her screaming bladder, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. That wasn't going to cut it. It was going to take a whole lot more than that to get her functional.
Not caring that Elysia was waiting, she got into the shower, washed, shampooed her hair, and then rinsed in cold water. Nevaeh took her time drying off and getting dressed. When she finally returned to the living area, Elysia was sitting on the couch with two empty cups on the coffee table in front of her.
"So, are you ready to get started?"
"Doing what?" Nevaeh walked passed her and into the kitchen. She had just enough bottled water and ground coffee to make a large cup in her coffee press. She poured the water into the electric kettle and stood at the counter watching it.
"You are going to help us, aren’t you?"
Nevaeh had been asking that question herself all night. She still didn't know what to do aside from stall. Seeing that Elysia was in a real hurry there was only one way she knew to delay.
"I am. But on my terms."
"Pardon?"
Nevaeh cut a look over her shoulder. "You heard me. I'll help you but you're going to cure my dad first. Once I see he's cured and I mean cured, not just temporary, then I'll help you."
"You bitch."
"Say what?" Nevaeh turned to face Elysia.
"Do you have any clue what I've offered? I offered to cure your father and this is the thanks I get?"
"I don't know what your problem is. I said I'd help. You're just going to do your part first."
"Or?"
"Or no deal."
"After all I've done for you and this is how you treat me? Where's the respect? The trust?"
Nevaeh laughed and turned her back on Elysia to pour the now-boiling water into the coffee press. "Respect? Trust? Do I need to remind you that you drugged and abducted me? Not a lot of reason there for respect or trust."
She turned to face Elysia again. "And trust is a two-way street. You want my trust you have to earn it. So that's the deal. Take it or leave it."
Elysia made a sound that was very similar to the growl of
"She's pretty amazing and has no clue."
"Eldric said there's a lot of interest in her. And now in her father."
"Yes, her father. She has no idea what really happened to him."
"If what you say is true and we don't know that yet."
"Are you going to tell her?"
"It's not my place, Gabriel."
He nodded. "Might I impose on you to ask her to call me?"
"Does she have your number?"
"I called her half a dozen times so I think she has it."
"Then I'll be happy to pass the message along."
"Thank you."
Ellie smiled and when he stood she took his hand. "I hope you and Nev work out whatever this thing is between you, Gabriel."
"So do I. Thank you, Ellie. See you soon?"
"I'm here twenty-four-seven."
Gabriel smiled and let her walk him outside. He took to the air, but did not head home. Instead, he headed in the direction of Nevaeh's duplex. He had to try to make her understand the danger she'd placed herself in.
*****
Nevaeh fought her way to consciousness. Sunlight assaulted her eyes when she cracked them open. What the heck was that noise and what time was it?
She fumbled around on the nightstand for her phone. 7:54. "What the…?"
It had been an hour and twenty minutes since she'd last checked the time. No wonder she felt like she was the walking dead. And who the hell was that banging on her door?
It took a minute to untangle herself from the sheets and make her way to the door. She squinted against the light as she opened it.
"I brought coffee." Elysia pushed passed her and into the duplex.
"Well come on it."
"My, aren't we grumpy this morning? Here have some coffee. It'll perk you right up."
Nevaeh waved away the take-out cup Elysia offered. "No thanks. What are you doing here? I thought we agreed—"
"I couldn't wait. This is important Nevaeh. For us and for you. We just don't have time to waste."
"Whatever. I have to pee."
She left Elysia standing there holding the two cups of coffee and headed for the bathroom. After taking care of her screaming bladder, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. That wasn't going to cut it. It was going to take a whole lot more than that to get her functional.
Not caring that Elysia was waiting, she got into the shower, washed, shampooed her hair, and then rinsed in cold water. Nevaeh took her time drying off and getting dressed. When she finally returned to the living area, Elysia was sitting on the couch with two empty cups on the coffee table in front of her.
"So, are you ready to get started?"
"Doing what?" Nevaeh walked passed her and into the kitchen. She had just enough bottled water and ground coffee to make a large cup in her coffee press. She poured the water into the electric kettle and stood at the counter watching it.
"You are going to help us, aren’t you?"
Nevaeh had been asking that question herself all night. She still didn't know what to do aside from stall. Seeing that Elysia was in a real hurry there was only one way she knew to delay.
"I am. But on my terms."
"Pardon?"
Nevaeh cut a look over her shoulder. "You heard me. I'll help you but you're going to cure my dad first. Once I see he's cured and I mean cured, not just temporary, then I'll help you."
"You bitch."
"Say what?" Nevaeh turned to face Elysia.
"Do you have any clue what I've offered? I offered to cure your father and this is the thanks I get?"
"I don't know what your problem is. I said I'd help. You're just going to do your part first."
"Or?"
"Or no deal."
"After all I've done for you and this is how you treat me? Where's the respect? The trust?"
Nevaeh laughed and turned her back on Elysia to pour the now-boiling water into the coffee press. "Respect? Trust? Do I need to remind you that you drugged and abducted me? Not a lot of reason there for respect or trust."
She turned to face Elysia again. "And trust is a two-way street. You want my trust you have to earn it. So that's the deal. Take it or leave it."
Elysia made a sound that was very similar to the growl of
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