21. Cry Wolf #2
Fred didn’t pay much attention to Shandy’s conversation with Bob, lost as he was in his own thoughts.
His heart was so heavy at having ignored the messages his magical bond with her had been signalling to him, but he was also missing that bond itself.
Having it severed felt like part of him was missing, like some monster had ripped away his leg.
His love for Shandy was light and fluffy still.
He knew her to be kind, compassionate and incredible in bed, but, as yet, he lacked the depth of feeling he had with Cara.
Once she was off the phone with Bob, she stayed silent, but placed a reassuring hand on Fred’s knee.
He wanted to flick it off, as memories of Cara’s hand flashed back in his mind, but then he remembered.
He wasn’t the only one who loved and missed Cara.
“Are you okay?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“For the moment I am,” Shandy said, turning to smile wanly at him. “Bob usually knows what to do. I don’t see why he wouldn’t this time.”
By the time they arrived at the Tavern, Bob had already kicked out the few daytime drinkers, and had brought his computer up from the cellar, turning a corner table into his office, complete with a whiskey bottle and shot glass.
“Right! I need to know everything that might be relevant,” Bob said, his beady eyes piercing the two of them. “We need to know whether this is a matter for the police, or whether it’s more my jurisdiction. Get yourselves a drink and come and sit down here!”
Shandy pulled Fred a pint and got herself a half of cider, and the two of them sat down awkwardly opposite Bob.
“So… what makes you think something suspicious is going on?” Bob asked, hands poised on his keyboard. “Tell me everything.”
Between them, Fred and Shandy explained everything. Bob seemed particularly intrigued by the connection between Fred and Cara.
“So, when another man was ogling her, you felt the same feeling of threat as you did today?”
“Not quite,” Fred admitted. “It was many times worse today. It was more of a niggling feeling yesterday, but today it was like my whole body was willing me towards her.”
“And you assumed it was the same situation as the day before?” Bob said, raising an eyebrow.
Fred bit his tongue. Talking with Bob reminded him of his father, and not in a good way. Not that there was a good way. Fortunately for Bob, he had 200 years of practice at feigning calm, while the anger rose within him.
“I was trying to respect Cara’s wishes,” he spat.
Bob stared him down a moment, and then returned his gaze to the notes he had been taking.
“That second time, in the cafe, when you lost that feeling of threat, was that the same as the previous day as well?”
“No, no,” Fred said, shaking his head vigorously as the memories collided in his mind. “That first time, the feeling subsided, but in the cafe, it was like a thread snapping. The tension was there, and then it wasn’t.”
Bob’s forehead furrowed as he scanned the evidence again.
“Firstly, it is unheard of for a mixed, magical couple to achieve this kind of union, but as we know, Cara was hardly human anymore. Secondly, you’ll be relieved to hear, death does not create that kind of sudden snapping of these connections.
Love is not limited to a life time. Now that that connection is formed, life could lessen or increase its hold, but death tends to preserve it.
” Bob stopped a moment, staring at the screen.
“So, my guess is that this connection was broken magically. Some magical entity knew of the connection, and intentionally ruptured it. Why? Perhaps to bring us together like this. We need to be on high alert from now on. Whatever came for Cara could be coming for any one of us too.”
Fred and Shandy exchanged glances.
“Is there anything you can do?” Shandy asked. “Can you find her?”
“I don’t know. There are things I can try, but I can’t guarantee anything will work,” Bob said, looking hard at them both.
“What I can do is protect you two for the moment. I’d like you to stay the night, Bob, rather than going back to your flat.
I could go over there and set traps, protection spells, whatever, but it would be noticed.
I’m not the only one keeping an eye on magical immigrants.
I may be the least malevolent though.” A smile flickered across Bob’s face.
“I’ll have to reopen the bar this evening, so as not to rouse suspicions. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
Bob downed one more shot of whisky, closed his laptop, and headed off to the cellar.
Shandy shuffled closer to Fred and snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Fred wriggled his arm free, and threw it around her, drawing her close.
“At least she’s alive,” Shandy whispered. “At least we know that.”
Fred held Shandy even closer. His mind was a mess of half thoughts and emotions. Undirected anger burned fiercely in his chest, while trickles of guilt built up on the edges of his consciousness.
“I should have gone when I knew she was in danger,” he whispered. “I should have known it was different this time.”
“Bob will do his best to find her,” Shandy said, burying her head further into his chest.
“If she’d never met me, this would never have happened,” Fred fumed.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Shandy reassured him. “Maybe it has nothing to do with you, really. Maybe one of Bob’s other clients took a liking to her or something.”
Fred was not convinced, but it wasn’t worth arguing over.