Buried Key

In the pre-dawn, chittering of early birds replaced the pattering of rain and inhuman shrieks that had carried through a very long night.

The dryad still slept. Tucked into her bed, the wounds on her neck and arms had finally stopped seeping. From her seat by the woman, Ginger watched beyond the veil as several small plant spirits hovered worriedly over the secretary.

As the attacks came to a stop, Mallo and Gin had swapped places, the ork standing guard outside, and the human keeping watch over Evero’s elf. Exhausted, but too tired to sleep, Ginger had helped herself to their host’s bedroom vanity. The donning of her necklace had returned her wings to the astral plane, but she refused to force her extra pair of arms away without first cleaning ghoul out from under her nails.

Minutes ticked by. The dryad’s breathing slowly changed. Ginger said nothing, and instead switched the nail file to her other hand. Several more minutes passed before the injured Koshari secretary rolled onto her back. She stared at the ceiling. Ginger cleaned and filed the last two fingers on her fourth arm.

“You’re a god-touched.”

“So it seems.”

The dryad frowned. With her astral sight Ginger could see several of the spirits leave to make a sweep of the house. They returned, and the satisfaction they reported showed on the dryad’s face as she relaxed.

“Why did you save me?”

Ginger inspected her now cleaned hands before turning her full attention to the woman who now looked at her.

“I came by to make a call last night, and happened to be around when your other visitors showed.”

“But why?”

The punch of emotion in her voice softened Ginger’s expression. Her head listed, and she stared right back into the elf’s eyes. “Why wouldn’t I?”

The dryad licked her lips, looking both moved and troubled.

“I’m Melissa.”

“You can call me Ginger.”

Melissa started to smile, but the moment between them broke when her phone suddenly rang.

“Go ahead.” Ginger relaxed back against the vanity, unbothered.

Nodding, she answered, putting the call on speaker as an afterthought.

“Good morning, sir.”

Evero’s voice intruded into the room, and the lingering spirits stiffened. “Eli! Where are you?”

“I-I’m at home. I won’t be in to the office today.”

“I need you here,” came the man’s brisk order, not caring to ask about or interpret Melissa’s weak voice. “There was a run on the tower last night, and your assistant cant seem to manage the morning messages.”

Both women frowned. “Boss, I can’t.”

“And I don’t think you heard me. You will –“

“It wasn’t ju-just the tower,” Melissa interjected, voice cracking as her hand holding the phone began to shake.

A long, tense pause drew out till they heard Evero hiss a breath of realization. “I shouldn’t have sent you home. Is that why your surveillance is out?”

Ginger watched in stoic silence as Melissa’s eyes grew wide. Hot tears of relief pour down over her temples.

“Ye-Yes,” she choked out past a long-buried sob. “I’m so sorry, boss.”

“No, no,” Evero sighed, placated by the emotion in her voice. “You are forgiven. Stay home today. Get rest and recover. I’ll send a car for you tomorrow.”

Melissa touched the bandages at her neck. There was no way she would be well enough to work in a day. “Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Evero hesitated, frustrated. Other voices could be heard in the background of the phone call, arguing over tower security and syndicate losses. “Anything for you, doll. See you tomorrow.”

The call ended, and Melissa’s hand holding the phone fell weakly to her side.

Ginger’s nose scrunched in disgust. “What a guy.”

Melissa rotated her jaw. Gaze lingering on where she knew Evero had hidden the now useless security cameras, she then fixed a determined look at Ginger.

“You want something. Whatever you need…. Whatever your plans are, I want in.”