Free Grey Dawn by Clea Simon

‘You’ve got to stay strong,’ she said instead. ‘Okay?’
    He nodded, blinking faster. But he didn’t ask for details, for which Dulcie was grateful, and she let him go.
    â€˜What was that about?’ Trista watched the big man lumbering out the door. Dulcie suspected, from the way he moved, that he was crying already.
    â€˜That was someone I know,’ she said, unwilling to explain further. ‘He’s had some bad news.’
    â€˜Huh,’ Trista shrugged and turned away, and Dulcie followed. The reception would be starting already, at the offices. If this crowd was any indication, the little clapboard would be packed.
    â€˜So what did you think?’ Dulcie’s mind was reeling with what seemed like new evidence.
    â€˜I’ll be honest, I was barely listening.’ Her friend turned to her with a conspiratorial grin. ‘Those late Victorians are really over-the-top obsessive anyway. But who cares? Hey, there’s Lloyd, heading out now.’
    As they made their way out of the building, Dulcie saw the earlier clouds had disappeared, leaving the night clear. If anything, she realized, the moon was brighter tonight than it had been, although its edges were obscured by the branches overhead. Maybe tonight was the true full moon, and last night was only a build up. If so, could that mean …
    Her thoughts were interrupted as Trista pulled her toward their friends. Lloyd and his girlfriend, Raleigh, were standing at the foot of the stairs. By the way they were holding themselves, leaning in as the exiting crowd surged around them, Dulcie figured they were having an argument – or at least an intense conversation. She pulled away from Trista’s grip, ready to stop her from interrupting, but her friend surged ahead, skipping down the stairs.
    â€˜Hey, guys!’ The couple split and turned toward her. ‘You going to the reception?’
    At that, the two exchanged a look. ‘I think we
should.’
Lloyd said. Raleigh, Dulcie noted, was shaking her head slightly, her mouth set in a grim line.
    â€˜Of course you should.’ Trista was too high on her own experience to notice what was going on. ‘Come on. We are.’
    She put her arms around the pair and started marching them off. Within a half a block, however, Raleigh had disengaged, and Dulcie had a chance to pull her away.
    â€˜Are you okay?’ Dulcie had her own suspicions, but she also knew how easily she could project onto a situation.
    â€˜Yeah.’ The first-year grad student sounded resigned rather than angry. ‘I just hate guys like him.’
    â€˜Lukos?’ She couldn’t mean Lloyd. At least, Dulcie hoped she didn’t.
    â€˜Yeah, everyone was in love with him. Including him. Just loves the sound of his own voice, you know?’ Dulcie nodded, relieved to see that not every female had fallen under his spell. ‘And I just feel so bad for Thorpe.’
    That was unexpected. Dulcie opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond, but Raleigh kept talking.
    â€˜I know Thorpe’s a pain. Lloyd’s had a hell of a time, trying to keep up with his fussy little bureaucracies. And, well, I hope it’s okay, but Lloyd’s told me some of what Thorpe has put you through, too. All that nit-picky stuff. It’s just that he’s
our
guy, you know? Came up through the ranks just like, well, just like we are – Lloyd, too. But he doesn’t have that star quality.’
    â€˜No, he doesn’t.’ Dulcie felt herself softening. ‘I don’t think he ever means to do harm.’ Not in the way she had most dreaded. Thorpe was pitiable, really. Even if her worst fears were true, and he had become – No, she didn’t even want to think that. Recent events had spooked her; that was all. There was no way her thesis adviser could be a creature of the—
    â€˜Hey, guys, catch up!’ Trista had run up between them, this time