Free Djinn: Cursed by Erik Schubach Page B

injured wing no longer hurt, though I could feel a dull ache where the bruise was.
    I watched Hailey toss and turn fitfully in her sleep, in some night haunt of her own, while Dori went over to speak to someone as she sat on the floor near a corner.
    I must have dozed off since I woke to Hailey sitting up in bed.  My eyes fluttered open to the delight of seeing Hailey's smile as my vision cleared from the fog of sleep.  She said, “Hi, gorgeous.”
    I blurted awkwardly as I turned my back to her in the chair, “I ruined one of your blouses.  Sorry.”
    She chuckled.  “It's ok.  It seems to be the least of the casualties around here, and I'm sure it won't be the last.”
    I swallowed hard at that.
    She wiped her face with her hands, rubbing the sleep out of herself.  Her purple locks were tousled, and I absently wondered why she wasn't attached to anyone.  I mean, she looked hot even disheveled, her character was top notch, if not a little scary, and she was very protective.  And have you seen that smile?
    I turned to see Dorian staring at her appreciatively, and I felt oddly... jealous... of her attention on Hailey.  That feeling was quickly beat back when she turned her dark eyes to me and then winked.  I blushed.
    Fucking raccoon farts! I was attracted to her, and when I should be worrying about Billie and trying to salvage what was left of my life.  I tried to reason with myself, that no, it was just because she had saved me the prior night and got me safely to Hailey's.
    Hailey braced her arms on the side of the bed and tensed them as she shoved off to stand.  There was a bit of strain like she was in pain as her muscles flexed, but she didn't show it on her face.  Had she gotten hurt in the fight when she took on those men?  I asked, “Are you ok, Hai?”
    She turned to me as she rolled her head and cracked her neck as she seemed to work out some kinks.  She rubbed at a shoulder absently and almost smirked.  “Define ok.”  She chuckled then said, “My time in the service was not kind to me, it just takes a minute to get the blood flowing.”
    I opened my mouth to ask about the Special Forces tattoo, but she read me like a book and held a hand up to stop me, shaking her head in warning.  Right.  The mystery that was Hailey Frost was to remain so.
    She scooped up some clothes from the floor, sniffed them, then threw them over her shoulder.  She said as she headed to the restroom, “I gotta go deal with the police at the station.  We can figure out what we're going to do about you afterward.”
    She paused and looked back, apology in her tone, “Sorry, darlin'.  Don't mean to sound so callous.  I'm still trying to absorb it all.”
    I shrugged, I knew the feeling.  I was still balancing precariously on the edge of my own sanity.  I was so oddly numb about the situation that knew I was on the way to some sort of massive emotional breakdown in the near future.  One I might not come back from.  So not dwelling on it was the safest thing for me right now.
    I said in a small voice, “I want to see Billie.  I need to know she's going to be ok.”
    She just held the doorknob to the bathroom door a moment, not looking at me.  Then she nodded once and said, “Give me time to think.  We'll figure something out when I get back from the station.”
    I nodded and exhaled.  I knew it was more than I could expect under the circumstances.  She shut the door behind her and a few seconds later I heard the shower start then Hailey blurted out through the door, “Damn it, Drake, you got feathers all over in my shower.”
    This got Dorian chiggling again, which just made me smile like a loon.  I told her, “Shut up.”
    She flipped me off with a wink.  Then kept her eyes on me as she went back to the kitchen area and started a pot of coffee and got the last of the eggs out.
    I was feeling self-conscious and hugged my arms to my shoulders and absently wrapped my wings around myself.  I asked,