Free Burned by Dean Murray

supporting the status quo, I'll do it in a
way that doesn't get a bunch of children killed."
    Adri looked for
a second like she was going to respond hotly, but Taggart put a hand
on her shoulder, and that seemed to bring her back to herself.
    "Fine,
we'll do it your way. Unless you need something else I should
probably get back to my body—if we're about to embark on some
kind of extended campaign I suspect I'll need all of the energy I can
suck down each day. There's no need to waste it with small talk
here."
    "You guys
came to me—I'm glad you did, but it's not like I'm begging you
to stay."
    "Right,
you're probably just anxious to get back to whoever is keeping your
bed warm right now."
    Now it was my
turn to nearly say something that I would have later regretted, but
Taggart stepped between the two of us.
    "That was
beneath you, Adri. I'm sure that the two of you have already talked
about the situation with Brindi. If you had an understanding about
her back before the…accident…then now isn't the time to
be attacking Alec over something he didn't ask to have happen."
    I half expected
her to attack him with her bare hands, but she just stood there
shaking for a couple of seconds, and then whirled and ran away. She
disappeared as she took her second step, and then it was just Taggart
and I.
    My anger
evaporated as quickly as it had appeared. My beast had never really
calmed back down after my visit with Shawn. I wanted to blame my fury
on the metaphysical hitchhiker that rode around inside my head, but I
knew that wasn't the complete truth.
    If my beast had
been the cause for my feelings then I wouldn't have been able to
master my anger instantly like that. My anger had evaporated because
I'd seen her face as she'd turned to go. For a split second there her
mask had dropped. She was angry, but mostly she was just
hurting and using rage to cover up the hole inside of her—the
one that she was afraid would never go away, the one that she felt
guilty about resenting because wanting to get better felt like a
betrayal of her parents.
    "I'm sorry
about that, Alec. I'd hoped that seeing you would help remind her of
the connection the two of you share. I fear that I've made a mistake
and pushed her too far, too fast."
    "No, that
was my fault. I should have reacted better. I know what she's going
through right now, it was my job tonight to make sure that I didn't
let her bait me—a job at which I failed miserably."
    Taggart patted
me on the shoulder, and I was surprised to find that I was
comfortable enough around him to not have my beast freaking out at
having him so close.
    "You were
working at a disadvantage, Alec. Adri has mastered the art of keeping
her feelings secret while she's inside of the dream. Here she doesn't
have a scent unless she wants to, and it isn't strictly necessary for
her to breathe or for her heart to beat. Most people do all of those
things out of sheer habit, but she's come a long ways despite having
not practiced for quite some time."
    I was
astonished that I hadn't noticed her lack of involuntary responses,
but Taggart didn't give me any time to really consider that bit of
information.
    "You're in
a tough spot, Alec. You feel guilt over what happened even though you
acted in the only way you could at the time. That is compounded by
the fact that part of you knows Adri should be treating you like a
hero. Without you, Cindi would have died, and everyone else we took
into that building would have joined her. It's natural to resent Adri
for treating you so poorly despite everything you've done for her.
Just try to remember that she's not herself right now—not
really. In time she'll go back to being the girl we both care so much
about. Try to be patient."
    "I think
that you're giving me too much credit."
    "Be that
as it may, the credit is mine to give out as I see fit."
    He drew a smile
out of me despite myself. "Was there anything else you wanted to
discuss? I don't want to keep you—I know how