Part XXXVIII

Part XXXVIII

We sat outside until she had to get dressed for her appointment.
Once her appointment had come and gone, we watched the sun set until the breeze off the ocean picked up and brought in a nice thick marine layer that made the boardwalk look like a set from The Fog.

When that happened we went downstairs to have dinner. I asked her if would be OK if I checked on the Old Man. She said that would be fine so we walked to the van. I made her stay back while I opened the door and folded what was left of the Old Man's surf and turf into the newspaper I'd laid down. I told her to keep an eye on him while I took that and the scooped present he'd left me in the litter box to the closest trash can.

By the time I got back, the Old Man was curled in her lap purring up a storm while she gave him a shoulder massage. He hissed when I told him it was time for her to leave. He stumbled off to the back of the van and as I closed the door I thought of all the shoes I'd left out for him to piss in.

We had dinner at The Candle and watched as the drunken zombies as they shuffled along the boardwalk lost in their purpose. She talked and I listened. It was the least I could do if I was somehow going to be responsible for her death. I felt bad that she was spending this time with me, but then I thought she'd evidently seen it coming, so she must have been good with it.

The conversation was mostly small talk that occasionally got a little too deep for me. The five dollar pitchers of Bud were starting to make me a little happy. Once we were done with dinner she got serious and invited me back up to talk about whet I had come here for.

We sat on the couch with fresh drinks in our hands as a curtain of silence fell between us. She eventually cut through it.

So, you want me to tell you where the second reliquary is?

Yeah.

She took a sip from her drink and looked down at her hands, and fiddled with her glass like she was trying to divine the ice in the glass. She shifted her legs up and curled them beneath her.

You're looking at it.

I emptied my glass and cursed the Tall Man under my breath. I'd never imagined that he do this, cram a piece of my Uncle's soul inside a living breathing person.

I'm sorry.

It's going to get dirty and ugly from this point on.

I tried to hide my anger.

I don't know what to do' oddly enough.

Destiny moved off the couch like mercury and stood up. She held out her hand to me. I hesitated then reached out and took it. She tugged lightly, letting me know that I should stand up.

What's this?

A trickster's smile crept across her face.

This is the dirty part.

I woke up the next morning with Destiny by my side. I did my best to get out of the bed without waking her, grabbed my pants and shirt and went to the kitchen. There wasn't much there I could do anything with so I stepped out to the grocery store. By the time I heard her padding down the hall, breakfast was almost ready. She rounded the corner and I almost dropped the skillet. She was wearing her men's as button up painting shirt and a smile.

I poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her. She looked at the feast I was preparing.

I'm a vegetarian.

That's explains why I had to go to the grocery store.

She sat at the table and I fixed her a plate none the less. She surprised me when she picked up a piece of bacon. She looked at me, waiting for permission.

You only live once.

She took a bite, and her face instantly changed.

Wow, that's really good.

Yeah. All of it is.

I passed her the basket to biscuits and then slid over the sawmill gravy I'd made from the sausage drippings.

You should try this too, it might just kill you before I do.

She smiled a sad smile.

It's not your fault.

You're right, it isn't.

I hadn't planned to do what I did next. I stood up and walked toward the door.

Aubrey, it won't change anything.

Maybe not, but if I can figure something out, by leaving you until last it's worth the risk for me.

I shut the door behind myself and stumbled down the stairs before I changed my mind.

Outside the sun was coming up and burning off the fog. I was probably being a fool, but right now there was no way I could just kill her to get what I needed. Maybe she knew that and maybe she didn't. I doubted I had changed anything,

Back at the van, I got in and sat behind the wheel for a minute contemplating whether what I was doing was worth it. The Old Man jumped into the passenger seat, curled up and started to purr. That was all I needed. I grabbed the laptop and opened it to look at the next point. It was just outside Portland, Oregon. I turned the engine over and pulled out of Venice. I took the PCH North and just let the sea roll past me.

I'd figure something out, I knew I would. I wasn't going to kill Destiny unless I absolutely had to. She'd grown on me more than I could have imagined.

Just past Malibu my phone rang.

Aubrey?

Destiny?

Silence hung on the other end of the phone.

You're a good man Aubrey.

Don't be so sure. The next time I see you I'll do what I have to.

I know.

It won't change how I feel about you.

We just met Aubrey. Last night was just...last night.

I know, but everything that led up to it felt right, right in a way I'm not used to.

Be safe Aubrey, and don't believe the dwarf.

What dwar...never mind.

Be good Destiny.

You too Aubrey. I'll be waiting for you.

Sorry about that.

I hung up the phone.

I took the PCH all the way to Cambria and turned up the 46, letting the gumdrop green hills and grape vines calm my nerves. In Paso Robles, I got on the 101. First chance I got I crossed to the 5 and headed for San Francisco. Before I got to Portland I needed to see a man about a book. I just hoped he had access to a copy. Something my Uncle had told me about.

It was known as the Book of Shadows and Dust, and somewhere in its pages, assuming I could find it and my Uncle's story had been true, I could find a trick that might just give me what I needed to come out of this without killing anyone else. If not, I was going to have to push down what I felt about Destiny so that the next time I saw her I'd be able to pretend her screams were laughter.

I mumbled under my breath and hit the gas as the outside of the van appeared to everyone like a fleeting dream.