necklace, and the demon… do you need help?”
I took a deep breath and cocked my head, quietly praying that Charlie might decide to check in on me right about now, but his powers were much more limited when he was a cat. He had told me he didn’t want to leave the apartment shackled while Stark was on the loose, and I had agreed.
“Really?” I said, feeling like I was a mouse trying to make a deal with a cat. “Because of the demon, you just happened to show up here? You just happened to find me, and want to help me with my little demon problem? I’m new, but I’m not dumb. I know people don’t help with demon problems. That’s like trying to save someone from getting hit by a semi by throwing yourself in front of it. Did Stark send you?”
Martha’s eyes went cold, and the wrinkles around her eyes were suddenly a little more evident in the setting sun. She folded her hands on the table in front of her.
“You know Stark?” she asked seriously, giving a half-hearted wave in the direction where he had been. “How do you know him?”
“How do you know him?” I shot back at her.
We were at an impasse. Neither of us wanted to trust the other now, and I didn’t see any way around it. But then Martha spoke.
“He’s looking for someone named Charlie,” she said carefully. “They’re old friends, and rumor around Stonefall is that Charlie is back and spending time somewhere around here. I’m looking for Charlie, too, but more because of a mutual acquaintance we had. I’m sorry to have bothered you. I just kind of assumed, with the necklace and the demon, that maybe you would know my friend, because she’s… never mind. I’m sorry. Enjoy your meal.”
She got up to leave. I don’t know what came over me in that moment, but I had to know.
“What’s her name?” I asked. “Your friend?”
Martha stopped, turning back to me and holding her haphazardly wrapped sandwich in her hand. She seemed to debate if it was wise to tell me.
“Kendra,” she said finally. “If you see her around, just tell her I was worried about her. I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
In the few seconds it took for Martha to go back behind the counter, it felt like the dam that had been constipating my thoughts all day suddenly broke free, because the laws of karma had finally turned in my favor. The universe had been slamming me hard for months. And now this woman was a friend of Kendra, and she had stared Stark down, knowing who he was, and she wasn’t afraid.
I shot up from my table, grabbing my sandwich and making a sudden and loud noise as the paper crinkled in my tight grasp. Martha stared at me, surprised and annoyed.
“I don’t want any trouble—” she started.
“Kendra’s my aunt,” I confessed, coming over to the counter. Martha’s eyes were bewildered, but her face relaxed into a kind expression. “And yeah, I need help.”
It all spilled out from there. I told her everything that had happened since summoning Charlie, and how he was trying to become human, and how it left my best friend a part-time cat. I told her about my sister, who was now only seeing her daughter very infrequently. I told her about Vince, and oddly enough, that was where I started to choke up.
“Stark told me he’s going to kill himself,” I said, lowering my voice and biting on my cheek when I paused. Somehow, I hoped that the physical pain would dull the emotions. “And I want to think he’s just trying to get to me, but…”
Having come back out from behind the counter, Martha pulled me into a hug. She shushed me before shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about him,” she said quietly. “I can help him. Well, I mean, I know some people who can. That condition isn’t nearly as rare or unlivable as Charlie seems to think.”
Her words made relief wash over me, but my suspicions about Charlie increased at the same time.
“We’ll figure the rest out,” she said calmly. “My god, I just can’t believe
I took a deep breath and cocked my head, quietly praying that Charlie might decide to check in on me right about now, but his powers were much more limited when he was a cat. He had told me he didn’t want to leave the apartment shackled while Stark was on the loose, and I had agreed.
“Really?” I said, feeling like I was a mouse trying to make a deal with a cat. “Because of the demon, you just happened to show up here? You just happened to find me, and want to help me with my little demon problem? I’m new, but I’m not dumb. I know people don’t help with demon problems. That’s like trying to save someone from getting hit by a semi by throwing yourself in front of it. Did Stark send you?”
Martha’s eyes went cold, and the wrinkles around her eyes were suddenly a little more evident in the setting sun. She folded her hands on the table in front of her.
“You know Stark?” she asked seriously, giving a half-hearted wave in the direction where he had been. “How do you know him?”
“How do you know him?” I shot back at her.
We were at an impasse. Neither of us wanted to trust the other now, and I didn’t see any way around it. But then Martha spoke.
“He’s looking for someone named Charlie,” she said carefully. “They’re old friends, and rumor around Stonefall is that Charlie is back and spending time somewhere around here. I’m looking for Charlie, too, but more because of a mutual acquaintance we had. I’m sorry to have bothered you. I just kind of assumed, with the necklace and the demon, that maybe you would know my friend, because she’s… never mind. I’m sorry. Enjoy your meal.”
She got up to leave. I don’t know what came over me in that moment, but I had to know.
“What’s her name?” I asked. “Your friend?”
Martha stopped, turning back to me and holding her haphazardly wrapped sandwich in her hand. She seemed to debate if it was wise to tell me.
“Kendra,” she said finally. “If you see her around, just tell her I was worried about her. I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
In the few seconds it took for Martha to go back behind the counter, it felt like the dam that had been constipating my thoughts all day suddenly broke free, because the laws of karma had finally turned in my favor. The universe had been slamming me hard for months. And now this woman was a friend of Kendra, and she had stared Stark down, knowing who he was, and she wasn’t afraid.
I shot up from my table, grabbing my sandwich and making a sudden and loud noise as the paper crinkled in my tight grasp. Martha stared at me, surprised and annoyed.
“I don’t want any trouble—” she started.
“Kendra’s my aunt,” I confessed, coming over to the counter. Martha’s eyes were bewildered, but her face relaxed into a kind expression. “And yeah, I need help.”
It all spilled out from there. I told her everything that had happened since summoning Charlie, and how he was trying to become human, and how it left my best friend a part-time cat. I told her about my sister, who was now only seeing her daughter very infrequently. I told her about Vince, and oddly enough, that was where I started to choke up.
“Stark told me he’s going to kill himself,” I said, lowering my voice and biting on my cheek when I paused. Somehow, I hoped that the physical pain would dull the emotions. “And I want to think he’s just trying to get to me, but…”
Having come back out from behind the counter, Martha pulled me into a hug. She shushed me before shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about him,” she said quietly. “I can help him. Well, I mean, I know some people who can. That condition isn’t nearly as rare or unlivable as Charlie seems to think.”
Her words made relief wash over me, but my suspicions about Charlie increased at the same time.
“We’ll figure the rest out,” she said calmly. “My god, I just can’t believe
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