97- Dawn of a New Day

Morning brought with it a promise of a beautiful day. Quayleigh had opened her eyes to a gorgeous view of the city skyline, while tucked into a bed so comfortable, that it hurt to lay on when she first crawled into it the night before; her muscles revolting against the command to relax, refusing to trust the mattress to provide adequate support.

Turning over, she found Tau sprawled upon his back, and closed the space between them; every shift filling the air with the scent of expensive linens and laundry detergent. Laying her head against the edge of her pillow, she watched the faint rise and fall of his chest, the peaceful rhythm of his life, evocative of her own being, once the butterflies calmed and the radiant warmth faded.

Turning his head towards her, his body shifting, as if attempting to join the waking world, Quayleigh moved closer. Wrapping her leg over his, she delicately kissed at his shoulder, while stealing his warmth and drawing small hearts with the tip of her finger upon the center of his chest.

"Morning," he whispered as he opened his eyes, drawing his free hand across to her cheek where he swept her hair back from her face.

"Morning, love," she replied, smiling simultaneously with him.

Rolling onto his side, her heart fluttered to the sensation of his stomach pressed to hers, and his hand sliding up her back, beneath her shirt, while pulling her closer. She felt his chest heave as he breathed her in from chest to cheek, a soft exhale caressing the edge of her ear.

"Looks like we made it," he muttered, before setting a line of affection, tender pecks, across her cheek, inching towards her lips.

"We did," she replied, placing her hand to his cheek, her thumb over his lips forcing a small distance between them. "No calls, no crisis. Yechiel even stayed in his room. Dishes got washed, laundry finished, and this bed, with you, is beyond heavenly."

"The angels would be furious with you for saying such a thing," he remarked as she swept the tip of her thumb along the bottom of his lip.

"And they can go right ahead and fuck themselves," she replied before kissing him, her passion returned with equal fervor.

Pushing him onto his back, she sat atop him, straddling his waist. Her hands pressed to his chest, she could feel the pounding of his heart against his ribs, and the strength of his hands as he massaged at her thighs.

"I want you to stay with me," he said while gazing up at her.

"You don't think I would if I could?" she replied as he sat up and grabbed a hold of her by the waist.

"Can't you?" he questioned, lifting her up, before crossing his legs beneath her, and setting her into his lap.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she clung to him, and cheek to cheek, she confessed, "I'd stay with you forever, rarely leaving your side, my love, my heart, my dearest Reaper. But as it is, that isn't possible. So, I will take every moment I can get and create a precious memory. Every touch, kind word, sweet whisper, tender kiss or burning passion, alone together or surrounded by others, and I will carry each and every moment with me until my end. All because I love you, my beloved Tauluthet. Never forget that."

"Such would be impossible, but I still want you to stay with me."

"I know, but today, I have work, and you have a broken cop to tend too. However, that shouldn't stop us from making the most out of our morning, alone, together," she teased, as she leaned back, grabbed the edge of her shirt and pulled it off.

Leaning forward she kissed him before shifting from his lap and crawling back to the edge of the bed.

"Give me a couple of minutes. You'll know when it's safe to join me."

Standing up, she stripped off her panties, tossing them into the laundry basket before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door.

Quickly going through her morning routine, she turned on the shower as she brushed her teeth. Having finished rinsing her mouth, she opened the door to find a very naked Tau waiting for her on the other side. Taking his hand, she pulled him into the bathroom and closed the door, silently cursing her decision of having that sigil installed.

The walk-in shower, which took up half the bathroom space, was a monument to Dylan's excessive tastes. Walls tiled with polished stone slabs, and marble inlays, multiple nickel-plated showerheads, a handcrafted teakwood bench, and a river-stone basin, had created an area large enough to accommodate six people with room to spare. All run by a digital system that was unlike anything Quayleigh had ever seen. It controlled everything, from the heated floors, toilet seat and mirrors, to the lighting, water temperature and pressure in the individual showerheads, even the amount of steam was monitored to ensure that it wasn't allowed to accumulate to an uncomfortable level. The complexity of the system made Quayleigh long for the ease of a mechanical tap and faucet, despite the appeal of this type of luxury; it was difficult to fault anyone for wanting the perfect shower at the push of a button. Thus, as she pulled Tau into the gentle stream of water from the rainfall showerhead, she hoped Dylan's preferred settings would be mutually enjoyed.

*************

To Yechiel, however, the new dawn brought no joy. The world he had known, the foundation of all he believed, had crumbled the night before. The unknown had seeped into his reality in the form of a giant serpent with arms, and claws, and grotesque teeth, capable of understanding, but refusing to truly speak. It's alien mannerisms, unpredictable behavior, and unexplainable motives, were a haunting condemnation of his insignificant human existence.

Although Yechiel had managed to sleep, he had found no peace during the night. His dreams tried to twist into nightmares, ending before coming to fruition, and playing on repeat; enough to bother but never truly wake, leaving him well-rested, but unwilling to leave his bed.

Staring at the ceiling, his cellphone face down next to him, his mind was occupied. Harlowe had messaged sometime in the night informing him that Kavak had made it through the surgery but left him wondering if he had made it through the night. After all, what good were walls to a creature that ignored them? Or lights to scare away the monsters when it didn't seem to care? What was the point of positing guards at his door for protection when he was attacked at the station, and no one even knew until it was far too late?

And what of Skye? For all the messed up, horrifying shit she saw in a day, this was what had managed to break her? Harlowe had said nothing of how she was doing. And although he figured the doctor had kept her sedated overnight, it only left him to wonder how he had managed to not end up in a room next to hers, with cushy padded walls, and a self-hugging jacket, topped by a delightful cocktail of his own, full of sedatives and mood stabilizers.

Undoubtedly, he knew that they would eventually cross paths on their way to or from the department therapist, and he found himself hoping for morning appointments on Tuesday.

This was only so he could avoid Geoff Durham, a rookie beat cop who only showed up early on Tuesdays, for reasons he didn't know, and spoke to him as if they were best friends, despite having never been properly introduced.

"I should have kept my change," he muttered as he recalled his random act of kindness, handing the young man a coin at the vending machine on his way by, when he noticed him frantically checking his pockets.

Yechiel hadn't even said anything to him, just gave him the coin and kept walking. It was nearly three months before he even knew his name, and even after all this time, having never worked on the same floor or on the same case, Tuesday morning coffee remained noisy, full of chatter that would have normally brightened his day. It wasn't that he disliked Durham, he actually found him sort of refreshing from the same grumpy old stiffs he was used to, but it was strange, and Yechiel didn't want strange in his life anymore. He wanted everything to be simple again; back to when humans were the only things being shitty to humans, because that was easy. That was understandable. This was complicated, and complicated meant all sorts of bad things. Things he didn't want to think about. Responsibilities that he would have to take, messes he would be forced to handle, explanations he would have to give, and solutions he would have to find that he believed couldn't possibly exist.

*************

"That's strange, I expected to find him up by now," Quayleigh mentioned to Tau as they made their way down into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed, ready for the day.

"He must need the sleep," Tau replied, as he began to empty the dishwasher, putting three mugs onto the counter for her, while she filled the coffeemaker's reservoir with water.

"I suppose it's best if we let him rest as long as he wants. The sleep couldn't hurt, but if he's awake, I don't want him hiding away in his room all day. Dark or medium?"

"Medium," he replied.

Picking out a medium roast coffee, she put the small cup of grounds into the machine and started its cycle.

"Whether he likes it or not, he is going to have to talk about what happened at some point, but that's not to say we should push him if he isn't ready. Trauma's a difficult thing to process and everyone handles it differently."

"Then what am I to do with him today?" Tau asked as Quayleigh headed into the living room to check her phone.

"Be his friend. If he hints towards wanting to talk, give him a little nudge, but if he clams up, don't push. Harlowe texted. Seems Kavak made it through the surgery."

"Yechiel should find some comfort in that. Any word on Skye?"

"Nothing yet," she replied making her way back into the kitchen. "I'm glad Kavak made it through the surgery, but there's still a possibility that he isn't going to recover. Uru has one hell of a bite on him. I'm honestly pretty shocked that Kavak had a shoulder left to repair."

"If Uru had intended to do more than scar him, he would have."

"No doubt, but it isn't like we can tell anyone that, at least not until I find some evidence to prove it. Is there any way that anyone could have known about…" she paused and pursed her lips fighting herself over how to ask what should have been a simple question.

"Known about what?"

"About what he is or what they are? I mean I know he is your weapon, but he is a living being. What are they called as a species? And could it be possible that someone once knew about them and wrote a book I could find?"

Tau lowered his eyes and slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could give you the answers you want, but you aren't going to find any books about what they are."

Quayleigh sighed, "Well, I sort of figured that would be the case. But what are they?"

"They are… the void, given shape and purpose by Death. We don't have a name for them besides that which they give themselves. As mine is Uroxuz, Naldinrenu, his is called Tuhrathnd, and Caat'heidamet is served currently by Llchog. I know of thirteen, fewer by name, but their numbers could be as plentiful as the stars. One will come from the void on occasion, to challenge those who serve, and those who are defeated are consumed. Uroxuz has been challenged three times and continues to remain by my side. I fear his absence from my body may have caused another to find its way into 'its' service, but that will be sorted out when the time comes."

"Great, that's not helpful at all," she said before sighing and retrieving the milk from the fridge. "And now, I have even more questions. Like how Death managed to create them and why? But that can wait for another time. For now, I need to find some explanation in those archives, and while I want to tell you not to do your job, I know that's not really a possibility. Just promise that you'll be careful, and that you'll never let anyone see you?"

"You needn't worry, no one will ever see me. That I can truly promise you," he replied as she added a splash of milk to his coffee before giving it a quick stir and handing it to him.

Once he had taken his coffee, she set her hands to his cheeks and looked him directly in the eyes as she spoke. "Whatever happens, it can't lead back to you, because that is a complication with only one solution. And between you and me, I'd really prefer it if I didn't have to flee the city after watching Uru murder half the people in it."

"Only half? Such little faith," he remarked with a smirk.

"Tau! You're terrible," she scoffed and playfully swatted at his chest before proceeding to make a coffee for herself. "Anyways, I'm going to be at the MET for the bulk of the day, but I'm aiming to be home about 7. So, that means that you are going to have to take care of lunch and dinner for both you and Yechiel. The top drawer behind you is full of take-out menus or you could take a walk and check out some of the restaurants. I suppose it all depends on how he feels, but do not let me come home to find that you two have eaten nothing but protein bars and chips. Oh, and keep paying with the black card, it helps to keep things simple."

"How will I know what to order?"

"You can ask Yechiel, or just order a bunch of stuff and try it out. Not like you can't afford to go overboard and bring home the leftovers. And Yechiel knows you have a memory problem, use that to your advantage. Whatever you do though, don't let him go into work. He really needs the day off."

"And if he wants to visit Kavak and Skye?"

"Go with him. The goal is to make sure that he's not alone. I'll call and check in around lunch, but if you need anything before that, you can always call Kyffin or Cole."

"Do you really need to go to the MET today?"

"I do. If I don't, technically, I'm in violation of the contract, and I'm sorry, but he isn't worth loosing access to the archives, even if he is our responsibility."

"I understand," he replied, sweeping his fingers across her brow and pushing her hair back behind her ear. "But I have to ask, what do you hope to find in there?"

"Firstly, something to throw at the cops to keep them occupied and well away from us. Then it's about learning anything I can. There's something unusual about the section of books I'm working in, and I suspect, I'll be able to see things others can't. Especially if Uru, you know," she muttered, pointing towards her eye, "makes it work. I mean, just taking a wild guess here, but I'm not the first person who's been "touched" by Death. Right?"

"True, but it has been many centuries, and there have been very few. He doesn't gift mortal's lightly and has only ever done so with those already capable of witnessing his presence. You, though, are the first I have ever met."

"Take notes, because that is how you make a girl feel special," she replied as her coffee finished brewing.

Tau put the carton back in the fridge as she stirred in the milk she had added to her coffee. Tossing the spoon into the sink, she lifted the cup and took a sniff of its contents.

"Bit more potent than I expected," she muttered as she turned and removed the small cup of grinds from the coffee maker, reading the label. "Dark Magic, a dark roast capable of waking the dead."

"A coffee capable of necromancy? Is that even possible?"

"Of course not." She giggled, tossing the cup in the bin. "It's just a stupid slogan. The real magic is how they've gotten away with it. I'm surprised no one's sued them for false advertising, because no matter how dark the roast, coffee is incapable of doing magic."

"You human's truly are a strange species."

"That we are. I hope that doesn't make you love me any less."

"Never," he replied, hugging her tight and kissing her brow. "You are so much more than a simple human, Quayleigh. For you carry the blessing of a god, and have made the heart of a reaper beat, an impossible task, even for Death."

"Awe," she moaned, snuggling against him, and pressing her ear to his chest.

Surrounded by his embrace, she silently listened to the echo of his heartbeat; for it was as an unfathomable a comfort as his proximity or the sincerity of his unconventional words that had rendered her utterly speechless.