98- An Uroxuz in the Hand, Is Worth Two at the MET

"I need to leave soon. Could you summon Uru to the bedroom for me?" Quayleigh asked of Tau, realizing the time before downing the last of her coffee.

"Of course," he replied as she took her mug to the kitchen and placed it in the dishwasher. "He's waiting. Do you want me to be with you?"

"No, it's probably for the best if you wait here, just in case Yechiel comes out of hiding," she said before leaning over the back of the couch and kissing his cheek. "I can't wait to see you."

"I look forward to being seen."

Stealing another quick kiss, she sighed and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. Once inside she closed the door and locked it.

"We're safe. You can come out now."

Uroxuz slipped from his dimension and pressed his nose to her chest.

"I missed you too. How was your night?"

"Quiet," he whispered with a purr as she ran her hands over his head and scratched beneath his chin.

"And you stayed put the entire night?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," she replied, hugging him with an extra squeeze before releasing him. "But now, I need you to do something else for me."

"What do you need of me?"

Stepping back, she made her way to the bed and sat down. Placing her hand over her bad eye, she slid her finger down the length of her scar.

"I need you to do what you did before."

Uroxuz's eyes grew wide, and he moved closer in a cautious manner.

"You are offering?"

"I'm asking."

Uroxuz pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, "It will not hurt this time. I will be careful."

Shifting his head to her chest, he pushed her back against the bed.

"Easy now. I'm not as strong as Tau," she remarked finding him to be a bit too forceful.

"Do not watch. You need not see."

"Whenever you're ready then," she replied.

Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. Tilting her head to the side, she could feel Uroxuz looming over her, and felt the faint movement of his breath against her face before a strange weight pressed against her eye followed by a tug. As disturbing of a sensation as it was, it was painless. But as she felt him move away, her eye began to tingle, and the familiar discomfort returned. Sitting up, she opened her eye and rubbed at her temple, blinking several times until her sight cleared and the throbbing subsided.

"That was definitely better than the last time," she remarked, looking down at Uroxuz who was coiled up at her feet, his hands wrapped over his mouth as he chewed and then swallowed.

Craning his head back, he moaned blissfully, his body shuddering, and his form shifting before her eyes. Reaching out to him, her hands passed through his body, and before she could contemplate what was happening, she felt the cool metal of Tauluthet's scythe grasped within her hands.

"Uru! Hey, come on, this isn't funny. I need to go soon, change back."

She felt Uroxuz vibrate and was overcome by a sense of refusal.

"Seriously? You know I can't carry you around like this all day. Even if you are surprisingly light," she remarked as she lifted him into the air and moved him around a bit. "Enough of that. Come on, quite playing around."

With another quiver of refusal, she sat on the bed with him, and ran her hand up the shaft and down the spine of the blade. She was caressing the finer details of the elaborate bone arches when the doorknob shook, causing her to jump.

"Quayleigh, let me in."

She exhaled at the sound Tau's voice and the following knock. Moving to the door, she unlocked it and opened it up, hiding Uroxuz behind her.

"I was about to come and get you. Something's happened," she told him as she pulled him inside and promptly closed the door once again.

"I felt him shift, but I didn't sense him recede into his dimension," he said as he looked around the room. "I don't understand what happened."

Locking the door, she stared silently at his back, the very sight of Tauluthet making her heart race.

"He's here," she managed to squeak out, as she pulled Uroxuz out from behind her.

Turning to her, his eyes widened, and it was as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Taking Uroxuz from her, he turned to the bed and sat upon it, leaning Uroxuz against his shoulder.

"It seems he got a little too excited and couldn't hold his form," Tau explained offering out his hand to her; the image with the city skyline and the clear blue sky behind him, was more than enough to steal her breath away.

She could hardly breath as she moved to him, and slipped her hand into his, gasping as the sensation of his fingers against her palm.

"Amazing," the breathy whisper escaped her as she looked at his face and ran her other hand over his smoky visage.

"Indeed, you are," he replied, his smile growing brighter. "You held Uroxuz in your hands."

"I didn't have a choice in the matter. I didn't want him falling to the floor and damaging himself or it. And we aren't exactly alone here," she said as he looked up at her, his head tilting as if he were confused.

"Quayleigh, you held Uroxuz," he repeated slower, which in-turn confused her.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"My dear, no mortal has ever held a reaper's scythe. Do you know what this means?"

"That he likes me?"

"It's far more than that," he replied, guiding her down into his lap. "In this form, he doesn't react as you are used to. He is far more reactionary, giving up his will to my own. He should have disappeared the moment he shifted, even if your hands were on him. Quayleigh, Uroxuz accepts you. He will fight to protect you, not because I ask it of him, but because he wants to. It is instinctual to him now."

Her chest grew tight as he spoke. She knew this was a big deal even if it sounded simplistic. Whatever Uroxuz was, he coveted his position at Tauluthet's side, fighting to the death to keep it. He was not a creature of divided loyalty, but somehow, she had it. Tau's expression alone telling her that this was more than him seeing her simply as his mate. This went deeper, an honor bestowed upon none, save the sen'awan'qachi.

"I'm honored. He truly is extraordinary." She found herself at a loss for words unable to express how she truly felt about what had just happened. To her, Uroxuz was as much a part of her family as Tau was, and she hoped that this was proof that he had come to understand that. "And so are you," she added, as she looked down at his human self. "How did I get so lucky as to have such an amazing family of my own? Uru, you take as much time as you need. Just let me know when you catch up with me, because as much as I want to stay here and admire the sight of you both, I have to finish getting ready. I don't want to be late on my real first day."

Releasing Uroxuz from his hand, he vanished from sight.

"He'll be ready to go before you leave, he just needs…"

Quayleigh didn't let him finish as she lunged forward and kissed him, repeatedly.

"I'll be back for more of that later," she huffed, trying to catch her breath as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

When she emerged, her hair was tied back, her eye patch was in place, and she was ready to go. Following Tau downstairs, she went over a few basic things with him, and once her shoes were on, she grabbed her jacket, cellphone, purse, and keys to the car. With one last kiss, she headed out the door with Uroxuz at her side.

She arrived at the MET just before 10, and after passing through security, she took the elevator to the Archival floor where Riannoske greeted her with the common pleasantries.

"No liaison today?" he questioned, walking her down the hall towards her room.

"Fortunately, she, unfortunately, found herself preoccupied last night and was unable to make it today."

"That sounds serious," he remarked as he handed her a paper from the file he was carrying. "Today's schedule. Let me know if anything requires altering."

"Thanks," she replied, taking the paper and looking it over.

The schedule, which allotted an hour for lunch, frequent ten-minute breaks, and her departure time from the archival room, was straightforward and short, and had a handwritten note beneath which read, 'Subject to extension, and dinner, -P'. Quayleigh sighed, even as she smiled.

"Could you tell Phaedra that dinner might have to wait for another day? I promise I will explain everything to him as soon as I see him, but I might have to leave according to the schedule. Which looks perfect."

"I'll pass along the message."

"Thanks. I'll be out as soon as I'm changed."

"I'll wait for you in the exchange."

Quayleigh went into her room and closed the door once Riannoske had stepped away.

"This place feels strange today," Uroxuz said as he appeared in his vaporous form.

"How so?" she asked while setting down her belongings.

"There is a magic that was not present before. It radiates from the book room."

"Any idea what it is?"

"No. It tastes of rocks and dirt. Dry as sand. It abrades my teeth. Grit upon the tongue. I do not like this."

"If it's too uncomfortable for you here, you can keep your distance. While I adore having you close, there is absolutely no reason for you to suffer," she explained, while removing her shoes and unpackaging the new uniform that was waiting for her on the bed.

"I will stay close. I do not trust this place," he replied, wrapping himself around her, making it difficult for her to change.

"Can you go and find Phaedra for me while I'm changing?"

"I will return. Do not leave this room," Uroxuz said, a tone of warning, before vanishing.

Quayleigh tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that was slowly rising in the pit of her stomach as she proceeded to change. She was being overly cautious of the time and was in the middle of fixing her hair, feeling overly impatient, when Uroxuz returned.

"Phaedra is above arguing with the desperate one who is nearly ripe."

"Inniken?"

"Yes. Phaedra is angry. He does not trust the other, he tastes of betrayal. The other of deceit. They exchanged spiteful words, that made no sense to me."

"That's worrisome. Thank you for finding him for me though. I don't like any of this, but I'm here and if I leave now, it will just be suspicious. I'm going to go and do my work as intended. See if you can find out what's going on around here. And if I haven't felt you on my shoulder by lunch, head directly to Tau and tell him that when I call, he is to demand that I come home."

"I will do as you ask," he replied, nuzzled her cheek and vanished once again.

"Fuck my life," she grimaced.

Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she opened her door and made her way to where Riannoske was waiting for her.

"Sorry for the delay. Minor issue with the packaging," she remarked as she sat on a chair and swapped out her shoes.

"I'm glad you sorted out the problem. How does it fit compared to the one from yesterday?" he asked sounding skeptical of her explanation.

"Far better. I no longer feel like I'm swimming in excess fabric. Thanks for arranging these for me. I really appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem. It's best if you're comfortable. Are you ready to head inside?"

"I am," she replied as she put on a mask and set of gloves.

Opening the door, Riannoske lead her back to the station she was at the previous day, a new book resting on the table waiting for her.

"This is from Phaedra. He wanted me to ensure that you received this. I believe you will find the information useful. He's carefully marked out the important parts for you in the fifth chapter. If you need anything else, I'll be at my workstation until our first break. Enjoy your work."

"You too," she said as he nodded and took his leave.

Closing the book that was on the stand, she shifted it to the side and picked up the book from Phaedra.

"Tanbir: Tale of Two Woes," she mused over the title on the cover before setting it down and opening it to where a bookmark had been placed at the start of the fifth chapter.

Picking up the bookmark she went to set it out of the way when she noticed something written on the back. 'Q- L17 L23 L26 -P'. Reading over the message several times, she assumed she knew what she was looking at, figuring that L referred to line. Following the code, she counted down the lines and read across to the words, a message soon revealing itself, as four words stuck out, slightly bolder than the others that sent a chill down her spine, 'You Are Being Watched.' It wasn't as if she wasn't well aware of this already, but the coded form of this message made her blood run cold, especially when coupled with Uroxuz warning, and the nature of the book Phaedra had gone out of his way to put before her. Having done little more than skim over the pages of a single chapter, she already had a very clear idea of what Phaedra was trying to say. For this wasn't just the gift of a cautionary tale, but rather a deliberate message; treachery was afoot, and the Magistrate could not be trusted.