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Dark Travesty	By : bardnightstar Category: A through F > Dark Series Views: 2304 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Dark series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Dark Travesty: Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I am not Christine Feehan, because if I were I would be publishing this for money. I do not own her, or her works. The song lyrics in here are from “The More You Ruv Someone,” from Avenue Q, which I also do not own. Good show though, with a great soundtrack.

Author’s Note: Sorry about the disappearing act of the story, but I fixed it as soon as I became aware of the problem. Many thanks to my reviewers. ^_^ Also, I got bored, so I added a new character—yes, for the hell of it. Use of the name “Ran” is not a typo, it is a nickname.

Chapter Six

The bell rang out above the door, as a petite woman with dark auburn hair bounded in, utterly ignoring the “Closed” sign. “Ran!” she called out in a singsong voice. “You’re not supposed to leave the door unlocked when you’re in the back room! I’m going to rob you blind!”

“Thanks, Fala,” called back a rather muffled voice. “When did you get back in town?”

“Twenty minutes ago,” Fala replied, looking at the herbs and books lining the walls, before going to the counter. She found the notebook and flipped it open, pushing her waist length hair out of her face to read it. “Wow, who’s ordering a plethora of healing herbs?”

“What?” Ryan said with obvious confusion, entering the storefront.

Fala looked back at her with dark blue eyes. “This…um…Alaric Shelfax? These are all healing herbs, but they really don’t work well in combination. Generally, they’re taken alone or at least use to season soup. But the fact they’re shredded, not ground, suggests teas or poultices. Does he even know what he’s doing?”

Ryan sighed. “Who knows?”

Fala raised an eyebrow. This was not normal Ran behavior. She had known Ran for a decade, and she never looked like this, sleep-deprived with undertones of sorrow in her eyes. Okay, she hadn’t looked like this beyond finals in school. So, Fala turned, leaned back against the countertop and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What’s going on, Ran?”

“It’s—”

“Complicated,” she finished. “I figured as much. But you get to tell me what’s going on, no matter how complicated it is. Understood?”

“Respect your elders,” Ryan retorted, but with a little of her normal humor.

“Oh, you’re older by a year and two months,” Fala pointed out. “What is going on, and why do I think it has something to do with this Alaric guy?”

Fala was like a dog with a bone about ninety percent of the time, and this wasn’t an exception. When she set her mind on something, it would happen, come hell or high water. Ryan knew this, and so only sighed again, and began her tale.

* * *

After the slight girl entered the shop, Alaric was sure he felt discomfort coming from his lifemate. That suggested that Ryan knew the girl well enough to drop some of her defenses in her presence, and so more was leaking out. That would be convenient enough, provided Alaric could get her on his side. The discomfort, he knew, wasn’t a result of the new girl, yet he still had to fight the urge to barge in and demand to know what was hurting her.

* * *

Ryan concluded with a brief outline of her dream, even though it made her cheeks flush to admit it. She had left out a lot of the encounter in the alley, and most of what Alaric had told her at her sister’s house. She knew that Fala was aware of the fact she was omitting details. After all, for all that Fala was impish and teasing most of the time, there was very little she missed. She was also a very good source of advice, but Ryan doubted even the unshakable Fala would believe a lot of this.

“Wow,” Fala said finally. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Ryan agreed ruefully.

“No,” she said. “I just can’t believe you actually had a sex dream.”

That startled her, and she glared at the younger woman, who was obviously trying not to burst into hysterical laughter. “That’s not what I meant!”

“Yeah, I know,” she replied brightly. She hopped onto the countertop, sitting with her legs folded and her elbows resting on her knees. She rested her chin on her folded hands, looking lost in the depths of thought. “You’re attracted to him.”

Ryan looked at the floor. “Yes,” she said, though it galled her to admit it.

“No, like massively. You don’t normally have erotic dreams, Ran, so what’s different about this guy?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I really don’t. There’s just some weird pull…I want him with half of me, and the rational part never wants to see him again.”

“Oh, so basically you’re in love?” Fala pointed out.

“No!” she said quickly. “I am not in love! I can barely stand the guy, and I’ve only met him once.”

“Three times,” Fala corrected. “They were just all in the same evening. Besides,” she added with a smile, and began singing in a deliberately bad Japanese accent, “‘The more you love someone,/The more he make you crazy./The more you love someone,/The more you wishing him dead!’”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Ryan said with a wave of her hand. “But what should I do?”

“The way I figure it, you have three options,” she said, returning to serious mode. “First, you could ignore him and try to forget about him, which will really just be denying you closure and make things grow and grow until they explode—and not in a warm, spanky way. Second, you could find him and talk this over with him, which might be a little weird, considering how all the guys I know tend to be in total denial of their feelings, outwardly at any rate. Third…well…”

“I think I can guess,” Ryan cut in, blushing a little.

Fala smiled mischievously. “Well, I have it on utmost authority that there’s nothing like a good game of slap and tickle.”

“You have a dirty mind,” Ryan pointed out.

“Probably,” she agreed. “But, then, I don’t have kinky dreams about guys I’ve just met.” She frowned thoughtfully. “Lately.” Then she shrugged. “What I would recommend is using that little phone number you have to meet with him on neutral ground, preferably with a lot of people around. Talk to him, especially over whatever it is you aren’t telling me.”

“What makes you think I’m not telling you something?” she inquired.

Fala looked at her sardonically. “I think it has something to do with knowing you and having a brain, to be honest. Would you rather I find this boy for you? I’m sure I could convince him—”

“No, no!” Ryan interrupted quickly, waving her hands wildly. She did not want to hear whatever it was Fala had in mind.

“I’ll even baby-sit the shop for you if you decide to meet with him,” Fala said. She pushed off the counter, landing neatly on her feet. “I’ve still got the same cell number, and I should be in town for the next few weeks.” Fala made a career out of wandering—literally. She was a freelance writer/photographer and also a capable singer in a small group that traveled with her for about two thirds of the year, typically hitting Renaissance Faires and SCA events—she was a fan of medieval reenactment. “I hate to have to run so soon, but I do have a few other people to visit this evening. Call me if you need me?”

“Sure,” Ryan agreed. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Fala shot her a bright smile. “Me too. It makes life interesting.”

* * *

Fala had walked to the shop from her motel, and was walking away from it as well. She knew within moments that someone was following her, and also knew that this wasn’t a normal, everyday sort of thing. She’d been around the block a few times, so to speak, and was a bit hardened in some ways. Despite her typically jovial demeanor, she was a realist. Whatever was going on tonight, she was fairly certain it wasn’t good.

She walked a few blocks, still being followed, and it was beginning to grate on her nerves. She preferred an actual confrontation to simply being tailed. She liked to know what people were going to demand of her. So, she stopped in her tracks, and spoke, without turning around.

“Whoever you are, you’re starting to get on my nerves. What do you want?” There was no response, so she turned around, looking directly into the shadows at one of the alleys. “I know you’re there.”

Someone—tall and looking as though he were made of trouble—stepped into the glimmer of the streetlamp. Yum, was Fala’s first distracted thought.

“How did you know I was there?” he asked, looking at her curiously. The accent was Irish, and genuine. The hair color was natural—red brown, lighter than hers—and the light brown eyes had a peculiar predatorial depth.

“I’m just talented like that,” she replied, on the defense. “And unless I’ve missed my guess, you would be Alaric Shelfax. Right?”

“Aye,” he replied, looking briefly surprised.

She looked him over, head to toe. “This should be interesting,” she murmured. She addressed him. “I’m Fala McKay. Ran is my friend, and while I may not be able to take you on physically, I can certainly give you one hell of a bad day. What are your intentions where my friend is concerned?”

She could practically feel his amusement. “Honorable, I assure you, Miss. I would certainly never seek to harm Ryan, and would do anything in my power to prevent such an occurrence.”

That’s not idle talk, either, she realized readily enough. She nodded. “Okay. Good. Now what should I know about you?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I’m not stupid, and you aren’t normal,” she retorted. “You were watching Ran’s shop, and decided to see if I could help you reach her. That is why you followed me. You’re probably aware that Ran’s got psy powers—so do I, though not the same as hers in the least. So, if you want my help, you’re going to tell me what’s going on.”

Alaric simply stared at her blankly, as she considered to stand there impatiently.

“Well?” Fala said finally. “I’m waiting.”
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Dark Travesty