46 Numb the pain (1/2)
”You know you've washed that same glass for a good 10 minutes straight, right?” Liam asked. He stood behind the bar with Raven, eyebrow raised, arms crossed, with his hip propped against the counter.
”Hum? What was that?” Raven shook herself mentally.
”You seemed oddly out of it today.” Liam stood up the drama from earlier sobering him. He took the glass from her hand and began drying it.”You want to talk?”
Raven glanced up at him then back down at the remaining glasses in the sink. ”No, not really… same shit different day.” She glanced back up at him, ”Do you ever feel like all hell is breaking loose and all you're gonna be able to do is get dragged down with it?”
Liam looked down at her in concern, ”No, but of course my life isn't nearly as exciting as yours has been lately.”
Before Raven could respond to Liam, the familiar smell of sea foam and sandalwood wafted past her. She threw up one hand, magic pouring out invisible waves.”Speak of it and so it shall be….” She rolled her eyes before turning her head toward the door.”Or some horse shit like that.Hello Orion, how nice of you to show your face here.” Sarcasm oozed out in nearly as strong waves as her magic.
”Shouldn't you conserve your magic?” He pushed against the waves of magic holding him back but was only able to advance by a step. Only slightly disturbed he continued, ”Isn't it hard for you to maintain this level of power so far away from home?”
Raven walked slowly toward the end of the bar, keeping all her power focused on the intruder. ”Wouldn't you like to know. Why are you here Orion? I know the council couldn't have possibly sent you in response to my call.”
He smiled as he pushed forward another step, ”I already know all that is needed about you, Dear.Such a pity really, the more powerful a being is the more restricted they are in using their abilities. Like the genie to his lamp.” His smile widened as he took another step, this time with more ease. He could feel her power beginning to weaken. ”You need not worry. You know exactly why I'm here.”
Raven finally dropped her hand. She could feel the tiring effects of using her powers begin to set in. ”I actually know a Gen and I'm pretty sure he's not restricted to a lamp.”
Orion shrugged a cunning smile turning up his lips, ”To his cuffs then, or did you not notice them either?” He walked over to the bar with a wide powerful gait. He pulled out a bar stool before sitting down and looking over at Liam who could only stare in shock at the exchange. ”Are you not the bartender?”
Liam quickly snapped out of his daze and nodded his head 'yes'.
”Then I'll have whiskey on the rocks, please,” Orion said before he turned his attention back to Raven. ”I'm surprised you didn't sensemy presence in this town sooner.”
Raven crossed her arms over her chest fighting against the fatigue that was setting in. ”What can I say, working here I'm used to smelling sea trash.” She gave him a calculative squint, ”I assumed they sent you here since you were already in the area…” She stepped forward and planted her palms on the bar in front of him. ”What has it been Orion, three…. Four months already?” she glared over the bar at him. ”The twins are barely of age and yet the council has called their dogs in.”
He shrugged, ”With good reason so it would seem. One pup is missing and the other is sitting out on the deck in one hell of a state of drunken heartache.”
Liam set the glass down and slid it across the bar, ”If you don't mind, I'm heading out. This doesn't seem like the kind of conversation I want to be a part of.” He glared over at Orion. ”Shouldn't you be more cautious who you talk around?”
Orion shrugged again, ”These matters are not for the mundane…. But you aren't mundane either, are you?”
Liam shot Raven a worried glance.She nodded for him to leave before turning her attention back to the mammoth of a man before her.”What do you want Orion? Are you here to help or not?”
He leaned back on the bar stool, ”Help… for now…”