Eli takes an unusually long time to answer the phone, long enough that I start to wonder if he’s even going to answer at all. When he finally picks up, his voice is edged with panic.
“Clare? Is everything okay? Or is this Lukas? What’s going on?” He demands, his tone urgent and a little shaky. I clear my throat and reply,
“It’s Clare… Uhm, why do you sound like you’re freaking out?” For a moment, there’s silence on the other end as if he’s gathering his thoughts.
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” He demands, his tone implying that I’m insane. My eyes widen, it’s like five in the morning. I can practically hear the caffeine deprived panic mixing in his voice.
“Shit. Sorry, I totally forgot about the time.” I say apologetically, my cheeks warming with embarrassment. Of course, waking him at stupid-o-clock would set anyone off. Eli groans, a deep, drawn out sound that hints he’s still half asleep and not in the mood to deal with our crisis.
“Well, I’m up now. What do you want?” He grumbles. His voice is gruff, but underneath it, there’s a hint of huskiness that betrays the fact he was just rudely awakened. Damn incubus, even grumpy and tired he sounds sexy. Before I can even gather my thoughts to answer, Lukas suddenly yanks his hand off of my knee and snatches the phone from my hand.
“I’m still here too.” He declares firmly, then, almost ceremoniously, hands the phone back to me. I can’t help but wonder what the point of that was, an unnecessary reminder that we’re both present.
“Of course you’re there too.” Eli continues, his tone taking a teasing tone.
“I’m starting to think that girl has you trained better than that dog of yours. You’re practically glued to her.” He laughs. I clear my throat.
“Uh… This is Clare again. Lukas just gave me the phone back.” I tell him awkwardly.
“Oh… Well… My point still holds.” He replies bluntly, as if our little tug of war over the phone doesn’t matter.
“Right… Well, I’m calling about that park crime scene.” I say, shifting gears into business mode.
“You guys would have collected all the evidence. Can you tell me what was found?” I ask. There’s a slight pause on his end.
“You called at five AM for that?” He sighs, clearly incredulous.
”Please?” I add. Eli sighs.
“Alright, one second.” He grumbles, and I can hear the tapping of keys as he pulls up the information.
“Mostly it was just the stuff you saw, the skull, candles, herbs.” He lists in a flat, matter of fact tone. I lean forward, curiously.
“Was there anything else? Maybe something that didn’t seem like it belonged there?” I question. Eli pauses.
“There was one thing… A silver charm bracelet. It’s in evidence, but honestly, I suspect someone just lost it at the park. It might not even be related.” He says. At that, I perk up, this HAS to be what Wren was looking for. If I could just get my hands on that bracelet… It wouldn’t solve the problem of getting Wren to contact us, but it would at least give us a way to tempt him out of hiding if he DOES ever call me. “I know this is a huge favor, but… Can I have it?” I ask in my sweetest tone. There’s a moment of silence before Eli responds.
“Have it… You want the bracelet from evidence?” He repeats, as if not sure he heard me correctly.
“Yes?” I say hopefully, my tone earnest as I try to hide my excitement. He’s quiet for a beat longer.
“Are you going to tell me why?” He asks suspiciously. I can’t help but smile, he’s considering it.
“If you bring me the bracelet, I’ll explain everything.” I offer. What’s one more person? Or two, I suppose, since I assume he will tell Damien everything.
“Hell yes. Where are you?” Eli asks excitedly.
“I can go get it now and bring it to you.” He declares. I laugh at his eagerness.
“I’m at the bar with Rina and Torin right now.” I reply.
“Great, it’s not even that far. I’ll be there in thirty minutes, forty tops. See you soon!” Eli’s voice is upbeat, and before I can respond, he hangs up abruptly. I was going to tell him he could just bring it to my house later today, but it seems he’s not willing to wait. I turn to the group and announce.
“Eli is on his way.”
Thirty-two minutes and another round of drinks later, a persistent tapping at the locked front door breaks the hum of conversation. The sound echoes in the dim light of the bar, drawing everyone's attention for a brief moment. Torin reluctantly rises and goes to let Eli in. When Eli finally enters, he greets Torin with what can only be described as a ‘bro hug’. A clumsy, enthusiastic embrace that leaves Torin looking immensely uncomfortable, his eyes betraying a mix of annoyance and resignation. Without protest, Torin simply releases Eli and retreats to Rina’s side, his sigh heavy with unspoken frustration.
“Hey Eli, come join us, I’ll get you a drink. Clare and Lukas can catch you up on everything.” Rina greets him cheerfully, her tone as if nothing out of the ordinary has just occurred. At that moment, Eli freezes. His jaw drops, and he turns to me with an accusing glare, his hands planted firmly on his hips as though demanding an explanation for our secrecy.
“HOLD UP! You told everyone except me? How is that fair? I’ve been helping you for weeks! I even committed a fireable offense for you!” He protests, brandishing a small plastic bag containing a silver bracelet. His words carry a mix of indignation and hurt, and I cringe inwardly, Eli does have a point.
“Sorry, Eli. It wasn’t intentional. We just needed more information about demon deals.” I say sincerely, my voice earnest as I try to smooth over the tension. I extend a hand toward him for the bracelet, but Eli quickly tucks it back into his pocket, his eyes narrowing as he refuses to let the matter drop.
“Nope, story first. Oh, but before that…” He pauses, then pulls out his phone and switches it to speaker mode. After a moment, someone picks up on the other end.
“So help me, Eli, if this is about another weird dream you had or some ‘amazing’ idea, I am going to be beyond pissed. It’s not even six yet! We had a deal, no texting or calling between midnight and eight in the morning!” Damien immediately launches into a stern lecture, his voice laced with exasperation. I can’t help but raise an eyebrow, how many times has Eli called Damien in the middle of the night before a rule had to be made? I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Damien, Eli really doesn’t do things by halves, and every bit of his intense energy seems to be aimed at poor Damien. It’s something that would probably feel wonderful if you welcomed that kind of attention, and suffocating if you don’t. From what I’ve seen, Damien has been handing it pretty well, but I suppose late night phone calls is where he draws the line. Eli pouts, his tone softening slightly.
“I didn’t want you to feel left out. I’m at the bar and Clare is finally going to tell me what the hell has been going on with her.” He explains, his words coming in a rush as he attempts to smooth things over.
“Oh… Well, in that case, I suppose I can make an exception.” Damien decides, sounding suddenly interested as his initial annoyance melts into genuine curiosity. The group bursts into laughter, the tension easing as the absurdity of the situation settles in. Once the laughter dies down and everyone finds their place again, I begin recounting our story for the second time tonight, hoping that by repeating it, we might uncover a new angle or clue in this tangled mess. I speak slowly, carefully choosing my words, while Lukas nods in silent support.