Six Guardians of the Underworld

Chapter 28

Her face crumpled as she stared at me. "He couldn't have known. He was so out of it."

I shook my head. "No. He knew. He felt your arms around him, and he could smell you. Dogs can sense love, even if they can't see it. He went to the Overworld in your arms, and I know he was grateful to you for saving him. I know he loved you. How could he not?"

"Because I'm a murderer," she whispered, and then she started retching.

I flipped around in my chair and grabbed a nearby trashcan, putting it under her face just in time to catch her vomit. I patted her back and held her hair up until she finished.

"Becky, you are not a murderer," I said, my voice firm again and my emotions clear. "You are a savior. Imagine how many lives you saved by sending that demon back to the Underworld where he belongs."

"That's what Amber says."

"Amber?"

"My little sister. My foster sister who I saw him hurting." Becky glanced at the computer.

&n

bsp; "See? She knows. She was right there with you."

Becky sat up and wiped her face with a tissue she pulled from the waistband of her tights. She turned to look at the computer. "That's who I was emailing. We have secret accounts that we haven't shared with anyone. She's the only one I keep in contact with."

"What happened. I mean…after?" After you stabbed the s**t out of that evil asshole? I couldn't say the words out loud. I would have never pegged my scaredy cat water sprite friend as a murderer.

She sighed and tilted her head, clearly lost in the memories. "Well…I was arrested, of course. And then they let me out on bail, and I skedaddled, as Finn would say."

"You ran from the law? You're like…a fugitive?" I thought her story couldn't get crazier…but then it just did.

"Well, I was, but not really anymore. I mean, I'm not going to show up in my hometown and say, 'Hi, guys, here I am,' or anything. But I don't think I'd go to prison if they caught me."

"Explain. And hurry. I can sense wolf-stink getting closer." I hadn't told Spike to get Aidan, but he was coming for sure. I'd know his scent anywhere.

"I was tried in absentia, meaning they had a murder trial even though they couldn't find me."

"Is that even legal?" It sure didn't sound like it to me.

"D.J.'s real father was a man with a lot of influence in our county."

"His real father? If he had a real father running around, what was he doing in foster care?"

"Nobody wanted him; not even his own parents. He was removed from their home after he burned it down."

"Jesus. Talk about a problem child." I rubbed my belly, wondering if I had any of that sweet awesomeness to look forward to.Exactly. So they had a trial, and Amber and our foster parents were witnesses for me. They all said I was protecting the family from him after he killed the dog and abused Amber. It's called 'defense of others', where you can kill someone if they're about to kill someone else. And there was also self-defense, although I stabbed him in the back, so that one wasn't so popular with the jury."

"Wow. Just…wow. That is…unbelievable."

She shrugged, obviously very sad. "Yeah. That's my life. That's my past. That's what I was running from when I found Jared and then Finn and Chase and Sam and Spike and you and Tony." She looked at the door. "I love Finn so, so much, Jayne. If he left me…" She couldn't finish.

I reached over and hugged her. "You do not have to worry about that. He loves you forever, and I guarantee you he would not fault you for what you did. You're a f*****g hero, and he'll see that just like I did."

"But I killed another human being, Jayne. Even though I know he was a terrible, evil creature to hurt Binkley and to hurt Amber…"

"And all the other people and animals he hurt before them…because you and I know they weren't the first."

"No, probably not. In fact, I knew they weren't, because he liked to brag. As if that's something to brag about, hurting innocent people and animals."

I had to swallow a few times to keep everything down. I prayed she wasn't about to give me details. "I think it's time you try to let this go." I pulled back to look at her. "I know it's easy for me to say and probably almost impossible to do, but you should try. You have a new life now, and D.J. has his bed that he made that he's lying in down in the Underworld."

She stared into my eyes, her gaze super intense.

"What?" I asked.

"I was wondering…do you think you could contact him down there. Through Biad?"