Romance Fan Fiction ❯ The Siren's Heart ❯ Sleepover ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Hale sat back in his desk chair, rubbing his face tiredly. It had been a long day; now that Dyson was back and the Chief had reinstated him as a detective, the Fae Cop Duo had been busier than ever. The Light Fae had been running rampant in all the chaos around selecting a new Ashe; upholding the law had become a seriously strained issue. Still, it was a lot easier to relax at the office than it was to get any peace at all at home; Hale’s father had been belligerent about Hale joining in the Ashe-selection festivities. Apparently, he had seen Hale’s participation last time as a sure sign that Hale truly wished to strive for excellence, as his father had always hoped.

Slumping down in his chair, Hale tugged the brim of his fedora down over his eyes to block the glow of his desk lamp. Dyson was out investigating something with Bo; Hale had encouraged them to go alone, insisting that he needed to finish up some paperwork. And maybe grab some sleep for the first time in over a week, Hale thought grumpily to himself. Besides, Hale had begun to allow himself to hope for the impossible; Dyson had been more like himself lately, and there was that trip he’d taken with Kenzi to visit the Norn a few weeks ago… The corners of Hale’s lips tugged upwards, imagining how the Norn must have taken Kenzi’s presence in her home. If she’d thought his family was prejudiced… Hale chuckled.

Kenzi… Hale thought musingly. Now there’s a brave woman. Champion be damned, Kenzi’s bravery and steadfastness saved the world. Hale stretched out his long legs, propping them up on his paper-strewn desk and crossing his ankles before closing his eyes. Just a quick nap before heading home to Father…

Hale sat at the bar in the Dal Riata, laughing heartily with Trick and Dyson over something Trick had just said. Dyson raised a glass of whiskey in a toast to Trick, and Hale joined his own glass to Dyson’s with a clink! that reverberated through the room. Trick cleared his throat, smiling widely at the two men.

“So, boys,” he said conspiratorially. “What are we going to do with her now?” He nodded toward the back of the bar. “I mean, she’s been great. A better pet there never was. But you have to admit, she’s been aging like the rest of them; even Bo prefers to leave her at home these days.” Hale turned to see who Trick was talking about, and felt as though he’d been dunked in an icy pond.
At a table near the back sat Kenzi, aged at least sixty years. Her hair, once silky black, had turned stringy and a weak gray shade. Her ice blue eyes had turned white with blindness, and she was murmuring to herself, holding a glass of orange juice in shaky hands. Hale turned sharply back to his friends.

“You can’t put Kenzi up,” he said angrily. “She’s Kenzi! Age happens, even to fae.” Trick raised his eyebrows.

“Hale, I’m older than both of you by several centuries,” he said bluntly. “Yes, we age. But I’m not ready to watch the world go by and welcome death with open arms and a senile smile; you have centuries yet to accept your fate. Hers is coming fast.”

“She’s dying, Hale,” Dyson murmured, staring into his drink. “Bo has been dreading it for years now, and yet even she will be glad to see the old woman go. It’s painful to watch your closest friend lose themselves in their own memories.”

Hale stood, wobbling on shaky knees, clenching and unclenching his fists. “No,” he said. “You can’t lock her up, or hide her away, or… or whatever! She’s our Kenzi! She’s one of us! Fae or not, the little lady has had our backs through thick and thin.” He met his friends’ sympathetic gazes with anger.

“Hale, it’s too late,” Dyson said gently, stretching a hand out toward him. “She’s gone.” Hale spun around to find that the table that elderly Kenzi had sat at was now empty, with no evidence of her ever having been there.

“No,” Hale said quietly. “No, it can’t… It can’t be too late.” He turned back to Dyson, who was now standing beside him, patting his face.

“Wake up, man,” Dyson said sadly. “Wake up.”

“Wake up, Hale. Hale, you gotta wake up, man, I’m not carrying your butt home. I’m about a hundred and sixty pounds too tiny to manage that one.”

Hale slowly opened his brown eyes to see a pair of icy blues staring back into them. Kenzi was standing over him, peering under the brim of his fedora.

“Kenzi?” He yawned, stretching and trying to forget the disturbing dream he’d just had. “What are you doing here, little woman? It’s, like… I dunno, ten?”

“Try three in the a.m., Sir Siren,” Kenzi said, putting a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow at him. “Dyson got a call from tu padre about an hour ago and figured you’d be sulking here, so he sent me to look for you.”

Touche, Dyson, Hale thought wryly. Send you off alone with Bo, so you send Kenzi to me in revenge. Stupid dog. Kenzi plopped down on Hale’s desk next to his legs, playing with her fishnet arm warmers and propping her feet up on the chair next to Hale.

“So… what’s up, my fine fairy friend?” Kenzi asked, not meeting Hale’s eyes. “Dyson seems to be pretty worried. Seems to think you’re stressing these days. And to be honest, catching you in the act of hiding out in Police HQ to avoid the Big Daddy has me leaning toward agreeing with Wolf Boy.”

Hale caught his eyes trailing up the seams of Kenzi’s well-fitted boots and jeans next to him and shook himself, sitting up abruptly and grinning into her questioning eyes.

“Ah, you remember my family, Kenz,” he said. “Would you want to go home to that every night? Besides, I just dozed off in the middle of paperwork.”

“Mhmm,” Kenzi said, glancing down at Hale’s desk. “So you were practicing writing with your loafers? Or is that a super secret siren power that you’ve kept hidden from me?” She held up an important-looking document that had a distinct scuff mark on it. Hale rolled his eyes and stood up.

“You know, one day you’re gonna pick on me when I’m in a bad mood,” he said warningly as he collected his things to go home.

“Ooh, what are you gonna do?” Kenzi joked. “Sing me to death?”

“Hey, it’s happened before,” Hale chuckled, clicking his desk lamp off and heading toward the door. After a few steps, he realized Kenzi wasn’t following him. He turned back, frowning. “What is it, little mama?”

“Hale, are you sure you’re okay?” She sounded worried. “I think you were having a nightmare, you kept talking about how it can’t be too late…” Hale felt his face grow warm. Kenzi took a tentative step toward him. “Was it about… the Garuda…? Because, you know, that’s totally over now, there’s nothing to worry about.” Hale smirked.

“Yeah, sorry,” he mumbled. “Guess it’s still stuck in my head. I imagine that happens when your entire race is nearly wiped out,” he chuckled.

Kenzi stepped toward him and playfully punched him in the shoulder. “Come on, man,” she grinned. “You’re tougher than that. Besides, I seem to remember you fighting the good fight just as hard as everyone else. You protected your family and friends, whatever blessing or curse that may have turned out to be.” She stuck her tongue out at Hale and he laughed.

“Yeah, well,” Hale said skeptically. “We’ll see how much of a good move that was later. Dad’s been on me about joining the race for the Ashe a second time. I should’ve known there’d be consequences for that first attempt.” Kenzi giggled as Hale closed the office door and locked it.

“I think you’d be a great Ashe, dude,” she said, fidgeting with her arm warmers again as she waited on him. “You’ve got that whole calm temperament shit going for you.” Hale laughed.

“Calm temperament?” He asked skeptically as they set off down the sidewalk toward the parking garage. “You must not know me as well as you thought, little mama.”

Kenzi raised an eyebrow, cocking her hand on her hip. “I know that you wanted to beat Dyson with a stick just about every day after he went to see the Norn,” she scoffed. Hale rolled his eyes.

“Dyson makes me want to beat him with a stick just about every day,” he muttered. “I’m used to the fool.” They had made it to his car; he unlocked the doors, and Kenzi popped into the passenger seat as Hale tossed his jacket and some paperwork into the back.

“I’m just saying,” Kenzi continued as he slid into the driver’s seat, “All of Fae-dom could have worse leaders than a chill siren with a soft spot for humans.” Hale grinned.

“I don’t have a soft spot for humans,” he chuckled. “I have a soft spot for Kenzies!” Kenzi laughed as she fiddled with the radio.

As Hale pulled up to Kenzi’s place, she sighed. “I bet she’s in there with Dyson,” Kenzi grumbled. “Things have been… heating up again.” Hale smiled.

“Somebody sounds jealous,” he teased, gently elbowing her. Kenzi looked away from him, out the window.

“I am, kinda,” she said quietly. “I mean… before the whole thing with the Garuda, everything was perfect for me. Just me and Bo, solving magical mysteries and kicking ass, and when I got tired of being out of my element I could always go to Nate’s.” Hale looked down at the steering wheel, and there was a moment of silence.

“So, what happened with him, anyway?” Hale finally asked, still staring at the steering wheel. Kenzi shifted uncomfortably.

“I pushed him away,” she said with a shrug. “Well… more like I pushed him off a cliff. He had to leave, and wanted me to go with him, and Bo wanted me to go… But I just couldn’t.” She turned to look at Hale, who met her desperate eyes with his own.

“Why not?” Hale asked with a frown. “You’d have been safe. You wouldn’t have… nearly died.”
Kenzi smiled sadly and looked away again. “I had to stick around. I had to help Bo, and Dyson, and Trick, and you. I had to know that my little Fae family was safe, and I had to know that Nate was safely away from here. I couldn’t ask him to wait.” She closed her eyes, and Hale glanced out the window at her place again.

“I think the light’s on in Bo’s room,” he murmured, putting the car in reverse and backing into the street. “You can stay in my family’s guest room tonight.”

Kenzi glared at Hale. “Look, dude, I didn’t want to ditch purgatory just to spend my time in Hell,” she said irritably. Hale grinned.

“You know you love causing havoc,” he chided. “Besides, my sister has really come to like you.”

Hale knocked on the open guest room door, finding the room empty. “Kenz? You settling in alright?”

Kenzi popped her head out of the attached guest bathroom, a towel on her head. “Oh hi, fairy boy!” She said with a grin. “The service here is amazing, I should’ve stayed here months ago.” She came trotting out of the bathroom in a fluffy white bath robe that came down to her knees. Hale really hoped she was wearing something beneath it, although there was a small part of his mind that disagreed.

“Well, I’m glad you’re comfortable,” he said, leaning in the doorframe. Kenzi raised her eyebrows and gave him a head-to-toe look that made him feel incredibly self-aware. “What?” he asked, shifting and crossing his arms across his chest.

“Nothing,” she said innocently. “It’s just that I’m not used to seeing you out of your work attire. You look… comfortable.” Hale’s face felt warm, and he glanced at himself in the mirror across the room. His loose pajama pants didn’t look odd to him, and it wasn’t as though Kenzi hadn’t seen him shirtless before now.

“Yeah, well, I’m gonna head to bed,” he grumbled. “Got work in the morning. Since you’ll probably wake up after I’m gone, you can ask anyone around where the kitchen is, and grab some grub from the staff there. No rush to leave, since I didn’t tell my parents when you’ll head home.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to head back down the hall.

“Hale, wait!” Kenzi said, rushing to catch him.

“What?” Hale asked, turning to her in surprise. Kenzi hugged him, her face buried against his chest. Hale’s head felt like it would explode.

“Just wanted to say thanks,” Kenzi said quietly. “It’s pretty cool of you to let me stay here, despite how your parents feel about me.” Hale hugged her back gently, and then stepped away.

“Hey, no problem,” he said with a big smile. “Anything for my friends.” Kenzi grinned and then sashayed back into her room, closing the heavy wooden door behind her.



Author’s Note: More to come! Please be patient with me.