“Sapphire.”
She met Korse's glare with her own. “It's not my fault.”
He sighed and walked around to the back of his desk. “Do you see the graffiti, Sapphire?”
“ 'Last Angel is a widow no longer',” she read.
“I am facing a lot of pressure from above as it is. Crime rates are up. Droids are looking for more ways to get Plus. Now, the Killjoy YOU brought in is gone, after defacing the city. We're in trouble, Sapphire.”
“Midnight was not a dog. He'd been here for five years. There was no reason to think he'd run!”
He sighed heavily. “The dracs pursuing him have fallen. He's killed four. This has been proven, Sapphire-- drugs are needed for draculoidization. And your sister and her sons live in the Zones. There was every reason to believe he would run. His wife and kids.”
She bit her lip to keep from shouting out. “Korse, he'd never attempted to run before. He'd been surprisingly loyal.”
“You'd run for Tarseus, no?”
“No, I wouldn't. For Angelina? Yeah, sure. But not him.”
He looked up in surprise. “You don't love him?”
“No, Dad, I don't! I don't love him!” she shouted, slapping the table.
He sighed. “Sapphire--”
“No, Dad, I don't want to hear it!” she snapped. “I've only stayed with him for Angelina! Dad, do you care at all? Do you really? I like girls!”
The words hung between them like a brick wall. “Sapphire, leave,” Korse said.
“Why do you care if I'm a lesbian? Everyone knows you have a thing for the new intern!”
“Leave, Sapphire!” he shouted, slapping the table.
“Fine!” She flung the door open and ran out.
A young girl walking down the hallway stopped as Sapphire started sprinting down the hall. “Mommy?”
She stopped, inhaled, and turned. “Hi, Angelica. Are you looking for me or Dad?”
She nodded. “I'm hungry and have to go to school soon.”
“I thought Dad was helping you?”
She shook her head.
“All right. Come on.” She picked her up. “What're you learning about in school today?”
She started talking about the Killjoys. Sapphire let her ramble for a few minutes before saying, “You know my sister? She's a Killjoy. Don't tell your teacher.”
“She is?” she gasped. “No way.”
“Yeah. So is her dad, her uncle, and her husband.”
“What's she like?”
“Well, she has long, black hair. She looks a lot like her dad. Hazel eyes. She's only got one eye, actually. And her husband's only got one leg. She has two little sons a bit younger than you. She's really smart and a good shot. That's really all I know about her, actually. But her husband's crazy about her.”
“I can't wait to get married,” Angelica whispered.
She forced a chuckle as she unlocked their apartment. “Yeah, I bet. What's your dad doing?”
She shrugged and mumbled, “Asleep. Can I wear my black-and-white dress today?”
“All of your dresses are black-and-white.”
“The checkered one?”
“Go run and get it out of your closet. I'll get you food.”
Tarseus stumbled out of the bedroom. “G' morning, Sapphire.”
She walked up to him and slapped him.
“The hell was that for?” he demanded.
“You KNEW I had a meeting with Korse! I woke you up to get Angelica up! She's your daughter too!”
He grunted. “What-?”
“One thing! One ting, Tarseus! One thing to take care of your kid! That's it-- that's it! I'm done! I want a divorce!”
“Sapphire?” he grunted in confusion.
“Mommy?” Angelica asked. She was carrying her dress.
She grabbed her daughter. “Come on, we're leaving.”
“What about school?”
“Never mind, school!”
“Okay! But where are we going?”
She blurted the first thing she could think of. “My sister's house.”
