Dark Matter - The Mors Mortis Trilogy Book 2

Chapter Thirty One - Complications

"I'm sorry, but can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" Riley asked.

She was eyeing Arelie cautiously and Leah could see her thoughts drifting between staying put and launching towards the girl with the gun pointed at her head. It made Leah's pulse spike. Neither Arelie or Riley were particularly well-known for their self-restraint and if either of them made a move now, things would go south very quickly.

"I think you're the one who needs to do some explaining," Arelie snapped. "Who the hell are you, and why has Leah brought another live person to the world of the dead?"

Riley glanced incredulously at Zarah, her eyebrows raised.

"Who is this?"

Arelie took a threatening step forward, her jaw clenching in anger.

"You should be very careful what you –"

"Wow, wow." Leah slipped in front of Riley quickly, letting Arelie's gun zero in on her chest instead, her hands held out in surrender. "Everyone, please just calm down."

Arelie's eyes narrowed, but she held her place, shooting one last glare at Riley over Leah's shoulders before locking eyes with Leah again. Her face was set in a mask of angry determination, and for a moment Leah was lost in the Deja vu it roused.

"Fine," Arelie growled. "I'll play nice, as long as you do. Leah Azemar, put your hands on your head. You're under arrest."

Leah stared at Arelie for a long time, sure that she'd misheard.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked eventually.

"She's a cop, Leah," Zarah said softly and Leah's eyes swung to her.

Zarah had backed up against the wall, her eyes flickering between the three of them with obvious concern.

"She always has been."

"Yes, I have," Arelie snapped. "And I'm beginning to lose patience, so unless you want your sentence to worsen, do as I say. Now."

Leah glanced at Zarah incredulously, but she just shrugged.

"What am I being sentenced for?" Leah asked, aware that her voice sounded just as confused as she felt.

"For recklessly smashing holes in the fabric that keeps our two worlds separate, that's what!" Arelie snapped. "Ever since you returned to the live world you've been blurring the lines between death and life and it's disrupting the balance of everything. You're destroying our world!"

Leah flinched away from Arelie's words, more wounded by the truth of them than the venom in her tone.

"Look, Arelie," Leah said, shifting uncomfortably. "You're right, okay? I've been screwing up. I'll admit that. But I really don't have time for this right now. If you could just let us go for a couple hours, I promise I'll come back and we can –"

"You promise?" Arelie's voice was nasty and mocking as she took a step closer. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Riley nudged Leah in the small of her back, the movement demanding, and Leah glanced down at her watch. They were meant to have been searching Brenton's study for a couple minutes now already.

"We're on the same side here, Arelie, I swear," Leah said quickly. "If you just let –"

"No!" Arelie interrupted, her eyes hard. "I'm not going to let you do anything. Now, put your hands on your head. I'm not going to ask nicely again."

"Please," Leah begged. "I don't want to have to hurt –"

"DO IT NOW, LEAH!"

Leah flinched back.