Jack of Hearts, Chapter 52

“Where did you go?”

“Lay down,” said Ace, shoving him backwards, putting a blanket over him.

“I’m not cold,” he said.

“You might be, when you’re under.”

“Under what?”

“Just relax.”

“If I let you do this will you tell me where you went?”

“No.”

“You’re such a bad-ass,” he said, smiling at her.

“You have no idea.  Now close your eyes and let go of all stress and worry. 

“Just like that?”

“Yes, just like that.  Relax,” she said softly, her voice rhythmic and steady.  Just completely relax.”

“It didn’t work, did it,” said Tim, knowingly.

“If you don’t count the last hour and a half, then no, it didn’t work.”

“Hour and a half?”

“You should remember all of it but I took notes, in case you had blank spots.”

“Tell me.”

“Your name really is Timothy and you must take after your father because he liked to cook…”

“Skip to the good stuff, please.”

“Your parents were killed by Darklings….”

“By what?”

“Darklings.  They’re kind of like wizards but they’re more like the government, greedy, murdering, hateful, bastards.”

“Uh…”

“Your parents must have had something they wanted and they knew the Darklings would come for you, so they wiped your memory, even though you begged them not to.  You were just a kid.”

“I…”

“You had a dog named….”

“The good stuff, please.”

“Your parents were…”

“Archeologists,” said Tim.

“Yes.”

“They went on digs all over the universe.  They brought me an Kathxz once, because they can live on earth.  She sang the most beautiful songs.  Kathxz’s don’t actually have genders but she was so sweet we thought she must be a female.   She wasn’t happy away from her home planet and asked to be returned.  So my mother took Zee, that’s what we called her, home.  We kept in touch, as much as we could, and I think her mate had three small ones.  Zee said they were yellow and pink.”

“I’ve seen them,” said Ace, smiling.

“Can we kill Darklings, when you’re finished with this job?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Do you think they’re looking for me?”

“Yes.”

“Good, because I saw the faces of the men who killed my parents.”

“I’m sorry but that’s actually good, if you know what I mean.”

“I want to kill them.”

“I’ll back you up.”

“Thanks Ace.”

“You know what you are now, don’t you?”

“I do,” he said smiling.  “Where do you keep the guns?”