They’d left the facility with no resistance. In fact, someone had called the asshole’s commanding officers and let them know where he was, and Kyle was gratified to see him being escorted out of the building in cuffs by some very angry looking military police. Jones found that probably as gratifying as Kyle, Sam, and Alex. The siblings parted ways at the helicopter that was waiting to take Kyle and Jones back to the museum with their precious cargo with vague promises to get in touch.

Of course they were going to be in touch, they would be working the case together probably. And Sam had to let the museum take the device because while her forensic lab was good, it wasn’t as great as what Kyle had access to. So, she grudgingly conceded custody of the device to her brother’s lab. Gleipnir was patting her hair consolingly as they watched her younger sibling fly away.

“Okay. I guess we better report back to the office and write up our reports.” Sam stuck her hands in her pockets. It was dark. Very dark. Lights from whatever city they were in glowed beautifully along the horizon. Probably near midnight now that she thought about it and she looked at her watch to see that it was in fact still fried from being exposed to Prometheus Purple levels of AMD.

“We’re a bit far from the office, Sam.” There was a tone to Alex’s voice that warned Sam that maybe she’d not focused entirely on things she should have.

“Where are we?”

“About halfway between Baltimore and New Jersey.” Sam felt her shoulders slump at her partner’s words. She’d been about to suggest that they just head home if it was too late.

“Damn, that’s a bit of a drive. I was really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for a bit.”

“Our beds might not still be there when we get back to New York.” Alex had turned toward their agency vehicle and waved Sam and Gleipnir after her.

“Whyever not, pray tell?” The sentient pact item had slipped into ye-olde-timey speak as part of his, ‘I’m so wise and ancient act’. Normally, it annoyed Alex, but right now she was just going to ignore it.

“I don’t know about you two, but my apartment’s in a really shitty building and the magic shielding probably isn’t rated for Prometheus Purple, if it ever was. Heck, I heard some places, not just over by the source like we were, got up into the pink where arcane currents managed to combine.”

“I didn’t even think of that.” Sam’s groaned with frustration. “I guess we’ll just hope for the best. Right Gleip?” She patted Gleipnir’s tail where it wound around her waist and he chimed up in agreement.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Right. And we’ll go crash at Kyle’s place if the worst comes to worst.” He chortled with merriment.

“He will hate that, even if he does have that spare room.” They giggled together at their malicious sibling planning. Alex grimaced. She felt for Kyle, she really did. Gleipnir and Sam were like having a pair of evil twins against the world.

“I know. But his place is museum employee housing and it fully magically insulated and reinforced against monster attack.” That sounded pretty freaking sweet, if Alex did say so herself.

“I should apply to work there.” She grumbled imagining returning to a home trashed by monsters of furniture that had manifested.

“I tried, they said my craft, patron, and education was too specialized.” Sam’s griping surprised Alex. “But that was way back when I first got out of school, before the current director took over. Don’t tell Kyle. He’d never let it go if he found out he’d succeeded to get a job there and I’d failed.”

“Yeah, no.” the other warlock agreed. “I’m not cruel. No way I’m telling Kyle that. Also, hotel, or two-hour-plus drive to our homes?”

“I’m not looking forward to having to deal with whatever’s going on inside my apartment at this time of day. How about we go back to the office, sleep at our desks, and deal with crap when someone wakes us up in the morning.” It was a decent suggestion and Alex quickly agreed.

“Sure, I second that motion.”

“I,” Gleipnir paused for a large annoying theatrical yawn which he didn’t need to make because he had no mouth and didn’t breath. “second, second that notion.”

“They aye’s have it.” Sam crowed triumphantly, also yawning hugely. “To the desks.” They reached their vehicle and Sam took the keys. “I got a long nap earlier. You sleep and I’ll pull over if I need to nap.” Though the other F.B.I. magic tech specialist wanted to argue, she didn’t because she knew that her partner was right. She needed more sleep.

By the time Sam pulled their vehicle onto the nearest freeway onramp, Alex was passed out, her head resting against her doorframe and little snores interrupting her deep even breathing. Behind her Gleipnir was similarly propped against the doorframe, his long tail sprawled across the back seat. Unfurled in long loping coils of lustrous shining ribbon that he didn’t often show others.

He too was snoring, and it made Sam smile. Most people thought that Gleipnir faked his mortal traits. But that wasn’t so. It was just… He was real. He was alive. And living things slept. They felt pain, and sorrow, and guilt. Gleipnir was alive, he knew he was alive, and believed he was alive, and so he had the traits of living things.

That was one of the wonderous inexplicable things about magic.

She decided not to pull over and would just let them sleep until they got where they were going. Was there really a rush to it? No. And Gleipnir needed rest just like every other living thing. Monsters, chaos, and reports could wait for now.

Hours passed. The lights flashing by were both vehicles and the cities flanking either side of the freeway. Then the lights became fewer. Sure, vehicles were still coming from the opposite direction. But there were less lights from cities. She’d entered the boundary of where the power grid had been affected by the disaster two days earlier. Further ahead, darkness.

Or, more correctly, dimness with scattered patches of darkness. Only magically powered emergency lights were still functional. Even some of them had their enchantments blown out by the event. How long would it take for the lights to come back on in the city that never slept?