A Tale of a Guardian

Delilah enters the station only slightly better for the wear. She still adorns her singed pajamas, but she managed to knot her long auburn hair into a low hanging ponytail while Esther drove them.

She was thankful for the ride. She was out of practice with her powers and needed the time to rest. Centuries of refusing to use them have left her sluggish and weak after so much manipulation in the last few hours.

When Esther had received the message that Joshua’s partner wanted Delilah for questioning, a feeling of anxious optimism spread through Delilah’s veins. How could she possibly explain her miraculous survival without breaking the first rule of the covenant? And how can confess her suspicions about Magdalene’s involvement when no one knows who Magdalene is?

The questions still circle Delilah’s brain as she approaches the front counter.

“Delilah Adams to see Detective Blair.” She announces as calmly as possible.

The young Hispanic officer stumbles out of his chair at the sound of her name and stands at attention, his head bowed to show his condolences.

“Ms. Adams,” she stutters out, Detective Hargrove was a great…”

He stops as a young black woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun braces a strong hand on his shoulder.

“Officer Rojas.” She says, her tone resounding a command within his name.

Officer Rojas slides back down into his chair. With his head down, he peeks up at Delilah one last time with a quick nod. His eyes linger for a second as Delilah returns the sign of respect before training them on his computer monitor.

“Delilah.” The woman says with a warm, yet distant, smile. “Come on back.” She waves her hand to swing door near the wall.

“Sure, Hosanna.” Delilah replies, not trusting the awkwardness hanging in the room.

Delilah returns the smile anyway, happy to see her first friend in this small town of Zebulon, even under the circumstances. Usually Hosanna would be the person she called in a crisis, after Joshua that was, but this one is just too big for any mortal. She already lost one. She couldn’t handle losing any more.

She walks to the right along the counter in time with Hosanna and enters as the grey suit-clad detective opens the half door, not showing any signs of her most trusted friend.

“Why don’t we go to my office?” Hosanna recommends as she turns to lead the way.

Delilah hears the uncertainty in Hosanna’s voice as she fumbles on ‘my’ and realizes she isn’t the only one who has lost Joshua. Hosanna is hurting too. She’s just better at hiding it.

Hosanna walks down the cubicle aisle, without checking to be sure Delilah is following. She reaches the end and turns left.

“Hosanna?” Delilah calls out as she reaches the last cubicle wall. “I thought we were going to your office?” She asks apprehensively thumbing to the second door on the right.

Delilah has visited that office too many times to count. Hosanna shared it with Joshua, and between the two, Delilah was a regular for office picnic lunches and late night snack drop-offs while still plowing away at a case.

She didn’t know why Hosanna wasn’t going there now. What was this coy act she was playing? Delilah understood as the significant other she was on the list for questioning but did Hosanna really believe her to be a suspect? Or was it all show for the job?

Hosanna strides back to Delilah until she is inches away from her face. Her fierce brown eyes are so dark a person cannot tell her pupil from her iris. They hold all her rage and compassion that being a female in a male profession can’t afford to display physically. Delilah found comfort in those eyes once, but as they bear down on her now, all she feels is fear and all her hope slipping away.

Hosanna’s firm grip encircles around the tender part of Delilah’s left arm slightly above the elbow and squeezes. Delilah winces at the sharp pain, widening her eyes in shook at her friend brutality.

“Let’s not make this any more difficult than it has to be.” Hosanna growls into Delilah’s ear. “Okay, Lilah?”

Before Delilah can reply, Hosanna hauls her past the remaining cubicles and dumps her into the first interrogation room alone.