Soren nodded silently, acknowledging both Iris's question and her condolences. Then he held out one hand, palm up, to indicate the brownie leader sitting to his right.
"He is their leader, but I can hardly understand a single thing he or any of the brownies are saying. Their speech is too quick for me to understand. Do you suppose you could attempt to... translate?"
He looked up at her from where his gaze had been previously fixed on the paper in front of him that was covered in his attempts to understand the brownies. There were dark circles under the detective's eyes, and they were slightly swollen, much like any other person's might be after crying for an extended period of time. His eyes were dry now, but they certainly had not been earlier.
(Look up brownies from the Fablehaven books, by Brandon Mull. That's what the little buggers look like.)
Soren nodded silently, acknowledging both Iris's question and her condolences. Then he held out one hand, palm up, to indicate the brownie leader sitting to his right.
"He is their leader, but I can hardly understand a single thing he or any of the brownies are saying. Their speech is too quick for me to understand. Do you suppose you could attempt to... translate?"
He looked up at her from where his gaze had been previously fixed on the paper in front of him that was covered in his attempts to understand the brownies. There were dark circles under the detective's eyes, and they were slightly swollen, much like any other person's might be after crying for an extended period of time. His eyes were dry now, but they certainly had not been earlier.
(Look up brownies from the Fablehaven books, by Brandon Mull. That's what the little buggers look like.)
Iris hesitated, but after a moment offered a slow nod. "I can try."" She watched him lift his face, a slow, measured breath leaving her lungs at the dark, haggard look. "May I have a quick word with you first?" She threw a glance to the brownie leader and added "I'll be able to work with you in a moment, apologies for the delay. I do want to hear what you have to say."
Iris hesitated, but after a moment offered a slow nod. "I can try."" She watched him lift his face, a slow, measured breath leaving her lungs at the dark, haggard look. "May I have a quick word with you first?" She threw a glance to the brownie leader and added "I'll be able to work with you in a moment, apologies for the delay. I do want to hear what you have to say."
The brownie simply nodded and hopped down off the desk. He bounced a couple of times before he got to his feet and led his clan inside into a hole almost the size of a mouse hole in the wall.
“What is it, Iris?” Soren asked, and he straightened in his chair in an attempt to look at least a little more composed. Under more normal circumstances, he was better at hiding his emotions and remaining stone-faced… but these were far from normal circumstances.
The brownie simply nodded and hopped down off the desk. He bounced a couple of times before he got to his feet and led his clan inside into a hole almost the size of a mouse hole in the wall.
“What is it, Iris?” Soren asked, and he straightened in his chair in an attempt to look at least a little more composed. Under more normal circumstances, he was better at hiding his emotions and remaining stone-faced… but these were far from normal circumstances.
Iris didn't speak immediately, mouth tense as she simply watched him for a second, gauging, assessing.
"Are you going to be able to handle this?" She finally asked, flatly. "I've had to ask that at every step of this investigation because it's so personal, and this seems like a nail in that coffin." Her angled brows furrowed, face tilting away a bit, guarded. "I have every wish to see this finished, justice served, vengeance wrought. Every wish to keep working alongside you on this. But I mean- look at you right now. This is not family long passed, this is immediate. Can you keep working on the front line of this and stay anything resembling sane?" She returned the full force of her stare to him. "I'm not asking to deny you the hunt, or because I want to get out of working together, I'm asking because you look about half an inch from snapping and that is not something that I can be responsible for allowing." A heavy sigh. "You should have every right to be that close to snapping, to be exhausted and wrathfully grieving, but unfortunately, as you know, positions of power aren't good for maintaining the rights of a good leader. So all I'm asking right now is can you get through this?"
Iris watched him carefully, hating to have to ask yet again.
Iris didn't speak immediately, mouth tense as she simply watched him for a second, gauging, assessing.
"Are you going to be able to handle this?" She finally asked, flatly. "I've had to ask that at every step of this investigation because it's so personal, and this seems like a nail in that coffin." Her angled brows furrowed, face tilting away a bit, guarded. "I have every wish to see this finished, justice served, vengeance wrought. Every wish to keep working alongside you on this. But I mean- look at you right now. This is not family long passed, this is immediate. Can you keep working on the front line of this and stay anything resembling sane?" She returned the full force of her stare to him. "I'm not asking to deny you the hunt, or because I want to get out of working together, I'm asking because you look about half an inch from snapping and that is not something that I can be responsible for allowing." A heavy sigh. "You should have every right to be that close to snapping, to be exhausted and wrathfully grieving, but unfortunately, as you know, positions of power aren't good for maintaining the rights of a good leader. So all I'm asking right now is can you get through this?"
Iris watched him carefully, hating to have to ask yet again.
Soren sighed, what little that was left of his facade of control vanishing.
“I do not know. I do not have my mother’s ability to search through time itself to find what and who has done this, and everything I know that keeps me grounded has been uprooted and destroyed. It is only a matter of time before those who are killing our people come for you and I, and if we do not stop this quickly, we will fall. I have never been this close to losing myself since I lost my parents, and nothing seems to work to help me calm down like it used to.” Soren lowered his horned head. “I have done horrible things before joining the force, and I suspect the only reason I am kept here is because they do not know. I am not in a good place in my head, nor am I well, but this is the only thing keeping me going, Iris. The hope that we will catch and bring to justice the ones who have done this.” A small, disturbing smile tugged at the side of his mouth. “And after that, I will take a holiday. One that at this moment I plan not to return from.”
Soren sighed, what little that was left of his facade of control vanishing.
“I do not know. I do not have my mother’s ability to search through time itself to find what and who has done this, and everything I know that keeps me grounded has been uprooted and destroyed. It is only a matter of time before those who are killing our people come for you and I, and if we do not stop this quickly, we will fall. I have never been this close to losing myself since I lost my parents, and nothing seems to work to help me calm down like it used to.” Soren lowered his horned head. “I have done horrible things before joining the force, and I suspect the only reason I am kept here is because they do not know. I am not in a good place in my head, nor am I well, but this is the only thing keeping me going, Iris. The hope that we will catch and bring to justice the ones who have done this.” A small, disturbing smile tugged at the side of his mouth. “And after that, I will take a holiday. One that at this moment I plan not to return from.”
Iris's face went blank, startled by his honesty and the use of her name. "...I'm going to take that as a 'probably not, but you aren't about to let me stop you'." She was suddenly very glad that she had asked, the concept of someone able to search time itself was not something she liked. "So given that, then- are you safe to have personnel near?" She wanted to ask a whole lot more than that, but it was not the time. Later, after some souls had been devoured, maybe. Souls... her brows shot up, an idea forming. "More important question- can you track a fragment of a soul? Even in someone else?"
Iris's face went blank, startled by his honesty and the use of her name. "...I'm going to take that as a 'probably not, but you aren't about to let me stop you'." She was suddenly very glad that she had asked, the concept of someone able to search time itself was not something she liked. "So given that, then- are you safe to have personnel near?" She wanted to ask a whole lot more than that, but it was not the time. Later, after some souls had been devoured, maybe. Souls... her brows shot up, an idea forming. "More important question- can you track a fragment of a soul? Even in someone else?"
"...if I know what to look for, yes. Even better if I knew the soul prior to its separation." Soren replied, his ears perking up slightly. She sounded like she had an idea, and he was ready to hear it.
"And you are correct. I do not think I can, but I would sooner die than give up the hunt."
"...if I know what to look for, yes. Even better if I knew the soul prior to its separation." Soren replied, his ears perking up slightly. She sounded like she had an idea, and he was ready to hear it.
"And you are correct. I do not think I can, but I would sooner die than give up the hunt."
Iris's eyes narrowed. "Two more questions- does it have to be newly free of the original body, and can you correlate a soul to an original body if you can sense both, even if you didn't know the being?" She had to be careful, here, not giving away too much or shutting down options. She could see, and feel, his interest in the plan. Her own heart was beating faster with the hope of a real idea, now, and she chewed on her lip, unintentionally adding to the ever-present small line of scarlet where her sharp teeth had caused damage as she thought.
Iris's eyes narrowed. "Two more questions- does it have to be newly free of the original body, and can you correlate a soul to an original body if you can sense both, even if you didn't know the being?" She had to be careful, here, not giving away too much or shutting down options. She could see, and feel, his interest in the plan. Her own heart was beating faster with the hope of a real idea, now, and she chewed on her lip, unintentionally adding to the ever-present small line of scarlet where her sharp teeth had caused damage as she thought.
"I could potentially do so. I have not needed to test out the full capabilities of the ability. And no, souls are eternal until they are forgotten. Then the soul loses its power and scent and becomes, well.. nothing. But so long as a living being remembers the soul, it retains its power." Soren closed his eyes and took a deep breath or two. "The soul splinters of my parents are still at their full power and will be until the moment I die."
He opened his eyes again, and they fixed on the small beads of blood on her lip.
"Stop biting your lip, please. I can smell it and it is not helping."
"I could potentially do so. I have not needed to test out the full capabilities of the ability. And no, souls are eternal until they are forgotten. Then the soul loses its power and scent and becomes, well.. nothing. But so long as a living being remembers the soul, it retains its power." Soren closed his eyes and took a deep breath or two. "The soul splinters of my parents are still at their full power and will be until the moment I die."
He opened his eyes again, and they fixed on the small beads of blood on her lip.
"Stop biting your lip, please. I can smell it and it is not helping."
One eyebrow raised as he then took in the expression on her face.
"Is your devious fae mind developing an idea?"
One eyebrow raised as he then took in the expression on her face.
"Is your devious fae mind developing an idea?"
