Ghost of Glasgow: Immortal Stonekeeper Case Files #2 (2023) Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Torn Asunder

Read chapter 8 of Ghost of Glasgow: Immortal Stonekeeper Case Files #2 (2023) by Mercynarie on NovelPedia.

“Shit, Anya. We’re never doing that again.” Jonathan raised his finger to Anya’s wound, who flinched a little too violently away from him. “My necklace is still inside.” Anya slapped his hand away. “Why’d you push me out? How am I going to use magic now?” “What, so it’s my fault now?” It was Jonathan’s turn to get mad. “Hey, I saved you. Shouldn’t I at least get a thanks for that?” “Yeah, thanks for nothing. I should’ve just continued the investigation on my own. Why do I keep letting you rope me into your business?” Jonathan growled in annoyance, chasing after the woman stomping towards the lift. “ Hey— ” He pulled her arm roughly, but only received a slap in return. Jonathan gave her a few moments to massage the pain away from her palm. “What’s with that attitude?” Jonathan snarled. “At least I’ve been busy. What have you been doing all this while?” “It’s none of your business—” “Like hell, it isn’t!” Jonathan’s voice echoed down the empty hallway. “We’re partners. Stop keeping things from me. Why are you always like this—” “Because you’re a terrible partner!” the woman yelled back at him. Jonathan’s mouth hung open. “Keeping things? Who was the one who refused to tell me about his immortality until I had to find out the hard way? How about the time you hid the fact that you were involved with murderous vampires?” “Hey, I did all that to protect you—” the man protested, but Anya wasn’t finished. “You want the truth? Fine. You’re not good at investigation; you never were. Did you really think being an informant meant that you’d be the next Sherlock Holmes?” she snarled. “The only reason you’re my partner is because I love you. I wanted nothing more than to be by your side.” Jonathan clenched his jaw, enduring Anya’s painful glare. “But that was clearly a mistake, and you clearly don’t appreciate what I have done for you. Even if I did tell you what I was doing, you’d find a way to mess it up somehow,” Anya continued without hesitation. “Everything you have was given to you. You couldn’t even hold down a decent job on your own. You know why? It’s because you can’t commit to anything! You’re a damn coward who keeps running away from everything.” Jonathan’s chest hurt. Somehow, he didn’t think it was so impossible for him to feel pain now. “Is… Is that really how you see me?” he asked quietly. “I—” Anya raised her voice again but chose to look away for a brief moment. “I can’t do this anymore. I need a break.” “A break?” Jonathan’s eyes widened just as the lift opened its doors. He scurried in after Anya before she could leave him outside. “You’re dropping the case? How about the murderer?” “No, a break from you,” Anya said. “When the doors open again, I’m no longer your partner. We’re breaking up.” The man took a step back, knocking into Lucy in the process. The dull shock barely registered in the swarm of emotions swirling within him. Anya had to be joking, right? There’s no way she meant that. No way she was throwing away almost twenty years of their relationship just like that, right? “Anya…” Jonathan looked up, his hands trembling by his side. “We— We can’t just…” His voice trailed away as he stared at the black ink tracing itself on her neck. He looked at her in shock and rapidly growing terror. Anya had not noticed it yet and was still facing away from him. “Anya—” “Save it, Jonathan. Don’t bother worming your way out of this one.” “No, wait. Anya, listen to me. Your—” “Leave me be, Warner. You’re disturbing my train of thought.” “Anya, you’ve been marked!” Jonathan blurted out, pointing at the now fully formed symbol on her neck. “What?” the woman gasped, taking out her phone camera to look at the side of her neck. “When did this happen?” “Just then! I saw it forming by itself on your skin!” “I sense a presence…” Lucy cowered without warning, crouching and pressing herself up against the lift wall. Jonathan looked around frantically, only then realising that the lift had been descending for an unusually long time. He gla