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Stella watched Ray walk away, then went back to her lunch, more moving the food around on her plate than actually eating. Seeing him here had been no surprise. She’d known he was here as soon as she’d arrived in the city and Felt his Power. After all this time, it signature was as familiar to her as her own, no matter how he tried to cloak it. But the actual meeting hadn’t gone at all as she’d thought it would.
All things considered, that was saying something. She and Ray had a long history, and Stella was certain she knew him as well as any being could. She’d definitely seen both his better and… more difficult countenances, and had learned how to communicate with the different facets he would show. Of course, their paths didn’t cross very often anymore, and she never knew until they were together which aspect of Raven would make itself known. When luck was on her side, things stayed light and friendly. A bit of reminiscing here, a warm smile there. He’d flirt, she might return it. Other, darker times, he’d dwell on their differences, pick at her until her temper flared.
No matter what guise he took, Raven tended toward honesty with her, despite his Trickster nature. It was due in part to their personal ties, tangled in with the fact that revealing Truth was one of her Gifts. This time, things had been different. He had been vulnerable, unsettled, and he’d actively tried to hide it from her, letting a layer of nonchalance settle over him like a cloak. It bothered her more than she cared to admit. And even more upsetting was how lost he’d felt. In all the long years she’d known him, he’d never seemed unsure about anything, until now. Until this Human she’d been sent to investigate.
She’d been truthful when she’d told Ray that the Fraser person hadn’t seemed like much, for all that he was obviously Touched. In fact, she’d planned on leaving today, convinced she was wasting her time. After seeing Raven, she wasn’t so sure. Part of her felt she should stay, maybe even offer to help. If pressed, she could blame the delay in reporting back on a need to be thorough, and it would be true enough. But she wasn’t sure if staying would help or hinder whatever it was Ray was here to do.
The best thing, she decided, was to leave as planned, and from a distance keep suspicious eyes away from Chicago. Her continued presence just increased the likelihood that Something would come looking, trying to see why the city held so much Otherness.
But she couldn’t completely abandon Ray. Yes, he had Turtle, and a half-Wolf as well, but they weren’t warriors. Neither was Raven when it came down to it. Whatever had Called them to Fraser might be more than those three could handle.
So she left a tendril of herself behind, just a bare trace, enough to be alerted if things changed, if it turned out she was needed after all. It went against her nature to work like this, but maybe a bit of Trickster had rubbed off on her; she’d definitely seen Ray work this same bit of magic. In any case, given their history, and what he’d done for her so many years ago, she owed Ray whatever help she could give.