by Cara Violet
“The Euclidean Vector is open.” The large woman wheezed out. “They know. More are coming. Leave, Princess, you are not safe with these …” her words trailed off.
“With these? With these what?” Kaianan questioned frantically. It was too late; the life had faded out of the Minister’s hand and she settled in her own blood. “Minister?”
“Time to go. The Ministry guards are on their way to clean up the mess.” Chase picked up Kaianan up around the waist, hauling her through the air. She was kicking and screaming—still mesmerised by the Minister’s motionless body.
“Kaianan, snap out of it. We can’t stay here.” He shook her forcefully and she breathed out, finally relaxing her body in his arms. “There,” he said, letting her down.
“What is going on?”
“The Underworld sometimes cause riots. Don’t worry, the Ministry keeps it all under control.”
“Why doesn’t that make me feel any better?”
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and they made their way through the fighting to the back entrance of the VIP room. Ramming open the heavy exit door and staggering out into a deserted side street, Kaianan noticed big, bulky black cars pulling up down the south end of the street. Chase narrowed his eyes and dragged her in the opposite direction.
“So who is chasing us now? The Ministry or the Underworld?”
Chase remained quiet.
“You don’t even know, do you?”
Again, he was silent.
“Great … breaking rules not just with a fool, but an incompetent fool. Way to go, Kaianan.”
“You had one sip of alcohol. One sip.”
“Felt like a whole bottle … one sip, two sip, three sips, floor …. But I’m still a clean rag. Oh, no! I need a dish!” she cried in despair.
“Would you just—shh—for one moment!”
“But where are we to go?” she asked in a girlish tone.
He stared at her flatly. “Just follow me, rag lady,” and with that he directed her east. They paced the city streets through the central business district and under graffiti-ridden bridges, finally stopping at a park full of tall trees and hidden paths.
She squinted her eyes and read the entrance sign. “The Royal Bot—tanical Gardens?”
“This way.” He pulled her again.
Chase directed them down a path which, after a quick jog, led to a glossy lake. He swung his head from side to side surveying the area. With headlights on high beam, the black SUVs began stopping further down the street at the opposite end of the park.
“Jump in the water,” he demanded.
She glared at him in disbelief.
“Go now or we will end up captive.” He raised his eyebrows at her silence. “Do you want to be caught?”
She huffed angrily and leapt forward. He soared through the air after her. Two loud splashes of water shot up as soon as they pierced the surface. They dropped into the murky waters motionless. Kaianan looked around at grassy weeds and a few brown and pink fish. She felt his hand pull her closer to him. His finger sat on his mouth to silence her. The rays of preform torchlight skimmed over the water. Free the mind. Meditate. The man’s voice hummed in her head. This time she quietened her mind. She summoned her energy and transparent purple light emanated around her like a forcefield, all the while keeping her eyes on the bright white lights that continued to flash across above the water.
She didn’t make a move, furious at this point that she had gotten herself into this position. Then her eyes widened at a dim red light starting to glow around Chase. She went to open her mouth, but his hand was on her again reopening her locket, and through the muggy water he pointed at the picture of Chituma. Kaianan shook her head and closed it back in on his fingers, causing Chase to flinch and let bubbles escape out of his mouth to the surface. Kaianan scowled at his stupidity. A couple of minutes passed and with the sudden blackness of the sky above, he pulled her up to the surface to breathe.
Chase was panting, “Where is she, Kaianan? You see this—” he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, wet and frail. “She is waiting for me. You need to tell me where she is,” he pleaded. “I thought you would be together … but no-one seems to know where she is.”
The words were barely legible when she snatched it from him to read it:
Caidus, you’ll know it’s her when you look inside the snake locket.
Always,
Chit
“Stay away from her,” she implored, throwing her hands about in the water.
“Enough,” Caidus blew her splashes out of his face, trying to lock her arms down. “We will be seen. They are leaving. Do not make them turn around.” Kaianan stilled and the waves subsided. “You have to tell me the truth.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” she bit back. “How do you even know her?”
“You look nothing like her.”
“You mean she looks nothing like me. Whoever you are—Chase or Caidus—I must leave.” Kaianan pried his hands off of her and made her way to the bank.
He sighed watching her climb out. “Where is Chituma, Kaianan? Please, tell me.”
She ignored him.
“Is she safe? Where have they taken her? Don’t you know she is defenceless right now? There is a reason she is more deeply hidden than you. Kaianan, she is still not of age and she has so many obligations ahead of her. I don’t trust that damn Giliou anymore.”
In truth, Kaianan couldn’t answer any of his questions. She knew nothing about the location of her sister and she didn’t realise how much this upset her. On the night of her transformation, Kaianan had been more concerned about Prince Addi than Chituma, and she may have miscalculated the danger that her sister could be in.
She turned back to face him. “Please leave her alone. Stay away from me and my ties. Do you understand? Do you not know who I am?”
“You’re a target. Everyone’s target. There are many others who are after your neck. But you need to tell me where she is first,” Caidus said, emotion getting the better of him.
“What, before I die, or before you kill me?”
“Kaianan, please, let’s work together then.”
“You there!” a figure shouted from the gardens. A bright light shone into Kaianan’s eyes, blinding her. “Put your hands where I can see them!” The guard spoke to another, “I’ve got an accomplice.”
“Get out of here!” Caidus cried. Kaianan ran. She didn’t look back to the shouting but it continued. Her pursuers sprinted after her. Step after step, she sped through the gardens, finally bursting out into the vacant city streets. With tears streaming, she looked right and left and made haste up the road, wishing she hadn’t let her curiosity get the better of her.
Chapter Eighteen: Truth, Lies and What the Heart Wants
Kaianan didn’t know why she ended up, dripping wet and crying heavy tears, in front of this red brick building but she had. Every piece of her wanted to be here. Every part of her that had rebuked the idea of coming was silent. Feeling half-excited and half-rebellious, she pressed every single buzzer for level four. The third time she heard the voice she had been dying to hear.
“Hello?” the voice was distorted through the speaker.
“Julius,” she said too hastily.
“Kaianan? What are you doing here? You can’t—”
“Can I come up?”
Silence. It was like someone had taken a knife and stabbed her every moment she waited. She’d taken a step backward when finally, the buzzer sounded, and she lunged for the door. She raced into the open elevator and clicked on level four.
She made her way down the hall, and knocked on door 405.
The door opened. Julius this time was in a thin white t-shirt and grey sweat pants. Kaianan swallowed trying to divert her eyes from his stare.
“You’re drenched,” Julius gazed inquisitively at her hair and clothes.
She stood there blank faced. “Why do I feel different around you?”
Juli
us shook his head flatly and stepped away from the door. “Get inside and sit down, let me get you some clean clothes and tea.”
She said nothing and did what he said.
“Wait here,” he said. “I just need … just wait here.”
She nodded. He had a sweater already on the sofa, she picked it up and smelt it.
“What happened to you?” he asked as he came back from his bedroom and walking to her, snatched his dirty sweater from her fingers. “Here’s some clean ones.” He threw down another pair of pants and sweater on the table next to the sofa. “Are you okay?”
Yes, no, maybe. All of the above?
“Kaianan?” he said again, this time firmer, “what happened to you?”
“I …” she began, then burst into tears.
“Oh, you’re upset.” Julius started pacing. “I’ll make some tea.”
“I killed someone!” She yelled it out. He stopped moving. “And I nearly died tonight.”
“What do you mean you nearly died? How?”
Her sobs were so loud. “I don’t even know why I’m here, I’m sorry, I just needed someone to talk to. My friends and family are all back home.”
Julius’ face had puckered up. She felt so embarrassed.
“Look, just relax.” He tried to say. “I’m not really good with this stuff…. We usually resolve it with physicality.”
“Oh my—”
“No, I didn’t mean that about you. Do you feel better now you’re talking about it?”
“I’d feel better if I knew how to control myself.”
He said nothing.
“Maybe it’s best you get some rest,” he offered a minute later.
“You’re right,” she wiped her snotty nose on her sleeve and stopped crying.
“Are you going to be okay to get into the clean clothes?”
“Are you ever going to tell me who you are?!” she said heatedly.
“No,” his answer came back firm.
“Fine, get out,” she snapped, sitting down on the sofa.
“This is my place.”
Oh, yes. It was. She was all of a sudden tired and his sofa was the perfect bed. She kicked her legs up. Wordlessly, he threw a blanket over her. And before she could rebuke him, she was out cold.
In the morning, Kaianan again woke to light prickling against her eyes. It was the second time she had awoken here. She was beginning to think Julius could be trusted.
She got up and the world spun. She needed a bathroom and she went in search of it. She walked past the empty dining table and down a small corridor. She found four other doors that snaked off from it and the last was the room she needed, and the only one not locked. Like the living area, the bathroom was just as bland.
There was a huge mirror above the small timber cabinetry and she stood on her tippy toes to get a good look at most of her body. Julius’ sweater was long enough to cover her backside, but short enough to show off her thighs, and to display those thick bruises she had acquired from last night in the commotion. What was she doing with a boy who knew her sister? Who was Caidus really? She was an idiot she told herself.
Her hair was the next worst thing, spread out like some type of nest around her head, although it was dry now, and followed by her eyes that had huge dark circles underneath it, she was a sight for sore eyes. She splashed some water on her face and tried her best to fix her hair. Good enough.
After using the bathroom, she made her way back to the sofa. Before she could get there, Julius stood at the beginning of the corridor.
“You’re up,” he said. “Making yourself at home?”
“I …”
“You know we have to stop meeting like this.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Good to see you finally changed your clothes.” This time his eyes went downward; she had nearly walked to him by this stage and he probably hadn’t realised she only had his sweater on. “Would you like some breakfast this time?”
She passed him on the right and felt her whole-body tense. “Sure.”
He left her to retreat back under the blanket on the sofa as he went about making bread and a type of egg concoction in the kitchen. Whatever it was, Kaianan was immensely enjoying the food on Earth.
“I’ve made tea, it’s just on the table.”
“Oh,” she looked to the small table in front of her and picked up the red cup. “Thank-you.” She took a sip.
“It’s peppermint.”
“It’s nice,” she said after tasting it and putting the cup back down. Not wanting to ask out loud why she had even come here, she decided to focus on something else. “How long have you been here?”
“Not that long actually,” he said casually. “I only started travelling last year. Even then, I have a strict family.” He snorted, the frying of the eggs making noise when he spoke.
“Are you ever going to elaborate on any of that?”
He was still cooking away and didn’t answer her. She didn’t press him on it either.
“Do you work for the Underworld?” She said. “Or the Ministry of Earth?”
She heard him chuckle, although she wasn’t sure because his back was to her.
“I was with the Underworld to help work out where you were located. I don’t need them anymore.” He was talking over his shoulder. “And look at you with your knowledge of Earth now. I’m impressed.”
Kaianan didn’t know why she felt guilty. Most of this information she found out from Caidus. Julius would probably be mad if she told him she went out to meet with a stranger, alone. Especially because it was to take her mind off him. Then again, she didn’t know why this would be a problem since Julius also was a stranger. Right?
“You know … I need to know the territory,” she said jokingly.
“How are you feeling?” he said once he’d gathered up the two plates and sitting down alongside her, gave her one.
“Better. I really need to thank-you.”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
She watched him eat, using his fork to stab at bits of egg. She couldn’t be bothered and used her fingers to pick up the warm bread and egg and shovel it in her gob.
“You’re hungry,” he said almost laughing.
“Hmm hmm,” she mumbled incoherently. “Comes with the territory,” she finally got out.
“Oh, yes, I never asked, how does it feel … to you know…”
“Transform into a huge green monster?” she offered.
“Yeah.”
“The first time, not so good,” she put a bit of food in her mouth, “now I mean, it hurts…” she swallowed, “but I’m used to it … it makes me feel … I don’t know, new, alive. The only thing is, I don’t know how to control it.”
She shoved another big chunk of bread between her lips.
“I’m sure practice will make perfect,” he muttered under his breath.
He was either just replying for the sake of it, or somehow knew exactly what she was going through.
When she finished chewing the massive mouthful, she took her eyes to him. “Why are you like this? If you can’t tell me who you are, why then are you helping me? You don’t need to do something for someone not even here. You can make your own decisions now.”
It took him a moment and a drop of fork, “because I want to.”
“Tell me about you then? What can you share?”
“I’m just somebody trying to make a difference …” he said slowly, “… I’m trying to not be like my family I guess.”
Kaianan felt her own situation possess her mind. This wasn’t about her, she had to remind herself.
“What’s your family really like?”
“Well, my mother is dead and my father leads a kingdom in which torture is punishment—lashings, of course.”
“Oh my,” Kaianan didn’t know what to say, she was frozen, “I, I’m sorry, how come? I mean …”
“She died when I was born, I killed her, or so my father says.”
“We’ll never know,” he reached his hand out to her plate, “you done?”
She nodded. He got up and walked back to the kitchen with their empty plates. Why was he so nonchalant? “You don’t seem to be affected by any of this?”
He sniffed. “I’ve dealt with it my whole life, and I speak about it freely. It’s probably the one thing that doesn’t worry me, I know it’s something that I cannot change.”
Or, was it that he was shrugging off everything she said now because he too, felt awkward around her, and this was his way of disregarding being honest?
“What does worry you then?”
This time he just kept staring at her, his arms bent over the sink on the granite island bench.
“Did you want to put those pants on?” he said.
She fumbled around, realising the blanket had found its way off her and her half-bent knee exposed her knickers to his line of sight. “I’m sorry.” Her face flushed completely red as she put the dark sweat pants on. Everything she was wearing was too big for her, but she was warm and she didn’t care how she looked as long as she was covered.
She stared at him. He hadn’t answered her question and she didn’t want to ask it again.
“You know I don’t actually feel different around you,” she said half-serious, half-laughing.
“Oh, I know.”
“I was just saying it.”
“Small talk?” He suggested. She nodded and gulped. “What do you feel then?”
Butterflies, sickness, numbing, chest pain. “Nothing.”
He smiled.
“I still don’t know if I can trust you,” she ushered out, looking down.
“I’m not asking you to anymore, am I? That’s up to you to decide.”
And it was. It was her problem. As much as what he was doing for her was good, deep down there was something about him that he kept secret. She knew what secrets eventuated to. Resentment, anger, hatred.
“I think it’s time I go,” she said.
“Okay, this time, please catch an uber or something. I don’t want you running around on bare feet.”