With every name she said, my stomach dropped even more. They were the names of my victims. “What do you want?”
My voice sounded deeper than normal. I hoped she wouldn’t think of it as a challenge or a threat.
“I want to know what you’re doing. And who’s put you up to it.”
“That’s a long story with a long answer. We should meet sometime to discuss.”
She snorted. “Are you serious? I’m one of your targets, and you expect me to be okay with meeting you?”
The woman had a point. “We can go somewhere public.”
“I don’t drive.”
“Take a bus?”
“Public transportation doesn’t come up here.”
“Okay, fine. What do you suggest?”
“We’re on the phone right now. Why don’t you start at the beginning? Because I have a feeling you don’t want to be doing these jobs.”
“I don’t. I definitely don’t.”
“Then why have you been doing them?”
Before I could answer, she said. “Never mind—we’ll get there. Like I said, start at the beginning.
“I don’t have much time—I’m meeting Lizzie in twenty or thirty minutes to practice fighting.”
I’d promised her I’d help her prepare for the masquerade ball that weekend. I would do my best to stick to that promise.
“Then talk as much as you can. Who hired you?”
“A ghost named the Shadow Prophet. He found me when I was enslaved on the other planet.”
“Why is he having you do these jobs?”
I shook my head. “I honestly don’t know.”
She harrumphed. “That’s not helpful.”
“I know. I’ve been pretty occupied.”
“I can see that. You’ve offed five of your targets already.”
I ignored her casual verbiage. “It hasn’t been easy, Eleanora. This has been the worst, hardest, and most vile job I’ve ever taken.”
She pounced on that. “You’re accepting payment?”
“No. Of course not. I didn’t mean to imply that. The Shadow Prophet is blackmailing me into doing it.”
“How?”
I swallowed, my thoughts flitting to my mother. My father. My poor siblings. My little niece. “He’s murdering my family.”
Eleanora fell silent for several moments. “I’m sorry, Abel. I really am. How many has he killed so far?”
“All of them but my mom.”
Again, she didn’t respond. “What have you tried where getting out of your contract is concerned?”
“Every single thing. Nothing has worked.”
She sighed. “I believe you on that. I could see the desperation in your eyes earlier.” She paused for a moment. “You care for my Lizzie. I could see that as well.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Yes. I do. Very much.”
“I sensed your sincerity. I believe you really do want to keep her safe and protected.”
“And not just because I’ve been hired to.” I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted to make sure she knew all the details. This woman might actually be able to help me get out of the mess I was in.
“Hired? You’ve been hired to protect her?”
Her incredulousness was pretty thick. “Yes, I have.”
“And you don’t see that as an issue with integrity? How much is the Shadow Prophet paying you?”
Had she really just asked that? I’d already told her he was blackmailing me into doing it. Did she really think I’d accept payment?
My silence apparently caught her attention. “Oh, forgive me. That was tacky. Of course he’s not paying you. Though, he probably offered.”
“Yes, he did.”
“We do need to meet in person. I’m not sure how much I trust you, though. You don’t have the same background with me as you do with Lizzie.”
“Trust me, Eleanora. I have no plans to continue with the rest of these targets. I’m done. I’m done for good.”
“How much time do you have until he expects you to finish with Lizzie?”
I was nearly to my warehouse by that point. “He gave me an extension. Three months.”
“Not a lot of time, but hopefully, it’ll be enough.”
“Hopefully.” I didn’t know how she expected to help me figure things out in any amount of time, but knowing that someone was helping—someone powerful, in the know, and alive—really uplifted my spirits.
35
I met Lizzie at the door and was gratified at her surprise to find the interior of the warehouse well-lit and comfortable.
She glanced at me, her eyebrow quirked. “Your toilet is out in the open?”
That was what she chose to comment on? Really? “It doesn’t work. The one I use is upstairs.”
“Why keep it, then?”
I shrugged. “I just haven’t had time to remove it.” I led the way to a corner of the warehouse, and we started picking the weapons Lizzie would wear with her ball gown. She’d apparently been to several black-tie affairs since becoming a Fire Impeder, and had several dresses to choose from. She’d brought all of them, and with my help, picked the one that hid the most weapons.
Neither of us said anything that entire time. I tried to think of something to talk about—to break the ice—but I’d never been good at that sort of thing.
Lizzie finally spoke. “You know how I sort of made out with a guy last night?”
I froze, not looking away from the short swords I was arranging on the mat. Why that topic? Was she going to apologize? Tell me she loved him? Expect me to act like a girlfriend and get all giddy about how excellent of a kisser he was?
“Yeah?”
“I really did think he was attractive, charming, all of that . . . and I totally wanted to go out with him again. Until . . .”
“Until what?”
“I found out he was a hound.”
The ground fell out below me. My insides turned to stone. I froze, processing what she’d just said. Then my questions tumbled out. “What? First, why didn’t you already know he was a hound? Second, why didn’t you call me? And third, why didn’t he kill you?”
She shook her head. “All good questions. I think the amulet is wearing out and needs recharging. I don’t know how to charge it, though. I didn’t find out he was a hound until this morning, when I returned to the unit to stop the bomb from going off.”
“But why didn’t he kill you? Do you know for sure he’s aware of who you are?”
She nodded. “He must have planned it all. My question is, why? Why didn’t he kill me? He had plenty of opportunities.”
“Some beasts like to play with their food first.” I glanced at her. “No offense, but that’s what these hounds are. They’re beasts that devour their enemies.”
“It had occurred to me.”
This information really changed things. I couldn’t deny the relief I felt—my heartbeat hadn’t accelerated at just the thought that she’d been spending time with such a dangerous creature—but I also recognized the opportunities this presented us with.
“How are you at subterfuge? Playing double agent? Would you be able to act like you don’t know who he is?”
She slowly shook her head. “Possibly for a little while. I’ve had a tiny bit of acting experience. But I wouldn’t be able to hold to it for very long.”
“Okay. We should get started,” I said. “I think best when I’m active anyway.”
I helped her to her feet, then showed her how to hold the first set of knives she’d be carrying. We practiced with them for a while before switching to shorter knives, throwing knives, and long ones. Eventually, we tried working with unloaded guns—me pretending I was going to shoot her, and her trying to stop me first with a knife.
After only forty-five minutes of practicing, I dropped my weapons. “That’s it,” I said. “It’s obvious this amulet isn’t going to be giving you fighting abilities.”
“To be fair, most people can’t stop a gun
with a knife,” she said, slumping to the floor. “How bad am I?”
I dropped down next to her. “I hate to say it, but you’re horrible.”
She gave me a half smile. “I’m a dancer, not a fighter.”
I nodded. “I know. You’re very graceful. But it’s too different from the style of fighting we’re doing.”
“Can’t we learn one of the more dance-like martial arts? If you don’t know one, I can find someone else. There’s got to be someone who can work with my skills.”
Did she really believe she could trust just anyone? When a guy she’d made out with ended up being a hound? “No. I’m training you. I’ll look around and find something that’ll work for the future.” She scowled at me, and I took a breath and released it. “I’m not trying to be possessive . . . even though I definitely feel that. But we need to keep this between the two of us, especially after what happened with your date. You have no idea if someone is really on your side.”
I shook my head, my gaze drifting to the amulet she wore on a necklace. That device was not what Alexander had led me to believe it would be. If things continued as they were, it would be a miracle for her not to be destroyed by hounds, and soon.
I resolved to help her as much as I could to master as many different fighting styles as possible. I wasn’t about to let some dogs destroy her.
The expression on Lizzie’s face made me hesitate, though. It was apprehensive and nervous. Where had her mind taken her? Was she thinking about what she’d learned about me earlier?
I needed to get to the bottom of that. I needed her to understand, to forgive me. Before I could lose my nerve, I scooted over and took her into my arms and brushed the hair out of her face. “Lizzie . . . I wanted to tell you. About my past. But . . . every time I opened my mouth to say something, I lost the nerve.”
She looked away, and I knew she didn’t want to have this conversation now, if ever.
“Please, please give me a chance. I’m not an evil person. I’m not a monster.”
She nodded, but I knew my words hadn’t moved her. The apprehension and distrust didn’t leave her face.
What else could I say, though?
Nothing. There wasn’t anything I could say to prove to her I wasn’t a monster. But there was plenty I could do. I’d show her my true self—the side only my family had ever seen.
Just as soon as I felt comfortable opening up that much to her.
In the meantime, I’d do my best not to freak her out. And to be patient. She needed time to come to trust me.
I sighed and tightened my arms around her. “We’ll get this figured out.”
In the meantime, I needed to learn more about the demon. I hadn’t forgotten that specific job. And so I kissed her on the forehead and opened the door for us to leave.
No rest for the weary.
36
I headed to the Russells’ house to gather a sample of dirt, knowing that was the best place to start. What I really needed was a Silver—an Arete that advanced could tell me exactly what was in the silt without needing to do any testing on it.
And no, I didn’t miss the irony. I was a Silver. But I was completely useless with Arete powers.
The only other person I knew who was advanced enough in magic was Eleanora. I hoped she’d be open to the idea of helping me out with a little side quest. Something told me that because it had to do with Lizzie, she would be.
Mr. Russell let me in immediately, the smile on his face warm and friendly, and my tattoo burned as usual in his presence. I’d definitely made the correct choice in not killing Lizzie. The more time I spent around him and his wife, the more my tattoo alerted me to their powers. They weren’t people to underestimate.
“I need to gather some of the dirt the demon left in your basement.”
“Sure thing. We thought you might ask for it. Let’s get you something to hold it in.”
Mr. Russell dug around in the kitchen—searching pretty much every cupboard, muttering as he went—and finally procured a Tupperware container and lid that matched. Then he handed me a couple of spoons. We headed to the basement together.
Using the spoons, I gathered up as much of the dirt as I could, putting it in the Tupperware. I didn’t know how much Eleanora would need, and looking at what I’d scrounged up, I wasn’t sure it would be enough. Despite the fact that the stuff was everywhere, when all combined, it didn’t amount to much.
Still, I thanked Mr. Russell and headed to Eleanora’s house, calling ahead to make sure she was still home. She was. The fact that she didn’t drive made me wonder how she’d been getting around. Public transportation didn’t reach her. Maybe she had friends who would be willing to take her on errands.
I knocked on the door, Tupperware in hand. The woman took her time getting to the door, and I saw the camera on the porch. I hoped I hadn’t made a mistake in dropping by unannounced.
I felt like slapping my forehead when what I’d done occurred to me. She knew she was one of my targets. She probably assumed I’d just killed Lizzie and was there to kill her.
You’re such an idiot, Abel.
Directing a smile to the camera, I held up the Tupperware, hoping she’d know I had a purpose for being there that didn’t involve killing her.
A moment later, the bolt scraped open, and Eleanora opened the door an inch.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
A fair question.
“I need your help with something. If I’m not mistaken, you’re a Silver, correct?”
She gave a curt nod. “Yes. I am. Surely I’m not the only one you know?”
“There are a couple others I’ve briefly met, but I don’t know where any of them live and I don’t have time.”
“What do you need?”
“I’ve been hired to destroy a demon that is hunting Lizzie. I’ve been tracking it for over a week now, but I still only know a few things about it.” I rattled those off to her—the demon’s invincibility, how it could shift—but only once now—what it looked like, and the fact that it didn’t have any of the usual senses. I finished by explaining where it gained energy and said, “Wherever it goes, it leaves behind dirt. I’d like to know what that dirt is made of. I hope it’ll somehow clue me in on what I need to do to destroy the demon.”
She leaned against the doorframe, her door still open only an inch. I wondered if she ever planned to let me in. “What a peculiar beast. How do you know it’s hunting Lizzie?”
“Because I’ve been following it. And Alexander, the man who hired me, told me it was.”
“Why not let it finish the job?”
How could she even ask that? And so brazenly? Didn’t it bother her to think of her friend getting destroyed? “I have no desire to kill her. I would’ve done it already if I did—the punishment for not following through has been bad enough.”
“I know you’re in love with her—I could see it in your eyes when you looked at her. But I don’t know if it’s enough to keep you from doing what you’ve been called to do.”
Called? Interesting way to put it. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It made it seem like some higher power had decided I’d be murdering Lizzie. I totally and completely rejected that notion. Rather than contradicting her, I said, “I wasn’t sure either until recently. In fact, the last time I went to the Shadow Prophet, I left with my mind made up to go through with my contract.”
“You’re not exactly endearing yourself to me right now.”
“I realize that. But it’s the truth. And you need to hear the truth. I also need you to understand something. I will get out of my contract with him, or I’ll die trying.”
“Hopefully that won’t be necessary.”
“There has to be a way to destroy him. No one is completely invincible. I just have to figure out what his weakness is.”
Eleanora finally stepped aside, pulling her door open wider. “You might as well come in. We have a lot to discuss.”
I didn’t move. “You tru
st me enough?”
She rolled her eyes. “Abel, you might be fast and strong and young. Something tells me you’ve never gone up against a trained Silver, though. The chances of you being able to kill me are pretty slim.”
She had a point.
“Not only that, but I held the position of Fire Impeder for sixty years here before Lizzie took my place.”
I blinked. Wow. Okay, I definitely needed to go through my folder. Sixty years? No wonder the locals idolized her so much.
Gratitude that I’d decided not to kill her flooded my system. The authorities would have caught up with me long before I’d actually been able to pull off murdering her. Something told me she wouldn’t have let me live that long, though.
In fact, she probably had a mental grasp on all four guns I currently carried.
Eleanora led me into her kitchen, serving me milk and chocolate chip cookies again. We made small talk while I ate. When I finished, she removed my plate and cup and instructed me to place the Tupperware in the middle of the table.
I did so, taking off the lid.
Eleanora drew the plastic container closer toward herself. She closed her eyes, and I felt a tiny portion of her Arete powers come to life.
“Clay. There’s a lot of clay in it. And some silver.” She looked at me. “Does any of that mean anything to you?”
I shook my head. The silver was a surprise, but not the clay. I’d already figured that would be the main ingredient.
“Okay, well, give me some time. I’ll research it. I have connections you probably don’t have.”
Possibly. Probably.
“Tell me about the Shadow Prophet. And then let’s compare notes on the targets he’s making you assassinate.”
37
I swallowed. I hadn’t expected her to be that direct about my role. Of course she would be.
“What do you want to know?”
“How did he approach you? When did he approach you? Start there.”
And so I did. I filled her in on how I’d met the Shadow Prophet sometime after getting kidnapped. I told her about the promises he’d made where Lizzie and my freedom and future were concerned. We talked about the prophecies that had come true so far and the ones that hadn’t—and there were a lot that hadn’t.
Evening Storm (Midnight Chronicles Book 2) Page 12