by J. L. Weil
“Do not disappoint us. You won’t like the consequences if you fail,” Serenity not-so-casually suggested, and once again I internally cringed. The Aereum didn’t make idle threats.
I cracked my knuckles and smiled sweetly, letting a hint of my iron fangs flash. “When have I ever failed at anything?”
Rising from her throne, the High Witch walked toward me, her elegance matched only by her fierceness. She reached me as the raven feathers on her dress ruffled with the dancing breeze. “Here, have Catina drink this when you find her, and then return straight to the academy. Understood?”
My gaze dropped to the item she placed in my hand, to find an amber-colored, glass vial in my grasp. It was medium-sized with copper veins swirling around it, and a crescent moon-shaped quartz on the front—it glimmered like the potion had been mixed with starlight—magic could do wondrous and frightening things. A long cork with tiny crystals encrusted onto it kept it sealed, and I was tempted to open it and take a whiff. Surely there was a special potion inside it, but what was it?
Knowing I wouldn’t get a straight answer, I didn’t bother to ask.
So, I left the Celestial Divide with more problems and no answers. Welcome to my life.
But at least I didn’t get kicked out of the academy… Yet.
5
SCORPION
My hands rested against the sleek tile wall of my shower, while the hot water fell over my head, sliding down my neck and over the sore muscles of my back. Other than the mild aching I still felt, I was healed.
Steam danced around me while I remained still. I had been standing there for approximately forty-five minutes, trying to figure out what my next step would be. I was still kind of shocked I had snapped at the General, and Father, and stormed out of the hospital.
Basically, I had just given them both the finger, and that was so unlike me.
I was a stickler for structure, for rules, and discipline. There was no other way for me to be, it was the number one thing they taught you in the military, not that I had to enter the army to learn that particular lesson. Nothing was more important for me than respecting the chain of command. Leading a successful team and mission, started with respect of authority.
Still, here I was, unable to bring myself to regret my actions—or my reaction would be more accurate. Though it wasn’t lost on me that I’d just destroyed my military career, and every hope I had—as small as it were—to return to the force.
Lifting my head to the water, I rubbed my hands over my face, attempting to erase the tension my mind-rambling was causing, effectively negating the relaxing effects of the hot shower. I didn’t want to admit it, but I knew exactly what I must do. It would hurt like hell, it would surely make me feel lost, but that was exactly what I was.
A flash of light inundated my mind, and suddenly, reptilian eyes blinked a few inches from my face, the membrane blinking sideways over slitted irises. Then, lime green smoke drifted into my nostrils.
“What the—” I blurted, panting and blinking as I pressed my back to the wall. Where the hell had that come from?
I swallowed when I realized it was a memory. The same I’d been having about the night Haley was almost killed, but instead of just seeing the smoke, a man with reptilian eyes stared back at me.
“Shit,” I cursed under my breath, rubbing my face one last time, and stepped out of the shower even more distressed than I was when I stepped into it.
Reaching for the towel I began to dry my chest, while staring at myself in the half-steamed mirror. I didn’t want the life my family had envisioned for me, and though for the first time in my life there was no clear path to follow, there was only one thing to do now.
Burn it all to hell.
The soles of my dress shoes sunk into the lush rug in the corridor, as I made my way to the Oval Office. The suit I wore constricted my muscles, the tie strangled the oxygen out of me, but if this was my last hurrah, I would give it my all.
“Commander James, I’m so glad to see you are up and well,” Molly, the President’s Chief of Staff, greeted me when I stopped across from the iconic door.
“Thank you, I appreciate it. I feel much better now,” I answered, walking with her to the office.
“Asking for a raise?” She nodded at my suit and chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit before, aside from the first time you stepped foot in the White House.”
I snickered. Molly had seen me in pretty much everything—or without anything, during our past summer fling.
“He’s waiting for you,” she added, narrowing her eyes at me knowingly, and turned to open the door.
“Mr. President, Scorpion is here to see you.”
“Get him in here!” Harold called from the other side, and she moved aside to let me pass.
“Mr. President,” I offered with a solemn nod as I stepped inside, seeing him walk out from behind his desk, and come to greet me.
“Son, I’m so glad to see you well. I meant to visit you in the hospital, but you know how it is here, and I thought I had more time. I wasn’t aware you were discharged already.” He offered me a pat on the back, and gestured for me to sit on the sofa.
“Oh, no need, Sir. I completely understand. Thank you for ensuring my stay there was comfortable.” My gaze went to the sofa then returned to him. “If you don’t mind, I would rather stand. This shouldn’t take long.”
Frowning, he glanced at my suit and his lips quirked. “Am I in trouble? You look awfully intimidating in that attire.”
Letting out a deep breath, I straightened. “No, Sir, you are not in trouble, but I would understand if I was.”
Harold nodded knowingly and gestured to the sofa once more. “Please, I insist.”
Finally conceding, I unbuttoned my jacket and sat next to him. “Please, allow me to begin by apologizing for my dishonorable behavior with your daughter. I deeply regret putting her in a position that caused her to be seen in a less than desirable light. I also regret my failure to keep her safe. I should have been more thorough in the sweeping of the area. Assign more agents—”
“Stop.”
His stern voice made me halt mid-sentence, and I forced myself to swallow.
“Scorpion, whoever attacked you slipped undetected past ten police patrols, became invisible to both the land and air surveillance teams you had in place, knocked down three special agents with that strange toxin, and slipped into the club. You not only recognized the threat in time, but you stopped him from harming my daughter, chased him and caught him, only to be poisoned by the same toxin he used on your team…”
A heavy sigh escaped him, and he shook his head, seeming perplexed by something.
“Out of almost thirty highly trained officers, you were the only one who realized something was happening, found the threat and acted in time to stop it. I’m not going to punish you because you carried my daughter over your shoulder, and accidentally showed the world her drawers. I want to thank you for saving her life.”
Harold’s hand landed on my shoulder and he squeezed firmly, emotion filtering through his eyes.
“If you hadn’t been there…” The feeling reached his throat, forcing him to pause briefly. “Thank you for risking your life to keep Haley safe.”
Speechless, I just nodded, not sure I knew what to say, or if I might be able to speak. “I was just doing my duty, Sir,” I finally answered, and he smiled.
“Now, if you ever get married and have kids, never have just the one. An only child steals your heart and uses it against you, keeping you prisoner for the rest of your life.” We chuckled as he stood and reached for a blue box on his desk. “Sometimes I swear Haley is going to be the death of me, but she’s my little girl.”
“I understand, Sir.”
“Here, something pretty for your mantel.” He handed me the box, causing a frown to crease my brow as I stared at it. “It’s not the box, you know? You need to open it.”
I should have chuckled, he did, but I
was too stunned by what I was holding. I hadn’t even opened the box and I could already see the red, white, and blue star medal in my mind’s eye. Lifting the lid, I allowed my thumb to stroke the silver, bald eagle pin that appeared to fly on the blue ribbon. “Sir, I can’t—”
“You can, and you will,” he ordered. “And this is not just for your outstanding performance as my daughter’s babysitter.”
I chuckled at that.
“You outshined several officers and special agents to save my daughter, but your service to this country deserves ten more of these. I know what war is from experience, and not everyone is made for that, much less to lead a special unit. You, Son, are a true hero.”
Reaching for the medal, Harold took it out of the box, and pinned it to the left breast of my jacket. Right over my heart. My hand lifted to it, pressing against it while I stared at him, floored.
“I didn’t tell the General about this, because he’d probably insist it was televised.” We laughed. “But this is not about him or the legacy. It’s about you. And I know you like your privacy.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Harold?”
“At least once more, Sir.” He smiled at me, yet, I couldn’t help but cringe, taking a white envelope out of my suit. “This makes what I have to do even more awkward than it already is,” I confessed, handing the envelope to him.
Sighing, Harold stared at it for a moment, then reached for it, placing my resignation on the coffee table before us. “Son, I admire your honesty and integrity. I have known you since you were a child, and even with the friendship your family and I share, I can’t help but see you. You are too young for all for this.” He gestured to the Oval Office.
“Sir, I—”
“No need to explain. I accept your resignation, and I hope that whatever you choose to do with your life from now on, it’s something that brings you peace. I chose this, I dreamed it, I fought for it, and here I am. But it was my choice to make, and only mine. Do you understand?”
Silently, I nodded. “I suppose it would be too much to ask for you to recommend me back to the force?” I inquired, already knowing the answer, but I needed to at least ask.
“I’m sorry. The General would kill me.”
I slumped on the sofa, rubbing my hands over my face as the last piece of floor left under me cracked. Harold’s hand returned to my shoulder, and he squeezed it supportively, calling my attention back to him.
“I know you think that’s all you are right now, but the way I see it, your family has dictated your every move since you were born. I know you love serving, but I truly believe you haven’t even been given the chance to find yourself. You are still Secret Service, so if you ever want your job back, you got it. If you come back and decide being on the force is what you are meant to do, then I’ll support you 100% of the way. I’ll even try to talk some sense into the General. But you just turned twenty-three, if there was ever a time to be reckless, it is now.”
Apparently, there was no better place to be reckless than Las Vegas.
I had never been there before, too busy being structured to have fun, but after an emotional goodbye with Haley, I went home, packed a bag, and did the one thing I would have never done…
Bought a one-way ticket to Sin City and got on the first plane there.
Although, not before the first daughter made sure I looked at the tabloid pictures of her pink-laced ass. She graciously informed me that a certain, world-renowned women’s lingerie company, had contacted her upon seeing she wore their brand, and offered Haley her own, exclusive underwear line called “Diamond Angel”.
Needless to say, she was ecstatic.
Landing in Vegas, I immediately headed to the hotel, changed, and stepped out the door—not knowing where the night would take me.
I guessed I was about to find myself. Whatever the hell that meant. I no longer had a job, and I was pretty sure my family would disown me, when the General found out I resigned from the President's security detail.
On the bright side, I had a sizable savings account that would hold me for several months, or at least until I figured out what to do with my life, and I was about to drink myself stupid. If I played my cards right, I wouldn’t spend the night alone either, which sounded pretty good right about now.
The sound of my steps got lost in the mayhem of the nightlife as I crossed the street. I headed toward the MGM Grand, because as the hostess from my hotel advised, the nightclub there was the place to be tonight.
People of all walks of life crowded the sidewalks, and rode on the taxis driving by me. Laughing, they talked to their friends, took pictures, or drank from the cocktail cups they proudly held on the way to their next exhilarating stop.
I had to admit that even if I had just arrived here, I saw what they meant about this place. Just being among the bright marquee lights of the burlesque shows, the gambling spirit drifting through the air, and the festive humor that exuded from the people all around me, made me feel relaxed. Maybe even a little excited.
Free.
A glow in the dark stick cracked as my boot slammed onto it, jogging the few steps left to the entrance of the brightly illuminated hotel building. The loud shouts of happiness as people cashed out at the slot machines, or won on the roulette and poker tables made me chuckle. Dragging my eyes from them, I turned into the hallway, stopping by the hostess at the door of the club, and showing her my license.
Facing the policemen that guarded the entrance, I showed them my Secret Service identification, and concealed weapon license, then turned halfway, lifting the back of my black t-shirt so they could see my government issued firearm. I also had an extra magazine on my belt, and a black blade, combat knife in my boot.
I never went anywhere without them.
The loud music engulfed me the second I stepped inside, but I headed straight for the bar, ordering a shot of vodka, and a beer. Leaving the tab open, I threw the shot back, instantly feeling the delicious burn of the dry liquor making its way down my throat. Lights turned brighter as I blinked, it was like someone had infused life back into me, and only then did I realize how much I truly needed this.
It was time to let loose.
Accepting the beer, I turned to look at the throbbing mass of writhing bodies on the dancefloor, my gaze immediately falling over a trio of blondes that seemed handpicked from a model catalog. Blondes weren’t exactly my thing, I was a sucker for brunettes, but I wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The beer bottle touched my lips as I watched them. The pink, purple, and blue spotlights from above reflected beautifully on their tanned skin, fully visible under the strapped mini dresses they wore, which left little to the imagination. But I wasn’t complaining.
Their eyes roamed the bar, as though searching for fresh meat, and suddenly fell on me. I loved nothing more than being a woman’s prey. Things tended to be less complicated when they were the ones in charge. All I had to do was lay back, and let them do their thing. It was the age of feminism after all.
A long sip of my beer made its way down my throat while they exchanged a glance, and I winked at them, offering them my most dazzling smile. My attention soon drifted around the space, taking in every single detail. Force of habit. It only took about a minute to pinpoint all the couples, the douchebags dry-humping beautiful girls on the dancefloor, the single women waiting for someone to ask them to dance, instead of just enjoying themselves, and the group of mirror-huggers stepping out of the restroom, fawning over themselves as they took selfies.
I hated shallow, and plastic women.
During my brief reconnaissance, my eyes also cataloged the three emergency exits, the four sets of guards walking around the large club in their attempt to keep the peace, the fire alarms, and even the pink-haired girl set up in the VIP section. She was reading tarot cards to the paying customers.
My eyebrow rose questioningly. She was too young to be in
this crowd, and most certainly too young for the shots she was taking with the group of girls partying with her, in what appeared to be a bachelorette party. Was she a regular, was that why they let her in here?
Straightening my spine, I almost stepped away from the bar to go pull her obviously minor ass out of the nightclub, but then I remembered I no longer gave a fuck, and took another sip of my beer.
I was here to relax, which was precisely what I intended to do.
Confirming there were no signs of trouble, my gaze returned to the blondes, but I made a mental note to keep my eye on the pink-haired doll in the VIP to make sure no sleaze balls tried anything with her. She could enjoy her girl’s night in the meantime.
The music changed and people cheered at the top of their lungs, as though it was their hymn. Bodies began jumping up and down in excitement while they sang along, and the next moment, what seemed like glow in the dark, multicolored foam began to fall from above us like snow.
People laughed, getting wet by the mix of water and soap. Guys took off their shirts while girls removed tops and dresses to show neon-colored bathing suits underneath. I chuckled, looking up at the foam falling on me and everyone else at the club. My shirt and arms became wet and sticky, everyone else appeared to be prepared for this kind of party, except me.
“Welcome to Vegas!” A feminine voice sang, and I looked down to find the three girls now standing before me.
“Is this your first time here?” another asked, as my eyes roamed their bikini-adorned curves.
Again, not complaining.
“First time in Vegas,” I confessed, shouting over the loud trance music, and their smiles widened. “Is this normal?” I asked, gesturing to the glowing foam coating their skin.
“Oh, yeah. It’s a sinful glow foam party,” the third one answered. “This DJ throws one here every Saturday.”
“Are you locals?” I asked, wiping the wetness from my forehead, and they giggled.