by LeAnn Mason
… taking me? Was I being kidnapped? That horrifying thought struck hard, and regret slammed into me a beat later.
I should have listened to my instincts, the lessons drilled into me by my parents.
Trust no one but yourself.
I’d fallen to weakness. I hadn’t been trusting myself, lost to the strange powers I hadn’t understood. And wham, bam, along comes some mystical gang at my lowest point in life yet, and desperate to know more about myself, I spill the proverbial beans and follow them blindly. Literally, it turns out.
Stupid, Aria. You played right into their hands. Just handed yourself over like an idiot.
And they hadn’t even been subtle about their distaste for me. Friendly was not the word I’d have used to describe my roomie and her friends. They’d gotten me locked in solitary, even acted upset when Seke let me out for crap’s sake!
That damn delicious man and his seductive tone, and body, and words that led me to believe he was doing me a kindness. Promising me freedom from prison. Now, I wasn’t sure if I’d be better off back in that room alone, counting imaginary bottles of beer, instead of heading into the real world where a real beer might actually be possible.
The van screeched to a stop, sending my head bouncing off the back of the seat in front.
“With all due respect, Captain, no one outside of our team is permitted to know the location of our bunker.”
Jessica clearly agreed with Cole, vehemently snarling, “Can’t we turn her over to someone in Intake to get processed and assigned to an HD unit?”
Sheesh, she’d certainly been more amenable behind bars.
Stepping on the gas, Cole resumed his insane driving, causing my head to bounce off the back of my seat, whiplash panging in my neck. What was it about dogs and cars? I wondered if he chased one ahead of us.
“That’s fine with me. Just drop me wherever,” I offered gladly. “I can take it from there. It’s not like I haven’t been alone on the streets in a random location before.” Story of my life.
“No.” Seke’s response was quiet, but somehow the word cut through the interior of the van like a knife. “She stays.”
Cole apparently decided not to retort.
“Why?” Jessica asked outright, not following Cole’s example. “Unless you’re letting me have take-out?” Two well-filed nails tiptoed up my arm toward my neck. I shook them off, trying to staunch the shiver that wanted to rattle my body from her attentions.
My tongue had been a second away from asking the same question—the first one, anyway—so my ears were perked to catch the response. What fate did the god have in store for me? Why keep it from the rest of his team? My parents would have applauded Seke’s application of their lessons. He held onto information with such decisiveness I was sure he knew exactly what power it granted him.
“Because, Jessica, she has already been processed and assigned.” I didn’t even have a moment to let that soak in before he exploded my brain. “I was going to wait to tell you the good news until everyone was together at the bunker, but it is evident I need to settle your minds now. Miss Grey will be joining our team.”
She could’ve been a banshee, I thought as a shrieked “What?” burst out of Jessica.
A low growling joined the engine.
“Cole,” Seke scolded as if the giant protector were a child caught stealing a cookie from the jar.
The irritated rumbling cut off. “The girls won’t be happy.”
“I will handle that.” Seke wasn’t worried. Did anything upset him? It was a temptation to try to be the one to pull out some passion. I thought there’d been a spark of something in his eye when he spoke to me. When he touched me…
“She can’t just … be one of us.” Jessica’s southern drawl thickened with her irritation. “We’ve got a system, established tactical methods.”
“She is a danger.”
My trap wouldn’t stay shut anymore.
Surprise, surprise.
The discussion about me as if I wasn’t present annoyed the crap out of me. As if Cole’s hiding trick hid me entirely as opposed to only my own sight. And the words stung. “Hey. I’m not the one here who killed anyone.”
“We do not kill, Aria. We assist the deceased to their final resting place.” Seke corrected, speaking as if we weren’t all mid-argument about my merits and shortcomings. My worth versus my handicap. “Aria will be tested for fit and will undergo training before she is able to accompany us on a case, yes. However, I have confidence in her abilities, and we already have seen that she is an asset to the team.”
A snort blew hot air into my ear. “Don’t think Raven or Ember will agree there.” Jessica’s huff was quiet enough that only I heard it. “That’s a fire I’m not sure anyone could put out.”
Seke could probably handle it. Given that he let Jessica question his decisions, I had a feeling he was one of those open leaders who let his team speak their mind instead of bottling up their opinions. I’d only known Seke a short time, but that personality trait seemed to fit him like a tailored suit.
And that suit fit him just fine.
His compliment really lifted my spirits and knocked any argument out of me. There was no doubt in his conviction. I had no faith in myself, but this god believed in me. Then again… What kind of test? I didn’t know anything about the supernatural world. Was he talking pencil-and-paper or a field evaluation of my ability to…? I don’t know, scream at dummies with targets painted on their chests?
How did one train to be a screamer?
If I weren’t so upside down about the unexpected direction of my life, the innuendo about training to scream with a male like Seke as a teacher would have cracked me up.
How did I go from normal girl to screaming harbinger of death, breaking out of prison, and joining a band of mythical beings on their deathly hunts so fast? Where did it all go wrong? A few murders witnessed, and now I was being shuffled unwillingly into a life of morbid servitude with people—no, creatures—who hated me.
“Yes, Captain,” Cole rumbled with reluctance in a tone as dark as my vision. “Once she has proved herself capable,” he specified his acceptance.
No one spoke further, and the car rocked back and forth, bouncing over uneven terrain. My heart rate rocketed back up while I remained in the dark.
Never allow yourself to get taken to a secondary location. Always be aware of your surroundings.
Fail.
I bristled at the control that had been stolen from me the moment I was forced into these death angels’ fire-blazing path. “Don’t I get a say in this? What if I don’t want to join?” I wanted answers but maybe not that much. A little mystery kept life intriguing, right?
And life was something I wanted to keep.
This group seemed far too violent and displeased with the notion of adding me for me to feel confident that I’d make it through even one night in their secret bunker. A home base that they obscured from any possible witnesses or rescuers. Not that anyone would miss me. Raven would single-handedly see me terminated, without the others’ help, I was sure.
She’d probably peck out my eyes in my sleep. Ember would hold me down. And Jessica would eat the orbs. Cole? I wasn’t entirely sure he hated me that much. I’d thought Cole had some amount of sympathy for me. Evidently, not when it came to his girls though. He would probably hide the attack from Seke.
The depressing vision poofed out of existence when we screeched to a stop. I thought for a minute they were pausing to actually address my question but…
“I will get us a meal. Please wait here, concealed.” I realized he was talking to me when Seke added, “Understood, Aria? We have not yet put enough distance between us and the detention center.” Everyone else could probably see that. Or they were just used to this stuff and knew protocol.
“What if I have to pee?” All those imaginary beers I passed around.
“Hold it,” Cole suggested.
“No,” Seke disagreed. “We are no
t to punish Aria—she has experienced enough suffering simply because she is ignorant.”
Well, that was kinda nice and kinda hurtful.
“Jessica, please escort Aria to the ladies’ room inside. Cole?”
“I’ll cloak them,” he agreed with distaste.
“Excellent. Aria, only five minutes. Then I send in Cole to collect you both. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I mocked, riled, though I appreciated that he was treating me like a human instead of a piece of gum on his shoe even if I was still feeling like a scolded child.
“C’mon, sugar.” Jessica pulled the clothes from my hands and extracted me from the van with more force than assistance, roughly keeping me on my feet as I stumbled from the vehicle. She linked her fingers through mine and pressed her chest against my shoulder to whisper threateningly in my ear. “And don’t even think of runnin’.” Her tongue slithered grotesquely into my ear, and I wrenched my head away, trying to dry the orifice on my shoulder. “I love a good chase,” she chuckled, pleased by my response.
Tugged by the hand, Jessica steered me into an air-conditioned building with faint voices. If any of the patrons could see through Cole’s cloak, they would simply assume the pretty lady was helping a blind weirdo with the way I stumbled with eyes wide open and unseeing. But they couldn’t. Screaming to ruin that misperception would just make them think the joint was haunted, and they’d scatter, leaving me behind. Surrounding chatter cut off when we pushed through another door. The acrid odor of old piss smacked me in the face, and Jessica’s voice echoed.
“Here’s the stall. Now go on and do your business. I’m giving you less than five minutes ‘cause I hate these public restrooms. Filthy as a pigsty.” The stall door slammed.
I immediately planned on taking my time, hoping she’d get bored of waiting.
“And don’t worry. As much as I’d like to leave you here, Seke won’t be havin’ that. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
No problem, bitch.
My parents taught me to consider several possible means of escape in any situation. I contemplated several ways to ditch her and slip out the back of the restaurant—all without being able to see. Simultaneously, I also felt around for the toilet, my hand touching something wet. I recoiled but pressed on, doing my business as requested. I knew she still listened.
The best way to get a watchdog to relax is to do exactly what they expect. Routine and expectation breed complacency.
Finishing, I switched from being intentionally audible to silent, stepping my feet with care onto the rim of the toilet while it flushed loudly. My hands slipped up the smooth sides of the stall, and, once balanced, I reached a hand upward, hoping to touch a removable ceiling tile.
Suddenly, something soft and warm smacked me in the face, and my foot slipped, splashing into the toilet.
Jessica laughed evilly. A team whose whole purpose was to carry out a task without being caught knew as much as I did about tactical maneuvers. Escape would be tricky.
I grabbed at the obstruction on my face, identifying the textures of cotton and leather.
“Change your clothes while you’re in there. We don’t want to force our poor puppy to cloak us at the next stop. He needs his energy for driving.”
How far away were they taking me? Grumbling with anger, I extracted my soggy foot and peeled off the slip-on shoe first. I’d have to leave it there; a wet shoe was not ideal for a sneaky escape, for either noise or footprint reasons. At least by giving me time to change, she’d given me an opening to do more searching and plotting. And the clothes would help me blend into crowds more easily once I got out.
Jessica began to hum, most likely to remind me that she was still there.
It was quite pretty. In fact, I wanted to hear more. The tune was enchanting. Pulling on the last of my clothes, I felt around for my discarded shoe. Opening the stall, I walked toward the gorgeous melody, letting it fill my ears and heart with longing to climb into the song and…
“Gotcha.” Jessica’s hands grabbed mine.
Shit. The lure she’d put me under vanished. This was new territory. I’d never tried to keep out of the grip of supernaturals’ hands before. The rules may not be the same!
I debated using my skills and screaming for help, but that would also alert Seke, and who knew what a god could, and would do? Disappointment crashed into me as I realized I’d have to go with them. For now.
But I wasn’t going to play nice.
Back in the SUV, Seke kindly passed me a burger and fries. Showing his consideration, he unwrapped a portion and placed it directly into my hands. “Everything go okay?”
“Hunky-dory,” Jessica chirped.
“Yeah, swimmingly.” I kicked the wet shoe off and used my bare foot to push it under Cole’s seat with the intention of leaving it there to grow mildew and asphyxiate our driver with a moldy stench.
Pausing only a moment, I contemplated that the meal might be laced with something. The aroma of warm grease was as alluring as Jessica’s song, and I folded. While we resumed our journey, I scarfed the meal. When I didn’t die, I realized that this might be good for me. I was out of the jam I’d gotten myself into, had food, even a home… if I stayed at the bunker. Not to mention the type of training that might actually keep me from landing in the same predicament.
Dare I dream of… friends?
My thought derailed when we hit some kind of pothole, sending me flailing. Without being able to see or anticipate Cole’s steering, motion sickness tossed in my stomach.
“I might be sick,” I warned.
Jessica made a disgusted sound. “Throw up on me, doll, and you’ll regret it. I’m a sympathetic vomiter.”
I decided I’d rather not decorate my new outfit with regurgitated CO Michaels. Unfortunately, the mental image churned the burger further.
“You make a mess, you clean it up, cupcake.”
Would anything make the hellhound relent his unfair hold on my sightlessness? Hadn’t Seke given me the okay?
I tried to settle back into my seat, everything ahead—my future included—as dark and foreboding as if my eyelids were sealed shut. I had a chance at a new family… complete with sibling rivalry. My plans shifted slightly.
A trial period, like Seke had discussed, pushed back any theoretical escape. I could try it out and see, right? A few deep breaths did little to soothe my stomach, a secondary feeling souring my mood.
I made my voice whiny and nasal. “Are we there yet?” The parody of both a small child as well as an iconic television character from my childhood was lost in this group though.
I didn’t really want to rush and witness Ember’s and Raven’s reaction to the news. I wasn’t even sure I wouldn’t try to bolt from the bunker and rough it in whatever remote mountainous wilderness their cabin or whatever was concealed in once I had. A growl from the driver was rewarding confirmation that I’d ticked him off, and it made me smile... just enough to relax into the dips and sways of the vehicle’s movements.
22
So “bunker” turned out to be “cabin in the woods.” It was a nice cabin that would probably be better described as a chateau. Many large rooms of varying use and importance made up the rustic chic look of the place. I’d only been inside four rooms since our arrival last night, or rather, this morning. My room, on the top floor, was an impersonal but opulent space. With no roomie and decked out with a lavish four-poster bed, I conked out before really looking around. There was an attached en suite bathroom, which I was allowed to use without escort. Room number three was the kitchen I stumbled into half-awake when summoned, where Cole forced a protein shake on me and spun me back around.
Seke gave me a brief tour of the rest of the massive lodge while I slurped the chalky drink. Regretfully, I’d yet to have my freedom beer. I nodded along, knowing full well the information would be promptly forgotten and I’d get lost.
After he showed me the indoor pool, which looked like a mountain hot spring comple
te with waterfall, I wondered about downtime. Towering trees filled the space, giving a feel of luxurious botanical gardens heavy with moisture and heady “green” scents. Then, there was the “aviary.” The hidey-hole gave me the distinct impression it was a special retreat for the birds of the group. Not for screamers.
“I get that you help ferry souls across to the… wherever when they die, but, like, people die all the time. Every two seconds or something. How is your team not everywhere at once? Are there other—?” I didn’t know what to call them—us. Team seemed to be the word I’d heard them use before.
“Harbinger of Death units? Yes. We, my team, oversee deaths that occur in prison systems. As such, we hone our training and knowledge to be useful in such settings. But even then, we could not be all over the world as you point out. There are many of the Prison Units as you might imagine. We call ourselves HDPU. There are infinitely more who do the job in other settings. The director oversees which harbingers are most suited to what team, taking into consideration various talents and how best to fill all roles.”
I’d argue that some weren’t suited to any team. Cough, Raven, cough. What he was saying made sense. And I guessed that explained the hostility. I hadn’t been selected originally to be part of this team. I was a newbie. Had Seke even gotten approval to add me to the team? Or was that part of my trial run too? Maybe he’d scope out my flavor of abilities, and then I’d be moved to a different team. A less bitchy team. I might be able to get behind that.
He glanced askance at me as we headed down a spiral staircase. “Although, many of us have suffered from lack of a clairvoyant. You are special.”
I blushed. I couldn’t help it. Clearing my throat, I launched into another question as cover. “Who’s the director? I know you oversee this team. Who do you answer to? Why are the… species… so varied?” Who would be higher than a god? Were all teams headed by gods? How many ‘gods’ were there? Was that authority aware of my ‘special’ presence?