Daisy
We’re forced to abandon Rufio’s car and return to Unearthly Desires in Mr. X’s vehicle. He’s so angry that he doesn’t say a word to us during the entire ride there. It’s a miracle Rufio didn’t rebel against the idea of being bossed around by the guy. Then again, he doesn’t know Mr. X is a Fringe and not the Idol he projects to be.
As for me, I’m too embarrassed to say anything. Poppy, Mr. X’s alter ego, was my former boss and, in a way, a father figure. There’s also the old picture of him with my father that’s adding more confusion to my head. I want to ask point-blank what Mr. X’s relationship with my father was, but I don’t want to do so in front of Rufio. Sleeping with the Idol twice doesn’t mean I trust him.
We enter the club through the back door, and I notice the absence of the brute who tried to prevent me from entering by force. Hope that he got fired makes me less apprehensive, but inside the club is too quiet, which means it’s already closed. So the asshole bouncer probably didn’t get sacked. His shift is simply over.
Mr. X doesn’t say a word until Rufio and I are in his office. The Fringe doesn’t bother sitting behind his desk, just whirls on us as soon as the door is closed.
“What the fuck!” he yells, making me wince.
“Why are you yelling at us?” I ask.
“Do you really have to ask that?”
“Daisy and I are adults. We can do whatever the hell we want,” Rufio grits out, maybe believing Mr. X is pissed because of how he found us.
“Do you think I give a rat’s ass about your sex life? I’m pissed because Daisy came into my establishment, broke my bouncer’s nose, and then decided to pick a fight with the Skull’s Angels gang. I really expected more from you, girl.”
“Let me get a couple of things straight. Your bouncer’s nose is broken because he’s a pervert and an asshole. And I didn’t simply ‘decide to pick a fight’ with those criminals on a whim. They attacked Felicity. They deserved retribution. It was the reason I came here in the first place, to ask for your help.”
Mr. X narrows his eyes. “I knew about Felicity, Daisy. You should have never gotten involved.”
“Why not? The waitress is Daisy’s friend. She had every right to seek revenge,” Rufio defends me.
Mr. X turns his wrath on Rufio. “Oh yeah? And how did that work out for you two? I can smell your blood from here, boy. That gang member got you good, didn’t he?”
“He got lucky,” Rufio seethes.
“Luck ain’t got nothing to do with it. Aren’t you wondering why you couldn’t turn him into dust just like you did the others?”
Mr. X’s question gives me pause. How did he know Rufio’s power didn’t work on the man?
“I’m guessing by the smug grin on your face that you know why. So cut the crap and spill it already,” Rufio retorts.
“It was his jacket. More precisely, the thread used in the emblem embroidered on the back.”
“What about it?” Rufio asks.
“The thread contained microscopic pieces of a material that neutralizes Idol power.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“Is the material lightning glass?” I ask.
Mr. X doesn’t seem surprised that I know about it. “Yes.”
“The Knights used a similar thing on my brother,” Rufio mutters, almost to himself.
“The Knights? What have they done to Bryce?” My voice rises to a shrill.
Rufio turns to me, his eyes flashing electric blue. “They kidnapped my brother. Held him hostage for two days.”
A sinking feeling hits me, making my chest unbearably heavy with worry. There’s no mistaking the hatred in Rufio’s eyes now. If he was standing in front of a Knight in this moment, he would strike him dead.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turn to Mr. X. “How did a gang member get a hold of such material?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know, Daisy. The Knights discovered lighting glass and made weapons and power suppressants with it. How those tools ended up on the black market is a mystery to me.”
“Maybe the Knights distributed them on purpose,” Rufio replies.
Mr. X cuts him a glare. “The Knights exist to protect the weak. They wouldn’t arm criminals.”
“How do you know so much about them?” Rufio eyes Mr. X with suspicion now.
“I’m a businessman working in a dangerous industry. I make it a priority to stay informed.”
“Right. But you knew about the gang member I couldn’t gank, and you also knew where to find us.”
With a sigh, Mr. X puts his hands on his hips and glances at the floor. “I went to that bar to set things straight.” He lifts his eyes to meet mine. “You couldn’t imagine my surprise when I found the bar trashed and Dick Bravo skewered like a shish kebab.”
“You went after that gang alone?” I ask.
“No, not alone. I knew what I was dealing with.”
“Fine. But how did you find us?” Rufio insists.
“By chance. But you should be glad I did. You got stabbed by a lightning-glass dagger.”
“I’m fine.”
Mr. X laughs without humor. “Ah, the usual Idol arrogance. Boy, you know nothing. Take off your T-shirt, and let’s hope it’s not too late.”
“What do mean?” I ask, catching the warning in Mr. X’s tone.
With a grunt, Rufio peels off his T-shirt and turns around.
I can’t hold back my gasp.
“What? How bad is it?” Rufio tries to see the wound in his shoulder.
“Ah fuck.” Mr. X heads for his desk and retrieves a few glass vials from a drawer.
“Daisy, say something.” Rufio looks at me.
“The skin around the wound is turning black,” I reply.
“What? Why? How come I don’t feel anything?”
“Because that’s how lightning glass works. It’s not only able to pierce Idol skin, but it also leaves poison behind. If you don’t die from the blow, you die from the poison.”
No. Rufio can’t die like that.
“What should we do? Is there an antidote or something?” I ask.
Mr. X doesn’t answer; instead, he dumps the contents of one of the glass vials over Rufio’s discarded shirt. “Here, take a hit.”
“Is that Silver-voltage? Why are you giving him Silver-voltage?” My voice is loud and shrill, making me sound like a damsel in distress.
“To help with the pain.”
“What about the poison?” Rufio asks.
“Lay on your belly. I’m going to pour the rest of my Silver-voltage stash over it.”
“Is that going to work?” He eyes Mr. X with incredulity.
“Hopefully yes.”
“Hopefully?” Rufio’s eyes brighten and the dark veins make an appearance, but they’re not as sharp as usual. The poison is probably what dulled his powers.
“It’s the best I can do. Now stop with the questions and let me help you, jackass.”
Rufio flares his nostrils and squints. He wants to kick Mr. X’s ass.
I touch his arm. “Please, let him do his thing.”
His facial features relax a bit as he looks into my eyes. I hope he knows I had no idea lightning glass could do that to him.
“Time is not on your side, boy,” Mr. X presses.
Rufio brings his drenched T-shirt to his nose and takes a big whiff. He then lies on Mr. X’s couch and faces the backrest. Crouching next to him, Mr. X uncaps four glass vials and dumps it all over the small gash on Rufio’s shoulder. Rufio grunts, and the muscles on his back become tense. A hissing sound fills the air when the liquid hits his skin.
“Is it working?” I ask.
“Give it some time.”
“How long?”
Mr. X looks at me, annoyed. “I don’t know, Daisy. I’ve never done this before.”
Blisters form over the blackened skin, and the distressed noises coming from Rufio grow louder.
“What’s happening?” I step closer.
“T
he drug is burning away the poison.”
My stomach twists into knots as guilt consumes me. I can only guess how painful the experience must be for Rufio. He’s an Idol, and if he can’t hide his agony from us, it must be off the charts.
The blisters pop, revealing raw skin underneath, but at least it’s no longer black. However, the entire process takes at least half an hour. Thirty minutes of torture. When it’s finally over, Rufio doesn’t move. He’s also not making any more sounds.
“Rufio? Are you okay?” I ask meekly.
“I think he passed out five minutes ago, Daisy. Too bad it wasn’t sooner.”
Mr. X heads for his desk again and grabs a box of tissues. I don’t understand why he’s offering it to me until I touch my cheeks and find them wet. I didn’t even realize I cried.
“Do you think he’s going to be all right?” I glance at Rufio. The black is gone, thank heavens.
“I think so. When did this happen?”
“I told you—”
“I’m not talking about your unfortunate experience. I’m referring to when you started caring for him.”
I avoid Mr. X’s probing stare. “I don’t know.”
“Daisy, you know how stupid that is, right?”
I whip my face to his again. “You’re lecturing me?”
“Yes, I guess I am.”
“Why? You’re nothing to me.”
Mr. X winces, and now it’s his turn to look away. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
With Rufio passed out, I blurt out the question that’s been burning inside my brain since I saw that old picture of Dad.
“What was my father to you?”
His eyes turn rounder. “Where’s that question coming from? I’ve never met your father.”
“You can stop lying to me now. I found an old picture of you, Dad, Principal Fallon, and another man I didn’t recognize. So I’m asking again, how did you know my father?”
Mr. X can only maintain my stare for a few seconds before he turns around and leans against his desk. “I was only trying to protect you, Daisy.”
“Protect me from what?”
He turns back to me, his eyes filled with unshed tears. “From the monsters who took our family away from us.”
“Us? I don’t understand.”
“Your father was my brother.”
35
Daisy
“That’s not possible. You’re a Fringe.”
“Your grandparents adopted me when I was five. They didn’t know then that I was a Fringe, but even when I couldn’t hide my powers, they didn’t care.”
“How come Dad never talked about you?” I ask, getting choked up.
Mr. X sits at the edge of his desk. “The other man in the picture was our older brother, William. He was killed when he was eighteen by Idols.”
Just like Dad. The knot in my throat becomes bigger.
“We were afraid the men who killed him would hurt us too, so we split up. Your grandparents moved to Prism City and, mercifully, died of natural causes.”
They were already gone when I was born; at least that’s what Dad told me. I’m not sure now if that was true.
“All this time you pretended to be a stranger. You could have told me you were my uncle.” The first angry tears roll down my cheeks.
“I wanted to so many times, but I couldn’t risk people making the connection. I didn’t know how else to keep you safe.”
“You let me strip for your customers!”
“I didn’t want to, but you begged me for the job, Daisy. If I simply gave you the money, it would look too suspicious.”
“To whom? I would have never guessed you were giving me money because we were related.”
“Many people, allies and foes alike. I’m constantly being watched. Just the fact that I helped you tonight will be problematic.”
“I’m sorry to be such a burden.” I wipe the tears from my face. “You haven’t explained one detail though. What was Principal Fallon doing in that picture?”
“She was William’s girlfriend and the reason he was killed.”
I curl my hand into a fist and press it against my forehead. All this information at once is hard to reconcile with the lies I’ve been told all my life.
“I need to get out of here.”
“I can take you and Rufio back to the academy.” Mr. X stands up.
“No. I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” I turn to Rufio and fish his cell phone from his jeans pocket.
It’s password protected, but all I have to do is press his index finger to the screen to unlock the device. Scrolling through his contacts, the first name that pops up is Bryce’s. My finger hovers over the Call button, but considering Bryce thinks I’m a two-faced bitch, I forgo the idea quickly. Instead, I call Morpheus. The phone rings and rings until finally, probably just before the call goes to voice mail, he answers.
“Rufio, where have you been? We’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” Morpheus says, clearly irritated.
“Morpheus, it’s Daisy.”
“Daisy? Why are you calling from Rufio’s cell? What happened?”
“I can’t explain it over the phone. Could you please come get us? We’re at Unearthly Desires.”
“Why can’t Rufio drive back?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He just can’t, Morpheus. Please, I’m begging you. Come get us, and don’t tell Bryce.”
Morpheus curses. “You’re scaring me, Daisy. But okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you. Oh, and use the back door.”
I end the call and glance at Mr. X. I can’t believe he’s my fucking uncle and I don’t even know his real name.
“What does the X stand for?” I ask.
“Xavier. That’s my name.”
“Do you work for the Knights?”
Fear flashes in his gaze. “I assist… sometimes.”
“Was it you who sent me a lightning-glass dagger inside a cake?”
“No. I wouldn’t risk that. If anyone who knows what those weapons can do caught you in possession of one, your life would be forfeit.”
“I was sent two daggers. The first one appeared in my dorm room in my first week at school.”
Xavier becomes tenser in an instant. “Son of a bitch. I can’t believe she did that.”
“Are you talking about Principal Fallon?”
“She’s the only one who would have access to your room, and she doesn’t care as much about your safety as I do.”
I suspected as much. She didn’t even bother telling me that Bryce and Rufio were her sons.
“Do you know what she wants with me?” I ask.
“No. She tried to sell me that she wanted to help the niece of the man she loved, but Jodie isn’t selfless like that. Don’t trust a word she says.”
“I don’t, but I also don’t trust you.” I cross my arms.
“Fair enough.” Xavier keeps staring at me as if he wants to read my mind. “Why didn’t you call Rufio’s brother? I thought you were close.”
I pinch my lips, reluctant now to give Uncle Dearest an answer. “We had a falling-out.”
He narrows his eyes, looking at me intensely. “Why?”
He’s not going to drop the subject. I look at my shoes, nibbling my lower lip. I don’t want to talk about Bryce, because it hurt so much when he turned his back on me. But Xavier is probably the only person I can actually tell the truth to.
“He found out I’m Paul Rodale’s daughter, and he knows why my father was killed. He thinks I’m out to destroy them all.”
“Who else knows besides him?” There’s a hint of alarm in his tone now.
“Rufio, Phoenix, and Morpheus.”
He rubs his face and begins to pace. “You need to leave immediately. I can make some calls and find someplace safe for you and Rosie.”
“Whoa. Hold the cavalry.” I lift my hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Are you crazy? I’ve spent the past
seven years trying to protect you from the Idols who killed your parents, and now you’re cozying up with their offspring!”
“What do you mean, their offspring?” I take a step back while my heart hammers inside of my chest.
“Oh, my God, Daisy. How can you be so naïve after all these years on the run? The Idol behind William’s murder, and probably your parents’ too, is Jonathan Kent, Rufio and Bryce’s father.”
MORPHEUS
Daisy couldn’t possibly have known that Bryce was standing next to me when I took her call. And now he’s alternating between cursing me for not getting more information from her and cursing Rufio for whatever problem he got into.
“What the hell are they doing at Unearthly Desires together?” He hits the door, putting a dent in the plastic.
“Calm the fuck down, Bryce. And please do not destroy my car.”
“How can you be so calm? What could be the reason that Rufio is unable to drive or even call?”
“We’re going to find out soon enough. We’re a couple of minutes out.”
“I can’t believe she asked you not to tell me.” He balls his hands into fists, and sparks of electricity cover them.
“I swear, Bryce, if you fry my car, I’m going to kick your ass.”
His reply is a grunt. While I’m busy trying to pacify the guy, I can’t ignore the sense of doom hanging over my head. I don’t think it’s a premonition, but I know shit is about to get way more complicated once we find out what’s going on.
Finally I turn on the street where the strip joint is located. Per Daisy’s instructions, I park in the back. Bryce is out of my car before I turn the engine off. Never mind that he finds the door to the place locked; he yanks it off its hinges with a hard pull, setting off the security alarm, which he kills in the next second.
“Was that necessary?” I ask, but he’s not listening to me.
He strides down the corridor until he meets Mr. X, who just came out of his office to investigate the commotion.
“What the hell did you do to my door?” Mr. X demands.
“Where are Daisy and my brother?” Bryce cuts to the chase.
Knowing Bryce is about to blow, I step in front of him, blocking his way. “Where are they?”
Ruthless Idols: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 2) Page 19