by K.N. Lee
“I almost forgot. Please transfer a thousand pounds out of my account and into Ian’s. Tell him that I don’t want him staying at shabby hostels anymore. I can smell it on him.”
Lexi nodded. “Sure. Good night then.”
“Night.” Koa closed the door and darted over to her side table. Halston’s face appeared on the bright face of the watch. The fluorescent light only illuminated his pale skin, making him look more angelic. She smiled and pushed the side button.
“Good evening, Halston,” she purred rolling onto her back and holding the watch over her. He stared down at her for a moment.
“How was your supper?” Halston asked.
“Young. Fresh. Eager. The same as always.”
“Well, it’s better than the alternative. I know you. You’d never forgive yourself if you killed someone for a meal.”
Koa sat up. “Unless they deserved it,” she noted. “I’d forgive myself just fine.”
“Well, don’t get too eager with those college kids. We don’t want any accidents.”
Koa scoffed. “It was an honor,” she said. “For him.” Her grin widened.
Halston shook his head in disapproval.
Koa’s smile faded in mild annoyance. Why does he have to be so good all of the time? It was practically in his DNA to be the good guy.
“Besides, Ian is not just some college kid. He is special, and I don’t feed from anyone but him. We have a good arrangement. You don’t give the Wryn clan enough credit for what they’ve done for the registered vampire population.”
Halston gave her an odd look. He cleared his throat. “You don’t… sleep with him? Do you?” He seemed embarrassed to even ask the question.
Koa laughed lightly. “Of course not, Halston. What do I look like? Ian is hot, sure, but I could never.”
“He’s hot you say?”
“Oh yes, Halston. He’s like totally drool-worthy. I mean, I can’t keep my panties dry whenever he looks at me,” she joked, mocking an American accent. She gave him a look under her long thick lashes. “Jealous?”
He remained serious. “Then, tell me. What do you do with him?”
Koa peered at him, curiously. Why does he care now? She looked up at the ceiling and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
“I don’t know, Halston. It starts with a seductive smile. Then, there comes the glamour. Just like any person I’ve ever fed on, I press on his thoughts a little here and there. He dreams while I drink. He dreams of all of his deepest desires coming to true. And then, when he looks at me, it’s instant infatuation. They see me for the first time after I drink, and to them, I look like an angel. No offense,” she said to him, cringing at the word angel. It sometimes made him withdraw when she mentioned it.
Halston looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. “It all sounds pretty intricate.”
“It is. I’m not sloppy. Even a full-blood can make a mess of things. I may be young when compared to other vampires, but I’ve developed my own little ritual. And it works.”
“And no one dies.”
She nodded, with a small smile on her lips. “That’s right. No one dies.” Koa rolled over onto her belly and set the watch in front of her. “See, I’m a good girl. I promise.”
He seemed to perk up again. “Good. Meet me at the safe house. We have a mission.”
Koa shot to her feet. “Really? I get to work with ‘the boss’ tonight?”
Halston smiled. “Indeed. And you’d better follow orders.”
“Don’t I always?”
“That’s up for debate.”
Koa smiled. She slipped her skirt on, and then her black leather boots. She pulled her blazer over her tank top and slipped her watch back on.
Halston waited patiently on her screen. Koa ran toward the balcony and with a leap, she jumped over the edge. The wind blew at her face furiously. It was late fall. She didn’t care. The chill didn’t affect her. She closed her eyes as she descended from the dark tower of Wryn Castle.
Wryn Castle was an exclusive venue. It had once been a gothic castle, and now, the vampires had transformed it into a modern hotel of sorts, where fresh college kids were delivered by room service. It was one of the few places that didn’t tolerate reckless killings of their charges.
Koa, and everyone else who were members of the Wryn Castle were unique, for they had mutual arrangements with their charges.
“Mission? Will this be fun, or will I have to get dirty?”
“Depends on how you play it. Oh, and I found you a new home.”
Koa breathed in the cool fresh air. “New home?”
“Right. In London. Now you can be close to your beloved Wryn Castle.”
Koa raised an eyebrow, letting her body pick up speed. “London?” She glanced at the watch with a grin. “Bringing me home to mother, Halston. So soon?”
Halston returned the grin. “Giving you what you asked for. You really are spoiled, did you know that? And five years isn’t so soon, Koa Ryeo-won.”
“For me it is.” Koa swept to the side. She avoided a tree branch from slapping her in the face and ascended.
“Nonetheless, no, Koa. I don’t have a mother, remember.”
Koa nodded. “Of course not.” She thought of her own mother then and felt a brief stab of guilt. The pain of remembering her mother before the transformation was too much. She pushed the memories of her mother’s beautiful face and her smile out of her mind.
“London it is,” Koa said with a nod, and she flew into the darkness.
The next morning, Koa could tell that Halston was pleased with his work. They had been out all night, tracking rogue vampires and making them either register or leave the country. Halston did not tolerate any human deaths due to vampires, not in his territory. There had been no jokes or smiles last night. When he was the boss, there was no denying his authority.
Now, Halston was her friend again, and full of cheer. He presented the quaint little cottage to her like a gift. She cared too much for his feelings to show her disappointment. The cottage was small and bleak in comparison to her father’s manor in Paris. Sure, it was cute, and made of stone like something in a Jane Austen movie. That should have made her happy, but she hated to admit that she wanted something a little more grand.
Koa would miss the vineyard and gardens of her manor. She and Raven would read classic literature and enjoy the grounds for hours. Those days in the garden had been her first glimpse into the romantic British lifestyle she had read about and longed for.
Koa thought about the grand piano in her father’s music hall. She would close her eyes and play with Raven curled on top, listening in painful bliss. The music always reminded them of when her father used to play before they sat down to formal dinners.
Koa remembered how much she enjoyed those nights. Formal dinners had been unheard of in Korea, when one or two small meals a day had been a privilege.
She sighed and hid her true feelings for this little cottage that reminded her too much of her days of poverty. Halston had no idea what this meant.
“It’s nice. A bit small don’t you think?” She asked offhandedly to not reveal just how deep her hatred for it was.
Halston shrugged. “I don’t think so. It’s quite a gem. It’s lovely on the inside. Three bedrooms, a nice little kitchen… not that you cook,” he joked under his breath. “It’s well-kept and secluded.”
Koa looked around. She could see cottages a couple of yards away on each side. “It’s hardly secluded.” She pointed with a skeptical look. “I can see into the neighbor’s yard. That means the humans inside will see me when I come and go. That’s dangerous. What if I want to fly? You do recall Rome, don’t you?”
Koa could still remember the faces of the couple who had seen her take off from one of the buildings. It was a good thing that no one believed their fantastical stories of a flying girl.
Halston winced at the memory but didn’t address it.
Koa could tell that he was a little annoyed. The Ro
me incident was one of those times when Halston had told Koa not to do something, and she had done it anyway.
“We’ll build a privacy fence, a stone one, just like the sturdy stone your house is made of.” He held his hand out for her hand. “Come on, let’s take a look inside and you’ll see what I mean. Raven is waiting.”
Koa sighed and put her hand into Halston’s. They went inside and she was surprised by how much natural light it got. That was a good thing. No sneaky vampires would dare hide out and wait for her in this house.
She smiled at her mother when she came running down the stairs and leapt into her arms.
“This house is lovely, Koa,” Raven said as Koa snuggled her under her chin. “I’ve always wanted a nice cottage like this.”
Koa sighed in defeat. She flicked her bangs out of her eyes. Her mother loved it. It was official. This was their new home.
“Yes, Mother,” she grumbled. Koa pursed her lips. Raven gave her a look.
“Koa,” Raven whispered. “You cannot call me that, not even in private. You never know who is listening or spying on us.”
“She’s right,” Halston added. He opened the shutters on all of the windows and let even more light into the cottage. “Never let your guard down. Even at home.”
“Yes. I forgot. It’s hard to call you by a pet name.”
Raven purred. “It’s all right, darling. We just cannot take any chances. Our enemies think I am dead. We must keep it that way.”
The thought of someone finding her mother and harming her made her throat tighten with fear. “I understand.” She shoved horrible thoughts of her mother being killed out of her head and tried to distract herself. She looked around, trying to figure out where she would put all of her things. If Koa would be forced to live there, she could at least try to make it feel like home.
Halston hooked both thumbs in his belt loops and looked proud. “Right. I’m going to head back to the safe house. You get settled and meet me there at sunset. You’re with me again.”
Koa nodded as he left the house. She met Raven’s eyes. “Another mission tonight, Raven. Sure you will be all right here by yourself?”
Raven’s eyes glittered. “You underestimate me, Koa. You forget it was I who saved you the other night when those Syths had you running around like a chicken with its head cut off.”
“I know,” Koa said. “What would I do without you?”
Raven rubbed against her leg. “That’s something I hope we never have to worry about.”
4
Halston didn’t mind helping Koa find a new home. He enjoyed being needed. He sat in his car for a few moments contemplating her facial expression when he presented the cottage to her. It was obvious that she didn’t like it.
Now, he frowned and as he waited for her in the safe house. He leaned back in his desk chair. That young half-blood was hard to please. It was their joke that if something was too easy, then Koa lost interest pretty quickly. Finding a new home wasn’t easy. She didn’t like being around too many people. She loved her father’s manor, but things had changed. The Netherworld was catching up with her faster than he expected.
Halston had hoped that they would have more time to prepare. Now it seemed that Koa would have to face her demons a lot sooner than anticipated. He rubbed his temples. He did not think that she was ready.
A loud scream broke Halston from his thoughts. The sound seemed to come from far away, like an echo. There was desperation in that scream as it grew louder and closer. He felt the blond hairs on his skin stand on end.
Micka and Rohan both looked up from their work stations. They came to their feet in unison and reached for guns that were strapped underneath their desks.
Halston sat up and watched as Galena fell through the inkwell portal. There was a loud shriek as the black liquid spit her out onto his clean, white floor. Galena collapsed and Halston ran to her.
Halston left his seat and slid to Galena. He held her head up from the floor. Galena looked like a frail, crumpled rag doll. She was covered in blood. Her eyes were wet from crying and her blond hair was sticky with something foul.
“Don’t let him in!” Galena called out weakly. She squeezed her eyes closed and started to weep. Her entire body shook with her racking sobs.
Halston’s heart pumped with worry. He looked over his shoulder at the two agents that looked at him with fearful eyes. They lowered their guns. This was not normal… even for Netherworld agents.
“Get me a clean, wet cloth and some water!”
Rohan nodded and rushed to complete the task. Micka stood ready, with her gun pointed to the portal, in case someone followed Galena.
Halston pulled Galena’s hair from her face and she screamed. He withdrew and noted the bruises on her face and the cuts in the corners of her mouth. He drew a breath and looked at the inkwell portal. The portal stood in the center of the safe house. It was a large circular device held stationary by shiny black brackets. The portal was only supposed to be used in dire situations. There had to be a major emergency, for once a portal was revealed, the person escaping could easily be followed. The last thing Halston needed was a nephilim coming through that portal and causing havoc… or worse, damaging equipment in his laboratory. He wasn’t done with his latest invention.
He looked down to see Galena looking up at him. He held his breath. He’d rarely seen such terror in a person’s eyes. The way she looked at him spoke volumes. She had been frightened nearly to death.
“Galena,” he said. “What happened?”
Her face contorted and she started to cry again. Her sobs came from her soul. They were sorrowful, deeply hurt, cries of pain. Halston felt his skin grow cold. This woman was one of his best agents. She was human, but she was one of his best. From the poor streets of Russia, Galena had been orphaned early after vampires killed her parents.
Halston had found her just the way he found most of his Netherworld agents: angry, ready for revenge, and trying to seek that revenge in foolish ways. He had found her, trained her, and put her out there to be a spy. Halston had given her the tools to find her parents’ killers, and bring them to justice.
Halston didn’t seek out to simply kill all vampires and other nephilim, he tried to protect the humans. Sometimes that meant finding vampires that were willing to try a new life. Those vampires, like the Wryn clan, were open to finding ‘pets,’ people who sold their blood for money or care. They registered with his Netherworld Division, and lived their lives clean and free of murder and chaos. It wasn’t a perfect arrangement. There were still vampires that loved to kill, and resisted the Netherworld Divisions of the world that tried to bring order.
Rohan knelt down and handed Halston a wet towel. Halston wiped Galena’s face clean. She winced and jerked away. Like a frightened animal, she crawled far from both of them. Her eyes darted around the safe house.
“Did they follow me?” Galena’s voice came out ragged and almost too soft to hear.
Micka ran up with a bottle of water and paused when she saw Galena with her back pressed against the wall. Galena grabbed her by the leg. Micka’s almond-shaped brown eyes looked to Halston.
“Don’t let them hurt me anymore,” Galena begged.
Halston sighed and came to his feet. He didn’t move closer to Galena. She was too afraid, and he didn’t want to make the situation worse. He stood there and thought about what to do. She had been missing for about a week now. There was no telling what she had been through. He put his hands in the pockets of his trousers and looked down at Galena.
“Galena,” he said. “We won’t hurt you. You are safe. We are the only ones here. Rohan, Micka, you, and me.” He knelt down and looked at her with a small, friendly smile. “I’m Halston. You do remember me, don’t you?”
Galena tilted her head and stared at him. Her eyes were as big as saucers, and for a moment, Halston doubted that she recognized him. Her shoulders slumped and she slowly nodded. “Yes. I remember you, Halston.”
Hal
ston nodded. “Good. Good girl. You remember that I am your friend, and that I care about you, right?”
Galena let go of Micka’s leg. She ripped the black stockings the woman wore with her ragged nails. Halston noticed that her fingernails had blood caked into her cuticles. Micka adjusted her glasses but ignored her ruined stockings.
“I remember,” Galena said. She folded her legs and rested her head on the wall. She looked exhausted.
“What happened?”
She shook her head and her bottom lip trembled. “I’ve been through a lot in my life, Halston,” she said in a wavering voice. “But nothing like this.”
Galena looked from Rohan to Micka. “I will tell you,” she said. She met Halston’s eyes. “And only you.”
Micka and Rohan got the point. They both collected the files that they had been working on, and took them to a back room of the safe house.
Halston stood and walked over to Galena. He sat down beside her and looked toward the secret hatch door at the far end of the safe house. He didn’t want to sit right in front of her. Whenever someone did that, it just made the conversation feel like an interrogation. He wanted Galena to feel comfortable.
He reached for her hand and she flinched but didn’t run. Halston had a soothing effect. He took her hand and cradled it in his own. Somehow, that relaxed her.
Galena took a deep breath. “It was last Monday.” A tear fell from her eye. Halston gently brushed it away. He pulled her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I found the man you had me look for. Bund. I was surprised that he was a young guy, but that also made me feel a little more comfortable around him,” she said and looked to Halston. “You know what I mean?”
He nodded. He knew Bund’s game.
“But once he got me inside, he changed on me.” She hugged her arms and shifted her weight. Her brows furrowed. “There were so many of them, Halston. I told them, I would only sell my blood to the one you sent me for.” She closed her eyes. “But they didn’t listen.” Her voice lowered. “They locked me in there. Somehow, Bund knew I was coming. He knew you had sent me. He punished me.”