Life After Humanity

by Gillian St. Kevern

  Aki gripped the edge of the bed. “Such as?”

  “A secure door, ideally of steel or some other metal, that locks from the outside. A room without windows, or else a window so small that the wolf could not leap from it.”

  Nate’s heart sank. “We can’t organize a door like that in a day—and both our rooms have windows.”

  Aki’s shoulders sank in defeat. “My room’s six stories up. So what if there’s a window? If he jumped from that, he’d die. No way he’d endanger anyone but himself.”

  “But it wouldn’t satisfy the Registry, and if he doesn’t do that, Grant’s proved nothing.” Ben’s tone was matter-of-fact, but Nate thought there was something behind it. Gone was the hesitation of earlier. Instead of fidgeting, Ben’s hands rested by his side. His eyes dwelled with concealed sympathy on Aki.

  “You’ve got a plan.”

  Ben glanced at Nate, clearly startled. After a moment, he smiled, ruefully. “I do.” He turned back to Aki. “My father was a senior ARX employee, who worked closely with ARX’s inner circle of night-investigators.”

  “Vampires,” Nate translated.

  Again, Ben shot him a look. “He converted the walk-in closet in the spare bedroom to a secure room where a vampire could wait out the day in safety. There are no windows, and the door is reinforced with steel.”

  Nate stood. “You’re kidding. How did I not know about it?”

  “Normal people don’t outfit their apartments with rooms designed for vampires.” Ben ran his hand through his short hair and pulled a wry face. “I was trying to impress you with my ordinariness—” Aki smothered a laugh. Ben ducked his head. “I didn’t realize what a losing battle that was.”

  Nate glared at his friend. “Have you told Grant about this room?”

  Ben shook his head. “I’m making the offer to you. You know him better than I do, and it’s your call.” He hesitated. “There’s something else you should know.”

  “We’re all ears.” Aki waited.

  This time, Ben frowned at him. “It’s personal to Nate,” he said.

  Aki made no attempt to move. “You barged in here on a conversation that was personal to me and Nate.”

  “Don’t be like that.” Nate scratched the back of his neck. He could feel Aki’s eyes boring into him. “Whatever you have to say, you can tell both of us. Aki’s going to hear about it later anyway.”

  Ben hesitated. “All right. You know Wisner’s a councilor. He’s also New Camden’s head of security. His brainchild is the Final Register, the solution to all of New Camden’s supernatural problems. The idea is that in a situation like the necromancer, his name could be entered on the Final Register, and from then on, he exists only to himself. He can’t interact with or harm anyone else, meaning he is no longer a threat to anyone. The problem is that for the Final Register to be a successful deterrent, it has to be seen in action. So Wisner’s on the hunt for a suitable candidate.” Ben’s eyes fixed on Nate.

  Nate felt the gaze like a weight pressing down on him. “You’re telling me that could be me? I haven’t done anything.”

  “If you help Grant, you’ll be aiding an illegal supernatural,” Ben warned. “Yes, I know how unfair that is—but that is how Wisner will argue it. And you’re already a Class Three Unknown, with involvement in two Department Seven investigations. Wisner can use that against you—and get you put on his Final Register.”

  Nate swallowed. He felt the echo of his premonition again. Ben’s not here. He’s not anywhere. You’ll never see him again. “How do you know this?”

  Ben’s mouth was thin. “The work I’ve been doing on my own application. Let’s just say that Wisner is very adept at working the Registry.”

  “So all the problems you’ve been having—”

  “We’ve got bigger issues here than Ben’s questionable humanity.” Aki said abruptly. “You’re basically saying that if we choose to help Grant, we could be in major trouble.”

  Ben nodded. “I had to make sure you were aware of the risk.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Nate said. “We go with your decision, Aki.”

  “You’re sure? I mean—” Aki rubbed his arm. “Worst that could happen to me is that I lose my fortune-telling license. You—Class Three Unknown already sucks. This Final Register sounds serious.”

  Ben continued to watch him. “You should think carefully about this.”

  “I already have.” Nate drew a deep breath. “Helping people—it’s really important to me. I’ve ignored it for too long. I’m not going to ignore it any more. And Grant—if we help him stand up to his stepdad, we weaken Wisner’s hold on New Camden. That’s good for everyone.” He raised his eyes to Ben’s. “You’re not going to talk me out of this.”

  Instead of the frown he was expecting, Ben smiled. “I don’t want to. I just wanted to make sure you had all the facts.”

  Nate felt the pressure in his chest ease. “Really?”

  Ben nodded. “I think you’re right about Grant—and Wisner. Me…” He looked down abruptly. “I was so focused on proving my humanity that I ignored how much I enjoyed supernatural investigations. While George and I were investigating Grant’s disappearance, I felt alive—for the first time since we…parted.” He drew a quick breath. “I was trying to live safely, isolating myself from any danger. But you—you remind me that being human is about caring for others and that means taking risks. Whatever you decide, you have my support.”

  Nate felt his cheeks heat. He looked down, trying to keep his broad smile off his face, but knew he was unsuccessful. He means that? No, he knew Ben too well to think he’d make a statement like that without meaning it. “Sounds like we’re in agreement. Aki?”

  “As if I’m really going to be the one to rain on this parade.” Aki slid off the bed. “I’ll let Grant know the good news.” At the doorway, he turned around, waving a finger at both of them. “Just so you know, this had better be for keeps. I cannot deal with this constant roller-coaster ride of making up and breaking up.”

  “Aki—” Nate was too late. Aki was out the door before he could reach him. Nate turned to Ben. “Sorry about that. I know there’s no way…” He stopped.

  Ben’s smile was sad. “That’s my line. I mean, after what happened, it seems ludicrous to pretend that we could go back to how we were.”

  “That’s not happening,” Nate agreed. “But that’s because I’ve changed. Not my feelings—me.” He took a deep breath. “I thought I knew what being strong was. Turns out, I was playing a part. Trying to impress you—by ignoring that I need to care for people. I got carried away—but that’s not going to happen again.”

  Ben smiled thinly. “I discovered that holding myself apart from the supernatural didn’t help me find out who I was. I still don’t know who I am—but I know that I don’t want to be someone who stands on the sidelines while his friends risk everything to help those around them.” He took a deep breath. “You and me—we complement each other in weird ways. I can’t accidentally kill you if I lose control of the vampire. And the vampire—there’s no interest in feeding from people at all now.”

  Nate forced himself to breathe. He wasn’t sure where Ben was going with this. “You can’t be sure that will last.”

  “No,” Ben agreed. “But I’m starting to wonder if what I thought was a weakness is actually a strength.” He shook his head. “I’m going about this all wrong. What I want to say is that you’ve got really good instincts for helping people. I’ve got the knowledge of the supernatural. It strikes me that we could do a lot of good together. We could make New Camden safer and fairer for supernaturals.”

  It was more than he’d ever expected. More than Nate knew he had any right to hope for. But he stepped forward, standing right in front of Ben. “And us?”

  Ben colored. “I’m not stupid enough to think there could be an us. I know what I did was unforgivable—”

  “You’ve been fighting the vampire in secret for a really long t
ime,” Nate said. “A constant fight like that, you can’t possibly hope to win. So it makes sense that when the vampire broke through, you didn’t have the strength to resist him.”

  “Nate—”

  “Let me finish.” Nate put his hand on Ben’s cheek, turning his face up so that Ben’s eyes couldn’t escape his. “We’re stronger together. You keep me focused and put things in perspective. Me—if you leaned on me when you needed, maybe—”

  “Maybe I can find the strength to contain the vampire?” Ben stared at Nate. “You can’t possibly mean that.” His eyes searched Nate’s as if seeking confirmation of the doubt he knew must be there. And then he didn’t see it.

  “The worst has happened,” Nate said. “And I’m still here. And I still have feelings for you. You?”

  Ben leaned his head against Nate’s chest. He breathed in deeply, his hands settling around Nate’s waist. “I didn’t think there was any chance you could feel anything for me but disgust, and I was too scared to see repulsion in your eyes. I still—you’re still everything to me, Nate.”

  Nate ran his fingers through Ben’s hair. “We have been through the worst. If we can survive that… What are you afraid of?”

  Ben sighed. “When you put it like that—” He raised his face to Nate’s, his eyes closed.

  The kiss was hesitant, gentle. After the first meeting, Nate shut his eyes, content to let their bodies speak for them.

  Ben was hesitant in a way that Nate found heartbreaking, but he seemed to draw strength from his explorations. He brushed his mouth against Nate’s, as if expecting to be pushed away. It was Nate who deepened the kiss, keeping it gentle as he caught Ben’s lip between his own and held it.

  He could feel the tremor in Ben’s breathing and extended his other arm around his body to pull him tight. He felt Ben tense, felt the exact moment he chose to surrender, felt his mouth part to draw Nate in.

  Nate rested his forehead against Ben’s, feeling a warmth he hadn’t imagined he’d feel again. “I guess that settles that.”

  Ben snorted, but he smiled. “That settles that.”

  Nate knew they didn’t have time to waste, but it was almost more than he could do to raise his head and drop his arms from Ben. “We’d better go.”

  Ben nodded. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.” But as he turned toward the door, his hand sought Nate’s automatically.

  Nate swallowed. From Ben, that was a major admission of need. As they walked into the living room, Grant getting to his feet to greet them, Nate felt a renewed determination. Against all expectations, Ben had trusted him again—and he was not going to let him get hurt.

  Chapter Nineteen

  BEN MADE A slow, counterclockwise circuit of his apartment, scattering salt as he did. It was the final stage in a lengthy spell-casting. His shoulders ached from crouching to write runes in chalk on every possible entrance into the apartment, and he balanced a flaming candle in the hand holding the bag of salt. It was a precarious situation. His wrist hurt, but if he tried to adjust his grip, he risked burning himself. Just one more room to go. He pushed open the door to his father’s study.

  The bookcase stood open, revealing the concealed steel door and the room behind it. Aki and Nate were cleaning out the safe room.

  “Go easy on the air freshener!” Nate stopped scrubbing the floor to try to wave away a vanilla-scented cloud. “Some of us have to breathe, you know.”

  “It’s so musty.” Aki frowned, looking around the enclosed space. “I’m sure that can’t be healthy.”

  “There’s a ventilator grid above your heads,” Ben said. “I’ll make sure to have the air circulating, so everything’s fresh for Grant.” He paused to remember where he was in the ritual and began his slow circle of the study.

  Nate sat back on his heels to watch. “Better forget about vampires then, Aki. They all smell like that.”

  Aki frowned, reaching for a broom. “Has Hunter stayed here?”

  “He has. As a matter of fact, the room was built for him.” Ben caught the glance Aki sent him. “My father worked with him on a lot of investigations. They ended up using our apartment as a meeting point to review evidence.”

  “About Hunter,” Aki said with a casualness that fooled no one. “You don’t happen to know if he’s single or anything, do you?”

  “He’s way out of your league.” Nate stood, eying the finished floor with distinct satisfaction. “Forget about him. Grant cleaned up really nicely.”

  Ben glanced at Nate and then winced as wax dripped onto his wrist. He hastily righted the candle. That’s what I get for listening in! It’s none of my business if Nate thinks Grant is attractive—

  Aki chewed his lip. “I guess.”

  “You were all about his good looks at first. What did you call him?” Nate took a step back as Aki used the broom to clear up the inevitable spiderwebs on the ceiling. “A chiseled god?”

  “We’ve seen him pee, Nate. I mean, even leaving out everything else, that there is a potential deal breaker—”

  Ben froze.

  “He was a dog at the time.”

  “It still counts. Also, licking his own balls—”

  The doorbell rang twice in rapid succession.

  Thank god. Ben blew out the candle, putting the bag of salt down on his father’s desk. “I’ll get it.”

  The doorbell rang twice more as Ben made his way to it. He was not entirely surprised to open the door on Gunn, leaning against the bell. “What’s the matter? Ran out of underlings to bully?”

  Gunn bared his teeth in greeting. “We’ve had a very interesting report of your activity. What’s this I hear about wild dogs fighting in the street outside your apartment?” His eyes raked over the apartment, lingering on George and the collection of knives she was polishing at the table, before looking at the fresh rune marks and scattered salt. “Smells of magic. You picked an interesting day to redo your runes.”

  Ben came to a quick decision. “You’d better come inside.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Gunn swaggered through the door. “What links this sudden surge of activity with a very interesting altercation between what sounds to me like a wolf pack known to the authorities, and a complaint by Councilor Wisner of a man seeking entrance to his compound?”

  “Don’t act like you don’t know.” Ben folded his arms. “I said I’d find the missing wolf—and I have.”

  “What?” Nate’s exclamation was startled. “Were you—”

  “Planning to turn Grant over to the authorities this entire time?” Aki’s hands were formed into fists and he took a step toward Ben. “I can’t believe you—”

  “Calm down.” Grant’s barked order sent silence over the entire apartment. Aki slowed to a halt, and even Gunn paused to size him up. “Let Ben speak. We haven’t heard him out yet.”

  Deep within, the vampire snarled. The pup thinks he can give orders in my own apartment? He will find out how mistaken he is!

  Aware of the vampire, Ben found it easier to separate its thoughts from his own. He took a moment to thrust back the instinctive need to assert himself. “I agreed to find the wolf. I never agreed to turn him over. As a matter of fact, I’ve invited Grant to stay here.” Ben waited until Gunn’s attention had returned to him. “According to the Auckland protocol, a werewolf has the right at any stage to request emancipation from his pack, providing that he can prove that he is of age and has the means to do so without endangering anyone. I can provide Grant with those means—”

  “No can do, Benny. With the full moon so close and rumors of a fight between transformed wolves in a public place, the mayor’s announced a state of emergency. The city wants this pup in custody.”

  “As soon as you arrest him, Wisner’s going to take him back to the compound.”

  “Boo-hoo. You know better than to take me for some bleeding heart. This pup has been giving my entire department a headache for the last three weeks, and I’ve had his loathsome stepfather breathing down my neck t
he whole time. Even if I cared, what could I do?”

  “Wisner’s broken the law,” Ben said. “He’s launched a deliberate campaign of intimidation against New Camden’s hotel owners, scaring them out of giving Grant shelter. That exceeds his authority both as councilor and pack leader.”

  “I’m not feeling it. He’s already claimed special privileges in order to bring the pup to heel. Claims he has knowledge about Grant the rest of us don’t.”

  “Withholding information from Department Seven,” Ben said. “Deliberately undermining the department’s authority in the process.”

  Gunn’s eyes glittered. “What do you think will happen if I fail to show up with the pup? Especially once it’s known I had him in my grasp. I’ll be sacked instantly—and Kenzies will be out tonight for the full moon. There’s no one to lead the department.”

  “Tell the council you’re satisfied with Grant’s arrangements for the full moon.”

  “I’ve got my paperwork here,” Grant said. “All I’m lacking is the security check.”

  Gunn studied him a long moment. “Let’s see it then.” Grant held out the papers, and Gunn snatched them. He raised an eyebrow as he thumbed through them. “You’ve been sitting on this application awhile.”

  Grant held himself still with difficulty. His nostrils flared—evidently he was finding Gunn’s pernicious odor a challenge. “It’s kind of hard to file paperwork in a timely manner when your stepfather has wolves stationed outside the Registry office to stop you.”

  Gunn’s eyes glittered. “That a fact?”

  “You can verify it easily,” Ben said. “I bet Wisner’s sudden concern for the safety of the Registry dates from Grant’s decision to go after independence.”

  Gunn shook his head. “If I’m going to stick my neck out for this pup, I want more. At the moment, it’s just your word against his, kid. Wisner’s got an entire city behind him.”

  “You know Wisner,” Nate said. “You’ve got to know that there’s been something underhanded about this entire thing. I was there at Department Seven. I saw the way he refused to answer questions or even give you the basic information to do your job.”