Life After Humanity

by Gillian St. Kevern

  “You’re telling me. What on earth did you think you were doing—sheltering a known fugitive?”

  Ben winced. He couldn’t blame Diya for being upset. “Grant’s a great guy and thoroughly undeserving of the grudge that Wisner has against him. And once he passes the full moon and is able to appear in public without Wisner being legally allowed to drag him back to the pack compound, he’ll be able to give his side of the story. Just wait until tomorrow—”

  “We don’t have until tomorrow. Wisner’s called a hearing on your status for right now.”

  The kitchen swayed around him. Ben slid into the nearest kitchen chair.

  “Ben? Speak to me—this is too important to hang up on! Ben!”

  “I’m here.” Ben shut his eyes. He felt sick. His stomach twisted and his skin felt clammy. His mind replayed Wisner’s satisfaction, his thinly veiled threats making a horrible kind of sense. “This is his revenge.”

  “There’s still time to stop it. He has to wait for the mayor and Hartman to arrive. I’m on my way to pick you up now. Wisner’s not expecting you to make it here in time to defend yourself. There’s still a chance that we can win this.”

  The kitchen door opened. Nate looked in on him, his expression creased with concern as he took in Ben. He put the spider fern he was holding down on the kitchen table, pulling the door shut behind him.

  If I leave—they’ll be on their own against Wisner. Ben swallowed. “What if I don’t show up?”

  “Then you’ll be sentenced in absentia. Wisner will be able to paint your no-show as a further sign of contempt—”

  “Okay. I’ll come.” Ben ended the call.

  “Going somewhere?” Nate’s voice was incredulous. “Now? From what Aki says, it was only your wards keeping Wisner from dragging Grant out of the apartment.”

  Ben winced. “I—have to go. It’s the hearing for my application.”

  “Now? During a state of emergency?” There was a dawning comprehension in Nate’s eyes. “This isn’t any ordinary hearing is it?”

  “I didn’t want to tell you, but things are really serious. Wisner’s involved and he’s using me helping Grant as proof that I’m dangerous. If I don’t show up for this hearing, well—he can pretty much do what he likes and I can’t stop him.”

  “Shit.” Nate’s hand rested on Ben’s shoulder. “You should have said. If I’d known, there’s no way—”

  Nate’s hand felt warm, despite the clamminess of Ben’s skin. He put his hand over it, discovering that its warmth eased something of the sick feeling he felt. “And that’s precisely why I didn’t tell you. I’m not letting Wisner push me around—and neither should Grant.”

  “It’d be like him to have something dirty planned.” Nate picked up his jacket. “I’m coming with you—”

  Ben took a deep breath. “No. You’re not.” He looked up, meeting the hurt and worry in Nate’s eyes. “Grant needs you here. Wisner doesn’t know about you—he doesn’t know what you’re capable of, so he doesn’t have a plan for you. You can help Grant—and Grant’s really going to need your help.”

  Nate’s shoulders sagged. “And you don’t. Is that it?”

  Ben didn’t think he’d ever felt more for Nate than that moment. “There’s nothing I want more than to take you up on your offer. Trust me. But Grant needs you more.” He stroked Nate’s arm, his fingers lingering over Nate’s.

  Nate turned his hand up, capturing Ben’s fingers within his own. He looked at Ben, his hazel eyes capturing Ben’s gaze. “You promise me you’re not just saying that—staying here is truly what you want me to do?”

  Ben nodded. “You—you said you pushed yourself, trying to prove yourself to me. Now it’s my turn to show you what I’m capable of.” A car’s horn sounded in the street below. “That’s probably my ride.”

  Nate didn’t let go of his hands. “You remember my premonition. The feeling I had that I wasn’t going to see you again. It’s back. And it’s really strong. Ben—” Nate’s arms folded around him and he was pulled into a hug. “We only just put things right between us.”

  Ben swallowed. He shut his eyes, sealing in his mind how Nate smelled, the feeling of his chest moving against Ben’s. “I still have to go.”

  Nate’s fingers tightened around him. “Even if it means you might not come back?”

  “If I go, I have a chance. If I stay, I have none.” Ben took a deep breath. “My case is—complicated. There’s a good chance that I’m not going to win this. And if that happens, I need someone on the outside to fight for me.” He placed his hand on Nate’s cheek. “I need you, Nate.”

  Nate let go of him. “There’s more to this than you’ve told me.”

  Ben nodded. “My case worker is Diya Patel. If I’m not back by tonight, look her up. She’ll explain everything.”

  He stepped out into the living room. Grant looked up, an obvious question in his eyes, and George and Charlotte paused their discussion of a spell. “You’re going out? Now?”

  “I don’t have a choice,” Ben said. “Wisner’s pulling strings at the Registry. I have to defend my classification.” He looked around at his companions. “There’s the possibility that he’s going to try something similar with the rest of you. Be ready for anything.”

  “We’ll come with you—” Grant started.

  “You’re safe only so long as you’re within my apartment,” Ben said. “You’re staying put, Grant.” He looked at Nate. “I’m trusting you to hold the fort here.”

  Nate nodded. He didn’t look happy, but the gaze that met Ben’s was determined. “You can count on me.”

  Ben felt some pressure in his chest ease. “I do.” It was the truth.

  “YOU’RE FAR TOO calm.” Diya gripped the steering wheel, glaring at the red light in front of them. “You must grasp the seriousness of the situation.”

  “I do. If we can’t convince Wisner’s committee, I’m looking at the Final Register.” Ben rested his hands on his lap. “We’ve done everything we can to prepare.”

  The light changed, and Diya’s car surged forward. “I really don’t like this situation. Calling the case so suddenly—he’s got something up his sleeve.”

  “Hoping that we wouldn’t have time to complete our documentation,” Ben said. “He doesn’t realize how efficient you are.”

  Diya winced. “Even with Department Seven’s clearance, I’m worried. Here.” She pulled up outside the Registry. “You go straight in. I’ll park and join you.”

  The men on guard outside the Registry straightened as Ben approached, snarling as they recognized him. “You—”

  “Have an appointment.” Ben smiled tightly. “I believe Councilor Wisner is expecting me.” He was past them and down the corridor before they could stop him.

  The first man made a grab after him, but his companion stopped him. “So what if he goes in? It’s not going to help his case any.”

  Probably accurate. Ben took a deep breath and retraced his steps to the hearing room. Still, I can’t think like that. If I give up, then there is nothing stopping Wisner from succeeding.

  The wooden doors to the hearing room swung open silently at Ben’s touch. He stepped into the room to find Wisner holding forth to the mayor.

  “Understand that he failed to meet with his appointed counselor, in addition to an appointment made by his own advocate with a legal representative. In those circumstances, I don’t think we can count on Hawick showing himself. In fact, given his obvious disrespect toward authority, I think we should continue without any further delay—”

  “I’m here,” Ben announced. “I’m sorry if I’m late. I heard about the change in my hearing time from my advocate. If there was a message sent to me, I didn’t get it.”

  Wisner’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t comment.

  The mayor looked up sharply. “Take the stand, Hawick. Wait till you’re addressed.” She looked to the empty seat to her side. “Hartman’s not here.”

  “My aide is trying to rea
ch him. I’ve also had a car sent to his residence and one to his office. We’ll find him. In the meantime, we can’t allow legalities to delay us. The city’s security is at stake, your honor. With Department Seven gone, we need to make a strong statement to supernatural miscreants. We need to show them that we will not allow them to hold the safety of our citizens hostage to their own whims.”

  Ben laid his palms against the wooden lectern. The smooth polished wood, steady beneath his skin, made him think of Nate’s strength. “I protest. I have done my best to provide the documentation the Committee requested of me. Getting declared safe by ARX is hardly threatening anyone—”

  “ARX cleared you?” The mayor looked up sharply.

  Ben held up his folder of papers. “I’ve also got my Department Seven report and a psychiatric assessment.”

  “Bring me that.” The mayor waited as one of the Registry staff, another wolf, snatched the folder from Ben and, after a glance at Wisner, placed it before her. She thumbed through the papers, frowning. “Hawick’s telling the truth. ARX seems to have done a very thorough investigation—”

  “Of course ARX would clear him. He has history with ARX—” Wisner’s growl was checked by the glance the mayor gave him.

  “ARX is the last organization to let personal bias sway their decisions,” Ben said quickly. “And they’re at pains to disassociate themselves from anything to do with the necromancer incident. If there was even the slightest hint of something untoward in my interview and tests, they’d have taken full advantage of it to distance themselves from me. The fact that they haven’t—”

  “Is significant.” The mayor leaned back. “Why did you miss these appointments?”

  “I was sick.”

  “Can you prove that?”

  Ben winced. “No.”

  Wisner grinned in triumph, before bending to the mayor, adopting a conversational tone. “Even if we give Hawick the benefit of the doubt, you can’t get around the fact that he is hiding a known fugitive in his apartment. I visited him myself. I saw the rogue werewolf there in his living room. And I have witnesses to prove it.”

  The mayor’s head jerked up. “The rogue werewolf?”

  Ben gripped the edge of the lectern. “As far as I’m aware, there are no criminal charges laid against Grant. He is within his rights to leave his pack—a fact that his stepfather seems very anxious to overlook.”

  The mayor looked at Wisner. “You failed to mention that the missing werewolf is your stepson.”

  “I treat him as I treat any other member of the pack. Our familial status doesn’t earn him any special treatment.” Wisner tugged at his collar. “I saw no reason that the investigation should be hampered by any possible concerns about loyalty to myself.”

  “So the fact that Grant is also an alpha wolf and becoming increasingly more confident, while you know yourself to be declining in power, has nothing to do with your persecution of him?”

  Wisner snarled. “Silence!”

  “I give the orders.” The mayor’s voice rang out sharply. “Councilor, get control of yourself.”

  For a moment, Ben thought Wisner was too far gone to obey. His face was flushed with anger and he stared at Ben, his fury naked in his eyes. With an effort, he contorted his face into a smile and sat down.

  The mayor turned back to Ben. “Continue, Mr. Hawick.”

  Ben took a deep breath. “This is Grant’s second attempt to leave his pack. The first time, he was dragged back to Wisner’s compound from his new residence and imprisoned for weeks. This time, he has been driven into hiding by an organized campaign by Wisner’s pack, ensuring that no hotel or pound would offer him shelter. Grant was prevented from lodging his appeal for independence by the wolves stationed around the Registry—wolves loyal to his stepfather and who had a vested interest in having him recaptured. He’s committed no crime and has made every effort to legally free himself from his pack—all of which is his right to do.”

  Wisner smirked. “Do you have any proof to back up these outrageous claims?”

  “Grant’s application was filed with the Registry,” Ben said.

  “An application filed after he was discovered is hardly proof—”

  “Both of them.” Ben continued. “Grant’s application was lodged last year at the start of the university year. That’s how you found out about his plans, wasn’t it, Councilor? Through your position on this board.”

  The mayor raised her head. “You did seem awfully astonished. Hartman remarked on it at the time.”

  “Of course, I was astonished. You don’t know the boy like I do.” Wisner stood. “As pack leader, I have to take personal responsibility for the actions of all of my pack. And Grant is simply too reckless to strike out on his own. Besides, it is not my stepson’s application we’re reviewing here, but yours, Mr. Hawick.” He turned to the mayor. “Hawick once again demonstrates that he feels perfectly justified taking the safety of the city into his own hands. He is willful, disobedient, and thoroughly misguided. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was his influence that was behind Grant’s rebellion.”

  The mayor frowned. “You haven’t proved that he poses a threat to the city.”

  “A threat! What do you call the current crisis if not a threat? We have hunters converging on a private residence—an apartment building Hawick owns—in pursuit of my stepson, and the only organization ready to deal with supernatural threats disbanded. We need decisive action, or we’ll see a repeat of the necromancer riots. The Final Register is the only way to prevent widespread panic.”

  The mayor didn’t move. Her hesitation was clear.

  Wisner glanced at the clock. “We don’t have much time. It’s going to be full moon soon. And once night falls, there will be nothing preventing the rogue werewolf from laying waste to the city. You need to instigate a citywide curfew.” He looked down at the mayor, and his lip curled. “Your predecessor hesitated and lost control of the situation. You can’t afford to make the same mistake.”

  The mayor stood. “You’ll find me equal to any emergency, Wisner,” she snapped.

  Ben realized, with a lurch, that she walked toward the library. He hopped down the lectern steps. “Don’t the three members of the committee need to reach a unanimous agreement to put a name on the Register?”

  The werewolf nearest him grabbed him before he could follow.

  Wisner turned back. “Not in a state of emergency,” he said. “In the current circumstances, the decision is in the mayor’s hands.”

  The mayor stepped forward to the book placed on the desk. “Mr. Bennet Hawick, you have failed to convince the committee that you do not pose a threat to the safety of New Camden’s citizens. You have been found guilty of plotting to destroy public peace and conniving against the institutions governing this city. For this reason, you are hereby entered into the Final Register.”

  With every movement of her pen, Ben felt the air press down on him. “But this is absurd! I’ve done nothing—except not be a vampire!”

  There was a sudden rush of wind. The mayor started back as the pages of the book rippled and then the book slammed shut. The wind surged around the room, rushing through the open door. Ben heard the thundering of hundreds of pages turning at once.

  “Bennet Hawick,” the mayor shouted to be heard over the rising sound, “you exist only to yourself.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “THE NUMBER YOU have dialed is not in use.” The electronic voice said with bland efficiency. “Please check the number you wish to dial and try again.”

  Nate looked down at his phone. The number was entered into his contacts but the name was blank.

  “Who are you calling?” George raised her crossbow, testing her line of sight from the living room window.

  “Good question.” Nate hesitated and then dropped his phone into his pocket. “I know I had someone in mind, but now—” He shook his head. “My mind’s blank.”

  “Gunn?” Aki suggested. “Maybe he’d have a
clue what to do now we’ve got every hunter in New Camden camped on our doorstep.”

  “How did they even find us?” Nate placed a hand on Aki’s shoulder, looking down at the street below.

  The hunters weren’t even trying to be discreet. They were blocking the road, standing with arms crossed and their weapons clearly visible in the center of the footpath and on the road. Others had taken up sniper positions on the roofs of the surrounding buildings. Passing pedestrians did their best to give them a wide berth, but those unlucky enough to look as though they might want to enter the apartment building were subject to an intense interrogation.

  “Wisner. Naturally.” Grant stood in the doorway of the safe room. “He doesn’t care if civilians get caught in the cross fire. It’ll be just one more thing he can use to justify him seizing power.”

  “Stay where you are,” Nate said immediately. They’d discovered the presence of the hunters outside when Grant had stepped too close to a window. The building’s wards had prevented the bolt from breaking the glass, but they’d all been given a fright.

  Grant raised his hands in a gesture of frustration. “I hate this. Standing by while other people are in danger, knowing it’s my fault but not being able to do anything.”

  “There’s a difference between ‘your fault’ and what’s going on here,” Vazul’s voice drifted in from the other room. “And it’s a pretty big difference.”

  Grant turned to speak to Vazul and as he did, the building seemed to sway. Grant stumbled, clutching the doorframe. Aki stumbled, grabbing Nate’s arm to steady himself. George’s crossbow swung wildly and she swore, just managing to keep her feet.

  “What was that? An earthquake?”

  “We don’t get earthquakes,” Aki said. “Pretty much every variety of supernatural disaster, sure, but not earthquakes.”

  Charlotte came dashing into the room. “Something’s happened to the runes.”