Carlos’ bleary eyes slowly focused on the woman above him, and as they did he paled. The albino woman had crimson eyes and lips, but everything else about her was pure white, from her sheer dress to the long white hair that was pinned back. She reached down to touch his lips with a finger, then pulled the crimson-stained digit back and smiled before slowly, almost languidly licking it off.
“N-no…” Carlos gasped, trying desperately to move away from the woman.
“Shh, Carlos. Don’t draw this out longer than you must,” Dreamer said, her voice a soft caress as she smiled at him, then leaned down to kiss him. As her lips met Carlos’, he stiffened as a shock almost like static rushed through him.
For a moment it seemed as though nothing was happening, but only for a moment. Suddenly his hopes and dreams flooded to the forefront of his mind, and he desperately grasped at them, but they seemed so distant. A stream of warmth began to flow out of him and into the villainess, and with it his dreams began to vanish one after another. Carlos felt his mind weakening and growing dark, as his twitching began to slow. The darkness surrounded him more deeply as he looked into the woman’s crimson eyes, and as his vision began to fade, he noticed something deep within her pupils.
As the darkness enveloped him forever, he saw his hopes and dreams, his very sense of self, within the woman… and he saw how Dreamer smiled, pulling away and licking her lips as she purred. “Ahh… nothing’s like the dreams of the innocent. Sleep well, Carlos.”
With her words, it was like the last strand holding Carlos in the world snapped, and the darkness engulfed him.
Monday, November 25th, 2030
Warden’s Home, Oakland
“I can’t believe no one spotted them before they hit the research center, not as easily as they managed it!” Gina growled, drumming her fingers restlessly on the vanity as she thought. A small part of her screamed to go out and try to find the villains, but she stepped on the impulse firmly as she continued. “Other than Dreamer and Ebon Dragon, none of those villains are known for their stealth, or… well…”
“Or their brains?” Rachel offered helpfully, smiling at Gina. Morgan’s civilian identity was that of Rachel Moore, and the two of them were old friends.
“Not a bad description, but I wasn’t going to say that. I think most of them aren’t given to putting in the planning that a job like that would require, though I think we’ve been underrating Megawatt. He’s a lot more dangerous than I think most people give him credit for,” Gina replied, looking at her friend in dry amusement. After she was sure her fingers weren’t trembling, she started applying makeup again. “So, do we have any idea what they were after? It might give us an idea of who hired them.”
“We know it was some experimental medical equipment, some sort of new cellular regeneration device and its documentation,” Rachel explained. “Supposedly it wasn’t even functional yet, so even most of the researchers are scratching their heads in confusion at its theft. They’re not too upset about that part, since they had data backups off-site and insurance will cover most of it, but the death of the guard has them in a bit of a panic. I really hate Dreamer and Heavy Metal. Those two are just sadistic, though at least Dreamer doesn’t usually kill people for the fun of it.”
Gina barely avoided a flinch at the two mentioned. Dreamer scared her far more than Heavy Metal, in part because no one was entirely certain about the full extent of her powers, but the brief description was more than enough to give her an idea of what had happened, and she set down the mascara with a wince. “Poor guy, I wish someone had been there for him. What about the rest? Anything else on the villain front?”
“Let’s see… Stinkbug was spotted in Chinatown, but Fulcrum caught up to him and managed to drive him out of town pretty quickly. Crimson and Galvanic caught a group of Black Harbinger’s goons trying to rob a bank in San Jose, and if you ask me, Galvanic went a bit overboard getting back for the explosion, but no one was hurt. It did take the cops nearly two hours to break through the rusted exterior of their getaway van, though. Spirit ran off a near-kaiju sized carnivorous sea turtle that was near the bay… and that’s about it,” Rachel rattled off, then blinked, smiling as she added, “You’re looking good, Gina. I think you needed the rest, whether it’s welcome or not.”
Glancing at her reflection, Gina studied herself. She was wearing an asymmetrical blue dress that covered her left shoulder to under her right arm, and the skirt followed the same pattern, while a blue sash circled her waist. She was wearing a pair of pearl earrings and a matching necklace, and she’d accentuated the colors with a hint of blue eye shadow. In some ways, she thought she was dressing up too much for going out to dinner, but Gina had to admit that part of the reason they were going out was to be seen and potentially find dates, so she couldn’t really complain. Besides, Rachel had already dressed up.
The other heroine was wearing a strapless dress that ended above her knees, which was simple, but sparkling red and tight-fitting. She’d chosen to wear a gold and garnet pendant and matching earrings, while her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun that she held in place with what looked like chopsticks, but which Gina suspected were wands.
“Thanks, I suppose. I really don’t like that I was forced to take time off, but I do think I’ve been feeling better in general,” Gina replied, picking up her purse and jacket, offering Rachel her own jacket as she asked, “You were thinking the Chinese place on Bay Street, right?”
“That’s right. I thought it’d be a nice change of pace from our usual,” Rachel confirmed, smiling as she pulled out her keys to unlock the car. Gina locked up, then followed after her.
“Sounds lovely to me. Their mongolian beef is wonderful, at least in my opinion,” Gina replied, putting away her keys and slipping into the car. Rachel just laughed as the car hummed to life.
Perhaps it was due to Lilith’s comments on the local traffic, but Gina noticed the trip was a bit chaotic, even though it only took about twenty minutes to get there. The thought made her smile and shake her head, amused. It was possible that Lilith had a point, but it still was better than a bus! Her smile vanished as they got to the restaurant, though.
“That… looks like it’s going to be a bit of a wait, doesn’t it?” Gina asked hesitantly, frowning at the crowded parking lot, and what looked like a line in the waiting area.
“Maybe so, but we’re here. I’d hoped it’d be quieter on a Monday,” Rachel admitted, frowning as she searched for a spot to park. “Give me a minute. We’ll just have to see what the wait’s like when we get inside.”
Gina nodded and sighed, sitting back. “You’re right. Hopefully it isn’t too long.”
They’d found a spot and had headed for the front door when Rachel suddenly stopped, staring into the restaurant. Gina had barely stopped when Rachel grabbed her arm and hissed, “Gina, look! What’s she doing here?”
The gesture Rachel made was entirely unnecessary, as Gina’s eyes sought out Lilith entirely on their own. Lilith was sitting inside the restaurant at a table on her own, wearing simple black slacks and a white blouse. The civilian looked bored as she sipped at a glass of soda, a menu sitting closed in front of her.
“Ahh… I’d say she’s getting dinner, from the looks of it,” Gina replied dryly, shaking off her surprise. As they watched, a man approached Lilith’s table, only to slow at a sharp look from the woman. “She’s also getting unwelcome attention, if I’m not mistaken. I remember that look from when she was at the gallery.”
“Yes, but why’s she here? This is the third time in less than two weeks that you’ve run into her, at the least. What’re the odds of that happening?” Rachel demanded, watching alongside Gina as the man finally gave up and retreated. Glancing at Rachel, Gina saw the look of sincere concern on her face, and sighed as she shook her head.
“Calm down, Rachel. Think about this a little.” Gina forced herself to speak patiently, smiling as she shook her head, teasing. “You teach mysticism, and know how thi
s works. Studies have shown that people with powers run into one another with a consistency that defies statistics. How else is it that people with powers seem to be in the area of a crime nearly half of the time? No one’s managed to explain it yet, but we know it happens.”
“I suppose so, but still… do you think we should go somewhere else?” Rachel asked, frowning as she admitted, “Running into her this often makes me nervous, even if that’s the case.”
“Why should we do that? I’ll bet you she’ll let us sit with her if we ask,” Gina countered, grinning. “You’re the one who suggested we come here, and if she lets us eat with her, it’ll get us past the wait. What do we have to lose?”
“Why are you so eager to sit with her?” Rachel asked, as she hurried to catch up to Gina. Gina glanced back at her friend, and saw more confusion than normal on her friend’s face. After a moment of thought, she shrugged in response.
“I think because she’s been really nice after I talked to her for a bit. Besides, it’ll help you figure things out, one way or another. I know she’s still under some suspicion,” Gina replied, opening the door for Rachel.
The foyer was more crowded than Gina had expected, and she stepped close to the podium where the host was standing. The man looked up and brightened at the sight of them, smiling politely. “Hello, ladies. We’re currently looking at a half hour waiting time. How many can I put you down for?”
Gina smiled and spoke calmly. “As a matter of fact, I saw an acquaintance with a couple of open spots at her table. Do you mind if I check to see if she minds some company, and come back if she doesn’t want us there?”
“That’s perfectly fine! Just let me know if you need to be added to the list,” the host replied with a relieved look.
“Thank you very much, I’ll do that.” Gina then went searching for Lilith’s table with Rachel following.
Rachel wanted to argue with Gina, but couldn’t. It was too loud and crowded in the restaurant, and they reached the booth where Lilith was sitting far too quickly. For a long moment it was obvious that the civilian hadn’t seen them, but then she looked up from the closed menu to see the pair of them and blinked. Surprise crossed Lilith’s face for only a moment, then she smiled happily at them.
This wasn’t the slight, formal smile that Lilith had given Morgan almost two weeks before. No, this smile was slow and heartfelt, the sight of it positively electrifying to see. Lilith’s eyes lit up, and Rachel felt her breath catch in her throat as her heart skipped a beat. The sight actually stirred interest in Rachel’s heart, as she seriously wondered whether Lilith might be worth pursuing.
While she’d been considering asking Galvanic Action out for a date, Rachel had been hesitant to risk it, considering that they were on the same team. The idea of dating a mundane was almost worse, though. She didn’t like the idea of trying to keep her identity secret, or of putting someone who couldn’t defend themselves at risk. The strangest thing was that Rachel had only rarely been attracted to women, Gina being one of the few that she’d felt something for, though her friend didn’t know about it. This was something new, and Rachel took a moment to force herself to breathe again.
“Why, Gina! I didn’t expect to see you again quite this soon. You’re looking lovely tonight,” Lilith exclaimed, looking pleasantly surprised as she looked over Gina, then Rachel. Her eyebrows rose, and she asked curiously, “How are you? And who might your friend be?”
“Thank you for the compliment, Lilith. I’m doing quite well, I think,” Gina replied, blushing slightly. “This is Rachel, a good friend of mine, and we just came out for dinner. Unfortunately, we didn’t expect the line, but I saw you had space at your table… do you mind if we joined you?”
“Go right ahead!” Lilith agreed, gesturing to the seats across from her.
Removing her jacket and sitting next to Gina, Rachel took a moment to compose her thoughts. Meanwhile, Lilith flagged down her server with an ease that Rachel could only envy. It was likely the other woman’s power that helped, but it was definitely useful in their situation.
“Rachel, this is Lilith Carpenter, the patron I told you about the other day. Lilith, I’d like to introduce Rachel Moore, a friend of mine since high school. She teaches at UC Berkley.” Gina introduced them, only to pause as the server reached their table.
“Hello, ladies, how can I help you?” the man asked, smiling brightly as he looked them over.
“These two are joining me for dinner, so would you please bring another pair of menus?” Lilith asked, glancing at him in amusement.
“Of course, ma’am, I’ll be right back,” the man replied, his voice seeming hopeful as he quickly walked off.
Once the man had stepped away, Lilith spoke again, looking Rachel in the eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel.”
“The pleasure is mine, Lilith,” Rachel replied, flushing slightly as she realized that it was true. Glancing at Gina, Rachel smiled wickedly, teasing as she continued. “Gina’s talked about you quite a bit over the last few days, actually.”
“Rachel!” Gina yelped, glaring at her friend in embarrassment.
Lilith chuckled and smiled radiantly, the woman’s attitude making Rachel feel more at ease, yet more uncomfortable at the same time. “I’m glad I made a good impression, Gina. At least I hope it was a good impression.”
Before they could reply, the server returned with their menus, handing them out as he asked, “Would you ladies like anything to drink?”
Lilith tapped the side of her mostly empty glass. “Another lemon seltzer, if you would.”
“I think… cola, please?” Gina replied after a pause.
“Lemonade for me.” Rachel sighed regretfully. She’d rather have ordered something else, but she was driving after this, and didn’t want to be intoxicated.
“I’ll be right back with those,” the server promised, quickly moving away to another of his tables. Rachel thought it was actually for the best that they were so busy, as otherwise he might loiter near their table more than they’d like.
As they opened the menus, Gina replied to Lilith’s previous comment. “You did make a good impression, at least on me. Some of the other patrons were irritated, though, and most of them are fairly wealthy.”
“Well, if they think I give a solitary damn what they think when they were being rude, I have beachfront property in the Sahara to sell them,” Lilith replied idly, not seeming to care, at least until she smirked, glancing up. “Though some of them have been trying to buy my company, or at least trying to find the owners. They don’t seem to realize I’m the sole owner of the company.”
“You own a company?” Gina asked, and Rachel thought her friend sounded honestly surprised. “I didn’t realize that!”
“That I do. Carpenter Microsystem Solutions, though I doubt you’ve heard of it. I created it by buying several promising start-ups, and it’s just finishing the full process of merging,” Lilith replied, glancing over her menu, then closing it and leaning back to let out a soft sigh. “See, I inherited a rather large trust fund, and decided to use a portion to try my hand at the stock market. Maybe it’s just how my brain works, but it ended up being simple for me. I’d thought it would be harder, but in the end I didn’t have any problems with it, and was quite fortunate. In fact, things went too well, and now I’m bored.”
“You’re bored, just after starting a new company?” Rachel asked, startled into looking up. “I’d think that would keep you busy for quite some time.”
“If I could actually run it, you’d likely be right. My so-called ‘gift’ was a disaster the few days I was in the offices, though. I distracted employees in the middle of delicate work every time I walked down the hallway,” Lilith explained, shaking her head. “Instead I hired a CEO to run it properly, and I look over emails, the books, and other documentation. I’m paying him well for the work, and as long as he doesn’t get greedy I think it’ll work out well.”
“I see. That would make things diffi
cult, I suppose,” Rachel admitted, mulling the subject over. Before she could speak, the server returned.
The man set down their drinks, then asked, “Could I get you ladies started with an appetizer?”
“I think I’m ready to order. How about you two?” Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow at Gina and Rachel.
“I’m ready, I think,” Gina agreed, frowning at the menu, then closing it.
“I am, too,” Rachel confirmed. She waited as the server pulled out his order pad, then said, “I’ll have the sweet and sour chicken, please.”
“An excellent choice,” he replied, noting it down and looking at Gina. “And you, miss?”
“I’ll have the mongolian beef, please,” she replied, smiling happily.
“As for me, I’ll try the sesame chicken,” Lilith told him, gathering the menus and handing them over.
“I’ll get the order put in right away, ladies,” the man told them, taking the menus and heading for the back, leaving them alone once again. Or at least as alone as they got in a busy restaurant.
“Oh, before I forget, I’m paying for the meal,” Lilith suddenly spoke, another small smile flickering across her face. It might have been small, but it was no less radiant than the one she’d had when she first saw Gina.
“What? Why would you do that?” Gina protested as Rachel nearly gagged on her drink. “You don’t have to do that! We both were planning on dinner tonight, and you helped us skip a half hour wait, too!”
“No, I don’t have to, and neither of you asked for it. I want to. Besides, you’re an artist, Gina, and Rachel’s a teacher, neither of which are the best-paying professions. On the other hand, I suspect I have more in liquid assets than both of you combined. I can afford to treat the two of you to a mere meal,” Lilith replied patiently, the smile not vanishing as she sat back. “Besides, I believe this is the first time in living memory that I’ve had a meal with other people that I think I like. Isn’t something like that worth celebrating?”
Born a Queen (Lilith's Shadow Book 1) Page 13