Sparks and Flames

by CS Patra

  “We’ll do better.” He heard the whole group mutter.

  “Yes, I should hope so,” Kian didn’t try to hide his disdain. “The last attempt was pathetic. I expect far better out of everyone. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Lieutenant.” The whole room echoed. “We won’t let you down.”

  “Good. Now we may need a new strategy as he won’t be in the same place tonight. This other place has no private areas he can run to.”

  The rest of the room looked frightened as they watched him walk up and down the aisles. He walked just like a high-ranked officer would walk. It was very rigid and didn’t have a bounce to it. He didn’t move his hips from side to side. His weighty utility belt stayed in place around his waist. It was made of metal with many compartments and buttons, but he walked around like it wasn’t weighing him down. In the belt, he kept various tools and weapons such as tracking devices, explosives, a flashlight, a gas mask, a grappling hook, wire, and other small gadgets of his creation. His favorite weapon, however, was the knife hidden in his right boot. That was his pride and joy right there. If Rukia and her sister hadn’t interrupted, he would have broken it out and stabbed Oda in the neck. He still cursed himself for not being fast enough that night.

  There was nothing he could do about Rukia. The more he thought about her, the more his heart seemed to flutter. The smile slowly crept up on his face as he imagined lying on the beach with her next to him. There they would be, bronze body against pale body, watching as birds flew high in the sky and clouds rolled by. He let out a happy sigh as the room went quiet. He didn’t know what it was about her but she could set his soul flying. People were still staring at him as he moved around.

  “What is it?” He wanted to know, growing irritated at all the eyes glued on him. “What’s so interesting about me today?”

  “You’re still blushing, boss.” A person from the back pointed out. “I can see it from here. Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just…” He took a deep breath. There was no point in keeping this a secret since everyone could see it. Dominica had told him that he had the look of love on him. “I think I’m in love. That’s all.”

  That was what got everyone’s attention. “You’re in love?”

  “That’s what I think. I didn’t say I was in love for sure. It’s not a big deal so don’t make it one,” he said. “She’s a special girl though.”

  “A special girl, huh?” Dominica gave him a smirk. “Well, I have not heard much about this special girl. Where is she from?”

  “Not here, that’s for sure. I’m not entirely certain where she’s from,” he lied. “I just know that she wasn’t born in the Velt like we were. She lives in the bigger cities.”

  “So what was she doing down here?”

  “Nothing. She was just a guest at that party,” he said. “I know it feels sudden and it’s wrong of me to get caught up with my emotions. Despite what I may be feeling for her, I’m still your leader and we still have a job to do. The last one was incredibly sloppy from all of you. He got away because no one came to back me up in time.”

  The others looked ashamed so he softened up his gaze. He knew that the reason they weren’t able to back him up was because they were holding off Oda’s guards. “I know this wasn’t entirely your fault though. I know you’d never let me down so you’re going to finish what was started before. Am I right?”

  “That’s right.” The whole room echoed. “We will succeed.”

  “That’s what I thought,” he said. “Now we’re still divided in the same two groups. If you are in Group Alpha, you will continue to take down the underground passage. I heard that you started but you didn’t get much done. Now is the time for you to finish what you started. Group Beta, we are going to the next party. This time, we are not going to spend much time mingling with the guests. If someone asks about you, try to be as cool and collected as possible. I will be on the hunt for Oda. In fact, I’m not going to follow the rest of you inside of that mansion. I’ll be on the outside and looking for a way in. Judging from the house’s layout, the safest way to get in is through the pool room.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  Everyone seemed far more interested in his love life tonight than getting the mission. He was already annoyed with how they were whispering and giggling as he walked by. It just wasn’t polite as he was their leader.

  “Will you all please pay attention?!” He snapped. “Since when did my love life become so interesting to all of you?”

  “Since you fell in love, boss.” Someone said. “It’s okay to admit that you are in love, you know. It doesn’t mean you aren’t strong or tough. It’s just proof that you have a heart and you care about someone.”

  Kian bit his lip. “I’ve always had a heart despite what people say about me. I’ve always been able to care for someone. This is nothing new. I want you all to stay focused on your mission. Is that clear? Forget about what I’m going through right. Forget about anything that I’ve said.”

  He had told them to forget but it was the one thing that was on everyone’s mind. They knew that Kian had fallen for someone and he wasn’t going to hear the end of it. Even after the meeting was over, he was getting tips from people on how to treat a woman on a date.

  “Make sure you pull her chair out and open doors for her. Show her that chivalry isn’t dead!”

  “You should pull your wallet out to show that you can pay for the meal.”

  “Take her somewhere that the two of you can talk. A movie is not a good idea because you can barely have any conversation there.”

  “Yes, yes, I hear you all,” Kian waved at them. “Good night and I will see you at the next meeting. I hope you’ll be prepared to discuss battle strategies and not what’s going on in my life. As far as I’m concerned, it’s more important than who I plan to date.”

  Several girls giggled as he glared at them. They scurried off, saying their goodbyes, while he watched them. He was not going to survive this. He should have kept his mouth shut and just lied about the blushing.

  That would have been hard though. He thought to himself. They can all see how red I turned. I can’t hide the way I feel anymore. Even the people in the back could see that I was blushing. I had to tell them the truth.

  Soon he was all alone in that room with his thoughts. He needed to tell Rukia the truth now. Some things were better if they were in the open.

  He hoped she was ready for the bombshell he was about to drop on her.

  Chapter 8

  The moment to kill Oda came around and Kian was anxious to get his hands around the man’s neck. He had been having dreams about murdering him for nights now and he was always waking up disappointed. It made him sick to know that Oda was still around and walking while there were people who were dying. It just didn’t feel fair to him. Nothing about the people living on the hills was good. The only thing he liked was Rukia. She was one of those rare gems found in a mountain of dirt. He supposed that her family could also be good, but Rukia was crown jewel for him.

  Group Alpha was already on their way while Group Beta was getting ready for the party. The only one who was ready to hunt was Kian himself. He was the only one who would be outside as the others provided a distraction. This time, he wanted to get Oda on his turf and take him down. He felt good about this mission. Tonight, he was not going to fail.

  Kian took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. He felt like a predator hiding in these bushes. He slowed his breathing down so that no one could hear him. Reaching into his boot, he pulled out his favorite knife. All his clothes and equipment weighed him down but he knew he could be fast. He knew that if time called for it, he would be able to run. Of course, he wasn’t the kind of man to run from a fight. He made himself a promise that he would throw every punch and kick that he had. As long as he could breathe, he could fight.

  Now he fiddled around with the earpiece and tried to get it to work. “Can any
of you hear me?”

  “Yes, boss. Copy that.” Several voices replied.

  He was waiting outside while the others checked out the party. Right now, he just needed the perfect opening. There were more guards in this house so he knew that Oda was prepared. He clearly didn’t want anything to interrupt this party like last time.

  “How are things on your end, boss?” Someone asked him.

  Kian looked around the area. “It’s quiet. A little too quiet for my tastes,” he saw the pool room in the corner and had an idea. “I’m going to enter through another way. It might be better if I get in the house too.”

  “All the doors are blocked, boss.”

  “All but one. There’s a door that leads to the pool room,” he explained. “Knowing the party guests, I doubt anyone will be there now. The pool is closed for the season.”

  “Roger that. Be careful out there.”

  “You worry about yourself. I’ll talk care of me,” he said, getting out of the conversation and looking down to where the pool room was. He saw no guards in the area so he could easily run down to it. However, he was a hunter. He needed to be swift but quiet. He couldn’t be seen by anyone. He had gotten lucky last time thanks to Rukia and Midori. It wouldn’t happen again.

  Rukia. Her name was burning on his lips. He didn’t know if she was an angel or not, but it felt like she had come down to save him. She looked angelic as well with her blue-streaked hair, wide eyes, and soft skin. She appeared by his side and kept him safe the way a guardian angel did. From there, he got to know her. In a way, he began to love her.

  If I truly love her, then I need to tell her the truth. He told himself. I can’t drag her into my life without letting her know what she’s getting into.

  He cared about her too much to let her fall into this type of field. Hunters were the very best out there and they didn’t stop hunting. Even after they retired or quietened, there was always a part of them that was out to get something. If Rukia couldn’t handle this part of his life, then how could she be with him?

  No, she needs to know this. He told himself. The next time I see her, I will tell her. I’ll bring it up slowly and I will get her to understand.

  He looked down at his clothes and wondered how he could show up in this. These were the clothes of a killer. Even though he was unmasked, he still looked like he was going to kill something. He wore all black solely so no one could see the blood that stained his clothes. He had to wash them on his own because neither of his parents wanted to touch them. They allowed him to be a hunter but that didn’t mean they had to clean any of his things. As for his weapons, he took care of them. He was careful when he dealt with explosives and anything that could be considered dangerous. He always kept the weapons locked away so no one would accidentally find them. The last thing he needed was someone dying by accident.

  He touched the dirt and wasn’t too surprised to see how clean this lawn was. It was nothing like the dirt on the Velt. Anyone that was lucky to have a lawn would never have it this well-maintained. They’d struggle to make sure that it looked presentable. Everything about Calensa was the exact opposite of the Velt. He didn’t get a chance to appreciate the beauty about this place. This was the kind of home that his family should have been living in. He could only imagine what kind of childhood he would have had if this was his house. He would run down the halls, laughing and playing around. He would have had so many toys and things to play with. He would be innocent and completely unaware of the things happening outside of his home. In some ways, growing up in the Velt was a good thing. He was awake and aware of what no one else knew. He had been taught early to avoid Elementals.

  Getting up, he dug the toe of his boot into the dirt and made a little mark. This was where he was going to be right now. He needed to wait till the party had died down a little before going in. There were so many guests in there that his only option was to get into the pool room. There would be no one guarding that and no one was planning to take a swim here. He could waltz in and no one would know. Yes, that was the plan. He had to go in through that room. Breaking into to it would be no problem. He had cracked locks before and he could do it many more times. He kneeled by the door and slowly unlocked it, stepping into the pool room. There was no one around so he was in the clear. He thought about getting up to the bedroom and slitting Oda’s throat. He could do it while no one was watching.

  The one thing that Kian didn’t realize was that he wasn’t alone in this room. If he had turned on the lights, he would have seen the person lying in one of the chairs. Not only that, he would have recognized her.

  He would have known who she was simply by the shape of her body and the blue streaks in her hair.

  Chapter 9

  Rukia hated the fact that she had to go to another party. Oda had invited everyone from Calensa to this one and she was now bored. It was the same affair. All the rich people would be hanging around and trying to mingle with each other. She was tired of mingling with the same old people and wished that Midori was here. At least her sister was someone that she could talk to.

  Her mind was on Kian. The poor thing was probably back in the Velt and struggling to do something tonight. However, he still had some freedom to go out and do something different. She was stuck over here. Oda was throwing yet another party and she was the only one who had been invited to it. Midori had a cricket match to play and her parents had no interest in this party. Still, they didn’t want to appear rude so they sent Rukia over.

  She didn’t mind the party so much, but it got boring from time to time. She wanted to be alone for the next few minutes so she excused herself. There were too many people around and she wanted some quiet. Some of the party guests asked her to stay behind, but she took her drink and left the room. The party was becoming too much for her. She needed a place where she could stay and clear her mind.

  Rukia had decided to retire into the pool room and rest in one of the chairs. The noise was a little too much out there. She wanted some time to think about Kian and wonder what he was up to tonight. She hoped that he didn’t have another run in like the one with Oda. Midori had given Oda a beating to last him a lifetime. He would know better than to try and cross paths with her again.

  Being at another party was not what she wanted. The worst part was that a sober Oda was there tonight. She didn’t see Kian and hoped that he wouldn’t be around. The poor thing didn’t get to go to parties like this often. She could figure that the people living in the Velt probably didn’t know what it meant to have a party. They were too busy trying to put their lives together. It was no different for him.

  I wish I could have brought him here tonight. She thought, looking through the glass roof in the pool room. This was a perfect place for them to escape and talk about their dreams. She could see in his eyes that he had so much he wanted to accomplish. He wanted to do a lot yet didn’t have the chance. If she could take him out of the Velt for a few days, she could give him the experience he never would get. Even a day would have been good enough for them. She sighed and rolled over on her side.

  That was when she first heard the sound. It was coming from outside but it didn’t sound like any animal. Confused, she rolled off her chair and went down to the ground to hide. Within seconds, the door to the pool room opened and someone stepped in. It didn’t look like Oda or any of the party guests so she stayed hidden.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” The person said. The tone in his voice told her that they weren’t part of the party. “I’m not going to do anything to you. Maybe I’ll gut you like a fish, that’s it. If you come out right now, I promise that I’m going to make your death quick and painless. I don’t always do that.”

  He’s after me? Rukia wondered. That doesn’t make any sense. I haven’t used my powers the whole time I’ve been here! I haven’t done anything wrong!

  “Oh, come on! I don’t have all night.” He went on, walking close to where she was hiding. She held
her breath and watched as black boots came closer. She could hear them squeaking across the floor. “I’m giving you an opportunity I don’t give anyone else! I swear on my mother’s life that you won’t receive too much pain.”

  Yeah, I don’t believe you. She thought, wanting to reach out and trip him. It would be very easy to take him down if she could grab his ankles. They were thick but her hands could wrap around them. She stayed still though because she didn’t want to startle him.

  It was a hunter dressed all in black except for his utility belt. That was made of metal and looked heavy though he didn’t seem to be having problems wearing it. It fit around his waist without falling to his hips. He was a little taller than her and his face was covered with the mask. He was lurking around the bushes but failed to see that she was there. She couldn’t have been the one he was after. She hadn’t used her powers in public so he had no reason to hunt her down.