by D. N. Hoxa
“Who are they?” But Kyle shook his head.
“I don’t know. I couldn’t identify them. But there’s something else,” he said, grinning.
“For fuck’s sake, Kyle! Just spill it all out already.” I thought he could already see how important this was.
“Okay, relax! Geez,” he whispered but went to sit on his bed before he spoke.“ I sent the girl the pictures of the victims. She recognized them and, again for a shitload of money, she said that last November, she’d seen them. Heard them and they were the only ones to raise their voices. They were protesting against something when everybody else had their heads down,” Kyle said.
“How could she see inside? You said no staff member was allowed even close.”
“She’s a smoker and the underground conference room has a small window that looks on the back of the hotel. She was smoking when she saw them.”
“Anything else?” Because if he said there’s something else, one more time, I was going to break his nose.
But Kyle shook his head. “No.”
“All right, can you locate Samuel Belmont for me?” I said and stood up.
“Sure,” he said and eagerly sat down on his chair again.
I took my old place on the bed. Eleanor already said that Sam was still in Philadelphia, but I wanted to double check before I went all that way.
I guessed Arturo’s friendly dinner would have to wait.
“So, what did you want to talk about with me? I’m all ears,” Kyle said while he worked on his computer and his eyes were pinned to a screen that now showed a map somewhere.
“I want you to work with me,” I said. No point in going in rounds.
“I already work with you.”
“No, I mean come to work with me. In a supernaturals’ facility.” His fingers stopped moving on the keyboard, and he slowly turned his chair to face me. His eyes were filled with pure excitement and his chin started to twitch like it always did when he was nervous.
“What?”
“A supernaturals’ facility. We simply call it The Base. I want you to move there for the next two months at least. We have a lot of space, and there’s even a new security room being built.”
“Of course not,” he said, a dumbfounded smile on his face. But I wasn’t about to give up.
“You’ll have a decent salary. You’ll be in the middle of a world full of supernatural freaks. You’ll get to see all kinds of crazy freaks and their freaky powers. You’ll have everything you need within your reach. Anything you want, Kyle. You name it.” Maybe it was just me, but I could see the curiosity growing in his eyes.
He was silent for a couple of moments, staring intently at the ground. “No.” He sounded scared shitless and I couldn’t blame him. “I can’t.”
“Did I mention that you’re going to be protected for life? You’ll have your own guard and enough weaponry to blow up a country. No one will be able to touch you.” Come on, come on, come on.
“And leave all this behind?”
“No. You take it all with you. And you ask for anything else you need.” Don’t know why I was so excited myself, but I was. Having Kyle close to me, access to all that information…it was really something to be happy about.
“And I’d be working exclusively for you?” He sounded less and less scared with every word.
“Yes.” I walked over to him. “You’ll work for us. You’ll have your days off, and you’ll have working hours. You’ll be able to enjoy your life, man. Work and live, both at the same time!” I pointed at my temple as if what I was saying was very smart. “Other than that, you can ask me to show you what I can do. Hell, you can ask anyone at the Base to show you what they can do. You’ll live under the same roof with a person that turns into a bear. And you’ll meet real witches,” I said with a half-hearted wink because Kyle didn’t look convinced yet.
“What are your powers?” His eyes squinted in suspicion. This was good. I was right—supernaturals intrigued him more than anything else.
So I reluctantly pulled my hands in front of me and called on the air around us. Pure power breathed life into me. The feeling of discomfort that followed it was something new and concerning—and I knew where it came from. New Mexico. I’d used both water and air to suffocate Jespersen, and in return, my strength and control over them had grown. I felt them more. I connected to them with a lot more ease. And I just didn’t know where using more of them was going to lead me.
For that day, I ignored the paranoia and focused. I pictured all the dirty clothes that Kyle had on his bed, and I ordered the air to get them up and put them out in the living room. And so the air did.
The dirty clothes dropped on the floor right by the door half a minute later.
“And you won’t have to worry about laundry or cooking anymore. It’ll be like living in a hotel,” I added as Kyle watched his dirty clothes with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. He slowly stood up from his chair.
“You can fucking move things with your mind!” he half-yelled, half-whispered, then looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time.
I shook my head. “I can control air.” He stepped back. “And water.” I followed. “And fire.” He dropped on his chair again. I struggled to keep a straight face as I towered above him. “And earth.”
But he looked so, so scared that I couldn’t keep it in me any longer. I burst out laughing.
“That’s fucking great, dude. Yeah, real smart,” Kyle said, annoyed, waving my laughter off. “But seriously, though. About the hotel thing. Is that for real?” Figures that he would find that interesting. His apartment looked like a stinky barn.
“Yep. We have it all, Kyle. You’re going to love it.” Maybe I was an asshole for not mentioning the lack of natural light and the really small rooms, and all the fucking lightbulbs. In my defense, the whole world needed Kyle at the Base, whether they knew it or not.
He sighed and put his head on his hands.
“I don’t know, man. This is just…I can’t leave just like that,” he said, but the indecision in his voice was clear.
“Really, Kyle? Why can’t you? What do you have here?” I asked because I knew that he was alone. He had no family and no friends that I knew of.
“Nothing,” Kyle mumbled.
I felt sorry for him. It sucked to be alone, no matter your line of work. I think computers filled him somehow, since he never knew what it was like to have a family. He once told me he was raised in foster homes around New Orleans.
I dropped on my knees and patted his shoulder. “It’s just for two months, Kyle. And if you don’t like it after that, it’s fine. But I promise you, you’ll be safer down there with us.” Time had come to play my last card. If this didn’t make up his mind, nothing would. “There’s a war coming, Kyle. Unless we stop it, it’s going to send us all to hell.”
“What war?” Kyle asked, both curious and a little scared. I shook my head.
“I can’t tell you unless you accept my offer. Unless you agree to be one of us. Just for a little while.”
My hand was still on his shoulder when he grabbed it. I never was a person who liked to be touched but for some reason, having my hand in between Kyle’s didn’t bother me that much.
“Can I trust you?” he whispered, and in rare moments like that, Kyle wasn’t just a hacker. He was a real person.
“I promise that you can,” I said with all my heart. He must’ve seen it in my eyes because he finally nodded.
“Under one condition,” he said and leaned back in his chair. I smiled in relief.
“What’s that?” I would’ve done anything…
“I want to meet Samuel Belmont.” …except that.
“Yeah…that…uh, might not be possible,” I said reluctantly, rubbing the back of my neck.
“Why not? You said you know him.”
“I do. And I’m going to meet him right after I leave here. But…I don’t know if I’m going to have to kill him or not.”
&n
bsp; “Kill Samuel Belmont?!” Kyle shouted, jumping to his feet. “Are you out of your mind? The man’s a legend!”
“Yeah, and he lied to me. He betrayed me, so I don’t care if he’s a legend.”
“Goddamn it,” he mumbled, grabbing his hips. “I really want to meet him.”
I rolled my eyes. He was such a freaking baby. “Fine. You can meet him. You can come with me today and meet him, but that’s it, okay? You’ll leave when I tell you to leave.”
Kyle considered it for a second. “Fine.” He pretended to be annoyed, but I knew better. “But I can’t leave until morning. I have things to prepare.” Kyle looked around his apartment, and I was glad to see no regret reflecting in his eyes.
Maybe I was doing him a favor just as big as he was doing me, getting him out of there.
“I’ll have someone come and prepare your computers. We leave right now.” The RR chopper was going to fly us straight to Sam and I couldn’t wait.
“I don’t just have the computers. I need other things. Just…six in the morning. It’s the best I can do.”
Fuck. Looked like Arturo’s dinner was going to happen, after all.
I sighed. “Fine, but not a second later.”
“He’s in Philadelphia, by the way,” Kyle said looking at the computer that now had a red dot blinking on and off. Great.
“Prepare. I’ll have someone come for your things. See you in the morning,” I said and made my way to the door.
“Hey, Star?”
“Yeah?”
“Why me?”
It was like looking at myself four years ago. I grinned.
“Because you’re the best. And you’re messed up—supernaturally.”
2
Arturo did not look happy to have waited for me all alone for so long.
“Sorry it took so long,” I said because I felt bad for him.
“It’s okay.” It didn’t really sound like it was, but I’d already told him that it was nothing personal. “Anything interesting?”
“A lot,” I said, nodding. “We’re leaving in the morning. Kyle, the guy I just met with, is coming with us, too.”
Arturo nodded and then just like that, changed the subject.
“So, about tonight. I was thinking Italian, maybe? It’s been a while.” Either he knew I wouldn’t share details with him, or he really cared more about dinner with me than he did about what was going on.
“Sure,” I said because I couldn’t care less what we were going to eat. “I’m going to walk to the hotel this time.” I was tired of cabs, but he could get one.
“Good idea,” Arturo said, and I smiled at his eagerness.
“Ever heard of something called the SKO before?” I asked him because I had nothing to lose, even if he had heard about it.
Arturo thought about it for a second. “I…think I've heard it before but I'm not sure where.”
It looked like we were in the same boat. I just couldn’t put my finger on it and it drove me crazy because I was sure I’d seen it somewhere.
“You were right about Kai, by the way. She’s spying on the sups,” I said reluctantly.
I could tell Arturo wanted to ask me to elaborate but he must’ve seen something in my face because he stopped himself. “Oh,” was all he said before he got lost in thought again.
Walking helped clear up my messy thoughts just a bit. I couldn’t wait to get to Sam. I’d found out so much that morning, but the information had raised that many more questions—questions I hoped with all my heart that Sam would be able to answer. That he would be willing to answer. Kai, and Amber Hawk, and SKO…
My breath caught in my throat as realization hit me. Suddenly, I remembered exactly where I’d seen those initials. It had been a small, golden button attached to the gray shirt of the first man I’d ever killed: Bob Armstrong. The man I’d named my favorite dagger after. The button with the letters SKO engraved on it had been attached to his left wrist. I remembered it as clear as day.
A feeling of unease made me want to throw up. I had to stop walking. Something else nagged my memory of that day. Something Bob Armstrong said.
Beware of the Master.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I remembered his face, the second I buried my dagger in his chest. Maybe it was stupid that I’d named that same dagger Bob in the man’s honor, but it had felt like the right thing to do at the time. The only thing to do to make sure I’d remember Bob Armstrong forever. Now, instinct was telling me that Armstrong was definitely connected to the conference. Not only that but what he whispered to me that day, right before I killed him, was the answer to whatever the supernaturals did at that conference. The two pieces of information just didn’t click into place. Yet.
“What’s wrong?” Arturo asked.
“Nothing,” I mumbled. I almost wished he’d keep pestering me until I told him. I almost wished he were Aaron. But no—he was just Arturo, and he let it go immediately.
I hadn’t seen or talked to Aaron in almost three days. I missed him so much. The morning after his father’s death, Aaron had watched me sleep for I don’t know how long. When I’d finally opened up my eyes, his face had been right there in front of mine, just inches away, his ocean eyes boring into mine. He’d gotten up from my bed then, and he walked to the door.
“Thank you for bringing him,” Aaron said, and he’d left me alone with the most bitter feeling in my gut.
I spoke to my sister Ella every day on the phone. I asked her about Aaron, and she said he was doing fine. That he had already taken over Thomas’s work after the burial.
I could imagine what he felt like in those seconds. I just didn’t want to.
The best thing to do was to force myself to drop it. Nothing good was going to come out of thinking about Aaron, so I focused on what Kyle had shown me instead.
I'd seen so many familiar faces go into that hotel conference room. Almost all of them had middle to high positions within the Council’s hierarchy. I couldn’t even imagine what they were doing there, but the dead bodies said that whatever it was, the Council didn’t like it. That’s why they ended up that way.
Kai had probably thrown a bug inside the conference room. The spells that were probably on and around that place wouldn’t allow even vampires to hear so she’d opted for technology, though I knew how much she hated it.
Before I knew it, we were back at the hotel and I hadn’t remembered anything else.
***
I threw on some jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt but let my hair down, since it was dinner. I didn’t even bother with makeup, but I was counting on the non-date with Arturo to help me kill some time. When I opened the door to leave my room, I found Arturo at the threshold waiting for me.
“Hi,” he said and held out a single blood-red rose. “For you.”
Was it sad that this was the first time in my life that I’d received flowers—or flower? Maybe that’s why I took it.
“You didn’t have to, Arturo, but thanks anyway.” The rose petals smelled mighty good, too.
“It reminded me of you when I saw it.”
Oh God, I thought and rolled my eyes as I walked down the hallway. Fresh air was definitely needed so I hurried outside.
The restaurant Arturo had chosen was indeed beautiful and elegant. Not at all appropriate for the way I was dressed. I had black sneakers and a leather jacket on, for God’s sake! I stopped in front of the entrance and looked at Arturo.
“I'm not dressed for this. I’m pretty sure they won’t even let me in.” I did not want to test that theory, either.
“You don’t need a fancy dress to look beautiful, bella.”
Ugh. “You need to stop. Now. I don’t want to hear things like that, Arturo. Stop making this weird.” Without waiting for a reply, I walked inside. Good thing the hostess didn’t stop me, although the look she gave me almost made me want to turn and threaten to break her nose. Maybe even really break it.
As an adult, I managed to control myself until
she saw Arturo behind me, and her expression changed completely. I think she even drooled a little bit. I didn’t blame her. I felt like that once, too.
The restaurant wasn’t a place I’d ever choose to visit, but since we were there, I took a seat at a small table and pretended to ignore the people watching us while I checked the place for exits.
“You never got around to telling me your theory regarding the Council,” I said once the white wine arrived, and I drank the first glass in one gulp. The women in their fancy dresses were pissing me off with their winged eyeliners and superior looks.
“I never had the chance,” Arturo said.
“Well, now’s as good a time as ever.” Not that I minded the silence, but why waste precious time?
“Right,” Arturo mumbled, then thought about it for a second. “I believe that the Council is separated into two groups.”
Couldn’t say that I wasn’t a bit surprised. “How so?”
Arturo shrugged. “People talk. Or rather, they are not talking anymore. Not like they used to. It’s all…different now,” he said and took a sip of his wine. “But what really convinced me was Captain Vladimir.”
I almost choked on my drink.
“Captain of the Royals, Vladimir?” Arturo nodded. “How come?”
Holy shit, this was better than I’d expected.
“Before I left, he was in Lyndor almost every day. It was the way he was watching us, almost as if he was keeping tabs on each and every one of us,” Arturo said, thoughtfully. “And a couple of nights before I ran away, I was wandering around the Castle because I couldn’t sleep. At first, I thought he was talking to himself, but then I realized he was in the fifth dimension, meeting someone.”
The food arrived and I wanted to push that waiter away from us a thousand times before he left by himself.
“And?” I urged Arturo once we were alone again. “What did you hear?”
Arturo took his sweet time to taste his fish, chew and swallow before he spoke again.
“Whoever he was talking to, they were not happy. Can’t remember the exact words, but the Captain said something like: they’re growing way too fast and before long, we won’t be able to control them. You should let me act—something like that.”