by D. N. Hoxa
The first thought that popped into my mind was that they were talking about the SKO.
“Anything else?” I mumbled as my brain buzzed.
“No, but whoever the Captain was meeting in the fifth, Master knew. Only he can allow access to projections because he’s the only one who can make them. Everybody else has been erased in the past month.”
He kept looking at me like he expected me to give something away, but I held it together. This was good. Valuable information, and whatever Arturo was going to say next would probably be just as important.
Until…
“You look so sexy lost in thought like that.” Shoot me.
“Okay, this is the last time I’m going to tell you to stop, Arturo. The next…” I was saying, but then something moved behind his back and my eyes looked over on their own accord.
“I’m sorry, bella. I can’t seem to help myself,” Arturo said, but I wasn't listening to him anymore. Instead, I watched the woman put her elegant shimmery shawl around her shoulders and smile at a man who had a belly bigger than a gorilla’s. She visibly flinched when he offered his hand to her.
“Star, I really am sorry. I wasn’t trying—” Arturo brought me back to the present.
“No,” I cut him off. “There’s a woman behind us. I know her. She was at the SKO conference.” I’d seen her face on Kyle’s screen. It was her, I was sure of it.
Arturo turned to look at the pair who were talking to the waiter and smiling. The woman had dark red hair that barely reached her shoulders. Her eyes were deep set and her lips painted bright red. She was wearing a silver-colored dress, completely covered in rhinestones.
“The SKO is a conference?” Arturo asked, arching a perfect brow, and I realized I hadn’t told him anything. The problem was, we didn’t have time, and as I watched the woman approaching our table slowly, a plan formed in my mind. I wrapped it up for Arturo as quickly as I could.
“We believe that the SKO is a group of Council supernaturals that gather once a year to hold some sort of a conference. We don’t know what it’s about, but I saw footage of people who attended and she’s definitely one of them.”
Arturo raised both his brows as he mulled over everything I threw in his lap.
“Are you sure?” he asked after a few seconds. “Because I think I know who that is.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Yes. I’m sure. I remember her hair clearly. Who is she?” I kept my eyes on her and the man at her side. They stopped by the bar and the man said something in her ear. She smiled a perfect fake smile and the man turned for the men’s room, leaving her alone. I let my senses reach her and felt her energy. She was a Nephil.
“She’s Hector’s,” Arturo said, and I smiled widely. “Not high, but not the lowest ranking Nephilim either.”
Hector Thorn was a Council member. A Nephil more than five centuries old. There was no doubt she was Council’s, and I was absolutely sure she’d been at the conference.
“Arturo, I need you to do something for me,” I said, leaning in closer to him, but never taking my eyes off the woman who was now having a drink by the bar.
“What is it?”
“I need you to go talk to her. Take her away from that man and just take her somewhere to talk.” In my mind, the plan looked perfect, if Arturo agreed.
“I can’t just go over there and talk to her,” Arturo said, shaking his head.
I rolled my eyes. “Then seduce her! Go on up there and introduce yourself—but use a fake name. And then offer to take her somewhere. She already hates the guy she’s with, who’s probably loaded. Just use your charm.”
“You mean now? She might know me!” Arturo panicked.
“Yes, now! If she knows you, pretend you don’t know her. If not, just make someone up. We don’t have much time. I’ll deal with the man she’s with. You go on and talk to her. Whatever you can get out of her about SKO will be worth it. Just hurry.”
“Do I really have to do this?” Arturo asked.
I was about to roll my eyes, but he actually looked sad.
“You don’t have to, Arturo. But it would be very helpful to us.” I wanted to apologize for ruining dinner, but time!
Arturo finally sighed and stood up. I could’ve jumped from joy. “Act rich!” I whispered as he reluctantly made his way to the bar.
Before he did, I silently slipped to left and stopped at the corner of the restrooms to wait for the Nephil’s date.
While I did, I looked back at Arturo who was already talking to her. He was smiling his seductive smile and the woman was no doubt affected, though I couldn’t see her face. It was impossible not to be affected, really. He was gorgeous. So far, it didn’t look like she knew him, which was perfect. Then he caressed her arm slowly, and she shivered. The door to the men’s room behind me opened, and I almost jumped. The Nephil’s round-bellied date came out and nearly bumped into me. He was human.
“Hi,” I said and blocked his way. “I’m Kimberly.”
“Uh…hello, Kimberly. Something I can help you with?” the man said, not sure of whether to be pissed off or bear with me.
“Well…” Ah, shit. I didn’t have time to rehearse anything. “I saw you sitting in there earlier and...” Fuck. I looked back at the bar. A sigh of relief escaped me when neither Arturo nor the redhead were there. I turned to the man again and dropped my stupid smile. “I just wanted to tell you that the woman you were with just bailed on you. But don’t sweat it. Plenty of fish in the sea,” I said with a wink and patted him on the chest before I got the hell out of there.
Once out in the streets, the woman’s sparkly dress—which was, as you can imagine, extremely hard to miss—told me where they’d gone, and with my head down, I followed. I kept a distance of at least ten feet—close enough to be able to see every little movement, but far enough to not raise any suspicions. Reading the woman’s body language, she was buying whatever Arturo was selling. He could be a damn good tease when he wanted to.
After we walked for at least ten minutes, he finally stopped at a bar. A freaking bar filled with noise and drunk people! What the hell was Arturo thinking? He was supposed to take her somewhere quiet. At least that’s what I told him. He obviously had other plans.
Cursing under my breath, I hastily tied my hair up in a bun—a nervous tic I’d always had, and why I always kept a tie with me. My senses were already stretched around the neighborhood and inside the bar, and it looked like no sups but the Nephilim were in there.
I kept my head down and went straight to the bar. The smell of smoke and cheap alcohol made my stomach turn. The mirrors that lined the wall of the bar made up for it, though. Through them, I could see behind me perfectly. I easily spotted the sparkles of the Nephil’s dress, and I never took my eyes off them again.
Arturo had his arm around her shoulders, and he was whispering something in her ear while looking at me through the mirror. The woman had her eyes closed, and she was giggling.
“What can I get for ya, babe?” the bartender that popped in front of me asked. I rolled my eyes.
“Do I look like your fucking babe? Get me a beer.”
Nothing I hated more than men who thought they could call you anything they pleased because they had a dick and you didn’t. His brown eyes grew wide with surprise, but he didn't say anything. He adjusted the strands of his long, dark brown hair that had fallen on his face behind his ears and moved away.
A few minutes later, a drunk couple who hadn’t looked up from their phones until then, stood up from the table right behind Arturo. I grabbed my beer and made my way to it slowly. Nobody even noticed. I took a sip and very casually leaned back in my chair. My back was practically attached to the Nephil’s, and I could hear them as clearly as if they were talking to me.
“Many women don't believe in romance anymore. They don't even require it, which is sad,” Arturo was saying, his accent a lot heavier than normal. Rolling my eyes was instinct. Puking my guts out was what I wanted to do but couldn�
��t.
“Oh, but I do! I like a man who is romantic.” The woman’s voice was nothing short of a melody played by a violin. I could’ve listened to her speak every day.
“In Italy, we like to appreciate our women. We like to...” then Arturo stopped, right before the sound of a wet kiss reached my ears, “…kiss their hand once in a while to show our respect.”
“You do?” The woman’s smile could clearly be heard in her voice. It was huge.
“We do. Especially when it comes to ladies such as yourself.” The woman laughed a rich sound that made me shiver. “Miranda…such a beautiful name.” Ugh. Who fell for that? His voice was as fake as a voice could possibly be.
“It sure sounds beautiful when you say it. Can’t believe I’ve never been to Italy before. And that you haven’t visited us earlier!” Miranda said before another laugh.
And so the torture went on. For almost two hours!
I couldn't believe the crap that came out of Arturo’s mouth. The cheesy lines made me want to laugh so many times and then throw up that many more. I promised myself to kick Arturo’s ass for making me hear all that bullshit. But the truth was that it worked. Miranda believed all of it.
And then, finally…
“So, since I am new around here,” Arturo said, “a shifter I met a few days ago told me about a gathering of supernaturals in November. He said I should go, too. It was something like KSO or COK, or whatever.”
My heart picked up the beating.
Miranda kept silent for the longest time. I could practically feel her analyzing Arturo’s face.
“You mean, the SKO?” she asked, barely whispering.
“Could be,” Arturo said. “Do you know what it is? Because I don’t know anyone here, and I’m not sure I should go.” Bravo, Arturo. Bravo.
“Oh, hush!” Miranda said and lowered her voice. “This is not the place to talk about such things.”
“Really? Why not?”
“Because I would hate to see that hot body of yours torn apart, that’s why. It’s best if you don’t talk about it at all,” Miranda said.
“What?” Arturo asked, as if taken aback. “Why would that happen?”
Another long pause from Miranda. I was dying to see her face and read her expression.
“You’re either very naive or extremely smart,” she finally whispered in wonder. I felt sorry for her now.
“Wouldn't you like to find out?” Arturo whispered back seductively.
That was all it took. Miranda giggled, and without wasting another second, she started talking.
“SKO means Supernatural Keepers of Order. They’re a bunch of supernaturals that gather once a year to make sure that our rights aren’t being violated—something like a syndicate. They’re the ones who kind of determine if those in power have crossed the boundaries or not, you know?”
There it was. Now, we had the motive.
“Do you gather, too?” Arturo asked, and Miranda laughed again, louder this time.
“That’s not how you say it, you adorable, silly man!” Somebody, shoot me. “But yes, I do participate in the gathering.” The Nephil couldn’t have been older than fifty.
“Then maybe I should go, too,” Arturo said.
“Well,” Miranda mumbled, “it’s really no biggie. I mean, people of the Council hold the meetings. They don't do anything but talk. They tell stories, but no one has the evidence to prove anything. And the last time supernaturals actually offered evidence, they were found dead in a park somewhere, so…yeah, I’d stay away if I were you. I think I’m going to do the same. Just not worth it,” she finished.
I jumped to my feet and practically ran out of the bar as the blood boiled in my veins. A few deep breaths and the night air calmed me down enough to give Arturo a call.
He answered after two rings.
“I’m heading back to the hotel. Meet me there in half an hour.”
“Really?” he said, his voice so unlike the real one. I patiently waited for him to complete his act. “How so?” He waited a couple of more seconds. “Mio dio! Hang on.”
I couldn’t hear what he said to poor Miranda. I closed the phone and hailed the first cab that passed by.
A headache was starting to develop right behind my eyes as Miranda’s words replayed in my mind. The Council had killed their own sups, all right. They’d killed them because they’d had proof of how badly the Council really treated their sups.
Someone had heard and reported. That someone was Kai.
When I arrived at the hotel, I barely had time to get my jacket off before I felt Arturo at the door.
“That went well,” Arturo said proudly when he walked into my room.
“Yeah, but seriously? Did you have to make me listen to all that crap?” It had been pure torture.
But Arturo smiled. “Yes, I did. I couldn’t rush into it. She wouldn’t have believed me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Since she fell for all those cheesy lines, she would’ve definitely fallen for less, trust me.”
Arturo took a step closer to me and held my eyes for a few seconds. The weird smile on his face made me really uncomfortable.
What?!
“Are you…jealous, bella?”
Oh.
“Are you really going to go there right now? Because you’re just going to piss me off more than I already am pissed off.” Jealous. As if. I was only jealous of one guy and that was definitely not Arturo.
“It was a fair question, but okay. Let’s have a drink downstairs. We didn’t get to finish dinner.” My mouth opened to object, but he didn’t let me. “You owe me for making me play the enamored Italian newbie for three hours.”
When he put it like that…“Don’t pretend like you didn’t enjoy it.” I walked out the door reluctantly. He was right, I owed him. Plus, a coffee would be much appreciated right now. I wasn’t going to get any sleep, anyway.
“I didn’t,” Arturo said as we walked down the stairs, but I didn’t comment.
“So, what did you think of everything she said?” I asked Arturo when we sat at the hotel bar. I was very interested to hear his opinion. So far, he’d proven to be much more valuable than I’d have thought.
“Complicated, but understandable,” he said, thoughtfully. “People have heard about the potion, and so naturally, they will have second thoughts about how those in power will behave once everything is theirs. So they get together and they talk.”
I nodded. “And they give motive.”
He shook his head slowly. “It’s not good enough. They only talk—they do nothing. Whatever proof the victims could have had, the Council could’ve taken care of it easily without having to kill them and raise questions. I don’t think the reason is good enough.”
“Of course it is!” I said incredulously. “They are the Council. They see something that doesn’t move and breathe the way they want it to and they eliminate it.” It was how they operated. How they used me to operate.
“Not necessarily. See, a syndicate is a very important thing, even for the Council. They need it to function properly. At least to make people think that it does, because it creates the illusion that they are actually doing something and keeping control over those they have chosen to stay on top. It keeps riots and unnecessary panic away. For that alone, a syndicate such as this is invaluable,” Arturo said and I agreed. He was right. The SKO was important for the Council.
“What if they couldn’t find the proof? What if they didn’t know what those victims had?”
“And how are you going to find out?”
There were a thousand reasons as to why those supernaturals got killed, but one night alone wasn’t going to be enough to figure everything out. Still, for the next hour, we exchanged theories. When I went to bed, I still had the whole night ahead of me to come up with my own crazy ideas.
3
I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door. My senses turned on even before my eyes opened. Arturo. Just Arturo. I sighed in reli
ef until I saw the clock on the nightstand. Ten minutes to six.
I never got ready faster in my life. Who knew I’d even sleep the night before? The last time I’d checked the clock last night, it had been four-fifteen. An hour-and-a-half of sleep were a success for me in the situation, so I wasn’t complaining.
When I left the room, Arturo was waiting for me in the hallway, looking as perfect as he always did. I barely managed a mumbled “hi” because I was still half asleep.
“Morning, bella,” Arturo said, his voice fresh and clear like it was noon, not six a.m. I hated mornings.
I told the cab driver to hurry at least five times. And when we finally arrived, we found Kyle with a black backpack waiting by the entrance of the tech company where our chopper would be waiting. He was wearing a dark red hood and was shaking from the cold.
“I’ve been waiting here for fifteen minutes!” Kyle said.
Fuck. It had been my fault. I should’ve woken up earlier. Terrified of apologizing, I didn’t even stop to say “hi” to him. I took the alley to the backdoor.
“Kyle, meet Arturo,” I said when I heard them both behind me, but neither of them spoke. They probably just nodded at each other the way guys did.
Soon enough, the rotor blades nearly deafened me when we walked onto the roof of the same tech building where we had landed. With Aaron and Thomas. A shiver ran down my body. Thomas’s last words still made my heart shudder. He was the only person in the world who I hated and respected at the same time with the same intensity.
When we finally got comfortable and the chopper took us up, Kyle handed me a folder with a bunch of files in it. I could feel Arturo’s eyes on me, but I ignored him, hoping that that would tell him to stop. Kyle had his face hidden behind his laptop, and I was ready to bet that a bomb could explode in there and he wouldn’t even notice. I nudged him until he looked up, but never stopped typing on his laptop.
“We know what SKO stands for. Supernatural Keepers of Order. Think you can find something while we’re up here?” I said, pointing at his laptop. He grinned.