by Kody Boye
“What do you mean by that?” I frowned. “Does the Agency know where they are?”
“It’s required, by Agency law, for organizations of creatures to register their whereabouts, if only so Wipers are able to monitor their locations to ensure that the populace is unaware of their existence. The closest brood—which exists outside of San Antonio—is nowhere to be seen. A contact there just informed me of that this morning.”
“So they’ve just up and left?”
“It appears they have,” Scarlet sighed. “This is concerning, especially given what we were told when they’d initially visited the ranch.”
“Is the Agency appearing for an event?”
“The Agency is preparing for a mass witness—otherwise known as exposure to the supernatural world. Wipers from all across the United States are flocking to Central Texas in order to contain the threat should we be unable to prevent it.”
“How quickly would they be able to stop something like this?” I frowned.
“If they even could?” Scarlet asked. She shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s possible that the roads between here could be closed—that we could somehow cause an accident that would keep the area self-contained for the time being—but that doesn’t mean it would stick. It also doesn’t mean that the Sanguine wouldn’t just wait for it to clear before attacking.”
“They want to expose us?” Aerick asked.
“The Sanguine want to expose everyone,” Scarlet replied, “and everything that has to deal with the supernatural world.”
“Why is that?”
“Because once the supernatural world has been witnessed,” Guy said, “there will be no further need for discretion.”
“Vampires can feed, Howlers can attack, the Kaldr can incorporate themselves into society as they please. Magic is revealed, the social structure of the world collapses.”
“It would be apocalyptic,” Guy continued, “if only on a social scale.”
“Which we know wouldn’t happen,” Scarlet said. “Especially those who want power. You ever seen Night of the Living Dead? I once stopped something like that. Now just imagine if it went on an apocalyptic scale.”
“This is bad,” I said. “Really bad.”
“Right now, you shouldn’t worry about it. You’re injured and need to recover. But when you get to feeling better… it’s best you start preparing for war.”
Scarlet turned and exited the room. “Guy,” she said from the living quarters.
“Yes?” he asked.
“I’m going to return to the camper. If you need anything, or think you remember something that might be useful, don’t hesitate to find me.”
“Thank you, Scarlet.”
The door opened in the other room, then closed. The sound of her footsteps faded the further she disappeared into the house.
Sighing, Guy scooted up the bed and leaned down to kiss not only me, but Aerick. The younger man—who, until that moment, had remained quiet—allowed the kiss to linger before pulling away.
“This is going to be bad,” Aerick said. “Isn’t it?”
“I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t,” Guy replied.
2
Faith returned that afternoon to check on my wounds and administer intravenous medications. “This is to ensure infection doesn’t spread,” she said, making sure to apply special gauze to not only the areas where the Harpie’s talons had sunk in, but to the spots where the switchblade had torn across my body. “Harpys aren’t exactly the cleanest creatures and I don’t want to have to amputate anything.”
“You won’t,” I said, then swallowed, “will you?”
Faith remained quiet for a moment—as if judging the validity of my question—before shaking her head and saying, “No.”
I sighed, almost too relieved for words.
Faith pulled away from the wounds at my shoulders to examine my head. “You’ve mentioned that you’ve been having headaches,” she said. “Were you struck anywhere on your skull?”
“I,” I started, then stopped when the memory of something rising up from the waters entered my mind. “I… I think something grabbed me when I hit the water.”
“Grabbed you?” Faith frowned.
“Yeah. Why? Do you know something I don’t?”
“There’s always been rumors that a mermaid colony lives in Lady Bird Lake,” she replied, looking down to scratch notes along a clipboard. “And you swear you were grabbed?”
“I think I would’ve drowned if I hadn’t been.”
“My guess is that a mermaid grabbed you before you could fall unconscious and returned you to the Kaldr in Austin thinking that you were affiliated with one another. It wouldn’t be surprising, considering most Kaldr live in groups, and it would’ve been an innocent mistake.”
“That makes sense,” I replied.
Faith nodded and finished scratching the last of her notes before she turned to look at the IV drip situated at the side of the California-king-sized bed. “I don’t want you leaving bed for the next few days,” she said. “If you feel the need to feed, do so, but no strenuous physical activity. And under no circumstance should you have sex.”
“I don’t even think I could if I wanted to,” I replied.
Faith smiled and retreated toward the threshold. “If you need anything,” she said, “I’m just a call away.”
“Thank you, Faith. I appreciate it.”
The moment she walked out the door, I began to wonder about my savior from the deep—and how, when I’d first been ‘attacked,’ I’d thought the creature had been one of the Sanguine’s servants.
But now…
I chuckled.
No wonder the whole thing had seemed fishy.
3
Guy tended to other matters while Aerick remained with me on beck and call. My first major concern was that I would die of boredom. But after Aerick was able to maneuver the flat-screen TV into the room and jerry-rig it so we could watch Guy’s old DVDs, I had absolutely no problem.
I dozed off during one of the films we were watching and awoke to find nothing more than a blue screen lighting the television. Initially confused, I scooted up to try and determine what was wrong, only for a hand to settle against my stomach to hold me in place.
“Not so fast,” Aerick said, his sleepy drawl much like that of the stereotypical Texan.
“Sorry officer,” I replied, yawning as I reached down to set my hand over his. “Don’t arrest me.”
“You’d look pretty hot in handcuffs,” Aerick replied. “And God. Imagine what Guy and I could do to your ass if we cuffed you to the bed.”
“Lord Jesus have mercy,” I replied. “Don’t get me riled up, Aerick.”
He laughed, kissed my cheek, then rolled over, misjudging the distance from the bed and falling off when his feet weren’t the first to hit the end. “Shit,” he breathed, standing, rubbing the back of his head as he rose to mess with the TV.
“You ok?” I asked.
“You don’t have to ask if I’m ok.”
“You got hurt too, Aerick.”
“Yeah. But I’ve already healed. See?” He leaned forward and pulled back his hair to reveal that the bruising along his hairline had all but dissipated. “I heal faster because I’m a Howler. Which is why I told you not to worry about me.”
“Oh,” I said, then frowned. “All right.”
“I didn’t put another movie in because you fell asleep,” he continued as he killed the television set before crawling back into bed with me. “Doctor lady said you needed all the rest you could get, since apparently you got slapped in the head by a big ‘ole fish.”
“It wasn’t a fish,” I laughed.
“Could’ve fooled me,” Aerick replied. “Swims in the water, has a tail, can breathe without air. Sounds like a fish to me.”
I chuckled and slapped at his arm with my free hand as he settled back down beside me. Propped against nearly five pillows, I was immobile as I could possibly be, which
helped considering I still had the IV drip going into my arm.
“I hate this stupid thing,” I replied, fingering the spot where the needle went in beneath my skin.
“Yeah, but it’s the only thing keeping you from going all toxic on us.”
“Toxic?”
“Yeah. You don’t want to know all the things that Harpies can carry. Faith told me and I just about lost my marbles.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Probably best if you didn’t tell me.”
Aerick snuggled into my side and drew the blankets up over my boxer-covered waist. “Guy’s helping Scarlet keep a lookout for anything unusual,” he said. “The Agency apparently hasn’t gotten back to her yet. All their Texas agents are scrambling to locate the brood of Sanguine that up and went AWOL.”
“It bothers me that a whole… brood, I guess… could disappear without anyone even knowing.”
“Vampires are sneaky bastards.”
“Apparently.”
Aerick set his head down on the pillow beside me and yawned. “Can we go back to sleep?” he asked. “I was enjoying my little catnap.”
“Yeah,” I said, returning my head to my pillow. Exhaustion was beginning to overcome me. There was no reason in staying asleep any longer.
After closing my eyes and resigning myself to a day filled with rest, I began to drift off to sleep.
I only dreaded what waking up could bring.
4
Waking up did bring news, but not the news I expected.
“They’ve found them,” Scarlet said.
Dressed only in my underwear and holding the IV line with one arm, I watched as Scarlet, Guy and Aerick stood around the counter and discussed the findings the Agency had uncovered within the past few hours.
“They’ve moved from San Antonio to an area outside of Austin,” Scarlet said, acknowledging my presence with a simple nod. “It appears as though they’re preparing to migrate to Fredericksburg in order to do what they threatened.”
“How is the Agency planning on dealing with this problem?”
“They’re sending Agents to intercept their advance.”
“And if they can’t do it peacefully?” I asked.
Scarlet didn’t say anything.
Guy and Aerick, who’d been militantly listening to Scarlet, turned their attention toward me. “She might have to leave,” I said.
“Which means the camp won’t know if they’re approaching,” she added. “My Hunter abilities allow me to detect the presence of supernatural creatures as they near, but I’ll be no use to the Agency and their fight if I’m here.”
“Which means we’d be vulnerable.”
“Which means you’d be especially vulnerable.” Scarlet sighed. “We should’ve known that something like this would happen one day.”
“A worldwide event?” I asked.
Scarlet nodded. “Yeah. I guess you just happened to be the catalyst of it all, Jason.”
“I always joked that I wanted to help change the world,” I said.
Neither men, nor Scarlet, replied.
Nodding, I took a step into the living room, careful to pull the IV behind me. The wheels squeaked as they transitioned from carpet to hardwood flooring, then rolled along behind me as I approached the trio. “Guy,” I said. “I need you to go find Faith.”
“For what?” he asked.
“If we’re going to be attacked,” I said, “I need to be able to fight.”
“You can’t fight in the condition you’re in,” Aerick said. “You still haven’t fully healed.”
“I’m too vulnerable in this state. At least with the IV out I’d be able to fight.”
“He has a point,” Guy said.
“You can’t be serious,” Aerick replied. “Dear fuck, Guy. Just knock him out or something. Make him do what you want.”
“He’s too headstrong to be glamoured if he isn’t willing to be susceptible to it.”
“No one’s doing anything except getting me out of this damn IV line,” I growled.
A piercing symphony of orchestral music cut through the silence of the apartment and sent me back a few steps. Scarlet—who’d apparently anticipated such a thing and as such did not even flinch—reached into her pocket and clicked on her phone faster than I could’ve thought possible. “Scarlet Jane,” she said.
We waited—silently, in horrible anticipation, for what was to come next.
“Got it,” Scarlet said. She hung the phone up and started toward the door. “I have to leave. Now.”
“Why?” I asked.
“They’re heading toward the ranch this instant.”
“Scarlet,” Guy said.
“If I can cut them off,” she said, “it’ll at least give all of you a chance to mobilize your forces here.”
“You can’t be serious,” I said.
“Let me go with you,” Aerick said.
“NO!” Guy and I both cried.
The Howler turned to look at the two of us. “Seriously,” he said. “You guys need to pull your panties out of your asses.”
“But,” I started.
“He’s right,” Scarlet said. “I’m a goner if I go alone, but if I have more than just a few—” She turned her attention on me. “Jason.”
“Yeah?”
“Command your Howlers to go with me.”
“What are you—”
“They’re under your command,” Guy said. “They have to do what you say.”
“And who’s to say they won’t refuse?”
“They won’t,” Aerick said, “because I’ll make them go.”
“Aerick—”
He ran up to press a kiss to my lips. “If I don’t see you again,” he said, pressing another kiss to my lips, “thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“NO!” I cried.
I wasn’t quick enough.
He slipped out of my grasp and ran out the door with Scarlet pursuing shortly behind him.
“You have to stop him,” I said, turning my eyes on Guy. “Guy! Why are you just standing there?”
“Because I’m not going to stop him.”
“What’re you—”
“You said I was too headstrong,” Guy said, “that I have to stop trying to control everything around me.”
I reached down, pulled the tape surrounding the IV line from around my wrist, then pressed down before ripping the IV out.
I cried out.
Blood spurted.
It lasted only for a moment though, as the second I placed my lips to my hands the blood stopped flowing.
I pulled my hand away.
A blue spot—much like a bead of ice on the finest glimmer of moisture—covered the area where the IV had been. I could see blood pressing beneath, threatening to seep forward if it had even the slightest bit of resistance.
“If you’re not going,” I said, turning to start into the bedroom, “then I am.”
“You’re not going alone,” Guy said.
I didn’t argue.
5
We ran through the house at a breakneck pace, barreling down the stairs and past the human servants ferrying laundry to Elliot and Amadeo’s quarters. Given the eerie calm within the house, our footsteps sounded gargantuan as we landed on the first floor and bounded through the hallways, but no one said a word. The need for urgency was apparently seen on our faces, as servants and even other Kaldr parted without so much as a second glance.
“We need to hurry!” I cried as I barreled out the door, turning toward the nearby campsite to find Scarlet and Aerick amassing a multitude of Howlers from their places in the fields.
“Howlers!” Aerick cried, thrusting a hand into the air. “You heard what Scarlet said! The Sanguine are coming! Are we going to let them drive us from yet another home?”
“NO!” the crowd cried.
“Then I call upon you!” Aerick screamed. “TO THE HUNT!”
“TO THE HUNT!” the Howlers replied.
As one, eve
ry Howler except Aerick fell to their knees.
“What are they doing?” I asked, panicking as their bodies began their all-too-familiar convulsions.
“We have to intercept them,” Scarlet said, stepping away as spines surged and clothes began to rip away from adjusting skin. “Aerick? Are you going to change?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I am.” He turned to face me and Guy. “You two need to stay here to protect the ranch if they make it past us.”
“You can’t leave,” I said, taking hold of his hand. He grimaced and fell to a knee as the facial hair along his cheeks began to whiten. “Aerick—”
“Get away from me, Jason,” he said.
Guy pulled me back as Aerick’s spine buckled and the skin began to split to accommodate the lengthening bones.
“This can’t be happening,” I whispered as I watched my lover transform before my eyes, his skin breaking free of his body to be replaced snow-white muscles that soon began to sprout silver hair.
“But it is,” Guy said. “The Process of Assimilation. The Mass Witness.”
I heard them before I could even see them—blaring through the silent sky like eagles ferrying death from the skies. Sirens, pitched loudly, screaming as the sound of motorcycles cut across the horizon and into my ears. The nearby Kaldr—who’d been incredulous to the coming events until Aerick had begun speaking—ran for their quarters, only to return with handguns, swords, and other miscellaneous weapons moments later.
“Get back,” Guy said, stripping his shirt from his body.
A sleek black helicopter—bearing within its skids men armed with sniper rifles—appeared. They immediately took aim at the writhing forms on the ranch.
Glowing ice the color of blue and green auroras sprouted from Guy’s being. Rising from his flesh, ensconcing his shoulders and then spiraling around his torso, it traversed his neck to create a shield about his head before he stepped forward and formed, from the humid air, a crystal the size of of a lance.
“Guy!” I screamed. “No!”
He flung it, with seemingly little conscience, toward the helicopter and the men within it.
It struck the cabin, then the rotor before it began to spin out of control.