by Emme DeWitt
“Yes, it’s been too long,” Brendan said, clearing his throat. He finally unbuttoned his suit coat, allowing him to breathe a little easier. The move seemed to give Brendan the confidence to continue. “So much has happened since our last meeting.”
Aleks squinted slightly, his arms crossed lazily over his legs. He leaned back in his chair, as if settling in for a good show.
“I thought the Silvas and de los Santoses were close,” Aleks said. “In such a trying time for the family, I’m surprised you haven’t been around more.”
Brendan’s eyes flashed at the jab.
“Evangeline was away at school,” Brendan said. “High school.” Brendan’s head tilted forward slightly, underlining his last phrase with his body language.
The gauntlet had been thrown. I could barely suppress an eye roll before he continued.
“You know how that goes,” he said to Aleks, ignoring his boss, who was sipping merrily away on his fresh glass. “All your focus goes to the next test, the next final, then the next semester. Other than holidays, it’s difficult to find time for family or family friends.”
“Well, some of us weren’t that into school,” Aleks said with a self-deprecating chuckle.
Marek joined in loudly, clapping Aleks jovially on the back.
“The Navratils have always been strong minded, Brendan. We don’t do well in confined situations,” Marek boasted. “My boys were all the same. Not that they weren’t smart. They just weren’t ones for traditional learning institutions.”
“Evangeline is quite skilled in those areas,” Brendan said, turning it around onto Aleks again. “Best marks in her class. Even does self-study since she’s so ahead of what they can provide for her. It’s a shame she’s been pulled away from what she loves.”
I bit the inside of my cheek hard. I was dying to say something, but they weren’t really talking to me. This was clearly a pissing match between the two, and I would have to sit through it. Right now, I was wishing I had Niko’s skills instead of my own. The arrogance in the room was stifling.
“If I remember, she was pulled from school quite a few months ago after a tragic accident,” Aleks said, showing his cards. So he had known more about me than he let on. I hadn’t said how long I had been in Association control, but he had found out somehow.
I suppressed my anger, tabbing that comment for a later conversation about privacy and espionage. We really needed to be comparing notes before the next Elevated encounter. I couldn’t rely on Aleks to have all the cards. Being blindsided was about the worst thing you could do to an empath.
“Your point?” Brendan said.
“I’m just clarifying that I wasn’t the one to pull her away from her studies,” Aleks said with a shrug. “That was long before me. I just helped her out of a tight spot, and she has been so kind as to help me on a difficult project I’m developing. Her mind is not going to waste, I can assure you.”
Brendan took a deep breath, his chest rising noticeably as he smoothed out his jacket, letting the breath out in a chuckle.
“Good to know she’s keeping occupied,” Brendan said, finally looking toward me again. “And that she’s safe.” His eyes flashed at me.
I nodded sincerely.
“Her family was a little worried when she was unable to attend her grandmother’s wake,” Brendan said, laying on the guilt thickly.
I pushed away the impending cloud with my mind, not ready for that kind of breakdown. I steeled myself again, resorting to my multiplication tables to drown out the needling thoughts poking through my barriers.
“I’m sure she’ll be able to visit and pay her respects soon,” Aleks said, his foot touching my ankle lightly. I looked up from my knotted fingers and gave him a half smile. His eyes were full of concern, but his posture remained strong. “I know how important it is to say a proper goodbye.”
“Well said.” Marek set down his empty glass loudly. An attendant stepped forward, but a slight gesture from Aleks had her stepping back silently, escaping the notice of the older man. “Too much tragedy gone on lately. First my sons, then your brother and grandmother. I can only imagine the difficulties you’ve lived through in your short life.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Brendan said.
Marek’s ego flared with the comment. I pursed my lips, taking several deep breaths to bring my thoughts back into equilibrium. The pull of arrogance rocked my composure quite effectively. Aleks seemed to pick up the thread of conversation his uncle had tried to start before getting distracted.
“It’s a shame so many of us have come to unfortunate ends so early in life,” Aleks said. “The only shame is that no one seems to be stopping it from happening again.”
“Accidents happen,” Brendan said. “No one is immune to that. How do you suggest we protect ourselves against accidents? We’re not invincible. We die just like the normal folks out there do.”
“I hardly think four young men in their prime were felled so easily by natural selection, as you’re implying,” Aleks said, his teeth gritted in annoyance.
Felled, I thought to myself. Murdered. You mean murdered. I kept the nuance to myself.
“You’re saying someone’s behind my sons’ deaths?” Marek asked, his fists pounding angrily onto the table, causing the glassware to shake and fall.
I was able to catch my full glass, hearing the emotional tremor before the proverbial quake. No one else seemed surprised by the outburst either, making me wonder if this quick-to-flare temper of Marek’s was also common knowledge. Another tip I could have used ahead of time.
“Tell me!”
“I just think we need to take a closer look at our friends and those who call themselves our friends,” Aleks said, staring directly at Brendan. “Particularly new friends.”
“What are you even saying?” Brendan said, standing in outrage. Even in anger, Brendan was proper, taking the time to button his jacket.
“I’m only saying we need to dig a little deeper,” Aleks said, a smile curling his lips as he took in Brendan’s agitation. “Only those closest to you have the opportunity to stab you in the back.”
“I need names!” Marek yelled, pounding the table again.
This time, I slid my chair back, using my outrageous heels to push off the leg of the table, putting me out of the line of fire when the dishware finally went flying. Both Aleks and Brendan reached out a hand to me, checking on my wellbeing first. Marek continued to roar, throwing a particularly violent tantrum.
This was too much. I was sick of this meeting and the one-upmanship. I hardly saw the point.
I slowly reached out to Marek’s mind, finding it wide open and unprotected in his rage. I located the central point of his anger, buried deep within his mind. It was fueled by the grief of loss. Too much loss for one man to handle. All but one of his sons gone. A tear fell down my cheek as I felt the wall of grief crash through me as well.
I didn’t dawdle.
I moved to push down the anger, centering it back into the ball of grief and fear and madness that was growing wildly in Marek’s mind. I couldn’t erase it completely, but I could shove everything back in its place. As I concentrated on that, I let the calmness I had been focusing on myself flow into Marek’s mind. I poured all my energy into that, forcing Marek back into calm.
As I slowly extracted myself, I built a better door for Marek’s mind, giving him a little more protection than he’d had before. I felt it was only fair after I so rudely barged in. I shut it softly, returning immediately to myself and a room so silent, I could hear the rustling of the barmen behind the scenes preparing for the evening.
Brendan stared at me with his jaw hanging open. Aleks’ eyes were boring into me, looking for the slightest sign I was not okay. I wiped the tears from my cheeks and cleared my throat. Marek startled at the noise, his large frame frozen in his chair. The blush had gone from his cheeks, and I wondered if somehow I had sobered him up unintentionally. Only a good thing in my book.
&
nbsp; “So,” I said, looking around to the three men in a sea of broken furniture, glassware, and linens. “Was there anything else or are we adjourned for the day?”
“What are you?” Marek whispered, his eyes large and haunted.
“That’s kind of a rude thing to ask,” I chirped back. “I don’t know what you are either, but I don’t go around asking about it. Honestly, your manners could use some work.”
“Evangeline,” Aleks cautioned.
“You know what? No. Don’t Evangeline me. You either,” I said, sticking my finger out in Brendan’s face. “I’m tired of everyone speaking for me. I’m not some prize you can fight over and use to your advantage. I may be seventeen, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know anything. And you.” I swung my pointed finger toward Marek briefly before laying it back in my lap.
“Me?” he asked sheepishly, as if I were waving an assault rifle in his face.
“If you are going to visit, you should call ahead and schedule an appointment. And don’t come back if all you’re going to do is drink and break things. Honestly. It’s a waste of everyone’s time. If you want to see your nephew, be human about it.” I stood.
Aleks and Marek joined Brendan, who was already on his feet, as I stood.
“I’ve got better things to do than to sit here and listen to you argue about nothing,” I said. “It was a pleasure meeting you. Goodbye.”
I walked out into the darkness of the room’s periphery, leaving the men behind in shock. As soon as I got to the door, Niko stepped out of the deepest shadows, his hand over his mouth and stomach, his body shaking almost imperceptibly. I stomped my foot.
“Pull it together, Niko,” I whispered angrily at him. “Help me make my exit, or move.”
Niko nodded, grabbing my shoulder.
“Where to, tsaritsa?” Niko mumbled.
“Take me to Henry,” I said. “I’ve got a few questions I need answered.”
We popped into a tiny apartment next to a bustling Underground hub, where I could see the glowing sign through the smaller of the two windows. The winter evening left commuters in the dark on their way home, and most were bundled head to toe, battling the bitter elements. The windows were letting in a good stream of chill night air, the old sealant crumbling softly to the worn carpet below.
Niko and I were scrunched in the only available standing room in the place. Two twin beds and a writing desk with matching chair were crammed awkwardly against the only available wall space. We stood uncomfortably between the beds. Niko had to stoop slightly to accommodate his height.
“Nice aim,” I muttered, slightly surprised I wasn’t on someone’s lap or foot given the square footage. Niko blew a small burst of air through his nostrils in response.
“I would say what a welcome surprise, but you know I’m not really the surprised type,” Jasleen said, flipping to the next page in her magazine. Henry sat meditating on the bed, managing to find the absolute central point in the room. Niko cleared his throat, catching my attention.
“I’m going to leave you here for a bit,” he said. “I need to check back in with Aleks.”
“No problem,” I said. “I shouldn’t be too long.”
“See you in twenty,” Jasleen quipped, flicking another page with her long fingernails. Niko nodded, confirming the time, and flickered away. I waved my hand where he had been just seconds before. Amazingly, the air didn’t seem to be disturbed like I had expected.
“He’s always here, but also never here. That’s why your ears don’t pop when he leaves,” Henry said, his eyes still closed serenely. I startled, not expecting him to speak. Looking around at the limited choice of seating, I decided to sit on the vacant bed across from him. Jasleen remained reposed on the edge of the small writing desk, ignoring the chair.
I smoothed down my skirt, picking away imaginary fuzz balls as I waited for Henry to complete his practice. My mother had gone through a meditation phase, although it didn’t seem to suit her once my stepdad came around. She was too preoccupied with running a large household and micromanaging the staff to meditate. Just like prayer, I knew to remain quiet until the practitioner had wrapped up themselves.
“Do you have…” I began, looking up at Jasleen, who had appeared with a small notebook and pen. I snapped my mouth shut, accepting the offered gift with a nod of thanks.
“I picked it up at the airport once I knew you would need it. Keep it with you. I would argue with you about keeping paper records of the Elevated few, but you won’t listen, so I won’t waste my breath,” Jasleen said, looming over me.
“Can I ask you a question?” I whispered, sneaking a peek at Henry. Jasleen rolled her wrist at me, wanting me to get on with it already. “How far are you able to see? Is one side always spinning ahead of the other?” I pointed to both her eyes, snatching my hand back into my lap when I realized how rude I was being.
Jasleen pursed her lips at me.
“Unlike most novices, I can in fact see the present out of both eyes, especially when I need to focus on the here and now. Otherwise, I let it track as far ahead as it would like. I have developed a sense for finding important occurrences, especially when it concerns either myself or Henry directly. If you asked me to look for you, I could. If I wanted to. But I don’t,” Jasleen quipped, turning on her bare heels and walking back to the desk.
I had begun to think of a follow-up question, but the conversation seemed closed as Jasleen gave me her back.
Henry’s eyes popped open, and I leaned back in surprise. I had a sudden sense of déjà vu of me and Noah speaking internally, freaking out her aunt, Adele. Two supernaturals so in sync with their gifts, completely open with one another and using them without fear or reservation. It was uncanny from an outside perspective, but calming at the same time. It gave me hope for how the future could be. Assuming any of us wanted to be in sync with one another.
“Why hello, dear,” Henry said. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Jasleen wasn’t surprised,” I said, feeling like a little girl arguing with a patient adult. Something about Henry made me shrink back into a helpless toddler, and I had to make sure my voice didn’t follow suit.
“Jasleen and I have an understanding,” Henry said. “She doesn’t tell me everything so I can still be surprised. I can’t imagine living life without a little mystery.”
“It’s not horrible,” Jasleen said, idly flipping another page in her tabloid.
“I’m sure you knew I’d be back though,” I said, blushing. “I’ve been told more than once I ask too many questions.”
Jasleen snorted primly, but Henry offered a warm smile.
“Questions are good. Curiosity is an undervalued talent,” Henry said. He glanced down at the notebook and pen. “I see you’re prepared.”
“Please don’t feel pressured to answer if you don’t want to. Or if you don’t remember,” I said in a rush, chewing on the inside of my cheek nervously. “I was hoping you could help me with some family histories. I don’t know much about the main lines or who’s in them. I figured if I knew the families and the known players, it could help me sort out who I may still need to find.”
“That’s a very studious undertaking,” Henry said, rubbing his thighs as he thought. “I may remember some, but just because you have certain concentrations of supernatural energy, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll strike the same tree eternally.”
“But say the energy has to have a certain threshold of supernatural blood in order to manifest in a person,” I said, tapping the pen softly against my lips. “If it dries up in certain lines, like the Navratils, for instance, wouldn’t it find the next best host? We could be looking at a lot of other possibilities.”
“True,” Henry said. “Even better though, is that the so-called Old World deities weren’t even the oldest deities. Sure, a high concentration came from the Celts and the Nordic populations. They naturally emigrated, and their bloodlines with them. Jasleen and I are both outside those populations, whi
ch could open up even more you might not have thought about.”
I blushed. I hadn’t thought of that.
“Even you, technically, have part of your bloodline from indigenous populations. You must think globally. Although I must admit, it’s easier to find the colonialist histories and bloodlines. It’s easier when it’s the population dictating the history,” Henry said, his eyes dancing with shadows. I cleared my throat, not wanting to say what didn’t need to be said. I was more than aware of the issues in historical accounts and didn’t feel bringing Henry to that painful place would be worth the emotional output for either of us.
“So,” I said, flipping open the notebook to the second page, leaving the first one blank out of habit. I desperately wanted to stay on track for the remaining time I had with Henry. It was already too short. I needed hours, if not days. “If we figure out the players we know, we can estimate the missing pieces and look for them first.”
Henry nodded, his smile broad and toothy.
“See? Curiosity is definitely worth something.”
“I do feel a little guilty though,” I confessed, my pen pausing over the fresh sheet. “I feel like I’m kind of giving up on all the kids I do know. I mean, just because they go to Windermere or are related to people at the Association, it doesn’t mean they’re bad people. Or not worth protecting.”
I bit my lip, hesitating. The war on my conscience was bigger than just me or Aleks or even Brendan. We were talking about the possibility of kids being killed for not picking the right team. Leaving anyone behind seemed too significant.
“Those who have grown up within the supernatural community will have more resources than you think,” Henry said, the calm confidence ebbing from his spot on the bed. “It’s not abandoning them, so much as reaching out a hand to those who have no connection to the community and who may not have any idea what’s going on. Imagine being the first in your family to be endowed with powers. It’s not like you can Google ‘How to control my supernatural powers’ and get any real help.”