Jack made a mental note to ask Abigail later, but he wouldn’t have to wait. Sloan had seen the same look on Abigail’s face, and she was less willing to let go of whatever it was that bothered Aareth.
“So what’s got Aareth all riled up?” Sloan eyed Abigail with a disapproving stare. “Spill it.”
“What?” Abigail shrugged. “What makes you think I would know anything?”
“Oh, lets see…” Sloan raised a gloved hand and lifted fingers as she listed off the reasons. “You haven’t made eye contact with anyone, you’ve only played with your food, you let Aareth tell the story of what happened to you two today… Should I go on?”
“I do know more. I promised Aareth I wouldn’t say.” Abigail licked her lips. As if deciding for herself what she was going to say, she eyed Jack, then moved to Sloan. “You should hear it from him. It’s not my story to tell.”
The room was quiet. The two women stared into one another’s eyes as if the first one to look away was the loser. The tension built to the point Jack where was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“Why don’t we just ask Aareth today when he gets back?” Jack raised both hands in the sign of peace. Why? He didn’t know. It just seemed someone should be surrendering at this point. “There’s no reason for things to get ugly.”
“All right.” Sloan finally broke her gaze. “I have to prepare for the ball tonight. The queen’s security has to be better than airtight.”
“Thank you,” Abigail said.
“You’re welcome, Abigail.” Sloan stood from the table. She walked out the door. As if in afterthought, she looked back. “If you are going to be keeping secrets, you should have some kind of training. We’ll set aside some time to familiarize you with a sword.”
“Really?” Abigail’s green eyes brightened with excitement. “Thank you, Sloan.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Sloan said, leaving the room.
Jack and Abigail sat at the table alone. Jack could see the joy in Abigail’s face at the thought of training with Sloan. He wanted to be happy for her, but something in the back of his mind just wouldn’t allow the emotion. He knew that with training, Abigail would be put in danger. She’d be by Sloan’s side now, out in New Hope, tracking down clues.
“Don’t give me that look,” Abigail told Jack with a raised eyebrow. “I know that look.”
“What?” Jack twisted the muscles in his face to relax. “What look?”
“Like you’re the only one who’s allowed to fight and put his life in danger. I’m as much a part of this as you are now.”
“I get that. I do. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“I can live with that. But I made your father a promise about looking after you, and I’m going to keep that promise,” Abigail said, looking out the window to see the sun lowering behind the city wall. Something like foreboding crossed her face, a look that said she had put off the inevitable long enough.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked.
“It’s time. Elizabeth has her meeting with the psychologist the queen had called for.” Abigail rubbed her eyes. “It’s silly, really. I don’t know if any news at this point would be good news. Whatever they find, it’s going to change everything for her, for us.”
Jack stood up, walked over to Abigail, and embraced her. It wasn’t a romantic hug. It was what she needed now, just someone to be there and hold her. She allowed him to pull her into his chest. They stood quiet for a moment, both breathing as one.
“I’ll go with you.” Jack rested his chin on top of her head. “We’re a team, and I’d rather be on your good side now that you’re going to learn how to fight.”
Jack
Elizabeth sat on her stool in the observation room as if she hadn’t a care in the world. The little girl pushed herself from the table in front of her and sent her seat spinning, over and over again.
Jack and Abigail stood on the other side of the see-through glass with Fenrick Trillion and Lieutenant Baker, who had returned to the palace. With Sloan securing the grounds for the ball, the lieutenant was the officer she trusted the most. As the queen’s advisor and treasurer, Fenrick had been asked to be there in place of the queen.
The room Elizabeth sat in was plain, with two steel chairs and a steel table. The only other piece of furniture was a large machine with wires and buttons Jack didn’t recognize.
“The psychologist should be here any moment,” Fenrick wheezed as he produced a gold timepiece from his black vest pocket. A glance at the pocket watch told him he was correct. “She’s usually early.”
“I’m sure your sister will be fine,” Lieutenant Baker reassured Abigail, who stood with her arms crossed, rocking back and forth from her toes to her heels. “She has the best care in New Hope now.”
Abigail managed a smile.
Jack was about to say something to agree with the lieutenant, when the door to Elizabeth’s room opened. A middle-aged woman stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She wore a white lab coat and carried a clipboard in her right hand.
“Hello, Elizabeth,” the woman said, “my name is Leah Noble. I’m a doctor here on staff with the palace.”
“Hello,” Elizabeth said, bringing her spinning to a stop. She wobbled a bit on her seat while she regained her balance.
“I’ve been told you are very smart for your age, so I’m going to treat you like an adult. There’s nothing worse than being talked down to.” Leah sat at the table across from Elizabeth. “I’m going to go over the information I have on my clipboard, just to confirm I have accurate material.”
“I can live with that.” Elizabeth drummed her fingers on the table. “I can probably save us both some time just by answering everything you have on the sheet. At least, I can guess at it.”
“Great idea.” The doctor lifted the clipboard off the table so Elizabeth couldn’t see what was written on the paper. “Go ahead, when you’re ready.”
“My name is Elizabeth Rose Ahab. I’m ten years old. My mother left me before I can remember. I have one sister. My father was a troubled man. He became the monster he feared and was killed.” Elizabeth rattled off the information as if she were reading things from a list of someone else’s life. “We’re here because I was abducted for days, maybe weeks, and my memory was wiped. During this time, experiments that I can’t remember were done on me, and as a result, my brain power is far greater than it should be.”
“Impressive.” Leah’s eyebrows rose. She was clearly surprised, but recovered well as she checked off boxes on her clipboard and made notes. “Well, you did a great job answering my questions before I even asked them. We can start with a few simple tests just to assess your brainpower. If you can’t complete these tests, don’t worry. They are designed to be impossible. We gage how far you get along the process.”
“Okay.” Elizabeth rolled up her sleeve. “How much blood do you need?”
“Blood? What?” Leah shook her head with a confused smile on her full lips. “No, it’s not that kind of exam.”
“Oh, I thought for sure your mind was on the subject of blood.”
“Here’s the first test.” Doctor Noble ignored Elizabeth’s words. She walked to the desk in the room and rummaged through the contents to produce a hand-sized ball with multicolored sides. She handed the object to Elizabeth. “This is called a rubix sphere. The idea is—”
“To get all the sides of the same color together.” Elizabeth examined the ball from all directions. “I can do it.”
“Okay.” Doctor Noble reached into her pocket. She produced a square watch she placed on the table. “Begin.”
Elizabeth started working on the ball in silence.
Jack took the opportunity to look at Abigail to see how she was holding up with the testing.
“She seems to be doing well so far.” Jack placed a hand on Abigail’s shoulder. “She’s going to be fine.”
“Yeah.” Abigail managed a smile. “She’s not the shy type. I actuall
y think she might—”
“Great wheel in the sky,” Fenrick whispered as he brought his face so close to the glass, his words painted steam on the panel. “She did it.”
Jack and Abigail turned to see what had caught Fenrick’s attention. Elizabeth was holding up the multicolored sphere, having successfully placed each color together on its designated side.
“That … that’s remarkable, Elizabeth.” Leah Noble, who had so far managed to keep her composure, was fumbling for words. “You accomplished the impossible in mere seconds.”
Elizabeth shrugged as if she had expected nothing less. She passed the item to the doctor, who accepted it with awe.
“Wait.” The doctor flipped papers on her clipboard until she came across a series of images. The first was a black butterfly. The drawing faced the doctor and the four silent partners on the other side of the glass. There was no way Elizabeth could have seen the picture. “I can’t believe I’m asking you this, but can you read—”
“It’s a butterfly.” Elizabeth propped her head up on her hand. “An inky black one.”
“How … how could you tell?” Leah Noble asked in wonder. “You can read my thoughts, can’t you?”
“Don’t be mad at me. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d worry.” Elizabeth looked to the glass and directly at Abigail. “But yes, I can read people’s thoughts.”
Tears were welling in Abigail’s eyes. The three men in the room looked at her with worry, concern, and intrigue.
“It’s going to be all right.” Jack tried pulling her in for a hug. “They’re going to take care of her here. She’s safe.”
“Is she? Is she, Jack? Anything that can be used as a weapon, will be used as a weapon. You saw what happened to the wolf in Burrow Den.” Abigail pulled away from Jack’s hug. She skewered Fenrick and the lieutenant with a hard stare. “Will you guarantee me her safety?”“She’ll be safe,” Lieutenant Baker reassured her. “She’s only a girl. The queen would never think of using her in any kind of way.”
Fenrick licked his lips and looked away.
Aareth
“Last I heard, you were roaming the Outland, out for hire to the highest bidder. Then your name pops up with this Burrow Den nonsense. There were even rumors you had died. Well, what is it now? Hero working for the crown?”
“What do you think, Gunny?” Aareth brought the mug of beer to his lips and took a long gulp. “Do I strike you as the savior type?”
“You strike me as the dangerous type, Aareth.” Gunny stared deep into Aareth’s eyes. “Say, what’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I was bitten by a genetically enhanced wolf, and now something I can’t even begin to explain is happening to me?” Aareth asked, scanning the room to make sure they weren’t being listened in on. The Vixen Tavern was a seedy bar where the ale was cold and the customers even colder-hearted. Aareth had been searching for hours. A tip told him a local muscle named Gunny had information on this “Order.” Luckily for Aareth, he and Gunny went way back.
“Genetically engineered wolf, huh?” Gunny repeated, spitting up beer into his massive beard. A laugh escaped his lips. “You always were a strange one, Aareth. Drop off the face of the planet, and now you’re back out of the blue, years later, talking about enhanced wolves.”
Aareth scanned the room again while Gunny spoke. They were sitting at a table in the far corner of the bar. It was quiet. The locals were only now getting off work. Only a few of the most dedicated to their craft lined the barstools.
“I need some information.” Aareth directed his attention back to Gunny. “Word on the street is you may have access to a group calling themselves The Order.”
“Nope, sorry friend, can’t help you there.” The words were already coming out of Gunny’s mouth before Aareth finished. “You’ve heard wrong.”
“You’re a horrible liar.” Aareth reached into his pocket. His fist came back, holding a brown leather bag of coins. “I can make it worth your while.”
Gunny was now scanning the room to make sure no one else had heard the words come out of Aareth’s mouth. The man was a mountain of muscle, though in that moment, he looked like a terrified child.
“I don’t want your money.” Gunny placed his beer on the table. He stood to leave. “I have to be going.”
“I need your help here, Gunny.” Aareth caught the man’s thick wrist as he prepared to leave. “You’re a friend. I’d rather not have to insist on this, but I’m prepared to do whatever I have to do to get answers. What I’m after, it’s … it’s about Brenda. ”
The mention of her ate at Aareth’s heart. He hadn’t spoken her name in years. He had pushed her memory as far from his mind as possible during his waking hours. It was only in his dreams where he relived the events of her death that he was haunted by her.
Gunny hesitated. The two men had come up together through the police ranks to reach the level of city inspector. Eventually, Aareth had gone his own way, as had Gunny.
The mad look in Aareth’s eyes must have been enough. Gunny heaved a sigh. He shook off Aareth’s hold on his wrist and retook his seat.
“Brenda, huh?” Gunny glanced nervously at the door of the bar and its other occupants. “She’s gone, Aareth. You need to let her go.”
“I know, I know that.” Aareth felt his pulse quicken in frustration. “It’s complicated. But if I can put her memory to rest for good, I need to know what you know about The Order. Who are they? A street gang?”
“Nothing like a street gang.” Gunny grabbed his beer mug. In one giant gulp, he drained the contents. A loud belch ensued. “Listen, I don’t know much, but I know enough not to get caught up with these guys. They’re dangerous, Aareth. They’re dangerous, like you and I, maybe worse.”
“I need to find them, Gunny.” Aareth leaned forward. His long, black hair fell from his ponytail to cover part of his face. “I need to know for sure.”
“You saw her body.” Gunny lowered his gaze. “We all did.”
“I saw her body,” Aareth agreed, pushing the hair from his line of sight. “More recently, I saw something that I can’t explain.”
Gunny looked solemnly at Aareth.
“Okay, I don’t know much, but I’ll tell you anyway. The name started drifting around about a year ago. Nobody really knew what The Order was back then. It was talked about in whispers. It almost became a joke. When someone went missing we’d say, ‘The Order must have grabbed them.’ It was funny, until one day it wasn’t.”
Gunny took a break to lean back in his chair. A moment of silence passed before he shook his head free from whatever sense of dread had given him pause.
Aareth knew Gunny well. He had been fearless during their time together as inspectors. Whatever it was that now made him afraid was something to be taken seriously.
“Urban legend became something real. Our nightmares grew legs and started walking among us. These people in masks started being sighted. Metal masks. Most people who saw them didn’t live to talk about it. Word is, they’re a sect bent on taking over New Hope from the inside, but who really knows?”
“Where have they been sighted?” Aareth spoke so fast his sentence sounded like one word. He was finally getting the answers he so desperately needed. “Any gang or sect needs manpower. Where do they recruit?”
“I would try to talk you out of it, if I thought there was any point to it.” Gunny ran a scarred hand over his bald head. “Rumors are, they hang out in the old manufacturing district. I heard they might be meeting tonight.”
Jack
The events of the day were blurring together as Jack took a shower and ate dinner in his room. The ball was approaching quickly. Jack was expected to make an appearance as the savior of Burrow Den.
A suit had been prepared for him. It hung off his bathroom door, ready to make its debut. Jack dressed robotically, his mind on Abigail and Elizabeth. After the tests were complete, Abigail just wanted some alone time with
her sister. Jack couldn’t blame her. If Elizabeth could really read minds, what kind of life would she be able to live?
Jack’s fingers fumbled with the clasp of his slacks and his tie. He was used to summoning magic and hunting the paranormal, not this. A mirror showed him exactly how feeble his attempts really were. The clothing fit well, but his bow tie looked like a noose. His hair wasn’t much better.
Jack grimaced at the burning pain he felt in his scalp as he combed his hair into place. The bow tie was beyond saving. Coattails trailing behind him, Jack exited his room. A glance to his left told him Aareth wasn’t back yet. A silver platter holding dinner was still on the carpet in front of his locked door.
Looking the other direction, Jack knew something was wrong. Two guards stood in front of Abigail and Elizabeth’s room. One he recognized as the limping Sergeant Harrison.
“Hello, sergeant.” Jack did his best to act unconcerned. “What’s with the armed escort?”
Sergeant Harrison shifted uncomfortably as if he wished he could do anything now except answer Jack’s question. The guard beside him did the same.
“Hello, sir,” the sergeant said with a nod. “We’re under orders to accompany the girls … wherever they travel.”
“Under whose orders?” Jack pressed.
“Fenrick Trillion gave us the commands,” Sergeant Harrison answered. “They aren’t in any kind of trouble, if that’s what you think. We’re only here to accompany them. They are free to move about and attend the ball.”
At that moment, the door to the room opened. Abigail stepped out, looking like a recently bloomed flower. Her dress was sleeveless, tight-fitting on top, and flared out at the waist. Once again, Jack felt like the bumbling idiot who’d fallen over backwards in his chair the first time he saw her.
“I see you’ve met our new friends.” Abigail rolled her eyes, completely ignoring the guards. “I feel like I’m being babysat.”
“I have.” Jack tore his gaze from her red ball dress and matching earrings, but not before he noticed a scratch mark on her slender neck. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out. Is Elizabeth coming?”
House of Blood: (A Paranormal Urban Fantasy) (The Vampire Project Book 2) Page 6