by Eden Ashley
“I want to become a social worker.” Her eyes danced with excitement. “Max, you can come on in now.”
Kali stretched her eyes in alarm. “Oh no. What did you do?”
“Everyone else around here gets to take in a stray. So I got one too.”
“Moses is your stray.”
“Look. His parents are always away on business like ours. But this time they left and forgot to find him a babysitter. We’re going to watch him until they get back.”
Right on cue, a blond kid in khaki shorts and flip flops rounded the corner into the kitchen. He was barely a teenager, fourteen or fifteen at most. Looking Kali up and down, he nodded his head as if approving of what he saw. “Dang, shorty. What’s your name?”
“Anita Shower.”
The kid smiled. “That’s cute.” He looked at Rozzy. “You didn’t tell me your sister was fine.” He spotted the cake. “Is that for me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Greg and Lisa are going to kill you.”
“No.” Rozzy smiled and helped herself to more disaster cake. “I might get grounded. You, they’re going to kill.”
“Maybe they’ll kill us both.”
Rozzy jerked her head at Max. “Hey kid, take your dessert downstairs and watch some TV. My sis and I need to have some grown up time.”
“Are you kidding? I want to stay and watch.”
Rozzy kicked his chair. “Go downstairs, you little pervert. Don’t come back up until I tell you to.”
Max got up from the table looking incredulous. “Dang, what’re you getting so upset for? That’s what my parents always say when they want to do it.”
“Max! That is way too much information. And it’s gross. Kali is my sister.”
He looked back and forth from Kali to Rozzy. “But not for real.”
A stern expression crossed Rozzy’s face. It was identical to one Lisa had worn many times while raising them. “I’m going to count to five. On three, I’m going to smack you. And if I reach five, I’m going to throw your scrawny butt down the stairs.”
“Whatever. I’m fading to black.” Max took his cake and left.
Kali raised her glass of milk in mock toast. “That’s some parenting, Rozzy.”
They shared a laugh. Then Rozzy got serious. “Do you want to talk about what happened over there?”
Kali’s smile faltered. “Don’t you have a date with Tim or something?”
“Nope. I’m all yours tonight.”
“Yay me.” She sighed, trying to remember the lie Rhane had coached her to tell, but other images kept jumping in the way. Monsters hunting in the night. Thick ropes around her wrists and ankles as she lay shivering in the mud. A pair of statues with sand clinging to their soulless faces. Whistles and screams that silenced everything else. Thick fur brushed against her hand. Kali laced her fingers through the softness of it as the dog pressed against her leg. Her thoughts cleared.
Concern creased Rozzy’s lovely features. “Are you okay? Tell me what just happened.”
Kali blurted out the story. “There was an accident. The bus driver lost control driving along the cliffs. I passed out. I came to and was alone in the desert, miles away from the crash. But I didn’t remember being in one. Luckily, a couple of camel herders found me. There hasn’t been word on Mr. Richards or Shannon.”
Rozzy startled Kali by grabbing her hand. “I’m glad you’re okay. And I’m sorry Mom and Dad can’t be here for you right now.”
Kali felt guilty for lying. “I’m fine.”
They sat quietly for a few awkward moments until the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Rozzy hopped up and went into the living room. Bailen trotted quietly in the opposite direction.
Kali looked at the cake and debated having more. Before she could decide, Rozzy returned with Wes trailing behind. “Apparently, there’s some kind of special on houseguests today. Look who else stopped in.”
Wes wordlessly took Kali into his arms. For a while, he simply held her. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by sooner.”
“It’s fine.”
“She keeps saying that.” Rozzy frowned. “Have a seat. Eat cake to celebrate your promotion.”
Wes ran a hand through his shock of blond hair. “That’s actually the thing I need to talk to Kali about.” She felt her stomach fold in knots. The feeling must have reached her face too because Wes held up his hand. “Don’t worry. This isn’t bad news.”
She blew out a breath. “Then tell me. I hate suspense.”
“They found Shannon.”
“How is recovering our co-worker’s dead body good news?”
“Well, that’s just it. They found her alive.”
Rozzy clapped. Kali gasped. “But I saw her die.”
They both stared at her with expressions of confusion. Wes spoke first. “I thought you were found miles away from the crash. And you said you didn’t remember anything?”
Crapola. “Well…uh…I do remember the accident. We were all tossed around like ragdolls. Shannon hit her head pretty hard and didn’t move after that. When the bus stopped rolling, I passed out…I think. After that, I don’t remember. I guess that’s when the camel guys found me.”
Kali could tell Rozzy had bought the story. If Wes was skeptical, he did a bang up job of hiding it. He nodded. “We managed to get Shannon stateside after she had emergency surgery. She’s in the hospital now.”
Kali chewed her lip. “Has she said anything?”
“The anesthesia has worn off, but she isn’t talking. She’s catatonic. Outside stimuli has no effect. But this morning she started babbling about monsters in the desert and an old man with dead eyes stabbing her and killing Mr. Richards. Now she’s sedated and in restraints.”
“Wow,” Rozzy muttered. “She doesn’t handle trauma well.”
Wes folded his arms. “What do you think, Kali? Her story is wholly different from yours.”
“I—I don’t know what to say. Do you think she’s crazy?”
“She said she was stabbed. But there was no wound. Doctors only treated a hemorrhage from the head trauma she got in the bus accident.”
“Right.” Kali squirmed under Wes’s gaze. “What about Mr. Richards? Did they find him alive too?”
“No. And without a body, he can’t be declared dead.”
Kali surprised herself by laughing. “So, we both have jobs then.”
“Until Mr. Richards shows up, dead or alive, I’m in charge. So, yeah. He’d want business to go on as usual. Making a buck has always been the bottom line at Mack Ventures, Inc.”
“Ha. It’s the only line.”
Wes smiled. “I’ve got to get over to the office now. Please come back when you’re ready.” He kissed her forehead. “And if Mack doesn’t bring his sorry butt back from the grave to recommend you for the internship next summer, I will.”
It was Rozzy’s turn to laugh. “Be careful who else you say that too. You just gave my sister motive.”
Shooting Rozzy a reproving look, Kali squeezed Wes’s hand and walked him to the door. “Thanks. It means a lot.”
“Take care of yourself, Kali.”
The second Wes was gone, Bailen peered from behind the sofa. Kali called to him, and the dog came obediently, his large head bowed low as he approached. “Why’d you bail on me?”
Bailen growled softly. Ending the noise with a whine, he averted his eyes. Light from the window caught them at just the right angle, and they appeared to glow. The intelligence in his gaze left her breathless.
“Who’s in there?” she whispered.
Rozzy’s voice trampled the moment. “Keep it up. The white coats are going to strap you down on a gurney next to Shannon.”
Feeling slightly weirded out, Kali tried to make light of the episode. “Don’t act like you don’t talk to that stupid cat of yours.”
“She’s not stupid. And I don’t sit there like I’m waiting for her to answer me. You guys looked like you were having a moment.” She put
her hands on her hips. “Where’d you say you found him?”
“I didn’t. The new guy, as you call him, asked me to look after his dog for a while.”
Rozzy rolled her eyes. “I might go out later,” she said, walking away.
“I thought you were staying in.”
“I changed my mind.” Rozzy stopped at the foot of the staircase and leaned against the banister. “Having all these men come around to see you has sent me into withdrawals. I’m calling Dr. Holden.”
Kali laughed. “He’s so not a doctor yet.”
“That’s right.” Rozzy grinned slyly. “You gotta lock ‘em down before they finish med school. That’s how girls end up married to rich doctors.”
“If that’s what you’re after, maybe Tim isn’t the best investment.” Kali shook her head. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching Max?”
“You can keep an eye on him.”
“I was actually planning to take Bailen for a run.”
Rozzy waved her hand in the air dismissively and climbed up the stairs. “Your plans take an hour. Mine are going to last all night. I’ll babysit until you get back. And then Max is all yours. I’ll even pay you.”
“How much?”
“Ten bucks.”
During their childhood, Kali had fallen for such a ridiculous offer many times over. Once, Rozzy was given ten dollars to mow the lawn while Lisa went to the supermarket. Lisa left, and Rozzy convinced ten-year-old Kali to do all the work for a whopping one dollar and fifty cent payoff. Kali’s math skills had come a long way since then. She snorted. “That’s like eighty cents an hour.”
“Whatever. Help me out here. Please?”
“Give me twenty, and I’ll think about it.”
“Twenty bucks?”
“Yep. I’m saving for college. You remember college, don’t you? It’s that place you’re supposed to be and Tim will never leave.”
“You’re not half as pretty when you’re jealous.” Rozzy smiled nastily from the second floor landing. “Hurry up and go so you can get back.”
Chapter 48
Wesley returned to the offices of Mack Ventures directly after leaving the Metts’ residence. Little time remained with much to be prepared. At least, it was what he liked to tell himself. In truth, he had done all he could and much more than he should have. Other Builders would call him weak for experiencing these human sentiments of longing and regret.
We’ve taken so much. But it was for the greater good. So that everyone else might be saved.
The shredder grabbed a steady stream of documents, devouring them hungrily. Every piece of evidence involving the deal for The Siren’s Heart had to be destroyed. After the hard copies were done, he would move on to the computers, wiping all information from the software. Others knew the real artifact was still out there and soon would come looking for it. The Siren’s Heart could not fall into the wrong hands. If it did, then all of this would have been for nothing.
The phone buzzed. Wes snatched it up before the first ring had ended. The voice on the other end was flat, devoid of feeling. Builders did not show emotion.
“You were not to interfere.”
Over the years, responding with genuine emptiness had become an increasingly difficult task. There was once a time when it had come as naturally to him as it had to the others. But, caring for Kalista filled those hollow parts of him. “Using The Siren’s Heart to lure and sell her to Reapers was an act of interference. Leading them to the cavern restored balance.” Wes concentrated on keeping his voice without inflection.
“It was a test. If he is not strong enough, our plan against the Faction will never succeed.”
“The ability of Banewolf was tested in the woods and at the theater.” His knuckles turned white as his hand gripped the telephone harder. Wes found it difficult to block anger from his voice. “She has been endangered enough. Gabriel should not have been released.”
“Who will follow our rules if we do not? Everything must be as it was.”
“Tsai, he could taint her. We mustn’t do something that cannot be undone.”
“We cannot control Blight. Must I remind you that if it returns, this precious world will die? We started this course. We must finish it.”
Wes held his tongue. Only silence could mask his indignation. He spoke when he felt sufficient control. “Who has the statue?”
“It is safe.”
“You were using it as bait, trying to force a confrontation.”
“One of them has to be dominant. One of them must claim her.”
“She belongs to Banewolf.”
“He must prove that he deserves her.”
Again, Wes was silent.
“Have you found the child?” Tsai asked.
“It continues to elude capture.”
“It is imperative that you find it.”
“There may not be time.” Wes stopped, listened. “I have to go. Someone is here.”
“Join us soon.”
Returning the phone to its cradle, he turned to face the man who had entered the office unannounced. “I wondered when you would find enough pieces to see me in the puzzle.”
“Four people from this office knew the location of the deal for The Siren’s Heart. One is dead. The other has experienced a sudden onset of madness. The third is a seventeen-year-old kid who barely escaped from Gabriel and his Reaper horde.” Rhane closed the door behind him. “And you are the fourth.”
“Have you guessed what I am?”
“You are an arrogant being whose god-complex seeded an unending war.”
Wes smiled sadly. “There is more truth in your statement than even I care to admit.”
“Why was Gabriel awakened?”
“For the same reason Kalista was created, for the same reason your race has fought so bravely for centuries--because we are slaves who wish to be free.”
“Slaves?” Rhane neither sounded nor looked as if he believed him. “Who could enslave the master race?”
Wes hesitated. Now wasn’t the time to tell the warrior everything. Too much truth could jeopardize the objective. “A long time ago, Gabriel discovered truths that were not his to know. For it he was severely punished. But now that sentence has been fulfilled.”
Rhane’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What truths?”
Wes shook his head. “At this time, they are not yours to know.” He tried to gauge the reaction of the other man before continuing. “But I can tell you this. Until the massacre, Warekin had warred to subdue increasing numbers of Rogue and Kindred kind for centuries. The siren freed your race from a cycle of servitude.”
Rhane’s eyes snapped dangerously. “She did not kill my people.”
Even after four hundred years of suffering without the one whom he suffered for, the warlord spoke with unshakable conviction. Wes didn’t have to but wanted to give Rhane that much. “No. Kali didn’t.”
“Why did you take her?”
“Your loss served a greater cause. The siren could not have died at the hands of the Warekin. She was our only hope. A battle is coming—one that will put this world in peril.”
“But why—why is she a teenager?”
“Such a powerful creature was never meant to be confined to a human body. But we managed to fuse two life forms, making them compatible symbiotes for a limited time.”
“How limited?”
“The siren and a human child mature simultaneously. When the siren’s need to feed on life-energy reemerges, the host must act to satisfy its hunger. But feeding the siren increases its impulses and strength, thereby eroding the stability of the human vessel. As the host vessel deteriorates, blackouts, memory loss, and uncontrolled manifestations of power become increasingly evident if the siren is not moved into another body.”
Rhane swallowed. “Those things are already happening.”
“Yes, but these symptoms are not as they could be. Feeding from an immortal, such as yourself, should stabilize the
changes. There may be no further need to move the siren.”
Rhane’s expression was steely. “The biological mother of this host knew her daughter had changed. Kalista has suffered greatly because of it.”
“I know.” Wes averted his gaze from the rising anger in Rhane’s eyes. “For that I am truly sorry.”
“Did you kill her parents?”
He offered the warrior a thin smile. “Do you truly wish to know?”
For a moment Rhane was silent. “If what you say is true, now that Kalista is with me, she will be fine. I want no further part in your schemes.”
“You don’t understand. Gabriel is free now. And he is driven by vengeance. He will fight for the siren, hoping to harness her strength to destroy us. He will fail at that. But then he will lead our cause. And Kalista will be his.”
Rhane moved without notice. In the next instant, his body was mere inches from Wes’s. Anger wafted around him in a dark aura, filling the room. The black eyes that burned into the Builder’s were less than human. Four sets of canines gradually lengthened as he spoke. “I have changed.” His voice was calm. It rippled with control. “I smell your fear, Builder. You can be killed. Come for her again and I will end you.”
Wes struggled against the urge to flinch away. “Become our champion. If not for everyone else, then fight for Kalista.”
He thought he saw flashes of white hair at Rhane’s temples not present moments before. Sensing that emotion would help alleviate tensions, Wes allowed his newfound humanity to surface. “I have been there from the beginning…In her life before this one, I cared for Kalista like a daughter. She became special to me.” The violence in Rhane’s eyes receded. “We are not on opposite sides. I wish things could be different. But I am one against many.” Rhane stepped back. His face was a cipher. But Wes hazarded it safe to breathe again. “It would be best if you did not tell her what I am.”
“She deserves to know.”
“There are things about both of us that she deserves to know.”
Rhane raised an eyebrow as darkness revisited his countenance. “So if I don’t tell, you won’t tell?”
“I was merely suggesting that we share a mutual confidence.” Rhane made no move to rip his head off. Wes took it as progressive sign. Their time together was running out. And there was another pressing issue. “You do not have The Siren’s Heart.”
Rhane shook his head slowly. “It was a fake. Presumably lost in the desert.”
“You must find the real statue.” Wes couldn’t emphasize enough how important that was. “It is not just an item of sentiment between you and the siren. The true Siren’s Heart is a key. And you must recover it.”