by Kirk, A
Unfortunately, now I felt like one of them.
Jayden gave me a perturbed glance, then opened a refrigerated glass cabinet and looked over the multitude of vials.
“Perhaps a sedative would help.”
“Nooope.” I started to get up.
Logan put a hand on my shoulder. “Jayden!”
“Fine.” Jayden grabbed a beaker, dumped out a thick, dark liquid into a sink, added water, then offered it to me, syrupy globs of olive green floating to the top. “Perhaps hydration would assist?”
“Ew.” I waved him off, keeping a wary eye on the two long walls. They both had sliding doors hidden within. One led to the game room, and the opposite one opened directly into Ayden’s bedroom.
“What if the guys walk in on us?”
“No one’s around,” Logan assured me.
“Relaxing is essential to meditation, Aurora,” Jayden said. “Your strain of Divinicus power never ceases. It constantly scans your environment in the…background of your mind.”
“Like on your computer,” I said. “The anti-virus is always running, but you don’t see it.”
“That would be accurate,” Jayden seemed pleased. “Currently, you only notice it when it locates a demon. A blip on your radar, in banal terms, and only with a demon at close proximity. Today, however, we attempt to have you not only perceive the scanning power but actively search the environment, expand the parameter, and focus on a definitive target.”
“Gee, sounds simple.” We were dead in the water.
“Just try to clear your mind.” Logan started opening drawers. “We can set the brain scanner to help relax you.”
“It’s not a ‘brain scanner,’ but, yes, we could use the apparatus to induce a placid disposition. It should be here but…” Jayden swung out a cabinet and frowned. “Ayden’s been using it.”
He crossed the space and put his hand on a panel next to the door to Ayden’s room and pushed a button. The door in the wall swished open.
Jayden started to walk in. Then froze. The room wasn’t empty.
Ayden sat cross-legged on his platform bed surrounded by several ancient-looking books which were cracked open like he was studying for some test on archaic history. From a bowl in his lap he plucked a few corn kernels and tossed them into the air. Fire whooshed off his finger, the kernels popped into fluffy white puffs, he tipped back his head, and caught them in his mouth.
Wow. So much for his important, stressful, high-level Mandatum meeting thing. He was so full of it.
Logan’s eyes went wide, and he stepped his small form in front of me.
Jayden sputtered, “W-what are you doing here?!”
“In my room? Some genius you are.” Ayden continued fire-popping the kernels and catching them in his mouth. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so ticked off. “Dad sent Mom into town for emergency groceries. Whatever that is. So if you want something, call her.”
“Dad’s home?” Jayden disappeared into Ayden’s room.
“Called from his office. I think. Why are you taking the brain scanner?”
“Yes, yes, carry on.” Jayden scurried back into the lab grasping some sort of helmet made of braided silver wire with spiral tentacles and spikes poking out from the top.
Yeah, that wasn’t going on my head.
Although I’d happily chuck it at Ayden. Big fat liar.
Ayden saw me and lurched up, forgetting the bowl in his lap. Kernels flew. “Aurora! What are you doing here?” He scrambled off the bed and headed toward us, eyes narrowing at his brother. “Jayden, whatever you’re trying, don’t you dare.”
Logan slammed his hand on the wall panel and the door swished shut on Ayden.
I glared. “You said he was gone!”
“He was supposed to be with—”
The door swished open and we saw Ayden briefly before Logan punched the panel and Ayden had to jump back so the door didn’t hit him as it closed again.
From inside his room, Ayden banged his fist on the wall. “Really?!”
“Lock the doors,” Logan ordered.
“I’m really relaxed now,” I said dryly.
“Place it upon her.” Jayden tossed the helmet to Logan, then typed on a keyboard. “It’s programmed.”
“Whoa.” I put up my hands. “What’s that—”
Logan plopped it on my head.
My breath sailed out of my chest. A gentle hum thrummed over my scalp and the world around me slowed. Ayden banging on the door went from rapid thumps to the slow, dragging beats of a gong. Logan’s movements seemed to lag a second or two. Very disorienting.
“It’s oookay. You’re saaafe.” Logan’s words were warped, slow, drawn out. “Nowww, close yourrr eyes and fooocus. Try thiiinking of Rose. See if yooou caaannn…” His voice faded.
Then Logan took a hatchet to my head.
At least it felt that way. Pain. Slicing through my skull. Exploding brain matter. I wanted to run but couldn’t move. Wanted to scream but couldn’t utter a sound. I was tethered to a torture device without means to escape. It was killing me.
“You must replace it on her head,” Jayden sounded annoyed.
The pain disappeared. Most of it anyway. A dull ache still shadowed across my skull. That I could handle. My eyelids, heavy as concrete, fluttered open.
“She was making weird noises.” Logan hugged the helmet to his chest, out of Jayden’s reach. “And you just said it was making her brain-dead!”
“I said the computers lacked any reading of neurological activity.”
“Yeah,” Logan said. “Brain-dead.”
“I’m not brain-dead.” I yanked off the suction cups and wires with a pop-pop-pop. “Ow! But I will be if you put that thing on me again. It hurt!”
“See?” Logan hugged the helmet tighter.
“Who’s dead?!” Ayden’s voice muffled through the walls, followed by furious banging. “Open the door!”
Jayden brought his face close to mine and lifted my lids. “Describe the discomfort.”
“Discomfort?” I shoved him off and slid out of the chair, snatching the helmet from Logan. “Give me that thing and don’t you dare try that again!”
Red lights flashed. The computer screen filled with one giant red triangle flashing the word “OVERRIDE!” across the center. There was more thumping. This time, on the door to the game room.
Logan’s voice rose. “Ayden’s using the administrative password to get in.”
Jayden rushed to the other end of the room and starting punching buttons. “But Ayden doesn’t possess the administrative password. Only Mom and—”
The game room door whooshed open and a tall form stepped from the shadows.
“Father!” Jayden yelped.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Even without Logan giving me a frantic “Stay quiet!” gesture, I knew not to utter a word. How could we explain my presence in the secret room? With a brain scanner? But we were going to have to come up with something because as soon as the Ishida dad turned around we were blown.
Wind tornadoed the room. Papers flurried like snow. A gale force blast sucker-punched my gut and shot me into the air. My back thudded against the ceiling, head banging on a pipe.
Someone said loudly, “Ahhh, ahhh!”
Glass shattered below. I started to fall. Something glinted. A dozen hunting knives flew up, ripped through my clothes, and embedded into the ceiling, effectively holding me in place. I glanced over my body. The knives had hit only fabric, outlining my form but missing any flesh. On closer look I saw the lethal looking curved blades were white, glittering. Frozen water.
Ice blades. Jayden’s weapon of choice.
I still had the helmet in one hand. Gravity pulled down. Fabric stretched as my body sagged toward the ground. I tightened my abs and pushed my back against the ceiling, hooking my toes under a pipe and groping another with the hand not holding the brain scanner. I couldn’t do it forever, but with Blake’s psycho weight training, I should have the str
ength to endure for a while. Just had to get a handle on my vertigo.
“When did I become father?” Mr. Ishida rushed in and headed toward the computers.
There was no guessing where Ayden got those Himalayan cheek bones and T-frame physique. Mr. Ishida was a sharp looking guy. Raven locks were gelled straight back and ended in curls at the nape of his neck. He had a neatly trimmed jet-black mustache that curved into a thin, straight line down the sides of his mouth leading into a short beard that covered his sharp chin.
His ebony suit and crisp, white button-down shirt looked custom fit, and gave him the look of a cool, collected CEO. Or nasty mastermind villain. Until he smiled. Then his coal black eyes twinkled, and he looked adorable and harmless.
“Father. Ha. Ha.” Jayden was taking great effort to not look at me, thumbs popping in and out of joint at a rapid pace. “Just a failed attempt at humor. Dad.”
“Not failed,” Mr. Ishida smiled gently. “I’m just distracted. Sorry.” He batted a few flying papers out of his face. “Logan, what is all this?”
“I—I sneezed.” Logan hid his panicked expression by whipping out his handkerchief and dabbing at his nose. The remaining papers fluttered to the floor.
“Oh. Bless you. Now, I’ve some business. I need privacy. What happened here?” Mr. Ishida bent. The beaker holding the water Jayden had offered me earlier had shattered on the tile floor. “No worries,” he said and splayed a hand over the jagged mess.
The glittering shards of glass trembled and twitched, then like metal slivers reacting to a powerful magnet, they jumped into the air and hovered below his palm. He rubbed his thumb against his fingers in a circular motion. The glass pieces swirled in the air with a soft clink, then fused together, reforming into its original state. Mr. Ishida turned his palm up and the now undamaged beaker floated onto his hand.
“Perfect,” he said after a close inspection, then tossed it to Jayden. “Be more careful, boys.”
Oookay. Mr. Ishida had…superglue powers? This was new.
“Hey, did you boys have something to do with the hot springs?” Mr. Ishida sat in front of the computer screens and started typing.
“What hot springs?” Logan said.
“They’re all over the mountain,” Mr. Ishida said. “Been dormant for decades, but Reece said all the ones on their ranch suddenly started bubbling up again. Take Ayden, go find Blake, and check them out. My business could take a while, so best if you’re gone. ”
Just freakin’ great. My muscles were already burning, and Jayden’s knives beaded sweat. How long before they melted?
Jayden and Logan jerked a look at each other. I couldn’t tell who was paler.
“No!” Logan blurted.
Jayden nodded like a bobble head, his hair bouncing erratically. “Perhaps your office would better suffice for business.”
And since we didn’t have enough of a crowd, Jocelyn Ishida, a stunning, petite female version of her one-year-older brothers, glided into the lab. She had the impeccable bone structure, flawless skin, and a glossy cascade of black-as-midnight hair, currently twisted into some complicated puzzle of braids. No wonder Matthias had a secret crush on her. Luckily, the poor girl hadn’t a clue.
“Hey, Dad, can I go to the movies with Ashley tonight?”
“Get out!” Jayden pushed at his sister.
“You get out.” Jocelyn pirouetted past her brother and skated deeper into the room.
Jayden grabbed at her.
My muscles screamed for release, and the ice blades were definitely starting to melt, the beads of water trickling down and hanging with quivering anticipation off the ends of the knives.
“Take it outside.” Mr. Ishida sounded exasperated and started pulling drawers open. “Jocelyn, you can go if you take one of your brothers with you.”
The pipes I’d been using to help hold me up suddenly wrenched. My added weight must’ve been loosening whatever was holding them in place so I let go. The ice blades kept holding me up, but the movement broke free several of the precarious droplets of water hanging off their edges.
Jocelyn and Jayden had been in a loud tussle directly underneath me, but she stopped and groaned at her dad. “Seriously? Ugh! They ruin every—” She flinched, then wiped at her cheek. “What the heck?”
She looked at her fingers, studying the water that had dripped from the melting blades and onto her face. Her head swiveled around.
“Nothing! Don’t!” Jayden tried to shove her out again, but she twirled away from him and then…
Jocelyn looked up.
“Hi,” I mouthed. Waved. Seemed the polite thing to do.
The knives pinged out from around my arm. My whole body lurched. I dropped the helmet. My hand flailed, reaching for the headgear before it clattered to the floor, but Jayden’s hands flicked and the knives flew back up, pinning my arm as they stabbed my shirt against the ceiling and froze solid once again.
The helmet continued its descent. I watched as it rotated in a slow freefall. I cringed, holding my breath. Logan dived for it.
He missed.
Because Jocelyn caught it.
She gaped at the helmet in her hands. Then back up at me. Then at the boys, who were so spastically gesturing for her to be quiet you’d think they were swatting a swarm of killer bees.
“Everyone out!” From a drawer, Mr. Ishida grabbed a circular piece of grey metal the size and shape of a crown. It had sharp scalloped edges on the top with spikes and some kind of studs or jewels on the side. What was with all the bizarro headgear? The cabinet shook as he slammed the drawer shut. “I’m intercepting a call. I need to shut down the Holocom before it comes through.”
A soft buzz thrummed the air.
Jayden practically stamped his foot. “A call from whom?”
How could this possibly get worse?
A woman’s breathy voice reverberated throughout the room. “Madame Cacciatori. Paris.”
That’s how.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Son of a—”Mr. Ishida slapped the metal crown thing on the counter with a violent clang, shoved to his feet, and buttoned his jacket, stabbing a warning finger at his children and Logan, his tone a razor’s edge. “Not. A. Word.”
Sophina Cacciatori, the Mandatum hunter in charge of tracking down the Divinicus Nex, and one of the people with the most power to ruin my life, shimmered into view.
On close inspection, her form was somewhat transparent and a bit shiny, due to some magical Mandatum science called Holocom which transmitted her 3-D image across space in real time, and into hologram form. In this case, while we saw her here, she was actually in Paris. France.
But that didn’t make me any less terrified.
Not that she looked scary. In fact, she was an attractive woman somewhere on either side of forty, with strong features and a throaty laugh that I found rather infectious. Her thick brunette hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she wore a fitted jacket over a pale dress that loosely skimmed her voluptuous figure and showed off her, as Blake always remembered, “great legs.”
Looking furious, Ayden flew in through the game room door, mouth open and ready to rant. At the sight of Cacciatori he stopped, eyes wide. Jayden pulled him over, but Ayden kept glancing around, leaning over, trying to glance under furniture, even open a cabinet in a nonchalant way.
Jocelyn surreptitiously tapped his arm, shook her head, then pointed up. Ayden lifted his eyes more than his head, and when he finally saw me hanging, he looked positively ill. He closed his eyes briefly, swallowed, then stared hard at Cacciatori.
“My goodness!” Madame Cacciatori exclaimed in a heavy Italian accent and smiled broadly around the room. “I am being given such an expansive audience.”
You have no idea.
The guys and Jocelyn remained silent, taking heed to Mr. Ishida’s orders. That’s right. Smile and wave, boys, just smile and wave.
“Always a pleasure, Madame.” Mr. Ishida gave a deferent nod. “And please a
ccept my apologies. As I told your assistant, this personal…visit from you, such an important and extremely busy member of the society, is a waste of your valuable time. My wife isn’t here and is currently unreachable, but I’ll convey your request as soon as I’m able.”
The boys shared a wary look.
“It is I who must apologize for the intrusion,” Cacciatori said pleasantly. “I simply feared my assistant did not perhaps translate the dire nature of the circumstances and how much your wife is needed. Did he mention that Donal Jensen was seen? An exceedingly rare occurrence and an opportunity we cannot fail to take advantage of. As you know, the Council Directive Kill Order With Extreme Prejudice is still in place. He is considered a most dangerous threat.”
“Yes. Your assistant conveyed the severity of the situation most eloquently, I assure you.” Mr. Ishida clasped his hands behind his back. “As soon I establish communication, I’m sure my wife will respond promptly to your request. As she always does. Now if you’ll excuse me?”
“Yes, of course.”
Thank goodness.
Mr. Ishida had his finger on a button when Cacciatori stopped him and turned to the boys. “But I do have a question for the young hunters.”
“Certainly. Jocelyn, let’s go.” Mr. Ishida gave the boys a warning look then exited with his daughter, a protective arm wrapped around her shoulders.
My body sagged, muscles losing the battle for contraction. Sweat dripped off my face. Water dripped off the knives. One or both dripped onto Ayden’s head. He twitched, his hand jumping to his scalp, but he caught himself from looking up, and covered the movement by running his fingers through his hair.
“Have you had any progress on the Flint files?” Cacciatori asked.
“None, Madame,” Ayden lied without hesitation.
“Unfortunate.” She tapped a knuckle to her chin. “But there is hope. When we get the tracker back online, you will be notified immediately.”