The Significant

by Kyra Anderson

  Theo did not seem worried about being classified as a Kill on Sight target. He just smiled, glancing at the others of his gang, causing them to smile at what they believed to be Kailynn’s dramatics.

  “Theo!” Kailynn snapped.

  “Alright, alright,” Theo chuckled, hugging his younger sister again. “It’s alright.” He rubbed her shoulder. “We’re here now. We got out.”

  Kailynn was about to snap at Theo and tell him that the only reason he was able to escape was because of her bribe money, however, she decided against it. She let her brother hug her and pretend like she was exaggerating.

  She knew that she was not overreacting.

  While some of the territory of the Heart of Trid gang had been taken by other rival gangs, there were still several small areas that belonged to them. Combined with Kailynn’s territory, they had a safe place to celebrate the escape from Uren.

  Aron, one of the oldest members of the Heart of Trid gang, did not mind having everyone over at his place, as it was the most central in the gang’s territory and the largest. The Trids lifted drinks and ration packs from cafes and bars in the Walking District, smuggling them back to Aron’s for their celebration. The elation of having booze and several ration packs raised the already-celebratory mood. They did not care about preserving the loot. They were too happy to have most of the Heart of Trid gang free of Uren.

  All of them toasted to the safe return of Theo and the others and the drinking began. Alyssa hooked up a speaker to play some grainy music from weak signals in the Walking District. Some Trids played cards and drinking games, feeling safe and secure in the flat.

  Kailynn drank and drank but she could not join in the festivities. No one noticed her distant, sad look as she sat against the far wall with a drink in hand. Anyone who looked at her figured she was merely drunk.

  When Raphael noticed the look, he crawled to her, heavily inebriated, and sat next to her.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she responded.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You don’t look okay.”

  “I’m drunk.”

  Raphael fell silent. He knew that there was something bothering Kailynn. He tried to think of something to say that would get her to tell him what was wrong, but his mind was foggy with liquor.

  “Wanna tell me what’s wrong?” he finally said.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” she answered, her eyes never leaving the floor. She was staring at the dirty concrete, lost in thoughts she could not follow. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, sighing.

  “Something is wrong,” Raphael disagreed.

  Kailynn was still for several moments before she let her head fall onto Raphael’s shoulder. Her eyes still closed, she tried to fight the sudden urge to cry in frustration. She did not know what she was upset about, but the alcohol made her emotional and upset.

  She had to blame the alcohol.

  Raphael decided not to think too much about his next course of action.

  He took Kailynn’s chin, tilting her head up and capturing her lips in a kiss. He felt her smile against his mouth, so he kissed her again, his lips covering hers in a way that he always enjoyed. Kailynn had been the one who called off their monogamous relationship, saying that he could be with other women if he wanted. Raphael never questioned why she did that, but now that he was kissing her again, he wondered why they were no longer a couple.

  Raphael had been attracted to Kailynn from the moment he saw her at the Keeper—the Trid orphanage. The orphans stayed in their groups, never letting in new orphans, which led to four or five newcomers creating a group of their own. Raphael had been with the Keeper since he could remember, having been abandoned as a newborn. When Kailynn came through the door, his eyes were unable to leave her. She was one year younger than him, and had been dropped off by her fifteen-year-old brother because he could not feed her. She had cried when he walked away, never turning back to look at Kailynn, calling over his shoulder that he would be back.

  Raphael broke the unspoken rule of the Keeper and immediately took Kailynn into his group. That group eventually became the founding members of the Cobalt Jaguars gang.

  It was natural that Raphael and Kailynn would become a couple. They were around each other constantly and there was a definite spark between them. They got together when Kailynn was sixteen and were a committed couple for two years before Kailynn said that they did not need to be monogamous.

  And slowly, their intimate relations stopped.

  Occasionally, they would have sex, when they were lonely, or cold, or just bored and wanting to pass time, but it had never been with the intent to resume their relationship.

  Kissing her then, he wanted her to be with him once more.

  He wanted to hold her every night as she drifted off to sleep. He wanted to wake up just before her so he could kiss her awake. The thought of being sappy and romantic did not bother him. She was worth it.

  Kailynn broke the kiss and leaned her head against his.

  “Do you want to leave?”

  She nodded.

  He stood and offered his hand to her. He shared a quick glance with a few of the others who saw them move. They waved and nodded, some winking suggestively as the two left.

  Raphael had his arm around Kailynn’s shoulders as they walked silently back to his flat. He would glance at Kailynn and smile gently.

  She never once looked at him.

  Kailynn’s eyes were focused on the ground, her thoughts elsewhere.

  She walked into Raphael’s apartment without thinking. She heard the door close and she turned to him. He immediately took her face in his hands, kissing her as he backed her up to the wall.

  For several moments, Kailynn was too startled to move. She felt Raphael’s lips on hers and they gave her pause. It was not what she had been expecting.

  However, he was warm and his weight against her body was comforting. She leaned into him and returned the kiss. She had been so busy the previous days that focusing on the feeling of his warmth was calming and comforting.

  Raphael’s hands ran up and down her body, his lips working against hers, his tongue ravaging her mouth.

  Kailynn closed her eyes and tried to turn off her mind and enjoy the sensations.

  However, her mind turned to a pair of stunning blue eyes that made her blood run hot. She thought about those eyes looking into her soul, penetrating everything of her being, while still being gentle. The smile that touched those eyes permeated through her intoxicated mind, causing her to smile as she leaned her head back against the wall.

  Raphael’s mouth moved over her skin, gently scraping his teeth along her neck, sending shivers up her spine.

  He guided her back to the bed, gently pushing her so she was flat on her back before he made work of her clothes, stripping them off slowly and seductively, smiling when Kailynn trembled under his fingers.

  But Kailynn could only think of water moving over her skin, warm, as she enjoyed the weightless feeling. She could feel hands pressing into her back, holding her afloat, steady and sure. She could almost see the perfect face over her, smiling.

  Raphael draped his body over her, kissing her once more.

  Kailynn slowly came back to reality.

  She was not with Isa.

  She was with Raphael.

  Naked and being kissed all over, Kailynn felt exposed and uncomfortable. There was something about the situation that felt…wrong.

  But Raphael was safe. There was nothing dangerous about them being together. They had known each other for so long there were no secrets between them. They always supported one another as best they could in their times of need, and loved each other, even if that love was difficult to describe.

  Raphael knew exactly where to touch to make her tremble in pleasure. Her body reacted to Raphael.

  But that was not enough anymore.

  Her mind was elsewhere.

  When Raphael entered he
r, she was almost shocked at the feeling. It was not painful—her body was ready for him—but it felt intrusive, like he was not only penetrating her body, but also her mind, invading an area of her thoughts that she had already dedicated to someone else.

  Even as her body bowed and climaxed in pleasure, Kailynn felt as though she was betraying Isa.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kailynn felt as though she was living in a dream as she went to the home of her next client. There were still seven members of the Heart of Trid that needed to be broken out, and Kailynn knew that there was no way Theo would be able to come up with the money on his own, so she continued her work as a Significant.

  Focusing on releasing the remaining Trids allowed Kailynn to get her mind back in the right place.

  Because she had been dwelling on Isa far too much.

  Her night with Raphael had made matters worse. She felt guilty, as though she had betrayed and hurt Isa, even though she and Isa were not a couple, technically, and Kailynn was not sure she was ever going to see the Elite again. Being with Raphael was, in many ways, safer than being with Isa. And she did love Raphael.

  She could not name what she felt for Isa.

  Going back to work at Companion felt necessary. She needed a distraction. However, she was not called out for a job for nearly four weeks after the Heart of Trid gang escaped, so Kailynn had a lot of time to herself to think.

  Her thoughts always went back to Isa.

  She approached the door of her first client in a month and was surprised to find herself nervous.

  When the caretaker opened the door and let her in without greeting her, she relaxed a little. She found the couple standing awkwardly in the living room, stiff, uneasy about speaking with the Significant.

  Kailynn smiled as if she had known them for years. Their request was to host a “dinner party” with a Significant. It was their first time with a Significant and did not know how to react when she walked up to them and hugged the woman before shaking hands with the man. She commented on how beautiful their home was, even though Kailynn actually found it dark and dull, like most noble homes.

  It took the couple a few mimutes to relax, but even then, Kailynn had to skillfully ask questions to keep up the charade. She asked them what they had been up to, asked them to explain their jobs as though she was a friend who had forgotten or wanted to know about the promotions they had obtained. The couple was confused by how much Kailynn was talking.

  Kailynn felt like she was pulling teeth. The couple wanted her there to talk to through the dinner party, but they were unable to hold up their end of the act. Kailynn forgot how tedious the work could be.

  Through dinner they started to relax and speak more. The woman asked Kailynn’s opinion about current political affairs and everything happening in the Ninth Circle, which was something that made Kailynn hesitate.

  “Oh, politics is such a frightening thing to talk about over dinner,” Kailynn tried to laugh. “I have complete faith in Elite Isa and the others of the Syndicate that they will solve the problem efficiently.”

  She then asked another question, hoping to draw the attention off politics.

  Kailynn, for all the free time she had to mull over her own thoughts, had not been keeping up with the current political state of Tiao. Now reminded of the trouble in the Ninth Circle, she wondered if Isa was alright. She wondered if there was any progress with Caroie and if Isa was able to resolve the hostage situation. Kailynn worried that Isa was not taking care of herself, too worried about political problems to think of herself.

  Kailynn stumbled her way through the rest of the appointment with her client, her mind focused on Isa.

  It had become a warily constant theme in her mind.

  When it was finally time for her to say goodbye to the couple that, she had to admit, was very nice, just awkward, Kailynn rushed to the elevator eager to get out of the building. She met Nix at the car as he tried to keep up with her, even as she quickly clamored in. When he saw her worried expression, he blinked, staring at her.

  “What’s wrong? Did they hurt you?”

  “No, no, I’m fine,” she assured, taking a deep breath.

  “Are you sure? You don’t look okay.”

  “I’m just…I have a lot of things on my mind, okay?”

  “…are you pregnant or something?”

  “Excuse me?!” Kailynn gasped, rounding on Nix.

  “You’ve been acting weird,” Nix said, shrugging. “I was just asking.”

  “I can have a lot on my mind without being pregnant, Nix!” she snapped.

  “Fine, sorry I asked. Not like I’m worried about you or anything.”

  “Don’t use that tone,” Kailynn groaned. “I know you’re worried. I know that’s why you asked. I just have a lot bothering me.”

  “Do you need to talk about it?” Nix asked, turning the car on and leaving the parking garage. Kailynn sighed and rubbed her face, trying to get her thoughts under control. She felt like she was obsessed with Isa. She had been thinking about the Elite every waking moment for the past month. It was starting to feel like a full-time job.

  “Have you ever thought about something for a month non-stop?” she finally asked.

  “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Wait, a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “…what if you didn’t know?”

  “Then that’s a predicament,” Nix chuckled. “If it’s a good thing, then you can say you’re thinking about it because it makes you happy, and there is nothing wrong with that. If it’s a bad thing, then thinking about it helps you process it and helps you get over it. If you don’t know…” Nix sighed heavily. “I guess you’re thinking about it trying to decide what it is.”

  Kailynn groaned and leaned her head back.

  “I feel like I’m obsessed.”

  “With?”

  Kailynn shook her head.

  “Too personal.”

  “Oh? Are you falling in love with someone?”

  Kailynn had a strong urge to punch him.

  “I doubt it.”

  “Is it a person you’ve been thinking about constantly?” he asked, turning to her as the car moved along the tunneled roads under the city.

  “So?”

  “Maybe you’re in love,” Nix suggested. “That’s what happens.”

  “You think about the person so much it might as well be obsessive?”

  “Yeah,” Nix chuckled. His face fell quickly. “Wait, did you fall for a client?”

  “No!” Kailynn growled. “I haven’t fallen for anyone.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “…no.”

  Kailynn closed her eyes and lightly hit her head a few times against the window of the car.

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Maybe talk to the other person?” Nix suggested. “That might be best.”

  “Not really possible…”

  “Why not?”

  “…it’s complicated.”

  The two fell into silence for a several minutes. Kailynn did not notice it, but her body was becoming tenser with every passing second. Nix tried not to smile, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

  “Okay, fine, just…exit at the next stop and let me out. I’ll walk the rest of the way!”

  Nix chuckled.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” he assured, touching the screen and programming a new exit for the car.

  “Then why are you laughing?” she demanded.

  “I had a mental countdown of when you would finally tell me to stop.”

  Kailynn narrowed her eyes.

  “Don’t tell anyone about this,” she snarled darkly. He raised his hands and shook his head.

  “No, my lips are sealed. But what are you going to tell Jak?”

  “I’ll just tell him that I needed to see my brother in the hospital,” she said.

  Nix’s expression softened.

  “Has he taken a turn for the worst?” he asked
gently. Kailynn shook her head.

  “No,” she said. “He’s actually doing better.”

  “That’s a relief,” Nix said with a smile. “And you’ve fallen in love. Things are looking up.”

  “I have not fallen in love,” Kailynn said quickly, looking around as the car rose up to ground level and sat still, hazard lights flashing, waiting for further instruction.

  “There’s nothing wrong with it,” Nix assured. “It’s a wonderful thing.”

  “Goodnight, Nix,” Kailynn said, exasperated, getting out of the car and waiting for him to drive away before walking around the buildings of Anon, glancing up at the lit windows and hearing the hum of the machines as the city remained awake late into the night. The city was so devoid of people and noise that Kailynn could hear the commotion of the music in the Walking District, which was a fair distance from where she stood.

  She had to look around for several moments, walking a few blocks and looking around again, trying to locate Anon Tower.

  When she finally saw it her pace became determined, deciding to push all her thoughts and doubts away. As she got closer, she reached into her bag and shuffled around the contents, being sure to find the small, grey card that she kept on her at all times. She became flustered when she did not find it immediately, but she also did not stop walking, continuing down the walkways toward the building as she searched for the access card.

  Kailynn finally found it, holding it tight as her steps hastened.

  Entering Anon Tower felt surreal. She remembered her nerves when she first walked into the building to spend a month with an unknown Elite. She also recalled the pain and confusion she felt upon leaving, and Rayal’s words came back to haunt her.

  “Don’t come back.”

  For a brief moment, Kailynn hesitated.

  But she had been thinking about Isa every day since leaving the Elite. She could not turn back now that she was in the lobby.

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the elevator and swiped the card to go up to the level of the Golden Elite.

  Her stomach was tangled with butterflies as the elevator ascended. She wondered if Isa would be there when she opened the door. There was a part of her that wanted to see the Elite’s face the moment she walked in, and another part of her that knew she needed time to prepare.