by Kimbra Swain
She climbed off the couch and pulled me to my feet. “That dress is really fantastic.”
She blushed a little, “Come on. Big meeting.”
I offered her my arm, and she took it. We walked down to the boardroom. I opened the door for her and followed her into the large glass room. It had windows on the back wall. At the long wooden table, there were 20 seats. They were all full except the head of the table and the one to the right. I thought back to the island, specifically the dining room table where we shared a few meals. I knew its loss didn’t affect me as much as it did her, but I did miss it and George. I walked with her to the end of the table, took my seat, and she stood at the end. Ashley sat opposite of me. She gave Abby several papers and turned her laptop to face her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with us. I also know you weren’t given a choice, but I thank you all the same. For many months, I have searched for the right proxy for this unique town, and all its challenges. I am here today to introduce to you the new proxy for the city of Los Angeles and the adjoining towns, Mr. Lukas Castille,” I finished my speech, and the room erupted in applause. I looked over to Lukas. I thought I’d find at least a little fear in his eyes, but there was none. He walked up to the podium in the auditorium within the headquarters for KBS, Los Angeles. Backing away, I allowed him to take the podium.
“Thank you all very much for the welcome. Thank you also Miss Davenport, for the opportunity. I am honored to join this team, and your efforts to keep Los Angeles safe and protected. In the coming months, I will prove to each one of you that my heart is tied to this city and the people in it. We will continue our business both day and night. I am at your disposal. My office is open to anyone who wants to speak to me. I will not claim to know everything or have all the answers, but I do promise to strive for perfection in my leadership. I thank you again for welcoming me, and I hope you all will attend the banquet this evening at the Stardust Hall. There will be music, food and dancing. I want to meet each one of you. Thank you,” he completed his speech, and they clapped again. He walked down off the small stage and shook hands with those who approached him. I stayed back and watched him work the room. He was a natural. As the crowd started to exit, he walked back to Ashley and me.
“How was it?” he asked.
“You were fantastic,” Ashley blurted out and smiled. He let some of the tension go in his shoulders and smiled. He looked at me, waiting for my response.
“I guess you’ll do until I find someone better,” I teased him.
“Damn you, Abby,” he laughed. “You just can’t admit that I did well.”
“You are right. And I never will,” I said smartly.
“What’s next?” he said.
“We will go upstairs, and get you settled in your office,” I said. We went out the back doors of the office to a bay of elevator doors. When we exited the elevator, the office stood still. Everyone stopped what they were doing. I walked down the center aisle, and the workers stood to show respect. I was not sure how this started, but I imagine one of the six started it. Now when anyone from corporate showed up, it was a tradition to stand for them as they passed through the office. We entered the door for the large corner office. It already had his name on the door. Ashley shut the door behind us.
“Wow, this is extremely nice,” he said approaching the desk and sitting down in the large executive chair.
“If something isn’t to your liking with the decor or furniture, blame Ashley. She did it all,” I teased her.
“No, it’s great, Ashley. I love it,” he said.
“I knew you would despite what Abby says,” she smiled. “I’ve got some things to do before the party tonight. I’m going to head back to the loft. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” I said. “We won’t stay here very long. I’ll let him settle in, and we will head back to get ready for the banquet.”
“See you soon. Congratulations, Proxy Castille,” she said.
“Thanks Ash,” he said as he watched her go. “Don’t even start.”
“Start what?” I said.
“You were going to say something about Ashley and me,” he said.
They had gotten closer in the last few weeks. They were friends. I suspected there might be more there. “I wasn’t, but if I did, it would be that I am happy for the both of you.”
“I don’t have feelings for Ashley,” he said.
“You sure about that? It’s great if you do. I like you, both. Of course, if you do something to hurt her, I will strangle you. She’s my best friend,” I said.
“You are delusional. What all do we need to do here?” he asked.
“Let’s make sure all of your equipment works. Also, we will stick around to see if anyone needs to come and speak with you,” I sat down on a leather couch across the room from him. “Why am I delusional?”
“Ashley is my friend. There are no ‘feelings’ as you imply,” he said, “And I assure you all of my ‘equipment’ works.” He winked at me.
I groaned, “That’s juvenile. Let me know when you are ready to go back to the loft. I’m going to close my eyes for a minute. I’m tired. It’s been a busy couple of days.”
“We can go now, since you are tired. You would probably rest better back at the loft,” he got up and sat down next to me.
“No, you need to stay for a little while,” I said.
“Thank you, Abby,” he said.
“For what? I’m doing my job. You did all the work,” I said.
“For everything,” he said. I opened my eyes, and the sincerity of his statement was all over his face. I patted his hand.
“You are most welcome,” I said. He held onto my hand.
“Will you save me a dance tonight, Abby?” he asked.
“We are going to the banquet together, silly,” I said.
“I know, but I wanted to ask properly,” he smiled at me. His smile could make a girl melt. Well, some girls. Not me, obviously.
“Yes, I suppose if I have time, I’ll dance with you,” I played back with him.
“Good,” he said. “Now I’m the boss, and I say it’s time to go.”
“Alright,” I laughed, and we met Jay downstairs. He drove us back to the loft.
Lukas had moved out of my loft several weeks ago, now living on the 8th floor just below Ashley. I did miss him being here. He still was in the loft with me a lot. We were always working. He really put his nose to the grindstone and soaked up all the information he could about The Agency, the different species in the world, and our front company’s real business dealings. Shockingly, he knew every inch of this city: every street, every neighborhood, and every place not to be after dark. I guess it was from his time on the streets. We visited all sorts of hidden restaurants over those weeks. He showed me some great unknown spots outside of the tourist draw of Hollywood. We had fun together. I would miss him when I left.
Despite his protest, I knew he had been spending time with Ashley as well. The paranoid part of me kept an eye on him. Not because I thought he would do anything to harm any of us, but because I knew my enemies. If they knew he was an unestablished proxy under my care, they would kill him in a heartbeat. I always hoped Ashley would find someone. If this was it for her, I would be happy despite my own attraction to him. The fact remained that Lukas was mortal. He would age and die. I wasn’t impervious to death, but barring an outside source, I would continue to live. Thanks to a small token of divine inheritance I received as a gift after my death, I did not age. I was stuck at the age of 25. I looked at myself in the mirror many days, and although my body showed no signs of aging, I could see the age in my eyes. I learned to recognize it in others. Ashley didn’t age either. Her premonition gift, plus an unfortunate set of circumstances, would keep her alive like me. It was her choice to make if she decided to have a relationship with Lukas. We all knew the consequences.
Aiden made that choice for Fay
ola. We all loved her. She was amazing and part of the family. We would accept Lukas as part of it too, if Ashley made that choice. I refused to admit to myself that it would be a blow to my own feelings, but I really couldn't afford to have feelings anymore. So many of my emotions were wrapped up in the hurt and pain of my previous relationship with my partner, Lincoln.
I called down to her apartment because she hadn’t put out a dress for me to wear. No one answered the phone. I called down to Lukas’ room, “Hello.”
“Hey Lukas, have you seen Ashley? She didn’t put a dress out for me to wear.”
“You are helpless if you can’t pick out your own clothes, and despite what you continue to think, she isn’t here with me either,” he said.
“Shut it, Castille. I’m serious. Something is wrong if she didn’t pick out clothes for me. I called her apartment, and she didn’t answer,” I said.
“I’ll go check on her. Give me a few minutes. I just got out of the shower. Don’t get yourself all excited about that image,” he joked.
“Good grief. Just check on her. I’ll go pick something out to wear,” I said.
“Okay, I’ll be up there soon,” he said and hung up.
I went into my closet and picked out a long black dress that had a cobalt blue bow at the waist. It seemed all the fashions these days had a giant bow on it, or puffed sleeves. None of it suited me. The bow on this one wasn’t extremely obnoxious. I got in the shower. When I turned to get out, Lukas rounded the corner into the bathroom.
He spun and turned his back to me, “Oh crap! Sorry Abby!”
“What the hell are you doing?” I said.
“Ashley isn’t here. Tony said that she never came back from the office. He’s here in the big room. I’m sorry I barged in, but…”
“No, it’s fine. Get out,” I said, and he hurried back into the other room. I grabbed a bathrobe and followed him.
“Where is she, Tony? Did you not drive her back here?” I asked.
“No, she drove herself down there today. She left early,” he said.
“Lukas, call the office. Talk to your crew contacts. Get everyone on the streets looking for her. Tell them what she was wearing today. Which car did she take?” I asked.
“She took the Porsche,” Tony said.
“Call our contacts at the police, and get a bulletin out,” I said. He nodded and went out the door to the elevator. “Tell Tommy to get out on the road between here and the office and look for the car,” I shouted to him.
“Okay,” I heard him say before he got in the elevator. Lukas was already on the phone talking to the office.
“I’ll be right back,” I told him. I went down one flight of stairs to the floor with her loft. I searched through the place looking for something of hers to use for a locator spell. I went in the bathroom, taking her toothbrush and hair brush. I went back up the steps, and into the main room. Lukas was pacing.
“What else can I do?” he said. “We have to find her. If someone took her Abby, it’s my first damn day. I’ve already lost someone.” He was frantic.
“Look at me! Lukas, calm down. I’m doing a locator spell, and you will go with me to find her,” I said as I rolled the big rug up out of the center of the room. Under the rug, there was a silver circle embedded in the hardwood floor. I placed the brushes in the center. I went into my room, and in the top drawer of my dresser, I took out a compass. I laid the compass in the circle. Lukas continued to wring his hands. He had his tuxedo on, looking handsome even while worried to death. “Lukas, sit down. Take a deep breath. We will find her.”
When I found who took her, I was going to kill them. I pulled a knife out of a kitchen drawer and slit my finger. I dropped the blood on the circle, causing a swift wind to swirl in the loft. I had to clear my mind. I mentally formed an image of Ashley’s auburn hair and pale blue eyes. Reaching my hands out to the circle, I spoke the word “find” in Latin, “Invenio.” The wind picked up inside the circle. It swirled the three objects around and calmed to rest them all back on the floor. I walked through the circle, breaking it and picking up the compass.
“The compass points to Ashley now. Do you have your guns?” I asked. He opened his jacket, and I could see he had a shoulder rig. “Okay, good, you will back me up. Be right back.” I went back into my room, slipping on a pair of black leather pants, a black tank top, and my black leather jacket, along with some heavy boots. Reaching into my closet, I pulled out a wooden box carved with runes, which was a little longer than 5 foot. I waved my hand over the top, the runes flared a bright blue, and the box opened for me. I pulled out my aluminum Bo staff. It was carved with runes for protection, fire and lightning. I walked back out into the main room where Lukas was waiting. His eyes grew wide when he saw me. “Get the compass. You are driving,” I said.
We went down to the garage, and I handed him the keys to the Mustang. “Don’t wreck my car,” I said trying to lighten the mood, but he didn’t respond.
We got in the car, and he fired it up. The big V8 engine rumbled to life. I put my hand on his as he rested it on the stick shift. “Lukas, we will get her back. I promise.”
“How can you be so calm?” he said.
“Because I know we will find her, and I will kill whoever took her. It’s that simple,” I said.
“Not if I kill them first,” he muttered, pulling out of the garage.
“Turn left,” I said, and he pulled out into the evening traffic. The compass took us into North Hollywood. We kept following it to the North. We drove along the mountains to the east of us. “What area is this?” I asked.
“It’s Brace Canyon,” he said. We followed a street through the neighborhood. The road came to a dead end, but there were four houses past the dead end. They were on a gated street. I had him pull over and park on a curb before we got too close. “Lukas, look at me.”
He did. I saw panic, anger and worry there. “What?”
“You are just backing me up. I can handle whatever is down there okay? You are going just in case, but I need you to stay behind me, and follow my directions.”
“I understand,” he said as we got out of the car. I approached the gate with the compass in one hand, and my staff in the other. I charged the staff, “Fulmen.” It crackled with electricity, and I tapped the gate with it. The electronic lock snapped and the gate swung open. I looked back at Lukas. He had his gun drawn, and followed closely behind. He kept watching behind us. He had been training with Tony and Tommy, and it showed. I felt him starting to calm, and his training kicked in. We followed the long drive passing two of the houses. The compass rested on the third. I tried to follow shadows up to the house. I skirted around the exterior walls looking into each window. I did not see anyone in the house, but I smelled something odd. It was the astringent smell of chlorine and the copper smell of blood. I took a peak around the corner. “Oh no,” I muttered. “You stay right here, Lukas. Do not come around this corner. Do you hear me?”
“What is it? What do you see?” he asked.
“I’m not sure yet. Just keep a look out. I don’t think anyone is here though,” I said. I put the compass in my pocket, and rounded the corner slowly. I approached the pool. It was shaped like a giant jelly bean, and the water was blood red. I cringed. “Please God no.” I looked into the water and while it was a murky red color, I could see the bottom. Thankfully, there was no one in the pool. I pulled out the compass. It pointed to the pool. I turned back to the house. The compass pointed to my back. Wherever Ashley was, most her blood was in the pool. It was enough there to throw off my locator spell. I reached out with my senses. I felt no one in the house, and no one in the adjacent houses.
“You can come out, Lukas,” I called to him. He stepped out cautiously with the gun held.
“What the hell, Abby? Where is she?” he stared in horror at the pool.
“She’s not here. They did this to throw off my spell.”
“That’s a lot of blood. Is she alive?” he asked.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was a pool of blood. Ashley’s blood. It made my insides churn. I watched Abby as she approached the house. I turned to go with her. She was holding up better than I thought she would. Ashley was her best friend. I hoped we found her soon for Abby’s well-being. I don’t know what losing her best friend would do to her. I would be profoundly sad if Ashley was dead, but I can’t imagine losing a friend like that would do to Abby.
“Wait up. I’m coming,” I said to her and followed her into the house. It looked like there had been a party. A huge party. There were glasses and beer cans everywhere. There was a punch bowl on the dining room table with a red ring of liquid left in the bottom of it. Abby smelled it.
“It’s blood. Vamps did this,” she said.
“Vampires,” I repeated.
“If you see any, shoot them in the heart. The head won’t work,” she said.
“Do we need some garlic and Holy water?” I asked.
“Only if you want to piss them off,” she said. “There are bodies here. I have no desire to see them.”
“How do you know?”
“Vamps, plus I can smell it. They are probably in the basement. Let’s get out of here. We will get back to the loft and gather everyone. I know a few spots in town that they like to frequent. We can track them down. I just hope it isn’t too late for Ashley,” she said. We sprinted back to the car. As we approached the car, we saw a piece of paper under the wiper. She slowed down and approached the car carefully. I tried to watch behind us and into the forest to our right. Abby picked up the paper. I stood at her back and faced away from her. She read the note out loud. “Miss Davenport, you have been in our city for far too long. If you want your friend back, meet us at the little party you are throwing tonight, and we will make a deal. Sincerely, Thibault Deschanel.”