by K. C. Hamby
“Me either,” I admit. “Nina?” I look to her. She shrugs.
“The only thing I can guess is, since Hecate found favor with you and you were Chosen by birth and blood, maybe she finds favor with someone not born of Chosen blood. She just…chooses them because she wants to and solely because she wants to.” She ponders and sighs. My brain is working hard, wondering if I’ve ever heard of such a thing.
Nope. Nada.
“I mean, I guess it could happen. I’ve never heard of it, but Hecate can do whatever she wants in that department.” I grumble incoherently, still annoyed that she couldn’t control Nathan’s death even though she’s so powerful. I cross my arms over my chest and Ash shrugs his big shoulders, bringing me back to the present.
“I guess it could happen,” he murmurs and jots down what Nina has said and adds question marks. “’One will have to fall, but four will surely die.’” He jerks his gaze up to me. “Can we agree one of the deaths was Nathan and he is the….fall it’s talking about?” Ash gulps as I solemnly nod. He scribbles again.
“The other three,” Nina starts and I interrupt with malice lacing my voice.
“Damien. Damien will die.”
Ash stares at me and quietly writes on the paper. He clears his throat and looks away. “What about the other two then?” Nausea rolls through my body and my neck itches uncontrollably under my evil eye necklace. I scratch absently, wanting to swallow the nausea away. “Wait, I think the next line tells us at least about one. ‘One deceives them all.’”
“Great. Who the hell is that going to be?” I spit, annoyance and impatience taking over. My neck itches so badly. I’m scratching so hard, it’s already raw.
Nina shakes her head and Ash rests his chin on his fists.
“Well,” his voice cracks, “hopefully we can figure it out before it hurts us.” I raise a brow at his strange change in tone. His voice is too high pitch.
“What’s the next line?” Nina gently probes.
“Oh, right,” Ash whispers, jumping back into the conversation. “’Seen by the evil eye.’”
I stop scratching.
“Nathan gave Fal an evil eye necklace,” Nina says, staring at my chest. “Uh, are you having an allergic reaction?”
I peer down at my red chest. “No, my neck just itches.” Ash brushes it off quickly.
“Weird,” he says nonchalantly. Nina looks at me with speculation and stares back at Ash. “Okay, the next line is ‘Stone of the bravest blue to protect the third eye,’” he reads quickly with a quavering voice. Why is he being so weird all the sudden?
I yank the dagger out of my belt and slam the blade into the wood of the coffee table. The wood splinters as the point sinks into the surface and Ash glares at me. The Lapis Lazuli shines in the pommel. I couldn’t just leave it without an owner. It’s a part of Nathan I can’t let go. Ash pushes his lips together in a tight line, deciding against scolding me for fucking up his table. Odd.
“A third eye is like seeing into the future, right?” Nina asks, breaking the awkward silence. I absently scratch my neck and she continues. “You know, like clairvoyance?” Ash nods.
“That could be you, Nina.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You wrote this prophecy.” Ash gestures to the table. “That’s the only clairvoyance I’ve come into contact with. Unless Fal has a side job as a fortune teller,” he jokes awkwardly, but I don’t laugh. He’s being weird and fidgety.
Instead, I place a hand on Nina’s thigh and squeeze it to comfort her. She’s gone quiet.
“We’re almost done.” Ash coughs. “’Will pierce straight through, deep where secrets lie.’” I lose my cool.
“So, basically, Nathan’s dagger is going to kill Damien to protect Nina and some great secret will be revealed. Maybe the deceiver,” I sarcastically ramble. “And then, two other people are going to fall down dead for no reason. Wonderful.” Ash furrows his brow and Nina touches my arm. “What? I’m ready for this bastard to die and I’m tired of the threats. I want him dead.” I try not to be a pouty child. I didn’t want to blow up on Ash. He’s just reading what this prophecy says and trying to help. Goddess, why does my neck itch so damn bad?
I glance at Nina, but her eyes are glaring down at the paper.
“What is it, Nina?”
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “Something feels off about it. I definitely think Damien will die by Nathan’s dagger, but I don’t think the last part is referring to him,” she admits with worry creasing her forehead. “You think I’d understand my own poem.” A laugh leaves her mouth, but it’s devoid of joy. She could be right, but right now I can’t think of anything else it could possibly mean and I’m already super annoyed. It’s not exactly being very forthcoming with answers, that’s for sure.
“We will just have to go with what Fal says until we get any other ideas.” Ash shrugs it off. I squint at him. He’s doing that thing he does when he gets nervous. He’s biting his bottom lip and his eyes are drifting all over the place. I scratch at my neck and watch him.
The garage door opens and footsteps echo in its wake. Nina stuffs the prophecy in her pocket and I yank the dagger out of the coffee table, shoving it in its sheath. Invidia walks in and spots us in the living room.
“Oh, hey guys. How are you holding up?” she asks with sympathy in her eyes as she sits on the couch cushion next to me and gives me one of her smothering hugs. I sigh and hug her back.
“We could definitely be better,” Nina admits.
“What is wrong with your neck?” Invidia gasps and looks closer.
“I don’t know. It just started itching for no reason and it won’t stop,” I whine, giving my most pathetic pout to the ceiling as I scratch and scratch and scratch.
“Probably an allergic reaction.” Invidia shrugs and I agree reluctantly. I don’t think that’s it at all, but I don’t want to think about what it means. Ash cuts his eyes at me with guarded concern.
I need some space from this weirdness. I stand up and Ash shoots up too quickly with me. His dark amber eyes are wary, something I’ve never been on the receiving end of before.
Nina and I leave the house with Invidia giving us more sickly sweet hugs than I could ever want in my entire life and with Ash not saying anything other than telling us to be careful with a clipped tone.
What the hell is his deal?
Chapter 35
“No. No no no no no.” I shake my head vigorously at Nina.
“Fal, I know he’s your brother, but your neck stopped itching when we left the house,” Nina tries to convince me. “I’m not saying it’s him. I’m saying it’s weird.”
After we had gotten back to Nina’s apartment, I realized my neck wasn’t itching anymore. Nina is adamant the itching is the way the evil eye alerts me to danger. I don’t buy it. It’s Ash, for goddess sakes.
“No,” I say again, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the kitchen counter.
“He was totally acting sketchy. You said so yourself!”
“He’s my brother, Nina,” I cry. My eyes are stinging. He is the only actual blood family I have left. I won’t believe it. She rushes over from her perch on the back of the couch and places her hands on my face.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Fal,” she coos and massages my cheeks with her thumbs. “We will just be careful, that’s all. It’s probably a fluke.” Her eyes brim with her apologies. I nod. “I have an idea,” she chirps, changing the subject. I raise my eyebrows in question, wondering what in the world this could be. “Why don’t we have a lazy day? You know what those are, right?” she teases. I roll my eyes and laugh as she squeaks when I poke her in the side. “We can watch Amazon Prime movies all day!”
I tilt my head at her. What the hell is an Amazon Prime?
“Oh, my god. Seriously?” she asks and throws her hands in the air. “You really need to get out more.” She sighs, even though I haven’t said anything about my ignorance. I guess
she just knows. “I’m going to teach you about the wonderfully convenient world of streaming movies.” She yanks me to the couch by my wrist. “And we are going to start with a cartoon.”
So, that’s what we do all day. We watch movies about princesses who really need to learn they don’t need a man, a badass ninja who saves her whole country—my personal favorite--, one about a girl who gives up her voice for a dude—stupid— one about a girl that falls in love with an animal, and three musicals.
After seven, that’s right seven, movies, a whole box of pizza, and a temporary pause in movie time because our clothes magically fall off—it’s the movie magic, I tell you—we decide it’s time to get some sleep.
“I can’t believe I let you do this to me,” I groan. “I can’t get those damn songs out of my head.”
“Musicals are amazing, don’t deny it.” Nina sits up on the couch and looks down her nose at me. I pull her back down on top of me and furiously tickle her. In typical tickled Nina fashion, she flips her shit and laughs her walrus-like laugh. She squirms and kicks to get away from me, but she’s too cute for me to stop.
My ears pick up a strange sliding noise coming from the door and I stop tickling Nina suddenly. She takes a deep, gasping breath while I’m on high alert.
“You know I hate that!” she yells, still laughing.
“Nina, quiet.” She jerks her head back and looks at me. Her eyes widen at the serious set of my face. I gently and quietly push her off and motion for her to stay on the couch. I get up, plucking my knife off the coffee table, and walk to the door without a sound. I put my eye up to the peephole.
No one.
I pull back from the door wondering if I’m hearing things. My foot hits something on the floor below me and I stoop to pick it up. It’s a piece of paper. I flip it over. My blood burns through my veins. It’s a note.
Dearest Falen,
I told you this wasn’t over. Meet me on that rooftop where your little friend sadly met his demise.
Tomorrow night, 12:30 a.m. See you soon.
Your friend,
Damien.
I snarl and punch the door. My fist leaves a pretty substantial dent in the metal and Nina yelps.
“Fal! What the hell was that for?” She jumps off the couch and runs over to me. I breathe in and try to calm down.
“Pack a bag, Nina. Now,” I demand through gritted teeth and hand her the note. She reads rapidly and gasps. “I’ll get Luna. Go.” Nina runs to her closet, throwing clothes in a big bag.
“Boof,” Luna huffs, hearing her name and comes running over to me. She stays loyally by my side as I grab my bag full of weapons and clothes. I wrap my RUGAR and its holster around my hip and shove my knife back in my boot. Within five minutes of getting the note, we are out the door with Luna running right between us. My eyes search everything as we dash to my car. Everything is dark and way too quiet around us. Our breathing breaks through the deafening silence. Heaviness clutches my heart and the back of neck prickles. Someone is watching us. I know it, but I can’t see them.
We jump in my car and buckle in. Nina holds Luna in her lap. She whines softly as I rev the engine to life at the push of a button. I pull away from the curb and drive in the direction of Ash’s when I notice another car pulling out behind us.
“Ah, shit. Hold on.” I shift and press the gas, shooting us forward after skidding in the snow salt on the road. I glance in the rearview mirror and nearly swerve in the other lane when I see the other car is right on our tail. I can’t tell what kind of car it is because I’m trying to drive and not kill us at the same time. I growl and shift again, pressing the gas harder. My car revs dangerously under my foot as it shoots forward.
90 mph.
My eyes are dilated and searching on the street for some way to lose them. Nina grips the ‘oh shit’ handle tightly above her and I hear her heart pounding in her chest. I nearly scream in elation when I see a street I can turn on to, so I pull the emergency brake slightly and drift to the right. The tires skid across the asphalt and Luna whines in distress.
I dare a glance into the mirror again. “Goddammit!” I pound the steering wheel. They are still on us.
“There!” Nina points to another street and I drift to the left. They still keep up, but they’ve gotten a semi-safe distance away from us. Enough distance so I can think. We hit a long stretch of road and I shift into seventh, pushing my car faster and faster.
160 mph.
The car trailing us speeds up to pass. I know what happens when their windows are even with mine. No gun laws be damned. Those Poachers will bury bullets into the car; into us. We won’t have to worry about losing them anymore.
We’ll be dead.
An idea pops into my head as I watch the passenger door window of the sports car lower. “Hold on!” I yell and slam my foot on the brakes. The car shoots past us in a flash of burgundy as I turn around and floor it in the opposite direction. My tires skid as the engine roars. They eventually turn around and come after us, but we are too far ahead for them to keep up. I take a few sharp turns and lose them.
Thank goddess Ash got me this fucking amazing car.
Nina grips my thigh hard as we speed toward Ash’s house with my heart pounding and Nina trying to pry her hand from the handle above her.
***
I push open the door to Ash’s house, let Nina and Luna go in front of me as I scan the yard for anything suspicious. I slam the door and lock it behind me. Nina is already heading to my room with Luna on her heels when I turn from the door. I drop my bag on the bed and walk around the house while Nina comforts Luna.
I call Ash’s name, but he doesn’t answer. No one is here.
I run back to my room and shut the door behind me. Nina looks up at me terrified and Luna whines softly from her lap. “What was that?” Nina exclaims, making me and the pup jump.
“I guess Damien didn’t want to play fair. He couldn’t wait for me to come to him. He wants to kill us before then, or kill you in front of me.” Nina cringes at my harsh words and I realize the old, mean Fal has come out with my rage. “I’m sorry, babe.” I sit beside her on the bed and pull both her and Luna to me.
A car pulls up and I run to the front door, slamming the bedroom door to the wall in my haste to see who it could be. That’s probably going to leave an ugly dent in the wall. A few seconds later, Ash comes running in. “What happened?” he throws at me and I barely have time to catch it. My neck starts itching under my necklace and I eye him suspiciously.
“Damien. He—or someone he sent—shoved this under Nina’s apartment door.” I give him the note, detecting a familiar scent on it I can’t place because it’s so faint. His eyes widen as he reads. “We got out of her apartment as fast as possible. Someone tailed us as we left. I lost them before I came here, obviously, but Damien is not ready to make nice. Neither am I.” My voice darkens with each word I say.
“So, Nina is here?” he asks, staring at my neck. I scoff at him and scratch.
“Uh, yes. Keeping her safe is my number one priority, Ash,” I warn as his eyes scan the living room. The garage door flies open and Invidia runs in as I reach for my knife. I slip it back into my boot as she comes up to me.
“Fal? Are you okay? Where’s Nina? Is she okay?” she asks breathlessly. “I heard what you were telling Ash and I ran in.”
“Yeah, we are fine and Nina is safe.” They weren’t together and Ash is usually home at night. What the fuck is going on? I don’t want to be wary of him, but he’s making it extremely difficult to trust him right now.
“Okay, good. I would have grabbed some food for you guys if I would have known you were here. I ran out to get me and Ash some sushi,” she says and holds up her bag of raw goods.
“That’s okay, Invidia. We ate before we fled,” I manage a small laugh and glance at Ash, scratching my neck raw again. “Where were you?”
“I was called to the Complex to handle some things,” he flatly claims. I’m honestly just
not in the mood to ask any more questions. I’m tired and I want tomorrow to hurry up so I can end this once and for all.
“Yeah, okay, well we are staying here so she’ll be protected. As far as I know, Damien doesn’t know about your house and where it is, so we should be safe. But, if it comes down to it, I’ll protect Nina with everything I have.” I eye him pointedly. “With my last breath.” He swallows and averts his gaze. I turn around and walk straight to my room and close the door behind me.
“Well, that went well,” Nina relays sarcastically. I guess she was eavesdropping. Smart girl.
“Yeah, my neck started itching again,” I whisper so low, Ash won’t be able to hear me unless he’s standing outside of the door. “It’s only slightly uncomfortable on my skin now that I’ve put distance between us.” Nina’s eyes fill with sorrow and worry. I stand up, stuck in my thoughts of Ash and strip down to my sports bra and boxer briefs. Nina does the same and climbs under the covers. I place my gun on the nightstand and make sure it’s loaded and on safety. No one is getting to Nina without going through me first and, when it comes to her, I’m going to be unstoppable.
I slide under the covers beside her and Luna curls up at our feet. I pull Nina into my arms and she lies her head on my chest.
“Nina, I love you. You know that, right?” She nods, making her lavender vanilla scented hair brush across my face. “I will do anything and everything to protect you.” I run my fingers through her wavy hair.
“I love you, Faligator. I know you will. I just wish I could protect you somehow.”
“Oh, Nina, you do protect me. You protect me from myself. You protect me from a life without love and that’s something no one can ever do. You protect my heart.” I pull her hand to me and slip it under my sports bra so she can press her hand to my bare chest. “This heart you feel? It’s yours and it beats only for you,” I murmur. She nuzzles in closer.
“Then, I guess I should tell you I’ll protect you with everything I have.” She rubs her thumb against the skin of my chest and I sigh with happiness, even if it’s just for the moment. She may be in danger and we may not be safe here, but in this very moment, everything is beautiful and full of the most wonderful love that can ever exist. She’s the other half of me and she is the very breath I take. She’s my reason to be happy. She’s the light that guides me home through my darkness. She is home.