by G. P. Ching
Mara blinked several times in Dr. Silva’s direction. “Makes … perfect … sense,” she said, raising an eyebrow. Absently, she reached into her coat and withdrew another sucker, yanking off the paper cover and thrusting it into her cheek.
Malini, Jacob, and Lillian added their staffs to the two already in Dr. Silva’s arms. She leaned them up against the dumpster. With a deliberate flourish, her hands circled her body, pulling the air into a glowing orb that burned like fire but crackled like electricity. When the magic was the size of a soccer ball, Dr. Silva tossed the flames at the stack and the staffs melted from view.
“This cloaking illusion will last only two hours. We’ll need to split up. Mara and I will investigate the shelter. I wouldn’t put it past a Watcher to pose as another homeless person. Lillian, you and Gideon go north. Jacob and Malini, south.” Dr. Silva motioned toward the mouth of the alley.
“Let’s do this thang,” Mara said, following her lead.
Malini nodded her head. Weird, a quiet voice at the back of her skull was telling her to go south, anyway. She hoped the voice was her instinct guiding her away from the evil. Unlike Lillian, Malini didn’t want to be the one to find the Watcher.
“Come on,” Jacob said to her. “Tell me if the smell gets stronger.”
The two broke away from the rest of the group, moving out of the alley and strolling side by side down Cicero Avenue. Traffic was dense, but luckily, the drivers seemed preoccupied with their own business. Jacob was in full Horseman mode, sweeping each passerby for any glimpse of suspicious activity. Malini, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking about their mission. She watched her shoes hit the pavement, completely distracted.
“Jacob, do you think Mara is attractive?”
“Sure. I guess,” he answered without looking at her.
“What is it about her that you find attractive?”
This second question grabbed Jacob’s attention more than the first. He turned toward Malini and frowned.
“I didn’t say I was attracted to her, specifically. I said she was attractive in a general sense.”
“Well, what do you think is attractive about her in a general sense, then?”
Jacob opened and closed his mouth. “Malini, I don’t think I should answer that question.”
“Well, why not?”
“Yesterday, you and Mara didn’t really hit it off. No plans for a new BFF there I would say. So, I’m afraid my words can and will be used against me.”
“So, you do find her attractive.”
“Will you stop saying the word attractive like you looked it up in a thesaurus under ‘ambiguous words to trap your boyfriend with?’”
“Just answer the question.”
“See, this is what I’m talking about. You’re leading me into something, Malini. What is it that you want me to say?”
Malini crossed her arms in a huff and walked faster. “If I tell you what I want you to say, it’s not worth hearing you say it,” she blurted.
“I see. So, either you’re digging for a compliment or trying to trap me into saying I find Mara attractive.” He laughed. He actually laughed at her.
Malini rushed ahead. She refused to look at him even though a small part of her knew he might be right.
“Malini, if you want me to reassure you—” His arm shot out in front of her. She halted abruptly, swerving to avoid him. His other arm shot out behind her, corralling her on the square of sidewalk. She ducked under it. He surrounded her again with lightning-fast reflexes. His bright green eyes smoldered above his teasing grin.
She refused to look at him. Retreating from his arms, she backed into the privacy fence that bordered the sidewalk. He moved in close, his hands coming to rest on the fence on either side of her shoulders.
“If you want me to reassure you, Malini, all you have to do is ask,” he said softly. His leg slipped between hers until his knee hit the wood behind her. Bending his elbows, he pressed into her. He wasn’t laughing anymore.
As Malini turned the full force of her deadliest look in his direction, Jacob lowered his lips onto hers. Soft at first, a mere brush of lip to lip, the kiss was an appeal for permission. She acquiesced, parting her lips. The kiss deepened, igniting a slow burn that threatened to start the fence on fire.
They were both sixteen, but becoming a Horseman had matured Jacob. He was all muscle and almost a foot taller than her. His body engulfed Malini’s as he bent his neck to kiss her again. Every nerve ending woke up and sent little shock waves to the deepest part of her. Her skin flushed. Her heart pounded.
She was so caught up in the kiss, she almost didn’t notice the smell. The first licks of it came on a breeze, making her pull back a little. The second, stronger, caused her to push hard against Jacob’s chest. She turned her head and inhaled the sickeningly foul smell of Watcher, a metallic sweetness like arsenic and aspartame.
“It’s here,” she whispered into Jacob’s ear and pointed her thumb behind her. “I think, behind the fence.”
He was gone in a flash, the warmth of his body replaced with cool spring air. She tried to follow, but she wasn’t nearly as fast. Yards ahead of her, he turned the corner. She caught up to him where the eight-foot wooden slats gave way to chain link. The entrance gate was chained shut.
“A junkyard,” she said, panting. “No attendant on duty. How do we get in?”
“We don’t. You need to stay here where it’s safe.” Jacob pulled up his pant leg and removed the flask of water that was strapped to his ankle. Filled with holy water, the flask was a Christmas gift from his mom. He never left home without it. “I’ll go over alone. I can take this thing.”
The top of the fence was lined with barbed wire. Visions of Jacob bloodied and tangled in its barbs danced through Malini’s head. There had to be another way.
“Break the lock, Jacob. Don’t go over. Someone driving by might see.” She pulled out her cell phone, her thumbs flying across the keyboard. “I’ve texted the others. Help is coming.”
“I can’t wait. I understand what Mara was talking about now when she said she was drawn to it. My body is about to pull a sucker-punch on my brain and drag my hijacked ass in there. Besides, we can’t give it a chance to get away.”
At least he listened to her about the fence. He lifted the padlock in his hand and filled the mechanism with water, maintaining contact so that it wouldn’t drip through his fingers. He froze the liquid, spreading the ice where the key should have been. The lock opened.
“Go ahead, Jacob. I’ll close it behind you,” Malini said.
He slipped through and disappeared behind stacks of tires and rows of rusted cars. Malini did as she promised. She closed and locked the gate behind him, but not before she slid through into the junkyard. There was no way she was going to leave him to do this alone. Dr. Silva would make short work of the lock anyway.
“Solve the problem,” she said to herself. That was what her father always told her. It was all about critical thinking. Plan the work then work the plan. She didn’t know what she was or what power she had, but today, even if she was an ordinary girl, she was going to help Jacob kill this Watcher.
She scanned the junk in front of her. Up, she thought. She needed to climb higher. With a bird’s eye view, she’d be in a better position to help Jacob. A boxcar rusting in the west corner caught her eye. Perfect.
On quiet feet, she ran as fast as she could to the wreck and climbed the ladder up the side. Thankfully, from her perch on the boxcar roof, she could see most of the junkyard. Stacked vehicles blocked the southwest corner, but otherwise, the twisted metal was low enough to provide an unhindered view. She found Jacob right away, creeping forward between stacks of junk, holding tight to one side of the path.
Unfortunately, she spotted the Watcher next. The sight of it made her gag. It wore the illusion of a young man in overalls, a form that fit right in with the surroundings. Anyone who caught a glimpse from the outside would think he was a custodian. But Malini knew what
he was immediately. His smell rose up over the rest of the rot and hit her full force in the face. If that wasn’t enough of a clue, the Watcher was eating something, and from where she stood, it looked a lot like a human foot.
Malini whipped her phone from her pocket. Left, she texted to Jacob’s number.
She watched him pull his phone from his pocket to silence the vibration.
Where R U, he texted back.
Never mind. Go left.
Jacob moved forward and followed her directions, circling around a pyramid of stacked barrels, low and out of sight.
Left again. Right after the blue Nova. Careful, U R close.
He followed her directions, creeping down the pathway and then sliding around the blue car at the end. The Watcher stopped eating and sniffed the air, tossing the bones he’d been chewing aside and wiping the blood from his hands on his overalls. Malini saw the smear for only a moment and then it faded into the illusion, swallowed by the fake perfection Watchers liked to use.
It senses U, Malini texted, but it was too late. The Watcher spotted Jacob’s feet under the Nova and instantly transformed itself into a little girl in a pink dress and pigtails.
Girl is Watcher! Malini typed frantically.
She was too late. Jacob had already stowed his phone in order to pour the water from his flask into his palm. His favorite broadsword of ice formed in his hand and he crouched into a fighting stance.
As Malini feared, he hesitated when the little girl scampered around the corner.
“Help me,” the girl said, holding out a chubby hand.
“What are you doing in here?” Jacob asked.
Malini said a silent prayer that Jacob wouldn’t lower his weapon. The little girl inched closer, her eyes as big as saucers, her chubby hand reaching for Jacob’s. And Jacob was reaching back, drawn in by the illusion. Malini had to do something. She had to warn him.
“Jacob, it’s her!” Malini screamed.
Jacob leapt back and wielded his weapon. The little girl façade ripped in half and the black scaly skin of a Watcher emerged. Leathery wings sprung forth with a menacing hiss. Dodging Jacob’s thrust, it lunged a taloned paw at his stomach, ripping through sweatshirt and flesh. Blood soaked the cotton. Jacob slashed and dove, avoiding the beast’s claws. Somersaulting between its legs, his second jab landed in the creature’s thigh. The holy water of the blade burned its flesh. The creature howled.
From her position, Malini lost sight of Jacob. He’d rolled behind the scrap, out of view. She’d need to climb higher to make sure he was okay. Unfortunately, that plan would have to wait. A more pressing problem required her immediate attention.
Below her, a second Watcher approached the boxcar. It stared up at her, squinting its snake-like yellow eyes. She’d learned in Nod that, whatever she was, she was hard for Watchers to see. But she was sure she was easy for them to hear, and her scream had just given away her location.
Backing away from the edge as quietly as possible, she dropped down on the opposite side, hiding in the shadow of twisted rubbish. The puncture of metal gave her goose bumps as the Watcher clawed its way up the side of the boxcar. The monster scuffled across the top and then a winged shadow crept over her, blocking out the sun.
She bolted, launching herself between piles of junk and ducking behind the first mass of metal big enough to hide her. It was a mistake. The pebbles and dust she kicked up only drew attention to her location. Behind her, wings flapped and footsteps pounded the dirt, closer and closer. Pulse racing, head filled with visions of Nod, she lost all control and panicked. She raced for the gate. The beast was on her in an instant, its serpentine hands snatching her backward by the jacket.
Malini’s head snapped forward from the jolt. The beast whipped her around. Talons. Scales. Foul breath. Sharp teeth. Its yellow eyes drew ever closer. Losing all capability for logical thought, she became a whirlwind of biting teeth and scratching nails. She wriggled from her jacket, freeing herself to take a few more running steps. The Watcher pounced, gripping her shoulders. She kicked and thrashed. A terror-fueled shriek worthy of any horror movie escaped her throat.
And then a miracle happened. The place where the Watcher’s black scaly hands touched her bare skin, beneath the cap sleeves of her T-shirt, began to burn. Agonizing pain radiated through Malini’s shoulders. The Watcher must have felt it too because it snatched its taloned paws away, shaking them. Had it burned her or had she burned it? Malini didn’t wait to find out.
Kicking hard against the Watcher’s ribs, she freed herself, falling to the dirt in the process. She crab-walked away from the beast, unable to find her footing.
“What are you?” the Watcher growled, paws covered in blisters. So was the skin on her upper arms where it had touched her.
It didn’t take long for the creature to figure out another way. With an evil smile, it ripped a pronged chunk of steel from the rubbish and stabbed it at her with supernatural precision. It caught her around the neck and fixed her to the earth. Helpless, Malini struggled, a butterfly stuck with a pin.
The Watcher closed in. Something sharp glinted from the creature’s talons. A knife. Where did it get a knife?
“See you in Hell, whatever you are,” the Watcher said, raising the blade over her heart.
“I don’t think so.” Jacob’s foot barreled into the Watcher’s side. They tumbled to her left in the dirt. She tried to watch but the cold steel that scraped the sides of her neck wouldn’t allow her to turn her head. She heard thrashing, a grunt, and then Jacob howled in pain.
Malini couldn’t bear it. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the end, praying in her last moments for Jacob’s safety. But, a split second later, instead of death, familiar voices came for her. Inexplicably, the metal prong was gone and she rubbed her scraped neck in relief.
“It’s okay, Malini. I’m here.” Jacob scooped her trembling body into his arms and stood her up next to him.
The Watcher was pinned to the earth, electric purple energy binding its arms, legs, and wings. When had that happened? Mara, Gideon, and Lillian looked on as Dr. Silva lowered a glowing purple spear toward the creature’s heart.
“Why did you come here?” she demanded.
The beast gave a wicked laugh that made the hair on Malini’s neck stand on end. She hugged tighter to Jacob’s chest.
“Your partner is already dead. Tell us why you came and we may spare you,” Dr. Silva said again.
“Why?” the thing laughed. “You ask why? The why is already done. We are everywhere, traitor. And you…” Its yellow eyes washed over each of them. “None of you are safe. We know who you are, and we know how to find you. We will be avenged, Soulkeepers. The next flood is coming. This time it will be Watchers on the ark and the righteous shall perish.” The beast laughed sardonically until Dr. Silva plunged her weapon into its chest. The flesh imploded, folding inward before turning to ash. They all stared at the place where it had been, the cremated remains blending into the dirt pathway.
Jacob groaned and clutched his side.
“Let me get that for you,” Gideon said. He placed a hand over Jacob’s stomach wound. The bleeding stopped and the skin healed to a pale pink.
“Thanks,” Jacob said.
Gideon noticed Malini’s upper arms next. “You’ve been hit with its energy. These burns run deep.” He held her wounds until the burns healed. It was a long wait.
“Thanks, Gideon,” Malini murmured. Physically, she was healed, but inside she felt shaken to the core.
If the experience with the Watcher fazed Mara at all, there was no telling from the outside. She hadn’t even broken a sweat. Catching Malini’s eye, she held up her bell and gave a half grin. “You can thank me later.”
Chapter 5
Doubts
They arrived at Dr. Silva’s in silence, Malini clinging to Jacob as if he were a buoy in an ocean that threatened to gobble her up. Maybe she was drowning. She couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart raced under her c
lammy skin, and her whole body trembled.
“It’s okay, Malini.” Jacob stroked her hair. “We’re back. You’re okay. Nothing is going to hurt you here.”
Dr. Silva put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I think you’d better go. I told your father you’d be home by dinner.”
Malini slid from Jacob’s arms, waiting until the last moment to relinquish his fingers.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Jacob asked.
“You can’t, Jacob. I’m grounded from you, remember?” With short goodbyes to the rest of the team, she followed Dr. Silva to the door. Jacob trailed close behind. At the look of concern on his face, she said, “Don’t worry. I can drive myself home. I’m fine.”
Dr. Silva handed her a fifty-dollar bill. “Your wages.”
“Are you sure?”
“We have to make this seem realistic. Your father will know if I don’t pay you.”
“Yes, of course.” Malini took the bill and slid it into her pocket, then walked toward her car parked in the driveway. She climbed behind the wheel and backed out onto Rural Route One. She drove into town on autopilot, allowing her brain to wander to a place of blank indifference. If she didn’t think about anything, she could handle this.
But when she passed McNaulty’s restaurant, visions of the Watcher, Auriel, chased away her numb peace. Auriel had been here last year. Watchers could come to Paris. They could be here right now.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white. She waited at Paris’ only traffic light and wondered if she would ever feel safe again.
A knock on her window made her jump. Her foot slid from the brake and her car lurched forward before she was able to reposition herself. Dane stood at the window, his hands raised on either side of his shoulders.
“I’m sorry!” he said through the glass. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Things had changed since Dane had a run in with Auriel that almost cost him his life. He was her friend now, and Malini was painfully aware that he was the only one in Paris who might understand what she was going through. She rolled down the window.