by Raquel Dove
As she made her way down the hallway, taking a turn in what appeared to be the right direction, since one way had black plaques on the doors and the other had white, her mind began to think about her new boss. She didn’t know anything about him, really, but she was reasonably certain that he wouldn’t be happy about her being late. She wasn’t going to try and use the excuse that she was simply a day old in this place. Though she reckoned that that had to be a damn good excuse. No, she wouldn’t make a single excuse. She somehow knew that he wasn’t the type that would appreciate excuses. His eyes had stuck in her mind and the coldness in them replayed every time she had thought about him, which was a lot. There was something that shone behind them when he looked at her, something she just couldn’t figure out but she couldn’t forget either. She couldn’t forget him. He made her nervous, and scared, and oddly comfortable all at the same time. She wanted to stare at him the two times that she had come into contact with him, but at the same time, he intimidated her too much for her to carry through with her desire to study his features. He was intense, but she found the thought of seeing him again, getting to work close to him all day, unbelievably exciting, even though she had no idea what she would be doing. The calmness that he exuded when he had killed that Darkling, like he had done it every day of his life intrigued her.
She rounded a final corner in the hallway and she recognized where she was. She saw the door to his office, the door to her new job. His name was emblazoned on the glass, General Sebastian Black. Her nerves tickled down the back of her neck and up her arms. She licked her lips and prepared herself to see the man that had filled her thoughts the night before.
She opened the door of the office, somehow expecting him to be standing there when she did. When he wasn’t there she felt a mild jolt of disappointment. Instead of his chiseled face, with intense gray eyes staring at her with disapproval for her tardiness, she saw harsh black ones, set into a pretty face framed by short black hair.
“You’re late,” Kaia said, her eyes narrowed coldly at her. Her lips were pulled tight and Gabrielle could feel the hate radiating off of her. All her previous resolve to not make an excuse went out the window and she licked at her lips, preparing to defend herself against this woman and her irrational anger towards her.
“And you look like you just rolled out of bed,” Kaia continued, not allowing Gabrielle the chance to voice her excuses. “Mr. Black doesn’t appreciate those who can’t properly care for themselves.”
She was still glaring at her and Gabrielle knew there was nothing she could say that would please her, nothing would satiate her unfounded hatred towards her. She didn’t know what it was she could have possibly done to this woman in the one day that she had been here, but she had somehow made an enemy of her.
“Where is my desk?” Gabrielle said lifting her chin and deciding to just ignore the issue of her tardiness and appearance altogether. She didn’t know why this woman hated her so much but she wasn’t going to let her get to her.
“Desk?” Kaia said, cocking an eyebrow. “You don’t get a desk. You won’t be here long enough to need one.”
The callous glare Kaia gave her before turning away made Gabrielle want to cower in the corner. Gabrielle finally noticed that the office was a bit chaotic, with the Ms. Blankenship and the other two girls rushing about. She wanted to ask what was going on, but she didn’t dare. She didn’t want to get another tongue-lashing. So instead she just stood there, barely able to keep her mouth closed and her breathing steady. She didn’t know where to direct her eyes. A million thoughts went through her mind that she could say, but she didn’t have the nerve to say a single one of them. Every few seconds, one of the three women that occupied the office would cast a look in her direction, and then they would quickly turn back to whatever it was they were busy with.
“For goodness sake girl,” Ms. Blankenship finally puffed out, “Put yourself to use.”
“I…I don’t know what…” Gabrielle didn’t even know what to say. She felt so useless. Worse than useless, she felt like she was just in the way. Ms. Blankenship sighed heavily and shook her head.
“This is what he wanted,” Ms. Blankenship said, throwing her hands in the air as she stepped towards Gabrielle. “Mr. Black hired her, against my better suggestions, and this is the result.”
She tossed her armful of papers down on a desk and moved back in front of the computer screen that Kaia and Nettie were crowding around.
“Have you gotten a lock on his location?” she asked, looking intently at the screen.
“Almost, Ma’am,” Kaia said, her fingers furiously working on the keyboard.
“Hurry, there isn’t much time left. If we don’t get him now, he’ll be lost in the Between,” Mrs. Blankenship said. Gabrielle could see the worry crossing her brows.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Kaia said, her fingers working even faster. Ms. Blankenship looked up from the screen and directly at Gabrielle for just a moment.
“Get on the Bureau line and wait for my signal,” she said, not caring to explain further as her gaze focused back on the computer screen. For a moment, Gabrielle questioned whether she had been talking to her or not, but none of the other women made a move to do what she said. Gabrielle looked around, not having the faintest idea what she was talking about.
“Over there,” Nettie said, pointing a finger at a red phone that hung on the wall before returning to her own activities behind the computer. It gave her a little bit of direction, but she still didn’t know what she was doing as she picked up the headset of the phone and held it to her ear. She didn’t know what she was expecting, maybe a dial tone, but the voice immediately on the other end of the phone caught her off guard.
“What is your commanding officer’s position?” a stern male voice asked. Gabrielle didn’t know what to say. She stuttered and stumbled over her words as she tried to tell the man that she didn’t know.
“General Sebastian Black, standby,” Ms. Blankenship said, looking at Gabrielle for just a moment. “There,” she said, her voice rising as she pointed to the screen.
“Got him,” Kaia said, as her fingers continued to run across the keyboard. “I’ll have the coordinates in just a moment.”
Gabrielle was still at a loss as the male voice on the other side of the phone began to scream at her. She looked to the other women for help, for further guidance. Ms. Blankenship looked back up at her sternly.
“Tell him,” she said sharply, pointing to the phone. “General Sebastian Black, standby.”
Gabrielle quickly repeated the words into the phone, her voice near trembling as she did. The male voice on the other end calmed instantly.
“Standing by for coordinates,” he said, and then fell silent as he waited for coordinates, to what Gabrielle had no idea.
“I’ve got his coordinates,” Kaia said, a look of relief washing over her, “transferring them to the main office now.”
“I’ve already got the reinforcements notified,” Nettie said, chiming in as her fingers continued to type. Ms. Blankenship straightened and looked at Gabrielle once again. The immediacy was gone from her face, replaced with heavy disapproval.
“You can hang up the phone now,” she said. She looked back at the computer and the other women in the office, placing a hand on her hip. “Now we just have to wait.”
The two women immediately stopped typing. The room seemed to freeze, the chaos suddenly dissipating.
“Do you think he’ll make it back?” Kaia asked as she looked up at Ms. Blankenship. Gabrielle could hear the fright, concern, and uncertainty in her voice.
“He always has,” Ms. Blankenship said, trying to calm the nerves of the other women, but her own voice carried some uncertainty. “I’m afraid his sister may already be too far gone.”
Chapter Six
“Kasen,” Markus, clapped his friend lightly on the shoulder as he came up behind him in their favorite local bar. It was a small place, with a quiet ambiance and dark atmosphere that
kept most people from coming here. It was never crowded, but always had enough people to make the night fun. Coffee tables were scattered around the place, surrounded by comfortable overstuffed leather chairs.
Kasen buckled forward and coughed a little. A group of fighters passed by. They knew who the two Generals were, even though they had changed out of their General clothes and tried to hide their status. Their names were recognizable throughout the Death Angel Society, but so were their faces. Markus had hoped they wouldn’t stand out. Perhaps he could help his friend find the one woman in the Society who didn’t know who he was.
“Sorry,” Markus said, his face scrunching in concern as he took a seat across from him. Kasen waived off his concern.
“It’s…,” Kasen’s words were interrupted by a cough, “It’s nothing. This damn Sickness is acting up again.”
“Yeah,” Markus said, leaning back in the chair and considering his friend. Kasen could see the concern on his face. He could certainly understand. The Sickness was the main killer in the Society of Death Angels, actually it was the only killer, outside of Darklings.
“You shouldn’t worry,” Kasen said, putting a small smile on his lips. “I’ve been battling this thing for nearly a century. It’s inconvenient at times, but I don’t see it winning anytime soon.”
“I hope not,” Markus said, smiling back at his friend. “I don’t know who I’d talk to all day if you weren’t here.”
“There’s always Sebastian,” Kasen said, smirking at Markus as he finally got his coughing under control.
“Yeah,” Markus said with a laugh echoing his words. “Conversation would be a bit too one sided for my tastes.”
“He’s not so bad,” Kasen said with a shrug. “Not as bad as people like to think.”
“I think you’re the only one that thinks that,” Markus said, raising a brow. He motioned for the waiter to bring him a glass of his favorite whiskey.
Kasen took another sip of tea and Markus insisted that was what had given away their status. A bar that served tea was preposterous, but if a General demanded tea in a bar, that’s exactly what he got. A smiling girl in the distance behind Kasen suddenly caught Markus’ attention before he could make anything of the argument.
She was petite, just like he liked them, with brown hair that flowed just past her shoulders and striking green eyes. Her teeth were so white they stood out in the darkened room of the bar and lit up her smile. He could see her eyes fixed on him and he knew exactly what her smile was saying. She had recognized him and he had to admit that he was thankful for it. He knew that Kasen wanted to find a girl to settle down with that made him happy, that loved him for who he was on the inside, and not for his family status or position in the Society. But that didn’t mean it was what Markus wanted. He enjoyed the easy access to loose women that his status gave him. He wasn’t born into the noble class like Kasen, but being a General gave him just as much pull. Markus smiled back at the girl, giving her a flirtatious little wink. Her smile broadened and his expectations were confirmed.
“I see you’ve found some entertainment for the night,” Kasen said, seeing the flirty look that his friend was casting just over his shoulder.
“Oh come now, Kasen,” Markus said, his eyes still focused on the girl behind him. “You should be able to find yourself some company in this place.”
“I’m sure,” Kasen said, chuckling a little at Markus. They had been friends since they first entered the Death Angel Academy nearly three centuries ago. He knew exactly how the night would end before he even agreed to meet him.
“Go on,” Kasen said, sipping at his tea. “I’m sure she’s anxious to speak with you.”
“Don’t get lonely now,” Markus said, only have paying attention to Kasen as he stood up. “Find yourself some entertainment for the night, will ya?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Go, have fun,” Kasen said, raising his cup of tea to his friend. Markus wasted no time getting settled into the seat next to the woman that had beckoned him with her suggestive smile. He could hear his friend laughing and working the woman into a comfortable enough situation to go home with him. Kasen had come to look forward to the walk home alone, as so many of his nights ended that way. It gave him time to think through some of the stresses that his position brought him. Though he did regret that he couldn’t seem to make himself have fun in the same way that Markus could. The truth was, he was already lonely. He was always lonely. It was an almost comfortable loneliness. He had become accustomed to the idea that he likely wouldn’t meet the girl of his dreams. The woman that would love him for exactly who he was and not what he could offer her. In the end, he knew how it would end up. He would marry the woman that his parents had arranged for him to marry, long before they had died.
Kasen finished up his cup of tea, thankful that it had worked out some of the congestion in his chest. He left the bar, slipped quietly out the door without saying anything to Markus. He didn’t want to interrupt his progress.
Kasen walked through the halls of the Death Angel Society, slowly making his way back to his home. It was located rather far from the commercial areas, in the sector of the Society that was designated for the nobility. He thought about his situation as he walked, knowing that Edgar would be waiting up for him and expecting an explanation. He was good help, had been with his family since before Kasen was born, but sometimes he felt that Edgar overstepped his bounds. Over the past few years, Kasen had stopped trying to make excuses for his weekly outings with Markus. He was the master of the family, the master of his house, and he could do precisely as he pleased.
Finally, Kasen rounded the last turn in the hallway that lead to his home. It was a much wider and taller hallway than most the others in the Society. It was built that way to accommodate the much larger homes of the nobility. Kasen pulled open one side of the ten-foot tall double door that led to the entrance area of his home. There was a small, indoor garden planted around a marble tiled pathway leading to the entrance of the home. Edgar was sitting on the little stone bench in the garden, fighting sleep as he waited for his master to return. His dark hair was peppered with gray and his face was marked with wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.
“Evening Edgar,” Kasen said, closing the door behind him. “I trust you and the rest of the house fared well in my absence?”
“Yes, sir,” Edgar said, standing from the bench and stretching out his back. Kasen could immediately see there was something more on Edgar’s mind that he wanted to address. Kasen withheld his sigh. It had been much too long of a night for the tense discussion that he knew was about to follow.
“I was hoping we could have a word before you retire for bed, sir,” Edgar said, his nasally voice grating on Kasen’s nerves more than it usually did.
“I’m awfully tired tonight,” Kasen said, trying to be polite. “Perhaps it can wait until the morning?”
“It could, sir,” he said, shuffling his feet to keep up with his master as he made his way into the house. “Unfortunately, you have an emergency meeting in the morning. Word just came in. It is a rather important issue and needs to be resolved—“
“Very well,” Kasen said, sighing and turning to look at Edgar. “But please, make it quick. I’m very tired.”
“Of course, sir,” Edgar said. He followed Kasen into the main section of the house, where the study, office, kitchen, and dining and entertaining areas were. From there, the master suites branched off to one side, housing three large bedrooms, each with a separate bath, lounge room, and private study. Kasen was the only one currently inhabiting that space, but it was set up for the master and lady of the house and any children they may have. It was yet another reminder to Kasen that he was lonely. On the other side of the home, was a suite of four guest bedrooms each with a bathroom, and the servant quarters, large enough to comfortably house the fifteen servants that kept the house in order. It was one of the largest private homes in the Death Angel Society.
“I’ve been contacted
by Miss York’s family,” Edgar said. Kasen knew this was coming. He thought he’d have a bit longer to put this off, but he could hear the immediacy in Edgar’s words. “They have demanded that you set a date for your nuptials.”
“I have no plans for that,” Kasen said simply. He knew that he would be starting an argument by stating it so simply, but he was really quite ready to get this over with.
“Sir,” Edgar said, the irritation already present in his voice, “Your parents felt this was a good match. You have been betrothed for nearly two centuries. Miss York’s family grows impatient.”
“I’m afraid they will need to get accustomed to the feeling,” Kasen said. “I have no intention of wedding Bella.”
“But sir,” Edgar said, his voice rising sharply. “Surely you can’t make such a rash decision. It has been promised, we cannot—“
“I can, and I just did,” Kasen said, his normally cordial voice turning just a bit harsh. He really was tired, and this was not what he wanted to do when he got home. He had a pile of work to get through in the morning and his bed was calling him. He could feel the congestion rebuilding in his chest.