She held the door to the pizzeria open as if this were part of getting Cali settled. Cali bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything untoward. She didn’t need to be coddled.
They’re trying to help.
She had to constantly remind herself of that lest she go crazy from the constant hovering. With the rest of the group gone it was a little better, though she hated to admit that the sight of Felix leaving left an ache in her chest that refused to go away.
The pizzeria was a quaint little place. It was done up in a red, orange, and white color scheme that had Cali thinking only of pizza. The smell of fresh garlic bread and tomato sauce permeated the air. She tried not to drool on the floor.
“Hey, Sydney, what are you doing here so late? I’m about ready to close.”
The man behind the counter could have passed for Sydney’s older brother. A dirty blond mop of hair stuck out from under a visor that read: Tom’s Pizzeria. He had laughing green eyes and a sun-tanned face, accentuated by the white uniform he wore that was dotted with red pizza sauce stains.
Sydney grinned at her male doppelganger. “The hunger calls, Tom. It’s not my fault you make the best pizza in the city. If I bother you so much, you should really look into lowering those standards of yours.” She placed both hands on the counter and leaned forward until she could kick her legs out behind her like a little kid.
Tom placed the palm of his hand flat against Sydney’s forehead and pushed her playfully off his counter. “I’m afraid I’ve built up quite the immunity to you and your flattery.” His attention left Sydney and held on Cali. “Where’s your manners, Sydney?” He wiped his flour-covered hand on his pants and held it out to her. “Thomas Larkin,” he introduced himself.
Despite his attempt to clean the flour and dough from his hands they remained as if ingrained into his skin. “Cali Crazar.” She took his hand.
“New to the city?” he asked.
“Uh … ” Her gaze darted to Sydney before returning to Tom. “Kind of. I’m really only here visiting for a few days, hopefully.”
Sydney’s expression clouded but Cali didn’t know what else to say. Was she supposed to tell Tom she was going to join their little group? Did Tom even know?
Hell, she hadn’t known until a few hours ago that people with powers existed — that she was one of them.
She couldn’t help but remember that feeling of terror and awe when she’d used her powers outside the clinic with Felix. One moment they were kissing and the next —
Her chest ached at the thought of Felix. Why did she want him near?
Her traitorous mind thought back to the moment before her powers had kicked in. The feel of his lips on hers, the taste of his tongue in her mouth …
“ … so what do you like on your pizza?”
Cali blinked.
Tom and Sydney both stared at her with expectant expressions on their faces.
Shit.
“What was that?”
Sydney huffed. “What do you want on the pizza?”
She glowered right back at Sydney. “Pineapple and green peppers okay with you?”
Sydney bobbed her golden head and turned to Tom. “And can we have an order of those tasty chocolate, cinnamon, funnel cake stick thingies?”
“They have a name, Sydney.”
She waved him off. “Yeah, but who wants to remember that? Funnel-ly cake thingies sound so much better.”
With an exaggerated sigh Tom disappeared into the back to make their pizza. He called out, “Would you mind flipping the sign to ‘Closed’ so I don’t get any more late nighters?”
Sydney dutifully went to do what he asked. “You know your life would be a bore without me,” she called back.
Cali thought she heard a muttered, “If only,” from Tom but couldn’t be sure.
Sydney took the chair across from where Cali was now seated at one of the circular tables. “So?”
“So, what?”
Sydney leaned forward. “Come on, you have to have some kind of questions about all this.” Her hands gestured around her as if to take in the pizzeria but Cali knew better.
And she did have questions about what had happened that day. The only problem was she didn’t know how to phrase them, and those that she did know how to phrase she was more than a little apprehensive about hearing the answers to. There was also that small part of her that wanted to wait until Felix could answer her questions.
“How do you know Felix?” she asked. It was as good a place to start as any.
“Ah, you’re going to go the old history route first, huh?” She got up and took a Vanilla Coke from the fridge. She tilted the bottle toward her like an offering.
“Don’t you have to pay for that?”
Sydney took another bottle out despite Cali’s lack of answer and handed it to her.
“Nah,” she said as she sat back down. “I’ve been pilfering sodas from Tom since I was a teen. Why do you think he keeps the Vanilla stocked for me? Anyway.” She cracked the plastic cap off and took a drink. “I met Felix when I was nineteen. We were in one of those combination first aid/CPR classes together. I stumbled across him when he looked like he could use some help. He was huddled into this ball in his chair, and I thought he might be injured. Turned out he was trying to control his powers.”
“I take it that there’s no destined age when we, uh … ” She lowered her voice. “ … come into our power?”
“Nope. My powers started manifesting when I was twenty, almost six months after I met Felix, though it took us close to four months to figure it out.”
Cali took a sip of her own soda, the smooth vanilla flavor sliding down her throat. “And you’re what, exactly? A shield?”
“Shielder,” she corrected mildly. “Think of it as if I sent out a giant bubble that enveloped everyone around me, and while I’m actively using my powers no one else around can. Make sense?”
Tom came around the counter holding a large pizza box with a smaller one perched on top. He stopped short when he saw the soda in Sydney’s hand. When his eyes fell on the one in her hand Cali felt an immediate flush of guilt. “I’ll pay for this,” she said instantly.
Tom gave her an easy grin. “No worries. I didn’t expect Sydney to engage in her bad habits in front of guests.” He gave Sydney a mock scowl.
She saluted him with the bottle before getting up to take their food off his hands. “Old habits die hard,” she told him. “Thanks again for the pizza. You’re the best.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, “now get out of here, I have to close up.”
Back in the vet clinic Sydney directed Cali around the corner of the lobby to where a door was labeled “office.” This way they were able to escape the smell of dog food that seemed to be rooted into the walls themselves.
The office itself was decorated with dark furniture and an aqua and white color scheme. The faint scent of vanilla drifted around the room, a nice change from the combination dog food, bleach, and animal smell of the lobby. There were pictures on the walls, most of them beautiful tropical beaches that hung on the wall right next to Sydney’s doctorate diploma and certifications. A yellow futon was pressed to the wall on Cali’s left. Though the room was filled with all sorts of furnishings and decorations, somehow Sydney had organized it in such a way that it didn’t feel crowded. Instead, the office was warm and inviting.
Cali took a seat on the futon. “I take it I’ll be sleeping here?”
Sydney followed her in, leaving the door partially open. She set the pizza down on her desk and pulled paper plates out from one of the cabinets above the mini fridge in the corner behind her desk.
She handed a plate to Cali. “It’s a lot more comfortable than it looks. Trust me. I’ve spent a few nights on it myself.”
They lapsed into silence as they tore through nearly the entire large pizza. Sydney passed out the funnel cake thingies and Cali took a bite of pure bliss. The dessert resembled a churro only with a more funnel cake
-like consistency. The cinnamon sugar sprinkling had a touch of cocoa that only added to the flavor when combined with the fudge drizzle.
“Amazing, huh?” Sydney said around a mouthful.
“What are these called again?” She might just have to buy them once a week, if not daily.
“Technically they’re called Tom’s Incredible Twists, but Joel and Felix both got it into their heads to call them T.I.T’s for short and I just can’t say the name now without hearing one of them asking for a double order of tits to go along with their pizza.”
Cali choked on her twist.
Her eyes began to water as she desperately reached for her Coke.
Sydney shot to her feet to give her a couple friendly pounds on the back. “Sorry, I probably should have warned you not to have any food in your mouth first.”
Cali sucked in some much needed air. “Thanks,” she gasped out.
“Don’t mention it.” Sydney moved around the room, cleaning up their mess.
Silence fell once more as Cali watched Sydney tidy up. She felt useless at that moment and wanted to volunteer her help but something told her Sydney would just tell her to stay seated.
Once everything was cleaned, Sydney took a seat on the opposite end of the futon and curled one of her legs under her like they were at a slumber party. “So did any other questions come up while you were eating? There has to be more on your mind than how Felix and I met.”
Cali leaned back against the railing of the futon. “Look, I appreciate your friendliness and everything but you don’t have to babysit me. Really. I’m fine.”
“I’m not babysitting you. Why can’t we just hang out?”
“And what? Paint each other’s toenails? Thanks, but no thanks.” Cali went to get off the futon but was blocked.
She hadn’t even seen Sydney move.
“What’s your problem?” Sydney snarled. She was bent over so that her green eyes blazed level with Cali’s. “You look at me and all you see is the blonde hair and think I’m some stereotypical cheerleader who wants to do each other’s toes?” Shame flooded Cali because that was exactly how she’d pegged Sydney. She opened her mouth to apologize but didn’t get the chance as Sydney continued. “If you don’t want to be my friend then that’s fine, but Felix is one of my closest friends and you’re his Mirror Mate, which means you’re going to become a major fixture in his life, and I’m not going anywhere so you better damn well get used to the sight of me.” Her green eyes widened, and she leaned back as if she’d never exploded at someone like that before.
Cali stared, transfixed, before she cleared her throat. Feeling like a real ass all she could think to say was, “Okay.”
Sydney narrowed her eyes. “That’s it? ‘Okay’?”
“You were right. I was being a complete asshole thinking you were nothing more than a perky blonde with half a brain. Can we start over?”
Sydney exhaled in relief, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’d like — ”
Her words cut off as the sound of shuffling reached them from the front of the vet.
Chapter 7
Cali and Sydney both froze.
The shock wore off Sydney first. Cali summed it up to being a part of a little super group longer than her. “Did you hear that?” She shot to her feet, Cali right behind her. The sound came again but it was too faint to make out.
Okay, Cali, you can do this. Your power is to manipulate sound, so … manipulate it. She shook out her hands to steady her nerves and shut her eyes. She tried to imagine all the sounds around her fading. After a moment of nothing happening she began to feel foolish.
Cali turned to Sydney. Her face was pinched in concentration.
“Are you using your powers?” Cali asked her.
Sydney nodded. “Why?”
How did she say that she’d tried to use her powers and was unsuccessful without sounding like she was whining?
Cali proceeded toward the door. “Just wondering,” she said.
Sydney touched her arm. “Cali, wait. We have no idea what’s out there. I promised Felix … ” She let the sentence hang.
“You promised to get me settled,” Cali pointed out. “He said nothing about what to do in the event of an attack.” But damn, she had to admire Sydney’s loyalty. She’d only ever dreamed of having a friend as loyal as that. Someone she didn’t have to worry about going behind her back and taking her paintings, or sneaking drugs into her drinks …
She shook the thoughts away.
“What’s our plan of action?”
Sydney nibbled at her bottom lip. “Well, I used my powers so if whoever is out there tries to use their own abilities they won’t be able to and … that’s all I’m basically used for.”
“You mean you guys all don’t know some crazy special kung-fu fighting technique?”
Sydney’s gaze could have frozen water. “We’ve already told you, we’re not a military branch.”
More was the pity. How the hell were they supposed to defend themselves if all they had was a woman who could negate power and another who could manipulate sound? Where were the super strength and fire-wielding powers when you needed them?
The rustling came again.
Sydney grasped the door and gave her a nod. We take this nice and slow, it said.
Together they crept out into the large hallway. A faint light came in through the reception area caused by the streetlights outside. Sydney took the lead as they filed into the smaller hall that opened into the front lobby. Sydney stopped and took a deep breath before turning the corner.
She poked her head out just enough to see into the main room before she pulled back. “It’s coming from behind the reception desk.”
She leaned out to take another look. Cali was tall enough to lean over her and peer around the corner above her head.
The lobby was empty.
The faint rustling came from the far corner, right where Sydney had said. There was no light of any kind, which begged the question how the hell did whoever was over there see anything? Didn’t they need a flashlight?
A small part of Cali had worried Collette had come after her, but with Sydney nullifying any and all powers, Collette would be useless. Plus, Collette didn’t strike her as the type of woman who would hide out behind a reception desk.
Sydney’s thoughts must have been following her own. She bravely made her way into the lobby, Cali right behind her. When they reached the desk, Sydney waved her back, signaling her to stay put.
Cali bit her tongue to keep from protesting but ultimately stayed where she was.
Sydney stepped behind the reception desk.
And screamed.
Cali reacted instantly. She grabbed the first thing within reach. It turned out to be a dog leash hanging on the wall closest to her.
She rushed the reception desk and nearly got bowled over by Sydney.
“What is it?” she demanded. There was nothing in sight.
Something moved past her foot and Cali yelped.
The fuzzy gray blob scuttled toward the dog food, giving Cali a moment to identify it. “Gadget?”
Felix’s rat continued to make a break for the dog food. Sydney jumped out of the rodent’s way with another screech.
Cali forced her laughter down. She hurried to scoop the fat rat up before it gave Sydney a heart attack. “Easy, Sydney, it’s just Gadget.”
Sydney’s face was murderous. “I’m going to kill Felix.”
Cali highly doubted it, but she kept her comments to herself as Gadget nuzzled into her palm. Sydney might hate the fact that Felix sometimes left his pet rat in her vet but he was important to her, special …
The dull ache in her chest throbbed. “Hey, Sydney?”
She was busy dusting herself off. “Hm?”
“What’s a Mirror Mate?”
Her hands faltered before continuing to brush at her clothing. She looked up to give her a bright smile. “You are.”
Cali wasn’t buying it. “That doesn’
t tell me anything. Everyone keeps calling me Felix’s Mirror Mate but no one’s really told me what that means. How do you even know that I’m his or that he’s mine? I don’t get it.”
Sydney held her hands out in surrender. “I understand, and I wish I had more information for you, but to be perfectly honest we’re not even sure what it is. When I met Felix years ago, he thought he was the only one with powers. When we figured out I had them too, I freaked out thinking perhaps they were contagious. They’re not. Felix eventually met Collette and found that she too had powers. Our little network of powered people was growing, but that still didn’t give us any insight. All of us had different powers. Were there others out there with similar powers or was every person different? The questions continued to grow when Collette confided in Felix that she found work at a company that used people like us. Felix wasn’t happy with this new discovery and exploitation. He stopped talking to Collette, and some months after that he received a call that she had discovered something amazing. It turns out Collette was the first one to discover Mirror Mates, though she didn’t call them that. That’s our own specialty term.” Sydney grinned. “Anyway, from what Felix has told us, Mirror Mates are a sort of soul mate with the added benefit that, once a certain bond is formed between them, they increase each other’s powers.”
“Increase their powers how?”
Sydney shrugged. “Not sure. When Collette found her Mirror Mate, her Illusions became corporeal. So far she’s the only one we know of who is what we term ‘full-forced.’”
So that was it, the reason why Felix was so nice to her. He wanted to use her to increase his own power. Her heart sank, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d yet to meet anyone who didn’t want her for some other purpose.
No one wants you for you.
“Are you okay?” Sydney peered up at her studiously.
Cali instantly pasted a false smile on her face. She didn’t want Sydney to know how much Felix had inadvertently hurt her. And here she had started to actually like the bastard.
Her anger grew, something she welcomed as it burned away the betrayal and hurt she felt.
Guild of Truth 01 - Silent as the Grave Page 6