It felt like it would never end and he wasn’t sure he wanted it to. Never before had he felt such a desire to have something as much as he did her in this very moment. When she finally did release him from the embrace, she stared into his eyes for what felt like forever before leaning over and whispering into his ear, “Now that is self-control.” And with that she sat up, looking very pleased with herself. “Good job,” she said, swinging off the bed with a smirk.
Without waiting for him to reply she headed across the room toward the door, pausing in the doorway before closing it. “If you can maintain control of yourself and your emotions under those circumstances, there remains hope for you yet. Until tonight.” And with that she slammed the door, leaving Jarod dumbfounded and confused staring after her.
Back in the hallway, K spotted Jaron working to repair the floorboards damaged during Jarod and Rigar’s confrontation. He looked up, having heard the door close, and seeing her standing there came to her side. “Let me walk you back to your room.” Then glancing through the window at Jarod still lying on the bed, grasping the sides as if he were about to fall off added, “What’s wrong with him?”
K laughed, “Oh a little lesson in self-control. I think he did fairly well.”
“Oh,” Jaron replied, returning his attention to K; she was as captivating to look at as he had always remembered. And though she was much thinner than he would like, she had a glow to her that drew him and any other man that was brave or stupid enough to cross her path into her trap. Even when she masked that allure was still there. “I never thought I would get a chance to see you this way again. You look beautiful.”
She smiled the way a woman does when she knows she has a man right where she wants him, but Jaron didn’t mind. He had seen her in many looks in his time around her, but there was something about this form with the white hair and haunting pale blue eyes that he loved. “I think you should stay this way for a while.”
But K was having no part of it. “No, we both already know how people react; I’ve seen it too many times. The reaction of the girl upstairs alone tells me they aren’t ready, and we have enough to deal with without making the task ahead of us any more difficult.” She glanced past him down the hall, he followed her gaze to the sun shining in through the front door. He knew she was longing to be outside in warmth of the sunlight, but it was not even an option until her ability to mask had returned to her. With a sigh she continued, “I have already decided as soon as I am able to maintain it, I will mask.”
“People change, K, you just need to give them the chance. Maybe if they see you how you really look, they will be more likely to believe who you are.” Jaron continued, knowing he was risking angering her by what he was about to say, “You know, at some point you will have to take your place as queen, you can’t avoid it forever.”
“Queen?” K said half laughing, but it was clear from the furrowing of her brows that he had upset her. “No, I don’t think any of us are ready for that yet. I know I am not. By the stars, Jaron, they don’t even know what they are.” She glared at him. “Besides, I don’t think you are one to judge, from what I can tell you haven’t been completely honest with, Jarod, or am I wrong?”
He bowed his head, and dropped his gaze to the floor. She was right; what right did he have to judge her, when he also had secrets he wasn’t quite ready to come clean with. Plus, as she had mentioned, the Shadows had managed to brainwash all the Full-bloods into thinking they were nothing more than weak, formula dependent slaves. It would take time to undo all the damage they had done, to teach the Full-bloods how to unlock their full potential and to show them they were much more than what they had become.
“I can make it the rest of the way,” she said as she continued down the hall. “When they all get back we should get together and talk. There are a few things we need to figure out before we leave this place.”
He watched as she made her way to her room, closing the door behind her. It would only be a matter of time before he would have the pleasure of watching as she destroyed the Shadows. He couldn’t help but smile imagining the look on their faces when she stood in front of them, ready to take revenge for what they had done to her, to them all.
With her resting and Jarod still out of commission, he went back to work on the floorboards and was almost finished when Mikel came down the hall. “Looks great,” he said as he walked up.
“It wasn’t as bad as it seemed.” Jaron stood up to greet him, then taking notice of the jacket he was wearing, couldn’t help as his brow furrowed and he blocked the hallway. “Where do you think you are going?”
Jaron was nearly as tall as Jarod, though he did not have the same stature—his build was much leaner and sleek. That said, he was intimidating in his own way. Yet Mikel stood his ground. “There is something I have to do,” he answered nervously. “Before all this happened, there was a young Full-blood here that was teetering on the brink of death thanks to the supervisors and that damn road. He needs this red formula,” Mikel said, clutching his jacket pocket protectively. “I need to take it to his family and try to save him if it’s not already too late.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Jaron stated, continuing to block the hall. “How are you going to explain to them how you came by that? Not to mention what happens if you get caught on the street with it?”
“I will tell them that one of their many requests got approved. I promise they will be so elated they won’t question it. And as for the Patrols they won’t stop me, I treat them for free here in the clinic just like everyone else, in return they pretty much leave me alone. Please this is something I have to do.”
Jaron and Mikel stood toe-to-toe; it was clear Mikel would not give this up without a fight, and deep down Jaron couldn’t help but feel he owed this to Mikel. After all, he had put his life on the line to protect K from the inspectors and Jarod when he came here as the Enforcer. He was a rare sort, not many people would do a thing like that for their own family much less a complete stranger. With a deep sigh, Jaron relented, “All right, but don’t be gone long. If Jarod finds out I let you go he will haul me off to the Tower.” Then, looking down the hall behind him, Jaron asked, “And where is Citera?”
“She is in the back catching up on laundry and other things. I told her she needed to stay, that way you know I am coming back and I’m not up to anything.”
“Don’t make me regret this,” Jaron threatened, stepping aside to let him pass. Mikel nodded then eased his way around him, continuing down the hall toward the lobby before disappearing through the front door. Jaron stood alone watching as the door closed behind him, praying that he hadn’t just made a huge mistake. However it was too late for regrets and all he could do now was pray to the stars that the next time the door opened it wasn’t to a brigade of patrols coming to haul them away to the Tower.
Chapter 11
Maya
The sun was shining bright in the sky, the warmth soaking into his pores as Dirik weaved his way through the market. The day was in full swing, with people busily going about their daily lives, blissfully unaware of the events taking place within the walls of their tiny clinic. He had heard someone shouting to him as he bolted through the clinic door, but he hadn’t taken the time to look back out of fear Jarod had somehow regained his ability to walk and was charging down the hall after him. Once outside, it took another full half hour of sprinting to the other side of town before Dirik slowed; finally convinced no one was following him.
There was still a part of him that feared what the Enforcer had intend for them once he was finished with the clinic, but for today at least he decided to push those frightening thoughts to the back of his mind. He intended to take full advantage of this day and enjoy every little sight and sound he could as he wound his way through the streets ducking and dodging the patrols as he went.
Arriving at the market, he spent most of the day visiting and running errands for the various shop keepers as he usually did. They didn’t pa
y much, but it was an honest way of making a living, and many of the owners often gave him free things for his trouble. He had just finished a job for the baker and was enjoying a pastry that he had been given as part of his payment when he heard Mr. Lark beckoning him from his vegetable stand. He was an unpleasant old man that Dirik usually tried to avoid, but he didn’t have anything better to do and so he walked over to see what he wanted.
“Mr. Lark, what can I do for you today?” Dirik asked, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.
It was one of those things Mikel was continuously reinforcing on him; that no matter how unpleasant a person was he should always do his best to remain friendly and hospitable. Mikel said this was because there was no way of knowing what type of problems that person had going on in their life that could be making them act that way. That everyone had problems, some more than others, and some handled them better than others, but that all it took was one person showing the slightest bit of compassion to turn a day around. But that was just the type of person Mikel was.
“Ha, like I would want help from a little thief. I don’t need to be seen associating with your type,” Mr. Lark grumbled waving his hand dismissingly at Dirik.
Dirik, infuriated at the audacity of the old man, snapped back without thinking, “So why did you call me, you old goat? Just to insult me?” Dirik would have to apologize to Mikel later, there were just some people who made it impossible to be nice.
Mr. Lark huffed at him, “If I had it my way your scrawny ass would have been in jail long ago. Why I should call the patrols over here right now and hold you down until they get here.”
“I’d like to see you try!” Dirik challenged, and spun around to head off; if he continued to stay here and argue with this belligerent old man the patrols were definitely going to show up. “I’ve had enough of this, good day, Mr. Lark!”
“Wait, I have a message for you,” the old man called out from behind him.
“So what? No one I know would give you anything for me, and for all I know you are trying to set me up,” Dirik yelled out as he continued to stomp away.
“The message is from Maya,” the old man called back, smirking.
Dirik stopped. As much as he hated Mr. Lark, he knew that if Maya had left a message with him it must be important, though what he couldn’t understand was why she would have left it with Mr. Lark. “Well, let’s have it then,” Dirik demanded returning to the stand.
The old man stood silent with his arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. “Is that any way to talk to someone with an important message?” Dirik wanted to reach across the stand and slap that smirk from his face, but the market was full of people and patrols were everywhere. So instead Dirik bit his lip and plastered on his best fake smile. “Please, Mr. Lark, may I have the message?”
Smiling victoriously, the old man uncrossed his arms as he reached under the stand. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
He held out a sealed envelope to Dirik, who snatched it and immediately turned to leave, yelling sarcastically behind him, “A pleasure as always, Mr. Lark.”
He roamed the streets for a few minutes until he found a quiet alley, ducked inside, and opened the envelope. Inside he found a letter written in Maya’s handwriting.
Dirik,
I am sorry to contact you this way, but it was the only way I could get a message to you. My father is watching my every move right now and his temper has hit an all-time high. Mr. Lark comes by every day to make a delivery and has helped me in the past so I hope he will get this to you. I really need to meet you in person, so if this message finds you, come to the inn. Please, Dirik, you are the only one I know of who might can help me and the only one that I trust.
With Love
Maya
The words were worse than a slap to the face. There was no telling what manner of abuse she was being forced to endure at the hands of her father. Concern twisting his insides, Dirik took off running as fast as he could toward the inn, winding his way through back streets and alleys. He was in such a rush that he didn’t see Mikel coming down the street in the opposite direction until he had crashed into him.
“Whoa there, what’s the hurry?” Mikel asked, catching ahold of him.
“Sorry, Mikel, I didn’t see you,” Dirik answered hurriedly. Straightening himself up, he prepared to continue his journey when it suddenly occurred to him that they were both outside the clinic. “Wait, they let you leave, too?”
Mikel released his young assistant, glancing up and down the street like he was half expecting the two of them to be grabbed at any moment. “Yeah, well they all don’t know I’m gone and my intentions are to get back before they realize it.”
“What made you leave? If you needed something I would have been happy to get it for you.”
Mikel shook his head. “No, this is something I had to do. I am going to see the Hurders and try to heal their son with our visitor’s gift.” As he talked Mikel patted his jacket pocket. “I only hope it’s not too late. Where are you going in such a hurry?”
Dirik was suddenly overwhelmingly concerned by the thought of Citera alone in the clinic with all those Full-bloods. “I’m going to check on Maya, I think something is wrong. She sent me a letter asking me to come and talk to her immediately, apparently her father is on another one of his rampages.”
“Dirik, be very careful, you know how her father is. I don’t doubt he would hurt, if not kill you for messing with her.”
“I know, I know, if he is there I will leave, but hopefully he is at the factory.” Dirik paused, remembering the desperation of the words in the letter. “Mikel, she sounded so scared. I have to at least check on her.”
Mikel nodded, unable to conceal the look of a concerned father. “When you get done there go straight back to the clinic, do you understand? If you aren’t back by the time I get there, I’m coming to look for you.”
Dirik nodded then quickly resumed his journey down the road. He ran as fast as he could all the way to the garden. There he paused, taking a moment to catch his breath and gather himself before crossing the garden to the inn; he didn’t want to look too panicked in front of Maya. The aromas of Lila’s cooking greeted him as he hesitated once more outside the front door, then taking a deep breath he pushed his way inside.
To his delight the inn was somewhat empty with only a few patrons huddled in a corner enjoying their meal. Casually he made his way to the bar and had a seat as Lila came around the corner with a smile on her face and bruise on her cheek. Dirik’s heart sank. “Aw, miss, what has he done to you?”
“Don’t you worry about it, these are things best left between adults. What can I do for you today?” Lila answered as she wiped down the bar.
“Give me three of your specials … on second thought, make it six.”
“My, you are hungry today, what is the special occasion?”
“Mikel is feeling better and he is very hungry,” Dirik answered as he spun a coin on the top of the bar. “Where is Maya?”
“She is in the back asleep, she hasn’t been feeling well.” As she spoke Lila glanced around the room. “I received a large delivery today from the market, and I have been so busy I haven’t been able to bring it all in and put it away. Would you mind coming to the back and helping me out? I will give you a discount on your food, of course.”
In all his years of coming to the inn, Lila had never offered to take him into the apartment in the back. She motioned with her head for him to follow. Slowly he made his way behind the bar and followed her into the back room where she closed the door behind him.
“What’s going on?” he asked nervously.
“Follow me.” Lila led him down a hall, and at the end she opened the door of a bedroom, where Maya laid on the bed. Even in the dim light of the room the damage was clear to see. He had beaten her face so badly that one of her eyes had swollen shut and she had a large split in her lip. She struggled to sit up when she spotted him, but he hurried to her side t
rying to stop her. “Just relax, I’m here,” he said as he moved his hand over her face. “What has he done to you?”
“I’ll leave the two of you alone, while I get the food ready to go,” Lila stated, pulling the door closed behind her.
Maya shook her head. “I’m so sorry to bring you into this, but you are the only one I trust and you know everything that happens in town.” She sat up in the bed, exposing to him her arm wrapped and inside a sling.
The rage ignited within Dirik, who jumped to his feet and began to pace back and forth across the floor. “Maya, you have to get out of here, he is going to kill you one day.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t, if I leave, what do you think will happen to my mom?” She paused, trying to compose herself. “Dirik, this isn’t why I asked you here, I need your help. I need to ask you something and it’s going to sound strange, so don’t freak out on me, okay.”
If she only knew, Dirik thought to himself. “What is it? You can ask me anything.”
“Do you know if the Enforcer is in town, but like secretly?”
All the color drained from his face and the room around him began to spin; she watched him for a moment but he wasn’t able to form any words so she continued. “I know it sounds crazy. I mean, why would he be hiding in Vicaris?”
She looked around the room as if she expected someone to walk in on them at any moment. “Can I tell you a secret?” Still unable to talk, Dirik somehow managed to nod.
“Me and my mom, we aren’t like the other Full-bloods, we have what I guess you would call ‘a gift’.” She stared at him like she was expecting him to say something, but when he didn’t she continued, “My mom, she can sometimes see things when she touches someone, and sometimes its things that haven’t even happened yet.” Maya hesitated again, probably expecting him to call her crazy and storm away, but after what he had been through these last few days, nothing was surprising him anymore. “I, however, can find people. If I touch someone just once I can usually locate them as long as they are within a certain distance.”
K: The Awakening (The Shadow Chronicles Book 1) Page 25