Bloodlines Trilogy

by N. A. K. Baldron

  "Kandice, please, do not leave. He will be here soon."

  "It's okay," she said. "Tell Lance to call me."

  Slava rose from his seat, "Allow me to walk you out."

  He insisted on following her and holding the door open as she left. When she pulled out of the driveway, he nodded and waited for her to reach the stop sign before going back inside.

  Her abrupt departure might have been uncalled for, but the atmosphere of the living room had become painfully still. Slava was a kind gentleman, but she only knew him in passing. There was nothing to gain by overstaying her welcome. Something her mother had been sure to instill in them as children.

  Memories rushed back of her mom, forcing her to make friends as a child. It was impossible for Kandice to introduce herself without feeling like an outsider. It was easier to assume others felt the same—preferring to be left alone—rather than make friends. But in the end her mother had won, and Kandice had learned to master the basics of social graces.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Saturday, September 3rd

  THE UNFAMILIAR RINGTONE BROUGHT KANDICE out of her deep sleep and sent her heart thumping.

  "Hello?"

  "Did I wake you?" Lance's voice echoed through her phone, and she held it away from her ear.

  "No ..." she lied and paused to shake the sleepiness from her voice, "it's okay. What's up?"

  "Can you meet? Slava said you stopped by yesterday. We have some things to discuss."

  "Where do you want to meet?"

  "You pick," Lance said.

  She debated on her aunt's house but ruled it out as impossible, "I can come back over there."

  "That works. Can you be here in an hour?"

  "Let me get dressed," Kandice rolled out from under the covers into a sitting position. "I'll head over there right after."

  "See you then," Lance hung up.

  The phone also had a text message, and a missed call.

  Lance: Can you meet?

  It must be important.

  Kandice tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes—the long nights and early mornings were wearing on her.

  I'm too young to feel this old.

  After a quick shower and putting her hair up in a towel to dry, she took fifteen minutes to decide on an outfit. She wanted something that could accentuate her curves, but not scream "Open for Business".

  Kandice's hair was still damp—thank goodness it didn't need to be a no frizz kind of day. Her hair routine took up the majority of her mornings. Why couldn't she have been blessed with messy bun hair? Blake was still asleep, and her aunt was in the living room as she walked downstairs. Kandice said hi and bye as she went into the garage for her moped.

  As she closed the garage door, her aunt walked out the front door, but there was no point in stopping to chat, it would only end in an interrogation. Kandice was willing to accept any apartment. Anything to leave her aunt's bullshit behind. The constant disrespect from treating her like a child was too much.

  * * *

  THE SMALL TRUCK LANCE DROVE was in the driveway—next to the Honda—when Kandice pulled up to her old house. It was surprising to see the same cars twice. She assumed they hunted 24/7 and traded out as often, but realized they must only trade out after they kill an Aether Walker.

  Before she could knock, Slava opened the door, "Hello Kandice. Please, come in. Lance is in the living room."

  "Thank you," Kandice walked in and took her usual seat on the sofa.

  "Can I offer you a drink?" Lance asked.

  "No, thank you. No offense, but you two seem to drink a lot."

  "Yes," Slava said. "It helps with the pains."

  "What pains?"

  "When I shift," Lance began. "It drains my energy. Sometimes, if I stay in that form for too long, I'll lose consciousness. The vodka helps fortify us against it."

  "So, you're just drunk all the time?"

  Their alcohol consumption was becoming worrisome, with each visit the tension built in her chest more. If they were as bad as her father there was no way for them to be allies.

  Drunks can't be trusted.

  "Not exactly," Lance said. "It's true we have alcohol in us all the time. But, it doesn't affect us the same as others.

  "Slava can never shift again. It took too much out of him. We use vodka to prolong the effects. Without it, I would end up like Slava much sooner."

  Kandice weighed his words. Alcoholics justify their drinking to themselves and others with ease. Her father had a list of justifications as long as the UT Tower, but he never fooled her. Yet, something about Lance and Slava assured her they were genuine in their reasons.

  Am I deluding myself?

  "Will I have to drink to shift?" she asked.

  "We do not know if we will teach you yet," Slava said.

  "What my grandfather means," Lance gave Slava a stern look, "is we still have questions for you before we can trust you. And, there is always the chance you won't be able to become an oboroten. Not everyone can."

  "At some point, we have to agree to trust each other," Kandice said. "I'll never not stop fighting, this is my life!"

  Kandice tried to stay calm. The do-we-trust-each-other dance was over dramatic. They could all see the Aether Walkers. What more was there? They needed each other, it was time to trust one another and move on. If they didn't, it would kill her hope for revenge.

  Slava nodded and pulled out a folder from inside the coffee table. He laid it out next to the vodka.

  "This is our target," Slava said.

  There was a news clipping of the new mayor, and several hand-written letters.

  "This man brought us here," Slava continued.

  "We've been tracking Them across the US for some time," Lance said. "Austin seems to have a large influx of Them. We believe it's all due to this man." He tapped his finger on the newspaper.

  "I have seen his true form," Slava said. "He is the largest werewolf I have ever seen. If he were in this room, his head would be through the ceiling."

  "Wow," Kandice said. "I had never seen an oversized Aether Walker until the first night I met y'all."

  "They're extremely rare," Lance said. "But they pop up in large cities from time to time."

  "Due to his high profile," Slava said. "We will have to plan an attack. We cannot kill him on the street. The only option is to infiltrate his home, and that requires neutralizing his protection."

  "You can't do that!" Kandice protested. "You can't kill innocent people."

  "We won't," Lance reassured her. "We still have to find his house. While it will have a security system and armed guards, we suspect that many of his armed guards will be fellow Aether Walkers. They tend to serve more powerful ones."

  "But what if they're humans? Just doing their job, not knowing what he is? I can't believe our mayor is an Aether Walker," she sat back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.

  Memories of the night she tracked a reptilian who made sure its prey got home safe weighed on her. What did it mean that some Aether Walkers appeared to care about humans?

  "She is not ready," Slava said.

  "Once she sees his true form she will be," Lance told Slava before turning back to Kandice. "I don't expect you to take our word for it. You will need to see it with your own eyes, but for the time being, we need to work under the assumption that you believe us."

  Lance poured a glass of vodka and handed it to Kandice, "You look like you could use a drink."

  Kandice drank it without hesitation. Her own drinking was becoming excessive by her standards—the past weeks alcohol consumption seemed like more than her lifetime of consumption before meeting Lance. The slight burn of the vodka distracted her mind, it felt like too much to process. It had been hard to come to terms with Aether Walkers, but now, to discover they were this powerful. It scared her to know they have been around as long as humanity. But it was more horrifying that they could also hold positions of power.

  Kandice stood up, "I need some air
."

  Out on her old patio, it took several deep breaths to process all the information. A flock of birds flying overhead caught her attention. It would be nice to fly away from her problems, but it was better to face them. They wouldn't disappear on their own—the forum post had shown her that much.

  "Do you feel up to talking again?" Lance asked once she came back inside.

  "Yeah," she said, and took her seat on the sofa. "Last I remember, we were discussing the mayor's bodyguards. So, there will be a lot of bodyguards? How many do you think?"

  "Yes, we predict four or five," Lance said. "We may have found his house, but I'll need to scout it out and make sure. That's the real reason I called. Slava is not up to long stakeouts, and I hoped you would join me."

  "I don't know, I still find it hard to believe the mayor could be an Aether Walker," Kandice shook her head, it was just so crazy.

  "If you come, you can see for yourself," Lance said.

  "Okay," she said. "But I need time to think about this. I never considered they could be in positions of power. If the mayor can be one, who else could?"

  "That's the biggest problem," Lance said. "We rarely see political figures in person. On TV and in photos, they look like a normal human. We have to see them in person to see the difference."

  "That's a relief to hear," Kandice said. "I've taken photos before, and they always looked normal on film. I was wondering if it was just me."

  "No," Lance said. "It's one of the weird aspects of their body makeup. I think we're able to see the parallel dimension they exist in. Slava disagrees."

  "Why?" Kandice said.

  Slava answered for himself. "I have seen many things. Parallel dimensions are science fiction. Science can't explain these creatures. They have existed long before mankind invented science."

  "Slava doesn't believe in science," Lance mocked. "He holds to old religious beliefs and thinks they're demons."

  "They are," Slava insisted. "The bible describes such creatures."

  "Yes, and it also tells us that men used to live to be three hundred, and that there was once a great flood that covered the entire world. The text is so old that humans still lived in tribes. It can teach us, but it's not facts."

  Slava raised his voice and shouted in Russian and Lance responded in Russian. They argued for a minute, and then Kandice heard her name and Slava left into his room.

  "I'm sorry about that," Lance apologized. "My grandfather and his parents faced persecution for holding onto their religious views, and it's made him defensive."

  "I see," Kandice said.

  "Don't think I have anything against religion, or any faith for that matter. I'm just more skeptical about the texts than my grandfather."

  "Oh yeah. I'm the same way," Kandice nodded along with her words. "My aunt keeps trying to get me to go to church with her, but I'm not sure I believe. I figure there's something greater than us, but I don't know what it is."

  "Exactly!"

  They sat together in silence—it was comforting to have found another skeptic that wasn't outright confrontational towards it. In high school, there were strong advocates for atheism who viewed all religions as dangerous, but religion always seemed like a good thing to Kandice—at least for those who believed. She just hadn't found the right religion that made sense for her.

  "I need to go," her attempt at staying away was only delaying the confrontation with her aunt, regarding her departure this morning. "When do you want to do the stakeout?"

  "Can you sleep today and meet up tonight?" he asked. "Once we're there, we need to stay until we see him. We'll use Slava's car. It's more comfortable than the truck, and your bike would stand out too much."

  "Sure. Just call me, and I'll meet you here?"

  Lance followed her to the door and held it open. As she was walking out, he stopped her by the shoulder. His eyes were beautiful up close, the blue was vibrant and deep. There was a momentary lapse in her thoughts.

  "Are you okay to drive?" he asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Okay, see you tonight."

  "Later."

  He smiled at her as she left, and his teeth shimmered in the bright sun. Everything about him made her mind trail to places it hadn't been before. The developing feelings made her nervous. If he had been in her college class, he could have been someone to pursue. But under the circumstances, it made more sense that her desires stemmed from what he represented to her rather than authentic attraction.

  It's just a crush.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Saturday, September 3rd

  ALL KANDICE COULD THINK OF when she got back home, was food. Jackie was still in the living room watching TV—odd since she usually spent the weekends out with her friends.

  Jackie turned the TV off as Kandice opened the fridge.

  "Where were you this morning?"

  "I was at a friend's house ..." Kandice paused for a moment to gather herself. "We were doing homework."

  "You could have said something. I worried and I know you saw me as you drove off."

  "Sorry," Kandice prayed for the conversation to end.

  I just want to eat!

  "Well in the future, you had better let me know where you are going."

  Kandice didn't respond, instead she began to make a sandwich. They had a long night ahead of them, and it wouldn't be possible without food and sleep.

  Her aunt walked into the kitchen, "How is school going?"

  "Fine," Kandice put the final slice of bread on top.

  "What does that mean? Have you had any assignments yet?"

  "A few," she took a bite of the sandwich.

  "Young lady, put down the food and talk with me. I want to know you're doing well in college and doing what you're supposed to."

  She forced herself to stay calm, "Can't you just leave me alone. I'm hungry and tired. I need to get some sleep."

  "Don't take that tone with me. You will show me the respect I deserve."

  "Yes, mam," she said, as perky as possible. "College is great. I've gotten all A's so far."

  Kandice wrapped the sandwich in a paper towel—not listening as Jackie lectured about attitude and responsibility—and went upstairs.

  "Don't walk away from me," Jackie said.

  Kandice took the stairs two at a time. Blake's door was open, and he sat at his computer.

  She stopped at his doorway and got his attention, "Do you have time to talk?"

  "Sure," he said. "Just let me finish this dungeon first."

  Kandice pointed to her sandwich, "No worries."

  She walked into her bedroom, leaving the door open.

  "This conversation isn't over! We will be talking about this later," Jackie called from downstairs.

  Kandice pulled open her laptop and checked her email. There was a new one from her apartment locator. He mentioned that he found three apartments with openings toward the end of the month that were only fifty dollars more a month than her budget.

  In the long run, it would be better to rent a one bedroom instead of an efficiency so Blake could move in if he wanted. With their combined income they could save money, compared to what they were paying Jackie. Blake wouldn't stay here once he realized moving out would mean fewer rules. Now that he knew and accepted the truth about the Aether Walkers, hopefully dealing with the real world would be easier.

  The light was coming in through the cracks in the blinds, giving the room a soft glow. After her second bite of the sandwich, her hunger took over, and she scarfed it down in five bites. Blake walked in as she finished the last bite. Kandice smirked with cheeks stuffed with turkey. He laughed and pointed at a small spot of mustard on the corner of her mouth.

  "So, what's up? Did you just get home?"

  She swallowed, "Yeah, but I left early this morning. I wasn't out all night. Do me a favor and close the door."

  He closed it, then sat down in her desk chair.

  Kandice looked at the door to make sure it latched, "I've got something b
ig to tell you. Remember I told you that I've met someone else who can see them."

  "You mean the monsters?"

  "Yeah. I call them Aether Walkers. There's far more than just the type that killed mom."

  "Who is it?"

  Kandice spent the better part of an hour explaining who Lance was, and the two weeks it took to find him again. She described Slava, and how amusing his unwillingness to speak English was. But left out their ability to shift, it would be too much for him to process right now. Without seeing them do it in person it sounded like something out of a movie.

  Blake let her ramble on. He nodded and gasped where appropriate, but otherwise remained silent. Kandice noticed his eyes growing dim as she went on. When she finished, a ghostly-silence settled in the room, leaving only the hum of the air conditioning.

  "They live in our old house! What are the odds of that?" Blake asked.

  "I don't know, but it caught me off guard—"

  "There's no way that's a coincidence, they could be stalking—"

  "I don't think so. They seemed just as surprised as me when I met them. They're just hunters who were drawn here. I think they might have been drawn to the house because we lived there, but it's not because they were stalking us."

  "They hunt them?" Blake asked, after a few moments.

  "Yeah, they kill the ones who kill."

  "But they look human?" Blake's face showed his confusion.

  "To everyone else," Kandice said. "I hunt them too, though not the deadly ones."

  "I'm still trying to get my head around the fact they're real. In the hospital, they made me talk about what I saw until I convinced myself it had been a dream."

  "I know. I'm so sorry," she looked away from him.

  Blake nodded.

  "I want you to meet them," Kandice said. "We're hunting down a major one. It's larger than any I've ever seen. Lance says he's more powerful than any of the others here."

  "How?" Blake asked—worried. "If he's that powerful, it'll be too dangerous."

  "We don't know yet. We're working on a plan. Lance and I will stalk him tonight," Kandice wasn't ready to share it was the mayor. "But tomorrow, or the next day, I want to take you out to the bars and so you can see Them."