Bloodlines Trilogy

by N. A. K. Baldron

  "Sounds good," he said. "I need to know I'm not crazy."

  "You never were," she got off her bed and walked over to him. "It's my fault you ended up there."

  "I don't blame you," he stood up. "I know how crazy it must sound to anyone else."

  Kandice gave him a hug, and Blake squeezed her back, lifting her off the ground. They laughed together before Blake returned to his room. Kandice shut her light off and laid in the dark, watching the glow of the sun through the cracks of her blinds. Her mind was running too fast to sleep—she switched her focus to the fan to zone out and waited for sleep to take over.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Saturday, September 3rd

  THE UNFAMILIAR RINGTONE WOKE KANDICE, and she answered the phone on the second ring, "Hello?"

  "Kandice?" Lance asked.

  "Yes?" Kandice whispered.

  "Are you awake?"

  "Not really."

  She sat up and shook her head. The desk clock read 6:37 PM.

  "Are we still on for tonight?" Lance asked.

  "What? Oh yeah, sorry. Let me shower and wake up. I'll meet you at your place?"

  "Yeah," Lance said. "Wear something dark. We might have to get out of the car. Don't bring your phone. Only the burner."

  "Alright," she hung up to get dressed.

  * * *

  THE DOOR OPENED BEFORE KANDICE was off her moped. Lance stood wearing a black beanie, a dark blue long sleeve shirt, and dark blue-jeans. Inside the living room Slava sat on the couch, but there was no vodka.

  Unexpected.

  Slava handed Kandice a small bottle, "Do not take this unless you are in a life or death situation."

  "Okay," Kandice looked at the bottle—inside were two neon green pills.

  "What are these?" she asked.

  "You take both," Slava spoke with the demeanor of a stern parent—not unlike her own father had. "They will give you the strength and speed to run away."

  "What do you mean, run away?" Kandice looked up from the pills.

  "You will not fight under any circumstance," Lance said, like a parental figure. "That's the first rule. If something goes wrong, you run to the car and drive away. I'll stay behind and protect you."

  "I will not," Kandice crossed her arms in defiance. "There's no way I would just leave you to fight."

  "He is strong," Slava assured her. "He can shift and has the experience needed to succeed. Besides, neither of you should be fighting."

  The look he gave Lance told her there was more they weren't letting her in on. Kandice uncrossed her arms.

  I'm not a child.

  Lance handed her a small black gym bag, "Inside are a few things we'll need to track him."

  She wore the bag on her shoulder—across her chest—and Lance wore a matching one. He gave Slava a hug so quick that she would have missed it if she'd blinked.

  "Good luck," Slava's words seemed to stick in his throat as if it was the first time he had used the expression.

  The car was more spacious than expected. The seats were leather, and the AC worked well enough that she forgot it was the middle of summer. The comfort amused her since they were on their way to stalk a deadly Aether Walker. And by the time they reached the mayor's neighborhood, Kandice was cold.

  Lance found the house they thought was the mayor's. It was just after 9:00 PM. He pulled out his phone and opened the map, showing Kandice where they were and the park across the river that might work as a spying area.

  It took twenty minutes to circle around to the other side of Zilker Park and find an available parking spot. They used a public spot and paid for two hours in advance.

  From where they had to park, it took another thirty minutes to walk into Zilker Park where they could spy on the mayor.

  "Tell me again why we had to park so far away?" Kandice asked.

  "We can't park in the park, and we can't park outside his house. Did you expect this to be easy?"

  "No. But I thought we would stay in the car. That's what a stake out is right? Sitting in a car watching a target."

  Lance laughed, "I think you've watched one-to-many cop shows. Slava and I have done this several times, and only a handful of those were in the car. Plus, if someone comes by, we can pretend that we're out on a date, and ditch the gear."

  Kandice blushed, thankful the park was dark. If only she led a simple enough life that allowed for walking through a park on a date. Lance's plan was sound, and her previous doubts faded. As they made their way through the tree brush, they came upon a small cliff side. Lance retrieved a pair of binoculars from the pack and scanned the neighborhood across the water.

  He handed Kandice the binoculars and pointed, "Look through there. I can see the house, and I think a study through the south window."

  It took Kandice a minute to get her bearings. The south window he was referring to had the curtains open—through it was a large wooden desk, and what looked like bookshelves behind it. This was the perfect spot to watch the house, they were less than 200 yards away.

  Kandice handed the binoculars back and looked in her own pack. There were a pair of binoculars, a small telescope, and what looked to be a pair of night vision goggles.

  "How long do you think we'll be here?" she asked.

  Lance looked at his watch, "We need to leave before five for sure, but we might have to leave sooner. I don't know if the police will do a sweep through the park, and if they do, how far they will come in."

  Kandice forgot they were in a park after hours and might get in trouble with the cops.

  First offense couldn't be a ticket, just a warning and being asked to leave, right?

  Horror stories of black men being killed in parks filled her mind, but Kandice assured herself it wouldn't happen to her. Not in Austin. Not with Lance here!

  She found a rock and sat down. There had to be a way to get comfortable and still see the house—it promised to be a long night. Lance remained standing. He resembled the guards that stood outside the castle of the Queen of England. He didn't move a hair—kept his focus on the house.

  Is he breathing?

  "Look," he said after a while.

  It caught Kandice off guard, and she jumped up and pointed her binoculars at the house. Two long, black SUVs pulled through the front gates. There was a werewolf in the back of the first one—so large, half its body stuck out the top of the roof. Almost like a prom-goer standing up through the sunroof, if it were a canine prom.

  When the werewolf exited, three guards exited the second SUV. One was a lobster looking Aether Walker, with claws for hands and a hard rusty-red shell. Its eyes were rather normal, but its face was out of place without a nose. The others were white normal men. They could have just as easily been guarding the president, as the Aether Walker mayor. The driver in the first SUV was a dark-haired woman in a midnight-blue cocktail dress.

  "Who's the woman?" she asked.

  "Can't tell. Can't see her face. Maybe a date, but I don't know why she would be driving then."

  Maybe it's her SUV?

  Kandice watched as the mayor made his way into the house. A few minutes later, the light in the study came on and he walked in. However, he was no longer oversized—still a werewolf, but no taller than Lance.

  "That's enough," he repacked his bag. "Get the camcorder out of the front pocket."

  She unzipped the pocket and handed him the camcorder. Lance climbed a tree and placed it near the top.

  When he climbed down he explained, "Not the best angle, but it will do and no one should find it. I can get it tomorrow."

  He reached into his pack and pulled out an odd log of wood. It had symbols carved around it—a few of which Kandice recognized as planetary symbols from the Mesopotamian History book; they invented astrology—and a large blue stone at the top. He dug a shallow hole and buried the log inside.

  "What's that?" she asked.

  The book never mentioned a burial ritual.

  "It's a locating beacon," he said. "It helps
Slava."

  He didn't elaborate further.

  Best not to pry.

  Kandice followed as he scurried out of the brush and through the park. They didn't come across anyone else until they reached the street.

  It was nearly 3:00 AM, and she needed to focus on school work tomorrow. Her classes Monday wouldn't accept this weekend's events as an excuse for no homework. School felt like a waste of money. Hunting with Lance was more important than trying to get a degree for a job, in the grand scheme of things.

  When they returned to her old house, Slava was waiting with a bottle of vodka in hand. Kandice agreed to a small drink in celebration, but she left after her first glass rather than linger. Lance planned to debrief Slava, and Kandice needed to get back to her aunt's. Blake would be worried.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Monday, September 5th

  BEFORE THE 7:00 AM START OF CLASS Kandice was in her seat within the lecture hall, ready for a history lesson about things she already knew. Their new seating arrangement forced her to sit next to Kim and John, with Brian on the other side of Kim.

  "You missed our presentation," Kim said.

  "Yup," Kandice stared straight ahead, desperate for Dr. Lloyd to start the class.

  "You made it harder on us, and we expect better," Kim continued.

  Kim coughed and Brian and John said, "Yeah."

  They can't stand her nonsense either.

  Dr. Lloyd's TA handed John their group paper: Kim 96, John 94, Brian 94, and Kandice 90.

  I don't give a fuck anymore.

  Dr. Lloyd walked on stage at precisely 7:15 to start class.

  "Morning everyone," She said. "I'm sure by now you received your grades. Each person in the group received a grade based upon their contribution to the group. If your grade was lower than you wanted, I suggest you put forth more effort.

  "I hope you are all checking Blackboard, because you would have seen that we're covering chapter four today, and there will be another group paper due Wednesday morning, before class. This time there will be no presentation. It will cover Chapters 4 and 5.

  "I want each group to pick a state and explain what convinced them to join the union. We have twelve groups, so I left one state out. I uploaded the assignment on Saturday night. If this is the first you're hearing about this, I suggest you and your group communicate more."

  Kandice put her head in her hands and sighed. Dr. Lloyd was an okay lecturer, but the way she ran the course was infuriating. Obviously she didn't want to grade individual papers in a class this large, but group work was pointless. The forced social situation that her grade depended on was stressful to say the least. Kandice didn't understand why she even needed to take US history again.

  "Did anyone else see the Blackboard assignment," Kim whispered.

  "No," John and Brian said.

  "I'll check it as soon as I get back to the dorm," Brian said.

  "Yeah," John said.

  "Kandice?" Kim asked.

  "Sure, that's fine."

  They continued to whisper about the class assignment and make plans for when and where to meet again. Kandice responded with sure any time Kim asked her a question, but she wasn't paying attention.

  * * *

  AS KANDICE WALKED OUT of the lecture hall a text message came in.

  Lance: Hey. Can you meet later today?

  Lance: I got the camera and there are a few things Slava and I found interesting.

  Lance: I don't want to say more until I see you in person.

  Kandice: Yeah. When and where?

  Lance: Here. Can you meet in twenty minutes?

  Kandice: No. I'm in class. I have a break for lunch. I could fit it in then.

  Lance: It will take longer than an hour. Can you meet tonight?

  How am I going to make this work?

  College was officially a burden to her ability to hunt Aether Walkers, and Monday was her longest day—technically she had Mesopotamian history tonight. On top of which she was fitting in her taekwondo training when she could. With her fourth-degree blackbelt test around the corner it was vital she maintain focus.

  A quick calculation told Kandice that school had become a luxury. The only reason she enrolled was to keep Jackie off her back. But now that she was moving out. . . .

  Kandice: Let me get back to you later.

  Lance: OK.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Monday, September 5th

  Kandice walked into the registrar's office. Mrs. William was at the front and recognized her.

  She waved Kandice over. "Hello dear. How can I help?"

  Kandice fortified herself before speaking. "I need to drop all of my courses."

  "Are you sure?" Mrs. William asked. "You still have another two weeks. I'm sure you'll find a rhythm. Or maybe we could only drop your hardest course?"

  "No," Kandice said with a tone that made it clear there was no room for negotiation.

  "I have too much in my life right now, and I need to drop them all." The pressure released from her shoulders. This was the right choice. It felt right; the stress that dissipated confirmed it.

  "Okay, dear," Mrs. William said. "I need your student ID."

  Kandice handed her ID over and waited. Mrs. William kept shaking her head the whole time she unenrolled Kandice. When she finished, she handed her ID back.

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome," Mrs. William said "Dear, when you decide to re-enroll next semester, send me an email, and I'll help get you started."

  Kandice thanked her again and put the card in her pocket. She had no intention of re-enrolling—college had not lived up to her expectations. It was one mistake she wanted to put behind her as soon as possible. Classes should have been filled with people seeking knowledge, but instead, they were the same vapid people from high school.

  The university would refund most of her tuition, and while the bookstore wouldn't give her a full refund, it was a small price to pay for freedom and peace of mind.

  It wasn't even 9:00 AM, and she was officially a college dropout.

  It feels so good!

  Kandice: Okay, I'm free. Can I come by now?

  In the time it took her to reach her moped in the parking lot he responded.

  Lance: I'll be here.

  * * *

  KANDICE SAT IN HER USUAL SPOT on the sectional. The cushion was starting to remember her form, and offer up a perfect seat. A new flat screen television sat in the living room—modest for a room of this size, at only thirty-two inches.

  The engraved log Lance buried worked to allow his film to capture the Aether Walkers as they were rather than in their human form. The footage from the camcorder was running at eight times the normal speed. Lance paused it when they spotted something of note, such as a new Aether Walker. Slava jotted down notes and time stamps.

  I've got to learn how to make that log.

  Kandice finished her second glass of vodka. The watching ordeal was stretching into the third hour. Dissecting surveillance footage sounded more glamorous than the act of it proved to be.

  Slava served a sandwich and another round of vodka for everyone. They ate and drank in silence. At least the taste of the dark-rye bread was exciting and new. It made her think of older times when most people farmed. She giggled at the thought of herself wearing a corset and large dress.

  She realized they were looking her way, "How much more is there?"

  "Another four or five hours," Lance said. "At this speed, around thirty minutes."

  "There," Slava pointed to the screen.

  Lance stopped the film and backed it up.

  A smoke-black insect stood in the mayor's study. It resembled a praying mantis, aside from the color. Slava jotted the time stamp and a few more notes. That was the sixth Aether Walker they'd seen. It surprised her to see the Aether Walkers could work together in such an organized manner.

  "Keep a close eye on the different species," Lance warned. "Each one has their own unique personality and abili
ties to match, but the mayor will be their leader. He's the most dangerous of them all."

  She sat quiet—waiting for the film to be over—time seemed to move in slow motion. After the insect showed up, the mayor left his house and never came back. The film stopped when the camcorder had run out of power.

  "This is good," Lance said. "I think we've seen most of the major Aether Walkers working with the mayor."

  "Agreed," Slava said. "I have only known a few to gather more than two underlings. The fact that he has managed to gather eight to him does not bode well for us. We will need more information to plan our attack."

  "Like what?" Kandice asked.

  "We need to get a better layout of the compound," Lance said.

  "Yes," Slava said. "And find out what level of security system he is using. The level of his technology will be our biggest concern."

  "We'll be fine," Lance said. "We've broken security systems before, and we'll do it again. I'm more concerned with taking out four or more guards without getting the police called."

  "You promised the people would be unharmed," Kandice said.

  "I promised we wouldn't kill them," Lance said. "But, it may come down to fighting. I'm considering tranquilizer options."

  Tranquilizers didn't reassure her, but she chose to leave it alone. They needed to come up with a plan soon, and getting hung up on details at this point wouldn't help.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Tuesday, September 6th

  WHEN KANDICE WALKED INTO THE GYM, Master Monroe was waiting for her at the front.

  "Get changed," he said.

  "Yes, sir."

  Dressed in her proper uniform, she presented herself to Master Monroe who handed her a protein shake. Without question, she chugged it until the entire shake was gone. Competition had taught her to breathe through her nose while drinking.

  "Start running," he said.