Unawakened

by R. J. Blain

  Instead of the nearby upscale restaurants the entitled indulged in, Rob took us back home to fetch his car. Colby decided to leave us on our own, and I was grateful my roommate had chosen to stay behind.

  It was getting harder and harder to find time to be alone with Rob. I couldn’t help but laugh when he headed for the outskirts of the elite’s district. If the mastermind behind the discs was tracking my movements, I wondered what he thought about where I was going—and why.

  The restaurant was the type of place Kenneth would take mid-caste clients: expensive while affordable for those outside of the elite caste. The place was packed full of dae, and very few of them resembled humans. Werewolves dominated, and their wings offered brilliant splashes of color in the smoky haze.

  Cigar smoke melded with the sweeter smell of scents, and I stiffened, twisting to stare at Rob.

  “Relax.” Taking hold of my elbow, he pulled me closer to him before murmuring a few words to the hostess, a woman with dusky skin and a shroud of smoke swirling around her, obscuring her features. Instead of seating us in the main room, she gestured to a hallway behind her. Rob flashed the woman a smile.

  “What’s going on?” I twisted to catch a final glimpse, wondering why the woman’s fire abilities manifested in such a way.

  “She’s not a fire breather, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t stare. It’s rude.”

  “Rob, what’s going on?”

  The hallway was lined with doors, but Rob guided me to the end and opened the door to reveal a staircase. “Lady first.”

  I eased my way down the steep steps, wincing at the strain on my injured foot. Rob followed close behind me, his hand on my shoulder the entire way down. When we reached the bottom, a door with an electronic keypad barred our entry. Reaching over me, he tapped in a code.

  “Fancy.” Intrigued, I pushed through the door.

  Five tables arranged in such a way as to offer privacy were scattered over a black floor. Inlays of red, gold, and orange dragons battled on a black marble floor with a sprinkling of stars between them. Stones glittered underfoot, and I drew in a breath as I realized each pinpoint of light was a jewel set into the floor.

  “What is this?” I whispered.

  Lifting his hand in greeting to a short man waiting near a bar, Rob guided me to one of the tables. Instead of a suit or slacks and shirt, the man wore a black robe with a red belt. A golden dragon curled over his chest.

  “Mr. Lucrage, you have brought a jewel to my house,” the man greeted, stepping towards us. His silken slippers whispered against the floor. “For you, I will open my doors at any time.”

  The slant of the man’s eyes, the pale hue of his skin, and the darkness of his eyes and hair spoke of a distant heritage. His accent was pleasant, as exotic as Rob’s had been when he had first stepped out of my refrigerator several months before.

  Pleasure lit Rob’s eyes and softened his expression. “Minangi, it’s been a while. Didn’t you get the memo my name’s Rob?”

  “At least a hundred years ago, maybe closer to two hundred. I might choose to remember one day. You’re looking well. You are not nearly so worn and thin as in days past.”

  My eyes widened. Two hundred years? While Rob had hinted at his unnatural lifespan, I hadn’t put too much thought into it. Many of the elite lived well over a hundred years, although those from the lower castes rarely enjoyed such a long life.

  Once someone couldn’t work, they were made comfortable and left to die. I had my suspicions the government helped those too old to contribute reach an early death. Since I valued my life, I had never voiced my doubts.

  “This is Alexa,” Rob announced, setting his hands on my shoulders and presenting me to Minangi. “Someone has made a wish to track her, to know where she is, to know what she’s doing.”

  “It has begun, then. And she is worth the price of nullifying this wish?”

  I opened my mouth to ask what they were talking about, but I hesitated.

  Sometimes, I could learn a lot more by remaining silent than asking questions. If I didn’t learn what I wanted by listening to them talk, I would ask Rob about it.

  “That and so much more,” Rob confirmed, tightening his hold on me. “I am attuned to her.”

  Minangi’s eyes narrowed, and he turned his full attention to me. “That explains much. So, not only have you brought a jewel to my house, she is an angel, too? Yours, that is.”

  Snorting, Rob released me, hooked his foot around the leg of a chair, dragged it to him, and sat. Taking hold of my waist, he pulled me down onto his lap.

  I wasn’t sure why I let him get away with it. He warmed me, and I appreciated the pressure off my injured foot. In the privacy of our home, I loved every bit of attention he showed me, but I didn’t know what I thought of some stranger watching Rob hold me.

  Glaring let me hide my mix of confusion and enjoyment of my position.

  Instead of filling Rob with his usual terror, my annoyance only made the infuriating dae’s smile widen. “She’s unawakened.”

  “Such fire in her eyes. Your angel is annoyed with you.”

  “Rob enjoys finding out how many of my buttons he can push before I make him sleep on the couch.” I kept my scowl firmly in place, prodding Rob’s shoulder with a finger. “You’re pushing your luck.”

  “This is when I concede the battle and get to business.” Tightening his grip on me, Rob held me close, forcing me to choose between struggling to escape or using his chest as a pillow.

  While breaking free of his hold would have been satisfying, I stayed still and quiet, wondering who Minangi was and why Rob would go through so much effort to see him. Later, I’d find a way to deal with Rob’s possessive streak and turn the tables on him.

  I could afford to be patient for a little while.

  “Too many want her, Minangi. There are those who have already hurt her. I worry whoever is behind these tracking discs doesn’t have her well-being in mind.”

  “I see. Do you have one of these discs?”

  Rob slid his hands over me until he found one of the discs adhered to my clothing. After prying it off, he offered it to Minangi. “I have had hundreds of these scattered throughout the city, hoping to throw them off her trail. Unfortunately, they keep appearing. The frequency is increasing, too.”

  “Give me an hour or two to look into this. While you wait, I will have my daughter prepare you a feast. If you grace her with your smile, she might even dance for you.”

  Rob straightened. “I’ve promised my loyalty to Alexa.”

  As far as I could remember, he had never spoken such a promise, but hearing his declaration made my face burn. We shared a bed, we shared a home, but my doubts lingered. I feared how long it would be until he grew bored of me.

  How far did his loyalty go, and how much closer could I bring him without losing myself? Could I reach his level, climb his ivory tower, and remain free to choose what I wanted to do in my life?

  Most of all, I worried I’d throw everything I had worked so hard for away to have just one more day with him.

  “I will ask her to dance, and her sister will play her erhu, and we three shall wish you well.”

  Rob tensed beneath me. “Minangi!”

  “The world has changed, Rob. You know this as well as I. Allow us this much for you.” Without giving Rob a chance to either accept or decline, Minangi turned and walked away, his stride purposeful. He spoke in a language I didn’t recognize, and I heard a woman answer him.

  I wondered, but I remained silent. When Rob was ready to talk, he would. He held onto me tighter, as though the strength in his arms could somehow protect me from the changed world.

  I knew better, but I wouldn’t remind him of that truth, not yet.

  Two men and a woman, all dressed in clothes similar to Minangi’s, ferried a baffling assortment of food to our table. I didn’t recognize a single dish. I recognized ingredients, ranging f
rom beef to duck, but they were combined in a way I had never seen before. Bright-colored sauces partnered with noodles and rice, but the noodles were thinner and the color was paler and more translucent than those offered in fringe restaurants. Even the rice was strange, and while it was white, it stuck to everything.

  Rob grinned at me, grabbed a pair of wooden sticks, and ate with them. Someone took pity on me, providing a fork so I wouldn’t wear my meal. For the first few minutes, I watched him eat, marveling how he could capture food with two pointed sticks.

  Rob gestured to my empty plate. “Go on, eat.”

  Blushing, I reached for one of the serving spoons. Rob helped, depositing samples from most of the dishes onto my plate.

  Crispy rolls, similar to pastries in many ways, were filled with hot vegetables, meat, and shrimp. My eyes widened at the unexpected savory flavor. Rob picked up a dish of yellowish-orange sauce. “Try it with this.”

  “What am I supposed to do with it?”

  “Dip it.” Rob grabbed one of the rolls, dunked it in the sauce, and took a bite. “Go on. Don’t be shy.”

  I tried it, and the contrast of savory and sweet stole my breath. “What is this?”

  “Chinese food.”

  “They eat this in China?” I demanded. While I had heard of the country and knew it was one of the most powerful countries on Earth, I didn’t know much about the place. Few did.

  Learning about the history of the United States was dangerous enough. Rob’s knowledge of the world worried me. How long would it be until the government viewed the dae as a risk and tried to get rid of him?

  “That’s why they lock the door for this dining hall, Alexa. This room connects to the Chinese Embassy through an underground passage, which is secured against the US government accessing it. Minangi and his family, while legally allowed to be here, are not supposed to expose any susceptible Americans to their way of life. I do much of my business with the Chinese government in this room.” Rob grabbed another roll, and when I opened my mouth to ask a question, he slipped it between my lips. “Next week, I’ll introduce you to Mexican cuisine.”

  I chewed so I wouldn’t choke, staring at him with my eyes so wide I worried they would pop out of my head. “Mexican?”

  “Maybe Egyptian instead. Oh, I know. Indian.”

  “Indian?” Native American culture, like other cultures in the United States, had been eradicated. “Indians, like the original Americans? The Native Americans.” No, there was a different word for them, and after a moment, I asked, “Aboriginals? I don’t know the names of any of the tribes.”

  That, too, had died with the people and cultures eradicated during the reformation.

  “No, Alexa. Indian as in India. If you want indigenous cuisine, I’m afraid you’ll need a time machine.”

  “Indigenous?”

  “The word you were struggling to look for. The native population of a place is typically called indigenous, or it was shortly prior to the reformation.”

  I grabbed another roll, and while I munched on it, I considered the other dishes on the table. I pointed at a steaming bowl. “What’s that?”

  “Soup. You might find it a bit mild compared to what you’re used to. The dumplings are filled with shrimp and some vegetables.” Rob grabbed one of the bowls and a small, long and shallow ladle, placing them in front of me. “If you charm Minangi enough, he might even give you the recipe. He won’t give it to me, but he has a soft spot for pretty ladies.”

  “Do you know what happened to the indigenous people?”

  Rob sighed. “I wasn’t around during the reformation, so I can’t tell you for certain.”

  “What can you tell me?”

  “I can tell you this: I have not seen a single person of indigenous descent since coming back to the States. The more things have changed, the more they have stayed the same. They’re probably gone, killed to ensure their culture couldn’t be resurrected. America has lost so much and has gained nothing for it.” Rob’s cheek twitched, betraying the fact he clenched his teeth. “I will show you the world, Alexa. I will show you everything you—what everyone—has lost. I will show you the world I remember.”

  A flash of purple in my peripheral vision betrayed the appearance of a new disc. I peeled it off my sleeve and held it, wondering if Rob’s fear of Arthur Hasling returning for me was the truth. “Won’t these betray us?”

  Rob’s predatory smile sent shivers racing through me. “Let them come.”

  Music was the indulgence of the upper castes, and when a young girl with a two-stringed instrument sank to the floor near a crimson dragon inlay, I held my breath.

  The trembling, airy melody she played was as bitter as it was sweet, and the longing in her song left me blinking away the sting of tears. All of Rob’s attention focused on her, and his smile was so gentle I reached out and pressed my fingers to his mouth.

  He kissed my fingertips.

  “I’ve never heard anything like that before,” I whispered.

  “Unless something changes, nor will you again.”

  What sort of change could undo what had been done? I knew so little of China, but with one song, I thirsted for more. Why had such beauty been hidden away, banned, and refused to Americans?

  What harm could there be in such a song?

  “As always, you remind me of the blossoms of a cherry tree,” Rob said, his attention turning to the musician.

  “Of all the people of this world, it is you who should not mistake me for another.”

  I understood, then, what Minangi meant about the dae’s smile. When it touched his eyes, the blue came alive with the intensity of the afternoon sky, brilliant and vast.

  Torn between jealousy Rob shared such a tender expression with her and amazement two strings and a bow could produce such a melody, I watched them. Instead of answering his compliment, she coaxed more music from her instrument. Its haunting tones hung in the air.

  When the notes faded to silence, the whisper of fabric drew my attention to the door leading upstairs.

  The woman with dusky skin, still shrouded in smoke, swept into the room. Closing the door behind her, she clasped her hands in front of her, straightened, and stared at Rob.

  “It’s been a while,” she said, and in her voice, I heard the bubbling of a brook, the crackle of flame, the whisper of the wind through the leaves, and the hiss of snow flowing over the rooftops during a winter night.

  “Too long,” Rob agreed, and I heard his reluctance.

  Capturing his hand in mine, I brought his palm to my lips and gave him a gentle kiss. “Relax.”

  “Alexa.” The way Rob breathed my name, as though I were a lifeline for him to cling to, warmed me from within.

  Gliding across the floor, the woman came to a halt beside her sister, and the haze sank to the floor, revealing her face. The only thing human about her was her smile. Her eyes were glittering jade stones, orbs polished to a high shine without pupil. The shroud had hidden her draconic snout, and the dusky skin dissolved to reveal golden scales. White tufts of silky hair lined her jaw.

  Spiraling horns arched, following the gentle curve of her elongated neck. Living warmth radiated from her, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away as she cast away her humanoid shell, settling down on four legs, splaying her talons so she wouldn’t tear through the ornate floor.

  “Introduce us, old friend,” the dragon demanded. “Introduce us, so we might know our sister and welcome her to our home.”

  Rob was laughing, and I had no idea why. He let loose short bursts of giggles, which puzzled me almost as much as his gasps as he fought to catch his breath.

  It took several confused moments to realize I sprawled over Rob’s lap, and we were both on the floor. I meant to ask what was going on, but my question emerged as an incomprehensible groan.

  My noise did catch Rob’s attention, and he kissed my forehead between chuckles. “You fainted.”

  I had no recollection of fainting. I struggled to remember
what had happened, but I drew nothing but a blank. “What?”

  Rob swallowed back his chortles, shifting beneath me so my head rested on his lap. “Muriel does that to us mere mortals. She’s flattened me a few times, too, if that makes you feel better.”

  “Are you even mortal?” I wondered about that, and I didn’t like the idea of Rob dying.

  “He fainted, too,” the dragon announced.

  “Traitor.”

  Muriel’s laughter bubbled out of her. “My apologies. Our little brother has never brought a lady home with him before.”

  “The problem with this family is the fact they decide who they adopt.” Rob smiled at me. “I could be older than them, and they’d still call me their little brother. The entire lot is incorrigible. A little like you, really.”

  “I asked you to entertain them, daughters of mine. Why are our guests on the floor?” Minangi strode out from behind the bar carrying a black lacquered box. “Are you all right?”

  “Muriel got a little excited.” Rob worked his hands under me and lifted me upright. “I forgot to warn Alexa.”

  “He forgot to warn himself, too” the dragon corrected. “You can trust our brother to speak half the truth without ever uttering a single lie.”

  I filed that tidbit away to think about later.

  Minangi snickered, setting the box on the table. “Of course he did. When was the last time he remembered before he ended up sprawled on the floor knocked senseless by your beauty, my daughter?”

  “Flattery gets you nowhere, Father. What have you done now?”

  “I have done nothing nefarious, I assure you. I have learned a few things for you, Rob. You have chosen an interesting woman, that much is certain.”

  “Hardly.” I needed Rob’s help to get back on my feet, and I didn’t stay upright for long, choosing to sit before my wobbly legs got tired of me and I oozed to the floor. “He’s the freak.”

  “She knows you well.” Minangi took the seat across from us, setting the box among the dishes still scattered around the table. “Daughters, do prepare some dishes for them to take home while we discuss.”