Warrior's Destiny

by Allie Burton

  If Fitch was a two-bit thief, what did Xander think I was? “He has connections and resources. He got me into the museum, didn’t he?”

  “But I got you out alive.”

  Who to trust? Fitch, who wasn’t at the museum exit or Xander, who thinks I’m cheap and easy. Fitch, who had contacts all over the city or Xander, who knew no one but the mad Society people. Fitch, who I’d known for years or Xander, who I’d only known for hours.

  All this back and forth in my brain proved how confused I was…about everything.

  I’d trusted Xander and he’d hurt me. Trusted him with my first kiss. With my heart and soul. But my feelings didn’t matter because I couldn’t stay with him. Fitch wouldn’t let me.

  “I trust Fitch.” Kind of. He wouldn’t want one of his resources to burnout and die.

  “We can’t trust anyone.” Xander’s statement underscored that I couldn’t completely trust him, either. And he didn’t trust me.

  “Maybe we need help.” Desperation clung to me like a second skin. Two teens can’t change the world no matter how much power I held at the moment.

  He plopped down by a tree. “I can’t think right now. I need sleep.”

  “I’m not tired.” Too many thoughts in my head. Too many emotions in my heart. Too many fears of what could happen if we didn’t solve this puzzle.

  Plus, the Society and X were searching for us. Possibly, the cops. Probably Fitch, too.

  The man would be furious I hadn’t immediately returned to him, that I’d run around the city with the amulet, and that I’d joined forces with Xander.

  I picked a patch of grass a couple of feet away from him. “I’ll keep a look out while you sleep.”

  Except I didn’t.

  * * *

  With shaking fingers, I pressed the numbered buttons with a mix of fear, anxiety, and hope. I’d been lucky to spot the rare pay phone. My eyes had picked it out in the dark.

  “Fitch. This is Olivia.” I cringed, waiting for his response.

  “Where have you been?” His gruff voice didn’t sound angry. Surely, he’d blame me for missing the meet.

  I beat him to it. “Why weren’t you on the loading dock?” The one question I needed answered before I’d trust him with any information about the amulet and the curse and the power.

  “I, um, there were other people waiting out back.” He stumbled on his words. “I thought they were government agents.”

  Guess, X and his goons could’ve looked like government spies dressed in black. Still, Fitch had left me at the museum alone, to get caught. “Why didn’t we have a back-up plan?”

  “This was supposed to be a simple job.” Accusation crawled through the telephone line. “All you needed to do was grab a silly amulet and get out. Barely any security involved.”

  Except the unexpected guard, the Society, and what I’d thought was some type of electrical current alarm but turned out to be me receiving Tut’s soul.

  “Why didn’t you wait for me? Hide in the park or something?” My voice sounded insecure. I probably shouldn’t have called, but I’d been homesick and wanted to check on the kids. I just wanted something, anything, familiar.

  “The cops surrounded the museum. We couldn’t just hang out waiting to be caught. They know who I am.”

  True. Fitch had a long record. He wasn’t fit to be a parental stand-in.

  “How are Tina and Doug?” My voice cracked.

  “Come see for yourself.” I didn’t like how Fitch avoided the question or that he never asked how I was. So much for absence making the heart grow fonder. “Where are you?”

  The dark parking lot was empty. The building I leaned against had graffiti on the brick wall. “On the run.” From so many people I didn’t have time to explain.

  “You need to come home. Now.” His demand made me wince.

  “We can’t.”

  Xander would never agree. And I wasn’t quite ready to leave him. Even though I was mad, he was right that we had to find all the oils. Fitch would only care about getting the amulet to his client and worry about me later. If at all. I might need the amulet in combination with the oils to end the curse.

  “We?” His voice screeched. “You’re not allowed to take on a partner. Where did he come from?”

  “Xander.” Falling into old habits, I quickly explained how we met at the museum and how he’d saved my life. I did not tell Fitch about the soul, something held me back. He wouldn’t believe me anyhow.

  Maybe it was time I planned subterfuge of my own. Go back and take what I wanted.

  “Get rid of him.” Fitch’s ice-cold tone sent shivers down my spine, chilling like an internal snowstorm.

  “I can’t ditch Xander.”

  “I didn’t mean leave him.” Fitch’s voice grew colder. “I meant kill him.”

  He’d always been mean and violent, but I’d never known him to kill a man.

  “K-k-kill?”

  “You can’t even say it.” His voice cut across the line. “Bring Xander with you and I’ll take care of him.”

  Like the security guard.

  I’d been a fool believing in a man who psychologically, emotionally, and physically abused me. Believing he cared for me if only a little. A man who took advantage of kids. Who would kill if the pay was big enough. Who would sell his soul. And mine.

  “Where can we pick you both up?”

  “I-I’ve got to do something first.” I should hang up, but I couldn’t make Fitch more furious. He’d hunt me down until I was dead by his hand.

  I’d have to go back to him if only to rescue Tina and Doug. I wouldn’t abandon them. They counted on me. After we retrieved all the oils, I’d warn Xander. Tell him to go to the cops. They’d believe him, help him. It was the best way to help the guy I cared about. Even if he didn’t think much of me.

  “You listen. You’re going to tell me where you are so you can be picked up. I’m going to work on Xander. Find out everything he knows. Then, I’ll rip him from limb to limb for interfering with our heist. He’ll be cut up into so many tiny pieces, no one will be able to put him together again.”

  Jeb’s intensity freaked me out. I’d never heard him talk like this before. It was as if his life depended on what happened to Xander and I.

  “I-I’ll tell you.” I bit my lower lip to stop its trembling. “But not yet. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I slammed down the phone and ran, hoping I hadn’t hung up on my life.

  Acid burned my gut thinking about Fitch’s threat. The amulet must be a huge deal if he was willing to commit murder.

  It was like I’d been living in the dark, not seeing the real Fitch or how he interacted with the real world. I’d wanted to believe he wasn’t a horrible person. But since my first heist, my beliefs had been shaken up. And now with Fitch’s deadly threat still ringing in my ears, my illusions were completely shattered.

  * * *

  The light of the morning sun stabbed my closed eyelids. Could I make the sun disappear? That way I could go back to sleep. The morning dew shimmered in the sunlight. But I was perfectly dry. Of course.

  Being dry didn’t mean I didn’t stink. I sniffed under my arms. A shower, a change of clothes, and a manicure would be lovely. Soon, I promised myself. My stomach rumbled with hunger. Xander and I hadn’t eaten much yesterday. I glanced over at the tree he’d camped under.

  He was gone.

  My heart jumped and slashed with pain thinking Fitch had found Xander. But I was still here. Surely, Fitch would’ve taken me, too.

  The grass in the spot wasn’t even smushed. Xander had been gone for a while. Had he decided after our argument I wasn’t worth the time or the risk? Had he returned to the Society? Or the cops?

  Did he not trust me?

  My conscience nagged. He had every right not to trust me. Without his knowledge I’d called Fitch, knowing Xander disagreed. I might’ve endangered his life, but I hadn’t abandoned him in the middle of the night. He hadn’t even given me the chance to warn h
im about Fitch.

  Xander had been promised the world, literally, by the Society and gotten nothing. He’d gotten worse than nothing when Jeb left him on the museum floor to get caught. By telling me what to do, was Xander trying to salvage his pride? He wanted to be my partner, not my sidekick. By calling Fitch I’d betrayed him. In more ways than one.

  Understanding what he might be thinking and how he might be feeling dawned and my thoughts warmed a bit toward him. Then, I glanced again at the empty spot. My warmth turned frigid. One of the reasons for finishing without Fitch’s help was to have more time with Xander and help him adjust to his new circumstances.

  My gaze traveled around the area hoping I’d see some sign of him like at the park.

  Nothing. He was gone. I’d always been alone in my life. But now, a new form of loneliness invaded my soul. A deeper, more profound, loneliness.

  A loneliness of love.

  It didn’t matter that he didn’t return the feelings. Even though I’d called Fitch, I cared for Xander deeply. And he’d abandoned me.

  Kicking at the grass, I headed toward Coit Tower. Maybe now that he was gone Fitch wouldn’t pursue him. At least Xander would be safe.

  I’d have to get over him. Find the last two oils myself—

  I stopped cold.

  The backpack.

  I swiveled around. The bag with the oils and the information was gone.

  Gone with Xander.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Olivia

  I ran up the hill to Coit Tower, my feet sliding on the wet grass. The chill in the air had settled in my bones. My stomach heaved. Good thing it was empty. All my work gone. All the time and effort to figure this curse out gone. My normal life…gone. Forever.

  The tower loomed above me. The white concrete tube looked like a ghost in the patches of early morning fog. A ghost I might become once Fitch learned of my stupidity. Without the Xander and the oils, I’d have no choice but to return to the man.

  I stumbled onto the concrete courtyard and bent at the waist to breathe.

  “Olivia? You okay?”

  I whipped my head up.

  Xander stood by the small wall with the backpack slung around his shoulder. He held two donuts in wax paper in each of his hands. “I found breakfast.” He held one chocolate covered donut out like a peace offering. “Are you feeling all right? You look as white as my tunic.”

  Staring, I tried to catch my breath. His disheveled hair blew in the slight breeze. A bit of white powder from the other donut coated his lips. A frown of concern drew his dark brows down over vivid green eyes.

  I didn’t say anything. My brain buzzed trying to put everything that happened—or hadn’t happened together. I continued to breathe heavily over my earlier fear of rejection and loss.

  “I can tell you’re still mad.” He gazed at the ground. “I’m sorry if I implied anything. Because of your lifestyle…the way you lived…I thought you’d have more experience.” His embarrassed explanation calmed my breathing. “I guess I’ve spent too much time reading books and not enough time getting to know real people. Like you.” He raised his head and looked at me.

  My heart did a little flip, and not from exertion. Xander didn’t leave. He didn’t steal the oils. He thought I was real. The flipping multiplied in my chest. He didn’t think I was easy or stupid.

  “I slept on it and I’m sorry we argued, too.” He bit his lower lip but kept his gaze trained on my eyes. “I don’t trust Fitch, but I trust you, Olivia. So, we’ll contact him after we have all the oils. Is that fair?”

  Xander’s peace offering was more than the donut. He was willing to compromise, to trust my opinion—my very wrong opinion. His actions and words meant so much. I felt like true, equal partners now. True, equal friends and possibly more. Hopefully, he felt the same.

  He stepped closer and I smelled the cake batter on his breath. “What’s the point in alerting him now?”

  Too late. I bit my lip. If I told Xander that I’d already called Fitch and about his threat, Xander would never understand. Guilt ate away at my appetite.

  Still, it was best to keep silent. No need to say anything yet. I’ll tell him when the time was right. After all, Fitch had agreed to wait until I had all the oils. Well, I hadn’t given him a choice. Then, I’d warn Xander. It was just like his plan.

  Deception is fraught with liabilities.

  “You should talk.”

  “What?” Xander’s calm face morphed into concern.

  “Nothing.” I took the offered donut. The smell of chocolate made my stomach churn. “I mean…I’m glad we talked. And I’m sorry we argued, too.”

  And sorry I called Fitch.

  As we waited for Coit Tower to open to the public, we talked about nothing and everything. I discovered not only did neither of us know our biological parents, but we both stated we didn’t want to know. Although I sort of did and I felt he kind of did, too.

  I respected how once he learned of the Society’s plot he was willing to work against them. I loved how he treated me like an equal and was willing to compromise.

  Soulmates should not deceive.

  Tut and Ankhesenamen were soulmates. The hieroglyphics on the very first oil vessel stated that. They were separated because of Tut’s greed for power.

  Did Tut think Xander and I were soulmates?

  I shifted on the brick wall. Our futures were iffy. Mine because of the burnout and Xander’s because both the Society and Fitch wanted to kill him. What was the point of declaring us soulmates if we didn’t live much longer?

  I studied him as he talked about the last baseball game he’d seen on TV. I’d been attracted to him since first seeing him in the museum, since first getting a glimpse of his eyes.

  Some poet, probably dead, had said, “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” Had I seen his soul in that first glimpse? Did he see mine?

  Or, maybe he’d seen Tut’s soul.

  Tut was inside of me. Although the skirmishes between us had become less frequent. Hosting Tut’s soul didn’t seem as foreign, which was good if he stayed inside me forever. I wasn’t burping or spitting. And my attraction to Xander had multiplied.

  When the tower opened, we headed inside. Velvet lined ropes guided the tourists through the attraction. A souvenir shop was located to the right. Vibrant murals were on the walls.

  “Look at this.” He side-stepped around tourists and pointed at a painting of angry-looking men in a library.

  The mural was painted directly on the wall. The images popped like 3-D.

  “What about it?”

  “The book on the shelf in the painting. It’s Egyptian.” His excitement leaked out in his voice.

  My adrenaline peaked. “You think the oil is behind the book?”

  “I have a feeling it is.”

  I glanced at the guard sitting by the doorway of the souvenir shop. “How do we get at it without anyone noticing?”

  “Distraction.” Xander headed over to the guard. His scruffy jeans and T-shirt gave him a bad-boy look which sent a thrill sprinting across my skin. His confident walk caught the attention of other females in the area. The guard with a large paunch straightened when Xander started asking questions.

  He’d left finding the oil to me. His trust and confidence warmed my heart. His understanding of the value of my skills raised my shoulders.

  I inched up to the mural on the wall and ran my fingers along the painted edge of the book. A definite groove formed on the sides—like the 3-D part wasn’t just a visual trick. This really could be it. My tummy twisted.

  Using the sensitive tips of my fingers, I poked and prodded along the edge of the book hoping I’d find a catch or release button. I felt nothing besides the groove. Xander had been so sure this was it. I was, too. The placement made perfect sense. The painted book’s title indicated a conflict between ancient Egyptians.

  Biting my lip, I ran through the varying ways we’d found the oils. Besides finding the first two
on accident, there’d been a pattern to finding them. I poked the letters on the spine spelling out Fo-ti-tieng.

  A click sounded.

  I sucked in a small gasp. Hunching my back to cover my actions from the guard, I pried open the painted spine of the book. Like a little door, the spine opened to a small cubby.

  Blood pounded through my veins throbbing against my pulse points. We were so close. The second to last oil would be in my sticky fingers in just seconds.

  Keeping my gaze on the tourists, I reached my hand inside. I sought a small vial similar in size to the others. My hand encountered nothing.

  When not in use did the vessel shrink like…stop thinking that way.

  Still without looking, I waved my hand inside the cubby, then ran my fingers across the smooth bottom, sides, and top.

  Throbbing flew through my veins in one gigantic push. Like a dam had burst, the blood rushed to my head making me dizzy. Uncaring if people noticed the small door and hidden compartment in the wall, I examined the cubby, my gaze covering every inch.

  The cubby was empty.

  The vessel gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Olivia

  Someone had been here before us.

  Someone had stolen the vessel.

  Someone had ripped hope from my lungs.

  My knees wobbled and I nearly fell. It was as if my bones had twisted and disintegrated, no longer able to support my body. The painting depicted secret Society members. The book in the painting had opened using the correct spelling. This had to be it. I gaped at the empty hole.

  Empty. Just like my life now that one of the vessels I might need to end the curse was gone.

  Slamming shut the small door, I put a fake expression on trying to appear normal. I scrutinized the people in the vicinity. No one watched, but my skin crawled. Was the person who’d taken the vessel still here? Like the normal-looking man pushing a stroller or the guy with tattoos?

  I turned and signaled to Xander it was time to leave.

  His expression lit with the belief of our success, before his lips dropped into a frown. He knew something was wrong from reading my face. He knew me that well and the thought comforted. No one else in my life could read my expression, understood me.