I couldn’t shift again. It would kill me. I’d just used the last of my abilities.
It seemed like an eternity that I sat there, wiping the blood away with my sleeve. When it finally stopped, my eyes rose, absorbing the scenery. It was funny, really; I’d been expecting another war, but I was in an alleyway of some urban city.
Remaining in the shadows, the darkness of the early morning hiding my presence to passersby, I studied the area, trying to make sense of it.
Roaring aerial crafts soared overhead, the streets below packed with civilians clad in leather pants and trench coats. Several people had so many metal rings shoved through their faces that I wanted to hang shower curtains on them.
Square, brick blocks signified merchant stores—most of them closed for business. The thunder of a repetitive boom boom boom came from one of the buildings down the road. Neon lights flickered across a sign hanging directly over the entrance:
SOLSTICE
…Where was I now?
A cluster of papers with small ink print hit my boots, having been swept across the street by the wind. I kicked them away, rising slowly to my feet.
I needed to find some other clothes. Something told me walking around dressed as a shogunate warrior would attract attention.
Fortunately, there was a clothing store right across the street. But it was closed.
I supposed I’d chalk up thief to my newly-designed list of character traits, right under Nexus rogue and impulsive moron.
I darted across the street, hoping to god no one had noticed me. Once there, I slipped into the alleyway, moving toward the back of the store. There was a metal door at the side end. I tried the handle. It wouldn’t budge.
I glanced around.
Then with a grunt, I turned the handle hard enough to force the lock.
Snap.
The store interior was dark and I could barely see. I whirled in place, surrounded by racks and racks of clothes. I had to hurry; if I took too long, the woman might leave.
My eyes shifted to the large storefront window. I watched civilians walk by, paying close attention to their attire. Several minutes later I grabbed a pair of jeans, a black button up, and a white undershirt. It took another several minutes to find my correct size.
Before leaving, I checked the mirror. The new clothes would blend me in well enough, but I still didn’t look exactly like the inhabitants. There was nothing I could do about my ears; they were a little more triangular, the tips sharp points. If I kept my hair over them, no one would notice.
Alright, time to do this.
I slipped out of the store, walking through the alley and into the street. No one seemed to notice me, or my ears. Good.
Before the last remnants of my honing ability had vanished, I’d caught her scent in that place with the neon lights. Why she was in there, I didn’t know.
But I guess I was about to find out.
***
Solstice was some kind of social gathering house. Crowds of people packed its walls like a sardine can, the air murky with foul-smelling smoke. The place was dark, though every once in a while fluorescent lights would blind me.
The boom I’d heard from outside was the loud, obnoxious music. It was weird; something I’d never heard before. The beat was a repetitive sound of thunder, accompanied by strange beeps and some guy screaming lyrics that I couldn’t understand because his voice was so distorted. I’d only been in here for two minutes and I already wanted to run out screaming.
Instead I waded through the crowd, squinting through smoke and lights. And just when I thought it couldn’t any get worse, someone tugged on my arm.
I froze, staring into the face of an adolescent girl. She wore so much makeup that she looked like a clown.
“Hi!” chimed the clown.
I didn’t respond, marveling at her skirt, wondering where the rest of it had gone to. My lack of a response didn’t seem to deter her any.
“My name is Celia!” she shouted over the music. Then she leaned into my face, eyes widening. “Wow, are those contacts?”
“…What?”
“Your eyes! They’re awesome!”
Hm. It seemed silver eyes weren’t typical here.
Celia turned, pointing through the crowd. “My friend over there asked me to come over. She thinks you’re hot.”
I followed her hand. Another clown sat at a table several feet away, sipping a drink. Our eyes met and she gave me a chiseled smile.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“You should go say hi to her,” Celia went on, grinning. The fluorescent lights made her teeth glow green. It was scary.
I was about to politely tell the kid to piss off, but a crowd cleared by the bar, and I spotted the woman.
Or, at least I thought it was her. I hadn’t seen her completely unveiled until now.
Pushing past the clown who was still squawking in my ear, I approached.
She was seated, a cigarette placed between her lips. Her eyes were raised ahead of her, staring at a television screen displaying a talk show host dumping some poor, screaming half naked man into a tub of ice water.
When I almost reached her, she looked over her shoulder. At the sight of me, she sank into her chair and rolled her eyes.
Yeah, it was her alright.
“Oh god,” she muttered while I took her side.
“Seems like you’re not too happy to see me. Gee, I wonder why.”
“So now you’re going to stalk me forever?”
I didn’t respond, looking her over. Her beauty angered me; I wanted to hate her, but found it impossible.
Her long, black hair was swept across her shoulder, violet eyes gleaming with condescension. A black quarter-sleeve shirt hugged her torso, her legs draped with patched denim. She was skinny. Too skinny. Someone that skinny shouldn’t have been able to kick the shit out of me.
And from the hem of her sleeves, I could see the tail ends of some kind of inked inscription painted across her skin.
“Actually, I walked out on my mission so I’m kind of stranded here now. Guess that means you’re stuck with me for good.”
She glared at me. I smirked.
The woman sucked on her cigarette, blowing smoke in my face. I squinted.
“What do you want, Alezair?”
“Hey, you remembered my name. I’m flattered. And you know what I want.”
“Yes, yes. But what’s the point of knowing now? You’re no longer a Nexus agent.”
My smirk faded. “How did you know that?”
“Because I know everything.”
“Who sent you to kill me?”
She glanced away, ashing her cigarette in a metal canister. “No one.”
“…No one sent you to kill me?”
“Correct.”
“Then why—”
The bartender showed up, asking if I wanted anything. I figured if I didn’t order something I’d be considered a nonpaying customer. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any money. Before I could open my mouth, the woman said:
“Two forsics, one with extra olives.”
The bartender nodded, leaving.
I glanced at her, and she smiled.
“The single rule of this engagement is that you’ll keep drinking so long as you’re in my company. Deal?”
“Uh,” I began, brow raised, “this isn’t an engagement. This is me demanding some answers.”
“Anything involving two people communicating is considered an engagement.”
“Fine, whatever. Does that mean you’ll give me some answers?”
Her grin broadened. “As long as you keep drinking.”
I opened my mouth to repeat the first question, but she held up a finger, stopping me.
“Not yet.”
“What now?”
“We haven’t gotten our drinks.”
I scowled, eyeing the bartender as he prepared our orders.
When our drinks were finally placed in front of us, I opened my mouth again. An
d again, she held up her finger.
“What now?” I snarled.
She nodded to the drink.
I glanced down at it, sighing. I took a sip and my face soured instantly. It was fucking disgusting. “I’m not drinking that,” I choked.
“Then you don’t get any answers.”
“This isn’t a game, little girl,” I said through my teeth. “You don’t get to call the shots. You’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on, or I’m going to—”
“Going to what? Let me wipe the floor with your face again?”
I fell silent, staring.
She grinned. “Besides, the last thing you want is to make a scene, right?”
My stare hardened. Reluctantly, I took another sip. It was still gross. After forcing myself to swallow, I said, “What’s your name?”
She blinked. “Why would that matter?”
I held up my beverage, sneering. “Answer the question.”
Her eyes drifted away, lips pulling down in a sullen frown. “Leid.”
That was confusing. “Lied? What did I lie about?”
“No you idiot, that’s my name.”
…Leid.
That name didn’t suit her. It sounded ugly. “Why did you try to kill me?”
Her eyes trailed to the drink again, glaring expectantly.
I cursed under my breath, taking another sip. This time I couldn’t stifle the hiss that came after the putrid liquid burned the shit out of my esophagus. “I cannot believe people are paying for this.”
“You were involuntarily aiding in a Code violation.”
…
“What?”
Leid pulled on the skewered olives with her teeth. “The customer who contracted the Nexus is an Archdemon. He bought your arms with the intention of swaying the balance. It was his attempt at loop-holing the ‘no direct contact with your creations’ clause.”
I said nothing, gaping at her. She seemed oblivious to my stupor.
“Because of this, I had to step in and—”
“Whoa, whoa, hold on,” I interjected, hand out.
She paused, waiting.
“An Archdemon?”
“Yes.”
“As in Hell?”
“…Yes?”
“Hell actually exists?”
“That’s surprising to you?”
I said nothing, staring at my drink.
“The mythos that humans and other lesser creatures portray Heaven and Hell as being is actually a fabrication,” she elaborated. “Angels and demons do exist, though. But they aren’t omniscient or ethereal. They’re simply like any other race, on any other world.”
“And so what exactly are you?”
“You haven’t had your drink in a while.”
I sighed, taking another sip. It was getting easier to stomach, at least. When I placed the glass down, Leid reclined in her seat.
“I work for them.”
“You work for demons?”
“I work for demons and angels.”
“You’re a mercenary like me?”
“Kind of. My service is bound by contract.”
“And your job is what?”
Leid smiled. “To keep everyone playing by the rules.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to absorb all of this. “Okay, so you chase criminal demons because they violate a code?”
She nodded.
I squinted.
Leid lifted a brow. “What?”
“Stop fucking with me.”
“I’m not.”
I glanced away, suddenly feeling weird. My skin was hot, tingly. I was also having problems moving my mouth. As Leid took another sip of her drink, I asked, “Then what are you? An angel?”
She sputtered.
Yeah, that was probably a stupid question.
“No,” she choked. “I am not an angel.”
“Then what?”
Her eyes lowered. I thought this was my cue to take another sip. But even after I had, she still didn’t say anything.
“Well?”
“It doesn’t matter what I am,” she muttered.
“I’m the one asking the questions.”
“Then ask something else.”
Her eyes met mine; narrowed, threatening. I supposed it wasn’t that important. “You were going to kill me even though I had no idea what I was doing?”
“Casualties are a part of the job. You should know that firsthand.”
I finished my drink, and Leid immediately ordered us another round. I stared at the new one placed in front of me like it was an abomination.
The man beside her left to hit on one of the clowns from earlier. I snatched his seat, since I was swaying.
There was something about Leid that I couldn’t put my finger on. Every time I looked at her, she seemed so familiar. But we’d never met, so why this feeling?
Likewise, I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that I’d just given up my entire life for her. A Nexus agent wasn’t normally capable of walking out on a mission. It didn’t make any sense.
…And god, she was so fucking pretty.
“How is it?” she murmured, breaking the silence. “Being out of the Nexus?”
“Painful, so far,” I said, recalling the purge.
I was starting to slur, and Leid noticed. “Drunk already?”
“Is that what’s happening to me? Because let me tell you, I was getting scared for a second there.”
Leid laughed. I liked the sound of it. “You’re alright, Alezair. I’m glad I didn’t kill you.”
Which led to my next question:
“Why didn’t you?”
Leid’s smile fell. She stared at her drink, conflicted. I waited patiently for her response.
But it never came. Instead, she slid from the chair and slapped two pieces of paper money next to her empty glass.
“That’s for both of ours,” she said. “I need to go.”
As she walked by me, I caught her arm. She froze.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I whispered, leaning in. Although our engagement had grown kind of friendly, I hadn’t forgotten my objective, and the look in my eyes said it all. “We’re not finished. Sit down.”
Leid wrenched from my grasp, snarling. “Get your hands off of me.”
I rose from my seat, blocking her path.
“Step aside, Alezair,” she warned.
“Or what? You’re going to wipe the floor with my face?”
She said nothing, glaring at me in defiance.
“Go ahead. Hit me. Take your best shot, but I’m not letting you leave until you tell me why you didn’t kill me.”
“I changed my mind. Nothing more.”
“That’s bullshit. You saw my face and then you ran. Why?”
“It doesn’t matter why I didn’t kill you!” she hissed. “You should just be thankful that you’re still alive! Now get out of my way!”
I didn’t budge. And, even though she still hadn’t answered my initial question, another had circled my mind so relentlessly that I couldn’t help but blurt out, “What are you?”
Leid hung her head, looked away. Her hair slid over her face, shoulders sagging.
Something was happening around us. The environment was slowing, the blaring music becoming nothing more than a drone. I surveyed our surroundings as anger and confusion coalesced. Whatever she was, her power far outmatched anything I had.
Leid’s hand sprang out, clutching my forearm in a death grip. I hissed in surprise as her fingernails dug into my skin, but I couldn’t pull away. She was too strong.
Her head rose slowly, threads of ebony hair slid from her cheeks. I stared into her eyes, watching them cloud over, turning into desolate pools. My body felt hot and cold at the same time. I grew lightheaded, and my knees buckled.
I heard her voice, but her lips didn’t move:
Just remember; you asked.
Everything went black.
IV
FALLEN
>
I AWAKENED IN AN AIRPLANE TERMINAL. Everything was tinted red.
I lurched, nearly falling out of my seat. For some reason there had been a briefcase sitting in my lap and it slid off my legs, hitting the ground with a loud thud.
Several heads turned, but I was too busy trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. Again.
“Settle down, will you?”
Leid sat next to me in a black skirt suit, eyes drifting over a collection of inked paper with black and white photographs.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
She merely tilted her head, turning a page. “How does your foot taste?”
“I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean.”
“You will.”
“How did we get here?”
“One of the many mysteries you’ll never uncover.”
“Can you at least tell me why everything is red?”
She reached toward my face, pulling off a pair of sunglasses. I hadn’t even noticed them. “I thought this might look less suspicious. Couldn’t really do anything about your ears, though.”
I frowned and covered them with my hair. She was going to give me a complex.
The terminal was partitioned by clear plastic panels where inhabitants walked by, carrying luggage. Gift shops and restaurants were situated across the hall. There was a sign over one of them, the print illegible to me.
The people waiting in the terminal read articles of literature or fidgeted with their luggage. A woman sitting across the aisle looked up, and I caught a glimpse of her eyes.
No pupils or irises, filled instead with black flecks resembling television static. That explained the sunglasses.
“Where are we?” I whispered, shoving the shades back on my face.
“Caia,” she replied.
That didn’t help at all. “What are we doing here?”
“I’m working.”
“But these aren’t humans.”
“Yes they are. There are over a hundred variations of humans across the universe.”
“…Oh. Why am I here?”
“Because you wouldn’t shut up.”
“I asked what you are. A verbal explanation would have sufficed.”
Leid sighed, leaning back with a yawn. “True, but I figure this will scare you off for good.”
I laughed under my breath. “Not likely, but okay.”
The Antithesis- The Complete Pentalogy Page 2