Suzette felt all eyes fall on her. She met Mel’s searching gaze, trying to decipher for herself the answer. She thought of all the fires and how everyone involved had seemed a little too close for comfort. She thought of the man who’d chased her, ready to hurt her just for information. She thought of the creature she’d seen by the river that knew her name. She thought of how much she didn’t want to deal with Dante. But lastly, she thought of her powers being ripped away from her in the moment she slipped. She spoke honestly. “Maybe it’s best if they all think I’m dead for right now.”
Everyone kept quiet.
“That’s what I’m thinking.” Suzette let out a humorless laugh. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I have a feeling things are just going to get crazier and crazier after this. I don’t want to deal—” She stopped herself and rethought her words. “I don’t want my family getting hurt, and I don’t know where to go from here. That’s what I’m thinking.”
Their stares fell away.
“I can make it happen.” Lady Augustine’s voice held steady, showing her seriousness. “I can give you a new identity, if that’s what you desire.”
Surprised, Suzette stared up at the old woman.
“It would give you enough time to figure out what to do about your powers,” she explained. “You can take some time to see how it will affect your life. Maybe it won’t change it much, but then again, maybe your life after this will be far too dangerous for your family and friends. If it’s not too different, you simply return to your family. If it’s too different, you’ve saved them from harm. You don’t need all the answers right now. You just need to know how you’ll take the next step.”
Suzette began shivering once more. “You’d do that for me?”
Lady Augustine smiled. “Of course, dear.”
The thought of abandoning everyone she loved in their mourning left Suzette sick, though she could sense the truth in the Lady’s advice.
The old woman’s eyes filled with sorrow. “Dear, why don’t you go shower upstairs? Thalia should be finished preparing a room for you.”
Just as she spoke, Thalia came into the den. “Indeed, I have.” Even with everyone in the room looking awfully dismal, Thalia beamed with a bubbly light. She smiled warmly at Suzette and gestured over her shoulder. “Come on, darling. Let me show you up.”
Suzette couldn’t find the strength to move at first, but she forced herself up and followed Thalia out of the den and up the stairs.
The maid’s curly, black hair bounced as she walked, as if a reflection of her inextinguishable liveliness. “I know you’ve got other things on your mind right now, love, but we finished your outfit this morning.” She stopped and gave Suzette a sheepish grin. “And I have to say: it’s bloody brilliant. I know the sweet Lady was eager to tell you. So, by all means, take your time, but at least let her show it to you when you’re done, yeah?”
Suzette exhaled and gave a nod.
Thalia smiled at the acknowledgment. “Alright then, love. The shower’s just inside. I’ll leave you some fresh clothes on the bed.” She turned, walked back down the hall, and descended the steps.
Suzette closed the bedroom door, made her way into the bathroom, and shrugged off her clothes as the water warmed up. Then she slumped into the shower. But as she stood there underneath the hot water, the heavier her thoughts felt. They were so weighty that she tried so hard to cast them aside, trying to remain emotionless like Dante. All she wanted was to have a few moments of quietude.
Instead, all of the crazy events that had happened over the past few weeks flashed in her head like a bad slideshow—one she couldn’t even contemplate feelings for. Each picture drew a sob from her chest until she was broken. The longer she stood under the water, the more her legs started to give out from all the emotion and from running so long from the man in the woods.
She sat down on the shower floor and wrapped her arms around her heaving chest. Her whole body felt fidgety, as if the man was right behind her all over again. Why didn’t I just counterattack him? she wondered. The robbers, Cecilia—she had been able to hold her own against them. But the stranger who’d chased her down? She couldn’t fight him. Her instincts had told her to run instead. What kind of strength did he possess to make her flee instead of fight? It must have been great if she couldn’t stand up to him with her new ability. If she was going to have to deal with strange people like him on the regular, it would be for the best if Suzette Valentine was dead.
I’m just glad I lost that guy. Despite her triumphant thought, her skin tightened and she couldn’t find a sense of relief. Instead, she kept crying until she couldn’t get out anymore.
Feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted, she got out of the shower and made her way back into the bedroom, where she stopped and took it in. It was a nice sized guestroom with a wardrobe directly across from her and a big window to her right. The bed itself sat on the left of her and the nightstand hosted an alarm clock, a lamp, and a small vase of flowers. Laid across the bed was a nightgown. She promptly threw it on and started out of the bedroom, shuffling down the hall uncertainly. As she reached the top of the stairs, she paused, taking in the painting that hung there.
A young girl sat in the picture, wearing a nice, old-fashioned, lavender dress, surrounded by dark greenery. Her short, dark brown hair curled in a little at the bottom of her petite face. She looked so young, but her bright eyes made her come to life. It almost looked a little like what she pictured Lady Augustine to have looked like as a young teenager.
“You’ve found my daughter, I see.”
Suzette turned, surprised.
Lady Augustine neared the top step, making her way slowly with her hand on the railing. She took a deep breath once she reached Suzette and stared admiringly at the art. “Lily was her name. She would have liked you.”
Unable to find a response, Suzette watched the old woman’s eyes scan over every feature of the painting. Finally, Suzette gave her vocal chords a try. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. She stared deep into the daughter’s eyes, remembering the look Lady Augustine had said they shared. But Suzette couldn’t find a resemblance in the girl’s lively, brave stare. “I still can’t believe you’re willing to do all of this for me.”
Lady Augustine nodded to the portrait. “She would have helped you. And I know you would have helped her, too.”
Suzette mulled it over. Probably, she thought. But she couldn’t come to a verbal agreement.
The Lady set her hand on the small of Suzette’s back. “You should rest, dear. But before you do, may I show you what I’ve gotten you?”
Suzette didn’t want to think of secret identities and vigilantes, but she did want to go to bed. So, she nodded. “Sure.”
“Thalia, dear!” the old woman called down the stairs.
The maid appeared at the bottom of the steps, saw Suzette, and tensed. Her face couldn’t hide her eagerness. “Are we ready to show her?”
“Yes, dear. You ladies bring it up, will you?”
Thalia’s hands waved by her sides in excitement as she hurried away.
Lady Augustine walked Suzette back to the guestroom and rested on the end of the bed with her.
No more than a minute later, Mel, Thalia, and Callie stepped in. In their arms were pieces of a costume. They draped the parts across the bed.
“What do you think?” Lady Augustine asked, standing.
Suzette followed and examined the work in front of her. At first, the jumpsuit appeared to be all black, but upon closer inspection, she noticed some of the accent pieces were dark red. It laced down the front with deep-red fabric, but when she ran a hand over it, she felt the metal of a hidden zipper. Good, she thought. A pair of red gloves accompanied the suit, along with deep-red boots that went all the way up to her knee, from the looks of it. Around the waist sat a chunky black utility belt, though the slots were empty. The suit was simple, yet had bits of feminine touches throughout.
&
nbsp; Suzette found herself speechless. While part of her looked at the combat gear with a sense of dread, she felt surprised to find that the other part of her was impressed and almost excited. She stared for a long moment, trying to decide what to feel. When it proved too much, she focused on the old woman’s twinkling eyes. Through a forced smile, she said, “I like it. Thank you.”
The old woman smiled. “Hold out your hands.”
Suzette obeyed and watched as Lady Augustine set a mask in her hands. It was a smooth black and shaped like a fox face. Suzette ran her hand across it, recalling Lady Augustine’s story of the statue. This time she couldn’t help but give a genuine smile. “I love it.”
The Lady clasped her hands together, rejoicing in her triumph. “I’m so glad, darling!” she exclaimed. “In the morning, we’ll take a look at some of your gadgets and get started on your identity dilemma.”
Suzette felt a pang at the last part. It may not be permanent, she told herself. It’s for the best right now. Don’t freak out again. “Alright,” she sighed.
“And then maybe you could try your new outfit on, love.” Thalia winked at her, more excited than anyone about the clothes.
“Goodnight, child,” Lady Augustine said quietly. Hugging Suzette, she went on, “I’ll be praying for you and what your future may hold.”
“Thank you so much,” she whispered back. “Goodnight.”
The old woman let her go and shuffled out the door. Each maid grabbed a part of the outfit and bid her goodnight before walking out.
Suzette turned out the lights and climbed into the soft bed. She rolled to her side and let out a sigh. She doubted the sleep would be peaceful, sensing the thoughts that still stirred deep within her. But her body demanded rest. She could feel herself start to shut down emotionally, mentally, and physically enough to find sleep. She closed her eyes.
The lamp beside her switched on.
Suzette’s eyes shot open and she rolled toward the light.
Before she could take in the scene, a big hand had her pressed down against the mattress. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sooner than she did, a knife was at her throat.
“Scream and you die.”
She stared wide-eyed up at the big man in the trench coat, soaking wet from the rain. Her throat almost closed up entirely. Desperate, she felt at the nightstand until her hand found the vase.
“Don’t,” he hissed through his teeth, pressing the blade into her.
She threw her hands open in defeat and he let up a little. “How did you find me?” she whispered.
“That’s none of your concern.”
Her heart pounded so heavily that it thumped like a jack hammer in her ears and her breathing grew quick. How long had he been there? How had he gotten in so quietly? Why hadn’t her powers warned her? “Why are you—”
“Quiet!” he snarled, pressing into her. The blade bit into her skin a little. “Now, you’re going to answer my questions and that’s the only time you’re permitted to talk.” Even his whispering was intimidating, and though logic demanded she should be, Suzette still wasn’t scared by his huge physique and powerful tone. Instead, she found herself fearful because she didn’t know what to expect from him. He snarled at her and demanded through his teeth, “Do you understand?”
The knife let up and she nodded ever so slightly.
He leaned in close. “Who do you work for?”
“I don’t have a job, sir,” she said. She knew that wasn’t what he meant, but she found it easier to be coy. “I’m a college student.”
The man pressed on the knife and she grimaced. “Who do you work for?”
“I don’t understand!” she said through her teeth.
“Just name the organization.”
“I told you: I don’t have a job.”
“Name the organization.”
“What, you mean like a secret organization or something?” She huffed at that.
But he gave no other suggestion.
“What?” Her mouth fell agape. “You have to be joking.”
His scowl deepened. Then he pulled her up by the collar of her nightgown and into his face. “I will kill you,” he hissed.
“I believe you could,” she replied, baffled. But her gut still didn’t believe he would and the thought left her feeling level-headed. “But I don’t work for anyone. Please, I don’t even know what you want from me.”
He looked at her hard for a few moments, deep in contemplation. “They hired a good actress,” he spat.
“Who?” Suzette rasped. “Who are you? Please tell me you have a question that I can actually answer, because I just want you to leave.”
He gave her a good shake. “Tell me how you’re connected to these experiments.”
“Okay.” She inhaled and let out a deep, shaky breath. “I don’t know anything about an experiment. I had to do a paper for school, so I went to the lab Franklin Stein worked at. It blew up, I started glowing blue, and then I had some weird superpower or something. I thought I could be some superhero, but now I don’t know what I want to do. I’m so confused and tired and please don’t kill me.” The last part came out more desperate than scared. She took a deep breath and looked up at him.
She watched as his face molded from hard and intimidating to speechless and confused.
Confused herself, she asked, “Is that not what you’re talking about?”
He slammed her back against the pillow. “I mean anything—Jekyll, the Order, the monster! Anything!” he snarled in her face, the heat of his breath making her horribly uncomfortable.
She flinched and closed her eyes. “M-m-monster?” she stammered.
“Yes, monster!” he growled. “It killed a woman and it’s been involved in a fire. It knew your name. How did it know your name?”
The memory resurfaced, though she had tried hard to press it down and not think about it. “The thing with the glowing eyes?”
A light flickered in his stare. “Tell me.”
Her heart jumped to her throat at the image that flashed over and over in her mind. “You’re telling me that thing was real? It wasn’t human? I wasn’t just seeing it?”
“You’re telling me you have no idea why it knows your name?” he asked incredulously.
She rattled her head. “I don’t know why.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She scoffed, annoyed. “What do you want me to tell you? His name’s Jim and we play cards together every Friday night?” She gave him a tired look.
His frown deepened.
“It freaked me out! It freaks me out even more now that I know I wasn’t just imagining it!” she said in a hushed manner.
“Then what about the Order?”
“The Order? What Order?”
He let out a sigh, more aggravated now more than anything. “The Order of the Dragon. Ring a bell?”
“The Order of the Dragon? That sounds made up.”
He drew in a breath, ready to let her have it.
“I’ve never heard of them,” she interjected.
He let out a puff of air. “Henry Jekyll. What about him?”
She stared at him for a long minute, knowing she had at least some information. But should she give it up? She relaxed a little as a new thought dawned on her. “Now, hold on a second,” she said. “You tell me what I want to know and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
He stared, dumbfounded for a few seconds. His face slowly turned red. “Do you really want to test me?”
“Do you really want my information?” she shot back.
He clenched his jaw and took a calming breath. Then he pressed the knife harder. “Just tell me.”
A wave of calm washed over her. “How about this: I obviously can’t fight you off. But the Lord has given me too big of a purpose to have it end now. If you want me to answer your question”—she reached for his knife-clad fist—“then please put that down.”
She touched his rough hand.
He fl
inched and fell onto the floor near the window, almost as if in pain. He stayed there a moment, desperate for air, his eyes darting around the room as if he saw things she couldn’t. She quickly jumped out of the bed and pressed herself on the wall next to the door, letting the mattress separate them. Then she rubbed the line of pain she could feel in her neck, almost as if the blade was still there. The man got up and leaned against the nightstand, looking exhausted.
Is he okay? she thought. Was it weird to ask that question? Did she do something? She dared to move a little closer.
The knife was back up in an instant as he straightened himself. “Get away,” he breathed.
She withdrew back to the wall.
He stood tall and tried to be intimidating again. “Tell me.”
She glanced down at the weapon and back up at him. “First, tell me what you know about the chemical.”
“It was created by Dr. Henry Jekyll,” he explained quickly. “He injected it into several people. The end.”
“But—”
“Now, tell me.”
Knowing arguing was pointless, she stopped. Seeking any further knowledge from him was futile. And why was he so quick to tell? She frowned. “I will, if you put the weapon down.”
“Not a chance.”
She shrugged and stared at him blankly. His face twitched and he took a step toward her. She watched and waited to see what he would do. But he froze and seemed torn. Uneasy, he set down the knife.
“Go on,” he grumbled.
She shrugged again. “Henry Jekyll works in genetic engineering. His best friend, Franklin Stein, was killed when the lab he worked in blew up. Some guy accused Jekyll of illegally experimenting on him.” She paused as it dawned on her. “But the guy was right, wasn’t he?”
The intruder seemed annoyed. “I knew all of that already,” he growled.
“Then why did you ask?”
“To see if you knew anything else!” Without a word, he turned toward the window.
She took a few steps forward. “Wait, are you going after the monster?”
“That’s none of your business.” He threw open the curtains.
Of course he’s going after it. “Can I go with you?”
Blind World (The Onyx Fox Saga Book 1) Page 24