by Jen Pretty
I pointed my finger at him, trying to slow my heart that had jumped into my throat. "Then you didn't have to sneak up behind me and scare the shit out of me." I glanced at Colvin. "I mean, holy fuck. What are you even doing here, anyway?"
Falcor dusted off his pants, but the grass stain on his khakis was not likely to come out. "Damn it." He straightened, still scowling. "Niri asked me to come to find you. They have another murder in Phoenix and he wants us to leave tonight."
Colvin and Nick had made their way over and unfortunately, Colvin heard the message. He stayed half-hidden behind Nick but peeked around him to shoot me a question. "You have to go so soon?" He kicked the grass with his boot, the perfect picture of disappointment.
Shit.
"Sorry, buddy. But I'll be back soon and maybe I can bring you something from Phoenix. A cactus or whatever?"
Nick shook his head and snorted. "Sure, we can bring him a cactus. Why don't we just bring him a scorpion?"
"Ugh, I forgot they have scorpions. I am not dealing with stinging, poisonous bugs."
Falcor rolled his eyes. "I'll meet you back at Sanctuary."
As soon as Falcor disappeared, Colvin stepped out from behind Nick. "I guess I'll see you when you get back."
I crouched down, looking him in the eye and feeling like the biggest jerk. "Of course, you will. And I'll be extra quick, then we can have some fun. Watch some movies and stuff?"
Colvin nodded and wrapped his arms around my neck.
I scooped him up and carried him halfway back to the car, but he got heavy, so I passed him off to Nick. Colvin was nearly asleep when Nick buckled him in, and we headed back toward the Sanctuary.
I kept peeking behind me, glimpsing Colvin as he slept. He was so peaceful and sweet. I knew at that moment I would do anything to protect him. Including diving into the path of an evil mythological beast. Yeah, I was screwed.
Nick stopped at the gates and looked at me. "You ready for this?"
I rested my hand on his thigh and let a bit of my magic flow out into him.
His eyes rolled back in his head and his hissed out through his teeth. "God that feels good."
I chuckled. "Don't drive us into the side of the Sanctuary."
He grinned and revved the engine. The car was just a basic sedan, nothing fancy, but it sounded more powerful than it was when he did that.
Nick's hand took a hold of the gearshift and slammed it in to drive as his foot jammed the accelerator. The tires squealed, and the magic flooded in soon as we passed the gates.
My fingers dug into Nick's thigh and I let the magic flow right back out again. It ran through me like a raging river, the current wiping away any doubts or fears I had about travelling to Phoenix and taking on another monster. It almost felt good. As if I could let go of control and let magic consume me. It wouldn't hurt me because Nick was at my side, but also because it didn't want to hurt me. It was just doing what it was meant to do, like a river.
The car came to a screeching halt beside the cafeteria doors, but I lingered for a moment, enjoying the heady rush as Nick slammed the car in park and tipped his head back with a sigh.
"This should be illegal," Nick moaned.
I grinned and released his leg, throwing open my door and dashing the few steps to The Sanctuary. I locked down the magic that had flowed in and held on to it, smiling at the room full of kids that crowded the cafeteria. A few of them whispered and stared at me, but most didn't seem to notice my hasty entrance.
Nick walked in a moment later with sleepy-eyed Colvin staggering along beside him. "We should go find Niri," Nick said.
Colvin wrapped himself around my waist, his small arms in a death grip. "I don't want you to go."
I untangled him from my middle and crouched in front of him. The sounds of the kids seemed to fade away as I looked into Colvin's dark brown eyes. "I know. But I promise Nick and I will be back soon. As soon as we can. I'll take a bit of extra time off work and we can do something fun, okay?"
In honesty, I didn't want to go either. I had a feeling that Phoenix would be a disaster, though I couldn't say why. It was the mix of evil monsters and Nick's family that was putting me on edge. Not to mention Falcor and the bad vibes Colvin got from him.
Colvin hugged me tight again. "Watch out for the shooting star."
His words sent a shiver down my spine, but when I pulled back from him, the room came back into focus and Colvin turned, hugging Nick quickly and then dashing away with a grin and a wave as he crossed to the lineup for dinner.
Nick took my hand and pulled me into his side. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
CHAPTER FIVE
Niri was being cagey. He offered very few details and sent us on our way before we could even ask many questions. The just of it was, there was a monster. It was killing people. I was supposed to find it and kill it.
Crow had been missing since the graveyard but assumed he would catch up to us, as he always did, so I followed Nick through the halls as we tracked down Falcor.
I bit my lip to keep from asking Nick if he thought I would have to raise many dead people, but he didn't know any more than I did, so it was silly to even ask. His assurance would have settled my upset stomach though. I still wasn't used to raising murdered wraiths. I didn't want to get used to it either. Even with Crow there to make the wraiths calm and normal, it was still terrifying.
We rounded a corner and entered a room that I recognized. It was the one all the vampires seemed to hang out in at night. The room was full of people, watching TV, playing pool and hanging around in plush armchairs reading or chatting. They all stopped when we walked in.
I noticed a few of the younger vampires flare their nostrils a look of hunger on their faces, but the rest of them quickly went back to whatever they were doing. Nick's arm held me closer to his side.
"Jeremy, have you seen Falcor?" Nick asked a tall vampire sitting at a table with a glass of red liquid; I pretended was tomato juice. One more thing I was still struggling with in my new life -- people drinking blood.
"Yeah, I saw him heading for the auditorium." Jeremy's eyes kept flicking to me, but Nick ignored it and pulled me back out the door.
"What do I smell like?" I asked Nick as we travelled down the halls again.
"Candy and sunshine," Nick muttered.
I didn't bother commenting on that. He had already told me I smelled good to vampires, and I had no idea what sunshine smelled like. I tucked it away to think about later.
Nick led me down a corridor I hadn't been down before. At the end was a set of double doors. Nick pushed through, holding the door open for me and inside was almost like a typical gym in a typical school except for one thing.
It was full of magic. Almost as much as was outside the school and this magic seemed to jump and leap through the air, crashing into me in waves instead of flooding me like water filling a sinking boat. I gasped and Nick pulled me tighter to his side.
I struggled to look round, but when I lifted my head, pouring magic fire into Nick, the room was empty except for Falcor who looked like he was swinging a samurai sword made completely of yellow glowing sparks. He wore a long trench coat like the first time I saw him, the long panels spinning around him as he dove and struck at an invisible enemy. His hair was uncharacteristically messy, swinging into his face as he dodged and moved. The light show was amazing, sparks flying off the tip of the blade as if it were blood spraying across the room.
I cleared my throat, making Falcor spin and drop all the magic he was using as a weapon.
He grunted. "You guys ready to go?" His hand reached up and slicked back his dark hair, putting it back in place.
"Yup. Our plane tickets are on hold at the airport, flight leaves in two hours." Nick stepped further into the room, pulling me with him. I could hear the strain in his voice as I let the waves of magic flow through me and into him where my hand linked his.
"Great," Falcor said, stepping up and resting a hand on each of us. The room til
ted, and we were in the empty dorm room. Nick grabbed his duffel bag and my suitcase, while Falcor tossed a backpack over his shoulder.
I was still a bit out of it from all the magic use that day, but Falcor looked pleased to be leaving and even shot me a grin as he approached again.
"I'll drop us in a quiet area of the airport, hopefully, there won't be anyone hanging around. No guarantees though." He grabbed Nick and me again and my vision swam.
Nick grabbed me as my boots touched down on industrial-type linoleum floor and voices rang out over the loudspeakers, calling flight numbers. It was a quieter area of the airport; a small hall that led to a service door, but just a few steps away was a mass of people, dragging suitcases and pulling children along as they hustled to catch planes.
"I will never get used to that," I muttered, rubbing my eyes and trying to make my brain work again.
Falcor chucked, not a sound I was used too. Apparently going on missions to eradicate murderous monsters made Falcor giddy. Who knew?
I clutched my suitcase and followed the guys out of the hall and into the flow of people moving thought he busy airport. We had lots of time, but the guys led the way to the customer service window. I zoned out, letting my mind take me away from the hustle and noise. Instead, my mind travelled to things I had read in various old books. There were so many monsters that could take over a human or magic-user, then go around killing people for fun or power, that there was no way to tell which was doing the damage until I was face to face with him. I wasn't going to lie to myself. I had spent a lot of hours studying just so I would know what I was dealing with and how to kill it. That didn't make the tension in my shoulders ease though.
"Selena," Nick's voice broke through my thoughts.
"Huh?"
Nick grinned. "We need your passport."
"Oh, right, sorry." I rummaged through the front pocket on my suitcase and pulled out my passport. I hadn't travelled much so far, so my passport was still in perfect condition, but It wouldn't stay that way if I kept shoving it in the pocket. The smiling woman behind the counter took it and flipped through. I got distracted by someone shouting behind me and when I turned back, the lady was holding out my passport and a ticket.
"Thanks," I said.
"Come on, let's go get some dinner before the flight," Nick said.
Falcor grunted, but led the way, weaving a path through the traffic to a fast-food restaurant with space to sit down. It was a small, cramped area, that looked like it would have sticky tables, but my growling stomach wasn't going to object to the greasy French fries and a burger.
While I waited, I pulled out the book of monsters and flipped through, refreshing my memory on the way of killing the strange beasts.
I always skipped over the illustrations; those things haunted my sleep so I wouldn't forget what they looked like.
My eyes were trained on the small script words, so when someone sat in front of me, I assumed it was Nick of Falcor, but when I looked up, it wasn't either of them. It was a young girl, barely seventeen, if that. Her clothes were baggy and dirty, and her eyes shifted around like she was afraid of being spotted.
"I'm sorry, but you have to help me," she whispered. "Please?"
I dropped my book on the table and leaned forward, but before I could even open my mouth to speak, her appearance wavered and faded until she disappeared.
"Shit," I whispered, looking around like I could find her again. "Double shit."
"What's wrong?" Falcor asked in a curt voice as he set a tray of food down in the place where the young girl had been.
"A wraith was just here. A young girl. She needs my help."
"We have a flight in an hour, you don't have time to chase down a wraith." Falcor popped some fries in his mouth, his comment was so off the cuff as if it didn't matter to him at that a young girl had been killed.
"So, what? I just ignore her?"
"Ignore who?" Nick asked, setting a tray down and slipping into the seat beside me.
"A wraith was here, she asked me to help her."
Nick took out his phone and tapped a few times. "How old was she?"
"Maybe seventeen?"
He tapped a few more times before handing the phone to me. "See if she is on the list of missing people. If she is, we can join the investigation when we get back."
I didn't like the idea of leaving the girl alone here while we went to Phoenix. If she had sought me out, she must have been a witch. And it could mean there was a mythological monster here now. I scrolled through until I reached the end of the list of photos but didn't see her.
I shook my head and handed the oh one back to Nick. "She could be anyone."
"And from any time. That wraith could have been lurking around here for decades," Falcor said before taking a big bite of his burger. It oozed ketchup and mustard out onto the table. The sight was gross, but the smell was heavenly. My stomach churned, and I wasn't sure if I could even eat after being confronted by the wraith, but my stomach won, and I managed to my food in record time.
Nick stood up when he finished eating. "I'm going to let Niri know about the wraith, then we should head for our gate." His eyes were kind, and he gave me a soft smile. "I'm sure he will have more information by the time we get back."
I nodded and slurped the last of my pop, feeling bloated and sleepy. The flight was only a few hours, but maybe I could get some sleep. It was getting late.
We drifted through the airport. I mostly just followed in the wake of Nick and Falcor, my suitcases rolling along behind me. The crowd was so thick, it wasn't long before they disappeared in the crowd ahead of me, as if they were swallowed up by a rising tide.
I kept walking, assuming I would find them again, but the further I walked, the denser the crowd got until I finally came to a stop and tried to look around for a sign. Nick had mentioned the gate number but be damned if my stupid brain could remember it.
Then she was there. She was opaque and the sea of people walking around me passed right through her, but her face was pleading. As if I was her last hope, and she needed me to help her.
"I'm sorry. I promise I'll come back and help you."
Her mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear her words. I wasn't sure if she would still be there when I came back, but I would find her.
"What are you doing?" Nick’s face popped through my wraith friend, startling a small scream out of me.
"You left me behind," I complained, grabbing my bag and taking his hand so I didn't get lost in the sea again. We caught up to Falcor who had taken a seat beside the attendant who was checking tickets at the door to the long bendy hall leading to the plane.
He sighed dramatically. "We need to put a bell on you."
As he turned away, I flipped him off, making Nick snicker and the attendant bite her lip to cover a smile.
Yeah, I definitely needed a nap on the plane.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the wraith one more time before she winked out of existence.
Shit.
CHAPTER SIX
Nick handed me the drink I had ordered from the flight attendant with a frown. He had already had two drinks and cut himself off. I had no such qualms.
My alcohol tolerance wasn't as good as his and was probably even less considering the altitude, but I needed a short time out. This was the only one likely to pop up until after I took care of whatever monster was haunting Phoenix, so I'd have to take it.
I took a deep pull from the tiny straw in my drink and enjoyed the pleasant burn of alcohol rushing down my throat. Three seemed to be the magic number because as soon as it was done, I turned to Nick and asked him the question that had been burning a hole in my brain.
"So, how come you don’t want to see your family?"
Nick's eyes closed for a second before he turned his head to look at me.
"They aren't my favourite people," Nick replied as if that was enough of an answer.
I let it go and stared out the window, pretty sure Nick's ti
me in Phoenix wouldn't be much better than mine if his current mood was any sign.
"Okay, well, I'm just going to take a nap I guess."
Nick grunted in reply, and I rested my head back against the seat. It was dark out the window, so I closed my eyes and drifted in and out until Nick shook my arm and told me to put on my seatbelt for the landing.
Inside the airport, people scurried around as much as they had back home, and the building itself was similar in style--Cement and steel in harsh contrast and geometric shapes--but the air was hot and dry, even indoors at night. We walked past baggage claim since we had each only brought carry on, and I was about to ask where we were staying when Nick cursed under his breath.
I glanced at him to find his eyes locked on someone in the crowd. There, holding a sign was a man who looked like a butler. The sign read A. Colton.
Anick Colton was Nick's full name, but the man holding the sign didn't look anything like him, so I assumed it wasn't a family member. Where Nick had a strong jaw and chiselled features, this man, though tall enough, had soft petite features, almost feminine.
"Did the police get us a ride?" I asked though I could tell by Nick's face this was much more personal than that.
"Nope, just my father, doing his due diligence," Nick muttered before heading towards the man with the sign.
I glanced at Falcor who had a half-grin on his face. He would be the one to enjoy Nick's suffering. I elbowed him and followed Nick.
The man with the sign bowed slightly to Nick and then turned on his heel without a word. Nick followed along behind, so Falcor and I followed him through the maze of the airport and out to the loading area where a really long limo sat waiting. The guy who had held the sign swung the car door open, and Nick stepped in as if he had been riding in limos since he could walk. Falcor and I shared a look, something I hadn't ever thought possible considering our mutual dislike for each other, then we climbed in the back too.
"Hey, Nick?" I said, breaking the awkward silence as the car moved away from the curb to flow into traffic.