Sloan heard Edison talking with Elwood. Out of her peripheral vision, she even saw him setting up a strange-looking chair, but for the moment, her attention was elsewhere: on the Vampire Project bringing super soldiers to life. Enhanced humans already completed and ready to be rolled out to the city guard. It was too much for her to comprehend. Most of all, the queen’s silence on the matter disturbed her.
“Ahhh, here we are.” Edison patted the seat of a brown leather chair that looked like it belonged at a barber’s shop. “Take a seat, Mr. Aareth Emerson, and we’ll see what we can find.”
Sloan watched as Aareth took off his shirt. Her mind went from worrying about the vampire threat to reminding herself not to stare. Aareth’s muscular body was enough to make anyone gawk. Not only was he the perfect male specimen, but the area on his shoulder Sloan had seen ravaged by the Burrow Den wolf creature was also completely healed. A new patch of light brown skin covered his arm. If anything, Aareth looked even better than he had before.
“Wow, what a body.” Edison scratched the underside of his chin as Elwood whistled. “What’s your secret? Yoga, meditation, good old weight lifting? Wait, don’t tell me—a strict diet?”
Edison turned to Elwood with an open hand. His eyes never left Aareth’s shoulder.
“Vegetables, Elwood, on the double. I really need to clean up my diet.” Edison accepted a beet from Elwood’s outstretched hand. He took a bite, immediately spitting out the contents. “Ugh, I’m reminded of why I don’t eat healthier. Why do vegetables have to taste like a punishment?”
“Can we start looking at my arm?” Aareth fidgeted in his seat. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
“Right you are. Elwood, glasses, and write the rest of this down.” Edison accepted a pair of glasses with microscopic lenses at the ends. “We’ll do an exterior exam first, then move into blood samples, x-rays, and mage testing. You know, all the fun stuff.”
Elwood conjured a tiny pencil and notepad from behind his back. He stuck out a pink tongue from the side of his mouth as he jotted down notes.
“It looks like you’re in—good hands.” Sloan began to make her way from the room. “I’m going to get some rest.”
“You’re going to leave me alone with this maniac?” Aareth teased from his spot on the chair.
“Elwood will keep him in check.” Sloan exchanged winks with the gnome before he went back to his furious scribbling.
Edison was too intent on his work, Aareth was too focused on Edison’s poking and Elwood was much too busy jotting down notes to notice Sloan take the Vampire Project schematic with her.
Chapter Eight
Jack
That night, Jack’s dreams were overridden by memories of a mother he had never known. All he had to hold on to was a soothing voice that sung to him when he was a baby. Emptiness accompanied the memory. A void, like he was the hollowed-out portion of a pumpkin.
Jack woke just as tired as he had been before going to sleep. He forced the awful feeling from his mind by busying himself with the events of the day. First and foremost, he needed answers.
A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts.
“Yes?” Jack grabbed his holster and wand. “Who is it?”
“Sir,” an unfamiliar male voice spoke from the other side of the door, “my name is Sergeant Harrison. I’m here to accompany you to breakfast.”
Jack moved toward the door. He opened it to find a huge man with bulging muscles in a New Hope uniform. Jack was sure he had seen the soldier somewhere before, but at the moment, the exact memory was out of grasp.
“Good morning, sir.” The sergeant gave Jack a sharp salute. “Captain Sloan asked that I come and gather you. The palace can be a large place. Easy to get lost, if you’re not familiar with the grounds.”
“Thanks.” Jack joined the sergeant, and the two men headed down the hall. He couldn’t help noticing the sergeant walk with an ever-so-slight hitch in his step. At once, Jack remembered his first trip to the palace. The wailing man he had seen supported by his comrades through the halls.
“It’s a sparing injury. Almost healed now, but it’ll be another month or so before I’m fully recovered.” Sergeant Harrison reached down to rub his knee. “That’s not exactly the truth. It’s an injury from a lesson I needed.”
“Oh, right.” Jack wanted answers, but he didn’t think now was the time. “We all need lessons from time to time.”
The sergeant motioned him to a open door where voices rang from within.
“Have a good breakfast, sir,” Harrison said with another crisp salute.
“Yes, I will, thanks.” Jack wasn’t sure if he should salute back or not. He gave a half nod, half raised his hand, then thought better of it and ran it through his hair.
If the sergeant noticed, he didn’t draw attention to Jack’s awkwardness.
Jack walked into the room, astonished again by what seemed a reoccurring experience at the palace. At a circular table sat Sloan, Aareth, Abigail and Elizabeth, with a feast of breakfast foods laid out before them. Along one side of the room a buffet had been set up with servants standing behind the tables, ready to attend.
“Grab a plate.” Aareth shoveled another fork-load of meat into his mouth. “Food’s great.”
“Yeah, I will.” Jack ignored Aareth’s bloodshot eyes, writing it off to lack of sleep.
Eggs, bacon, waffles, and fruit were all piled high on Jack’s china plate as he took a brief moment to be thankful for the food. When he joined the group, Sloan was outlining the plan for the day.
“I spoke with the queen this morning. She agrees that you all should stay on until all of the questions we have from Burrow Den are answered.”
“Even us?” Elizabeth skewered a strawberry with her fork as if she were spearing a fish.
“Yes,” Sloan said, reaching into her breast pocket and offering black leather pocket books to each member at the table. “Aareth will resume a temporary roll as a city inspector, while the three of you will serve as advisors to the crown.”
Jack flipped his pocket book open to see what the dark material contained. A bronze badge bearing the sigil of the city of New Hope, along with a title underneath it in clear block printing that read:
Advisor to the Crown
Jack exchanged wide-eyed looks with Abigail and Elizabeth. Aareth was the only one who didn’t seemed fazed by this new turn of events.
“The servants and guards have also been notified of your stay at the palace,” Sloan said, wiping her mouth with a white napkin stitched with golden bats. “They’ve been instructed to provide you with whatever you may need during your stay.”
“Thank you.” Elizabeth grinned as she studied her badge. “I’ve never been an advisor before.”
“Yes, thank you,” Jack and Abigail repeated.
“Don’t thank me too quickly.” Sloan impaled each of them with a hard stare. “Your titles come with expectations to obey my commands without hesitation. There’s no doubt we’re immersing ourselves into a thick web of manipulation and lies. It’s going to be dangerous, but we’ll make it through this, if you listen to me and we work as a unit.”
Nothing but nods of agreement met the captain’s cold stare.
“Good.” Sloan twisted in her chair, now addressing the staff. “Thank you for your service this morning. You’re presence is no longer requested.”
The staff bowed their way out of the room, closing the door behind them.
“Now”—Sloan reached into her cloak’s breast pocket and produced the journal found in the cave laboratory in Burrow Den—“down to business. I think the obvious leads will be to follow up with the clues we found in the journal. Aareth will visit the writer of the journal, a scientist named Aaron Jebson, who works here in the city. Jack and I will stop by Livingston Industries for a long overdue visit and see what we can find.”
“Wait a minute.” Elizabeth looked to her sister for support. “What about us?”
Jack sat in his chair, surprised the girls had decided to tell Sloan everything they suspected. He admired them, especially Elizabeth who, despite her age, was choosing to come clean with everything.
“Are … are you going to do experiments on me again?” Elizabeth asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“No, never,” Sloan reassured her with a smile. “But the worst thing we can do is to put you in more harm in the meantime. I’ll have the queen’s personal physician come to talk with you. She’ll know for sure whether or not there is anything to be concerned about.”
Elizabeth nodded, content with the answer.
“I want to go,” Abigail said as though waking from a very serious train of thought.
“Excuse me?” Sloan asked.
“I want to help,” Abigail sat straighter in her chair as if the action solidified her resolve. “I can’t sit here and do nothing. Not after what happened … what I did to my father. He was caught up in this conspiracy. I think we all know he wasn’t a good man, but he was my father. Now, my sister is part of this. I have to do something. Please let me help.”
Jack could understand what Abigail was feeling. He’d go crazy if he was forced to sit on the sidelines and wait.
“Your lack of training—” Sloan began.
“I’m a quick learner,” Abigail interrupted before Sloan could continue. “I can be an extra pair of eyes. I can take notes. I can—”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t be responsible for your safety.” Sloan shook her head with a heavy sigh. “I wish there was another way.”
“She can come with me.”
All eyes turned to Aareth.
“You heard me.” Aareth pushed away the empty plate in front of him. “I’ll be responsible for her. I know what it’s like to try to do the right thing. I know how hard and scary it is.”
“All right.” Sloan looked from Abigail to Aareth, shaking her head. “Be careful. If something happens, you summon the city guards. Don’t try anything dangerous.”
“Of course not.” Aareth grinned. “You know me.”
Chapter Nine
Sloan
“Aareth, can I speak with you a moment?” Sloan asked after the rest of the group had finished breakfast and left the room. “It’ll be quick.”
“Before you start, Edison didn’t find anything yet.” Aareth slouched in his chair. “There was a lot of oohing and awwing, even more ‘Elwood get me this’ and ‘Elwood get me that,’ but no answers.”
“I’m sorry.” Sloan stood, trying to figure out a way to comfort Aareth. Far from the hugging type, Sloan went to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I understand you’re going through something unprecedented.”
“Edison did tests until just a few hours ago. He took enough blood samples to fill a small tub.” Aareth leaned over, looking at his hands. “Whatever it is that healed me wants something in return. I can feel a part of me I never knew before, and it’s angry. It wants to get out of its cage.”
Before she could second or third guess herself, Sloan knelt down beside Aareth. She took his defeated face in her hands. The stubble on his cheeks pricked at her palms.
“Edison will find out what’s going on with you.” Sloan looked deep into Aareth’s eyes. “You’re—we’re going to get through this.”
Aareth held her gaze. Their lips inched toward one another as if magnets were drawing them together.
When their lips finally met, a floating sensation filled Sloan’s head. As fast as the kiss had begun, though, Aareth broke it off, while the dozens of reasons she couldn’t be kissing him shouted in her mind. Her rank as an officer, his past as an assassin, and his present condition were all reasons for her to stay away.
“I’m sorry.” Aareth shook his head of dark hair. “This, this isn’t the best time.”
“Don’t be too sorry.” Sloan stood from her kneeling position and headed for the door. Her heart was beating like a war drum. “But you’re right, we’ll revisit this once things have settled down.”
If Sloan knew what the future held, though, she would have never left that kiss.
Chapter Ten
Jack
An hour later, Jack found himself walking down the streets of New Hope with Captain Sloan and a dozen armed soldiers. Passersby nodded hellos to the group. The citizens of New Hope even smiled at them as they passed.
Jack would never have thought the sighting of New Hope guards would bring smiles to civilian faces. Within their own walls, the soldiers of New Hope were loved. In the Outland, the city of New Hope and all of those inside, were viewed as elitists, too good to be bothered with the rest of the world.
Jack walked down the street, looking inside shop windows boasting sales of expensive furniture, the latest fashion trends, and more. One shop stood out from the rest. A bright red-and-gold banner hovered over the door. It sported a sign reading:
Weatherby Eyewear
On the other side of the giant glass window, a multitude of eye patches, glasses, and goggles beckoned to onlookers.
Jack had to remind himself to focus. With difficulty, he tore his eyes from the beckoning call of the store. Another few blocks down, Sloan stopped. Jack recognized the alley he had run into with Aareth the day before. He felt the bruises where the would-be assassin had struck him during her escape.
“I thought we were going to visit Doctor Livingston?” Jack gave Sloan a sideways glance. “What are we doing here?”
“We are.” Sloan scrunched her brow as she looked at the red-bricked store with a sign that read: Lovegood’s Fine Leathers and Hides. “I want to take a look at the spot where the assassin took her shot. I was given a report this morning on the scene and it just so happens that she left her weapon behind, as well.”
“Do you think that will help?”
“Maybe.” Sloan shrugged. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Somehow the assassin has to be involved with the events in Burrow Den.”
A well-dressed man interrupted Jack and Sloan from any further conversation. He wore a gold monocle and an ebony top hat. He approached the pair with a determined stride, fury written across his aged face.
“Captain Sloan.” He ignored Jack for the moment. “If you will kindly tell me when my store will be able to reopen? Daylight is a commodity I cannot spare to waste. Every minute that passes is a minute I’m not making money.”
“I understand, Mr. Lovegood.” Sloan crossed her arms over her chest. “But your business was the scene of a crime, and not just any crime, an attempt on the queen’s life. I’ll be sure to tell my men to expedite the process, but even so, your store will be closed for a few days, at the minimum.”
“Oh, very well.” Mr. Lovegood bit his lip so hard, Jack thought it would bleed. Choosing not to contend with the captain, he vented his frustration. “Arguing with the crown is pointless. It seems their only interest these days is sending our funds to the Outland and assisting communities far beneath us.”
Before Sloan could form a rebuttal, Mr. Lovegood was off with a swoosh of his long traveling cloak. A harsh scent of soap lingered in his wake.
“People really have no idea what’s going on outside these walls, do they?” Jack asked.
“There’s an elitist faction that would rather count their piles of gold than to even think of offering assistance to their own family.” Sloan curled her lip in disgust. “Come on, there’s Lieutenant Baker.”
Jack followed Sloan as she crossed the temporary barricades marking the business as a crime scene. She exchanged quick salutes with the soldiers on guard duty.
“Any more news on our assassin?” Sloan addressed the sharply dressed lieutenant. “Tell me we have something to g
o on.”
Lieutenant Baker saluted Sloan and smiled at Jack. The last time Jack had seen the lieutenant, he had been escorting him and his father to New Hope for an audience with the queen.
“Hello, Jack.” Lieutenant Baker offered a gloved hand. “I’m sorry to hear about your father, he was a hero.”
“Thank you.” Jack accepted the handshake. “He is.”
“Besides the weapon and the eyewitness accounts”—Lieutenant Baker cleared his throat—“we haven’t much else to go on.”
“Did you trace the weapon’s origin?” Sloan drummed her fingers on the hilt of her mage sword.
“Yes. It wasn’t made or bought in New Hope, as far as we can tell.” The Lieutenant reached into his uniform pocket and brought out an aged leather notebook, flipping to a heavily marked page. He read on, “It’s primitive, probably purchased in the Outland years ago, and changed hands a dozen times since. Would you like to see it?”
“Yes,” Sloan said.
Jack and Sloan followed Lieutenant Baker into the building that smelled of fresh leather and tanning chemicals. The first floor was a spotless storefront with rows of leather—gloves, cloaks, hats, and clothes for any occasion. The lieutenant gave them a tour as they headed for the stairs.
“As you can see, the first level is open to the public. The next levels are where all of the workshops that manufacture the products are located.”
“Was the store open when the assassin broke in?” Jack wondered aloud as they entered through a door in the back corner of the room that provided a spiral stairwell to the roof.
“No, Mr. Lovegood closed the store for an hour during the ceremony. The assassin entered the store through a first-story window.” The lieutenant jogged up the stairs, with Sloan and Jack following close behind. “Whoever she is, she’s an expert. The window she’d entered through wasn’t broken or even damaged. She picked the lock.”
The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5) Page 23