by Amy Sumida
“What's so damn special about your blood anyway?” Jason asked. “Why do two races want it?”
“My father created an elixir to make people immune to toxins,” I said. “It was intended for the Triari to use so they could inhabit Tuburo.”
“That planet the Bleiten fought them over?” Leo asked.
“One and the same,” I said.
I paused and looked around at these strangers. Was I really going to tell them about the Amaranthine Elixir? Was it fair not to? They were risking their lives for me, and I was a stranger to them. Perhaps I should offer them some trust in return.
“The Amaranthine Elixir worked too well,” I went on. “It healed everything; every wound and every effect of aging.”
“Are you talking about immortality?” Tempest whispered.
“I am,” I admitted.
Then I took a deep breath and told them everything; my father going into hiding, my cancer, the way the elixir had mutated me, and how the Bleiten thought they could separate the elixir from my blood. By the time I was done, they were all gaping at me.
“You're immortal?” Leo whispered.
“Yes; it appears so,” I said. “I just found out about it myself. I know it's a lot to process.”
“They must be pretty damn advanced if they think they can find the elixir inside your blood after all this time,” Jason said. “I'm not an expert or anything, but as far as I know, you can't pull a vaccine out of someone who's been vaccinated.”
“The Bleiten believe they can,” I said with a shrug. “But, at least they've offered me something in exchange for it. I think the Triari would simply take it from me if given the chance.”
“So, what? You think the Bleiten are businessmen, and the Triari are the ones who have been kidnapping women?” Lily asked. “The Triari already know who you are; there's no point in kidnapping other women.”
“True,” I admitted. “But it seems as if the Bleiten have known who I was for awhile too. It doesn't make sense for either of them to abduct those women.” I rubbed at my head in frustration. “I just don't know who to trust anymore.”
“Well, from a man who deals in truths,” Jason said, “trust no one; especially not those who want something from you.”
“Lovely, Veritas,” Lily huffed.
“Oh, yes; we try to stay in persona while together,” Leo explained. “Just in case someone is listening.”
I smiled tightly and nodded. There's the crazy I had been expecting.
“It's not paranoia,” Jason said in response to my expression. “We've found people spying on us before.”
“Spying on you?” I asked in surprise. “Who was it?”
“We don't know,” Lily said with a grimace. “We weren't able to catch them. But we found footprints on the balcony that don't belong to any of us; there definitely was someone spying on us.”
“On the balcony?” I asked as I recalled the aura I'd seen outside my window. “So, someone either scaled your building or flew up here.”
“There's a fire escape,” Lily said. “I don't think they had to fly.”
“Oh,” I said with a little relief; it would have been very odd indeed if Kyrian were watching Davorin's friends. “Are you sure that they were spying on the group and it wasn't just a pervert spying on you, Tempest?”
The three of them frowned and looked at each other consideringly.
“Never mind all of that,” Jason said. “What happened with the Bleiten?”
“Malik said he'd give me two days to think about his offer,” I said. “I think I'd like to use those two days to come up with a way to trap him instead.”
“Malik?” Lily asked. “You're on a first-name basis with the Bleiten warlord?”
“He told me his name.” I shrugged. “What's wrong with using it?”
“What do you want to do with Malik after you catch him?” Leo asked.
“I don't know,” I admitted. “Interrogate him? Force him to back off? I haven't thought that far.”
“Neither of those will provide positive results,” Jason said. “A Bleiten will die before he gives up any of his secrets, and the same goes for backing off. More so for backing off; his people would execute him for his failure.”
Something tightened in my belly. I didn't like the thought of Malik being executed. Which confirmed it; I was losing my mind.
“Malik said he's been watching me,” I murmured. “Why would he wait until now to approach me unless he's genuine in his offer?”
“The Bleiten have been watching you?” Lily's eyes went wide. “Fuck; you'd better warn your family, Amara.”
I blinked in shock as I realized that Lily was right; there were other ways to get me to cooperate.
“Landry,” I whispered as I lunged for my purse.
The others exchanged concerned looks as I called my foster father. Landry picked up on the fourth ring; the cacophony of the bar blaring behind his voice.
“Yeah?” He shouted.
“Landry, keep that blaster near you at all times,” I said.
“Why? What's happened?”
“I spoke to a Bleiten tonight,” I said hurriedly. “They know who I am.”
“How long have they known?”
“I don't know,” I said. Leave it to Landry to ask the important questions immediately. “He said they've been watching me; trying to decide how to approach me.”
“Sounds like awhile then,” Landry said gruffly. “Are you safe where you are?”
“Yes; I think so.”
“Good; stay there for now,” he said. “When you're ready to come home, call me, and I'll come and get you.”
“That's not why I phoned,” I growled. “If they know who I am, they know who you are, Land.”
“I'm always on guard, kid,” Landry said. “Don't you worry about me.”
“Amp up the guard, Landry,” I snapped.
“I love you too.” He hung up.
“You pig-headed tree-man,” I huffed.
Leo laughed. “I like Landry; he's very down-to-earth.”
“Well-rooted, even,” Jason added.
“Let me explain something to the two of you that you seem to be ignorant of,” I said in a tight voice. “I may say nasty things about my foster father because he's my family and that makes it okay. But you are not my family, and nasty things from you are just nasty. One more tree joke, and I'll make you cry like a baby.”
“Got it,” Jason said as he held up his hands in surrender.
I looked at Leo.
“Sorry,” Leo said. “I was trying for some levity.”
“Idiots,” Lily muttered as she shook her head.
“So, what exactly do you do?” I asked them. “On your average superhero night, what's your routine?”
“We usually patrol while we listen to police scanners,” Lily said. “We each take turns unless we come across a situation requiring a special talent or multiple talents.”
“You just walk around and listen to the cops?” I asked. “That seems inefficient; then you only find the crime that's already been found.”
“What would you do?” Jason asked.
“I would find myself a lofty location to survey the city from,” I said. “But then again, I can see people's intentions through aura spikes.”
“Now, there's a handy ability.” Jason smirked.
“Never mind what we do normally,” Leo said. “We need to come up with a plan for what to do now; for you.”
“All right; let's brainstorm,” I suggested.
Lily smiled. “I love storms.”
Chapter Twenty-One
By the time Davorin showed up, we had a plan. We were going to attempt to catch Malik or one of his underlings using a combination of our talents. We decided that if we managed to catch Malik himself, we could hand him over to the U.S. Government, and they could negotiate terms on my behalf. At the very least, it would show the Bleiten that I wasn't someone they could intimidate. Bleiten admired strength; Malik him
self had praised mine. So, I would show them how strong I was.
Davorin muttered and grumbled a bit after he heard that a Bleiten had been in Flamethrower's, and I hadn't told him; going on about his Scooby-sense and how he knew something bad had been brewing. But then he calmed down and started working with us. I would be the bait, of course, and the others would be the trap. We worked out all the details, and then Davorin drove me back to The Wilds on his motorcycle.
I hate motorcycles. People rave about the freedom and the sex-appeal of having a piece of vibrating steel between their legs. Frankly, if I was looking for that kind of thrill, an actual vibrator was a safer choice and it wouldn't mess up my hair like a motorcycle; not unless I was feeling quite frisky indeed. At least it was a short ride; most of which I spent huddled behind Davorin's bulk so I wouldn't be stung by the wind—which became biting at the speed he was going. Davorin thought this was hilarious.
“All of my dates love the bike,” Davorin said as he helped me off his death machine.
“Your dates are either lying or they have a death wish,” I declared as I tried to work the knots out of my hair. “And what's wrong with you? You don't wear a helmet?”
“Only when I leave the Market,” he said.
“As if you can't get into an accident in here,” I huffed as I unlocked The Wild's front door. “You're probably more likely to.”
“The Market's safe.” Dav held open the door for me. “Supes drive better than humans.”
“You're delusional,” I declared.
“You're welcome,” Davorin said with a smirk.
“For being delusional?”
“For driving you home.”
“Even with the Bleiten after me, I would have been safer walking,” I huffed.
“You know I would never let anything happen to you,” Davorin murmured as he ran his hand down my arm. “You look hot tonight, by the way.”
“Save it for your motorcycle hussies,” I said.
“Did you just use the word 'hussies?'” He asked and then laughed. “What are you; ninety?”
“Goodnight, Davorin,” I said primly; exactly like a ninety-year-old.
“Goodnight, Spectra.” Davorin kissed my cheek before backing out the door.
I locked and barred it after him and then headed up to the apartment. I tip-toed up the stairs and down the hall to my old bedroom, but Landry still heard me. Landry has an affinity for wood; he could hear and interpret every creek. It was as if the stuff spoke to him.
“Goodnight, kid,” he called out. “Sleep tight; I got the blaster on the floor beside my bed.”
“Thanks, Land,” I called back. “Goodnight.”
I went to the window and stared down at the street. There were a few people wandering about and several more in Mama's Diner, but Davorin had already sped away. Then I saw a flare of a deep crimson; sexual attraction bordering on pure lust. I frowned and focused on the aura. It was coming from the alley beside Mama's, and it looked familiar.
“You said you'd give me two days,” I muttered as I narrowed my stare on the aura.
Almost as if he'd heard me, Malik stepped out of the shadows and leaned casually against the corner of Mama's Diner. He crossed his thick arms and smiled slowly; his stare set on mine. Then he gave me a reassuring nod.
He was just there to watch... again. I narrowed my eyes at him as I recalled the aura outside my window. Maybe it hadn't been Kyrian after all. Bleiten had winged battle-forms; Malik could have easily used his to fly up to the second floor of my townhouse. And then there were the footprints on Lily's balcony. Had the Bleiten been watching Davorin and his friends too? If so, why did one of them accost me on the street? Why not follow me to Davorin's? And why approach me now—in such a seductive way, no less?
I whisked my curtains closed and backed away from the window. My heart was racing again, and I didn't like the images that were filling my head. Could Bleiten mess with a person's mind? I'd never heard of them having such a talent. But this was insane. I could not be attracted to a creepy Peeping Tom who had been sent to hunt me down for my blood. No; not possible. I was far too rational for that.
But as I slipped out of my clothes and slid beneath the covers, my thoughts kept returning to Malik. I wondered if he were still out there and how long he'd stay; staring up at my window like a forlorn lover. It had to be a message. Malik wanted me to see that he knew where I was and intended to keep me within his sights until I had made a decision. He wanted me to know that I couldn't elude him.
“You're making this too easy,” I muttered to the dark.
Malik may know where I was, but that also meant that I knew where he'd be; right where I wanted him. I could walk Malik straight into our trap, and I wouldn't have to wait two days to do it. The hunter would become the hunted.
“Goodnight, Malik,” I whispered. “Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
In the middle of the night, something woke me; movement on the bed. A hand slid over the blankets; moving up my arm and then over my cheek. I'd been dreaming about dancing with sexy demons so I sighed and shifted into the touch. But then that touch intensified, and I woke up to find that there wasn't a bleiten in my bed.
I would have preferred the Bleiten.
“You cost me my job, bitch,” the man above me snarled in my face. “And it was a hefty paycheck. So, I'm going to take my payment out of you.”
He was thin and wiry, with claw-like hands that were digging into my neck, and pale hair slicked back into a ponytail that emphasized his menacing expression. He bared his teeth at me like an animal; revealing the sharp points of his canines. But these weren't the thick teeth of a Bleiten. They were much thinner; more snake than wolf. The Ungaru tracker; it had to be.
I tore at his hands as I blasted him with denim-blue light. The color hit his mouth and made the soft tissue there swell until it began to rupture. He shrieked and reared back—blood dripping out of his mouth and over my face—but he kept his hands securely around my throat. I was about to drop the denim down to a calming robin's egg when something massive knocked into him from the side and went tumbling off the bed with him. I clambered to my knees and watched in horrified fascination as the Ungaru was torn to shreds and beaten by Bleiten claws and fists.
“I told you to stay away from her,” Malik growled in the Ungaru's face as he surged to his feet; dragging the smaller man up with him.
“I did my job,” the Ungaru snapped as he tried to wrestle away from Malik. “I found her.”
“And then you led me somewhere she wasn't,” Malik said calmly. “But that doesn't matter. I told you to stand down, and you should have listened.”
I gaped as Malik lifted the Ungaru even higher; the smaller man's feet dangling off the floor. Malik narrowed his eyes at the Ungaru and drew back his free hand. Moonlight glinted off the deadly tips of the Bleiten's claws, and I found myself admiring the way that only his hand had shifted. His fingers had thickened and darkened to a leathery ebony, but that darkness faded at his wrist to become normal flesh again. I was so distracted by Malik's magnificent monstrosity that I didn't hear a new set of footsteps approaching.
But Malik did.
Just before Malik brought down those lethal claws, he glanced toward his left and leaned back suddenly; holding the Ungaru out further. A roaring boom echoed through my bedroom as the Ungaru's head exploded; pieces of it spraying everywhere.
I let out a startled shriek as Malik turned his head away from the blast with a wincing squint. He shook off blood and bits of bone like a dog shakes off water and then turned to look at Landry in irritation. My foster father stood in my bedroom door; holding the Bleiten Blaster at hip level. Landry cocked the gun and swiveled the barrel toward Malik. Malik casually tossed the Ungaru aside and then turned toward Landry; his shoulders stretching in preparation of a fight.
“Stop!” I shouted as I jumped out of bed.
Both of the men glanced at me in surprise as I leapt
between them and let out a pulse of stress-relieving amethyst. The men each took a deep, calming breath, but they continued to glare at each other.
“Get out of the way, kid,” Landry said sternly.
“I came to protect her, not hurt her,” Malik said to Landry. “I saw the Ungaru enter your home, and I came in after him; that's all.”
“Thank you,” I said to Malik. “But I had it under control. Now, please leave before Landry blasts you into little bleiten bits.”
“What the fuck is going on here?” Landry gaped from me to Malik. “Are you seriously having a polite conversation with a bleiten?”
“I'm sorry about the Ungaru, Amaranthine,” Malik said softly. “I should have caught him before he entered your chambers.”
“No one calls her that,” Landry snapped as he lifted his blaster again. “Her name is Amara.”
Malik glanced at Landry and then slid his gaze back to me. “My deepest apologies, Amara. This is not the sort of sport I wish to bring to your bed.” He took my hand and kissed it lingeringly; his dark gaze fixed to mine. “I hope that you'll give me the chance to return.”
Then Malik swept out of the open window and disappeared into the night like the demon he was.
“They're brown,” I murmured beneath my breath; as the image of Malik's eyes haunted me. “A dark chocolate brown; bittersweet and addictive.”
“Was that fucker flirting with you?” Landry asked in horror. “And were you flirting back?”
His tone broke through my romantic musings, and I was glad it had. What was wrong with me? I was acting like a schoolgirl with her first crush. What was next; writing our names in hearts?
“No; that wasn't flirting,” I murmured, but I wasn't convinced.
“You had better start talking, kid,” Landry slung his blaster over his shoulder.
“Let me wash the blood off my face first,” I said as I headed toward the bathroom.
“You do that.” Landry strode in the opposite direction—to the window—and stared down at the street with a determined look on his face. “And I'll just make sure that Romeo doesn't come back to your window again.”
