Hex Boys In Disguise

by A and E Kirk

  The Boys looked in the direction of the explosion. The lake.

  “Aurora!” Ayden bolted into a dead run.

  Blake followed, yelling, “Babe!”

  Logan launched into the air and flew out of sight.

  Ayden’s emotions ran wild. Fire scorched across his skin and illuminated the forest around him. He pushed faster and faster, but never stumbled, and with Blake hot on his heels, the two burst through the trees to see Gossamer Falls Lake covered in rabid flames.

  Boats were ablaze. Along with sailboats, motor boats, canoes, and plastic peddle boats melting into the water. Several crafts were tipped on their side and sinking. Chunks of fiery wood floated on the surface of the water. The far end of the dock ended in a splintered mess. The boathouse looked like the bombed-out remains of a direct missile attack.

  Ayden skidded to a stop at the shore, scanning the water as he ripped off his jacket. “Aurora!”

  A few feet above the water, Logan zigzagged in a blur like a nervous UFO. He wasn’t alone. Jayden flew equally frantic, swooping so low and fast water waked behind him.

  “Babe!” Blake rushed along the shore line.

  “Are we sure it was Aurora?” Tristan sprinted across the golf course.

  “Who else could cause this level of disaster!” Matthias ran through one of the many smoking holes of the boathouse. “Do something about these bloody flames!”

  Ayden waved a distracted hand and kicked off his shoes. The fire sputtered and died until the boathouse merely smoked. Inside, Matthias coughed and grunted. Debris flung out and wood cracked.

  “She’s not here.” Matthias stomped out of the rubble.

  “Blake, what’s wrong?” Tristan said. “Is she in the forest?”

  Ayden turned to Blake who faced the trees, his back to the lake.

  “Not babe, but I think someone’s out there.” Blake pointed toward the woods.

  A twig snapped.

  Matthias reached forward. Shadows jumped and jittered on the ground, then stretched to knife into the trees. The Boys waited with bated breath. They could hear the whish and snap of Matthias’ whips as they serpentined like hungry snakes searching for prey.

  With a burst of embers, an oar erupted from a boat and spiraled through the air. Tristan yanked Ayden back. The oar speared into the sand, inches from Ayden’s feet, wobbling from impact with a throaty twang.

  “Be careful!” Tristan snapped.

  “You sure there’s something out there?” Matthias said.

  “It’s…” Blake shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “See?” a perky voice carried over the crackling flame. “It’s fine. No monsters.”

  “Aurora?” Ayden’s eyes scanned the lake.

  A dripping wet Aurora hopped off a smoldering boat onto the shambled remains of the dock. She nearly botched the landing, off-balance due to the small child latched to her chest.

  “And,” Aurora continued, voice growing louder, “if there are any more monsters with knives or guns or masks or—or whatever, I’ll just do that ka-boom thing I just did. Totally on purpose. All me!”

  “Babe!” Blake sprinted for the docks with Ayden and Tristan.

  “Would you calm down?” Standing on the sand, Matthias rolled his eyes. “I told you she’s fine.”

  “Look, Seth.” Aurora waved and nudged the little boy in her arms. “The Hex Boys are here for the fireworks, bonfire thing too!”

  Seth clutched onto Aurora, shivering and crying, his head buried in her shoulder. Aurora’s blood smeared the back of his shirt. The wounds from the garrote wire on her arms still oozed. Blood dripped from a few shallow cuts on her cheeks and arms. Several angry, red lumps swelled with the promise of bruises.

  “Well?” Aurora bugged her eyes at the approaching Boys. “How much longer is the fireworks bonfire show going to go on?”

  “All over,” Ayden said.

  Blake squatted low and smiled. “Whoa, who’s this little guy?”

  “Seth?” Matthias thundered onto the docks.

  “Matty!” Seth unlatched from Aurora and reached for Matthias.

  The Aussie caught the child and hugged him tight. “Hey, mate, what are you doing out here?”

  “M-m-monsters! Everywhere!”

  “I bet you were very brave.” Matthias strode quickly for the golf course and away from the flaming wreckage.

  “Seth?...Seth?!” Aurora gaped after them and stood on the beach, stunned. “After all we’ve been through together you’re going to ignore me for that jerk?”

  Jayden descended from the sky and hit the ground beside Aurora with a puff of sand. “What injuries have you sustained?”

  “I’ll survive.” Aurora grabbed a fistful of her dress and wrung it out. “All the demons gone?”

  “Yeah.” Logan dropped beside them.

  “Great. Perfect. Awesome.” Aurora leaned over and took a deep breath before righting so abruptly she almost fell. “Hey, anyone seen my boot? Actually, never mind. What time is it? After nine?”

  “No. How long do you think you’ve been out here?” Ayden brushed wet curls from her face to check for any head injuries.

  “I think Gossamer Grind is open until ten,” she said.

  “They have a fireplace,” Blake said.

  “My thoughts exactly. Warm and romantic. So?” Aurora smiled and held out her hand. “Shall we?”

  Ayden stared at her. Beaten, looking like a drowned rat for the umpteenth time, fresh from an assassination attempt, and she wanted to carry on? Her determination and perseverance were something to behold.

  Aurora’s smile faltered. She glanced at the other Hex Boys’ worried expressions. “Yikes. How bad do I look?”

  “Not bad at all.” Logan’s eyes bugged, and he suddenly became very interested in his cuff links.

  Jayden whispered to Tristan, “Is this a moment where we answer honestly or lie?”

  Tristan elbowed Jayden in the ribs. “Aurora, you look fine.”

  “Yep, babe. Gorgeous as usual.”

  “Oh. I see.” Jayden nodded. “Lie.”

  Ayden gathered Aurora’s hand in his and led her toward the country club. “If we’re lucky they might still have chocolate éclairs.”

  Aurora let out a dreamy sigh and leaned into him. “I’d kill for one of those.”

  By the time the group made it to the parking lot, they had a rough idea of how to manage the crisis and felt confident they didn’t need Ayden or Aurora’s assistance.

  With a gallant flourish, Ayden opened the passenger side door of his car. “My lady.”

  Aurora giggled. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

  The sheriff’s car screeched in front of them amid flashing lights and a shrill wail of the siren. So startled, Aurora descended into the car too early and ended up sprawled on the ground.

  The sheriff stomped out of his car. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Date night?” Aurora said.

  The sheriff barked out a laugh, then sobered. “Oh. You were serious? Yeah, that’s not happening.”

  OPERATION:

  Lying? Not a Good Idea. Then Again…

  LOCATION:

  Gossamer High School

  The Gothic monolith of Gossamer High was built over a hundred years ago by Nathan Flint. It stood tall as an impressive edifice of stone and glass, its spires and turrets reaching for the sky. Large, intricately carved stone gargoyles perched atop the uppermost towers kept a vigil over the lands. Ayden and Blake strode across the vast, well-manicured lawns of the old estate. The morning mists were long gone, but a chill lingered despite the sunshine. Ducks quacked good-naturedly in a nearby pond, dipping their heads for a quick bath.

  Other than Tristan, Jayden, and Logan waiting at an isolated table, the large grassy area was deserted because fourth period classes were still in session.

  “I always meet Aurora and walk her to lunch,” Ayden said. “Did Tristan
say why he wanted us here early before she showed up?”

  “Nope, just that I was supposed to get you pronto. Don’t worry. Before he left P.E., Logan told her where to meet us.” Blake waved a hand as he walked, and the many dormant plants he passed instantly grew into full blossoms. A fresh floral fragrance suddenly infused the air. He breathed deep and smiled. “I love springtime.”

  Ayden chuckled as he glanced at the abundance of new flowers. “Which is why you always make it come early.” He jogged that last few yards and slid onto the picnic table bench, eyeing the neatly stacked files in front of Tristan, who looked more nervous than usual. He glanced at Jayden and Logan. “What’s wrong?”

  Jayden frowned. “He has been reticent. Refusing to divulge any relevant elucidation of his concerns until we were all in attendance.”

  “Matthias is going to be late,” Ayden said. “So spill now.”

  Tristan ran a hand through his hair. “I’d rather—”

  Ayden slammed a fist on the table, making Tristan jump and yelp.

  “Sorry,” Ayden said, closing his eyes briefly. Worry and lack of sleep were doing nothing to help his temper. “But I assume this has something to do with Aurora, which is why you didn’t want her here. We can fill Matthias in later.”

  “He’s right,” Logan said. “Spill.”

  Tristan thought for a moment, then said, “Okay, okay. I’m worried about showing Aurora the info on the Psycho Squad.”

  “Dude, you already showed it to her,” Blake said. “You already showed all of us. Is that why we’re here today and why I’m missing lunch? Which could seriously mess with my muscle mass.”

  “Right.” Tristan nodded. “But the previous files were incomplete. Actually, they’re still incomplete. But I uncovered some additional and...” He took a breath then spoke in a rush. “Let’s call it some additional and disturbing information that I added to this set of files I was going to go over today, but then I thought maybe I shouldn’t add the info, at least for Aurora since she already said these files were giving her nightmares.”

  Ayden’s mouth set in a grim line. “She had another one last night.”

  “Not surprising,” Tristan said. “We know she freaks out sometimes.”

  “Fair point,” Logan said.

  Ayden gave them sharp looks. “She’s been doing damn good considering the circumstances and her lack of training, not to mention the short time she’s been dealing with this new reality. Demons, Mandatum, Divinicus Nex, Waiting World. And just last night, she had demons we can’t even see, plus a knife to her throat, and she almost got blown up. Come on. Give her a break.”

  “I know,” Tristan said quickly. “I’m not discounting that. In fact, it’s because she has so much to deal with that I was thinking we should give her a bit of a break from this other stuff.”

  “Stuff?” Jayden said with annoyance. “The word has no definitive quantification for us to base an opinion upon in regards to sharing with Aurora. The situation necessitates specific facts.”

  “Regardless of specifics,” Ayden said. “Let me remind everyone that when we keep any stuff from her, things have a tendency to go bad. Plus, I’m not good with lying to her.”

  “I’m not saying we should lie exactly, just maybe…” Tristan twirled a hand in the air. “Refrain from providing certain relevant facts.”

  Ayden started to protest, but Logan jumped in saying, “Why don’t you tell us about this new information.”

  “Specific information,” Jayden added.

  “Fine,” Logan said. “Give us the specific information, and we can go from there.”

  “Seems fair,” Blake said.

  Ayden sighed with a grimace, but nodded.

  Tristan shuffled through the files. “So, I got new info on Basheera, their fire hunter. But the real problem, well, one of the real problems is Horus.”

  Logan stiffened. “The wind hunter? You said you didn’t have much on him. How bad can he be?”

  “Bad?” Tristan flipped open a file so fast, papers flew in the air. Logan twirled a finger and the papers settled into Tristan’s grasping hands. He slapped the paperwork on the table. “Let me see. Not bad at all, other than he’s a killer.”

  “We know that,” Ayden said. “They all are.”

  “Yeah,” Tristan said, looking over his shoulder. “But he’s different.”

  Tristan pulled out some photographs and spread them out on the table.

  “Oh God,” Ayden muttered.

  The rest of the Boys gathered closer for a look.

  “Whoa! Dude!” Blake held up a hand to shield his eyes, wincing a look between his fingers. “That’s nasty. And I’ve seen plenty of nasty.”

  Jayden pushed the pictures around with his fingertips, then picked one up and studied it closely. “Yes, this does show an inordinate amount of brutal thoroughness in regards to making sure the victim is effectively deceased.”

  Ayden frowned. “Shows his thoroughness? More like his craziness.”

  “You’re sure this is the wind hunter?” Logan said.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Tristan flipped through files. “I’ve got some other stuff. And more photos.”

  “Not necessary.” Logan quickly waved him off.

  Blake started flipping the photos facedown and swallowed hard. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

  “Now you know what I’ve been going through.” With frantic irritation, Tristan pulled out newspaper clippings, most of them in languages other than English. “I’ve found stuff in a load of countries. I can’t believe this guy’s on our side! The Mandatum has to know, right? Which means these are sanctioned? Or they’re turning a blind eye? Or—”

  Ayden put a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “Calm down. Now we know too. You don’t have to handle this alone. We’ll figure something out.”

  “Sure. I’ll try. Thanks.” Tristan tried to put the newspaper clippings in some sort of order, but gave up in frustration, shaking his fists in the air, his eyes squeezed shut. “But I’m freaking out, so how can I expect Aurora not to freak out? And all that isn’t even the worst part.” Tristan shuffled through files again.

  Logan said, “Maybe it isn’t all as bad as you think.”

  Tristan slapped another file open. “Cacciatori.”

  “Or maybe it is,” Ayden said with a grim sigh.

  Tristan leaned forward, his eyes more than a little wild. “He’s attacked his team members. Tried to kill them. Repeatedly.”

  Blake looked aghast. “But he’s such a good guy. Especially with the ladies.”

  “No, Blake,” Tristan said. “He’s a stab-you-in-the-back kind of guy. Literally. Or shoot you. And did I mention that was with his own team!”

  “Well, if the rest are like Horus, you can’t blame him,” Ayden said.

  “Oh no, that’s the worst part. Horus and Cristiano are besties.” Tristan tittered a nervous laugh. “Because, of course, Cacciatori’s best friend is a psycho killer. But that doesn’t mean Horus is exempt from Cristiano’s crazy. In the middle of missions, Cristiano just leaves his team for dead. Including Horus. He just disappears. One time, when they were battling a really serious demon attack, he knocked them all out first, then left them for dead.”

  Logan smoothed his tie. “That’s, uh, worrisome.”

  “Ya think?” Tristan said. “So I guess it’s no wonder they’ve tried to kill him too. Again, repeatedly.”

  Jayden looked confused. “Demons?”

  Tristan snapped, “No, Jayden. Haven’t you been listening? Not demons. The Psycho Squad. His own team members have tried to kill him!”

  A few seconds into the stunned silence, the lunch bell rang. They all looked over their shoulders.

  “We’re running out of time,” Logan said. “Tristan, are you sure about all this? And they’ve really tried to kill Cacciatori?”

  “Yes!” As he spoke, he turned pages and pointed at various sections. “They are
all nuts! They’ve stabbed him, shot him, run him over with a truck. They even threw him out of a plane without a parachute—”

  “Maybe he can fly.”

  “—unconscious and strapped with explosives which they detonated to try to blow him up.”

  “Oh.”

  “Horus hasn’t tried to hurt him because, again. They. Are. Besties. But after that time Cacciatori knocked out the team and ditched them in the middle of the demon brawl, the rest of them tracked Cacciatori down and put him in some Mandatum psych ward under heavy meds and used an alias so even Sophina didn’t know where he was.”

  Jayden popped his thumbs in and out of joint. “That would constitute a severe breach of protocol.”

  “No kidding,” Tristan snorted. “When Sophina eventually found him, she slapped them with an official Mandatum reprimand.” He picked up a piece of paper and waved it in the air. “Not their first for this kind of thing, just by the way, which means they’re willing to risk their careers to go after this guy. They also requested he be removed from the squad.”

  “Hey,” Blake said cheerfully. “Maybe he could join our team.” A bright orange Frisbee flew through the air and thunked Blake in the head. “Ow!” He rubbed the back of his skull.

  The Boys looked around, but while the grounds were filling up with students, no one appeared anxious to take responsibility for the rogue flying object.

  Logan picked up the Frisbee and flung it into the air, then told Tristan, “No way. Teams are sanctioned for life. Except under extreme circumstances.”

  “Exactly. Basheera complained that he was a…” Tristan searched through the paperwork. “Here it is. An ‘unmitigated threat to the safety of every member of the team.’ Can you believe it? She’s practically a gladiator god slayer, a Sicarius level demon hunter, and she’s scared of him. Not Horus. No, she’s fine with Horus and the rest of the nut-jobs on the squad, it’s Cacciatori she’s scared of!”

  Even students far away turned toward the Boys since Tristan’s voice had reached a high-pitched level of near screeching.

  “Dude, deep breaths,” Blake said, a hand on Tristan’s back.