An hour or so later, we walk into the Factory and we're immediately met at the door by Clay.
“What the hell did you two do?”
“What? We didn't do anything,” Kateri says.
“That's not what we heard.”
“Father wants to see us?”
He just nods. I sigh and shake my head.
“Can you do me a favor? Can you take this stuff up to our room?”
“Sure.” We hand him the suitcase and other items I recovered from my house.
We turn and start the long walk to Father's office. The place is empty as we pass through the mess hall. It almost feels like everyone else cut out to avoid being caught up in Father's anger. I've never really seen him upset, maybe a little ticked off at Kateri, but something tells me this is worse. The map room is as busy as usual, but when we reach Father's office, he's not there.
“What are we supposed to do?” I ask.
“I guess we better wait.”
We take a seat in our usual chairs. A few minutes later, Father walks in, steps behind his desk and sits. He doesn't say a word, he just stares at us for the longest time. Finally, when I don't think I can take it one second longer, he speaks.
“So, who wants to explain to me what the hell you think you were doing?”
“We went and got some of Eve's stuff. We told you that,” Kateri says.
“Yes, and?”
“And we had an encounter with a demon, which we dispatched.”
“And?”
Kateri looks over at me.
“And what?” I ask, being brave while shaking like a leaf inside.
“The conversation you had with your friend, Amanda.”
For a moment, I'm stunned, but then I feel a wave of anger welling up inside me at this blatant intrusion on my privacy.
“How did you know about that?”
“I wasn't sure about it, until now,” he says, looking pointedly at me. “One of the guards reported that she came to the house, and she was inside at the same time you were.”
I sigh and stare back at him, the anger I felt a moment ago, turning into rage.
“Fine. I told Amanda about what's happened to me, only because she saw me after the fight with the demon. A demon that was there to kill me, and that would have killed her by mistake if we hadn't intervened. By the way, were the extra guards there just to spy on me, or would they have actually done something to save my friend?” I ask, but not allowing him any time to answer.
Kateri reaches over and touches my hand, but I pull my arm away.
“You know, I didn't want any of this. I didn't need to have you or any of the rest of this in my life. You pulled me into all this this chaos, and now my mother is dead.” For a moment, the rest of my words catch in my throat, but I push through and continue my tirade as my hands tremble. “My life as I knew it is over, and you don't think it was okay that I had a talk with my best friend, the last thing that gives me any grip on what used to be my normal life. A fucking demon came into my house! My house, god-damn it! It would have killed my friend if we hadn't been there, and you have the balls to sit behind your desk and lecture me about how I ‘broke the rules’ and said goodbye to my friend and warned her that she's in danger. Well, you know what, Father,” I say, spitting the word at him. “You can go fuck yourself!”
I stand up and march out of the room, trying desperately not to cry, not to break down in front of him, or any of the others who heard my blowout. I walk out of the map room, but by the time I reach the mess hall, I'm running, frantically searching for a place where I can let out the storm of tears that's trying to burst forth. I reach the exit, and slip outside, running across the empty, trash strewn parking lot until I spot the rusting remains of an old delivery truck. As I climb inside, the springs moan under my weight, and I collapse against the wall of the cargo area. Sliding down to the floor, I start crying and slamming my fists against the floor.
Finally, after my hands are sore, and my knuckles scraped raw on the harsh, rusty metal, I rest my head on my knees and sob. A little while later, I feel the old truck shift slightly as someone climbs into the cab. I know it's Kateri without even looking.
“Leave me alone,” I say, not trying to be mean, just making a simple request.
I want her to stay, I want her to tell me it's okay, even though I know it's far from the truth.
“Okay, but can I say one thing?”
I look up at her as she stands there, framed in the opening for an old sliding door that separated the cargo area from the driver cabin.
“What?”
“Everything you said, was true, and Father knows that.”
“Then why is he being so hard on me?”
“He's trying to keep you safe, and he was yelling at me more than you. He doesn't think I'm good for you.”
I shake my head and smile as best I can.
“He's wrong. You're the only good thing in my life now. You're one of the only reasons I'm staying.”
She takes a step closer and I raise my hand, reaching for her. She takes it gently and sits down next to me, sliding her arm around the back of my neck.
“So, what happened after I left?” I ask.
“Nothing really. I think he was shocked. He didn't say anything except I should go and find you.”
I smile and lift her hand, touching it to my cheek.
“You know, he means well, he's just worried about you. Some pretty terrible things happened to him before he became a Shayd,” Kateri says, leaning her head on my shoulder.
I don't really want to hear another sad story, but at the same time, I need to understand him better.
“What happened?”
“I guess he’d been a successful banker, or stock broker, or something like that; nice house, cars, lots of money, wife and three daughters. One day, his whole family was killed in a car accident, and he just lost all of it, the job, house, money, and then he was living on the street. After his friends stopped trying to help him, he just faded out of everyone's memories and, then he was a Shayd.”
“Damn,” I utter, and then I feel like a real shit-head for screaming at him.
“So, next time he yells at you, it's only because he's looking out for you. He knew you needed to say goodbye to Amanda.”
“Should I apologize?”
She shrugs her shoulders.
“That's up to you.”
“Well, what would you do?”
She looks at me and grins.
“I wouldn't, but that's me. You're a lot nicer than I am.”
Before I even know what I’m doing, I lean forward and kiss her gently on the lips. I feel her hand touch my cheek and a tiny sigh escapes my mouth, only to become trapped between the two of us. After a few seconds, I pull back and she looks at me with those dazzling eyes and I want nothing more than to lose myself in them, and then reality sets in again.
“Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I just—” I say, muttering and stuttering.
“Eve. It’s okay,” she replies, smiling gently at me.
I nod slowly and we both fall quiet for a few minutes.
“What's the other reason?” she asks, breaking our self-imposed silence.
“What?”
“What the other reason you're staying?”
I pause for a moment, just staring into her eyes and I take in a slow breath.
“I'm going to make those sons-of-bitches pay for what they did to my mother. I’m gonna kill ’em all.”
Chapter Twenty
Kateri and I spend a few hours out in the truck. We don't talk, we just sit with each other in a comfortable silence. She holds my hand firmly in hers the whole time, and I slowly begin to realize that I'm falling in love with this girl. There’s too much going on right now…too much pain, too much loss, too much fear of the future so I don't say the words, but I know it in my heart. Besides, I have no idea if she feels the same way, and I can’t bear to find out right now. Finally, as the
last rays of the sun move past the shattered window in the back of the truck, I sigh and look over at her.
“Well, I guess we should head in,” I say.
She smiles at me and nods. “Probably.”
As we stand, it hits me that we're heading inside to ‘our’ apartment. I've never lived with anyone other than my mother, and here I am at seventeen, moving in with my girlfriend. Instead of becoming nervous, I feel a sense of quiet excitement. I’ve already spent four days there, but I was asleep for most of it. My mood is tempered by the darkness weighing down my heart, but I smile as best I can as we climb down out of the old wreck and head across the parking lot to the Factory door. A few pieces of paper and lightweight debris bounce and flutter past us, propelled by the evening breeze.
I half expect to see Father standing there waiting for me, but he isn't. We turn and head to the elevator. I press my hand against the panel, and the doors open with their customary ‘woosh’. The ride takes only a few seconds before the doors open again. I take a deep breath as we walk down the long, grey hallway toward our room. When we reach the door, my pulse is racing. Kateri looks at me, a touch of shyness in her expression.
“After you,” she says, with a sweet grin.
I smile and open the door, stepping into our quarters. The place needs some work; a few things still seem out of place, and all my stuff is still in a suitcase in the corner, but it still feels like home.
“I'm tired,” I say. “We'll fix things up tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I'm gonna take a soak in the tub,” I say, before walking into the bathroom.
I turn on the water, letting it fill the tub while I brush my teeth. When I look in the mirror, my pupils are a bright white, and the rest of my eyes are a swirling rainbow of colors. You'd think I'd be shocked, but I stand there and stare at my image in the mirror for a few seconds, before deciding I like the way they look.
With the water still running, I step into the tub and slip under the water, letting it cover my body. I pull the curtain about half-way, and I close my eyes, letting out a sigh. My eyes pop open when I hear the door. I freeze for a moment, butterflies taking flight in my stomach.
“I'm just brushing my teeth,” she says from the other side of the curtain.
“Cool,” I reply, partially relieved, and partially disappointed.
A minute later, I hear her leave the bathroom and I finish rinsing off before stepping out onto the bathroom rug. I stand there for a few minutes, as the water drips off my body and onto the floor, staring at the door, knowing Kateri is on the other side, in our bed. We've already slept together once, so it shouldn't be a big deal, but at the time, it was in MY bed in MY house, and it was one night. This is ... this is my life now, part of it chosen and part of it forced upon me. I suddenly realize I didn't bring any clothes in the bathroom with me, other than my dirty ones. I wrap the towel around myself and open the door, stepping out into the bedroom.
Kateri looks up at me from the bed where she's lying on her back, partially covered by the sheets. Her right leg is exposed, all the way up to her hip, only the corner of a pair of sleep-shorts peeking out from beneath the blanket.
She smiles at me; not an expression born of lust or desire, but one of affection and friendship. I smile back before turning and opening one of the drawers and retrieving a pair of shorts of my own and an old t-shirt.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, heading into the bathroom.
I change as quickly as I can before returning to the bedroom. I lift the blanket and slide under the covers. My leg brushes against hers and I think my heart rate probably doubles in less than a second. My throat feels dry, but in a good way.
Kateri switches off the lamp on the nightstand, and blackness envelops the room. A small amount of light comes through the window, illuminating her face. I roll onto my left side, facing her and prop myself up on my elbow. She looks at me and smiles, her eyes sparkling even in the minimal light. I lift my hand and gently stroke her cheek, letting my fingers barely graze her silk like skin.
“You okay?”
I nod and return her smile. “Yeah, just so many things on my mind,” I say.
Kateri smiles again, and then lies back down, taking my hand in hers under the covers.
“I know,” she says quietly as she squeezes my fingers.
I rest my head on the pillow, still turned so I'm facing her. For a while I just watch her. I start to wonder if she ever did this, while she was guarding me. She's breathing slowly with her eyes closed, but I'm pretty sure she's not sleeping.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask quietly.
“Yes, I'll go with you,” she says without opening her eyes.
“How the—”
“You've been thinking about asking me about it for hours.”
I shake my head and smile in the dark. “You don't think Father will be mad, do you?”
Now she turns on her side and faces me, the light from the window sparkling in her multi-colored eyes.
“Even if he is, you could just tell him to go fuck himself again. I think he's starting to like that,” she says, laughing.
“Come on, be serious.”
“Listen, he can't be mad at you for going to your mother's memorial,” she says, lifting my hand from beneath the covers and kissing the tips of my fingers.
I nod, as a pleasant shiver runs down my spine from her touch.
“Thanks, Kateri.”
“No problem.”
“Night,” I say.
“Night,” she replies with a gentle squeeze of my fingers.
The next morning comes sooner than I would like, but I feel refreshed nonetheless. I think last night might have been the best sleep I've had in days. Kateri's arm is draped over my side, and she's tucked into me as close as she could possibly get, and I sigh with calm contentment. I wish we could stay like this for the whole day, but I know we’re not going to be able to. I enjoy the moment for a few minutes more, before she groans quietly and pulls me closer, and I sigh again, happy for another a few seconds, but my mind won't let me fall back asleep.
Today's going to be a tough one, but I know I can make it through the day with her at my side.
“Morning,” comes a soft voice from behind me.
A smile blooms on my face and I roll over onto my back as she allows her hand to slip across my chest and down my other side.
“Morning. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.”
She shakes her head and smiles. “You didn't.”
“Eleven, right?” she asks, her fingers trailing slowly down my side.
“Uh ... yeah,” I manage to reply.
I know what she's doing. She's trying to distract me with whatever little gestures, touches, and bits of conversation that she can.
“I know. It's not working, but I had to try. You think you can eat this morning?”
“Yeah,” I reply, realizing how hungry I really am.
“Good. Why don't you get—”
The doorbell rings, interrupting Kateri. She looks at me and I shrug my shoulders.
“I'm not expecting anyone.”
“Me either,” she says, moving to the door while I slip into the bathroom.
A second later, I hear Kateri cursing and I rush out into the bedroom.
“What? What's the matter?” I ask, a little frantic.
Kateri is standing in the hall next to Reeva. They're looking at something on the wall to the right of our door, and I can see that neither of them is happy. As I step out of our room, I notice there are a few dozen other people standing around as well. Suddenly, I'm bombarded by a wave of thoughts, and I flinch for a second before filtering out a few of them.
Well, they sort of deserved it.
That's terrible.
They can do what they want, but does it have to be here?
I turn and look at the wall, and for a moment, I'm shocked, and then I'm angry.
PERVERTS!
GO HOME
FREAK! is scrawled on the grey wall, the letters blocky and hurriedly drawn.
I may be angry, but Kateri is furious. I can hear it in her thoughts, many of which I can't repeat here. Reeva looks as angry as Kateri as she scans the crowd for anyone who might look guilty, but I know whoever did this is not here.
“Who the fuck did this?!” Kateri yells, turning to the crowd.
Many of them take a step back. Even in pajamas, Kateri is still dangerous, maybe even more than when she's dressed. I step over and take her hand.
“Take it easy,” I say, trying to calm her.
She looks at me, breathing quickly through her nose, her mouth clamped shut as she grinds her teeth.
“But—”
“But nothing. Don't give them the satisfaction. Whoever did this, isn't here. Cowards like this prefer to work in secret. They can't stand up for what they believe, so they only strike when people aren't watching.”
I had a few run-ins with bullies in school. More than once I found words scrawled on my locker. There were always people who apparently had nothing better to do than keep track of which girls had boyfriends, and who didn't. If you didn't have one, then you were obviously a ‘Lesbo’ as the sharpie writing pointed out. Funny thing was, most of the time they were wrong, except in my case.
Kateri pulls away from me and glares at the crowd.
“If any of you know who did this, you better tell them to run, because I'll find them,” she says snarling. “Remember, I can read your thoughts.”
“Kateri,” I say, taking her hand again and turning her away from the crowd. “You can't take the bait.”
“I'll get someone to clean this off,” Reeva says before turning to leave.
“No,” I say firmly. “Leave it. We're not going to show them that we care about this.”
I walk back into our room and grab a bright blue paint stick out of Kateri’s collection. Walking back into the hall, I open the top and write a few additional words.
PERVERTS! HAVE MORE FUN
GO HOME FREAK! I AM HOME.
There are a few chuckles from the crowd, and slowly they begin to disperse. A couple of them stop and offer us words of encouragement, or echo Kateri's sentiments. Eventually, it's just Kateri, Reeva, and myself.
All Things in the Shadows Page 18
