by Maria Dean
"Not unless he was in trouble," Matilde noted. "The fuck happened with the door?"
"I'm still working that one out," Astrid replied. "Someone broke down the door and replaced it with a weird, compact dust." Astrid looked down at the grainy substance coating her knuckles. "I have a friend who could help us out with that."
"The nerdy one?" Matilde asked. "Right. I'm exactly the person you want to have around when a monster hunter comes knocking."
Astrid shook her head. "He's not quite a monster hunter. I don't know if he could even lift a finger in a fight. But he is smart as hell. If there's anyone who could work this out, it's X."
The Dragonshifter wasn't listening. "Let me call 'Enzo. He'll know what to do." She sat up, tapping her fingers against her phone as she called him. "Give Chris a call too."
Deciding it was useless to argue with her, Astrid retrieved her phone and tapped on Christian's phone number. The phone rang once, twice, at least three times before it went to voice mail. "That can't be right," she muttered. Astrid called him again and found it took only two rings for her to get a voice recording. "Can we swap?"
"Christian didn't pick up either?" Matilde asked. "I thought Lorenzo was just being a dick."
Lorenzo didn't answer Astrid's call either. Nor did Irene, Beatrice, and Nicole. Irene's absence was of particular concern, as Astrid had just been talking to them earlier that day. "None of them are picking up," she muttered. "Call Nya. Make sure she and her sister are okay."
Matilde didn't need to be told twice. She was already hitting her speed dial, pulling the phone to her cheek and shaking. After a few audible rings, someone picked up. "Baby?" Matilde whispered.
"Hey," Nya's smooth voice rang out from the other end of the line. "What's shaking?"
Light returned to Matilde's eyes as she relaxed. "Oh, thank God," she said. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I can't reach anyone in the family. Yeah, I contacted the others. No, I'm not getting soft on you. It was Astrid's idea." Matilde nodded her head from side to side as Nya spoke, rapid fire. "She says hi," Matilde noted to Astrid. "Hey, I need you to contact your sister and make sure she's good too. Lock all the doors and windows and get on the defensive. We don't know who's attacking my family, but they're crafty motherfuckers."
Astrid sent several swift texts to X about the mysterious dust, before returning her attention to Matilde. "X is on his way. We should get going if you want to avoid the monster hunters."
She held a finger up, still on the phone with Nya. "Yeah, hey, I love you too." Matilde made a kissing noise near the receiver. "I'll see you at home soon. Bye, babe." Hanging up, she slipped her phone into a skirt pocket and stood up. "Listen, I'm putting my trust in you only because you're my last resort. If you screw things up, you've got a big storm coming."
Astrid couldn't control herself, letting out a short laugh. "I'm sorry," she said as she gathered herself, "but that's a Vine."
"What the hell is a Vine?" Matilde asked.
Shaking her head, Astrid ushered the Dragonshifter out of the apartment. They returned downstairs to find Matilde's sleek vehicle waiting for them. Matilde slid into the driver's seat, allowing Astrid to jump in next to her.
"Since you seem to know everything about this case," Matilde said while the car purred to life, "where the hell did the alchemists take my family?"
Oof, Astrid thought to herself. She hadn't worked that one out. "You mean you don't have trackers on your brothers?"
"Of course not. They're men, not animals." Matilde stopped speaking as she pulled out of the parking space. "There might be a correlation between the two," she corrected herself, "but I don't worry about them that much. Aren't you supposed to have a friend with connections everywhere? She could hack into the mainframe or something."
"Sally's a receptionist," Astrid said. "Not a spy." But the tracker joke gave her an idea. "Every one of my calls went to voice mail after two or three rings," she stated.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning someone had to turn them off manually. Usually, the phone automatically goes to voice mail after six or seven rings. Whoever has them, has their phones too."
Matilde pulled onto the freeway. "Are you saying your friend can help track their cell phones?"
"Sally can't, but we can," Astrid grinned. "What are the odds your brothers have Find Friends on?"
"Slim to none," Matilde griped. "Lorenzo's whole deal is staying off the grid and out of the public eye. Christian isn't bright enough to figure out how it works."
Astrid switched paradigms. "How about Snapchat?"
Matilde snorted. "God, have you met Christian? That app was practically made for him. What, is there a way for us to track him through that?" Astrid nodded. "Human inventions are weird," Matilde muttered. "Grab my phone from my pocket."
With care, Astrid fished the phone out of Matilde's pocket. She held it out for Matilde to unlock. Once her thumbprint was in, Astrid swiped through her apps and selected Snapchat. She pulled up on the map and bit back a shout of joy. "Christian, you big, beautiful idiot." Astrid hovered over Christian's icon and selected the address. Inputting the address into Matilde's GPS, Astrid hooked the phone up to the car. "These guys get more predictable every day."
"Where are they?" Matilde swerved around a driver from Illinois and flipped them off.
"The VidaCo plant out in Stillwater," Astrid replied. "I swear, it's like they're not even trying anymore. It doesn't matter if we've taken out their company. They're just going to use the empty warehouse as a home base. Idiots."
Following the GPS directions, Matilde glanced up at her rear view mirror. "That better be one of your friends behind us," she said. "Black van, following us since we got on the freeway."
Astrid winced. "No, that would be the alchemists. Looks like the same car that attacked me when I was with Beatrice." She unhooked Matilde's phone and handed it back to her. "Get off at the next exit. I have an idea."
"Care to share with the class before I make a rash decision?"
"I'm going to pull us through a portal to get us closer to the warehouse. You're going to have to ditch the car."
Matilde clutched the wheel as if Astrid had just threatened her family. "This was my first car," she whined. "I'm not just going to leave it somewhere!"
"We can always get it back," Astrid shook it off. "Or just go park it at a long-term parking lot. We'll be back in an hour at the latest."
The Dragonshifter glared at Astrid, unintentionally speeding up the car as she did so. "I'm not leaving this in the middle of the city. Someone could try to carjack it, or worse. You never know what will happen in neighborhoods like these."
Astrid scoffed. "First of all, that was super racist. Second, are you even aware of the class dynamics in the Twin Cities? Half of the reason why urban neighborhoods are in poverty is because of rich people like your family fucking them over."
"Oh, so now it's my fault poor people exist?" Matilde asked, blowing things even more out of proportion. "Sorry as one person I can't fix the problems of the universe."
Rolling her eyes, Astrid looked forward. "Matilde," she tried to get the driver's attention.
"And don't get me started on the racist comment. I've seen how racism can affect people firsthand. You do realize my girlfriend is black, right?"
"Matilde..."
"I can't even believe you accused me of..."
"Car!" Astrid lurched forward to protect Matilde as they slammed into the back of another SUV. The black van behind them rammed them from behind, boxing the women in. Shaken, Astrid ripped her seatbelt off and fiddled with Matilde's. "Oh, god, please be okay," she murmured. "Matilde? Can you hear me?"
"Obviously," Matilde muttered, dazed. "I didn't see them. Don't sue me."
Astrid ignored her rambling and pulled her out of the front seat. A shadow came over her and Astrid looked up, slamming on the car door locks. An alchemist began to tap on their window, smiling down at them. He pulled a knife out and began to stab the glass
.
"We need to go," she said as she yanked Matilde out of her seat. "Now." Wrapping her arms around the Dragonshifter, Astrid began to tap into her soul to portal. "Come on," she groaned when it didn't work. "This usually works." Her heart was open, her eyes were closed, everything should've been working. But even as she leaned back, Astrid couldn't open the portal.
When she opened her eyes, she looked up through the passenger side window at an alchemist. He smiled down at her, his kind, familiar gaze stirring up worries in Astrid's stomach. "You're going to kill me," she said to Matilde. "Like, actually kill me."
"Why?" Matilde looked at the man who was blocking their only other exit. Then, recognizing something in the alchemist she'd seen somewhere else, she said, "If that's your dad, I am going to fucking kill you."
"Surprise?"
CHAPTER 4
Astrid hurt. She was buckled into the passenger's side, her hands cuffed together, while her father was humming a tune in the driver's seat. Two rowdy, unamused alchemists were shoved into the back of the van to watch Matilde.
"I don't see why she gets to sit in the front," one grumbled as he kicked at the back of Astrid's chair. "Your daughter keeps interfering with our plans, Aaron. Why does she get the privilege to sit up front?"
Astrid wasn't sure if he was annoying her more or less than her father. She decided on less. "Yeah, Aaron," she snapped while staring straight ahead in the car. "Why do I get to sit up front?"
Aaron made a sharp left turn, ignoring both Astrid and the alchemist. "Nice day out," he commented. "The weather should be nice for a ball game."
Frustrated, Astrid leaned back as far as she could in the chair. "You know full well I don't want to be here," she said to the whiny alchemist. "Set me free and the front seat is all yours."
The man reached out to her handcuffs, intending on following through. His partner grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and yanked him backward. "You're an idiot, Carleton," the other alchemist said. "An absolute idiot."
"You know, Astrid, I was hoping you'd be a little more enthusiastic about seeing your dad," Aaron finally addressed her. "Here I was, hoping we could do some good old fashioned daddy-daughter bonding, only to find you're actively working with the enemy!"
"First of all," Astrid scoffed, "I'm twenty-seven. You can't keep calling it daddy-daughter bonding when I'm a fully grown adult. And second of all," she kicked the dashboard in front of her, "you fucking kidnapped me, Aaron. What the hell?"
Aaron frowned. "I don't like your tone, Astrid. Can't you at least call me dad? For old time's sake?"
Her skull crashed against the plush headrest. "If you wanted me to care, maybe you shouldn't have split up the family when I was younger."
The her father began to sputter. "I-I did not split up the family. It was your mother who did that. All I wanted to do was take my little girl to Memphis and raise her to be the sharp, brilliant alchemist I knew she could be. It was Calypso and your crazy aunt's choice to send you to Wicker Lake." Astrid tensed. "Oh, yes, I knew where you were that whole time. The Gray women are sneaky, but they can't get anything past my network. Which is why I was so worried when I heard you were consorting with dragons."
"Give it a rest," Astrid muttered. "You're not doing anything to help your case. And at least the dragons I'm consorting with are people who actually give a shit about me."
Aaron glanced back at the tied up Matilde. "That one threatened to kill you."
"She always threatens to kill me," Astrid rolled her eyes. "Get with the program, dad."
The van made another sharp turn as Aaron gasped. "There we go! That's all I wanted, honey. I know it feels difficult to do it now, but you'll be back to the little girl I know and love in no time."
Pulling into a concrete lot, Aaron let the car come to a full stop before unbuckling his seatbelt and reaching over to release Astrid's seatbelt. He hopped out of the car, circling around to the other side so he could let her out. "Come on," he beckoned as he left the door open. "We've got things to do."
Astrid sat there, staring forward. "I don't see why I have to," she grumbled. "What are you going to do? Torture my friends in front of me? Brainwash me with your alchemic powers?" She leaned back with an exaggerated sigh. "The way I see it, I have no reason to want to come out of the car. You're just going to hurt me, just like you always did when I was a kid."
Her father scoffed. "That's not fair, Astrid. I never got a chance to be there for you."
"Because you threatened to expose my abilities to an organization bent on using those powers for evil," she added. "You're the worst. Now I'm glad they sent me to Wicker Lake."
Astrid wasn't stupid. If there was one thing she could remember from her childhood, it was her dad had a short temper. All she needed to do was keep him going long enough to piss him off and have him explode. When he did, she'd Alice straight out of the handcuffs and grab Matilde.
Aaron stomped on the ground. "I am not going to stand for this," he growled. "I've taken your smartass comments for a while now. You're going to see I'm doing this for your own gain, Astrid, whether you want to or not." He motioned for the third alchemist to come and grab her. "Carleton, take the Dragon shifter to the pen. We're going to have a full harvest by the end of the day."
Matilde glanced over to Astrid in horror. A gag blocked her from speaking, and from breathing fire, but she still got out a manageable message as she shouted, "Fuck you, Astrid!"
Stick to the plan, she reminded herself. Stick to the plan and no one will get hurt.
She let the third alchemist drag her out of the van. "Do you have a name?" She asked casually. "Something I can call you besides 'third alchemist'?" He stayed silent, following Aaron at an increasingly fast pace. "You know legally, you'll have the right to an attorney when we file a case against you. Normally I'd suggest Russo and Yuma, but you might not have luck against them."
The alchemist spun, knocking Astrid off her feet. Her butt collided with the ground as the man stood over her. "I already tried Russo and Yuma. They fucked me straight over and then some."
Astrid cocked her head to the side. "You're Keith Davidson," she snickered. "Wow. They really pulled out the big guns with you. I've been wanting to hear about your case. Is it true your associates tried to poison a woman because she didn't want to help you?"
"Keith?" Aaron shouted, now much closer to the warehouse. "What's the hold up?"
"Your daughter's a bitch," Keith shouted back.
Wincing, Astrid said, "Bad move, buddy."
Aaron stalked over to them, his frown sinking deeper into his face. "Keith," he said, trying to keep his voice even, "is there a reason you shoved my flesh and blood onto the ground and then called her a bitch?"
The alchemist looked between the Pfeiffer family, baffled, and pointed wildly at Astrid. "Because she is one, Aaron! She's clearly not planning on cooperating with us. She'll cause more trouble than she's worth, and there's no way she'll even want to join us without a potion to convince her. She's a lost cause!"
Aaron stepped in front of Astrid, his protective paternal instincts kicking in. He grabbed Keith by the throat and said, "Understand this. I will not take to any harm befalling my daughter. She might be troublesome and frustrating, but she is my child. I will discipline her if I see fit." He continued to tighten his grip on the other alchemist, draining Keith's life force by every second. "Did I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes," Keith choked out.
Nodding, Aaron snapped Keith's neck. The man fell crumpled to the floor, unmoving. "Let him stand as a lesson to anyone who disrespects me," Aaron said. "Now Astrid. Can we please get a move on?"
She rose, her legs shaking. Her lungs seized and Astrid's handcuffed hands flew to her chest as she steadied her breathing. "Yeah," Astrid said after the moment passed. "Did you have to...?"
"Yes, I did." Aaron placed his hand on her back and guided her toward the VidaCo warehouse. "There is no room for that kind of disrespect in alchemy. Our numbers grow
smaller by the day, fracturing into factions based on how they practice and whether they want to 'kill innocent creatures'." He sneered at the last thought. "They're animals, Astrid, plain and simple. Even if you think they have feelings, they don't."
"But why was it necessary to kill him?" Astrid's question was measured in sharp breaths. The air thickened around her. Was it harder to breathe, or was she just going crazy?
"Because if you don't show your power, you're the weak link. And as we shrink in size, we're finding ourselves with a lot of weak links," Aaron said. "That's why I've gathered your little rag-tag group of dragons all in one place. This is how I exert my power." He turned to her, his gaze softening as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "This is for you, Astrid. Everything I've done as an alchemist is for you."
They entered the warehouse. Even if her mind wanted to, her feet didn't want to move. She struggled to pick them up, one after another, until she finally just gave up. Astrid collapsed to the ground, her lungs seizing up again as she begged for air.
"Astrid?" Her father turned. "Honey?"
Breathe in, breathe out. She repeated the mantra in her head as the air refused to enter her body. Astrid heaved, up and down, trying to steady herself. The constant squeezing of her body every time she filled it with air, the heaviness on her bones, everything became too much for her all at once.
Aaron's voice clouded her mind. "Astrid, sweetheart, come back," he pleaded. "It's going to be all right. Okay?"
Breathe in, breathe out. Astrid tried to lift her head, her blurred vision only clearing so she could see three, unmoving figures in front of her. Her heart pounded again as she took in another, wheezing breath. The boys are here.
Astrid tried to stand, falling forward on her knees the first time.
"It's okay, honey, you can stay on the ground." Her father's tired reassurances fell on deaf ears. Astrid's second struggle to stand was successful. She shuffled forward, still clutching her chest despite her handcuffs. The Russo Dragonshifters were a heavy magnet, and she was a tiny paperclip being pulled across a desk. No matter how hard it was to breathe, she continued.
