Scarlet Dawn

by Megan J. Parker

  “Axle, you should come with me,” she placed her hand on his shoulder and he jumped a bit at the contact before taking a deep breath and turning to face her.

  “Where?” Axle frowned, biting his lip, “Where would you take me? Your clan is after me…”

  “Well, you’re coming with me anyway,” Serena smiled warmly. “It’s going to be safer for you anyway.”

  “Safer… A-are you sure?” He shook his head, looking slightly dazed as he took a deep breath again.

  “Sure I’m sure. Now come on, man; you look like alv shit,” Serena frowned.

  “Thanks… I guess.” He blushed at her comment.

  “Hey? You like bikes?” Serena smirked.

  “What?” He blinked.

  Serena rolled her eyes, “Come on, doofus.”

  The two of them made their way off the rooftop, heading back towards where Serena had first spotted him and returning to where she’d parked her motorcycle.

  “Is this yours?” Axle blushed, turning to her and smirking slightly, “Why am I not surprised?”

  “Oh my… is that a glimmer of your trademark wit?” Serena teased, “Careful with that; the dead-eyed doofus police might come and get you. Now get on.”

  Her playful banter seemed to break past some of the haze that had crippled him earlier, and he smiled as he looked back at the bike and ran his hand across the electric-purple paint job. “It suits you,” he smiled slightly, “beautiful and streamlined, but deadly.”

  Serena blushed and quickly moved to the bike, straddling it and starting it up as she turned to him. “Flattery only gets you halfway there! Now,” she smirked once more at him as she moved forward in the seat. “Hop on!”

  Axle nodded and climbed on behind her.

  “Make sure you secure your backpack,” Serena called over her shoulder. “We don’t need a bunch of Benjamins littering the street. That’s a good way to get bad attention.”

  Axle’s aura tightened again. “Backpack?”

  “Yea. Remember? That bloated thing filled with money that you were—tell me you didn’t leave it on the damn roof!” Serena groaned.

  Axle blushed and started stammering.

  “Whatever. Don’t even worry about it,” Serena shook her head as she started off down the road. “Happy night for those assholes, I guess.”

  “Sorry…” Axle finally offered, securing himself by wrapping his arms around her waist.

  Feeling a flood of warmth from the contact a familiar feeling fluttered in her lower belly, Serena bit her lip against a wave of guilt and forced herself to shake the partially-formed thoughts in her head from existence. “No worries,” she shrugged, “You can just work it off as my personal slave. So did you get lost back there? The orphanage is East from here, remember?”

  “The orphanage…” Axle’s aura flared with recollection, “I guess I just got a little turned around. I… I mean, I think I actually forgot where I was taking it…” Another auric shift returned him to the tightened coil, “What’s wrong with me?”

  “I’m not sure,” Serena admitted over her shoulder, “But I am going to get to the bottom of it all once we’re back at the Vail Clan!”

  Axle’s arms tightened around her waist, and another flood of heat struck her as she felt his lean-yet-muscled body press against her back.

  “Thanks again for helping me, Serena,” Axle said as they stepped off the motorcycle after she parked it at the clan’s headquarters. “If you hadn’t showed up when you did, I’m not sure where I might have ended up.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Serena looked over, “And I mean that literally! My colleagues here are going to have enough trust issues with you without you going on about how I found you running around downtown aimlessly lost in la-la land with who-knows-how-much cash. That nugget of information stays between us, capisce?”

  Axle nodded.

  They headed inside the clan and Serena frowned as Zoey hurried over to the two of them, shaking her head more and more viciously with each step.

  “Are you out of your mind, Serena? I mean, have you legitimately lost it? What is he doing here?” She frowned, “He’s not exactly on The Council’s good side, and him walking around freely here is a very, very fast way to put us in equally bad standings!”

  “Zoey, this is a matter of that trust thing we talked about. He’s staying here, and I need you to keep that quiet around the others. He doesn’t know where the rest of his gang is and something is up with his head.” Serena frowned, “Please, Zoey, I need you to help me with this.”

  Zoey sighed, “Well, about that…”

  Serena frowned, “I don’t like that tone. What is it now?”

  “One of our warriors found one of his gang member’s behind a casino.” She shook her head, “It wasn’t a pretty sight, either. The body had been mutilated.”

  “What?” Axle frowned, his body beginning to shake with rage, “Who would do that?”

  “Calm down! Even you admitted that it was weird that they were missing, there’s no point in going batshit about what you must have suspected now,” Serena frowned. “Well that settles it, Zoe; something is definitely going on here. I don’t care what the new clan’s methods might be, leaving butchered mythos bodies—rogue criminals or not—in potential sight of human onlookers is not how things are done. Has The Council been notified about this?”

  “Of course,” Zoey nodded.

  Serena smirked, “Did you throw the newbies under the bus to them?”

  Zoey smirked, “I might’ve mentioned their ‘incompetence’ and ‘irresponsibility’ in passing.”

  Serena smirked, “Girl, I could kiss you! Good job! Now, as for this lug here,” she nodded towards Axle, “somebody’s been doing some serious tinkering in his head. If we keep him here then we can be sure that he’ll be safe from whoever did this. Pardon my paranoia, but I don’t think our new allies in that other clan are as clean as The Council would like to believe.”

  Zoey frowned, “Do you realize that in all my years as a warrior with the Vail Clan I’ve never gone against a single authority figure? Then you take up the role as leader and in only a few short months I’m impaling Council members with parking meters and engaged in conspiracy theories about a group that, on any other day, we should be thanking for their support.”

  Serena smirked, “Quit’cha bitching, Zoey! You know you like being a bad girl—I’ve got about fifteen inches worth of proof on my side, too—and you know your ass loves me for letting you free your naughty side like this.”

  Rolling her eyes, Zoey turned to face Axle, “I’m sorry for your loss. And I sincerely hope—for your sake—that Serena’s right about you,” she offered a sly grin. “I wasn’t joking about the parking meter; just something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of trying something.”

  Serena smirked, “Oh man, it was awesome! Like something straight out of a comic book; full-on X-Men’s Magneto style! Bam gurgle gurle gaahh!”

  Axle and Zoey stared at her.

  “You had sugar again, didn’t you?” Zoey sighed.

  “I might’ve bought a Snickers bar while I was out,” Serena stuck her tongue out.

  Zoey sighed, “A whole Snickers bar. We’re all doomed…”

  “Hey,” Serena frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You have to ask?” Zoey raised an eyebrow, “‘Bam gurgle gurle gaahh’,” she chuckled, “A full-grown kid hyped-up from that much processed sugar with the strength of a trained sang warrior and the sort of auric control that could allow one to castrate a mouse from one-hundred meters away? Yea, I’d say we’re doomed!”

  “Ooh… castrating a mouse from a hundred meters away?” Serena pursed her lips.

  “Crap,” Zoey shook her head, “Now I’m giving her ideas.” She glanced back at Axle, “Good luck.”

  “Th-thank you,” Axle called out after her. Looking back at Serena he smiled, “She seems nice.”

  Serena nodded, “Yup. She’s my bestie. Just don’
t get any ideas about her; she’s already got one mutant member to deal with.”

  “Huh?”

  “Nevermind. Follow me.”

  “Thanks again, Serena.” Axle sighed as he followed down the clan’s halls with her.

  “Will you stop thanking everybody? Jeez! You’re making everything seem so… I don’t know, thank-worthy or whatever,” Serena frowned and turned to him once more.

  Axle smirked suddenly, his aura shifting over his head. “So much for those shining finishing school grades, eh princess?”

  Serena blinked. “What did you just say?”

  Another shift—the aura withdrawing into its tight coil once again—and the nervous, lost gaze returning after several blinks. “I…” He frowned, mouthing the words to himself again, “I don’t know where that came from…”

  Serena stared at him in disbelief. There was definitely something different about him, but it wasn’t just that that was bothering her.

  No, it wasn’t that at all.

  It was the new sense of familiarity she felt around him suddenly that sparked her sudden worry and interest all at once.

  Sighing, she led him to a spare room that neighbored her own and smiled. “If you need anything, my room is two doors down and on the right hall. So… uh, yea! Goodnight and all.”

  He nodded and headed into the room. Even from down the hall, she could hear his gasp of awe at the luxurious furnishings. Chuckling, she stepped inside her own room and slipped out of her top to get ready for bed. Drawing nearer to Zane’s prized mattress, however, the effort of retrieving a new shirt became a near-impossible burden and she allowed herself to fall into bed, using the last of her energy to shimmy out of her pants and crawl under the covers.

  At least things were starting to get interesting…

  “Serena…” Zane’s voice whispered. “Wake up, Serena…”

  Serena jolted to a start as she was met with only her dark empty bedroom. Sighing, she let her face fall into her hands and she felt the fear growing through her body.

  Zane…

  “Please! Where are you?” She sobbed, “I… I can’t. C’mon, Serena! Time to get a grip!” She dragged herself out of bed and started the water in her shower.

  Stepping under the near-scalding water and feeling it cascade down her body, she let out a sigh and willed her tension to drip off of her with the beads of moisture. Finally, after simply standing under the stream of water until she’d mustered enough willpower to finally turn it off, she stepped out and wiped the fog from her mirror so she could look at the face waiting in her clouded reflection. Her purple eyes had dark circles under them, and her platinum-blonde hair was long overdue for a trip to the salon.

  “Shit… I look like a hippie’s stock broker…” She sneered and turned away from her reflection.

  After a quick pass with a towel, she threw a pair of jeans and a black tank-top over her still-damp skin before she stepped out of the bathroom and right into Axle’s chest.

  Gasping at the unsuspected guest, she looked up at him, locking her exhausted gaze on his own and…

  Driving the palm of her right hand into his nose.

  “What the fu—What was that for?” Axle garbled behind the hand that was slowing the blood-flow from his nostrils.

  “Sorry, reflex,” Serena shrugged, stepping past him and continuing to dry her hair. “You could’ve been a burglar for all I knew.”

  “A burg—a goddam burglar? This is your clan’s headquarters! We’re hidden underground in the goddam woods!”

  “Goddam right,” Serena shrugged, “Forest burglars are not a force to be underestimated. Maybe next time you’ll reconsider moseying into my room uninvited. You realize I was naked in bed about twenty minutes ago! What if you’d just moseyed in on that?”

  Axle glared at her, “If you’d have asked me about thirty seconds ago I might have said that’d been a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately getting punched has a bit of a stunt on my libido.”

  “Good to know,” Serena sat on her bed. “So did you need something?”

  “I thought we could chat for a bit,” he frowned, biting his lip as he finished mopping up his bloody nose with tissue. Looking back at her, Serena bit her lip as she saw a flash of desire in his eyes.

  She obviously hadn’t punched him hard enough.

  That kind desire could be a very dangerous thing for both of them…

  Everything okay in there? Zoey’s psychic voice rang in Serena’s head, I saw Axle go into your room and heard you scream. Did he attack you?

  Serena chuckled. Everything’s fine, Zoe; that wasn’t my scream. There was a long pause and, off in the distance, Serena sensed the exuberant roll of Zoey’s aura that she recognized as her friend’s laughter. I’ll be okay. Thanks for checking in.

  Severing the psychic connection with Zoey, she nodded to Axle. “Okay,” she forced herself to look away, making a few passes along the back of her already-dry neck with the towel to create an excuse, “so you wanna chat? Then chat.”

  “Zoey, you alright?”

  Zoey frowned as she looked over at Isaac, who was staring at her. Realizing she’d been spacing out after her “talk” with Serena, she bit her lip.

  “Sorry about that. I’m fine, really. Just worried about Serena, I guess.” Zoey sighed as she pressed against him and he held her tighter to him. “She’s been different after Zane, that’s for sure. But I’m afraid of what all this stress is doing to her.”

  “I think you know Serena better than that,” Isaac offered. “The clan will be fine, and she will be too. She always figures it out. It’s always in her own reckless, vulgar way, but at least she gets results. Don’t worry so much and just be there to support her like you always have.”

  “Isaac… you always know just the right words to say,” she smiled up at him.

  Isaac smirked, “Yea, every now and again I get some blood to flow to my brain.”

  Zoey rolled her eyes, “That was another erection joke, wasn’t it?”

  Isaac nodded, “I guess Serena has her impact on all of us.”

  “I guess so,” Zoey smiled.

  “What’s up, Axle?” Serena frowned as she sat on the bed and watched as he paced around the room.

  “I just… it feels like there’s more that I need to remember!” He shook his head, biting his lip, “Like there’s a safe in my brain with all this information that’s just screaming at me to free it, but I don’t know the combination.”

  Serena chuckled, “A thief using a safe metaphor, that’s cute.”

  Axle paused and smirked, “There’s no such thing as a safe metaphor.”

  “And a layaway into a pun!” Serena laughed. Then, “Wait…” She looked up at him, “Since when are you an intellectual joker?”

  Axle blinked. “Shit,” he groaned, sitting on the bed, “See what I mean?”

  “Don’t stress over it,” Serena frowned and joined him at his side, smiling reassuringly. “If it’s important enough, it will come back to you.”

  “It’s just that...”

  Serena looked over, “Hmm?”

  Axle frowned, “Whenever I’m with you—whenever I’m near you now—I feel as if it could come back. It’s then—moments like right now—that the voice inside the safe calls to me the loudest.” He shook his head and sighed. “But, I can never fully understand what it’s trying to say and all I end up with is a headache.”

  Serena frowned and stepped closer to him and pressed her right hand to his shoulder and began to send positive energy into him and smiled as he began to relax.

  “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure things out.” She shook her head, “Things have been tough for everyone and I know right now it is harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is there.”

  “You never struck me as the type to be a motivational speaker,” he looked over.

  “Yeah, I know.” She laughed. “A lot has changed that’s for sure! Before all this I just lived in my ex-boyfriend’s cabi
n and hid from all responsibilities. Until one night...” She bit her lip.

  “What happened that night?” He looked at her, interest growing in his eyes.

  “A stranger from my dad’s clan—this clan—came to find me. I kicked his ass and wound up sleeping with him,” she sighed. “It’s sort of a long story—one that I haven’t even finished dealing with—but the moral is that I learned that things happen and you can either hide from them or bury your foot up their asses. I have my father’s clan; I’m their leader now. It’s my responsibility to take care of them.” She shook her head, “I decided a while back that I was done hiding; now, if there’s a problem, I just skull-fuck the shit out of whatever’s wrong until things are right again.”

  “Wow. That’s quite a story,” Axle smirked. “So you’ve always been a bitch?”

  “Pretty much,” she smirked, “but I’m a bitch who can back it up!”

  “I bet you can!” He smirked.

  “That’s not what I meant, perv!”

  Axle chuckled, “Not what I meant either, double-perv.”

  “What I’m trying to say though, Axle, is that you can’t give up just because the answers don’t come right away,” she shook her head, “Sometimes you just gotta take a hot shower and break a hunk’s nose.”

  Axle looked over, “I’m a hunk now?”

  “Did I say that out loud?”

  Axle smirked and shook his head, “Nope,” he looked down, “Thank you for the—”

  “So help me, Axle,” Serena held up a finger, “if you thank me even one more goddam time I am going break more than just your nose tonight.”

  Axle nodded, getting up. “That’s fair, I guess,” leaning over, he kissed her cheek and started out. Pausing at the door, he turned and smiled, “But thanks.”

  “Son of a bitch!” Serena jumped to her feet to charge at him, laughing as she brandished her pillow as a weapon.

  But Axle had already slammed the door to run off, the sound of his own laughter growing distant before the door to his own room blocked out his cackles.