Skin Deep (A DarkWorld Novel - Book 1) (The DarkWorld Series)

by Ayer, T. G.

  I marveled at his grace and athletic power. His youth did not detract from his obvious skill. While lying on the concrete, pain still making my head spin, I gawked like a schoolgirl drooling over her first crush.

  ***

  Chapter 14

  Logan aimed his pistol at the fleeing sedan and pulled the trigger. He simultaneously focused a stream of heated energy at the rear left tire; any resulting explosion would be attributed to his shot. The tire hugging the wheel glowed a faint orange as molten air built up within the rubber tube.

  The car hung a left at the corner and the tire exploded with a flat blast, sending shreds of rubber onto the street like black confetti at a goth wedding. Some still ablaze as they landed. Pumpkin colored flames spurted, then faded to smoky wisps, leaving tiny piles of melted rubber littered across the street. Though he'd shot at the car, he carried nothing but blanks. He caused far more damage with his mind than with mere bullets.

  It wasn't enough though. The gunmen, intent on getting away, sped down the street, mangling the back tire rim. It clanged on the blacktop and sent showers of cobalt and orange sparks spewing in its wake.

  Frustrated, Logan shoved the Glock into his halter. The gun was standard issue for all Omega operatives, and in his case, provided a cover should he need to use his power. He'd only tried a controlled stream of Magyk, wanting to avoid blowing up the entire car and hoping to slow them down long enough for him to get closer. Anything bigger and people could’ve gotten hurt.

  The image of a blackened restaurant marred his vision.

  Unbidden.

  Unwanted.

  Charred bodies seated at wrinkled and melted Formica tables, no longer their original bright blooming red. A patch of melted checkered-tiled floor around a pair of sneakered feet. Black scorch marks blossomed from the sneakers. Even the ceiling above bore burn marks in a circular pattern. As if something had exploded where he stood. An explosion large enough to incinerate everything within a twenty-foot radius in the beat of a hummingbird's wing.

  Sirens sounded in the distance and the vision dissolved, replaced by the now empty street and the babbling crowd drawn by the gunshots. He turned back to Kailin to find her surrounded by a group of concerned citizens.

  Shouldering the onlookers aside, he made his way to her. He crouched down next to her where she sat, holding her head in her hand. He searched his memory. Did he shove her hard enough to injure her? He tried to move her hand away to get a better look at the wound. She resisted, glaring at him, then glancing pointedly at their interested audience.

  "Okay, people. Give the lady some air." He rose, waving the onlookers away with a flick of his badge. "Just a small bump on the head, nothing serious. Thank you for your concern."

  He heard and understood their concerns. What was their neighborhood coming to? A murdered man dumped in their communal garden, now a young woman shot at in broad daylight. People were concerned for their safety.

  The crowd heaved and pulsed like a sardine shoal, then dispersed as quickly as they had appeared.

  Logan helped Kailin to her feet, confident she suffered no head wound, and bent at the knees to grab her backpack. Beneath his hand he felt the defined muscles of her biceps tighten. A quick glance at her bloodless face confirmed her tension. Her pack weighed heavy in his hand and he held onto it, not sure she was able to carry it; he still wasn't convinced she totally escaped injury. Her eyes fixated on her bag, jaw clenched.

  A police car pulled up, lights flashing, sirens ripping eardrums. The officer came over to them, recognizing Logan immediately.

  "What do we have here?"

  "Drive by. Three or four shots fired. You should find the slugs in the wall over there." Logan nodded at the wall, where the fractured stone clearly marked the entry points of at least three bullets. "Bag them and get them to O-Lab A-SAP."

  The officer nodded and dipped a hand into his vehicle, retrieving a roll of neon yellow cordon tape.

  "O-Lab?" asked Kailin as the officer walked toward the wall.

  "I work for an organization called Omega. We have a separate lab to perform tests on all evidence in conjunction with the local police department. Sort of arm-in-arm, but we can be sure no evidence gets tampered with. Besides, we have access to some pretty high-tech methods of analysis."

  "Oh?" She nodded. The action caused one dark curl to fall to her cheek, reflecting the midday-light. Today a low ponytail hung to her waist. The same style his mother had favored. Right now Logan would rather steer clear of memories of his mother. Especially when the attractive Miss Odel was around.

  "I'll give you a ride home." Logan clenched his jaw, bracing for resistance. He unnerved her, that much was clear. But she did pretty much the same to him.

  Hesitation clouded her eyes, suspicion muddying the clear green. Whatever inner battle occurred, the ride home won because she nodded and eyed her pack again.

  Logan slung it over his shoulder and something he was sure would’ve killed him had the bag landed any harder promptly stabbed his shoulder blade. His gasp was a blend of surprise and pain.

  In the next instant, Kailin grabbed the strap.

  "I'm sorry. I'll carry it." Concern flooded her eyes, along with an emotion he could’ve sworn was fear. Which made no sense at all. He had no intention of harming her. Hadn't given her that impression, either.

  "I'm not afraid of a bunch of deadly books, okay?" He scowled. "I can manage. Just as long as your books don't bite as well as they stab."

  Her smile was warmth and sunshine. Hesitant, and clouded by worry, but warm nonetheless.

  "Where did you park?" Her soft words drifted by as she scanned the now-empty street.

  "Around the block."

  She raised her eyebrows as they turned the corner to find his unmarked loan car littered with tire fragments. He turned the wipers on a few times to clear the windshield.

  "Did you shoot the tire out?"

  Logan looked at her, surprised. "You didn't see the fireworks?"

  "Sorry. Eyes closed and kissing sidewalk."

  "Oh." Relieved, he considered a white lie "No. I didn't shoot it out. It...exploded."

  Kailin leaned forward and gazed up at the sky. Then she smiled.

  "Divine intervention rocks," Logan concluded.

  She remained silent on the drive to her place. She didn't seem in the mood for talk. That he could deal with.

  Now, adrenalin free, the reality of the attempt on her life sank in—dead weight. She was a target. But why? Last night she'd denied any knowledge of the body dump and the shooting. And he'd believed her. She was either really unlucky or one fabulous liar.

  ***

  Logan insisted on seeing Kailin to her door, wanted to be sure she made it safely home. It had nothing to do with the fire she sparked within him. Nothing at all.

  They rode up in a rickety birdcage of an elevator, probably a hundred and fifty years old if it was a day. A nerve bulged at her temple and the whites of her knuckles matched her fingernails eerily well. She had a right to be tense and nervous.

  "I think I should give the place a once-over before you lock up for the night."

  She looked at him, eyes wide with surprise. Her youth so clear in her face and expression.

  "No, really. It's fine."

  "You can't really be so sure, Miss Odel. Do you have an alarm system?"

  "No." As if anybody had them these days. "And you can call me Kailin. Miss Odel seems a bit formal considering I owe you my life."

  "Well, then there's no way you can tell the apartment’s safe from standing outside here." He didn't intend on backing down.

  On the next breath he expected an argument, but she relinquished her keys and stood back to wait until he completed his inspection. He left her at the door the signing of her statement all but forgotten.

  All done, he handed back her keys. A spark of something on her skin fled through his veins. Pure heat. He'd leave her be until he could figure out what the strange rush of electricity
was all about.

  Tomorrow was another day.

  ***

  I felt the surge of heat sparked by the meeting of our flesh. Again. The keys felt warm from his skin, but I didn't think it would’ve caused the spark. He turned to leave. Somehow, his departure seemed wrong. He'd saved my life and here I allowed him to drop me off at my door as if we'd merely been out for a walk.

  "Agent Westin?"

  He turned at the top of the stairs. "You’ll have to call me Logan, you know. Or I'll stick with Miss Odel."

  I nodded. He waited.

  "Would you like to come in? I'm pretty sure a hot cup of something is in order."

  He still hesitated.

  He came toward me and laid a hand on my arm. "You should be okay, Kailin. If you're concerned about being alone, I'll put a car outside. Just say the word."

  I was disappointed. Why, I wasn’t sure. Still, I hoped he'd come in. I shook my head. The great Wraith-hunter incapable of holding a simple conversation. Ridiculous.

  ***

  Chapter 15

  The doorbell rang later that evening and I opened up, expecting to see Logan. He'd forgotten to get me to sign the statement. Instead, I got a smiling Jess. A Jess who'd been over-shadowed by Logan. I'd barely registered the other woman before and got the distinct impression it had been Jess's choice, and not my weak attention span for people in the immediate vicinity of the delectable Logan Westin.

  "Hi. Is Logan with you?" I glanced down the hall, still expecting the brute to follow his partner into the apartment.

  "No. No, I thought we'd better have a...discussion." Jess walked in and made for the sofa. She seated herself before I could suggest it, but I took no offense at all. Her beauty would knock anyone off their feet. And I was certainly knocked.

  Strange she would want to talk to me in private. I scanned her face. No telltale signs. Nothing. At all. How was it possible for a person not to register any emotion in their face? Then I picked up a strange scent. I'd followed her to the living room but remained standing with one sofa between us.

  Sweetness filled my mind, seeping into my skin, intoxicating. Divine.

  I snapped open drowsy eyes that had drifted slowly to a close.

  A Titan. I'd heard of the effect they had on Humans. Clearly, they had a similar if milder effect on Walkers.

  "Don't be alarmed, please." The voice was soft, gentle. "There is something you should know."

  "What do you want with me?" I was a little scared. Titans were massively important in the scheme of things. I was a puny nobody next to a Titan, and having one stand in the middle of my living room was not conducive to my personal calm and serenity.

  "I am here to watch over you, however indirect it may seem." Another enigmatic answer, with a matching smile.

  "Why would a Titan take the time to watch over a mere Walker like me?" As agitated as I was, I still found myself inexplicably calm. Something she was doing to me perhaps? Titans had unknown powers, beyond anything mortals could understand. How far would I get trying to bully a Titan into telling me what I wanted to know? At any rate I needed an answer.

  "You are more important than you realize."

  "So you knew about me then? The first time we met?" She nodded serenely, not commenting on the subject change. "And didn't tell anyone I was a Walker? Why?"

  "It is not my place to become involved with the workings of your life. I am here to guide you when I am required to, to ensure you remain on the right path."

  It took a while to absorb what she was saying. The fact I was speaking to a living breathing Titan was enough to have me breathless, but knowing she was deliberately placed into my life was worse.

  "I came to tell you that you can trust Logan. You can trust him to help you. It is what he is meant to do. It is his purpose."

  "Me? His purpose is to help me? Sounds a bit melodramatic."

  "Kailin, I know you are the Hunter. Ni'amh – it is what we call you."

  "You have a name for me?" I was befuddled and slightly impressed. "What do you mean 'The' Hunter?"

  "Yes. Ni'amh is a Hunter well known in our prophecies." Jess nodded and even the simple action looked wise. "You are the one foretold, who will help defeat the New Army of Wrythiin."

  I frowned. She stopped making sense with the word 'foretold'. I shook my head.

  "Please, hear me out."

  For some reason I couldn't explain, I was filled with foreboding. As if I knew what she was about to tell me and I knew it wasn't going to be good. When I remained silent she continued.

  "The prophecies say when the veil begins to shred, the creatures of Wrythiin shall slowly regain their strength. The Cat shall lead the fight and cut them to the quick, but without the help of the Mages and all earthbound Ethereals, her fight will be for naught."

  I was puzzled by everything but her mention of the shredded Veil.

  "Are you talking about the Veil between the worlds?" Jess's nod was sharp. "It has changed recently. When they - when the Wraiths died, they used to swirl up to the atmosphere like they were looking for a way out. Now the shadows just circle around and disappear into nothing, almost like they're escaping through tiny holes."

  Jess nodded, as if she had expected such strange news.

  "I trust that you will call me should you need me?" She handed me her card, so similar to Logan's. With a slight nod she walked to the door, leaving me wondering if she realized she'd left me more confused than ever.

  ***

  Stark white light shivered above me. Bare fluorescent tubes ran in neat lines along the high ceiling above the platform. Anjelo had a way with wires and brought life to the abandoned darkness of the disused train tunnels. The power was most likely redirected from a few surrounding buildings. Steel turnstiles squeaked as stragglers joined the growing crowd milling around the platform.

  I'd been here many times since the Clan had drawn me in. Often enough to be oblivious to the tattered movie posters dangling from walls, shuddering on intermittent rushes of air from the stairwell. Or the barren, rusted vending machines lining the graffiti-covered walls pilfered like tombs for their treasure and left as a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever.

  The station, unused for decades, abandoned by the city council, became the perfect hideout for City Deep's growing membership. Away from prying eyes, it contained a rabbit warren of old train tunnels lurking beneath the city. From here, we moved around the city with ease. This subway beneath Chicago's streets had once formed part of the historic Chicago Loop.

  People, silent and expectant, filled the platform. Anjelo and Storm sat at my side in the eye of this tornado. Lily stood a foot behind Anjelo as though on guard. City Deep was a motley crew of Walkers and Humans, and others whose powers seemed, even now, so unreal to me. Storm's work with these people had saved them from the streets, given them a better life. He sometimes seemed larger than life to me. Now, I sensed those entrancing eyes could see right into my soul.

  Unnerving.

  Made me fear he could see the blood on my hands. I steeled myself against the urge to wipe them on the front of my jeans as we waited for the last few people to arrive.

  I began to wonder if revealing the information to the gang was a mistake, when Arthur, a Walker who had been with the gang for over a year, raised his hand awkwardly, directing his question at me.

  "Who was he?" Seemed some of City Deep's population had gotten wind of the killing already.

  "We don't know. Yet," Storm responded, his voice calm, invoking calm.

  Everyone began to speak at once, their voices echoing along the bare platform and disappearing down the pair of gaping holes at the end of the track. Storm stood, hands outstretched, urging the group to quiet down. Many here knew nothing of what we were talking about and were getting impatient.

  "Thanks for coming, everyone. We’re very sorry about calling you here so suddenly, but it is an emergency." He didn't wait too long before giving the gathering a rundown of the body dump in the garden an
d his possible genetic identity. The revelation sent the group into a buzz and I stopped Anjelo as he inhaled to cut into their voiced concerns.

  They needed to feel the community spirit. This was not a pack, but they had a pack spirit. Storm let his words sink in before saying, "The first thing we need is a head count."

  "You mean like a census?" a voice piped.

  "Yes. Exactly like a census." Storm nodded. "Then we will know if anyone is missing and who they are." Storm scanned the room. "If there is anyone you have not seen in a few days, contact them, make sure they are fine, and let me know either way."

  The group conferred in tiny bunches and came up with a handful of names, agreeing to check them all out immediately.

  Storm spoke again. "There is danger out there. Danger we still have to identify. So far it is a danger to the Walkers only because this victim is a Walker. We don't know anything else. But we need to be careful. The Deep may be more at risk, just because we have this... integrated clan. Because we all live so close together, and if the killer is targeting Walkers, there is a chance he could make a mistake. On the other hand, if the killer isn't targeting Walkers specifically then everyone is in danger. Either way we all need to be very careful." Storm's concern hung heavy in the crowd. The last thing he needed was to instill a fear for the Walkers within the population. There were factions that would use this as the opportunity to split the clan. But, I could see he had no choice. They had to be aware of the danger.

  "What's the police doing about it?" a woman called from the center of the throng, black eyes flashing with suspicion.

  "So far, they're following the normal procedures—forensic investigation, questioning the community, things like that," I answered taking my cue when Storm nodded at me.

  "Can they tell? That the dead guy is a Skinwalker?" The question had hung in the air, and even though I didn't want to admit it to myself, I knew the answer and couldn't lie to them.