Hidden Darkness

by May, W. J.

  Rae closed her eyes and gripped the phone in her fist. It felt like she was losing whatever this globe-hopping road trip had left of her sanity, falling into the darker recesses of her mind with no one to stop her. No end in sight. Just dark, hidden amongst the rays of the sun. “Stop,” she begged in a quiet whisper.

  But Cromfield was just getting warmed up. “And then there’s Julian himself. Surprisingly a shy boy, especially considering the way everyone looks up to him. And what a gift! Although it pains me, I have to admit he’s progressed with it so much faster than I did at his age. If he were also gifted with immortality, there’s really no telling what he could do. But he simply won’t have the time to discover all the little tricks I’ve picked up over the centuries, like how to plant a vision in someone else’s head, for example. I doubt he’ll ever master that.”

  Rae’s voice caught in her throat. “How to…what do you mean, plant a vision?”

  “Japan,” Cromfield explained cheerfully. “Texas was a test, just a little run-through to make sure I could do it. Normally it wouldn’t be so difficult, you see, but Julian shares my ability and has an especially resilient mind.”

  “Texas was a test?” Rae repeated, getting him back on point.

  “Yes, an experiment. I wasn’t planning on going to Texas next. In fact, I was on my way to Bolivia when I finally identified the presence that had been nagging away at my mind. An added consciousness adds weight, you know? Something I’m afraid your little friend is going to learn all too well. Anyway, I decided to see if I could reverse his little spy game, and give him an idea of my own. I showed him landing in Texas, and then watched to see where you would go. Sure enough, a few hours later you landed in Dallas.”

  We played right into his hands. Despite the busy pedestrian crowds, Rae sank to a crouch, her buckling knees refusing to support her a second longer. We played right into his hands…

  “Of course, once I knew it could work, I had to do it again. This time I sent all of you to Japan. I’m sorry to have sent you flying off across the Pacific, my sweetheart, but you see, Mr. Mills has a gift of particular interest to me, and, as much as I’d like to indulge you, I simply couldn’t let this one go.”

  Rae stood back up, breathing as though she’d just run a marathon. “Indulge me?”

  “Speaking of which, I really mustn’t keep him waiting a minute longer. You certainly do bring out the talker in me!” he chuckled benevolently. “I can’t wait to finally see you in person, sweet-heart. We really have a lot to discuss. I’ve been dreaming about you for years and years.”

  “Rae,” Devon growled. “Hang up the damn—”

  She could almost hear Cromfield smile. “Goodbye now, love. Stay safe.”

  The line clicked off.

  For a moment, a very long moment, the four of them just stood there. They were positioned strangely, not in their usual mixed group. It was three on one, the three of them staring back at her as if she’d just beamed down from outer space. Then a dry sob shook her thin shoulders, and Devon crossed the space in between them.

  The next breath, she was in his arms, gasping for air as though for the entire conversation she’d been holding her breath. “I can’t—” she said again and again. “I can’t be here with him. We can’t be the only ones left—”

  Two large hands interrupted, pulled her abruptly from Devon’s arms. She looked up in surprise to see Julian looking down at her, pale as a ghost.

  “Is he… He’s there with Mills right now, isn’t he? In San Francisco?” He hadn’t been able to hear the other side of the conversation like Devon had, but, based on Rae’s disjointed questions, he had certainly assumed the worst. “He knew I was watching, he…he showed me Japan on purpose? To get us away from Mills?”

  Rae’s lips quivered and her eyes spilled over with tears.

  Devon pulled her back to his chest as Julian sank into a nearby chair, looking absolutely gutted.

  Molly sat down beside him, rubbing his back and murmuring, “You didn’t know, you couldn’t know.”

  Rae took advantage of their distraction to look up into Devon’s eyes. “He’s probably killing him right now. And it’s my fault. He’s doing all of this because he wants me. He’s doing it to get to me!”

  Devon took her hard by the shoulders. “That is never going to happen! Do you hear me?!”

  “What can you do?!” she shrieked back, ignoring the people who’d stopped to stare at them. “He’s right, Dev! In fifty or sixty years, you’re going to die. You’re all going to die, and I’m going to be all alone. Who’s going to save me then?!”

  Devon’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He just stared back at her in helpless, furious rage; willing to give his life to set this right, but completely powerless to stop it.

  A tortured cry cut through the silence that followed.

  Rae and Devon whirled around to see Julian doubled over, clutching his head. Molly shrieked and grabbed him in a huge hug from behind, her little arms not even stretching halfway across his long ones.

  “Rae! The morphine!”

  Rae rushed forward, and Julian opened his eyes with a groan. “He’s showing me,” he panted painfully. “He’s showing me everything he’s doing. They’re in the apartment now. He’s drugging Benjamin’s drink…”

  His eyes closed again, and Rae held out her hand to create a syringe, her eyes blurring with tears as she shielded herself behind her long jacket. Much to her surprise, Devon reached into her pocket and grabbed the phone.

  “What’re you doing?” she demanded, turning around in fright. “Dev, you can’t call him—”

  “I’m calling Carter,” he said shortly, waiting as the line rang. “It’s what we should have done a long time ago.”

  A moment later, a distant yelling thundered through the phone. Devon winced and held it away from his head, but spoke up to try to make himself heard.

  “I understand, but… Yes, I understand that, but… sir!”

  The yelling finally paused.

  “Cromfield’s in a penthouse apartment on 4001 Mission Street in San Francisco, with a hybrid Class Three named Benjamin Mills. He’s…sir, he’s about to kill him.”

  Julian’s head bowed in his hands and Rae rushed forward. “Sorry,” she muttered, filling up the syringe with the clear liquid. “I forgot.”

  “No!” He flinched away from her. “Don’t give it to me.”

  Rae and Molly shook their heads at the same time. “What?”

  “I said, don’t give it to me.” His eyes burned as he grabbed the syringe from her hand and shattered it against the sidewalk. “If this guy dies, it’s because of me. I don’t deserve blinders now. If he dies, I’m going to watch the whole thing. Every second.”

  The girls exchanged worried looks, but Devon sighed behind them and Rae’s attention turned immediately back to him. His head was bowed as he listened as Carter shouted at him. Rae quickly switched out of Ethan’s tatù so she could listen herself.

  “…trusted you a hell of a lot more than this, Devon! You and Julian were the ones I never had to worry about. And now this? Do you know how worried we’ve all been? Do you know the lies I’ve had to tell to the rest of the Council just to keep them off your back? At this point, the Council is the least of my problems!”

  Devon’s shoulders fell as his face tightened with remorse. “I know,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. We were just trying to do what was right—”

  “What was right?! You’re a smart kid, Devon. Surely you didn’t think for even a moment that you could do this whole thing on your own. What am I supposed to tell your father when he comes banging on my door for the millionth time today? And Beth?! Has Rae even thought about what this is doing to her—?”

  With a gentle hum, Rae’s body switched automatically into Charles’ healing tatù, so she could hear no more. For a second, she was vaguely surprised. She usually had to make a bit more of a voluntary decision to do so. Her arms curled protectively around her chest, and
she turned her head with a shaky sigh. Maybe her body knew something she didn’t…

  “Sir,” Devon finally interrupted, looking to all the world like he’d just been stripped bare, “Benjamin Mills—”

  “Yes, Wardell,” Carter was shouting loud enough now that all of them could hear, even Julian and Molly. “I alerted dispatch the second you gave the address. Now you, Rae, Julian, and Molly are going to get your asses back to London at once. Do you hear me?! I want to see you on school grounds in the next twenty-four hours, or so help me—”

  “We understand,” Devon said quickly. “We’ll get back straight away.”

  “Tell him thank you,” Molly whispered, silent tears running down her face as well.

  Devon hesitated. “And, sir? Thanks. We’re sorry… Really.”

  “Sorry?” Carter laughed derisively. “Not as sorry as you’re going to be the second you walk through these doors. In fact, I’m looking forward to making you particularly sorry myself, Devon.”

  The phone clicked off, and Devon stared at it for a moment before putting on his best face and turning to his friends. “Well…the cops are on their way. They should get to Mills’ apartment any minute. Or tatù security. Whatever it takes.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Jules?” He glanced at Julian questioningly.

  But Julian just shook his head, looking like at any moment he might pass out. “He shut me out. I can’t see any more. They’d just sat down for drinks.”

  “Then maybe it’s not too late,” Molly said hopefully. “Maybe they’ll get there in time—”

  “Of course it’s too late,” Julian glowered, his eyes burning a hole in the cement. “It was too late the second I got that damn vision and we set foot on the plane to Japan. He’s going to—”

  “Hey!” Devon clapped him hard on the shoulder, keeping a constant hand on Rae at the same time. “This is not your fault. You got a vision, you told us what it was, and we went. End of story.”

  Julian shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Make it that simple,” Devon commanded, turning back to Rae. “Babe, I know what Carter said, but I feel like we have to—”

  “—go back to San Francisco,” Rae finished for him. She had been thinking the same thing. Whether or not the cops got to Mills in time, she needed to see it for herself. In a way, she felt like she needed to see it simply to prove that it was really happening. So far, this whole thing had felt like a bad dream. She needed to see it was real.

  “Absolutely not,” Molly protested quickly, still rubbing Julian’s back. “We are in so much trouble as it is. We need to get back to London, pronto.”

  “No!” Julian interrupted, getting to his feet. “We need to go back. We need to see him. I’m the one who left him there, exposed. I need to go back.”

  “We left him,” Rae corrected with sudden fierceness. “The only reason Cromfield is running around on this little crusade is so he and I can ‘lead our people into the next great age,’” she quoted Cromfield’s letter. “Don’t try to play the blame game here. I’ll win.”

  Devon glanced at the two of them before his eyes fixed on Molly. “Molls, three to one…”

  She threw up her hands. “Fine! We’re already probably going to be jobless, homeless, and disowned by the time we get back. What’s another trip around the globe?” She grumbled under her breath. “Who wanted the beautiful apartment anyway?

  * * *

  As a child, Rae had always been thrilled with the prospect of flying. It was one of the reasons she’d been so excited to get her friend, Rob’s, tatù; his ability to turn into an eagle was like a dream come true. Even when she and Molly had flown to New York on holiday, she’d been secretly over the moon.

  Now…she couldn’t stand it.

  “Hey,” Molly said softly, sinking into the chair next to her. “You want some coffee?”

  Rae hadn’t noticed until this very moment, but she had never before seen her bubbly friends so subdued. “Yeah, hold up your jacket?”

  Molly spread her coat like a giant winged shield, and a second later, two steaming espressos were sitting on the corner.

  “Milk and eight sugars,” Rae grinned weakly. “Just how you like.”

  Molly took a grateful sip and some of the color returned to her wan cheeks. “So…” she began, hesitant to meet Rae’s eyes, “how’re you holding up?”

  Rae gave a hard laugh. “Oh, let’s see… The love of my life doesn’t know what to say to me because I finally presented him with the only problem in the world he can’t fix. Julian’s going to be carrying around a lifetime’s worth of so much misplaced guilt that he’s probably going to develop a mental disorder. And you? My best friend?” She ticked her fingers as she counted them of. “In the last few months I’ve gotten you shot at, hit by a car, put on an international psychopath’s radar, and have probably traumatized you enough that you’ll have to sell your entire shoe collection just to pay for all the therapy.”

  There was a pause.

  “Rae?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’d never sell my shoe collection.”

  Rae grinned in spite of herself and took a long swig of coffee herself. “I don’t want it to sound self-martyring or anything, because that’s not how I mean it, but sometimes I just wish that I’d never come to Guilder and become friends with you guys. That I’d just done this whole thing alone and kept you all out of it. Somewhere you couldn’t get hurt. I can’t let that happen.”

  Molly stared thoughtfully around the terminal, letting the steam from the paper cup warm her face. “You know, when we first started out at Guilder, they offered me the chance to switch roommates.”

  Rae’s head whipped around in surprise. “They did? Who?”

  “Carter.” Molly took another sip. “The day you arrived. Later that night. He called me into Lanford’s office and said that if I’d rather not spend the year living with a Kerrigan, he’d completely understand. I didn’t know much about him, except he was the Dean. I didn’t know he worked for the Privy Council back then.”

  Rae’s jaw fell open. She’d always thought that Carter hated her when she first started at the school, but that seemed a little extreme. “So what did you say?” she asked curiously.

  Molly flashed a grin. “I said I’d take my chances.”

  Rae shook her head in astonishment, but, when she looked back up, she saw that Molly was staring at her with a very serious expression on her normally-carefree face. Without saying a word, she set down both their coffees and took Rae’s hand in her own.

  “What I’m trying to tell you is that you’re my best friend, Rae. I love you like a sister. These bad things that keep happening to you… None of them are your fault! They’re because of the gift you were born with, the same gift I’ve seen you use to save people’s lives a million times. You think you’re this dark cloud, bringing misery to everyone around you? You’re wrong. You’re exactly the opposite. Why do you think you have three people here who would drop everything to go gallivanting around the world with you?”

  Rae sucked in a quick breath, a little caught off-balance by the intensity of the question. “I hate to burst your bubble, Molls, but no one ever said the three of you were particularly sane…”

  “It’s because we love you. We care about you, and we’d do anything for you. But it’s a lot more than that.” Molly squeezed Rae’s hands. “It’s because you’re doing the right thing. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve always done the right thing. Even when it’s breaking all the rules. Even when, technically speaking, it’s the wrong thing. Even when it could get you killed. You don’t do what’s easy—you do what’s right. And this, right here, this is doing what’s right.” She broke off with a little shrug, slipping back into classic Molly. “Besides, what else were we supposed to do after graduation?”

  Rae looked at her for a minute, sipping her espresso with an oblivious smile, before she jumped on her with a sudden, bone-crushing hug.

  Molly gig
gled and hugged her back, murmuring the occasional, “Don’t mess up my hair,” before finally pulled away, pushing against Rae’s arms. “Rae…” she choked. “Rae!”

  Rae loosened her grip at once. “Sorry…too much?”

  Molly shook her head, discreetly checking to make sure none of her ribs were broken. “I always forget how over-exuberant you are! You’re like a freakin’ bodybuilder!”

  Rae laughed, feeling for the first time in hours like maybe there was a little light at the end of the tunnel. “Molly?”

  “I’m fine.” She rolled her shoulders and dropped her head side to side. “I don’t think anything’s broken.”

  “No…I mean, good, but…” She bowed her head and spoke to her hands. “Thank you. For saying all that. It really means a lot. I think of you as my sister, too.”

  Molly beamed back at her, scooting over to make room just as Devon and Julian joined them at their table. “Good,” she lowered her voice drastically, “because I’m about to put it to the test.”

  “Wait…” Rae paused nervously. “What?”

  Before she could do anything to stop it, Molly slipped her hand into her long jacket and extracted the cell phone she’d conjured to talk to Cromfield. Her little fingers moved at the speed of light, and the next moment, Rae heard a distant ringing.

  Devon heard it at the same time and looked over in surprise. Surprise that quickly turned to scarcely concealed frustration. “Molly—again?! Give it here!”

  “Oh, who cares!” Molly fired back. “You already called Carter; they already know where we are. And, no offense, Jules, but Cromfield already knows everything about us so he already knows everything about Luke. I can call him. It won’t change a thing.”

  Devon scowled. “You’re just making it so easy for—”

  “Tell him, Rae!” Molly insisted, giving her a shameless, pointed stare.

  Rae shook her head with a sigh. “Everyone already knows everything, Dev. She’s right. All the people we’d be trying to avoid already know where we are. I don’t see the harm.”