Procris (The Complex Book 0)

by M. Stratton

  “What can I say, brother? Women are beautiful and should be treasured, besides, anything to help the clan.”

  “Just remember why we are here.”

  “As if I could forget.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants.

  I was so engrossed by what they were saying; I didn’t notice that I continued to move closer to them. It seemed like the one called Lucian was going to be working at the same place as I was. I told myself it was the fact we were going to be coworkers, and not that dangerous bad boy attitude vibe that rolled off him in waves and straight into everything feminine about me, that drew me in.

  I was suddenly jolted from the back and bumped into Lucian. My feet tripped over each other, and I knew I was going to land hard. Quicker than I thought possible, he reached over and straightened me up so I was standing in between them, feeling extremely tiny.

  “Ex-excuse me,” I stuttered, hating myself that I stumbled over my feet and words.

  “It wasn’t your fault some brute was walking down the street, not watching where he was going,” the blond yelled down the street before turning back to me. “We are just happy we were here to save you. My name is Fandare, the man of few words there is my brother, Lucian, and what fair maiden, is yours?”

  “Halley.”

  “Well Fairest Halley, is there anything we can help you with?”

  They were right; he could charm anyone. I felt myself not being able to look away from his handsome face. “No, no, I was just trying to get my bearings before heading to my quarters. I’ll just be moving along.” I was intimidated by the men and knew they were Meta. I shouldn’t be here, but part of me didn’t want to leave. I wanted to know more about them. Since I was going to be working with one of them, and we had plenty of time, I decided it would be best if I left. “Thank you, good-bye.”

  “Stay safe, young Halley, until we meet again.” Fandare bent slightly at the waist and nodded.

  I waved, turned my back on them, and walking away; I couldn’t help but feel like they were still watching me as I went. The back of my neck felt like it was burning, and I absently rubbed it, hoping to make it stop and hoping that I didn’t trip again.

  Chapter 4

  January 2, 4

  Lucian

  “Well, brother, what do you think about that?” Fandare asked.

  “About what?” I frowned at him.

  “That little tasty Human that just ran into us, well, you specifically.”

  “I don’t think of Humans.” I needed him to drop the subject of Halley. The last thing I needed was to be attracted to anything or anyone.

  “Really.” Fandare tapped a finger to his face, near his eye. “I believe I saw someone who was very interested in that little one.”

  “You are mistaken. The only thing I’m interested in is money, which means we need to stay out of trouble.”

  “Oh, my darling brother, I always stay out of trouble. That’s your specialty.” His fangs showed as he grinned.

  “Somebody has to keep the clan safe, instead of playing with any female who will give you the time of day.”

  “Now, you’re just jealous. I do have a way with the ladies. You should be so lucky. Besides, they know what they are getting into.”

  “And enjoy them at every chance you get.”

  “Well, what else are you supposed to do with them? I can tell you, they all leave happy and with a smile on their face. Satisfied. What harm is there?”

  “You’d better be careful here, no telling what the Intra will do. We need to treat this more like a prison and less like a social experiment that can tragically go wrong in a blink of an eye.”

  “I do love how you always seem to look for a positive outcome.”

  “Can we move on?”

  “Yes, I suppose we can see where we’re going to be living, at least we’re in the same dome, I’m quite interested to see what this Alpine/Snow dome is all about.”

  “It’s just a place to live.”

  “Brother.” He slapped me on the back. “Sometimes the excitement of your existence astounds me.”

  Ignoring him, I continued down the street toward the dome we’d call home for the duration. The closer we got to the entrance, the cooler it became. While temperature never bothered us, we could still sense the changes, and hot air smelled different the cold.

  Once we arrived on our floor, we walked around and found our quarters, which were at least close to each other. I wondered who was going to be unlucky enough to be in-between us. Entering my room, I found the bare minimum in furnishing. The last thing I wanted was to think of this as a place as home. I needed to be reminded of what I was doing here and to keep my wits about me all the time. I couldn’t let someone take advantage of me. Plus, if all people saw was a dull room, they might also underestimate me, which would work in my favor. Besides, I didn’t need these material trappings; I could create anything I wanted, whenever I wanted.

  Closing my eyes, I let my power flow through my body, I didn’t need a mirror to know what I looked like. A red glow illuminated and rippled my skin. As I slowly let my shields down, my power grew.

  The first thing I did was protect my quarters with a power ward. No one but Fandare could enter, either by the door, or other means. If anyone approached my door, I would know and be able to pull my magic back into myself, and this room would return to normal.

  There was a place back on Creda where I always felt harmonious. I imaged three walls of the damp cave, the mist from the thunderous waterfall, and the electric blue of the water that would hurt my eyes; it was so bright. When I opened mine in these quarters, it was transformed to my special place. I sat down, looking out through the water, and knew the first day was almost done. Now I had too many more left to get through before I could go home.

  Chapter 5

  January 2, 4 AS

  Halley

  Sometimes after you have lost something, getting it back becomes everything. For some of us Humans, that is what happened with how life used to be on Earth. We kept the memories alive and passed them down, generation to generation. Some of those generations longed for things that were gone for centuries, if not millenniums.

  I was one of those. I loved history and studied everything I could. If I could travel back in time, I’d love to see how people actually lived back then, especially compared to right now, in a completely different solar system.

  My room at home was filled with reproductions of antiques. This was why I was so happy about my job here. Working in a coffee shop. The Humans’ love of coffee goes back far, and it was one of the things we brought with us as we escaped. To hear the old recordings, or read the words, the coffee we have now is nowhere near as good as it used to be. If that’s the case, I’m sure it would have had to have been illegal. Coffee was a luxury we couldn’t typically afford, so to be working there, I’d be able to have a cup every day. Sometimes it was the little things in life that made it bearable.

  Another benefit is most Metas didn’t care for the drink, which meant I wasn’t going to have to deal with them as often as if I was assigned to a different job. The last thing I wanted was to come into contact with the same kind that treated my sister so brutally.

  We were allowed to have anything we needed in our quarters. Well, I needed books. I had my walls lined with bookshelves, and filled with all my favorites, which were vast. While I could read everything on any number of devices, I loved to open books up; the visual was so much more pleasing than the coldness of technology.

  Seeing that everything was exactly as I requested it, I moved to the furthest wall. There were all my books on the Meta community. Ever since I had been picked to become an ambassador, I started studying. I didn’t want to be caught unaware, or worse, do something that could get me killed. Quickly I found the one I was looking for, went over to my bed, and sat down with my legs tucked under me. With shaking hands, I turned to the section on the Strogi. I needed to know more about the men I ran into earlier, espec
ially the one I was going to be working with.

  At least that is what I was telling myself.

  I reread the section on them and made notes to reinforce the information in my mind. The Strogi were an old race that typically kept to themselves, which is why their numbers were dwindling. It is very unusual for them to bond outside of their own Meta group. While it is possible for them to reproduce, because of their small numbers, it typically didn’t happen.

  Their preferred source of food is blood; they don’t care where it comes from and could eat a small amount of meat. Like other creatures, each one ends up preferring one type of food, or blood from another Human or Meta, to another.

  They are most closely related to the vampire, sharing many of the same characteristics with two big differences. One, the Strogi were also magical creatures. They are born with their magic; it is not learned as in other occult practices. Their magic is part of them and they do not need spells, tools, or ingredients to create their magic. The second is the sun’s rays do not hurt them. They do not need to rest, except to heal, and therefore can be out all day and night.

  The Strogi tend to keep to themselves or their clans. In the past, these clans were large and covered many territories, but with the destruction of their home planet and traveling to Seldova Solar System, then P-Extinction; their numbers have dwindled to a fraction of what they used to have. With fewer and fewer Strogi around, they fall deeper and deeper into the darkness, tending to do more of the fringe work that tends to lean toward the illegal side.

  While the males of the species are typically the leaders of the clan, when it comes to bonding, the woman is the one who holds the power. Upon their first meeting, if a couple is bonded by magic, the woman’s skin will start to change. A simple pattern will form somewhere that is visible to everyone that shows she has met her mate. The more time they spend together, the darker it will get. If she isn’t sure, or decides he is not the one, the mark will begin to fade. If she decides to commit to him, it will become black and a matching mark will appear on his skin, showing everyone they are together. While there is no official ceremony with the Strogi, some couples are known to have a private ritual, or throw parties to celebrate, especially if two clans join together.

  I lay back on my bed and stared up at the blank ceiling. While the section on the Strogi didn’t give me everything I wanted to know about them, it gave me something to start with.

  I tried to tell myself that it was strictly because I was working with a Meta that I was doing the research, but deep in my heart, I knew different. I was drawn to the tall dark one. The dangerous one. I’d always made the safe decisions; I wasn’t about to throw caution to the wind now, not when so much was at stake.

  Chapter 6

  January 6, 4 AS

  Lucian

  Since I was the manager, I had to be the first one on duty at the Uni-Brew. I hoped this place would be passed over and not that busy. Considering how many people I’d already seen checking out the hours of operation, I knew my luck was running out. Which, naturally, did not make me happy.

  While I was here alone, I took the time to familiarize myself with every corner of the store. I wanted to make sure I knew everything coming into and going out of this place, or how someone would be able to enter without me knowing. I needed to know easy access points and the best escape routes. I didn’t care that everyone here was supposed to be on their best behavior, I didn’t trust them. I sure didn’t trust the Intra and Ama Seldova leaders to keep everyone safe. I knew they were out for their own agendas, well I had one of my own, and I meant to keep it.

  In the back room, there was a heavy metal grate covering a two-foot-wide shaft. Checking the time, I knew I had at least another hour before the first employees were due to show up. I needed to know what was down there. I knew what I hoped for, and if that were the case, this would be the perfect place for me to set up my own shop.

  Allowing my power to run free, I easily changed my shape and slipped through the metal lattice; landing at the bottom, ten feet below, in a larger tunnel. Using my magic, I made myself shorter and created a ball of light that traveled with me down into the unknown.

  There were many tunnels leading off this main one, I didn’t bother going down them, not yet. I let my instincts tell me which way to go. Before long, the tunnel ended at a large circular room where other tunnels terminated, also. I stopped at the edge and looked down, there was a thousand foot drop.

  Using my magic, I easily created a floor in the center, with bridges connecting it to each of the tunnels. Walking into the middle, I looked up at the domed ceiling and knew this would work perfectly for what I had in mind.

  Putting wards over the other entrances to warn me if someone stumbled onto my domain. I also made it so if someone, like the Intra, came down here, they’d see nothing amiss, even if there were Metas or Humans here.

  I created my throne out of magic and placed it to the back, where there were no tunnels behind it. This was all I was able to complete; I had to get back to the Uni-Brew. Moving faster than a Human could see, I was back at the tunnel leading up to the coffee shop. With a powerful jump, I was the top and through the bars. Shaking my body like a dog, my magic settled back down, and I looked as I always had since I arrived here. Now I was prepared for the day of dealing with non-magic people.

  The door to the back room opened and a startled female voice called out from behind me.

  By the scent, I knew it was the woman we ran into yesterday, Halley.

  Slowly I turned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “No, no worries. I thought I was alone.” Her fingers danced around her neck.

  “It would appear you are not.”

  A nervous giggle escaped her lips. “I guess not. Um…”

  I raised my eyebrow when she didn’t continue. “Umm… what?”

  “I don’t want you to think I’m rude, but…”

  I sighed. This whole situation at the Complex was going to feel like a century. “What, Halley?”

  “Are you going to do this all the time?”

  “What specifically?”

  “Seem to appear out of thin air?”

  “Technically, it wasn’t out of thin air, I was here all the time, I just tend to move faster than you can see.”

  “Oh, okay. That’s good to know.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ll just make sure everything is good behind the counter.”

  “Great. I’ll be back here reading the manual.”

  I thought I did a pretty good job ignoring her, until she started muttering under her breath. Glancing through the open door, I saw her struggling to lift a large container onto the counter. I could see it wasn’t fully up there and would end up falling back onto her. Speeding over, I was beside her in a flash and pushing the container back where it would be safe.

  Again, she gasped.

  “You haven’t been around a lot of Metas, have you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, my family didn’t want us anywhere near Metas.” Her face flushed and she looked down.

  I could hear the blood rush through her veins. A lesser Strogi would be drinking her blood by now. I was not lesser.

  “You say ‘us’…who is the ‘us’?”

  “My older sister, Starr, and myself.”

  “So then why did your family let you come here?”

  “We needed the money.”

  “And your sister, Starr, what of her? If she is the oldest, why didn’t she come?”

  “It’s a long story, and we should be getting ready to open up, there’s already a line.”

  Narrowing my eyes at her, I said, “Fine.”

  I walked away from her, wondering what she wasn’t telling me. Not like it was any of my business, but I was curious.

  I pushed all thoughts of the Human aside and went to work. While this wasn’t exactly in my skill set, I could pick things up quickly, relatively speaking. Except for that contraption that brewed
the liquid. Halley seemed a natural with it and I let her have it.

  A couple other employees showed up, both Human, and set to work. I was content to hover around and make sure they all had what they needed. My strength and speed made it so I was able to easily keep them stocked with the products they needed.

  I happened to be behind the counter, near Halley, when the Intra officer, Merrill, walked through the door and came right up to me, his eyes narrowed.

  “Well, if it isn’t the little Procris. Tell me, scum, how’s your first day serving Humans?”

  “It was going perfectly until you came in here.” I couldn’t stop the sneer from curling my lip at him.

  His eyes cut over to Halley and a sinister smile spread across his face as his tongue flicked to lick his lips.

  My vision turned red and I slammed my hand on the counter. The whole place went quiet and looked at us.

  “Eyes over here, boy.”

  Slowly his eyes slid back to mine.

  “Surely you aren’t speaking to me like that? You, Procris, have no authority here. I am the law, not you. You’d best stay true; otherwise I’d love nothing better than to toss your ass out of here. You don’t even deserve to be here.”

  I saw my brother come in the door and stand to the side of it. I knew he’d back me up if needed. As calmly as I could, I responded to him, “I’m pretty sure you’ve broken more laws than I have.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Please, I’ve seen your record, what you’ve done.”

  I didn’t bother to mask my fangs as I smiled at him. “As I said, I’m sure you’ve broken more laws than me.”

  “Listen here…” He started to come across the counter and I stood up, crossing my arms across my chest, waiting for him to come to me.

  My brother approached him and casually laid a hand on his shoulder. “No need to get upset.” His voice was silky calm. “My brother here thinks he has a sense of humor, but as we can see, there was nothing funny about his comments.”