Henchgirl (Dakota Kekoa Book 1)

by Rita Stradling

  My mind was spinning and guilt was building a big ball in my stomach.

  I had taken a piece of his soul…for nothing.

  But Wyvern was a persistent kisser and soon I only had room in my mind for what our lips were doing to each other.

  Much later that night, I fell asleep wrapped in his arms.

  My eyes opened to sunlight as a hand brushed hair back from my face.

  “Hey,” I whispered, croakily.

  “Hey,” Wyvern said. “Someone keeps texting your phone.” He placed it in front of me.

  “Thanks,” I said. Not raising my head I thumbed through to my text messages.

  All the texts were from Glacier and Bobby, who had amazingly not texted me in like twenty four hours before that. That was some sort of record.

  ‘New orders, call,’ and ‘do not act on any of your assignments, lay low today,’ from Glacier. Bobby’s were, ‘shit is going down,’ and ‘call me, you’re going to get a kick out of what my boys are up to,’ and ‘you still have your girl Mele with you, ya?’

  I sat up. “I think that the Hells’ Hogs are acting on the info we gave them,” I said. “My uncles are trying to make sure I keep clear of where Mele’s mom and the Hales are.”

  I text back to Glacier, ‘roger, roger, lying low.’

  To Bobby, ‘tell me everything.’

  ‘I texted for you to call me,’ I received immediately from Glacier.

  I called.

  When he answered I asked, “What’s happening?”

  “It’s not important; you just need to stay in your home today. If any of your school friends come by have your mother tell them you are ill and send them away.”

  “Cool, got it,” I said.

  “You better have,” he said. That was ‘I love you’ in Glacier, I was pretty sure. He hung up.

  ‘Over on the other side, my boys are planning a parade,’ Bobby had texted while I was talking to Glacier.

  Another one came in right away, ‘make sure you and your girl Mele keep clear of her house today.’

  ‘Cryptic enough?’

  ‘I’m going to record it with my phone, I’ll text it to you,’ Bobby texted.

  Great, I was going to see the end of this all play out through one of my uncle Bobby’s horribly shot videos texted to my phone.

  I knew I would have to talk to Mele about what was going on, it was the right thing to do. But, telling her that her mom was involved in kidnapping and killing girls throughout the island really felt like a conversation that could wait until after I took a shower.

  …Especially the part where I basically sent the Hells’ Hogs to Mele’s mom’s home to get the kidnapped girls’ location from her.

  While Wyvern went downstairs to order some food from the cook, whom I had yet to meet, I took my time in the shower, enjoying the warm water. When the water turned cold and I could not think of any other excuse to stay in the bathroom I did the towel-dash to my room.

  Thankfully it was empty. After getting dressed I pinned to the back of my pants at the small of my back my little eastern-print purse that had the portal to where Contingency was stored.

  When I sat down on my bed, something crinkled under me. Standing back up I found a piece of paper folded in half with my name scrawled across it in Mele’s handwriting.

  Opening the note I read:

  Hey Dakota,

  So, I figured out that you’re not human. Actually, other than you, your family is really bad at hiding it, especially your uncle Bobby. I figured it out like, the second day. I know why you hid it from me; it’s about protecting your entire family. And, even I can figure out what you are when you’re entire family is magical. Whatever reason you have to be pretending to be human, I don’t care. You’re my best friend even if you’re a dracon. I’m some weird thing too now, so how can I hold you being a dracon against you, anyhow? We’ll just be a little more awesome than we already are.

  And now I want to ask your forgiveness, because I know how much your father’s charm bracelet means to you—

  I ran out of the room not finishing reading the note. Running downstairs I yelled, “Mele! Stop! Mele!”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  As I ran through the hall, Clara stepped out of the kitchen. “Dakota?” she asked.

  “Mele!” I shouted.

  “Mele just left,” Clara said, “She borrowed Wyvern’s car.”

  “Shit!” I shouted, “Is he with her?”

  “No,” Wyvern said, stepping out from behind Clara.

  “We need to go!”

  “You’re not wearing shoes,” Clara said.

  “Screw my shoes!” I ran out the door.

  Wyvern did not hesitate, he ran out right behind me, unlocking the Vervari.

  “What about your phone?” Clara called.

  I ran back, grabbed it from Clara, and then jumped into the door of the Vervari that Wyvern had left open for me. I shouted, “Mele’s house! Go!”

  He took off.

  I called Mele’s number, but it just rang and rang, “She’s not answering. I bet she’s avoiding me because she thinks I’m mad at her…”

  “She left you a note?” Wyvern asked.

  While calling her and listening to the repetitive ring on the other end, I read the note to him only taking breaks to direct him to her house.

  I continued with the part I had not read yet, “And now I want to ask your forgiveness because I know how much your father’s charm bracelet means to you and I will give it back as soon as I return from my mom’s house. I figured out what the charm bracelet you always wore was. I even tested it out last night at the school to be sure.

  Alika took me. We will never discuss that.

  My mother is pretty bad at being a mom but she’s the only family I have and she’s really worried about me. She’s been blowing up my phone non-stop and I just need to show her I’m okay. I just could not wait a couple more days for that water-charm the witch is making me. Love you, Mele.” I looked up from the note. “Go left!” Hanging up again, I tried to call again, this time it went straight to voicemail. “She’s not answering! I screwed this up so bad, Wyvern.”

  “We’ll handle it. Her mother’s house is warded?” he said.

  “Yes,” I said.

  He clicked on his phone, “Dial Sophie Bernard,” he said to the phone.

  After his phone said in a computerized voice, “Dialing Sophie Bernard,” the ring tone sounded over the car’s speakers.

  “Mr. Manderson?” A woman said with an accent I did not know.

  “Sophie I need you to get Sarah to—”

  I scrolled through my contacts, found Mele, and said, “878 Halimali Drive.”

  “I have it on my GPS I will be there in fifty-eight minutes,” Sophie said.

  “Park two blocks north,” Wyvern instructed.

  “Thank you,” I said before the line disconnected.

  To Wyvern I said, “I have a really horrible feeling that Mele’s own mother is going to kill her; she might not even feel bad about it when she realizes that Mele’s infected.”

  He looked at me straight in the eyes, and said, “We are going to handle this.”

  I swallowed. “Okay.”

  “Who did we just call?” I asked.

  “Your security team,” he said.

  “Whatever happened to them?” I asked.

  “They’ve been here,” he said.

  “Sarah is the human?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’re just going to send her in there to ask Mele to come out, someone Mele doesn’t know at all? And we do not have fifty-eight minutes.”

  “They’re plan B,” he said.

  “Do we have a plan A?”

  “Not yet,” he said, parking.

  We walked two blocks to Mele’s house, staying out of sight a little way up the street.

  Mele’s house looked very different than it did last time; there wasn’t a single car or person on the lawn. Her well-manicured lawn looke
d cheery and homey in the morning light. There were even some little cutesy garden bunny ornaments that I knew Mele detested. Around the yard was the water ward, still running strong.

  Wyvern’s sedan was parked in the driveway beside Keanu’s SUV. Auli’s little car was also there, boxed in by the SUV.

  “Keanu,” I said, “I can call Keanu.”

  Wyvern pursed his lips but he did not say anything as I called.

  “Hello?” Keanu’s voice answered on the second ring.

  “Hey Keanu, it’s Dakota.”

  “Hey there, how are you doing?” he sounded really happy to talk to me.

  “Are you in Mele’s house?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said, “Auli and I are late for school, something came up. Are you there? We could meet at lunch?”

  “Can you get a message to Mele for me?” I said.

  “Sorry, I haven’t seen her,” he said.

  I looked up at Wyvern, tears forming in my eyes.

  I was wrong.

  Wyvern was right.

  I shook my head.

  Wyvern only nodded.

  “You still there?” Keanu asked.

  “Yeah, sorry,” I said, “I’m looking for her, if you see Mele, will you have her call me?”

  “No problem,” he said. “Did you want to meet up later?”

  “I will if you say my name,” I tried to say it jokingly, “Say Dakota, I miss you.”

  “I miss you,” he said, “See you later today.” He hung up.

  I stared at the phone for a long minute. I was so wrong. From beginning to end, I was so wrong. All three of them were in there, if we started yelling for her, they might just act. I whispered, “We have no way to get to her. They’re going to kill her.”

  Wyvern reached down and picked up a rock.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I have an alarm system on the car,” he said. Then he threw a rock at his own car, it did not just hit the car, it smashed through the rear window and the alarm system immediately gave this high pitched repetitive blaring sound.

  It took a minute, but the door to the house opened and Mele’s mother peeked outside. She said something back into the house, but I could not hear her over the alarm.

  “Mele’s mother said, ‘Mele, it’s that car you brought, can you click off the alarm?’” Wyvern said.

  “She’s alive,” I said.

  “Mele just said, ‘is there something wrong with it?’ her mother said, ‘don’t worry about it, just turn off the alarm.’” Wyvern said.

  “Check, Mele,” I whispered. “Come out.”

  “Mele said, ‘I’m going to check.’” Wyvern grabbed my hand. “Okay. Get ready to run out.”

  We watched as Mele stepped from the house, Keanu directly behind her.

  “Holy shit!” she yelled, “That’s not even my car!” Mele ran away from Keanu toward the cars.

  “Now!” Wyvern said.

  We ran.

  “Mele!” I shouted. “Mele!”

  She spun and saw us, her jaw falling open. She said, “Dakota?”

  “Mele, run!”

  She turned in confusion, looking back to the house behind her. Keanu had not advanced on her. He had walked to the side of the house and grabbed the hose, pulling all the loops off the holder.

  He turned the water on high, taking his time about it.

  “Dakota?” Mele yelled. “What? Why?”

  “Just run!” I shouted, because Mele was just standing there watching Keanu.

  Then Auli ran out of the house and immediately my head spun, my breath coming faster and faster. Not now, not now. Not a panic attack.

  Wyvern grabbed my hand. “Baby, hear me, baby, give it to me. Give me your panic.” He pulled me into his chest.

  “Open my ring,” I said, breathing heavily. My heart beat was irregular, faster and faster. I was going to die.

  He opened my ring.

  I let him hold me while the panic fed own down into my ring. When I was able to look back I saw Auli jumping on Keanu’s back. He leaned and she fell off but immediately she tried to grab the hose from Keanu, while keeping the water spraying away from her.

  “Stop!” Auli shouted.

  “Lani!” Keanu shouted a little strained, “Help me, Auli escaped!”

  Looking at Auli’s waterfall soul sent a new pulse of panic into me and I grabbed onto Wyvern tighter and fed my panic into the ring. I needed to stay, I could not go hide.

  “Lani!” Keanu shouted. “Help me.”

  “No Lani!” Auli shouted, “Mele is infected! He’s going to kill your daughter! Run, Mele!”

  Out of breath, Mele’s mom shouted, “I’m sorry, Keanu, she must have broken the door…Come on Auli.” Mele’s mother ran over and pulled Auli off Keanu.

  “Stop Lani! No! He’s going to kill your daughter!” Auli shouted.

  “Mom?” Mele shouted, “What’s going on?”

  Mele’s mother shouted, “My daughter is already dead!” She easily overpowered Auli then dragged Auli inside.

  Mele just stood there, staring at the closed door.

  “Mele!” I shouted, “Run, go, stop standing there!”

  Mele finally understood what was going on and she took off running toward us.

  Keanu just stood there, the hose in his hand pouring water onto the lawn, staring at Mele. When Mele started running, Keanu walked slowly after her.

  Did he really think just running water would hurt her or any of us? The only way water could kill an infected is if they were somehow forced into a water ward. And that wouldn’t even hurt her because she’s wearing the water charm; unless it had something to do with the water charm malfunctioning…

  Mele ran over the water ward and came barreling into Wyvern and me.

  “Take the charm bracelet off,” I said, quickly. I moved out of Wyvern’s arms, to grab at Mele’s wrist.

  “I’m sorry, Dakota,” she said breathlessly, “I should not have taken it—”

  “No, I’m sorry! I lied to you! I should have told you that all those girls died with that charm on, take it off!”

  She unclasped it and dropped it to the ground.

  When I turned back I saw that Keanu had just stopped on the other side of the water ward, hose pointing down feeding further into the water ward.

  “Where’s my sister?” Wyvern said in a loud but cold voice.

  “Safe,” Keanu said.

  “Where?” Wyvern growled.

  “Where you and your father can’t get her,” Keanu said.

  “I can’t believe I’ve been protecting you,” I said.

  “I never asked you to,” Keanu said, shrugging. He looked so normal; it was even creepier that he still looked like any gorgeous, popular high-school God. He did not even look angry when he said, “I’m looking forward to killing that dragon.”

  I stepped in front of Wyvern. Wyvern grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back behind him.

  In the second I was behind him, I reached into the little eastern-print purse pinned to my jeans at the small of my back. The moment my hand passed through the portal into the Dragon Kingdoms to get my gun, Contingency, a realization smashed into my mind. It was the problem that my mind had been working on for days and the answer had been pinned to me the whole time.

  When Mele told us about what had happened when Honua vanished she said the water had been left on after Honua disappeared. Mele also said that someone went into the restroom to check that the water worked before Honua went in, I bet that someone was Keanu.

  Full dragon’s used portals all the time, it was how they entered our world but if a dracon disappeared into thin air, one thing I would rarely consider would be a portal. There were different types of dracon portals but they were rare and always led to the dragon world, either to the dragon kingdoms or like the emotions portal on my ring, to a dracon himself. My grandfather would not send his most hated-business adversaries to the dragon kingdoms.

  If Mabiians’ had w
ater power equivalent to dracon fire power, then if a human created a portal it would be made of water, not fire, and it would just lead to somewhere on the world’s surface. And just like humans could not survive passing a dracon fire portal because they had water in their blood, infected and dracons wouldn’t be able to survive passing through a water portal. It would be exactly like passing through a water ward. The dampeners just had not been enough protection, their blood had just died.

  Hiding my gun behind my back, I moved to the side of Wyvern.

  Wyvern and I had been thinking that Keanu wouldn’t come past the water ward because he was afraid of us, thinking we were safe here. But Keanu did not have to pass the water line; he just needed to spray us with the hose. And he was in shooting range of us.

  If I was right, Keanu could make water portals and he had made a portal out of the hose’s running water in the same way that dragons make running lava portals. If we were shot at with that water for more than thirty seconds, the water portal would pull us through and would kill us. He had waited for us all to be together, not attacking, because after one of us died the others would be onto him and escape.

  But Keanu did not spray us yet. He shouted at me, “You’re one of them too, aren’t you? I noticed Mele was wearing your charm bracelet. That’s how you impersonate us?”

  “You’re killing people,” I said.

  “You’re not people,” he said, “You’re dragons and infected. You’re all murderers.”

  That sounded personal.

  “Wyvern have you ever murdered anyone?” I asked.

  “No,” he said.

  “Mele?”

  “No,” she said, quietly in a hoarse voice.

  “That makes you the only murderer here Keanu,” I said, “Unless your father’s here.”

  “You don’t know anything about my father,” he said.

  “I know why your sister Lena had a closed casket funeral,” I said.

  He stared at me, narrowing his eyes. “How do you…?” he trailed off, his brow furrowed and eyes’ squinted. After a few long seconds Keanu’s eyes widened and then he laughed. “You were there…You’re my father’s business partner’s daughter, aren’t you? You changed your last name.”

  “Your father murdered my father,” I said.