by J. J. Bonds
“Seriously though,” he says in tone that’s anything but serious, “don’t you ever get tired of punching things?”
“See that spot right there?” I point to the center of the bag. “That’s where I imagine your pretty face.” I deliver another powerful vertical punch to the center of the bag. He’s beside me in a flash, making it impossible to ignore the smirk on his face. Things upstairs must be getting dull if he came all this way just to harass me.
“Charming,” he drawls, stepping too close and invading my personal space with his minty fresh breath. “The boys must be lining up for you.”
“Step in the ring and find out for yourself,” I tell him, a wicked grin spreading across my face. It’s the first time I’ve smiled in days, the first time I’ve had anything to smile about.
“Katia, you do know I’m a full-fledged member of the Linkuri, right?” he reminds me with an arched brow. “I could wipe the mat with your face with one hand tied behind my back.”
For a brief moment, I actually feel normal. Because whatever it says about me, normal in my life is beating the crap out of a heavy bag and verbal sparring with a guy I don’t know well enough to like or dislike. My parents would be so proud.
“Big talk for…” I whip my head in the direction of my vibrating cell phone, not bothering to finish the taunt. I cross the gym in three strides, daring to hope, allowing the feeling to well up from the deepest, darkest corners of my soul. Please let it be Shaye.
I snatch the phone from the bench. Unknown number. I swipe Accept.
“Katia.” I’d know that voice anywhere. “It’s Shaye.”
“Oh, thank God you’re okay.” I sink to the bench, a massive weight sliding off my back. “You are okay, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Her words come fast and furious. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Where the hell have you been?” I turn my back on Lincoln, who’s watching me curiously. This is none of his business. “I’ve been calling you for days!”
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I would have called sooner, but we’ve been on the move and I had to get a new phone.”
“We?”
“Keegan and I. He got me out before the attack.”
“He got you out before…” My brain struggles to process this new information. “How did he know?”
“I’m not sure. It all happened so fast. I was terrified.” Her voice shakes. “What about everyone else? Nik? Jade?”
“They’re fine. Several of the Pazitor were killed, but no students.” The heaviness in my heart returns. “The school is closed for the summer, and Nik’s been required to report for duty early.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she says.
“Tell me about it.” I rub my forehead in frustration. “Where are you anyway?”
“I don’t think I should say. Keegan says it isn’t safe.”
“Are you kidding?” I don’t bother to mask my outrage. Shaye’s accustomed to my outbursts, and I’m pretty damn certain this one is warranted. “Shaye, it’s me. You can trust me.”
“Of course I trust you,” she returns, “but I think Keegan’s right. It’s better for everyone this way.”
The silence that follows is deafening. If she really trusted me, wouldn’t she tell me where the hell she is? We’re best friends, after all. Whether she intended it or not, the wound cuts deep.
“I’ll keep in touch,” she whispers, extending the proverbial olive branch.
“Promise?” I ask, relenting. There’s no point arguing, and she’s probably right anyway. If there’s any chance I’m a target, it’s better if we keep our distance. I would never do anything to endanger Shaye, and I know Keegan will protect her with his life.
“I promise. Please don’t worry about me.”
“Stay safe.”
Chapter Six
“Come with me.” I’m heading to the gym for another knuckle-splitting workout when Lincoln intercepts me. He falls in step beside me wearing his usual uniform of black cargos and a big fat smirk. “You have a visitor.”
I swear the guy is purposefully vague just to get under my skin. I refuse to indulge him by begging for details. I’ll find out who it is soon enough, although I can’t imagine who’d be here to see me. Aldo’s missing, Lissette’s a train wreck, Shaye is on the lam, and Nik is bound to the Linkuri God only knows where.
“I haven’t seen you around much,” I tease, seeking a taste of normalcy that only Lincoln seems able to provide these days. “Did you graduate from babysitting duty? Or were you afraid you’d have to make good on that promise of kicking my ass if you showed your face in the gym?”
“Sweetheart, I can assure you that if we got up close and personal on that mat, you’d be begging for mercy when it was over.”
His words aren’t overtly sexual, but this tone is suggestive and it has the desired effect, knocking me off-kilter and putting an end to my bravado as a blush creeps down the back of my neck. I scowl at him, earning a low rumbling laugh in return.
We walk the rest of the way in silence. Lincoln leaves me at the door to DeVanie’s office, and I let myself in without knocking. As the door swings open, I’m relieved to discover Viktor sitting across the desk from our host.
“Viktor!” I rush to his side, throwing my arms around his hulking body as he stands to greet me. It’s such a relief to see a familiar face, even one as stoic as Viktor’s, that my usual reserve has gone out the window. “What are you doing here?”
“Katia,” he returns stiffly, his gaze shifting to DeVanie.
“Please have a seat.” DeVanie gestures toward an empty chair, and I slide into it without argument, curious about Viktor’s sudden appearance. If he was coming to provide comfort, he’d have been here days ago. Besides, Viktor isn’t really the comforting type.
“I’ve brought you something.” Viktor reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out an envelope bearing Aldo’s seal. Despite the fact that it’s paper thin, it seems… heavy. “Aldo’s last wishes.”
My body recoils involuntarily, putting additional distance between myself and the offending envelope. Aldo’s last wishes? I have zero interest in going there. “I don’t understand. How did you get this?”
“Aldo gave this to me quite some time ago. Just in case.”
“Just in case what?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. “Are you telling me Aldo knew this would happen? That he planned it?”
“Not planned it,” DeVanie says gently, folding his hands on the desk. “Planned for it.”
“Why?” I demand. “Why would he do that?”
“You must understand, men in our position must always look to the future and prepare for the worst.”
“He’s still alive out there somewhere,” I argue, refusing to accept that Aldo may be gone. “Isn’t this a bit premature?”
“Please,” Viktor urges, offering me the envelope again. “Just read it.”
Grudgingly, I accept the envelope and run my finger under the flap, breaking the wax seal. Nervous energy builds in my gut, coursing through my body. I scan the page and damn near have a heart attack, if that’s even possible. Aldo has named me his heir, which means his seat on the Elder’s Council passes to me in the event of his death or an inability to fulfill his duties.
“This can’t be right,” I whisper, shaking my head. Denial has reared its ugly head and is setting in fast. “Why would he do this? What was he thinking?”
“Katia,” Viktor says, reaching for my hand in a futile attempt to offer comfort. “You’re his only heir.”
“You can’t be serious!” I pull away and stand, turning my back on both DeVanie and Viktor. How could Aldo do this to me? There’s no way I can take his seat on the Elder’s Council. I’m only eighteen, for crying out loud! Besides, I know jack about politics, which is pretty much how I like it. I’m not cut out for the job. I can think of a million reasons why it’s a bad idea. I’m rude, hostile, and impulsive. Add to that the
fact that I’m of mixed blood? And yeah, I’m pretty much the Council’s worst nightmare. I give myself points for being self-aware before going on the defensive again. “I cannot believe you’re springing this on me now, Viktor. I should have been told. Why didn’t Aldo tell me?”
“He didn’t want to burden you or worry you unnecessarily,” Viktor explains. “It might have been an eternity before we broke the seal. He wanted you to live your life in the interim. Aldo only wanted the best for you.”
Viktor’s words ring true. I know Aldo was trying to protect me, to give me as much freedom as my circumstances allowed. But there was also another reason. “He knew I wouldn’t like it.”
Viktor offers a rare smile. “Yes, there’s that too.”
“Katia, this is a great honor,” DeVanie assures me, looking perplexed. My reluctance must seem strange to him in this world where the struggle for power never ceases. “This is your birthright.”
My birthright? Ha! If he knew the truth, we’d be having a much different conversation right now. I consider my true heritage, the secret I’ll guard with my life, if only to protect Aldo and all that he’s risked to save me. He’s placed me in a very precarious position by naming me his heir to the seat. Why would he do that?
My silence urges DeVanie on. “You have an opportunity to represent your family and your people. You should be very proud.”
“I don’t want it,” I return, leveling him with my eyes. “I never wanted it. Aldo knew that. Hell, I’m the last person that should be on the Council!”
“And that’s exactly why Aldo named you. He has always believed in you, Katia, even when you didn’t believe in yourself.” Viktor’s words do little to soothe my raging soul. “You must do this. For Aldo.”
“I can’t!” I shout. There’s no way I’m up to this challenge. I don’t know the first thing about being a leader. And who in their right mind would follow an eighteen-year-old anyway? I haven’t even graduated from high school yet!
“You can,” Viktor says, his voice taking on a hard edge that matches his eyes. “And you will.”
“Why can’t Lissette do it?” I argue, seeking an alternate replacement. Surely we can come to some other arrangement. No one else has to know about the letter. “She’s been at his side for millennia. Surely she’s better suited to this task?”
“Lissette can barely form a sentence right now.” Viktor snorts his displeasure at my suggestion. “She’s not strong enough for this. It has to be you. If Aldo returns—”
“When,” I correct him with a steely gaze.
Viktor nods his concession. “When Aldo returns, he will resume his seat. Until then, you will hold it for him or it will pass from the family. The Lescinkas have sat on the Council since its inception, and you will protect that legacy. For Aldo.”
Viktor knows exactly what to say to manipulate me, to bend my will to Aldo’s.
“I’m eighteen years old. I don’t know the first thing about politics or leading people.”
“Aldo trusted you to do this,” Viktor advises, grasping my hand and looking me dead in the eye. “He wouldn’t have left you his seat otherwise.”
**********
I wander the mansion for a while and find myself in the gym. Not surprising, I guess, since it’s where I spend most of my time anyway. It’s as good a place as any to think, although it may be the first time in months I haven’t had a desire to train. Maybe I’m in shock. That would probably explain it. At least it’s quiet here. I have the place to myself as I press my back to the cool cement wall and drop to the floor with my knees bent to my chest.
What the hell am I going to do? I close my eyes and lean my head back against the wall. I’m on my own this time. I can’t talk to Aldo or Nik. Maybe I should call Anya. Of course, she’s likely in Viktor’s camp, and the last thing I need right now is more pressure to comply. I already feel the weight of the world pressing down, this new obligation crushing me like a vice.
“Well if it isn’t Crossroads’ own Million Dollar Baby.”
I consider flipping Lincoln off, but it hardly seems worth the effort. Ignoring him is easier, and for once, I choose the easy route. I just don’t have the energy for a verbal sparring match today, and I’m not about to enter a battle I can’t win.
I don’t open my eyes but sense Lincoln slide down the wall next to me. “Not up for the regular abuse, huh? Should I check the weather? Has Hell officially frozen over?”
“Aldo named me his heir.” I don’t know why I’m telling him this, but the words explode from my mouth like lava spraying from a volcano. “You’re looking at the newest member of the Elder’s Council.”
He gives a low whistle. “That is some heavy shit. What are you, seventeen?”
“Eighteen.”
Lincoln laughs—hard. It’s a full-on belly laugh. At first I think he’s out of his freaking mind, but the more I kick it around, I realize he’s right. It’s ridiculous. I join him in a fit of much needed giggles, which quickly escalates to hysteria.
“Please let me be there when you break the news to the other Elders,” he teases, giving me a wink.
“Are you kidding?” I ask, rolling my eyes. “I don’t even want to be there when that bombshell drops.”
“What are you going to do?” he asks quietly.
“No clue,” I tell him honestly because I haven’t officially agreed yet. I told Viktor and DeVanie that I needed some time to think it over. I have until dusk to make my decision. No rush or anything.
Lincoln studies me thoughtfully, like he can see right through me to the weary soul beneath. And maybe he can. “You should do it.”
I raise a skeptical eyebrow.
He shrugs. “There are people who would kill for the honor of sitting on the Elder’s Council.”
“Then let one of them have it.”
“We don’t need more death right now or more internal squabbling among the power hungry,” he reasons. “We need someone who cares. We need strong, decisive leadership from someone who isn’t looking for total domination.”
“Who says I’m not?” I ask seriously. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“Don’t I?” he challenges, his gaze burning right through me as he ticks off my best qualities. “You’re passionate, protective, disciplined, independent, and somewhere deep down inside that ass-kicking exterior, there’s a teensy, tiny heart of gold.”
“I’m not sure where you got that last one,” I counter, never one to accept a compliment gracefully.
“Besides,” he says, springing to his feet with a smug grin. “If you’re on the Council, you’ll have access to all of the Linkuri’s movements and the investigation into your uncle’s disappearance.”
“You know, you’re smarter than you look.”
**********
After my talk with Lincoln, I head straight for Viktor’s quarters. The talk with Lincoln has bolstered my confidence. I know what I have to do. I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner. Fear, I guess.
I must honor Aldo’s last request. And as a member of the Council, I’ll do everything in my power to bring him home. He’s never given up on me and, I won’t give up on him. I will seek him to the ends of the earth; I swear it on the last beat of my heart.
Viktor answers on the first knock. “I’ll do it.”
“I knew you’d come around,” he says, opening the door wide enough for me to slip past before sealing it once again.
Not surprising, his room isn’t as nice as mine. Still, it’s better than anything I had growing up. We move to the sitting area, and I take a seat on one of the stiff chairs.
“I’m scared,” I admit with a shaky breath. “What if I let him down?”
Viktor rubs his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve been at Aldo’s side for many years. I can guide you. You will not be alone in this, Katia.”
I appreciate his kind words, his support. It’s a relief to know Viktor will be in my corner. The invisible man at Aldo’s side, rarely no
ticed by the nobles, he will be invaluable in helping me navigate the Council, not only as an asset, but as a friend.
“Thank you,” I tell him, meaning it from the bottom of my heart. “What do I have to do?”
“I’ll let Elder DeVanie know you are accepting the seat,” he says, all business now. “They’ll want to schedule a Council meeting to swear you in as soon as possible. We can go over the details of the ceremony later.”
I groan. Of course there’s a ceremony. “I also want copies of the minutes from the past six meetings so I can get up to speed quickly. I understand the Order has been active, and I want to know everything.”
“Consider it done.”
Chapter Seven
I’m locked in DeVanie’s study, poring over the notes Viktor secured from the recent Council meetings. They’re much more detailed than I’d anticipated, which is both a blessing and a curse as I try to absorb as much as possible before my initiation. I toss the parchment on the table and slump in my seat, rubbing the back of my neck and cursing my super-suck situation. Since when did I become Irony’s bitch? Just a few weeks ago, I was sitting in a different library, scoffing at Nik’s suggestion that I study more and take an interest in politics.
I steal a glance at my phone, wishing Nik would call. I could really use his support right now. In a few short hours I’ll be staring down the Council, and based on what I’ve read today it won’t be pretty. They’ve been squabbling for months, most recently about how to deal with the Order. Most favor swift, brutal retaliation in order to prevent the mixed-bloods from usurping any further power, but it seems there are a few open minds. Victoria Garrott and Julien Lefevre have argued that it’s time for change. At least I know where to start looking for allies: London and Paris.
More concerning is the number of attacks that have actually been attributed to the Order. For the most part, the Linkuri have done a masterful job covering them up. So far, Aldo is the only council member who’s been attacked… presumably. This seems odd to me. He’s the strongest of them all. Why start with him? Especially when most of the attacks have been on more accessible targets, like Crossroads. So far, aside from Crossroads, there have been no survivors and no clues as to the whereabouts of the Order. Only the Order’s calling card: a red sun cresting over a black horizon and embodied by a thin gold triangle. It seems we also have no idea how far reaching their treachery is. Do their members number in the hundreds? The thousands?
