Urban Decay: Darkly Mine Season One

by Leona Windwalker

  “Yeah, kinda, but not the Masons,” Rusty agreed.

  “Did they haze you? I fucking hate shit like that,” Shannon said indignantly. He turned to look at both me and Rusty. “You guys won’t be joining anything like that, will you?”

  Dad stepped forward, intervening. “Okay, boys, Santa’s here, so if you just come stand by the tree with everyone else, they can start taking the photos.”

  The three of us shot him a grateful look. Shannon tossed me a look to let me know the discussion wasn’t over. I knew he hated bullies and wouldn’t understand why we’d put up with this sort of thing for the sake of club membership when we’d made damned sure Roy faced the consequences. We’d have to come up with something. Maybe not hazing, but a ritual that freaked him out unexpectedly, like a bag over his head and chanting. Yeah, that sounded mean and horrible, too.

  I plastered a broad smile on my face, taking Shannon’s hand and squeezing it as Dad stepped forward.

  “We come together every year to try to help spread some cheer to children and their families facing bleak times. This year is extra special to myself, my wife, son, and his friends,” he said, gesturing to us. My son, River, was in a serious accident just before his eighteenth birthday and was rushed here. The doctors told us to prepare for the worst. He’d been to a party and used terrible judgment, getting into his car and driving after drinking.” I noticed he omitted the drugs bit, but didn’t blame him. “Luckily, no one else was injured by his actions, other than the emotional toll it took on all of us that loved him. The dedicated doctors and nurses here stopped at nothing, and here you see my son standing hale and hearty before you. So, it is with great pleasure that I announce a fifteen million dollar endowment to the hospital in my son’s name, to be used to outfit new break rooms and quarters where they can snatch naps in between rounds and after preforming long surgeries. The remainder is to be earmarked to wipe the debt away of a deserving person chosen by the hospital.”

  Everyone clapped in amazement, the hospital director looking as surprised as everyone else. He rushed forward to shake Dad’s hand. I’m sure the hospital had already been paid handsomely to pretend I’d been a patient here, to have records forged saying River arrived alive and all the rest. This boon was extra, though it no doubt would see to the continued silence of all involved. I also didn’t doubt for a moment that the company doing the building works would be Family owned.

  “On behalf of us all here at Garcia Children’s Hospital, let me thank you. This is a kind gesture, indeed! I am sure I speak on behalf of all the staff when I say the facilities will be much used and appreciated.” They stood then, facing each other, hands clasped in a handshake, for the cameras to take another set of photos. Then it was done and we were led up to the wards to begin caroling.

  The children ere all excited to see us, though when Santa popped in and began handing out toys while we handed out candy canes, their joy was enough for me to feel the buzz. I felt terrific about that until we got in the elevator to go back down. I could still feel the buzz, only not so strong, and it skittered across my nerves. My eyes widened as I came to a realization. I was tasting their emotions, just as father did. I glanced to the side, catching sight of myself in the polished mirror on the upper wall. My eyes were brighter and the bags Mom had helped me improve with concealer were now gone. My skin held a healthy sheen. Fuck! I’d fed off of children, though it had been unintentional. I would have never guessed that I would become able to do this. It must be an ability that I developed after the Bonding. I pulled out my phone and quickly shot Father a text, asking him how to stop myself from doing this. It was a handy trait to have, but I had a hard and fast rule where it came to kids. There were lines that I would never allow myself to cross knowingly and this was one of them.

  The reply came quickly.

  Father: Imagine it as if water were running over you in a shower and turn off the tap.

  That sounded simple enough. I closed my eyes and imagined the feeling washing over me was water and turned off the imaginary faucet. It was harder than it sounded, but I managed it. Hopefully, it would become easier with practice.

  Me: Thanks. That worked.

  Father: Congrats on your new ability. Have they found Roy yet?

  Me: Not as far as I know.

  I opened my eyes, shooting Henry and Rusty an angry look. I hadn’t even known Roy was missing, had they? If so, why didn’t they tell me?

  “Another headache, babe?” Shannon asked, looking at me in sympathy.

  “Yeah, just a bit of one nagging at me,” I said, still staring pointedly at my two friends. I passed Henry my phone so the and Rusty could read the message. Henry swallowed while Rusty looked at him in surprise.

  “What? Are you serious? When?” he demanded of him.

  “Two days ago,” Henry admitted. “They told me after my initiation.”

  “Told you what?” Shannon asked. Our parents all exchanged resigned looks.

  “Roy ran away from home and left a note saying he was going to show us all,” Henry admitted.

  “What did he mean by that? He’s going to jump us when we go back to classes?” Shannon asked. “Shit, is he going to show up with a gun or something?”

  It was a possibility, I supposed. He wasn’t Made, and even if he was, he wasn’t higher, so he couldn’t unMake any of us that were Made. Henry’s sudden Making made a terrible sense; they’d done it to lock him in as heir, in case Roy tried to usurp his position by killing him while he was still mortal. That still left both Rusty and Shannon vulnerable, though.

  “I doubt it, but the campus is on alert to make sure he doesn’t make it onto the grounds, and he’s being looked for. They’ll find him,” Henry’s father said.

  I sure hoped he was right. Shannon and Rusty were safe for now, here among the Family, and attending only events with security. We’d have to rethink the Christmas Light outing though unless he was caught before then. Well, we could do that as a drive and not get out of the car. We could talk about that later.

  “I’m sure you’re right,” I replied, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.

  “I brought some ibuprofen in case you got one of your headaches,” Shannon said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small cardboard box of supermarket brand caplets. The elevator dinged as we reached our floor and we disembarked.

  “I’ll get you a soda,” Dad said, spotting a vending machine down a side corridor. He returned moments later with a bottle of Pepsi Max. I took it from him. We both knew I didn’t need it or the pills, but there was an appearance to keep up.

  “Thanks, Dad.” The term of address was beginning to feel strangely normal. The more I used those names for the pair of them, the more they felt as though they fit.

  He patted my shoulder awkwardly. “Take them and let’s go. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” he said.

  “I’m both excited and kinda scared about tomorrow,” Shannon confided.

  “You’ll be fine; it’ll be great,” Rusty assured him.

  “You both looked so handsome in your tuxes this morning,” Mom beamed.

  Shannon blushed. He had looked stunning. Every head was going to turn to stare at his beauty tomorrow, I just knew it. Pride swelled within me. They could look, but he was all mine.

  Beeelooooovvveddd came the whispered agreement.

  19

  The next day was hectic as hell. Mom had a hairdresser’s appointment while Dad, Shannon, and I went for visits to a Turkish barber for a hair trim and a shave. I’d only seen such methods, the straight razors, hot towels, and etcetera back in my younger days. By the seventies, local barbers I was familiar with only cut hair.

  Shannon eyed the barbers warily. “You guys ever slip with those things?” he asked nervously as one of them oiled up the blades.

  The man laughed. “No. We’re not Bugs Bunny or Sweeney Todd,” he replied with a saucy wink.

  Shannon pinked up while I glared at the man. He just grinned wide
r, enjoying the rise he got out of me. I looked away and sniffed. Shannon was going home with me, after all. The jealousy was unbecoming to boot. Hadn’t I just yesterday I gloated to myself how he would be the belle of the ball, all eyes on him? Well, then, I mentally chided myself, I needed to cool it because there was bound to be even more flirting tonight.

  “It’s all right,” my barber whispered as he adjusted the cape around the nape of my neck to make it fit better. “He’s a happily married man. His man Antonio would spank his behind good if he caught him flirting like this.”

  I chuckled then, relaxing. I was being stupid.

  “It’s just so new, being able to be out like this, and I’m so crazy over him,” I admitted.

  “Ah,” he said, straightening up, giving me a knowing look. “I was the same way with my Azra. You will learn to control these feelings once you truly feel secure that it will last forever.”

  If that was true, I was in real trouble. While this human barber meant forever in a figurative sense, I was staring down the barrel of literal eons without Shannon. It had been the same with the others, but Shannon, he was different. If I were a more selfish man, I’d beg to Make him. I loved him far too much for that, though.

  Arrakus sent a wave of mournful commiseration at me. Beeelovvveddd. This time, I caught the flash of an image, of two men in a boat that looked similar to those from Polynesia. It was there and gone before I could examine it more closely. Still, it gave me food for thought. Had Arrakus loved and then lost someone? Was it one of the men on that boat?

  We spent well over an hour in the barbershop. The nostalgia factor distracted me from my melancholy thoughts, allowing me to relax. I found myself beginning to look forward to the gala, especially the part where I could take my man out onto the dance floor and feel his smooth cheek against mine as we swayed slowly to romantic music.

  “I think you guys have spoiled me for regular barbershops,” Shannon told them as dad paid them, making sure to add on a hefty tip.

  The three barbers smiled, two of them cleaning the station ready for the next waiting customers sat in an orderly line. The one ringing us up handed Shannon a card. “Our hours are on here. Stop by again soon.”

  Shannon took it and smiled brightly, but I knew he thought he’d likely never again have the chance to come in. Well, I was not breaking up with him until the last possible second, which would be after medical school, so he’d have plenty of opportunities to come back. It’d have been never if we could live a normal life together, but that was never on the cards for me. Him, though, that was another matter. Of course, he might tire of me first and dump me for someone else, someone not undead or an unfathomable creature. Another scholarship student perhaps, or someone he’d meet at work after graduation while I put in ridiculous hours studying medicine.

  We joined Mom for lunch, where she regaled us with the latest gossip she heard about a rival human contractor, courtesy of his wife sitting in the next chair running her mouth. Thanks to her, Dad now knew the man had placed a sealed bid on a Family project.

  “We should let him have it,” Dad said to the table at large. “We can’t pass everything along to ourselves. People will notice the unusual relationship between seemingly separate businesses and people, plus we risk becoming overcommitted. Say a new opportunity suddenly arises. We’d want to be able to snatch that up.’

  It was sound advice, I thought. Dad knew his stuff when it came to property.

  Mom dotted her mouth delicately with her napkin. “Well, I have to love you and leave you,” she said, getting up. “I have a nail appointment to get to.” She kissed each of us the cheek and then waved good-bye on her way out.

  “You boys want dessert?” he asked us.

  We didn’t, so he paid, once more adding a good-sized tip.

  “It’d be nice if everyone tipped as generously as you,” Shannon said.

  Dad looked at him. “It’s bad enough that a lot of places pay the wages they do, but it’s not entirely unselfish on my part. If someone makes good money, they can afford nicer things, and live in more affluent areas. Areas that include condos and apartments my company has built or renovated, and then manage. We don’t just cater to the rich; we do quality housing for all. Housing that’s only affordable if people get paid fairly.” He chuckled. “Plus, I find a place I like, I go back a lot. They get to know me, and they remember I tip well. I always get seated in the best spots possible and the service is always impeccable because they know I’m a good customer they are happy to see. A do unto others situation that usually sees them doing unto you.”

  Shannon nodded. I could see him developing a form of hero worship for my surrogate father. That was all well and good and would make things much smoother in the future, but it also presented its share of possible future problems. I decided to not think about those. I had enough sorrow in my life without adding more that might not ever come to pass.

  I held my hand out to Shannon to help him out of the limo. Lightbulbs flashed as paparazzi took pictures of the glittering stars of the socialite world arriving for one of the biggest charity galas of the Christmas season. My parents stood on the carpet just ahead, having arrived in a separate limo.

  “Who’s that?” I heard someone ask.

  “That’s their son. He was at the hospital thing I covered last night. He almost died in an accident, so they gave that large endowment to the hospital he was at,” someone else replied.

  We stood, turned to allow for photos, waving. My new dad tilted his head almost imperceptibly, and we followed him and my mom inside. Once through the doors, we waited a few minutes while Mom checked her wrap into the coat check. Then we ascended a lovely staircase, with handmade terrazzo tile steps and wrought iron railing. The top led to a broad landing, with two double doors on each side of the balustraded hallways. The doors both led to the same massive room. Dad read the list of names next to one of them and found our table listing.

  “Our table is closest to the door on the other side,” he said.

  “Let’s go in through this one, though. That way, we can make our way through the room, greeting people as we find our seats,” Mom suggested. He offered her his arm then, and I did the same for Shannon, and we sailed in through the doorway.

  The inside of the room was a veritable wonderland. Tables with white table and gold tablecloths, live Christmas trees of every size along the walls and side tables, while miniature ones on the dining tables graced the center space. Glass bowls the size of baseballs hung from the ceiling, each one with a miniature snow globe scene inside and lit by a warm LED bulb.

  “Oh, wow,” Shannon breathed, reaching inside his breast pocket for his phone. “Hang on, I have got to take pictures of this and send them to my sister and mom.”

  We waited patiently for him to snap his wanted photos. I smiled at him indulgently, the purity of his sense of delight so intoxicating that I had to rein it in before I did more than letting it lick at my senses.

  “Okay, that’s enough for now. I’ll take more later, we can’t block everyone from moving around,” he finally said.

  We began to move the crowd, Mom and Dad greeting people, shaking their hands, and exchanging air-kisses. I was introduced to people whose names I had no hope in hell remembering. Thank fuck I could beg short-term memory loss issues if I forgot someone who thought they were important.

  Then we were at our table, where we found both Henry and Rusty with their dates, as well as their parents. Introductions were made and I bowed over the girls’ hands and kissed them. Henry’s date, Mary, was a pretty brown haired girl with good old-fashioned curves. She was a stark contrast to Rusty’s companion for the evening, Cindy, who looked like a stiff breeze could knock her over.

  Cindy was a giggler, as it turned out. She giggled as I kissed her hand, then giggled some more when I introduced Shannon, who also kissed their hands. She giggled when my dad gave a little bow, and she giggled when Mom said how lovely it was to meet them both. Both Rusty and h
is parents looked at her with expressions of varying degrees of annoyance, while Mary gave her a dismissive side-eye.

  I was grateful that my place card was next to Mary and not Cindy, though she was only two seats away. We had no sooner sat down than she leaned across poor Henry and asked me, “Don’t you find these dinners just awful? So many courses and the desserts have so many carbs!”

  Rusty gritted his teeth. This was so not a match made in heaven; she was a walking, talking stereotype. I hoped for his sake that this was not his official, final pairing.

  “I’m going to go see if the Father Christmas has arrived,” Mom said, making a getaway.

  “I’ll come with you,” Henry’s mother said.

  “I’m terribly excited about the costume,” I heard Mom say as the two women walked away. “It’s one of those Victorian caped Father Christmases.”

  Dad beamed at the table. “Sorry about that, I’m sure they’ll be right back. She’s on the committee and the Santa was her particular task.”

  “I’m sure it will be fantastic,” Henry’s mother reassured Dad.

  “So, what do you think about the docklands project?” his father asked mine.

  “I think the surrounding area needs significant investment into infrastructure and general regeneration before proceeding. I’ve been looking at how they did it in San Francisco, and while they had a good result, the Albert Dock area in Liverpool, England, and its impact on that side of the city as a whole is much more impressive to me. I’d like to set up a conference with the Liverpool city planners and architects who have been involved in that project and subsequent ones in the area.”

  “A trip to experience the various locations might be in order. If visiting the U.K., Cardiff would be worthwhile too, I think,” Henry’s father continued.

  “Mmmm, yes, Mermaid Quay,” Dad agreed. “London’s Canary Wharf, as well.”