by Shona Husk
The Incubus caught her eye again and then his grin widened.
“I see what you are.” She shouted. “I know you did this.” Even if the Metas weren’t paying attention, the Humans around her were.
Someone shoved into her and she stumbled. The wall at her back kept her upright.
This wasn’t accidental. This was about her. She didn’t need to get his name. She knew it.
“You won’t get away with this, Tavor.”
His eyes widened. He hadn’t expected her to know who he was. Then the rage of the crowd doubled. There was a gleam in their eyes as they elbowed noses and smashed each other to the ground. Tavor walked away, seemingly satisfied with the chaos he’d created.
Phoebe was stuck. Someone kicked her leg. She was shoved and she tripped. If she fell, she wouldn’t be able to get away. She started trying to inch along the wall, hoping they’d let her pass. The woman she’d bumped into raised her hand.
Phoebe put her hands up, the woman struck her and her head hit the wall. She barely had time to admire the stars before they faded into blackness.
When she opened her eyes the fight had stopped, she was slumped against the wall. There were Climintra officers everywhere. She struggled to her feet and immediately regretted it as a wave of dizziness overtook her. For a moment she thought she was going to throw up—she was becoming far too familiar with that feeling.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” An officer offered her hand. She flinched, but realized that he wasn’t Incubi.
She glanced around, but didn’t see Tavor. Her head ached.
“Ma’am?”
“Um…” Her hand slid to her stomach. She didn’t feel well.
The officer started walking her to a doctor who was attending the injured. “I’ll come back to talk to you in a few minutes, once they’ve checked you over.”
“No.” She didn’t want him to leave her. What if Tavor came back? She needed to let the officer that one of his own had done this. “Tavor, an Incubus and Climintra officer, started this.”
What if he went after Kearn? What if he came back to finish the job when he realized she was alive?
“You know him?” The officer had a look on his face that suggested she didn’t know what she was talking about and that she might have hit her head a bit too hard.
She shook her head and wished that she hadn’t said anything. “I…he hates my…the father of my baby.”
The officer was looking away now as though there were more trustworthy sources he should be talking to.
“I’m an Incubus host.”
That got the officer’s attention. He glanced down at her stomach and managed to keep the distaste on his face to a small twitch of his lip, but it was there all the same.
“Who impregnated you?”
Should she give up Kearn’s name? Would the Climintra help him or blame him? “You have to stop Tavor, he’s an officer like you. He made this fight happen.” The words were easier to form now. The headache was still there and her stomach felt wrong. “Ask the other Humans.”
“There are no other Humans here. Just you.”
There had been others, she was sure. “He did this to hurt me.”
“You are making very serious accusations against an officer.”
“It’s true. Check the footage.” There would have to be footage. That couldn’t be fooled by an Incubi’s power.
The officer glanced at the doctor. “I’m not done with her.”
The doctor got her to sit down. He checked her over and asked a bunch of questions. Then he prodded her belly, which hurt. Was she going to lose the baby?
Why would Tavor want that?
“Hard at work, are you?” Tavor said.
Kearn looked up from the console he’d been studying. There was something wrong with one of the air filters in the hot and wet area. There were always issues over there. He hated being the one to have to go and fix it. Heat made him lethargic, and the job took twice as long as it should.
Tavor leaned against the door frame. “Your host should be dead by now. I thought I’d make it official by telling you.”
It took a couple of heartbeats for the words to sink in. “What do you mean?”
“Your host got caught up in a terrible fight this morning. Some commuters savaged each other. Unfortunately the camera in the area was offline at the time.” Tavor was entirely too smug about it.
“What have you done?” Kearn got up. Panic and anger flitted through his veins.
Tavor stood up straight as though readying for an attack. “What needed to be done. You aren’t a suitable leader. You chose a human host. They are untried.”
“I am the leader, whether you like it or not. What have you done to Phoebe?” He would not let himself think she was dead. Tavor could be lying, trying to goad him…yes that was more Tavor’s style. But he didn’t believe his own reasoning. He wanted to call Phoebe and hear her voice. He needed to see her. Hold her.
“Without a baby, there is an old rule that you can be challenged. I am your second and if there are enough votes, I can take over. I will tear you down before you destroy us all.” Tavor stepped closer.
They were almost the same height. Kearn used his extra half inch and stretched it as much as he could. He took a step forward, his fingers curling.
“Be careful, you don’t want to assault an officer.” Tavor lightly pushed Kearn.
Kearn stood fixed to the spot. If he did anything, Tavor would lie about what had happened. If he had hurt Phoebe, then it would be called motivation for Kearn to go wild and attack. He drew in a couple of breaths. “Are you done?”
Tavor stood there as though unwilling to throw the first punch.
“If you want to challenge me, you had better do it formally. You like tradition…why not make it for the same night Alroi is arranging a celebration?” The celebration that was meant to cement his leadership and that there was a baby on the way.
Even if there was no baby, it was uncommon for a leader to be challenged. Too many leaders created an unstable environment. The ground beneath his feet didn’t feel stable. He wanted to sit, but didn’t dare. He hoped that Tavor was full of shit and that Phoebe was fine. That the baby was fine.
From the smirk on Tavor’s face Kearn wasn’t sure it had been a lie to goad him.
“I know that you were going to get rewarded for keeping us isolated. That you are pandering to the traditionalists instead of looking to the future.”
“I’m looking at the future. The first thing I’m going to do is get you removed from the Complex. I should have done it after the orgy, but whipping you was so much fun. Seeing the smartest Incubus in the clan begging for scraps and status-less had a certain delight.”
“And if I retain my leadership, I will see you expelled.” He kept his voice level. He was sure that the ley lines on his skin were flashing with irritation. Tavor’s were. “I will not fight you today.”
If Phoebe was harmed, Tavor had better never close his eyes again.
Tavor’s hands clenched. “You are weak.”
“Says the man who attacked a pregnant woman. You aren’t ruling for the betterment of the clan, you are ruling for yourself and your reward. You are the poor leader. A selfish Incubus has no place in a clan.” Kearn took a risk and slowly turned as thought Tavor was of no significance. Kearn knew exactly how that felt, to have people turn away.
“She’s dead,” Tavor snarled.
Kearn blinked slowly and ignore the rising tide of pain and despair those words caused. “If she is, hitting you won’t bring her back.”
Every second his back was turned he expected a strike…none come. Footsteps stomped away. Kearn exhaled, then called Phoebe’s home.
There was no answer.
He tried the club. “She’s not in today. Haven’t you heard? There was a big fight and she was caught up in it. It’s all over the news,” the woman said.
“Is she alive?” He forced the words out.
“Of
course she is. I spoke to her half an hour ago. Who are you again?”
The tension that had kept him upright left and he dropped into his seat. The faults scrolled across his screen. Some had gone from orange to red. Nothing serious yet. But it needed dealt with.
“Kearn…we are...” What did they call it? “Dating.”
Yeah, they were dating, like any other couple. Incubi didn’t really date, even amongst themselves. They did stuff together, but there was no trying to get the other person into bed. Staying the night with someone was commonplace. Some formed very close bonds and never slept with anyone else.
He realized what a mess his life had become.
Maybe he wasn’t dating Phoebe either because he wasn’t trying to get Phoebe into bed. Although he didn’t mind being in her bed.
They definitely weren’t dating, and he’d just lied to her colleague.
“Well, she’s at the medical center near her place.”
“Thanks.” He hung up.
He needed to get out of here and see her. He looked at his screen. There was no one else who could do the work, and if the system failed, many more would be hurt.
Worse if he went to see Phoebe he’d be leading Tavor right to her. He was sure that Tavor and his allies had been watching him more closely than he’d suspected.
He placed one more call, then gathered up his bag to go and fix the air system.
11
Phoebe woke as someone knocked and entered her hospital room. She saw the glowing lines on his skin and her heart didn’t know whether to stop or lift. She froze and feigned sleep for a moment. But it wasn’t Tavor or Kearn. She’d never forget the way their lines covered their faces. This man’s were different. She didn’t know him.
“Who are you?” Her hand was already on the buzzer in case she needed help.
He stopped halfway to the bed. “Alroi, Kearn’s mentor. He sent me.”
Why wasn’t Kearn here? Had Tavor attacked him too? “Where is he?”
“Fixing something…it was urgent. He wanted to be here, but it is probably safer for you that he isn’t. I was told to bring you these.” He held out a box of chocolates. “I can go if I make you uncomfortable.”
Did she trust him? “How do I know that you aren’t working for Tavor and here to finish the job?”
Alroi nodded. “You don’t. But I know that you don’t want to give up your rights as a mother and I know that Kearn is willing to test that tradition for you.”
“He told you that? Why?” But for all she knew, Kearn had announced that to all the Incubi. If Alroi wanted to kill here, he could’ve walked in more silently and smothered her. He hadn’t.
“I am his mentor while he is leader.”
She eased back into the pillows. She didn’t want to be talking to Alroi, she wanted Kearn.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Alroi took a step closer.
Her heart did a skitterish dance. If she kept freaking out at the sight of Incubi, she was never going to be able to mother her son. “Have a seat.”
He’d be sitting near the bed and she still wasn’t sure that she trusted him.
“I’ve already told the Climintra everything. I don’t think they want to believe that one of their own could do that. Some didn’t seem to be aware he is an Incubus. The cameras in that area were out. No other Human has come forward as a witness, and of course the Metas don’t remember seeing an Incubus, only a Climintra officer.”
“Who did nothing to stop the fight.”
She shrugged. That was the only thing they could get Tavor on, assuming they could even prove he was in the area. “I don’t know what’ll happen.”
“Are you all right?” His gaze was drawn to the bandage on her head.
“Yes.” What he really wanted to know was if the baby was all right. She’d been lucky it was still so small, so well protected by her body and the fluid around it. Tavor shouldn’t have been so hasty if he wanted her to lose the baby. “The baby is fine. You pass that along to Kearn.”
Maybe Kearn didn’t care about her, and that’s why he wasn’t here.
Alroi considered her for a moment. “Tavor is challenging him for the leadership tomorrow.”
“What? I thought that only happened once a year.” What would happen if Kearn lost?
“If there is no surrogate, then the leader can be challenged. It doesn’t usually happen, but Tavor has a lot to lose.” Alroi glanced around the room. “I don’t want Tavor to know you are here and alive.”
“I don’t want that either.” Tavor had too much power as a Climintra, and he was happy to use it to get his way. She didn’t want Kearn to have to fight him either. Tavor didn’t seem like the kind of man who would leave something like that to chance a second time.
“Do you want to help Kearn? I will understand if you don’t want to. This is a lot to deal with, and Humans aren’t used to us.”
If she didn’t help Kearn, what then? Anger bubbled through her. “How can he be allowed to rule when he just tried to kill me and the baby? The Climintra should be arresting him.”
Alroi nodded. “They should. However, he is counting on the Incubi protecting their own. He might even have someone set up to take the fall, say they stole his uniform. He isn’t stupid. He is cunning, and believes himself of greater value than the rest of the clan. However, he doesn’t know you are alive, so technically he can’t challenge Kearn.”
Even though her head still hurt and she was tired, she understood what Alroi was saying. “Tavor doesn’t know that I’m alive and still pregnant.”
“I have an idea that will stop Tavor for good. Will you be able to leave here tomorrow?”
She didn’t care if she was walking out of here against doctor’s orders, there was no way Kearn was fighting Tavor. “What do I need to do?”
“For a start, I don’t want Kearn coming to see you—Tavor will be watching him closely.”
Tavor would be looking for her as soon as he realized that she wasn’t dead. He wouldn’t let her live a second time. “Okay, does Kearn know this?”
Alroi nodded.
She was liking this less and less. She wanted to see Kearn. And he obviously wanted to see her. Which was exactly what Tavor would be counting on. He would have already looked up who she was and where she lived. How many Human Phoebes were there in the Complex? There wouldn’t be many…she might be the only one. It wouldn’t be hard for him to walk in here either. “What’s stopping him from finding me here? He has all the Climintra resources at his disposal.”
“No, he doesn’t. For that, he would have to go into work, and I know for a fact that they would like to talk to him about what happened. Tavor isn’t the only one with friends who listen.” He placed a card on top of the chocolates. “If you want to help Kearn, you know exactly where Tavor will be tomorrow. Maybe invite some Climintra along.”
Phoebe glanced at the card. It was no get well note, but a time and place.
“I guess the celebration is partly for me as surrogate?” Such a nicer word than host.
Alroi nodded. “There is no rule that you can’t attend.”
But she was guessing it wasn’t a common thing for surrogates to go. Screw tradition. “I’ll be there.”
Kearn reminded himself that while this was supposed to be a celebration, he was meant to be looking worried. He was meant to be acting as though all of Tavor’s plans were coming together. Last night, all he’d wanted to do was go to the hospital and see Phoebe, but Alroi had cautioned him.
Alroi had been right. One of Tavor’s friends had followed Kearn across the Complex to where he had fixed the air system. Even though Alroi had reassured him that Phoebe and the baby were fine, he needed to see her and hold her to be sure.
The fight had been all over the news. While the cameras at the actual location of the fight had been off, there was footage from the cameras nearby that showed a Climintra officer walking away and Humans fleeing.
Tavor seemed to be in hiding.
Maybe he wouldn’t show tonight, but Kearn doubted it. This is what Tavor had been planning since Kearn had beaten him.
Around him Incubi were having a drink and talking. Some had offered him congratulations. He’d had to accept it all without letting slip that everything hung in the balance. Even if Tavor didn’t show tonight, Kearn was going to have to take action.
Gradually, people started looking to him to say something to wind up the get together so those who needed to feed could head out.
Still no sign of Tavor.
Kearn lifted his hands and silence fell. “Thank you all for coming. I know this was organized in my honor, really there was no need when I was just doing what was expected.” He gave them all a tight smile. He didn’t want to talk about that night with Phoebe. “But it seems a much graver issue has come up. One of us started the fight that hospitalized a dozen people. I’m sure you have seen the news.”
There were a few murmurs of disbelief. They doubted it could be one of them. Perhaps it was just tensions boiling over?
“I know it is easy for Incubi to be blamed for inciting every ounce of bad behavior, but in this case it is true. Although the one who started the fight is not among us tonight.”
“They are big accusations.” Tavor emerged from the shadows.
“Hardly an accusation when you came to my office to gloat.”
“I wasn’t gloating. I was commiserating…the loss of a host and child is always sad news. Or did you forget to tell everyone? His Human host was killed in the fight. He stood there and accepted your congratulations, knowing it was all a lie.”
