"Luke?"
"Yes?"
"Stop."
"Okay."
Kira looked over and saw that his lips were still moving. "Luke, you are not giving me some fancy nickname. Stop."
"Oh, come-on. I just thought of something amazing."
"No," she laughed at his persistence.
"Please?"
"No," she stood strong.
"Pretty please with a cherry on top...?" Kira finally looked him in the eyes, meeting his puppy-dog pout, and couldn't resist.
"Okay, fine, but keep your eyes on the road."
"Alright, here goes," Luke said, adding a dramatic pause for effect, "Kira...the Flaming Tomato." He grinned widely, super proud of himself. Kira snorted almost against her will.
"Luke, that stinks. That is actually the worst super-hero name I have ever heard. I prefer the human flame thrower."
"Too late," he cheered. "Kira Dawson, the Flaming Tomato. I think it has a nice ring to it. You have red hair like Shaun White, but you flame while he flies. It's perfect."
"It's terrible. If you ever call me that again, I may have to hurt you."
"You, hurt me? Never." Luke was doubtful, clearly.
Kira turned to look at Luke, grinning, and finally gave in. "Hey, I'm the Flaming Tomato, mister. I could kill you with the simplest flick of my finger."
He smiled triumphantly, and Kira let the conversation fall away as she noticed the exit sign for the airport. In an hour or two, they would probably be seated with their seats up and tray tables secure, flying off into the night sky, away from everything...and everyone.
"Do you think he's okay?" Kira didn't have to clarify.
"Yeah, you have nothing to worry about," Luke said as he switched lanes onto the exit ramp. They rode in silence for the next five minutes, enjoying the peace, until the lights from the parking lot came into view. They had arrived.
The clicking of the turn signal filled the silence as Luke made his way through long rows of empty spaces speckled here and there with a car. He pulled his truck to a halt in the last space of the longest row, the spot closest to the garage exit.
"Do you think they followed us?" Kira asked while peering around the fluorescent lamps and through the slight fog that stilled danced along the ground.
"I'm not sure," Luke responded. He reached for the handle on his door, and then hesitated. "On the count of three, we make a run for it, okay?"
Kira nodded. The entrance to the airport was maybe fifty yards away. They could definitely make it. She reached back for the duffle Tristan had stuffed full of her clothes and saw Luke take hold of his. She fixed the strap over her shoulder and met Luke's waiting eyes.
"One," Luke started.
"Two," Kira added.
"Three," they said simultaneously. Kira flipped the handle, shoved the door open and jumped out. Luke had already rounded the car and Kira sprinted forward, keeping pace with him. They made it out of the dark parking lot and were greeted with the bright lights of the airport entrance. Neither one of them slowed for a second until they were at the automatic door, panting and out of breath, but alive.
Kira sucked air into her lungs. The distance hadn't been far, but fear had made her heart race even faster than the running. When she straightened and walked through the sliding door, Kira noticed the security guard for the first time. He looked at Kira and Luke with clear suspicion.
"Nice night for a sprint through the parking lot, don't you think?" Luke said as they walked by and Kira elbowed him in the ribs. That taunt would not help anything. Luke shrugged and made his way to the ticket counter. Kira waited with their bags, looking up at the arrivals and departures board. It was almost one in the morning, and while Kira loved Charleston, the small, two terminal airport was not exactly hopping at the moment.
She scanned the names, searching for Orlando or something in Florida, but there were barely any planes flying for the rest of the night and the flights for the next morning had already been listed. Sighing, Kira walked over to Luke, dragging both of their bags behind her.
"There aren't anymore flights tonight, we need to find something for tomorrow." She said when she got closer. Luke turned with two tickets in hand and grinned.
"Don't worry. We're not flying commercial."
"What? What are we flying?" Kira went for the tickets, but Luke moved faster, keeping them just out of reach.
"You'll see."
Kira didn't like the smirk on his face, but she followed as he walked past her, picked up his bag and made for the security check.
They walked silently through the brown, carpeted hallways. The last time Kira had been there, she remembered judging the quaint decor, thinking it provincial compared to the vast, open space of New York's LaGuardia Airport. But now, Kira appreciated the hand-painted murals of herons on the marsh and Carolina gators. The personal touches of the smaller city were welcome, and she realized that soon she would be downsized to an even tinier town, which brought her thoughts right back to the conduits and the mysterious transportation they had provided.
Luke strode confidently through the airport and politely waved to the workers they passed as though old friends. Kira stepped more meekly behind, afraid of what she approached.
When they reached the terminal, Luke showed a flight attendant their tickets and she opened the exit door, signaling both of them to follow. Kira had no idea what to expect as she walked through the opening into breezy air, but the streamlined five window private jet that greeted her was the last thing she imagined.
"Luke, is this a joke? That can't be our ride."
"No joke. Conduits fly in style," he whispered in her ear and used his finger to close her jaw, which had dropped straight to the floor.
"How is this possible?" Kira asked, still not convinced.
"Just follow me." Luke laughed and looped his arm through hers, tugging her down the steps and over to the plane. Kira followed him up the entrance, ducking her head to fit through the ovular door, and almost couldn't believe what she saw. Eight cream-colored leather seats, large enough to fit two people each, filled the space. One long couch stretched below the windows on the left side of the plane, and two flat-screens graced the front and back walls of the space. The cup holders and foldout tables were made of mahogany and Kira thought even the carpeted floor looked luxurious. She felt her mouth hang open again and moved to close it as a man stood up from one of those comfy seats that Kira couldn't wait to collapse into.
"Luke! How have you been?" The man asked, stretching his arm out to shake Luke's hand. Kira took note of his tailored suit and sandy blond hair, before reaching out to shake the hand he now focused on her. "And you must be Miss Dawson. It's an honor to meet you."
"My pleasure," Kira said, still not totally trusting the wide smile he presented her.
"Kira, this is Councilman Andrews," Luke said, but something in the way he looked at her made Kira even warier. She remained silent, letting the tension build into an awkward silence. For some reason, Kira couldn't bring herself to trust this Council or its members.
"Well, now that introductions are out of the way, we have business to discuss. Luke, come sit with me?" The Councilman asked, breaking up the moment. Luke nodded and picked up his suitcase.
"Wait," Kira touched Luke's arm. "Mr. Andrews, can I please talk to him first?"
"Of course," the Councilman said, flashing that smile again, one that was slightly too wide to be real.
Kira sat down, sinking into the chair that was even more comfortable than she could have imagined. Luke sat across from her.
"Pretty nice, right?" He said, gazing around the small room.
"Well, yeah. You said you would explain this little surprise?"
"I can't go into details right now," Luke nodded his head in the Councilman's general area, letting Kira know the Councilman was listening in on them. "But, let me put it this way: Area 51 is real, it's just not about aliens. In exchange for our help, the government keeps our secret and g
ives us military funding. And a fancy way to fly was at the top of our list."
"So, what? You're saying that the government has some secret lab where they study vampires?"
"Basically, yes: vampires, among other things. We've heard rumors of were-creatures or faeries, but I've never seen any." Kira leaned back, processing. She guessed there had to be other things out there, but still, actually hearing it was just bizarre.
"Luke?" Councilman Andrews called out. He sighed under his breath.
"Look, I have to go talk to him. I need to brief him on what happened and let him know why we arrived so much sooner than planned." Kira nodded in understanding.
"Before you go, I just want to say thanks. If you hadn't been yelling instructions to me, we probably wouldn't have made it here. I never even saw that vampire in front of the car and until you screamed at me."
Luke smiled slightly, "I don't even remember screaming. Must have been too caught up in the action. Anyway, there's a phone in the armrest, I thought you might want to call your parents once we get in the air."
"Thanks," Kira said and watched as he retreated to the rear end of the plane to talk to Mr. Andrews. It's amazing, Kira thought, how he thinks of everything. He had saved her life again that night without even realizing it.
She felt the plane vibrate as the engine started and looked out the window to watch as they started moving closer and closer to the jet way. She felt the plane pick up speed after they rounded the last corner and she held on as it lifted off the ground, defying gravity in a way that still amazed her. The forest below started shrinking and the cars racing down the highway began to look more like toys than anything else.
Kira wished it were daylight so she could catch one last glimpse of the Ashley River in memory of one of her favorite afternoons. She searched for the lights of Charleston, but saw only the black stretch of the ocean. Folly pier would be out there somewhere, she realized, as she stared out at the eastern horizon.
Leaving things behind was always hard, but leaving the place where she had discovered so much about herself was more difficult than she had realized. In the past year, almost everything about her life had changed, but South Carolina had been a constant. The humid air that clung to her skin, the tangy smell of salt in wind or the rustle of a palmetto in a chilly winter's breeze — all of it had become comforting to her. Sonnyville, home of an ancient society she had only just scratched the surface of, would be completely new. She would miss the sand, the beach, the hot sun, and the low-country attitude where enjoying life was the most important thing.
Kira stopped searching the darkness for her home and reached inside the armrest for the phone instead. She dialed and it rang once before it clicked.
"Hello?" It was her mother, and Kira felt sorry for the obvious panic in her voice.
"Mom, it's me. I'm—"
"Oh, thank God. What happened? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kira said loudly, halting her mother before her questioning got out of control. "I'm on my way to Sonnyville with Luke. We had to leave a little earlier than expected." She didn't want to frighten her mother, so she kept silent about the reason for their leaving early.
"I know. Tristan came over and told your father and I about the Council summoning you a day early. We didn't even get to say goodbye." Kira smiled, silently thanking Tristan for knowing her well enough to understand that she wouldn't want her mother to worry. It also meant that he had made it and that the vampires had fled after their car chase.
"Honestly, maybe it's better this way. Now we won't have to go through that whole bawling in each other's arms sort of goodbye." She heard a sniffle on the other end of the receiver. "Mom, stop crying. Seriously, I'm only leaving for two months. I'll be back to annoy you and Dad in no time."
"I know," she sniffled again. Mothers, Kira sighed. "Your father wants to talk to you."
"Kira?"
She smiled at the deep rumble of her father's voice. "Hi, Dad."
"Hi, honey. We're so happy you're all right. Luke better be treating you like a lady." Kira rolled her eyes.
"Dad, relax. I'm staying with Luke and his family, and my boyfriend is in Europe for the next two months. You have nothing to worry about."
"Well, that's a father job, we—"
A high-pitched, barely understandable squeal sounded through the phone, cutting her father off.
"Chloe!" Kira chirped, excited.
"Kira, where are you?"
Kira smirked. She could easily envision the pout on her sister's face. "I had to go away for a little while, but I'll be back soon."
"Can you make pancakes when you get back?"
"Of course," Kira chuckled. Her sister would miss her food more than she missed her.
"Yay! Here's Mommy."
"Call us when you land, okay sweetie?"
"Yes, Mom."
"We love you."
"I love you, too," Kira said and hung up the phone. Maybe, two months away wouldn't be so bad. It would be an adventure, like going to camp for a summer. She would come back with enough stories to enthrall her sister and enough skills that her mother might stop worrying a little bit. Maybe she would learn more about who and what she was, and why the Council had decided to keep her alive even though her life supposedly meant the end of the modern world.
And maybe, Kira thought as she pulled the chain holding her locket and ring out from underneath her shirt, maybe she would come back with a few more memories of her real parents. Maybe, she finally let herself dream, she would come back with her real mother.
Kira leaned her head against the window and watched the sky change with the rising sun. At first, the deep ebony sky lightened to a vivid indigo, slowly turning from a dark violet to a light pink, until wispy tendrils of cerulean poked through the painterly scene. Even the clouds seemed fluffier than usual.
Before long, Kira dozed off. She didn't notice as the bright sun scattered the clouds and enlivened the ground below. She didn't notice the warm glow on her cheeks and how her skin naturally reacted to the brilliant rays. She didn't even notice when the plane started to descend on the sleepy town below, one that had just started buzzing with the morning's events.
She did notice when Luke lightly touched her shoulder and shook her awake.
"Kira," he whispered, his lips slightly closer to her ear than necessary. In her groggy state, she welcomed the warmth of his breath. "Kira, we're here."
Her eyes shot open.
Chapter Three
Kira jerked awake and moved to stand up, promptly smacking her forehead against Luke's chin.
"Ow." Kira brought her hand to her head, rubbing the now aching spot. "Luke, there is this little thing called personal space..." He cupped his jaw, moving it around to fix the slight displacement Kira had caused.
"Hey, I was just trying to wake you up. How was I supposed to know you'd shoot up like the Energizer Bunny?"
Kira ignored him and stood up gently this time, easing out of her seat. She grabbed her things and followed Luke off the plane, realizing the Councilman had already left the two of them alone.
The first thing Kira noticed when she exited was that it was hot, scorching hot. Almost instantly a slight sweat rose on her arms. There was no breeze, just the heaviness of still air letting the sun bake her.
After she let the temperature go, Kira looked around at the small landing strip. The airport was almost nonexistent. There was only one runway, one building and two of these small planes resting in the open air. And then she noticed the car that was waiting a few yards away. She assumed it was the one that would take her and Luke to Sonnyville, and started walking over.
"Are you excited to be home?" Kira asked when Luke sat beside her in the backseat and closed the door.
"More than you know," he replied and Kira could almost feel his excitement sizzle in the air.
A driver sat down in front of them and revved the engine.
"Where to, Mr. Bowrey?"
"The town square,
please." Luke responded, reaching in his bag for a few papers. Kira was taken aback by the formal use of Luke's last name. To her, he was the slightly cocky, mostly goofy best friend. But here, Luke was treated with the utmost respect. It was strange to see him so grown-up, Kira thought as she studied his concentrated features.
"What?" Luke asked, turning and catching Kira's stare.
"Nothing," she said and flipped her attention to the world outside of her window.
For a few minutes, nothing seemed different. Trees flashed by, a blue sky danced above them, the road was made of gravel and it was painted with striped yellow lines — nothing unusual. But then, they pulled to a halt outside two large, scroll-topped, cast-iron gates. Kira watched as the driver lifted a remote and pressed a button. The gates slowly creaked open and the car inched through them.
For some reason unknown to her, Kira expected something crazy to happen when they entered the town. But, the deeper in they drove, the more normal it looked, like the perfect picture of suburbia. They passed white-picket fences, shingled roofs, mowed front lawns and there was nothing out of the ordinary at all. In fact, if anything, Kira thought it was eerily silent. She didn't see people anywhere, despite the sunny day. There were no children hopping through sprinklers or parents watching over them from a shady porch. The longer they drove, the more spooked Kira became. Where were all the people?
"We're almost there," Luke said, tucking all of his things back inside his bag. Kira shifted her attention from the ghost town to her friend.
"Where is everyone?" Kira asked.
"They're waiting for you," Luke laughed.
"Me? Why?"
"Kira, you're the only mixed-breed anyone has heard about in modern history. Believe it or not, you're a huge deal." Kira felt a knot of butterflies grow in her stomach. Being the center of attention was never something that had crossed her mind when coming to Sonnyville. Training? Yes. The Council watching? Yes. Children gawking? Definitely not. Stupid, she chastised herself, of course my being here is a big deal.
"Here we are," Luke said. A wide smile lit up his features and crinkled the corner of his eyes.
Simmer (Midnight Fire Series Book Two) Page 3
