by Gray Holborn
“I left in search of something. I can’t offer you more than that now, but rest assured it was to benefit you. The block that your mother placed on you—I cannot break it myself. Her hope was that you would never need to access your abilities, that for as long as the block remained, you’d be untraceable and safe.” Her hat had slipped during her tale, so she paused to awkwardly right it. The small dragon bounced with each word she emphasized. “Clearly, that wasn’t the case. I had a funny feeling about the boy. The block on him felt a lot like the one on Luis—different, but similar—so I knew how to break it. Then, I left to—”
“Luis? Luis has a block—” I felt air pull into my lungs, but I still felt like I was suffocating. I tried to duck my head between my legs to counteract the feeling of dizziness coming over me, but El’s outfit choice made it almost impossible for me to do so without flashing Charlotte. I had a panic attack once before, and the familiar rushing sound of my blood and the tingly stiffness in my fingers pointed to the possibility of another. “Char, are you saying Luis is a supe?” I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. “And he’s been lying to me all this time?”
“No girl. I mean, yes, he’s got abilities. But, no, he’s not lying to you. Like you, he has no awareness of his family’s past. His mother was best friend’s with yours, and they died around the same time. They agreed when you were both born to bind you together, a bind that would only enact in the event that your mother’s wards were broken. It’s why he felt unconsciously compelled to move to Seattle when you did. It’s how he found you, wherever you were. He’ll always be able to find you, and once he becomes aware of his abilities and his bond, that skill will come easier to him. Like all things, it takes practice and will power.” She paused, pulling an orange thread from her sweater. My eyes traced the exaggerated face of the pumpkin, and I breathed a small smile. Halloween was months away. Leave it to Char to celebrate when she chose to. The woman followed no one’s calendar but her own. “And Luis, well, his story is complicated. There are some things he’s been forced to forget. He likely doesn’t tell you much about his life before Seattle.”
Which was true. I’d always been so focused on how secretive El was about her childhood. My cheeks burned as I realized that I hadn’t extended that same curiosity to Luis’s past.
“You’re how he forgot, aren’t you?” I asked. At her guilty nod, my mind caught on the tails of another unexplained moment. I remembered Char, so frail the last time I’d seen her. “And Inferno,” I continued, “you manipulated the memories of the bouncer and the people there the night of the fire, didn’t you?”
“Yes, very good, Odessa. You’ve been paying attention,” she grinned with approval. “I saw you come home that night, all in a tizzy. I took care of it. I went to the bar to find out what happened. Then, I had the bartender give me the cards of everyone there that night, who’d forgotten to close their tab. Of course, I couldn’t get to everyone—but quelling the night down some did make the replacement story more believable. I saw a bartender light shots on fire in one of those late-night mystery shows I love to watch, always thought it looked coo—” I cleared my throat, trying to steer her back to the point. “Ahem, anyway—I didn’t want any more energy users drawn to the event, not if there was a possibility they’d catch wind of you.”
I nodded, digesting Char’s story. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that Luis was a supe. “But how did he find me? Luis, I mean. I thought you said I was magically untraceable?” My head was swimming, but I knew the only way to keep Charlotte talking was to approach the discussion logically. She was rushing through the story and her body was tense, like she was ready to run at the drop of a hat.
“The bond functions differently. I will explain more one day, but he will always be able to find you through it. Supernatural bonds cannot be deceived by blocks and wards. That’s how I found you, eventually. I tracked Luis, knowing that he would eventually make his way to you. I’ve been searching for answers, biding my time until we could meet again.”
“But his block is different than mine then? If you can track him?”
“Yes, girl. I could break it with slightly more effort than the disguise I broke from that boy. When he was young, I manipulated Luis’s memories. He does not remember any part of his life that relates to the Veil. Like you, he was ideally going to live a normal, human life. But I think both of your mothers hoped you’d find your way to each other eventually.” She scoffed. “That’s changed, clearly.”
“Why are people after me then? Why are Luis and I connected? And what does this have to do with our parents?” I tugged the hem of my dress down, suddenly uncomfortable with the judgmental way Charlotte was eyeing my outfit. Strange how I could be made to feel beautiful and trashy all in the same night and with the same cloth. Stranger that I found myself worried about what Charlotte thought about my fashion taste and style.
“That I don’t know. As I said, I had my memories manipulated long ago, by a very very strong manipulator—me,” she winked at me, “all so that I wouldn’t know the specifics in case anyone tried to use me to get to you. My memories of your mother are all but gone.”
Her large eyes suddenly filled with an empty sadness and I knew the same emotion was reflected in my own. When Charlotte told me she knew my mother, I felt a spark of excited longing. I’d finally have a connection to her, be able to know her through an old friend. That disappeared with Char’s confession.
“I’m sorry girl. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to tell you more. For now, I can only give you her name. It’s all that I allowed myself to keep. That and the knowledge that she was like a daughter to me.”
I perked up. “Her name?” My words croaked with excitement.
The lines of her face filled with pity. “Talia.” She reached over and grabbed my hand, offering a squeeze of comfort, both of us rubbed raw with a loss neither of us remembered or understood.
“Thank you.” I offered her a small smile. It was all I could muster at the moment. “Char?” I hesitated, the next question was probably the most difficult one for me to ask, “do you—do you know why my father left? Where he is?”
Her wrinkled lips tipped down in a pitying frown. “Not because he wanted to leave you, that’s the only answer I can give right now.”
I cleared my throat and nodded, as comfortable as I could be with the non answer. “So what now?”
“I’ll keep looking for answers on my end. There are resources I left behind. A breadcrumb trail, in a way.” She scratched her chin, laughing softly as her fingers trailed over a few stray whiskers. “The younger me was a bit in love with the idea of a scavenger hunt and I feel I can do little more now than humor her and follow the suggestions she left, until I can learn more when I need to learn it. But who knows...the younger me was also a bit of a trouble maker,” she winked playfully at me, “it’s entirely possible the breadcrumbs lead nowhere. And you, girl—eventually, you will need to go to the Veil. From what I’ve been able to track down from contacts I have here, your block can only be broken through time and work, away from the human realm. Though I don’t have more for you beyond that.” Her lips quivered slightly and she coughed to cover her emotion. “This is where I must leave you for now. Stick with Luis, Odessa. Your mothers were wise in giving you each other’s protection. You can trust him. And El, I believe, too. I’m not sure if the demons of her past are the same from yours, so keep a weather eye out.” She stood, leaving me speechless as I tried to digest everything she’d told me. “If I learn of another way to protect you or break your block, I will find you through him. Until then, you should go back. They will be wondering where you are. Be selective with who you trust this information to, Odessa. Undoubtedly there are many other pieces to this puzzle I can but guess at.”
Panicking, I pulled her sleeve, “Wait, Charlotte, don’t go yet. Luis—how do I tell him—how does he even break his block?”
She chuckled, squeezing my hand between both of hers. It was
odd how someone so small could infuse
me with such strength. “Worry not, girl. You’ve already told him as much truth as you know, yes?”
I nodded.
“Continue to do that. He will come into his own as he processes. Like his connection to you, his ability will only grow in strength with the knowledge that he possesses it. Each block is different, his is merely buried in his memories. Finding you was the first small tug, he’ll continue pulling on the loose thread until my manipulation unravels altogether.”
Before she could turn to leave, I grabbed her in a firm hug, the dragon on her hat hitting my chin uncomfortably. She squeezed back, offering her comfort as my neighbor, my friend, my protector, and the link to my past.
“Thank you Charlotte. Please be safe, wherever you are.”
She nodded, her eyes glazed with tears, and backed away. I began the walk towards the fairgrounds, trying to will myself to move under the weight of what I’d learned, before her gravelly voice stopped me in my tracks. “And girl?”
I turned back to her. She’d all but caught up to me, with her large right eye magnified through the glass she wore around her neck. She looked me up and down, a tsking sound of disapproval coming from her lips.
“A ridiculous dress. That is no way to dress for a fair, Odessa Black. You’ll give boys the wrong idea. Do better. Blend in.” Without another word, she dropped the magnifying glass back against her chest, winked her left eye at me, and walked in the opposite direction of the fair with an impressive speed and grace.
Less than a minute later Luis came barrelling into me. “Jesus, Odie. We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Where the hell have you been? I half thought some stupid supe came and kidnapped you.” His words were mumbled against the layers of my hair as he squeezed me to him. I felt the steady thump of his heart, noticing that its beat matched mine, wild and erratic. Was this because of some weird, magical bond? Was our friendship completely fabricated? Planned?
I cleared my throat and saw El, Jax, and Soren trailing a few feet behind him. They all had matching looks of relief on their faces. Well, except for Soren. He mostly just looked pissed. I took a step back from Luis when I caught the intensity in Soren’s gaze.
“Where have you been, Black.” His voice was tight, clipped.
I looked at the four of them as Charlotte’s words about protecting our conversation ran through my mind. I looked at El, the steady blue of her eyes reading the confusion in my own. I’d tell her, of course. Even if I tried to conceal what Charlotte told me, El would drag it out of me eventually. I couldn’t lie to her. We were bound together, with a tether likely stronger than any supernatural bond. Luis would need to know as well, although I didn’t fancy breaking the news that he was a supe and that we were forcefully linked by some creepy bond our dead mothers decided to force on us. I was obviously going to need an adjustment period while I digested that information.
And then my eyes trailed to Jax and Soren. Comparatively, I hardly knew them. They’d shown up in my life, my world, in a rampant storm of chaos and fear. But after the few weeks we’d spent together, we’d grown closer, developed a trust. My breath hitched at the gray swirls in Soren’s eyes, at the steady pulsing of his jaw muscles.
Yes, I’d tell them all. I’d trust them all. “I’ll explain everything. I promise. But not here.” I pulled my dress down an inch or two, suddenly feeling uncomfortably exposed and started marching down the street. “Back at the hotel. Booze during the discussion would be good.”
“Uh, Dessa?” El called to my back. “Hang on, wait a second, would you?”
I rolled my eyes and kept walking. “No, I told you I’ll explain everything back at the hotel. I want to change and be less out in the open.”
“That’s fine. But, um, you’re walking in the opposite direction of the hotel.” El’s tone was off and I knew she was struggling with deciding whether she should laugh at my mistake or grow more worried.
“Right.” I paused and turned around, too lost in my thoughts to be embarrassed. “Other way then.” I walked past them and led the way back to our temporary sanctuary.
Chapter Twenty-three
I sat in the hotel bar by myself, nursing a bourbon with no pretense of enjoying it. After relaying Charlotte’s revelations to the group, I found that I needed a few moments to myself to digest the information she’d given. More importantly, to avoid the shocked stares awaiting me in our suite.
Jax and Soren had worn identical expressions of surprise, and El clutched my arm in comfort during the entire retelling. It was mostly Luis I was avoiding, and I hoped that El would share some of that comfort and compassion with him. I blinked hard, trying to erase his reaction from my mind. He didn’t yell or freak out; he just stared straight at me, his expression completely neutral. There was a puzzle, in his mind, that he was working out, and I couldn’t help but feel a part of him hated me for Charlotte’s story. He’d been pulled into this mess because of me; hell, he was in danger now because of me. I dragged him across the west coast like a dog wearing an invisible leash.
Was our friendship even real? Or was the connection and draw I felt with him just some hocus pocus the supernatural community cooked up? Did it matter?
I threw the rest of the bourbon back and signalled the bartender for another when I felt a presence on the stool next to mine.
“Doing okay there, Black?” Soren ordered a whisky and studied me quietly, his eyes dropping down to my oversized band t-shirt and baggy black sweatpants. “You changed.”
I nodded, not sure which of his points I was answering in the affirmative. “How’s Luis?”
Soren cleared his throat, and drained his glass before signalling for another. “I think he’s okay. In shock, of course, but then again I think we all are, more or less. El’s talking with him now upstairs. You had some idea that you were different, you knew you could see auras. For him? Well, I imagine that learning he has an ability and is tethered to you came out of nowhere. Especially since this whole world of energy users is completely new to him.”
My vision blurred. And I sucked in a few breaths of air as I willed the tears not to fall. “He hates me.”
“No, not all.”
“If he doesn’t now, he will. He’ll realize eventually, if he hasn’t already, that he’s literally been forced into my life. Our entire friendship is a fraud, a stupid supe magic trick.” I took another sip, punishing myself with the taste.
“I don’t think the human is capable of ever hating you, Black. It’s not like this is all your fault. You’re just as much a victim to the situation as he is.” He chuckled softly. “I guess he’s not really a human though, is he? I’ll have to come up with some other derogatory term to call him.”
I rolled my eyes and shoved Soren in the shoulder. His answering chuckle told me that was the exact reaction he wanted.
“I hate not knowing more. It’s like Charlotte could tell me just enough to drive me crazy, but not enough to give me any real answers. I don’t understand why people were after my mother, why they’re after me. I don’t know how to access these stupid abilities she was talking about.” I ripped the small napkin under my glass into tiny shreds as my stomach sank. “You don’t think Sam knows about this do you? That he knew about me, about Luis, the whole time?”
As soon as the questions were out of my mouth, I knew the answers. “No, nevermind. Sam wouldn’t lie about something like this. Plus he’s a terrible liar, I’d know. And he wouldn’t willingly keep me in the dark about something this important. I wonder what my dad knew though. If that’s why he never spoke about my mother. Did he know the real reason she died? And honestly, how do I act around Luis now? Michael was my sort of boyfriend, and bam, turns out he’s a supe spying on me to get to El. Or maybe to get to me, I don’t even know. Luis is one of my best friends, and bam, turns out he’s been forced into that position against his will. It makes it hard to push past the bullshit to see the truth.”
Soren’s eyes d
arkened and he reached a long finger up to my cheek, wiping away a tear I didn’t even notice fall. He stared at the liquid, as if mesmerized, before closing his large, calloused hand around my own. “You get tonight to fall apart, Black. A lot was thrown at you today. But only tonight. Because tomorrow we have work to do and after the party, we need to learn more about this block you have and how to break it. I think it’s the first step to figuring out how to protect you from whatever or whoever’s after you.”
“You’re going to help me?” The words stuck in my throat when my eyes caught his intense gaze. “I mean, don’t you think you have enough to figure out with El?”
Soren let out a short, dark laugh. “Yes, obviously I’m going to help you. We’re all going to help you. We aren’t just going to abandon you to figure this out on your own. El would likely castrate us if we even thought about it. Besides, it’s entirely possible that whoever is after you is also after El. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you two found each other.” He paused, reaching his hand slowly up to my cheek, sliding it to the back of my neck so that I looked at him. “And Luis is your friend because you’re you. The bond may have physically drawn him to you in Seattle, but you both chose to be friends. Supernatural bonds strengthen through free will. He wants to be near you, that’s why he was able to track you like he did to the cabin. Trust me, he doesn’t look at you the way he looks at you because someone’s forced him to.”
Soren’s thumb drew unconscious circles near the base of my ear and my breath hitched at his closeness. I watched, fascinated by the slow tensing of the muscles in his jaw and tried to remind my brain that it needed oxygen, and my heart that it didn’t need to pulse so rapidly.
