by Sharon Sant
The laugh died in her throat and she glanced around uncomfortably to see if anyone else had heard. Luca leaned across to Jacob.
‘What was that for?’ he whispered.
‘You’re being ridiculous.’
‘No,’ Luca hissed, ‘you’re being ridiculous.’
Jacob glanced across at the woman. ‘She’d have you for breakfast, mate.’
‘Yeah,’ Luca countered, ‘maybe I want to be had for breakfast.’
‘I’m doing you a favour,’ Jacob said, turning away to look out of the window.
‘I don’t need your favours, so keep your nose out.’
It was a long and silent two hours until the captain announced the plane’s imminent landing. Jacob absorbed himself in his musings about what his dream had meant while Luca sulked and the woman cast around in vain for another seat to move to.
Jacob didn’t think his dream was a premonition, like Ellen’s had been, and he didn’t feel that what he had seen had actually come to pass. It could have been Makash again, messing with his head. But the name… Kya. Where had that come from? He had spent so long trying to get a sense of her without any success, and now he was suddenly presented with it, almost as if he had always known it. He did not doubt that it was her Astraen name, it just felt right. The conviction began to grow in him that perhaps her power was greater than his, perhaps she had already come to have a sense of who she was and had communicated with him, had sought him out, not the other way around. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this notion. On one hand, maybe it meant that he would be able to convince her easily and that she would happily embrace life as a Watcher. On the other, if she chose to join with Makash, together they would be a force he could never hope to hold at bay. The other option was that Makash had found her and had already unlocked her powers. But that didn’t fit; he had no sense of any sort of disturbance in the balance of reality that such an unleashing would create. And traditionally it was only the Watcher who could do it. Now, more than ever, he felt the urgency to reach her first. If her talents were greater than his, the havoc she could wreak, untutored, untrained, without a mentor like Dae, was unimaginable. Couple that with the thought of Makash succeeding in twisting her mind as he had tried to do with Jacob…
By the time they reached their destination it was late afternoon. The woman who had sat with them on the flight to Chicago made sure she was nowhere near them on the connecting flight to Los Angeles, so the rest of the journey was sat out in silence. Jacob’s thoughts still teemed with a myriad theories and fears about Alex. Luca was plugged into the in-flight film, still sulking over his humiliation at Jacob’s hand.
‘We’d better find somewhere to stay,’ Luca said moodily as they exited the airport into the harsh sunshine. Pillars of smooth concrete surrounded them and the place smelt strongly of petrol fumes as cars left the airport parking lot in a steady stream. Despite the fact that they had cars and concrete at home, something about it looked so foreign, so different from what they were used to. Ordinarily, the sight would have provoked manic enthusiasm in Luca, but his wounded pride was still stinging. ‘This is your trip,’ he insisted, stubbornly deciding that he was not going to help with the task. ‘What do you suggest?’
Despite all their parents’ advice, they had not bothered to organise anything in advance, trusting that they could do this easily when they arrived. But they had not bargained for the exhaustion of a long-haul flight and the animosity that now pricked the air between them.
‘We can’t stay in the airport hotel, if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Jacob replied, throwing a longing glance at the glass tower behind them.
‘I know, I know… it’s too expensive, Dad.’
Jacob ignored the jibe. ‘Do you want to head straight over to Anaheim or stay here and move on tomorrow?’
‘I’m knackered, I say we find somewhere close by for tonight,’ Luca huffed, dragging his case.
Without a guidebook they trawled the sun-bleached pavements looking for a motel that didn’t look as though it was owned by a mafia boss. The deeper they went into the city, the more sinister the streets seemed to look. Scenes from films he had seen played in Luca’s mind and he began to feel like the proverbial country mouse, suddenly vulnerable in this vast, sprawling metropolis that was a world away from what he knew. He wondered if this was how Jacob felt when he had first been taken to Astrae.
Four or five tatty establishments had been ruled out when they stopped outside one where a short man in a turban weeded a flowerbed.
‘Excuse me,’ Jacob called as they approached. The man saw them and straightened up with a hand to his back.
‘Hello.’ He gestured to the suitcases with a smile. ‘A room?’
Jacob shot a glance at Luca who nodded his approval. ‘Yes,’ Jacob said. ‘Just one night - is that ok?’
The man smiled. ‘You can have one hour as long as you’re paying. This way,’ he beckoned as he moved towards a tiled reception area.
Jacob’s gaze slid over the front of the building. The sign that read Lamplight Motel was faded, there were cracks in the concrete balconies and tiles missing from the roof, but the man seemed friendly. Jacob and Luca followed, relieved to get out of the sun.
They paid for a twin room which they found was all shades of brown - threadbare seat covers and faded curtains - but at least it was clean. They abandoned their cases just inside the door, flopping down on the beds. A lady in a sari, they guessed she was the owner’s wife, had knocked shortly after their arrival with hot, sweet, tea, which they thanked her for and drank gratefully, touched by the couple’s small kindness. Luca’s mood had since lifted and he glanced across at Jacob, now lying on his bed again, and grinned.
‘We’re in Los Angeles!’
‘On our own,’ Jacob returned with less enthusiasm. ‘What the hell are we doing here? It’s crazy - we can’t do this.’
‘You need a kip, mate,’ Luca reassured him. ‘You’ll see things differently then. What happened on the plane, anyway?’
‘Hmm?’
‘You shouted in your sleep.’
Jacob turned his face to the fan whirring lazily on the ceiling. ‘I had a dream. That’s all.’
Luca paused, apparently mulling over the significance of this statement. ‘An ordinary dream or a dream that meant something?’
‘I’m not sure. It was about Alex, and Makash was there too. He grabbed her and took her away, but… I heard her name, her true name, and I don’t know how. I shouldn’t know that, and she shouldn’t - I didn’t until Makash came to me the first time - so how did I hear it? And I just know it’s the right name, I can feel it.’ He paused, wondering how to frame into words his fears. ‘I’m scared. Scared that I’m not doing the right thing, scared that Makash will get to her first, scared that she won’t want any part in this future I have mapped out for her and then…’ he sighed, ‘I won’t ever be able to come home again.’
He waited, desperate for Luca to give him some words of encouragement, wanting to hear someone say that he was doing the right thing, that everything would be ok. ‘Luca?’ He turned to check the other bed.
Luca was asleep.
Jacob was woken by the sounds of shouting beneath the window of their first floor room. He sat up, initially confused by his surroundings before recalling where he was. He couldn’t remember nodding off but now the room was dark; he had no idea how long they had both been asleep.
‘Luca,’ he called, leaping unsteadily from the bed. ‘Luca, wake up.’
Luca struggled to open his eyes, taking a moment to focus. ‘What?’
‘Something’s going on outside.’
Luca sat up and they remained in darkness, listening intently for a moment. It sounded like three or four people, at least, having one hell of an argument. A woman was screeching and another man’s shouting was so breathless that Jacob and Luca could only imagine how animated he must be. The others seemed to be trying to placate them. Eventually, the sounds drifted away
and it was apparent that whoever was involved was moving on. Jacob crossed the room to flick on a fringed lamp.
‘You’d better ring your mum,’ he said to Luca.
‘And you.’ Luca grinned, now wide awake. ‘I’m starving as well,’ he added. ‘We could ask that couple where there is to eat.’
‘We’ll phone home first and then ask.’
The hotel owner glanced across at his wife, seemingly uncomfortable about their question.
‘I wouldn’t wander too far out at this time of night,’ he warned.
‘We won’t,’ Jacob reassured him.
‘There’s a diner a couple of blocks down and a Taco Bell a little further on from there,’ the woman said. She turned to her husband. ‘They should be ok, shouldn’t they?’
Jacob glanced at Luca, sharing a silent question. This man and his wife seemed nervous about the idea of them going out for some reason.
‘We won’t be out for long, it’s just that we haven’t eaten since the plane,’ Luca said.
‘We’re making Butter Chicken,’ the motel owner said. ‘Very nice. There is always spare, we’d be happy to give you some to eat in your room.’
Once again, Jacob was touched by their kindness and was considering their offer when Luca got in first.
‘That’s really nice of you, but I quite fancy a bit of exploring.’
The woman looked at her husband again. ‘Let us know if you change your mind.’
Jacob and Luca waved a farewell, leaving the couple in the reception where a small TV flickered on a wall stand, and headed out onto the street.
‘So, diner or Taco Bell?’ Luca asked.
Jacob shrugged and turned to survey the street. When the hotel owner’s wife said a couple of blocks… he had had no idea how big a block actually was, but now he could see that it was a fair distance. This was not a city designed to be traversed on foot. ‘I can’t see a sign for either of them. I suppose we’ll just eat at the one we hit first?’
‘Suits me,’ Luca agreed.
A twenty minute walk saw them approach a neon sign for Denzel’s Diner. The smell of roasting meat could be scented even from a distance and hunger persuaded them both to quicken their steps.
The diner had clearly seen better days but it had a cosy atmosphere. Orange leather seats and dark wooden tables were dotted over a tiled floor, a large ceiling fan whirred in a wobbly orbit that threatened to break it free from its fastenings and vintage sports posters covered the walls. Once seated inside, a waitress brought them menus.
‘Thank you,’ Jacob said, taking his. Luca flashed the woman one of his most winning smiles. Her ear detected Jacob’s accent immediately.
‘You boys from England?’
‘On holiday,’ Luca said. ‘We’re staying down the way, at The Lamplight.’
She nodded, ‘I know it. Nice owners.’
‘They are,’ Jacob agreed.
She gave them both a radiant smile. ‘You guys, I love your accents, I could listen to the way you talk all night.’
Luca winked. ‘It could be arranged.’
Jacob rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t mind him, it’s a psychological disorder.’
She giggled. ‘I don’t mind, honey, he’s a cute one. Now, what can I get you two?’
They both ordered burgers. Jacob had never seen bigger platefuls, piled high with a mound of sides and different relishes.
‘Even my mum would struggle to beat these meals.’ Luca grinned as he looked gleefully at his plate.
‘You’d be dead if you ate this every day,’ Jacob replied.
‘I don’t know,’ Luca said, ‘I’d certainly die happy.’
Jacob glanced around the diner as they ate. Somehow, it didn’t feel completely friendly any longer. He tried to push away the unease.
‘Tomorrow,’ he said, ‘we need to think about what we’re going to do to find Alex. Any ideas?’
‘I thought you might have that covered,’ Luca mumbled through a mouthful of fries.
‘I’m a bit nervous about just asking on the streets,’ Jacob admitted.
‘Me too,’ Luca said. ‘If she was involved in that robbery, I don’t want to think about what sort of people would know her.’
‘I don’t think she was.’ Jacob leaned in across the table. ‘I think she was set up.’
‘Are you saying that because she’s your sister and you want to think that?’ Luca asked. ‘Or because you know for certain?’
Jacob paused, giving some thought to Luca’s question. ‘I just feel it, that’s all.’
‘If you’re right,’ Luca said darkly, ‘then who set her up? And why did she go along for the ride? That’s what we have to worry about.’
They ate in silence as Jacob mused on what Luca had said. Shortly after they had finished, the waitress came back over to their table.
‘Enjoy your meals?’
Luca nodded, his mouth still full as he mopped up the last crumbs. She smiled and placed two monstrous dishes of apple pie with cream on the table.
‘On the house, boys,’ she whispered, leaning closer to Luca before she left them.
Luca grinned and glanced at Jacob who was now feeling so full that he blanched at the idea of trying to eat more.
‘Seriously, how can you even think of eating that?’
Luca pulled his dish over. ‘Who’s thinking? I’m just going to eat it.’
With the bill paid they left the diner and emerged onto the vast street, now alive with the headlights of cars tearing up and down the highway.
‘That waitress was nice,’ Luca commented carelessly as they sauntered in the balmy air.
‘You certainly thought so.’
Luca grinned. ‘We might as well have a bit of fun while we’re here, hadn’t we.’
‘I can’t. I have to keep my mind focused.’
‘You’re pining for Ellen more like.’
Jacob threw him a sharp sideways glance. ‘I’m not. I told you before, that’s all over.’
‘You can’t fool me. I know you, remember?’
‘You think you do,’ Jacob muttered.
‘What you need is something to take your mind off her –’
‘What I need is to find Alex and go home.’
‘We will find her. But that doesn’t mean it has to be all work and no play. We’re in Los Angeles, in the prime of our lives, footloose and fancy free.’
‘I’m not footloose and fancy free, though, am I?’
‘Yeah, but even Watchers must be allowed to have some fun.’
Jacob was just about to snap an irritated reply when there was a deep, unfamiliar voice from close behind them. They both turned at the same time to stare into the face of a tall, skinny man, his hair closely cropped and his pitted complexion apparent even in the dim light of the streetlamps. He must have been stalking them with some stealth and Jacob - whether he was overtired or distracted by thoughts of Ellen, he could not tell - had not felt his presence. One thing was certain; he wasn’t stopping them for a friendly chat.
‘Hey, English. You got any money?’
Jacob glanced at Luca uncertainly and then shook his head. ‘Not very much.’
While he knew it was the wrong answer, through his mind ran the thought that if they were to succeed in their quest, what little funds they had they desperately needed.
‘What you got, I’ll take,’ the man ordered, pulling out a thick hunting knife.
Now acutely aware of the danger they were in and a snap decision made to favour caution, Jacob was just about to pull out his wallet when Luca lunged forward to wrestle the knife from the man’s grip. Within seconds, and unseen by Luca, another man emerged from the shadows, also armed.
‘Luca!’ Jacob cried.
The second man leapt and slashed at Luca from his side. Jacob’s reactions were faster - lightening quick he threw up an invisible wall, fusing the molecules of the air into something unbreakable. The attacker’s knife hit the defence and shattered in his hands. But the first ma
n was on Jacob before he had time to switch his attention, his serrated blade tearing an arc through the air and deep into Jacob’s shoulder, forcing him to the ground in a blur of searing pain. The second man stared down at his shattered blade in disbelief and then threw the handle to the ground before making his escape back into the shadows. Luca grabbed the hilt of the ruined blade and whacked the first man across the back of the skull. The man baulked and howled; grabbing his head as a red stream trickled between his fingers. Jacob squinted up, the world spinning away from him. Sensing that Luca was now in trouble, he managed to throw out a single shock of energy before collapsing.
Their attacker stumbled and crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Jacob finally succumbed to his own wounds and let the blackness take him too.
Seven: The Prophecy
Jacob opened his eyes. He was in a strange room, decorated with pictures that looked eastern… Hindu gods? He’d seen them somewhere before and struggled to remember. He was lying on his front, bare-chested save for the amulet around his neck. The light hurt and he screwed his eyes shut against it. He tried to move and pain ripped through his torso and upper back. Hearing Luca’s voice, he opened his eyes again. Luca came into view, followed by the man and his wife from the motel. The lady was holding a bowl of water and piles of bloodied cotton-wool overflowed from another bowl on a side table.
‘We should call the paramedics,’ she said, her face a taut mask of concern.
‘I’m fine,’ Jacob croaked, shivering and his mouth desperately dry. The woman shot her husband a worried glance. ‘I’m sure it looks worse than it is,’ Jacob insisted.
‘Well that’s good,’ Luca cut in, ‘because it looks pretty bad from where I’m standing.’
Jacob tried to push up, steeling himself not to cry out. If he could get back to their room, he could heal it himself. He just hoped that Luca would understand and play along. But he didn’t get far as pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed back down, panting and slick with sweat.
