by Holly Hook
And after that, I needed to destroy this phone.
What if the ATC could use GPS to see everyone? I felt as if giant invisible eyes watched me right now. An army of prickles rose on my back.
"But you said Bathory is planning to attack and Turn some ATC agents. He might get out then."
I knew Maisha was just trying to be helpful. "She'll kill him," I said. "Bathory knows who he is. He tried to kill the former mayor."
Her face fell. "Oh."
"Exactly."
"Well, how are you supposed to get him out?"
"I don't know. The brochure me and my other friends got wants everyone to know the place is secure."
"Maybe I could help?" Maisha asked. "It's possible I could make an appointment to go in there and visit someone and they'd let me in. I'm Normal."
I didn't want to put Maisha in any danger. Bathory might attack while she was there, and she'd never make it out alive. Besides, Bathory only wanted to turn people who were armed, tough, and trained. Only the best and the most beautiful for her.
Even if she wasn't beautiful herself.
And Maisha had a terrified undertone in her voice. She feared helping and was asking because she was still my friend. Nobody could hide anything from me.
"They don't even allow most Normals inside," I said. "You need a special appointment and I'm sure you need to have a relative inside the facility. I do, but I wouldn't pass their checks. And I'm sure they only let adults in if they have the place guarded like that. And even if we got inside, there must be guards everywhere who escort you around." I couldn't imagine anything other than that.
"I guess you're right." She was relieved. "How are we going to get in?"
The scents in the room faded. I could no longer smell George.
"Most Abnormals can't fight back against those tasers," I said, thinking. "They must have another way to keep George restrained, too. Silver chains will keep a werewolf from shifting. Maybe I could fight back if they don't expect me to be as strong as I am--"
"Janine. You're talking about going up against the ATC by yourself. I don't think that will work well." Maisha leveled a serious glare at me. She meant it, too.
"What else am I supposed to do?" I asked, trembling. A horrible idea hatched in my mind, but I shoved it away, even though I could think of no better options. It might even expose me to my mother, a thought that terrified me. No longer would I be able to hide what I'd become.
But letting George sit in prison and get tortured because I was an idiot would haunt me for the rest of my life—which could last a long time. It was ironic. Even Turning hadn't made me a better person. Sure, I was bringing my Physics grade up, but for the big things, I was still screwing up.
I paced around the room. "We should leave," I said. "We don't know if the ATC will come back and try to cover this. They must have rushed George out before he could shift. They weren't worried about cleaning this."
"I think you're right," Maisha said. Adrenaline filled the air. Maisha was freaking out again and not because of me. "Janine, do nothing crazy."
"I won't," I said, not sure if I was lying. "Let me drive you home and get back to my place before curfew hits. I need to think about what to do next."
"Good idea," Maisha said. "What about your phone?"
"I'll destroy it," I said.
I knew I'd take that step, even though it might be too late. First, I had to tell Alyssa what happened.
If I went missing, I wanted her to know why. Or maybe not. Alyssa still blamed herself for Turning me and would do anything to get me out of a jam. That meant risking her own neck. She'd done it before by trying to go back to school. I couldn't let that happen again.
Even though Maisha lived within walking distance of my apartment, just three blocks over, I drove to her building and parked on the curb. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," I said.
I feared it might not be for long.
Maisha waved. "Tomorrow, Janine. I will wait at the entrance for you." She was serious, and it was her way of demanding that I not do anything stupid.
Mom was just getting ready for bed when I got through the door. I'd made curfew thirty minutes ahead of time. I told her I'd stay up and get more studying done, which made her happy enough. She went to bed, and I felt an ache in my chest that had nothing to do with hunger.
I might shatter everything tomorrow.
My dad was lucky to have left, whoever he was. He might not have wanted a kid (according to Mom) but at least he wouldn't have to deal with the fallout of this.
I retreated to my room and waited for Mom to fall into a deep sleep cycle. When her breathing reached that calm, I got up and headed out the door. It was a bad idea to go out on my own with Bathory's people out there, ready to launch attacks on everyone else, but I wanted to see Brendan.
Somehow, I felt like he'd understand.
On the way to the closest sewer hole, I threw my phone down and smashed it. My strength made it easy. Then I lifted the lid and climbed down as my gray vision snapped into place, bringing out every detail below. A rat scurried away from me. At least animals didn't want to come near me anymore. They could sense that something was wrong.
Getting to the Underground was the easy part. I found the piece of plywood that was a door that opened to a set of steps that led deeper underground. At least I was getting used to the sewer system by now and I could see down here. Being late, the Underground was a little more active than usual, but I spotted no vampires walking around or in the taverns. Most of them seemed to be still captive in the ATC facility, waiting for Bathory to get them and put them through her tests. Some wouldn't survive. Most of the people down here were robed Mages, werewolves, and an occasional pixie with green skin. I hadn't spoken to any of those so far, but Xavier warned me that fae were best left alone.
I wondered how Bathory had stolen all the blood down here in the first place, and I would find out.
The walk to Xavier's underground mansion didn't take long. I moved fast since no one down here would care. I knocked, and Alyssa let me inside. She had already sneaked away from her father and come here for the night.
"How do you do it?" I asked once she closed the door behind me. We stood in the carpeted entryway underneath the chandelier. "Sneak out, I mean?"
"Now that the mayor's gone," she said, "Dad trusts me to come out so long as I hang out here. Otherwise, I'd have trouble. He stays up all night, too."
"Good point," I said. A wave of jealousy swept over me. Alyssa didn't have the parent problems I had—or would have.
Should I tell her?
No. I knew what would happen. Alyssa didn't need to get into any more trouble. She'd gone through enough before. But I knew she'd worry. If I was lucky, I'd be able to do something before she noticed something was wrong.
"I know what you're here for," she said. "Xavier and I have been talking about how to break into the facility."
I could tell from her tone they had gotten nowhere, and she was bracing herself to tell me. So I nodded. "I get it. We're still stuck."
"It's the military," Alyssa said. "They'll come down on anyone who tries to sneak in. Liliana did research, and there's an army base only two miles from the facility. They were right to warn us."
"But there has to be something in that brochure," I said, thinking of the facility map. It was the only clue I could think of that the ATC wouldn't want us to have.
"There's more," Alyssa said. "Xavier sent Les out there to stake things out, and even he couldn't get within a mile of the building. The facility also has a dozen guards by the gate and electrified fences."
"I figured," I said. My voice was going into chipmunk mode. Great. "What about Transposing? Xavier might get us in."
"We talked about that," Alyssa said. "He still can't get to a place unless he can picture it in his mind. The floor map didn't give us any details to go on. It's as if the ATC included no photos of their facility because of that reason. They don't want War Mages to get inside."<
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I had forgotten that there were limits on his powers, even after the mayor had enhanced them. "And if he misses," I said, "it's military time."
"And trust me, he'd miss," Alyssa said. "He's had epic ones. Like the girls' bathroom in the mall."
"Is his aunt gone?"
"Yes. She's on her trip to Italy to research family history. That alone is making Xavier nervous."
I didn't blame the guy. If his power-hungry aunt figured out he had the powers of a god, or could have them, she'd freak even worse than my mother would about me. Xavier would become not just an idiot to her, but a threat. "She's out of the way, then," I said. "I can't believe how much she doesn't care about the missing vampires. What is wrong with her?"
Alyssa shook her head. "She's baffling me."
"She's the leader of the Underground. It's her job to deal with this. Not ours," I said. "I thought at least she would try to do something, even if it's calling a pointless meeting with the other War Mages."
"I agree," Alyssa said. "Xavier's taking a nap. He still needs to sleep more than we do. So, what do you want to do while we're waiting for him to wake up? The Lovellis have a pool and a bunch of spare bathing suits. It's the closest we'll get to visiting a beach."
"Where's Brendan?" I blurted.
Alyssa took my arm. "Try on some bathing suits, then. I think he's interested in you. He's upstairs in the guest bedroom, playing some online RPG game."
"That's because he's a nerd," I said.
"Nerds are the best," Alyssa said. She smiled. "And you should be the one talking about trying on bathing suits. What's with you? Are you worried about something?"
I hadn't told Alyssa about George.
The news wanted to burst out of me, but I couldn't say it. It was too humiliating to say to Alyssa. Maisha had been different. I didn't have to compare myself to her. And there was the fact that I would pull the riskiest move of my life tomorrow. It was so dangerous that this might be my last night with my friends.
"It's nothing," I said. "Let's go try on bathing suits. I'm sure Brendan will find us." Well, maybe. The guy looked interested in me one moment, and then he put up a wall. Maybe I'd get answers tonight about him.
But that might make things worse.
Alyssa pulled me into the pool room, which I hadn't seen before. The Lovellis had an indoor pool with dolphin statues and fountains surrounding it. The water sparkled and the dolphin mosaic on the bottom of the pool looked amazing. Roman-style columns surrounded us, making the place look like it was right out of the old days of the empire. Why did Primrose have to research her family history? It already looked as if she knew about it.
There was a side room which served as a big closet. It was the biggest closet I'd ever seen and every girl's dream come true. Dozens upon dozens of bathing suits from one pieces to bikinis hung on racks along with a variety of swim trunks. Alyssa and I spent time picking out suits to wear and trying them on in the attached fitting rooms. I settled on a bright yellow bikini that brought out all my curves. In this closet, it was impossible not to find something that fit. I wondered if the Lovellis had used magic to make this possible. Magic, and a load of money.
Alyssa put on a hot pink bikini. Another wave of guilt washed over me as I descended the pool steps into the warm water. George sat in prison and Bathory would launch her attack on the ATC facility soon, and we were taking a break and checking out the most lavish pool in the city.
But what could we do? Xavier was sending out scouts and there was nothing to do but wait.
And I would hatch my plan tomorrow.
"I know we shouldn't be doing this," Alyssa said, climbing into the pool behind me. "We should be out trying to stop things."
So I wasn't the only one who felt like this. "What else can we do?"
"I think Xavier needs to learn the truth," Alyssa said. "He needs to know what he is. I think he can get into the facility, but he will kill people."
I turned and gripped the marble pool edge. He would kill if that happened even if he tried holding back. The soldiers protecting the facility probably had families.
And a new War God's powers would have no mercy. They had the purpose of killing and winning battles.
"This got dark," I said.
"It might have to happen," Alyssa said, "to get the vampires out and stop Bathory from creating her soldiers. She will be much worse than Xavier will ever be."
"I know," I said. "He'll freak out. Xavier won't want to do it if you tell him the truth. Tell him not to do anything."
"Are you kidding?" Alyssa asked.
I thought of my plan tomorrow. "Don't make him do that," I said. "It's not right." So far, I had killed no one. I might manage—
My plan was every inch crazy.
"It's going to freak him out," Alyssa said. "But we might have to." She turned away and did a perfect stroke, moving through the water and starting a lap. "Let's not think about horrible stuff anymore tonight. We all need a short break."
Alyssa had a point. I kept my mouth shut and followed. We swam laps, each one of us taking one side of the pool, and it helped me blow off steam. In the water, I couldn't hurt anyone. I realized how much I missed physical activity and sports.
"You should swim laps more often," Xavier said to Alyssa when he found us in the pool about half an hour later.
He blinked sleep from his eyes and sipped from a coffee. Brendan stood behind him, still wearing his hoodie. He flashed a shy smile at me and hesitated before coming into the pool room.
"Why don't you come in?" Alyssa asked. "You should wear swim trunks more often."
Xavier went to change, and Brendan walked to the edge of the pool and made a pouty face at me. "Sorry about last night," he said. "I didn't mean to go off on you."
I swam up to the edge of the pool, smiled, and splashed him. "That's what you get for that."
"Hey!"
Even though a voice in the back of my mind told me I might not see Brendan again, another urged me to enjoy my time. "Why don't you take a swim with us?" I asked. "We're blowing off steam before we figure out what to do about the facility."
"Because my aunt has refused to help us yet again," Xavier said, emerging from the closet in trunks. "Bathory is about to turn Cumberland into a blood farm and make new soldiers, and she takes off. Stupid."
"I haven't been here for long, but that makes zero sense," Brendan said. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. He always hid underneath that.
Bathory did the same thing. The two of us were hiders, and I hated that thought. It gave me something in common with her.
"Why don't you get in the water?" I asked. Brendan needed to get out more.
"I think I'm okay," he said.
"Come on," I said. Disappointment washed over me. "It's not bad in here. The flowing water myth is a load of crap."
"True," Alyssa said.
Brendan shifted. The guy was nervous. "I'm fine sitting here," he said. "I was never much of a swimmer."
Alyssa frowned at me. This wasn't going the way I'd hoped. There was still more to Brendan than met the eye.
Maybe it was for the best. It would hurt him less if I didn't get out of this alive.
But as I swam, Brendan watched me. The bikini was having an effect. With my heightened senses, I could tell that he wanted to get in the water with us. He wanted to splash me and laugh and maybe even tickle my sides. I tried not to stare into his eyes too much each time I passed, but beyond Brendan's awkward smile was tension and pain. It was as if he were hiding something and I had the sense that something more than the events of last night and our attack on the party were bothering him.
A whole emotional world had opened since biting Xavier's wrist. It was amazing, but I still couldn't read minds. I wasn't sure if I wanted that ability.
Brendan remained at the edge of the pool and I got so absorbed in thinking about him that swimming laps and splashing Alyssa ceased to be fun after a while. I got out of the pool and lay on a beach to
wel instead, pretending on I was next to the waves, but that didn't help dispel the tension, either.
But it made Brendan come over and spread out his own towel. He lay next to me, hoodie and all, and smiled.
Bingo. It was time to use tactics. It might be bad to get too close to anyone considering what I needed to do tomorrow, but a part of me wanted to tell someone.
I turned my head away and pretended to watch Alyssa and Xavier horse around. Xavier wrapped his arms around Alyssa's waist and spun her in a circle. He dunked her into the water, but not before she screamed.
"Hey," Brendan said.
The treatment was working. I said nothing at first and then faced him. "You could have come in with us," I said. "Are you afraid of water? I tried holding my breath, and after about five minutes I didn't have to come up for air. Alyssa says we can hold our breath for up to twenty minutes." Maybe it would be longer for me. I still hadn't discovered everything that the god blood delivered.
"That's cool," Brendan said, shifting. He rested his cheek on his sleeved arm. "I saw."
"How long do you think it'll be before Bathory attacks the facility?" I asked. "Was she making any preparations you could see while you were doing the errands?" We'd talked about this already, but it was a safe topic.
Brendan frowned, but his tension melted and his shoulders dropped from his ears. We were changing the subject. I noted that. "It'll be soon," he said. "She has a lot of weapons in that bunker her people can use. I'm not sure what her exact plan is. The good thing is that most of her soldiers got roasted with dragon fire so that might have put her behind by several days."
We had already talked about that, too. Bathory had lost at least a half dozen old vampires, all her top guards, when we freed the dragon emperor. It might be the only reason she hadn't yet made her move. When she did, the news would report on it.
"Want to know why she wears that veil?" I asked.
"Because she wants to be creepy?"
