by K. R. Conway
I admired the delicate sugary flower in my hand, which no longer looked like a turd. “Obviously I need more than ‘ta-da’ to get this right. I think I should just stick to tasting them.”
Ana got up from her stool at another counter, a full assortment of edible sea shells on a tray in her hands. She slid them next to a three-tier ice cream cake that MJ had been working on. “Just let her dust them with sugar and color, MJ. That way your cake won’t be covered in bird poop.”
“Hey now!” I laughed, placing the flower carefully on a tray with others just as the back door slammed open. I jumped and swiveled to see MJ’s mom strolling in, her round face and almond shaped eyes taking in the scene of the three of us laughing.
I choked back the remainder of my laugh as I met her unflinching eyes. “Uh, hi, Mrs. Williams,” I mumbled, shifting on my feet. MJ’s mom thought I was the devil, leading her son down a wayward path of total destruction. Before I arrived, he never missed work, never took off to another state, and damn well never ended up inside an exploding mansion during a million-dollar fundraiser.
Actually . . . I did sort of sound like a one-way ticket to a life of back alleys and prison bars.
Mrs. Williams didn’t even answer me, her attention turned to her son, whose humor had fled him altogether. He worked dutifully on the cake, adding Ana’s seashells to the tiers with artistic precision.
“That cake should have been done by now Marshall James,” accused his mom, using his formal name to reinforce her pissed-off attitude. “I think having visitors here while you work is no longer such a great idea.”
“I’m just about finished, Mom, and they’ve been helping,” replied MJ shortly, placing a starfish on the edge of the second tier. He picked up an airbrush and began dusting a blue hue on parts of the cake. MJ had a bright future in the pastry industry if he ever decided that turning into a guard dog was getting on his nerves.
Ana cleared her throat and glanced to me. She placed a hand on MJ’s back, “Hey – Eila and I are going to head out, okay?”
MJ stopped what he was doing and looked at us. “I’m almost done. I can come with ya,” he said with a bit of urgency. His mother glared at me with even more venom in her eyes, and I swallowed.
I thought MJ’s desire to come with us was because of his mom, but I couldn’t help notice that for the last two weeks, Ana and I were almost always with one of the guys. Raef and I had a deal about toning down the whole buddy system thing, and I was sure he wouldn’t go back on his word. Still, Ana and I had rarely been alone. Of course, we had all been busy doing stuff together as well. I wrinkled my face in thought, but when I looked back at MJ, he widened his eyes and flicked them to his petite mother.
I never knew a little Chinese woman like MJ’s mom could look like she could turn my body into a jigsaw puzzle. Man, she was scary. I found it fascinating that MJ didn’t look anything like her, but his shifter ability definitely came from his Chinese ancestors.
I finally managed to answer my pleading pal. “Sure. We can wait for you out front,” I said thumbing my way toward the small restaurant section of the ice cream shop that was closed.
MJ nodded and Ana and I slipped out of the back room and sat down on the 1950’s chrome bar stools out in the front. A light snow fell past the huge picture windows that encased The Milk Way, the street lamps illuminating the flakes’ drifting descent. Christmas was only three weeks away, and I had yet to find a gift for Raef. Ana and MJ, however, I had covered with gift cards to the local Indie Rock store. They would be in heaven.
Ana leaned back against the counter, kicking her boot-clad feet out in front of her as she watched the snow fall. Her ultra soft boots had been a gift from Kian when she had finally gotten her walking cast off. It was a gift between friends she insisted, but I wasn’t sure it was entirely the truth – I didn’t think Ana could say for certain either.
“So, did you get Kian anything for Christmas?” I asked, sliding my finger along the speckled counter. Ana flopped her head in my direction.
“Are you serious?” she asked, her eyes wide. I gave her a shrug. “Well . . . no. I don’t even know what I would get him. The man has everything.”
Wasn’t that the truth? Kian and Raef had plenty of money, which left me confused as to what I could possibly get them. Especially Raef.
“I’m not even sure we are getting each other gifts,” said Ana, turning her attention back to the snow. I watched how the light from the street lamp played over her cheeks and the tiny shadows of the snowflakes streamed across her face.
This holiday season had been great for Ana, but also tough. She had stopped celebrating everything after her dad died, so the fact that she was even partaking in the holidays was huge. Add in that she was talking with Kian and spending time with him, and I felt that we all might just enjoy a Christmas miracle after all. Well – except for MJ’s mom, who would loathe my butt until the day I died.
Ana sat up and turned to me, “Have you gotten anything for Raef?”
“No, and I have no clue what to get him,” I moaned.
“How about you – wrapped up in just a bow?” she asked, a devious smile on her lips. I shoved her, but she grabbed the seat to keep from falling off.
“Listen perv – I bet that Kian put the same request on his letter to Santa in regards to YOU.”
“Of course he did. I mean – can you blame him?” she asked, but contorted her face to look like some deformed witch and I laughed.
I heard footsteps behind me and MJ appeared, pulling on his jacket. “I’m done – let’s get outta here before she finds something else for me to do,” he whispered urgently.
MJ didn’t have to tell me twice and we all dashed out of the store and into the flurries. Ana climbed in the Jeep with me, while MJ headed to his Bronco. “Wanna follow me over to Christian’s?” he asked, knowing that Mae was once again off on an assignment for North Star.
“Sure,” I replied and slammed my door shut, cranking the Jeep to life. The interior of the car was cold, and I willed the heat to come through the vents faster.
“You know – there are a bunch of cool shops on Commercial Street in P-Town. They sell some funky stuff. We could go there and look for Raef,” said Ana as she shoved her hands into her jacket, curling the leather tighter around her.
“And Kian too? I mean – come on. He deserves something,” I said, watching her.
She sighed and turned to me, giving me the faintest smile laced with hope, “Yeah . . . Kian too, I guess.”
24 Eila
We followed MJ back to Torrent Road and I was happy to see the Range Rover parked by the front door. Raef’s motorcycle was parked in the garage along with Ana’s Trans Am and a brand new pick-up truck. MJ saw the stunning black truck and whistled, impressed.
“Is that . . . Christian’s?” he asked, walking to the front door next to Ana and I. Before I could answer, the door opened and Raef greeted us, “Hey guys.”
“Hey – how’d you and Kian do, uh, hunting?” asked MJ.
Raef looked at MJ. “Same as usual. Nothing exciting.”
Ana pointed to the garage next to the house. “Is that truck Christian’s?” she asked as MJ and I walked in past Raef to the warmth of the house.
“No – it’s mine. I had to get something that would work in the winter and fit more than just me and Eila,” he replied, his hand grazing my leg as I moved past him. Raef was not one for displaying our affection to the world, but he always let me know, subtly, what he wanted. It was a brief touch, a certain look, or how he deliberately passed so close to me that a delicious burn reflected off his skin. The entire effect messed with my brain cells, but I finally pulled myself back to what he had said.
“You bought a truck?” I asked as he swung the door shut and wrapped his warm hand around mine.
“It’s not a big deal. I just called the dealership, told them to give me something new and black, and they delivered it. The bike wouldn’t work for us during the winter. That
one ride we managed a couple weeks ago was probably the last until the spring.”
A truck.
He called up and ordered A TRUCK like a freakin’ pizza!
There was no way to compete with something like that for Christmas. I mean, I knew that already, but somehow whatever I got him would just seem silly in comparison. Ana’s store better have something crazy awesome that will work for my ultra tight budget.
I could hear Kian and Ana talking in the library and MJ interjected something that made Ana laugh.
Raef tugged my arm, causing me to stop before we reached the library and I looked to him, questioning why we weren’t walking anymore.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be in school today,” he said, pulling me closer as he tucked a defiant strand of hair behind my ear. “No idiots bothered you while I was away hunting, did they?”
My body began to melt under his touch. “Nope. No idiots, though my culinary skills are horrific.”
“Good thing I don’t eat food then,” he replied as we finally joined our friends in the library. MJ had already disappeared into the kitchen, looking for something to munch on. His endless appetite, despite his lean frame, was apparently due to his shape-shifting ability.
At least, that was the excuse he used.
On the ornately carved cherry table at the center of the library sat all the books and papers from Dalca’s shop. Much of it had been about herbal remedies and books of old photos. We had found a few more photos of Elizabeth and had given them to Christian, believing he would want anything that was part of her. She was my grandmother, yes, but I never actually knew her. Christian, however, had loved her, and I felt strongly that the photos belonged with him. He had taken them, gratefully.
On the top of one of the library’s tall bookshelves was Elizabeth’s diary – an elaborately engraved leather-bound book that thus far only showed photos. If we could get the necklace from Nikki, it would also bleed through with the handwritten thoughts of Elizabeth. I tried to reach the book, but it was too high for me.
Kian walked over from where he had been talking with Ana and easily grabbed the book, placing the heavy diary into my hands.
“You know – it hasn’t magically change since the last time you saw it, Short Stuff,” he said, leaning back against the table.
“I’m average height, thank you. And I know – but I thought I could use it for an art project I have to do. I’m going to copy the cover,” I replied. Our teacher had assigned a project that required us to bring in a print of a textured surface and then overlay the design with hand-formed letters. It occurred to me during class that the diary would make for a great rubbing surface for me to practice on, with all its intricate leather carvings.
I felt Raef step next to me, and his hand traced the book’s surface, “You are going to make an exact copy of the cover for art class? Is that wise since your mark is on the back cover?”
“No, no. I’m just using this to practice my technique on. I’ll find something else to use for the final project,” I laughed.
“Thank god,” muttered Raef and he reached onto another shelf and pulled down my box of art supplies and papers, placing them on the table for me. I had left most of the things from my art class here, since I spent so much time doing homework by Christian’s massive fireplace.
I gathered up the supplies and moved into the living room, where MJ had gotten a beautiful fire going in the fireplace that was guarded by two cast iron lions.
I sat down in front of the fire and MJ sprawled like a relaxed dog in front of me. He tried to tickle my feet, but I warned him he’d get kicked for his efforts. My highly ticklish toes were off limits unless you wanted to be maimed.
Ana came in with another old book and it too had some markings on the cover.
“Alright – what are we doing again?” she asked, and I explained how to lay the piece of paper over the cover, making sure it didn’t move, and then take the charcoal and lightly rub over the paper. She tried it, and as she worked the pattern appeared on the paper.
“So fancy!” she proclaimed sarcastically. She held it up for Kian to see as he entered the room, Raef following.
He looked at her design. “It’s a masterpiece. Better than Van Gogh,” he replied flatly, keeping a straight face. Ana narrowed her eyes and crumpled her paper, tossing it as his head, but he simply snatched it from the air.
Music filled the room as Raef turned on the sound system and he and Kian walked over toward the billiard table and the wide windows that framed the snowfall. They were talking with one another, no doubt about where to hunt next.
I carefully rubbed my piece of charcoal over Elizabeth’s diary, admiring the delicate swirls and designs that began to appear and Ana hummed along to the song on the radio as she worked on a new sheet of paper beside me. I heard the thump of hard balls hitting the pool table’s slate surface, as Kian and Raef readied the table for a round. MJ heard it as well, and he clamored off the floor to join the guys.
I continued to work at my art project, tuning out the world, but I noticed my rubbing had a weird flaw – little darker lines almost on top of the other marks.
I started to follow one of the flaws carefully with the charcoal, too absorbed in what I was trying to decipher to notice the sudden silence that came from the direction of the pool table. The flaw had breaks in it, but is seemed to form a long, arching curve, which was crossed with another flaw.
I started following the new line and it too became a curving line. There was a shape, or rather a symbol, hidden in the twists and folds of the engraved leather cover – something that I would have never noticed if not for my art teacher’s assignment.
I came across another intersection of lines just as Ana elbowed me, breaking my focus. The paper slipped off the diary and I knew I would need to start all over again, but I could have sworn I had been forming the lines of the round cage that continued to haunt me.
Aggravated that I had lost the shape I was following, I snapped at her, “What?”
Ana was taken aback for a moment by my clipped tone, but then pointed a finger at the pool table, where Raef, MJ, and Kian were standing, staring at the balls. Slowly Raef picked up the dark red ball that I recognized as our talisman. I had never told them that I had added it to the table, and now they were so confused because there were two seven-balls.
It was actually quite funny, but the look on their face was weird.
“Did you find my seven-ball?” I called across the room, my voice the only sound beside the pop-star’s that flowed from the sound system.
Raef’s hand tightened on the ball he held and his voice was dark and quiet, “What do you mean, your seven-ball?”
I glanced at Ana. Was pool really this big of a deal?
“I put it on the table,” I replied with a shrug, getting to my feet with Ana. “It was under my car a few weeks ago and I kept it. It’s a good luck charm for Ana and I. But I just got sick of it rolling around in my car, so I put it here. I’m sorry – are you mad I added it to the table?”
“A couple of WEEKS AGO?” yelled Raef. I actually jumped at his voice and so did Ana, entirely shocked he was so pissed. He was never angry with me – he never raised his voice to me.
I bristled at his unusually short-temper. “Yes – what’s the big deal? Why are you so mad at me?” I demanded sharply.
Kian reached out and took the ball from Raef. “Hey – they don’t know. You can’t be mad at her. To her it’s just a ball.”
“It’s not just a ball,” snapped Raef.
Ana and I exchanged looks as we walked over to the table. “If it’s not just a pool ball, what is it?” Ana asked. “A POKEMON?”
Raef seemed to have turned into a stone of anger and I found it completely unnerving. I carefully walked over to him and touched his rock hard arm. He finally looked at me and his face fell into a strange sort of confused fear. He dropped the ball and grabbed me tightly into his arms, “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Eila. You didn’t k
now.”
Ana looked at Kian, “What the hell is going on?”
Raef slowly released me and he looked at Kian and MJ. “You’ve got to tell them,” said MJ. “If you don’t, I will.”
Raef rubbed his hand across his forehead and dragged his fingers through his hair. He took a deep breath, “A few weeks back we learned of a possible threat against you. We had met with a dealer in Boston, and the way you signaled him was by removing the seven-ball from the pool table. The dealer said that because of your ties with Christian, you would be a prime target for abduction – and ransom.”
Oh hell. “You said dealer. Do you mean . . . drugs?” A chill went up my spine at the idea that Raef and Kian may have an addiction problem.
“No. Not drugs. Souls.”
I blinked, confused. “How you can you buy a soul? How is that even possible?”
Raef turned toward the window, looking out over the harbor, his hand at his side curling into a fist. “You can’t just buy a soul,” he said. “But you can buy a Blacklist name. You can buy the details of a human who doesn’t deserve to live, and then you go and . . .”
I felt sick. “You kill them. You haven’t been hunting animals, have you?” I asked, anger rising inside me. “HAVE YOU!” I yelled.
Raef couldn’t look at me, so Kian took over, “Eila. We have been killing animals, but for us to be strong enough to fight against other Mortis, we MUST hunt humans.”
“You don’t need to be that strong if I can learn how to handle my power!” I protested.
Raef spun around and grabbed me by the arms. “Your power is too damn dangerous! I won’t have you risking your life when I can protect you!”
I tried to yank out of his grasp, which was laughable. If he didn’t want to release me, there was no way to force him. “I can do it! You just don’t think I have what it takes!”
“I KNOW you can do it! I’ve seen you do it and felt you DIE IN MY ARMS!” he yelled, stunning me into silence. He pinched his eyes shut, his jaw pulsing as he clamped his teeth together, but then he finally took a slow deep breath, calming himself.
