Mystique's Journey

by Daniel A. Jones

  “The debt is paid in full,” Shektee stated in a formal manner and voice.

  “What about the cost of protecting Mystique and hunting down the criminals?” Daemon asked, cautious of starting a new debt.

  “I have seen the list of humans Mystique will be hunting; if I am allowed to feed on half of them, I will be in her debt.”

  “I don’t know about feeding and I really don’t want to, but I do want you doing most of the killing. I don’t want Mystique losing any more of her humanity than necessary,” Angelica told Shektee, causing Mystique to turn in protest only to hold her comments. Angelica was just doing what she thought was right, and Mystique wasn’t going to yell at her for it.

  The group discussed Mystique’s plan for tracking down the Irishman and his boss. They also made plans for how she would contact the embassy. Killing people, even if they deserved it, was illegal, and the police would be after the murderer. One of their first priorities would be finding a place to live and getting money to live on. Shektee didn’t understand the need for money, but if the others thought it was important she would too.

  ***

  The discussion had continued until a soft knock at the door alerted them that someone was coming in. Doctor Fitzroy had learned during their last meeting that it was not healthy to startle Daemon and Angelica. He slowly opened the door. Doctor Fitzroy was happy to see everyone in a relaxed posture. He had been worried there was some kind of trouble.

  “Hello doctor. Thank you for coming,” Angelica told him as she walked over and gave him a quick hug. Daemon nodded from where he was standing, giving the doctor the choice of getting closer. Mystique stood next to Daemon, nodding while Shektee gave him an appraising look that made Doctor Fitzroy feel a little uncomfortable.

  “No problem. I was hoping to get a chance to talk with you. Carl is completely cured of his cancer thanks to you.” Doctor Fitzroy would have continued, but Angelica interrupted him with a finger.

  “We’re kind of in a hurry and I don’t know how long this is going to take. The doctors implanted a bunch of metal in Miss Swansong’s face and I can’t heal her with it in there. Is there any way you could remove it so I can heal her?” Angelica explained.

  Doctor Fitzroy was a little shocked at the idea of having to undo all the work the other doctors had done. He would have to get their permission before operating and he doubted they would give it to him. “I don’t think that would be possible. Miss Swansong’s doctors would have to sign off on it and there is no way they would.”

  “I could convince them,” Shektee offered.

  “No!” Angelica blurted out instinctively, rejecting Shektee’s offer.

  “Thank you, Shektee, but I’ll just have to do it the other way and hope the pain isn’t too much for her,” Angelica explained as she walked back to Cynthia’s bed. Doctor Fitzroy didn’t like the sound of that.

  “What are you going to do?” Doctor Fitzroy asked, following Angelica. Daemon could feel the tension rising in the doctor and stepped up behind him. Doctor Fitzroy was a good guy but even good guys can do dumb things. Daemon wasn’t going to allow Dr. Fitzroy to do anything dumb like grab Angelica.

  “Shektee, is there anything you can do to reduce the pain she feels?” Angelica asked.

  “I will do what I can. At the very least, I can remove her memory of what happens,” Shektee explained, seizing on the opportunity to prove her usefulness to Angelica. Angelica was still the most dangerous person Shektee had to deal with and she was determined to convince Angelica not to hate her.

  “You’re psionic also?” Dr. Fitzroy asked, a little amazed at meeting another psionic person.

  Angelica started the healing process, which triggered Cynthia to arch her back in pain as the wire and screws holding her jaw together were pushed out through her skin. Shektee picked up Cynthia’s hand and kissed it and instantly the pain was replaced with pleasure. The process took almost ten minute. Angelica could have forced it to go faster, but that would’ve caused more pain and she didn’t know how well Shektee was doing.

  Dr. Fitzroy cleaned up the blood from Cynthia’s face and neck, removing the small screws, pins, and wire. Angelica took the seat Mystique had brought over for her and watched as Dr. Fitzroy did his job. When Dr. Fitzroy was finished, Angelica stood up and examined her work. Cynthia’s face looked perfect; even the bruising was gone.

  “We should be going. Ambassador Quinn will be waiting for us,” Angelica told the group.

  “Angelica, could you try to arrange to take Cynthia with you? I don’t think she’ll be safe here,” Mystique requested, realizing she cared for Cynthia’s safety. Normally she felt so little about others that she never noticed it, but when Angelica was nearby her feelings became stronger and she found she could care about others. It had taken Mystique some time to realize what was happening, but now she’d learned to use the time she had with Angelica to figure out how she felt about the various people she’d met. She’d constructed a mental list of people she thought she might consider friends. It was a short list but at least there were a few names on it, and Cynthia’s was one of them.

  “Sure, I’ll ask that she gets assigned as my assistant. They’ve been telling me that I should have one,” Angelica promised.

  “Her doctors are going to want to run some tests on her before releasing her. It will be a day or two before she can leave.” Dr. Fitzroy informed them. Daemon looked at Angelica, who gave him the nod.

  Daemon stuck his head out the door and asked the embassy guards to get a chair for Cynthia. Inside, Angelica started removing the IV connections and monitoring leads connected to Cynthia. Dr. Fitzroy started to grab for Angelica to stop her but was grabbed from behind and thrown into the chair Angelica had been using. “Have a seat and relax, doc,” Mystique told him.

  “Doc. Remember rule number one: nobody touches Angelica without her consent,” Daemon stated, bending over the back of the chair to look Dr. Fitzroy in the face.

  “You two leave him alone and help me with Cynthia,” Angelica scolded. Shektee watched with interest as the others moved about. Human interaction was complex and she was going to have to learn how to do it if she was to hunt them without alerting them to her presence.

  ***

  Shektee used her ability to influence people on the guards and the pilot of the transport. They had not wanted to allow her and Mystique to stay behind. Angelica wasn’t happy about it, but she conceded it was the easiest way for them to get away. Angelica and Daemon would explain things to the ambassador; hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset.

  Mystique and Shektee climbed into a taxi waiting near the visitors’ entrance and instructed him to take them to her school. The ride took about fifteen minutes. Mystique had decided to pick up a few things from her room. She was not happy about having to quit school, but at least she’d learned some of the basics.

  Shektee wasn’t happy about having to wait in the taxi while Mystique went to her room alone. Daemon hadn’t said it, but she knew that if anything were to happen to Mystique she’d be punished. It took Shektee less than a minute to decide to follow Mystique to her room. She took control of the taxi driver and told him to wait.

  Mystique didn’t expect anyone to be stupid enough to try and kidnap her from her room the night she was rescued, but decided not to take any chances. She easily climbed the side of the building up to the ledge near her window. A quick peek inside told her someone was waiting. A large man was sitting in her armchair watching a gravball game. Mystique was about to sneak in when the door to her room opened up.

  Shektee went straight to Mystique’s room expecting Mystique to be inside packing. She opened the door and walked right in. A man in a long coat was just getting to his feet as Shektee stepped inside. He had a pistol pointed at her so she stopped. She had not heard a shot and saw no sign of Mystique, so where was she? “Where is Mystique?” she demanded.

  “I’ll ask the questions. Who are you and why are you here?” Detective Montgomery
demanded.

  Shektee had enough of the man’s attitude and took control of him. He had a strong will and she could tell he would break free shortly, but not soon enough to save himself. Montgomery immediately holstered his pistol while trying to remember what Shektee had asked.

  “Where is Mystique?” Shektee asked again.

  “I’m right here. Hello detective, why are you here?” Mystique said as she climbed in through the window. Montgomery just stared at Shektee ignoring Mystique.

  “You zapped him, didn’t you?”

  “He was pointing a weapon at me.”

  “He’s one of the good guys. We shouldn’t hurt him. Can you find out what he’s doing here?” Mystique rambled as she opened her knife cabinet and started packing her knives.

  “Detective Montgomery, why are you here?” Shektee asked in a soft voice.

  “Ambassador Quinn called and told me Mystique was going after her kidnappers. He asked me to take her into custody and return her to the embassy. He wants her on the ship with her sister when it leaves. I figured she’d be stopping here to collect her things.”

  “What do you know about the Irishman, Michael Flanary?” Mystique asked over her shoulder as she packed her clothing into a backpack.

  “Answer her question, detective,” Shektee instructed. Shektee knew she could get all of this information with a kiss, but this way she was finding out what information Mystique thought was important. Shektee had many years of experience manipulating humans into committing acts of perversion and violence but none of this kind of interaction.

  “The Irishman is Lenard Johnson’s main enforcer and problem solver. If he’s involved, you’re in big trouble. If he’s the one behind Mystique’s kidnapping then she can put him in prison. He’s going to want her dead. Mystique’s only chance is to get off the planet and even then he’ll send guys after her,” Detective Montgomery told Shektee. The subservient look in his eyes was fading and Shektee knew he would break her hold on him very soon.

  Shektee bent over and gave the detective a kiss on the forehead. She didn’t take any of his life energy, just his memories. She knew that most of them wouldn’t make any sense but there was always the chance she could learn something valuable. Detective Montgomery smiled with pleasure as Shektee’s kiss brought back memories of good times.

  Mystique had finished packing and was waiting near the door. Shektee’s kiss only lasted for a few seconds and then she turned to join Mystique. When she reached the door, Mystique whispered to her, “Why didn’t you knock him out?”

  Shektee gave her a look of confusion, prompting her for a better explanation. So Mystique explained, “You know the kiss that renders people unconscious.”

  “I do that by taking some of their life energy. You just told me not to hurt him,” Shektee explained.

  “I don’t consider that hurting him; hurting someone is when they need a doctor.”

  Shektee smiled happily as she went back and gave Detective Montgomery a very passionate kiss on the lips. She took just enough of his life energy to cause him to lose consciousness and at the same time triggered the pleasure center of his brain, making her kiss the most pleasurable experience he’d ever had. Detective Montgomery slumped back in the chair with a smile on his face.

  Mystique waited for Shektee to join her and then walked out into the hall. Her attention was drawn to a small object on the ceiling near the end of the hall. She knew instinctively it was a camera and someone was watching her. Whoever it was, they knew she’d seen the camera; it floated down to eye level and quietly flew toward her. Shektee watched, interested.

  “I knew you weren’t really going to leave,” came Bruce’s voice from the little drone. “I know you’re going to kick my butt for spying on you, but I wanted to talk to you. I assumed you’d come back for your knives and clothes and stuff. I saw the guy go into your room. Want me to call the police?”

  “No, the people I’m after are very dangerous. I want you to stay out of it. If I decide I need your help, I’ll contact you,” Mystique told the little camera.

  “Okay. Promise you’ll stay in touch. Life will get boring without you,” Bruce told her before flying the little camera drone down the hall.

  “Interesting human. You know he has strong feelings for you,” Shektee observed.

  “Yeah, and I think I like him too,” Mystique reflected.

  “That makes two people who knew you would come here. Think there is anyone else?” Shektee observed.

  “As I understand it, the men after you are the enemy of the man in your room, correct?” Shektee asked, making sure she understood the situation.

  “Yes, Detective Montgomery is a policeman. He enforces the law. The other guys are criminals: they break the laws,” Mystique explained. “We’re vigilantes. We’re going to break the law to kill a bunch of criminals. So we’re going to be hunted by both groups.”

  “Which group is more powerful?”

  “The police, but they have to follow the law, which is why they can’t beat the criminals. The criminals can do whatever they want.”

  “Why do the police have to follow the law if they are the most powerful? The most powerful makes the rules that the weaker must follow,” Shektee said confused.

  “We don’t have time for this right now,” Mystique replied to cover for her lack of understanding. She wasn’t sure why things worked the way they did. She hadn’t gotten that far in her social studies class.

  “Here. Take these down to the taxi while I see if anyone else is waiting for me,” Mystique instructed Shektee as she handed her the backpack she was carrying. Shektee flashed Mystique an annoyed look, which Mystique misinterpreted.

  “If I find anyone, I’ll bring him to the taxi for you to feed on,” Mystique promised as she headed off down the hall to the stairs.

  Shektee had been annoyed at Mystique for treating her like a servant, but the promise of someone to feed on instantly changed her mind. On the way down to the taxi, Shektee decided the best way to flush out anyone looking for Mystique was to give them a target. She shifted forms in the elevator so that when she exited the building anyone looking saw Mystique. She walked over to the taxi and put the bags in the backseat as the driver hurriedly got out to move them to the trunk. Shektee stepped back, giving the man room to retrieve the bags. As she waited, Shektee took the time to look around at the nearby buildings.

  A faint flash of light was all the warning Shektee had before the rifle bullet slammed into her chest. The force of the impact was enough to knock her off her feet, which saved her from the second shot. The bullet hit one of Shektee’s ribs, breaking it, but was also deflected from entering her ribcage. The shock of the sudden pain caused Shektee to shift into her combat form, thick bone plates growing to cover most of her body. Demon bones are denser and stronger than most metals, which meant that only a very powerful weapon or another demon could hurt her.

  The taxi driver scrambled around to see if Shektee was alive and frozen in terror. Shektee started to reach for him, but remembered the rules she had to obey. She could only kill the bad guys. Shektee looked back in the direction the shot had come from just in time to see Mystique racing across the road and leaping onto a second-floor ledge. Shektee unfurled her wings and launched herself toward the human on the roof of the building. He’d stood up in amazed horror as he watched Mystique transform from a seventeen-year-old girl into a horrific demon.

  The man recovered enough to fire a few shots at Shektee as she flew up to his location. The first shot missed completely and the second punched a hole in her wing. The hole was too small to impact her flying and she was almost on top of her target. Shektee dropped onto the roof where the man had been just seconds before. The sniper had regained enough of his senses to know escape was his only chance of survival. He’d dropped his rifle and was running for the stairwell.

  Shektee smiled, enjoying the taste of the man’s fear. A quick leap sent her crashing into the man’s back, tackling him to the gr
ound. The man’s training and experience in hand-to-hand combat were useless against Shektee in her combat form. She added pain to the taste of the man’s energy as she broke a few bones. Shektee succumbed to the excitement and joy of the kill.

  Mystique finally reached the roof, climbing up over the edge in time to witness Shektee torturing the man who had shot her. Mystique had hoped to question the man before killing him, but the sight of Shektee in a killing frenzy caused Mystique to hide in fear for her own life. She watched as Shektee finally drained the life out of the poor man, leaving only a mummified husk.

  Mystique waited another few moments before stepping out. “Shektee, are you okay?”

  Shektee shifted back to the form of Selene before answering, “Yes, his energy replaced what I used to heal myself.”

  “I meant are you calm, or should I be running,” Mystique said as she walked over to the corpse.

  “It was good of you to hide. I was a little caught up in the moment. I would have tried not to harm you, but I wasn’t thinking very clearly,” Shektee admitted as she watched Mystique’s reaction.

  “Well, now everyone is going to think I am some kind of demon. The police are on the way and the taxi is driving off with all my stuff.” Mystique stated, a little annoyed. “Can you follow the taxi and get my stuff back?”

  “Yes,” Shektee replied shifting into her natural form with large bat-like wings.

  “Thanks. I’ll wait for you on the roof of that building,” Mystique told her as she pointed at an old five-story building a few blocks away.

  “All right. Stay safe. I will be punished if you’re injured,” Shektee told Mystique before launching herself into the afternoon sky. Shektee wasn’t as good at obfuscating as Mystique but she was good enough that no one was likely to notice her.

  Mystique took a few minutes to search the corpse for anything of value. She also collected his phone and weapon before sneaking over the side. The climb down would be a lot easier than the race up had been. The building had numerous pipes and ledges for her to use. Within minutes, she was on the ground and sneaking up an alleyway toward the rendezvous.