Guild of Truth 01 - Silent as the Grave

by Mary K. Norris

  “I’m fine,” she lied. “So I take it Felix and Collette dated back in the day?” The bitter words burst from her lips before she could even process what she’d said.

  Sydney gave her a funny look. “No. Never. Felix refused to date her, which only added to Collette’s anger toward him.” She stopped abruptly as if there was more to the story but she didn’t want to divulge it.

  Fine.

  Cali didn’t want to hear it anyway.

  “I think I’m going to turn in for the night,” she said briskly. She started back toward the office.

  Sydney huffed behind her as she tried to catch up to her long strides. “Hold on there Cali. Why do I get the feeling I said something to upset you?”

  “I’m fine,” she said through clenched teeth. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

  “You don’t believe us? Niella Dreamed it. I know to you that still doesn’t make it a hard fact but I’m sure deep down you know it’s true. There has to be some kind of connection you feel toward Felix that can support what we’re telling you.”

  Her chest chose that moment to ache. Cali ignored it. “Goodnight, Sydney. Thanks. For everything.”

  Sydney came up short, unsure where she went wrong. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it just as quickly. She collected her things from around the office and made her way toward the exit. She paused at the door. “Goodnight. I’ll lock you in. See you tomorrow.”

  Cali sat quietly as she listened for Sydney’s retreating footsteps. A few moments after she heard the door close, a car started, no doubt Joel’s truck. He’d left it for Sydney because she no longer had a car. Thanks to Felix.

  Cali groaned and flopped back onto the futon.

  Why did she keep thinking about him?

  An annoyed squeak alerted Cali to the fact she was squeezing Gadget a little too tightly. She loosened her grip. “Sorry little buddy.”

  Lying there staring at the rodent did nothing to calm her turbulent emotions. She cursed Felix anew and set Gadget on the floor. It was all his fault that she was lying there restless while he was no doubt calm as could be in his home, busy thinking up his next plan of action to try to trick her into trusting him.

  She punched one of the futon pillows to try to mold it into a more comfortable shape. She wanted her own bed. She didn’t want to have to be on the run or hiding from some group she’d never even heard about before just because, for some reason, they were after her. She didn’t want any of this. She punched her pillow again, bad mouthing all the people involved in creating her current predicament. “I hate people,” she grumbled.

  • • •

  Felix paced restlessly back and forth across his living room. “We shouldn’t have left her there alone.”

  Joel rubbed at his temples. “She’s fine,” he repeated for the umpteenth time. “Sydney told you nothing was out of place when she left. Now can you please go to sleep so I can stop being a good friend and go to bed with my girlfriend?”

  Felix spun on his heel to stride the length of his couch. He rubbed idly at his chest, the hollow ache continuing to gnaw at him. “I really don’t think we should have left her alone.”

  Joel dropped his head back onto the couch. “You don’t say.” His sarcasm was lost on Felix.

  Felix couldn’t stop thinking about Cali. Alone. Somewhere Collette could easily find her. Felix had never told Collette about Sydney’s clinic when they had been friends years ago, but she was clever and had resources at her fingertips. Resources that were becoming increasingly suspicious to Felix. He’d learned long ago that she’d sold her soul to the devil for a well-paying job, one with the shady prospect of paying people large amounts of money if they used their powers. As for what they used those people’s powers for … he never asked Collette. He didn’t want to know. It had been too much for him to take that she would give up her dreams, her hopes, everything, for money, for a chance to feel superior.

  “It has to be more than revenge,” he mused aloud.

  Joel’s eyes were closed. His head still rested back against the couch.

  Felix kicked his shoe and Joel came awake with a curse.

  His dark blue eyes searched for what had woken him before they focused on Felix. “What?”

  “Revenge,” Felix repeated. “It doesn’t add up.” He rubbed at his chest again.

  Joel’s eyes followed the movement. “What’s wrong with you? You got a rash or something?”

  Irritated that Joel wasn’t listening to him he snapped, “No, I don’t have a rash. My chest just feels … compressed. It’s like I can’t get a full lungful of air. It doesn’t matter right now. What matters — ”

  “Is that you get some sleep. Felix, you look like hell. You’ve been up since what, three this morning working? You took on Collette and probably expended a lot of energy using your powers. You need sleep. Everything will fall into place after a full night’s rest. And to be perfectly honest, if I don’t get some sleep I’m going to be fucking miserable tomorrow at work. Cali is fine. Collette’s not coming after her tonight. The most likely scenario is that she’s locked up behind bars after being found at Cali’s parent’s house. No one will get to her tonight.”

  Before Felix could even protest, Joel got up from the couch and headed to the extra bedroom where Sydney was already fast asleep.

  Felix stood alone in his living room only a few minutes longer. He was exhausted. But he couldn’t explain the nervousness that coursed through him.

  He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

  Joel was right. He’d be no good to anyone tomorrow if his brain wasn’t working right from lack of sleep.

  Cali will be fine.

  He tried to make himself believe it, but the cold that ran along his spine wouldn’t cease. The others didn’t know Collette like he did. The reason behind her ability to succeed at anything was her dedication. Some would call it obsession. And for whatever reason, Cali was that new target.

  • • •

  Cali awoke without having any idea as to why. Darkness engulfed her and she blinked furiously. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and for her brain to catch up with her location. She wasn’t in her apartment. She was at Sydney’s vet clinic. The rest of the day’s events caught up to her, and she was amazed that she’d even fallen asleep.

  She must’ve been exhausted.

  Exhausted from using your powers.

  She shivered and reached for the blanket that had become entangled at her ankles.

  A dark shadow shifted beyond the entrance to the office.

  Cali’s heart stopped.

  Chapter 8

  The black silhouette froze, as if it knew she’d caught sight of it. It was of average height and had the distinct build of a man.

  Cali’s limbs started to shake.

  She blinked.

  He was gone.

  Cali jumped from the futon and grabbed a hefty picture frame off the small table next to her. It was well made and had sharp edges. She raced for the waiting room, uncaring of her rash behavior or lack of clothing. She’d much rather go with the element of surprise than wait helplessly for the danger to come to her.

  There was no sound of retreat.

  Faint light drifted into the front lobby from where the sun was starting to rise. Morning was approaching. She went over to the front door. Locked. The two patient rooms were open, both empty. She couldn’t remember if the doors had been closed when Sydney left. But other than that everything seemed fine.

  Was she simply losing her mind?

  She knew she’d been exhausted and had gone through a lot of strange shit, but she’d never seen things before.

  She checked the whole clinic to be safe before heading back to the office. Gadget had somehow made his way onto the futon. The sight of him made her feel a little better, but she still closed and locked the office door.

  You can never be too careful.

  She glanced down at her temporary weapon of choice. It was a high school p
hoto, the title across the top identifying the group of teens as the hip-hop dance team. Sydney sat front and center, looking incredibly young with her giant smile and braces. Cali carefully put it back where she’d found it. The adrenaline was quickly fading from her system. She dropped to the futon and pulled her cell phone from her purse.

  Sydney had left her number and the number to Felix’s house.

  Should she call?

  The idea was more than tempting. She wanted to hear Felix’s voice. There was something about his deep baritone that calmed her, made her feel safe.

  But he was using her.

  She stuffed her cell back into her purse, along with the sticky note. There was no reason to call. What would she tell them?

  That she’d seen a dark shape in the form of a man hovering outside the office doorway?

  She gave a derisive snort.

  • • •

  A keening howl woke Cali from a dead sleep.

  Her eyes shot open. She rolled to slam her alarm clock off, only to realize too late that she wasn’t at home. She rolled straight off the futon.

  Pain exploded all over her body and she cursed aloud only to be drowned out by that horrible howling.

  She quickly cupped her hands over her ears. “What the fuck is that?”

  She dug through her handbag to find her cell phone.

  10:02 A.M.

  She rolled onto her back with a groan, taking the blanket with her to cover her face.

  A knock came at the door. The knob jiggled. “Cali? You awake yet? I really need to get into my office. I tried to wait as long as possible so you could sleep, but I thought by now — ”

  The rest of her sentence was cut off by another low wail.

  “What the fuck is that?” Cali yelled.

  “That’s Yeller, my ten o’clock. He’s in quite a bit of pain and I really need to treat him.”

  Cali groggily got to her feet. She wrapped the blanket around her as a makeshift skirt to hide her state of undress and opened the door. “Quick, come in and get whatever you need to get that thing to shut the hell up.”

  Another high-pitched yowl started. With the door open the sound was even worse. Cali cringed in pain. She started to close the door only to be knocked aside as Joel came barging into the room. He quickly shut it behind him with a curse.

  He leaned against the door. “For fuck’s sake, as if my morning headache wasn’t bad enough.”

  Sydney cooed in sympathy. “My poor baby.” She dug around in her desk and pitched a small container over to him. “Take two of those to help with the headache.”

  Joel popped four pills into his mouth. “I wouldn’t have it at all if Felix had gone to bed at a decent hour. He kept pacing in his damn living room, restless, kept rubbing at his chest like it was hurting him.” He glanced at the clock on Sydney’s wall. Cali had gone stock-still. “And where the hell is he? I have to be in LA at eleven.”

  The dog howled from the front of the lobby. Joel cursed again. “I’m going to wait out front.”

  Sydney gave him a kiss. “Have a good day.”

  Joel’s face gentled. “You too.”

  The emotion on his face hit Cali right in the gut. She shut the door after him, her mind spinning after what he’d said.

  Felix had been restless too.

  She had no idea if that meant anything. Was she making something out of nothing?

  She stopped Sydney as she tried to follow after her boyfriend. “Cali, what — ?”

  “When you first met Joel, what did you feel?”

  Sydney drew back. “What do you mean, what did I feel?”

  “When you first touched, did it feel like you got shocked?”

  Sydney gave her a blank look.

  Cali tugged in frustration at the blanket wrapped around her. “You had to have felt something. He’s your Mirror Mate. Didn’t anything happen?”

  Understanding slowly dawned on Sydney. “Cali, I told you last night that Collette is the only one who found her Mirror Mate.”

  “No, no.” She shook her head. “You told me she was the only one who was full forced. I took that to mean that you and Joel haven’t bonded, or connected, or whatever, yet.”

  Sydney’s ever-present smile turned slightly bitter. “Joel and I aren’t Mirror Mates.”

  “But … ” Cali pointed uselessly behind her. “He. You. You’re dating.”

  Yeller chose that moment to let rip one of his ear-piercing yowls.

  Sydney didn’t even seem to notice. “We don’t have to be Mirror Mates to date. The thing with Mirror Mates is that we don’t know if they’re rare or commonplace. We only know that they exist. I’m all for a happily-ever-after ending, but I can’t wait around for my soul mate to find me, or me him. What if he lives somewhere like Latvia? Or was killed in an accident when he was seven? There’s no knowing.”

  “So what happens if you do find him?”

  Her expression turned solemn. “I’m not sure. Sometimes I hope I never have to find out.”

  Sydney hastily left to treat her first patient, leaving Cali alone.

  She pulled her hair back into a hasty ponytail and stepped into her shorts. She tried to fold the blanket as nicely as she could and left the office to join the others in the lobby.

  Her feet froze as soon as she turned the corner and spotted Felix. He was talking to Niella over the desk. One of his hands held a white paper bag. That same hand was also pressed to his left ear.

  The tenseness coiling within her chest gently eased.

  As Felix stood there, smiling openly at Niella, she didn’t know what to make of him. Was he playing her? Did she believe Joel? Was Felix feeling the same things as she was?

  She didn’t know what to think anymore.

  She stepped more fully into the room. Felix noticed her instantly. He straightened to his full height, the shirt he wore straining against his broad chest. Cali swallowed.

  “Morning,” he said brightly. He held the white bag out to her. “I brought breakfast.”

  She smelled fresh pastries. Her stomach grumbled, and she snatched the bag from his hand.

  “Aren’t you cheery in the morning?”

  She scowled at him and proceeded to dig through the bag.

  Felix watched her with amusement. “Looking for anything in particular?”

  “Anything with cherry filling?”

  Felix made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat and came up beside her to take a look into the bag.

  He smelled of fresh bread.

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  He reached into the bag. His shoulder pressed against hers. It felt like heated steel. “There might be a cherry Danish in here somewhere. Ah, here it is.” He held the pastry out to her. “I’ll make sure to add them to my repertoire.”

  She eyed him carefully. “Thanks.”

  Yeller let loose a baleful howl. Cali jumped, her breakfast jumping with her, right out of her hand.

  She stared at the splatter of cherry on the linoleum floor. “Seriously?” she mumbled.

  “All right, I’ve had enough,” Niella rolled out from behind the desk. “Take care of that, would you?”

  Sydney stepped out of the patient room and closed the door on another howl. “I can’t sedate him just because he’s loud.”

  “Not you.” Niella pointed at Cali. “Her.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Zero out the sound. Take it away. Use your damn powers.”

  She could feel everyone’s attention on her. Her eyes, unbidden, turned to Felix for help. He smiled at her. There was no hidden seduction behind it. It was all warmth and support. It set her nerves at ease.

  Then he had to go and ruin it by raising two of his fingers and wiggling them. He mouthed, “Two?”

  That scum-sucking jackass.

  If he thought that she was going to ask for his help only to have to owe him one later, then he was sorely mistaken.

  His smile took on a wicked glint at her expre
ssion. He lowered his hand back to his side.

  “Sure thing,” she told Niella with more confidence than she was feeling. Now she had to figure out how the hell to do it. “Could you open the door back up so I can see the dog?”

  Sydney hesitated. “This isn’t going to hurt Yeller, is it?”

  Cali turned to Felix. “Does it hurt?”

  “Not at all.”

  Sydney looked less than convinced, but she did as she was asked. Yeller was lying down on the patient table, his snout on his paws, his big brown eyes full of sorrow.

  Sydney scratched him on the head affectionately. “I gave him something for the pain. Once it takes full effect, I’m going to check him over thoroughly for the cause. Maybe run some scans.”

  Yeller whined.

  Cali inhaled deeply. She’d never done this before. The one time she’d knowingly taken sound from something was when she was with Felix and they had been touching. Now there was no physical connection, and her emotions were a lot more stable.

  You can do this, she chanted to herself.

  She focused on Yeller, the low whine coming from his throat, and the way it seemed to reverberate through the whole clinic. She imagined that sound as a physical presence, one she could suppress. She tried to do what Niella had said and cancel the sound out.

  The back of her neck started to tingle.

  Yeller’s whine went in and out before the sound finally dropped off.

  Cali held her breath, half expecting the sound to come back with a thunderous boom.

  “Thank the lord,” said Niella.

  Sydney stared in amazement at Yeller, who now had his head tilted up as if that would help bring the sound of his howl back. It didn’t.

  “I have to admit,” said Sydney, “that is a nice trick to possess. What I wouldn’t give to be able to make all my animals shut up when I have a full holding room.”

  “I don’t know how long it’ll last,” said Cali.

  “That’s fine. The medicine should kick in soon enough, so he should stop with the baying once the pain recedes.”

  “One can only hope,” mumbled Niella.

  • • •

  “You ready?” asked Felix.

  Cali’s nerves were still a jumbled mess, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. “Yeah.” She buckled her seatbelt. Felix had “volunteered” to take her to the police station that day. She’d been prepared to call Jared to come and get her but Felix had protested the call, spouting something about blowing the location of their headquarters.