by Ali Vali
He went to the third floor, where the garage attached to the administration building, then took a cab to the cemetery five miles out of town. He and his father called it the park because of all the flowers and silence, and they often visited his mother’s grave together. Missing his mother was one of the only things they had in common.
Sebastian was already sitting on the bench directly in front of his mother’s grave. It was one of the only ones in the place that didn’t have flowers, but it was clean and well maintained by the man Oscar paid to tend it. He’d often wanted to bring a bouquet but remembered his mother always saying to give flowers to her in life so she could appreciate them, not in death.
“What the hell is Alejandro looking for? And what have you gotten me mixed up in?” He didn’t give his father the chance to skirt the issue like he always did. “People are following me, and Pauline seems to be in on whatever this is.” His father appeared to shrink away at his tone, so he took a deep breath and combed his hair back. “Look, I know you care about this cult more than you ever did about me or Mama, but tell me what’s going on.”
“Your mother did everything to keep you safe and turn you from what was supposed to be your true calling, and I’ve tried to keep my word to her the best way I knew how.” Sebastian’s expression appeared to be that of a man either drugged or dazed by something equally potent. “You just need to finish, but that’s the last thing I want you to do.”
“Either tell me, or I’m leaving, and you and that freak will never find me,” he said, standing up and moving away from this stranger masquerading as his father.
“No,” Sebastian said in a harsh whisper. “He’ll find you no matter where you hide. This is too important for him not to give up the hunt for you or the answers you’re meant to find.”
“Tell me or I’m gone.”
“Thousands of years ago, history tells us that man was a simple creature without much thought process, but that’s not true. Man evolved much sooner than the currently accepted timelines, and in those early days the world was much different, in that dragons existed.” Sebastian spoke so softly he had to sit next to him to hear.
“I thought you were going to be serious,” he said as disgustedly as he felt. “Dragons?”
“It’s the Order of Fuego. What did you think they’re looking for? Matches?” Sebastian asked, pulling him back down. “Sit and listen while there’s still time.”
“Go on,” he said, seeing that his father’s expression held no teasing despite his words.
“The dragons were revered, but someone finally found that if he ate their heart, including the fire glands, if he survived, he would become immortal. Only a few survived the ordeal, but they didn’t share the secret of how they’d done it. That’s all that was mentioned in the old books.” Sebastian glanced around them before he went on. “The old writings went on to say that it only took a small amount of time for the dragons to disappear from the skies and from the world, but that’s not exactly right. They were gone, but not totally.”
“What do you mean?” He thought about the large, sunken rooms he’d found at the site. Depending on their size, it was a perfect pen. If they held dragons, it would also explain the blank walls.
“I thought you didn’t believe, mi hijo.” Sebastian smiled as he called him his son, like he had when he was little.
“It shouldn’t make sense, but what we found didn’t make any sense either.”
“The old priests wrote about the dragons’ disappearance, but not their deaths, so they had to be located. When they could be woken from their sleep, they would bring their saviors a new kind of power.” Sebastian moved to speak right into his ear. “When I was younger I found something that Alejandro and his family had searched centuries for. It led you to that site, even though I knew you wouldn’t find anything.”
“What is it?” He moved closer to his father and took his hand. “And why are you involved with these people?”
“I know you always thought I was more devoted to the Order than to you and your mother, but you should know the truth.” Sebastian’s eyes filled with tears, and he ignored them as they fell down his face. “I did everything for Alejandro to keep you and your mother alive. He doesn’t motivate with reward, but by punishment.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Papa?” He put his arms around Sebastian and cried with him. “I think I found something too, and Pauline was with me.”
“You must not give them any more, Oscar, and be careful with Pauline. I can’t prove it, but she’s connected to Alejandro somehow.” The way his father covered his face with his hands made Oscar feel his guilt. “You have to believe that I did everything to keep you alive and safe. I was planning to run to get away from this madness, and they killed your mother. After that I thought we were stuck.”
“We can still go,” he said, but Sebastian shook his head.
“It’s too late for me,” Sebastian whispered in his ear, the grip on his arm tight and painful. “One of the things I found was something called the Genesis Clan. Try to leave the city and contact them. I pray they’ll keep you alive and away from Alejandro’s madness.”
He wanted to curse himself for not having this conversation sooner, but overwhelming fear did strange things to people. “It’s not too late, Papa. We’ll go together.”
“We have no time,” Sebastian whispered harshly. “That bastard seldom lets me out of his sight.”
“I’ve got contacts in the US, and we can be on a plane tonight.”
“No, Oscar, you don’t understand,” Sebastian said, much more calmly. “The only way you can get away from this is for me to let you go. Find the leaders of the Genesis Clan and tell them what you know—everything you found. If I stay here, I can keep them away from you long enough.”
“I’m not leaving you. Mama’s gone, and you’re all I have left.” The fear of being alone seized him, and he felt like he was ten watching his mother die some pain-wracked, horrible death.
“It’s the only way. Alejandro is a powerful man who knows it’s his destiny to find what no one in his family has been able to. He’ll kill anyone to accomplish that, and I refuse to let him. Losing your mother was bad enough.” Sebastian pressed his hand to his cheek and studied him as if this would be the last time he saw and touched him. “Remember always that I love you, and how proud I am of you.”
“Papa, I’m sorry I wasted so much time because I didn’t understand.” He couldn’t stop his tears and smiled when Sebastian wiped them away.
“I gave you no choice, so you’re not to blame. Everything I taught you was to prove to Alejandro that I was initiating you into the teachings of the order, but also making you suspicious,” Sebastian said and chuckled. “You were safe until you proved yourself brilliant, so now he sees you as the key that unlocks the door that’s been bolted shut to him and his ancestors.”
“The glyphs at the site are extremely out of place, but I believe they’re Romani in origin.”
“See, brilliant. It took me years to figure that out. Now go.” Sebastian kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly. “When you find these people, tell them the truth lies with the dead.”
“What do you mean?” He didn’t want to part with only questions between them, but he felt ignorant since he had no idea what his father meant.
They heard a few car doors slam in the distance, and Sebastian’s breathing picked up as if he were panicked. “Run, mi hijo, and don’t look back. I love you. Forgive me for not being the father you deserved.”
“Please, Papa, come with me.”
“Go down four rows that way and look for the tomb with the name Conception. The door locks from the inside. Don’t come out no matter what until past midnight. Go, and honor me by staying alive.”
He left reluctantly, and Sebastian stayed on the bench, his attention on his mother’s tombstone, and only briefly glanced his way. Deep somewhere in his heart and in his mind he knew that expression of longing and pain etched on his fathe
r’s face would haunt him for the rest of his days because it’d be the last time he saw him alive.
The tomb his father mentioned was like all the others on that row, and the door opened silently, as if someone oiled it regularly. A bag sat in the center of the floor, and he found everything he’d need for the days of running ahead, including a fake passport, credit cards, and a book with contacts in it. “You thought of everything.”
At the bottom were two letters, and he touched the neat, beautiful script his father had perfected and used instead of the computer in his office. He opened the one that seemed lighter and had to clear his tears when he heard three gunshots outside.
Mi Hijo,
When you read this, my life will have ended, but don’t waste time grieving for me. I hope I had the opportunity to tell you how much I love you. In all my career, the greatest treasure I ever found was the overwhelming joy the first time I held you.
Inside are all the things you need to find the people who’ll help you in the war to come. Leave once you know it’s safe, and I’ll watch over you as always, even from beyond the grave. Once you find the person you trust with the information you have, remember to tell them that the truth lies with the dead. I hate to be so cryptic, but I can’t afford for Alejandro to find what he needs to succeed.
Know one truth above all others as you begin this quest. You were loved and so very wanted, despite what you may have believed. My heart goes peacefully and quietly because I know what kind of man you are, and I’m proud to think I had some small part in that.
The other truth is, if we’ve reached this drastic juncture, then you’ve taken the first steps toward finding what must stay buried. Do what you can to keep that away from Alejandro, and don’t stop going until you are safe.
I love you,
Papa
The muffled voices outside made him stop breathing as he went and locked the door. He didn’t care about anything now but finding a way to kill Pauline, Alejandro, and everyone else who’d taken everything from him.
* * *
“Well?” Alejandro asked as soon as he answered the phone.
Pauline knew he was already pissed when she’d reported they’d lost Oscar, and Sebastian had slipped his watchers for far too long not to have contacted his son. “Sebastian has been dealt with, and we’re still looking for Oscar. Do you want me to take care of him once we locate him?”
“No, you idiot. I need him alive to finish what that old fool wouldn’t or couldn’t do. Find him and bring him here. With some proper motivation, he’ll get the work done.”
She glanced at the blood that had trickled from Sebastian’s wound and knew that might not be possible. Her father at times had a way of letting his temper set them back. “We’ve killed his last bit of motivation, so he might not cooperate.”
“There’s death, Pauline, and then there’s pain. The kind of pain that will make you do anything to make it stop, even beg for death. But there’ll be only one way out, and a bullet isn’t it.” He paused, almost as if he was reminding her that she wasn’t immune to the same treatment. “Get this done. We’ve wasted enough time.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter Ten
Kendal walked to the bassinet and peered inside as Hali made her presence known with some loud crying, as if all were not right with her world. She and Piper had been sitting outside watching the boat traffic on the river and talking. They were waiting for her old friends to arrive, and Piper told her every bit of her vision.
She lifted the baby and held her at arm’s length, and the movement made Hali open her eyes and stop crying. “What’s wrong, princess?” She finally cuddled her and moved her to the changing table, studying everything Piper had put within easy reach.
“If all the creepy crawlies that shake at the mention of your name could see you now,” Piper said as she started to change Hali’s diaper.
“Very funny,” she said, reversing the diaper when Piper indicated she had it backward. “I can help with this part since the follow-up is all you.”
“You look incredibly sexy as a parent, baby.”
“Thank you, and I’m still trying to convince myself that it’s all real and she’s here.”
“You’ve given me so much, but I know what you mean. It’s like my life before you is a distant place I never want to go back to.” She walked into Kendal’s arms when she finished and turned around. This was where she belonged. Kendal treated her like every woman dreamed of, and it’d been that way from the day they’d met. “I was such an ass in the beginning, so thank you for sticking with me.”
“You weren’t an ass.” Kendal kissed her temple and lowered her hand to her backside and squeezed. “More like a pesky little thing—”
“Buzzing around your ear,” she finished for Kendal with a smile. “I remember, and you’re too nice.”
“Not too nice, my love,” Kendal said in a tone that made her raise her head and peer into the eyes that dominated her thoughts. “It’s such a cliché that I almost hate to say it, but you’re unlike every woman I’ve ever known. You captured me without trying, and believe me, I spent some days wondering how to rip you from my head and, more specifically, from my heart.”
“You had to know.”
“I do now, but not then. That you loved me enough to drink has made my whole life complete. Hali only adds to that, so like always, I look forward to my tomorrows.”
“Me too, and I have to admit, warrior mine, you make beautiful babies.”
“You two can make even me nauseous with all this sweet talk,” Aphrodite said as she materialized before them. “Though you empower me more than anything in the world, so don’t ever forget what you mean to each other.”
“Does it empower you enough to give us another one of these in a few years?” Piper asked as she laid her hand on Hali’s back.
“I doubt the big stud needs much help,” Aphrodite said, and Kendal cleared her throat. “But we’ve got plenty of time to negotiate that gift later. I wanted to check to see how you felt about our conversation earlier.”
“We still don’t have a lot of information to go on, but I do have a question,” she said and glanced at Piper when she pinched her hard again.
“Don’t worry, Piper. I’m long used to her. Warrior minds are focused and hard to bend, but that’s why we love them so much.” The goddess came closer and placed a hand on Kendal’s cheek. “I couldn’t have picked a better champion, though, and your mate also belongs to me. You two make me the envy of the other gods, especially my brother, Ares.” Aphrodite let go of her, and where her hand had been left a trace of heat. “So go ahead and ask whatever you like. I have a feeling I know what it is, but ask.”
“Why dragons of all things?” she asked, and tensed for Piper’s deadly pinch, but it never came.
“There were so few humans back then, and we did things to gain followers after we realized the temples and the worship made us gain strength.” Aphrodite stopped and held her hands out for the baby. Kendal smiled as she handed Hali over, not worried in the least.
“You’re a beauty, baby girl,” Aphrodite said, cradling the baby and cooing to her. “I had a feeling that mixing a half from each of your moms would result in a gorgeous kid.”
“So really, if we ask again for a repeat performance, would you do it?” Piper asked, and the goddess laughed.
“Do you think she’ll get better at changing diapers?” Aphrodite winked at her.
“She’ll do fine, and Hali and Anastasia need someone aside from us and each other to love them.” The way Piper said it, Kendal knew it had to do with what had happened to her and that she was an only child.
“When you’re ready, you ask, and I’ll be happy to if it’s within my power,” Aphrodite said and caressed Piper’s cheek.
“Can I ask what the sword is for?” Kendal wanted that question answered before the goddess disappeared again. “I don’t want to do anything to weaken or somehow destroy you.”
“The sword is a precaution of what might come of all this, but it will kill a dragon if you’re able to make a fatal blow.”
“I’ve taken plenty of killing blows that the sun has taken care of, but I doubt if I can come back from a pile of ashes, so I’m going to try my best to stay away from dragons, much less try to destroy one.”
“They won’t hurt you, Asra. They’re a part of me, and they’ll know that, but I don’t believe that’s what these people are after. And before you accuse me of being evasive, I really don’t have the answer. I created them, but as with everything, some men can find a way to pervert it no matter how noble.”
“Do you have a guess?” she asked.
“It’s not for the dragons alone, since only Ares and I can control them.”
“Ares?” Piper said softly.
“They can’t be used for war, so don’t worry. Everyone in the family knows Ares’s ambition, so while they could destroy the world, they’re not violent unless someone—anyone messes with their families.” Aphrodite handed Hali back after she kissed her forehead.
“Thank you, and our devotion to you will never end,” she said as Piper pressed to her side. “I won’t forget it in the heat of battle.”
“I know. You never have, so the devotion isn’t one-sided.” Aphrodite started to fade. “And don’t forget to listen to Piper.” With that, she was gone.
* * *
Hillary Hickman stopped at the front gate to Oakgrove and found it locked for the first time since she’d been coming after she accepted a job from Kendal. The house was lit up, so she pressed the buzzer and waited. Something about Kendal and the other people who worked for her left her with a lot of questions, but Piper wouldn’t have hooked up with some flake, even if a vampire had been involved. That night was still vivid in her mind, and she was having problems trying to come to some comfort that what she’d seen was real.
That Piper had chosen a woman who wasn’t her stung, but her old friend was clearly in love and surprisingly pregnant. She almost didn’t recognize Piper, even though they’d known each other for years.
