by Liam Lawson
The air grew heavy, clinging to me like a sticky cloth. Lilian flicked her forked tongue out and the air coalesced, the moisture in it suddenly concentrated in an enormous wave that crashed forward across the parking lot, ripping me from the ground and slamming into the burning building behind me. I was carried along with it, unable to breath or even tell up from down as I was driven backward.
I hit something and stopped moving. The water receded and I sank to the floor, hurting in ways I hadn’t known I could hurt. My ass had been well and thoroughly kicked.
I struggled to rise to my feet. It took me three tries but eventually I made it. The cantina was filled with a steam so thick it was all but impossible to see through. Still, I found my way out. I was too stunned and exhausted to even consider what might be waiting for me outside.
But when I got there, Lilian wasn’t waiting for me. The sound of sirens reached my ears over the calls of girls and the bark of giant dogs. Scarlett, identifiable by her all white coat, ran up to me. Her fur was matted with dark stains in several places, but she moved all right. I almost fell into her.
She shifted herself beneath me and I couldn’t tell what she was trying to do until Absinthe came up behind me, grabbed me by my shorts, and lifted me up and onto Scarlett’s back. The back of my shorts ripped away, caught on her fangs as she released me, and I held on for dear life as Scarlett started running, flashing my bare ass to all who watched us go.
I fell onto Scarlett’s back, holding as tight as I could and turned my head to the side, unable to focus on where we were going. We were going so fast and I was so tired that I almost missed her.
Lilian She stood in the woods, all but invisible against a narrow tree. Her arms were crossed, and her face was a mask of cold fury. A certainty came over me then, a piece of understanding that could be nothing but cold, purest truth.
Lilian She was going to kill me.
Chapter Six
“So,” I said the next morning, spread out by the pool on a lounger beside both Scarlett and Absinthe. “Last night did not go as expected.”
We’d slept in the nude but had thrown on some clothes to come out to the backyard, more out of habit than necessity. Between the privacy fence and Eleanor being gone we could have stayed naked and it wouldn’t have bothered anyone. But none of us was feeling the naked vibe. We were sore and tired. The thought of our usual morning run hadn’t even occurred to us. Despite our exhaustion we were still up at our usual hour and found we couldn’t go back to sleep. So, we’d tossed on comfortable clothes and come out to the pool for breakfast and…I don’t know what.
The girls had healed up a hell of a lot better than me, but their every move was lethargic, and they devoured every scrap of food we had. Me? I was doing better than I’d expected but apparently super healing wasn’t one of my powers, at least, not on the scale Scarlett and Absinthe operated on. I was covered in scrapes and bruises and had hacked all night long. Thankfully that had calmed down. It should have been a lot worse. I knew that, but it still sucked.
Contrary to all this crazy violent stuff that had been happening since I broke my curse, I really didn’t get into a lot of fights. Right then, I understood that if I tried to square off with anyone I would lose. It made me feel vulnerable. I didn’t care for it.
“Haunted gas station, weird but I can kind of get it,” Scarlett said. “But where the fuck did that snake come from? Shit, that was nasty!” She shivered with revulsion.
I’d never told Scarlett about Lilian She. I guess I thought that if she didn’t know she’d be less likely to get into trouble with her. I sure as hell hadn’t planned on getting in the snake lady’s way ever again. But Lilian knew I’d been there. She’d recognized me. My girls weren’t safe from her any longer, if they ever had been.
“That snake’s name is Lilian.” I brought a hand up and rubbed my eyes. “She’s…she’s the TA in my Magical Theory class. Also, a drug dealer.”
“Also, a human trafficker,” Absinthe said.
I glanced over at her and found her looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“She’s the water mage that made the Road Wolves back down when they cornered you on campus when they were looking for me,” she said, not asking, but clarifying.
I nodded.
“Wait,” Scarlett said. “Wait-wait-wait. You go to school with that thing?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “She was Bullet and Dicario’s boss. She uh, ate them.”
Scarlett blinked at me. Then she was on her feet. “What the fuck?”
She stormed over to me, face rigid with anger, teeth bared. Then all at once it seemed to go out of her. She sank onto my lounge and buried her face in my chest, shoulders heaving.
“I-I thought you’d killed them,” she whispered into my chest. “I-I-I was terrified for you.”
I froze. How the fuck did that make sense? Awkwardly I patted her on the back.
“Um, no. As far as I know I’ve never killed anyone,” I said.
She nodded. I looked over her head at Absinthe who was watching the whole thing with a neutral expression.
“So,” she said slowly. “Is Lilian our enemy then?”
“If she wasn’t before, she is now,” I admitted. “I kind of torched her meth lab before but she didn’t know it was me. I’m guessing she might have an idea now.”
“So, we need to get ready for a show down then,” she said. “Do you know what she is? I don’t know a lot about spells, but I’ve never heard of one that lets a mage make that kind of transformation.”
I shook my head. “Not a clue.”
“So then, figuring out a way to stop her is our top priority,” Absinthe said. “I’ll do some research while I’m at work today, see what I can find. You should take your time off today to do the same.”
I nodded in agreement. “Shit. At least we managed to get those girls out.”
Scarlett adjusted herself so that she was leaning back into me and produced her smart phone. “I should give Daisy and Carina a call, check on them.”
She put the phone to her ear and Absinthe produced her own. I threw her a questioning look. She held it up and showed me she’d pulled up Twitter. “Best source of local news.”
Learn something new every day.
Scarlett scowled as she pulled the phone from her ear then placed another call. And then another. Finally, on the fourth she got an answer. I couldn’t quite make out the words that were being said on the other side and I tried not to eavesdrop, but Scarlett was suddenly back on her feet, shouting, “What do you mean she’s been arrested?”
“Oh, my God,” Absinthe said, was staring at her phone.
I looked back and forth between them. “What’s happening?”
Scarlett shoved her phone into her pocket. “Daisy and Carina have been arrested for soliciting.”
“All the girls from last night have,” Absinthe said. “Those that weren’t deported.”
Deported? I thought back and remembered the number of Latina girls who had been in the mix last night. Come to think of it there hadn’t been many white girls. Latinas, a few black girls, and a bare sprinkling of Caucasians.
Absinthe noticed my puzzlement. “Lots of girls who end up being trafficked are illegal immigrants. They think they’re getting a legitimate job or that they’re going to be meeting up with family. Next thing they know they’re forced into prostitution. It’s a lose-lose for them. Texas is kind of a gateway state. Lots of ports, airports, highways, and Mexico on the border.”
I hadn’t realized. Suddenly I felt very stupid. I didn’t care for that feeling any more than feeling weak. Hot anger boiled inside my stomach and spilled out of me. “So why the hell weren’t the fuckers who kidnapped those girls arrested?”
I wanted to hit something. Or maybe set something on fire.
Absinthe shrugged. “I didn’t see anyone there, did you? I mean, obviously someone put them there, but how are the police supposed to track them down? Besides, soliciting is a felony offense. I don’t know
the full deal with human trafficking, but I know pimping out a girl’s a misdemeanor. Can’t be that much difference. Also, it’s a lot easier to make soliciting charges stick.” She snorted. “Pigs get everything wrapped in a tidy bow.”
I’d never really heard Absinthe say anything about the cops before and there was a venom in her voice that was unfamiliar. “You don’t care for cops, do you?”
She laughed. The sound was so unexpected that I almost flinched. “My brother and I were with the Road Wolves since we could ride. No, I don’t care for cops.” She leaned back. “Not the idea of them, just…it’s just a job, you know? They’re there to punch the clock just like everyone else. It’s not justice, it’s bureaucracy.”
Scarlett stomped her foot and stormed back over. “I can’t get in touch with anyone. Not even Mom or Soraya.”
Soraya. Oh shit.
“Scarlett, Soraya’s dad, your, uh—”
“Stepfather?” Scarlett interrupted. “Ex-stepfather? It’s okay, it’s awkward for everyone. Just call him Angelo. That’s what I do. What about him?”
“He was talking with Lilian at your track meet,” I said. “They knew each other.”
Scarlett went very still. “And you think that….”
I called Soraya’s phone. It went to voicemail. I shoved my phone in my pocket, resisting the urge to hurl it into the pool.
“I think he might be involved,” I said. “I mean, it’s kind of a big coincidence isn’t it? He comes into town after how long, talks with our local drug dealer, and your friends go missing.” Something else occurred to me. “And both of them were hanging around his ‘associate,’ Mr. Glow. Looked damn smitten too.”
Absinthe smirked. “Smitten?”
I rolled my eyes. “And Soraya’s spending all her time around this creep thinking he’s a good guy.”
“That actually might be the safest place for her,” Absinthe said.
Scarlett and I whirled on her.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He’s still her dad,” Absinthe said. “He probably wants to keep her out of everything. I’d be more worried about Scarlett being around him.”
Okay, that made sense. I didn’t like it, but it made sense. I pointed a finger at Scarlett. “You’re not going anywhere near him.”
“Oh, shut up,” she said. “If that fucker hurt my friends, I want to be the one to rip him a new asshole. And he’s staying at my house. With my mom!”
I took a deep breath. “We kind of got banged up last night. We’re not ripping into anyone any time soon. I think Lilian could probably tear us apart. Her and some help? Best thing for us might be to lay low for a bit.”
I hated the words. They tasted sour, like bile, as I spoke them. But they had to be said. “Absinthe’s going to work. You are going to school and then coming straight back here. And I’ll…I’ll do some research.”
I sucked at research. In part because I didn’t enjoy it. I made myself do it more often than I liked because it was necessary, but rarely was I ever actually fruitful. Okay, that wasn’t fair. I’d done alright with my last group project. I’d understood more than I’d thought there.
A knock sounded on the gate that lead from our host’s backyard to the Morrow’s. There was only one person that could be. Absinthe got up and opened it, revealing Thomas, who was holding an energy drink in one hand and a tablet in the other. His hair was wild and greasy, and his eyes had a slightly glazed quality to them.
He took us in slowly, blinking his reddened eyes. “I heard talking and—damn, what truck ran over you guys?”
“Don’t ask,” Absinthe said.
“What she said,” Scarlett followed.
He looked at me and I shrugged.
“Guess this isn’t a good time. I’ll swing by later then.” He turned to go, then stopped. “By the way, the police are starting to look for a serial arsonist. Not sure whether it’s a rival criminal or a vigilante, but they aren’t happy about whoever it is. Y’all wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
He closed the gate behind him before I could answer.
I looked from Scarlett to Absinthe. “Low profile, understand?”
“What about my Mom?” Scarlett said.
I sighed. “I’ll swing by your place. I can say I’m looking for Soraya since she’s not answering her phone. Should be believable.”
She scowled but nodded. “Text me as soon as you know anything, okay?”
I agreed and hoped that I wouldn’t come across as the world’s biggest creeper in the process.
Chapter Seven
I walked to Soraya’s house a little while later, having showered and dressed. I may have spent more time on my hygiene than was strictly necessary. I didn’t want to go over to Scarlett and Soraya’s house looking like a total slob. On the other hand, I didn’t want to look like I was dressed to impress. I finally settled on a button up and a pair of jeans that I hoped struck the right balance. Then I realized I was wearing pretty much what I wore every day and wondered what the hell was wrong with me. Maybe living with a pair of girls was having an effect on me?
On an unrelated note, button up shirts are a life saver when you have a rack of antlers growing from your head. Seriously, trying to get into a pull over t-shirt without shredding the neck was next to impossible.
It didn’t help that everything took me twice as long to do because I was so tired and sore. Even so, by the time I was ready to head out, I felt significantly better. When I stopped to examine why I felt a little pulse from the earth beneath my feet. I still didn’t know what Eleanor had done to this place to make it react the way it did to me. Something to do with fae magic. Apparently, it liked me and was helping me to recover. How much worse off would I have been if I hadn’t rested here last night? Scary thought.
I wished the place farewell under my breath when I left, and I swear I felt an answering pulse of magic that took the barest extra edge off the aches suffusing my chest and arms.
In hindsight, walking might not have been the best idea. It was getting close to summer and the air was hot. Not so much that a few minutes outside would roast you, but a walk across town would definitely make you aware of it. Especially if you were covered in dozens of cuts and scrapes, as I was. The resulting sweat ran into each of my injuries and managed the truly irritating feat of making them all both itch and sting at the same time. By the time I reached Soraya’s house, something that didn’t normally take me this long to do either, I was ready to sit down. I sensed another shower in my near future. Maybe a sandwich too, though that might require a trip to the grocery store and more walking, so…maybe not for a while.
There was still research to do later, so there was something “fun” to look forward to. At least it meant I could be still and rest for a while.
I realized that I was stalling. Dammit. Why did I have to be so good at procrastinating? This had to be a normal thing for people in small towns, right? Everyone knew everyone and would come over and knock on each other’s door. Right, sure. Except that I hadn’t grown up in a small town and I was pretty sure that if Soraya really wanted to talk to me that she would have called or texted or answered when I had.
This wasn’t all that weird, I told myself, for the hundredth time. Both Soraya and Valencia’s lives could be in danger with Angelo in the picture. With Soraya not answering her phone this was the only way to check in on them, especially since I wasn’t about to let Scarlett anywhere near Angelo.
With a deep breath I knocked on the door. It was a plain door. Hell, it was a plain house. Not too nice a neighborhood but not run down either. Far enough away from the college campus and high school to avoid the chaos of students but not so far away as to be disconnected from the town proper.
The door opened a little way and Valencia stuck her head out, blinking in the light. “Caleb?”
“Hi, Valencia,” I said. “Is Soraya around?” I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I sounded just like an elementary scho
ol student. Can Soraya come out and play?
“She’s having a father-daughter day with Angelo,” Valencia said. “They left a little while ago.”
I grimaced. “I thought it might be something like that.”
“Did you have plans today?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s just…” shit, what was it “just?” “Just” that I don’t trust the bastard? That I think he might be involved in human trafficking? That he might be a danger to her, Scarlett, and maybe his own daughter, too? I really should have been thinking about this on my way over.
“Just…are you okay, Valencia?” It still felt weird calling her by her first name. She wasn’t that old, she’d been a teenager when she’d had Scarlett and was only in her early to mid-thirties, but it didn’t help. Calling one of my friend’s—and kind-of-sort-of girlfriend’s—parents by their first name felt odd.
Her eyes widened a little bit. “O-of course.” There was a stutter there that made me not believe her and her words came out a hint too fast. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
I decided to take a chance.
“It’s Angelo,” I said. “Something’s not right there. I think…I think he had something to do with that prostitution ring that got busted on the news this morning.”
Valencia swallowed.
Realization dawned. “You know something about that already, don’t you?”
Her entire body stiffened as if someone had run a current of electricity through her. “Why don’t you come in? We shouldn’t talk about this outside.”
So, there was something to talk about. That was…something.
I stepped into the entry hall—only for someone to slam into me from the dining hall entry to the left, knocking me to the ground. Whoever it was they were huge, and strong, easily pinning me to the floor. Before I could react, pain shot through my neck.
I stiffened, tried to scream, and couldn’t. It was as if someone had poured molten metal into my veins, the agonizing heat spreading from my neck into my chest and arms and throughout the rest of my body from there. The extremities had it the worst, tingling with agony like burning needles.
