by L M Preston
“Yes and no. I’m afraid he will turn on me like Silas did. I trusted Silas and even allowed myself to crush on him. Kayson is so tied up into Silas’ mess that I don’t know what to believe.”
“Then trust in what you know. The actions of both of them. Actions speak way louder than words.”
EmVee bit her lip. “I guess. Silas had a temper. I saw it once. He worked hard covering it up. Kayson seemed like he was transparent. He was honest and helpful, but he and Silas were close. Now I recently discovered that he was more involved in Silas’ dark side than I realized.”
“Wait and see. That’s all we can do. Sax is spending time with him. I’ll ask him what he thinks.”
EmVee bit her lip. “What do you think about him?”
Demi elbowed EmVee. “I think he is hot, sizzling, mysterious, and so seriously crushing on you that he will do whatever he can to help you.”
“Need I remind you, he had a girlfriend and, I’m sure, many other girls going after him. Besides, I don’t do relationships. None of mine ever worked out well at all. Remember?”
“What others have you had? I mean before you met Kayson?”
“Too many. My brother even talked to me about it when we lived in New York. I must have had a different boyfriend a month.” EmVee sighed.
“A month? What…were they standing in line asking you on dates or something?”
“No, I’d ask them out. I trained in my parents’ MMA gym, and when I wasn’t trying to get ready to compete, I’d want to meet with my friends and double date. So, I made sure I always had someone available for it. Guys would get tired of waiting for the big moment or be spooked by the fact I could kick their butts, and they’d move on. So, would I. I never liked a man-wimp.”
“So, you didn’t have a problem going up to some random guy and asking for his number?”
“Nope.” EmVee shrugged. “All they could say is they weren’t interested. Guys are mostly flattered when asked for their contact information, so the rejection never really hurt as much.”
“See, we are best friends. You shared; I shared.”
EmVee laughed. “Rachel and Megan were good friends. Rachel was as close to a bestie as I’ve ever had besides my sister. You are my here and now, so yes, you are my best friend. I haven’t heard from Rachel in forever. I also didn’t feel really good about myself after dreaming of kissing her boyfriend.”
Demi shook her. “You kissed Kayson?”
“No, I dreamed of kissing him. I would never kiss my friend’s boyfriend. Not cool. Not at all.”
“You better not. If you kissed Sax, our friendship would so be over.”
“No need to worry on that. Sax isn’t my type.”
“Good. But if he tried to kiss you, would you tell me?”
“Yes. Are you worried about him?”
Demi shrugged. “Not really, but I do have Daddy issues. I mean, how can I know a guy will stay around when my own father pops in and out of my life?”
“I understand, but we all have issues. I try to work on mine one at a time. You too. Don’t push Sax away while you do. He seems to be a nice guy.”
“Maybe you’ll discover Kayson is too.”
EmVee snorted. “Doubtful.” Even so, inside, her heart fluttered with hope and guilt over whether she was right.
Her stomach was fighting with itself. Hunger was usually something she could control, but when her father was with her, she always ate at least once a day. Two days with no food, it wasn’t working for her. She left Demi sleeping in bed and quietly dressed in a form fitting pair of leggings she had in her bag. The backpack her father gave her held a symbol on it she’d never noticed before. EmVee spent a few moments touching it with her finger before blinking away tears. She missed her family so much.
She regretted every unkind word she’d said about them when she didn’t get her way. Slowly, she opened the door, glad that the outer light was off, and shut the door quietly behind her. EmVee glided her fingers along the wall as she walked the way she’d come. There was a dimmed staircase ahead against the far wall of the hall. EmVee made her way upward and heard the soothing chords of a piano playing. Tilting her head to the side to let the melody wash over her, she figured it was from a radio.
EmVee placed her bare foot on the top step and froze. Kayson’s lilting and deep voice sang low as if he was trying not to disturb anyone. It didn’t make a difference. His voice was rich and soothing, and without thinking, EmVee followed it. Standing behind him, she closed her eyes and listened. His sad song of loss and love wrapped her in its spell, and tears fell quietly from her eyes.
“That was…” EmVee choked on her words and blinked back tears. “It’s just...”
“Thanks. I know,” Kayson said without turning around. “It’s the only way I’ve got left to deal with being alone. I’m free from The Void, but I’ve got nothing.” He banged on the keys, the sound uneven and brutal. “No one.”
“Revenge. That was what the woman said to my father when she shot him.” EmVee reached over to touch Kayson’s shoulder but pulled back as he pivoted on the seat before getting up. He moved the guitar on the stand over. He leaned on the closed piano.
“Who would want revenge on your father? Or mine? Rocky? They have to be connected.”
“I don’t know. Was Sax able to break into the file?”
“He’s still working on it.” Kayson leaned on the piano. “I needed to get the music out of me.”
“Oh, well.” EmVee wanted answers and was hoping to be on the road to getting closer to saving her family.
“We will find them. Rocky is the key.”
EmVee’s stomach growled.
Kayson chuckled. “C’mon, I’ve got some leftover lasagna in the refrigerator.”
She followed him. “Sounds good.”
“I hope so. I made it.”
“You cook too?”
“Had to learn to do it with a father who was at work most days.” Kayson led her to a large country kitchen.
The cabinets were long, beveled, and had doors made of glass framed in painted white wood. A window over the sink reflected the moon as it caressed the water on the lake.
“So, did you graduate from high school?” EmVee crossed her arms and rubbed them with her hands while observing Kayson prep the food.
“I did get my diploma. I didn’t attend the graduation. My father was murdered the night before. Rocky contacted me and told me to meet him. I’ve been on the run ever since.” He handed her a piece of bread he took from the toaster oven.
EmVee grabbed it, broke it in half, and stuffed some in her mouth. Buttery and soft with a crispy outer shell, she wondered if he’d made it from scratch.
“I made that with the bread maker over there. It’s better and easier than going to the store with no money.”
“How do you get groceries?” EmVee swallowed.
“Rocky gave me a credit card for the care and upkeep of this place. It includes food. Problem is, it’s not in my name, and it’s tied to the Amazon account for this house.”
“What have you been doing for money?”
Kayson shrugged. “Sell my music online. It fills up my PayPal account. Then I have a pre-paid credit card I move the money to. It’s a pain, but it works.”
He handed her a bowl containing the warmed lasagna.
EmVee played with the fork. “I was my father’s manager for random fights he won in cities that were booked by Demi’s father. He gave me the money to deposit in an online account in my name. So, I guess I’m okay. I could live on it for about two years without having to get a job if I manage it well.”
“Did you graduate?” Kayson held his bowl and pointed to the small table in front of the corner of the window.
EmVee moved to the four-seated light wood table. She bounced on the cushion of the matching wood chair.
“Yes, I went to a correspondence school since we moved around. I did the work online; they mailed my grandparents my diploma.”
&nb
sp; Kayson nodded. “Easy way to finish school. No prom?” He chuckled.
“Um, no. I had enough of dancing, clubbing, and the drama that comes with it when I left The Void. All I wanted was a chance to fight. My father didn’t allow me to when we left. He wanted me to remain invisible.”
“There’s really no need to be invisible here on the Earth Realm. Rarely would anyone that might be interested in your father want to make themselves obvious here.”
“What do you mean?” EmVee used the piece of bread to get the remnants of the sauce from the bowl.
“The Void serves as a prison or holding place for people who have lineage to a Soul Trainer, Soul Keeper, Witch, Warlock, magical being, mystical creatures that don’t fit in the ‘reality’ of the human Realm of Earth. The Realm of the magicals is split into Provinces based on who rules there.”
EmVee pursed her lips.
Kayson’s palms went up. “I know it sound absurd and unrealistic, but that is what my father uncovered. Most humans don’t even know why or how they got there. Then a member of their family is recruited to one of the many sects or organizations that train various lineage groups in the gifts they are given. Only those people—both human and a small mixture of something else—can cross The Void and do the bidding of their masters unless something helps them.”
“That sounds…well, unbelievable. But I don’t fit that description.”
Kayson tossed the last piece of bread in his mouth. “Okay, but your family was there to do a service for the athletes who were recommended by the coaches and sports circuits in The Void. Did you know your mother and father were well trained in more martial arts techniques than anyone in the known world?”
“Yeah, they both had interest in fighting and the designing of weapons. They made us learn every style of those arts for as long as I can remember. My youngest brother was extremely gifted in weapon design and creation, even machinery.”
“It makes me wonder what they—‘the masters’ of those sects—were preparing for. To bring trainers, weapon designers, and some underground Earth crime lords into The Void had never happened before.”
“Whoever brought my family there wasn’t happy that my parents didn’t deliver on their promise. To be honest, I never considered that before my father and I were on the run. I thought he was trying to find himself again. It had been years since he fought competitively. My mother still did that, but my father ran the business. He only fought and trained for personal enjoyment.”
“Where are your grandparents from?”
“Somewhere in Africa, I think near Egypt.”
Kayson frowned. “I think legend is Queen Kera was from there. Her people are the lineage of Soul Trainers. The strongest females on Earth.” Kayson shrugged. “If you weren’t recruited, then that can’t be it.”
“My father’s business was all he had. He loved us and wouldn’t put us in danger for money, not any amount. I’m sure of it.”
“It wasn’t an accident that he was brought in.”
“What about you? Why was your family there?” EmVee wanted to change the conversation from her father. His loss was still fresh, and the doubts were plaguing her. She needed answers, and she wouldn’t consider her father at fault in any of it. He was a victim as was she and their family.
“I don’t know for sure. My father was an average man. Not a fighter or skilled to be a Soul Thief, which are always male. I was born there and was never approached from any sect of the elite. But that makes no difference. I’d researched that it could take centuries before someone from a prospective family line is selected.”
Sax ran up the stairs. “I got in! I got in! And damn, you are going to want to see this.”
EmVee stood beside Kayson as Sax skipped his fingers over the keys and pointed to the large monitor displaying a map and tree of a mystery with pictures and places on it that Rocky and Kayson’s father seemed to be tracking together.
Sax was hopping on the balls of his feet. “This is out of this world freakin’ amazing. I mean, who would believe this is real?”
Kayson pointed to the circle of the chart on the screen. “That’s the murders that started my father’s investigation.”
EmVee pointed to another circle. “This name, it’s not current. It seems to be in a different language. All of the lines lead to this person. The question mark may mean that this person is a lead to something. It says Flesh Dealer? What’s that?”
“That’s the upper level of all the sects. That’s a recruiter. They recruit humans from the Realm of Earth as Soul Trainers and Soul Thieves since they are the only ones with the ability to cross worlds but still hold magic within them. Also, they are recruiters of magical beings that they have used at times to live and hide on the Earth Province. For what, I don’t know. Maybe as spies?” Kayson leaned closer to the screen.
“Are the magical beings real? I mean that doesn’t sound like a reality we live in.” Sax clicked on the circle with the guy’s picture that had a question mark under it.
“There are many like elves, fairies, dwarfs, shapeshifters, vampires, giants, and some I can’t even name. Many more that aren’t in The Void but are in all types of dimensions and Provinces that overlap this one—Earth. They have rules for interaction and time they can stay here, but they are here. There is a magical barrier that won’t let them in.”
“Silas was there…why?” EmVee asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe because of the mix in him. Human with lineage for a Soul Thief or Trainer?” He scratched his chin. “A Fenrir is a god, part giant part Loki. He basically had the bloodline of the ruler of Hel, at least the magic dimension of it.”
Sax’s jaw dropped. “Really, this is unreal. How do we convince creatures like this to trust us and give us answers?”
“Easy, we go through the recruiting process. Earn their trust, get our answers, then go.” Kayson slapped Sax on the back. “The person we need to get in front of is that guy.” Kayson pointed. “Afanas. And from the sound of it, he’s definitely a vamp.”
“Wait a minute, I’m not interested in getting bitten by anyone or anything again.” EmVee held up her hands and shook her head.
Kayson smiled then clicked on Afanas’ face, which led to a document with a bio page on the creature. “He won’t bite you. Your blood is now poison to him. See, Rocky lists the known weaknesses for each of these leads. It’ll kill him even though he won’t be able to tell the difference. We have to make sure he isn’t tempted to try it out. If that happens and he dies, we are hunted forever. He’s got a big following.”
“Why does his face appear like its two faces in one? Strange.” EmVee traced the picture.
“Vampires in this Province aren’t like in the movies. They are what you want or envision them to be, and that’s different from person to person. It’s nothing I’ve witnessed in person, but my father has spent his life building a diary of the creatures he’s arrested, and a vampire was one of them that was able to slip into The Void and started feeding off the human occupants. They were hard to track. Everyone had a different description of them.”
“I hope we won’t have to go there. The Void sounds like a black hole.” Sax leaned on the wall to watch Kayson click through files.
“It’s worse than that; it was created as an anomaly to all the dimensions. No one really knows why.”
“How are we going to find this person?” EmVee sighed.
“I’m about to contact a good source. Megan, she has her ear to the ground and will be able to tell us where the next recruiting event is. We will need some costumes and fight code names. And gold to get in since we don’t have a sponsor. I don’t want to call her but really have no choice but to trade information for her help.”
“I’ve got gold. We may need to go shopping first.” EmVee stretched. Her back and shoulders ached from the bra straps she’d been fighting to adjust most of the night. She’d need a few sports bras to hold her large chest in place when she sparred.
“Don�
�t worry about shopping. We can go to my father’s warehouse where we keep tons of merchandise for the stores. You can find anything you need there.”
EmVee widened her eyes. “Sax, you don’t have to do this for us.”
He yawned. “Nope, but I want to. I haven’t had this much fun since my father gave me the truck and a wad of money to go treasure hunting cross country with my oldest brother. Besides, you need friends like me. Demi’s friends are my friends.”
Kayson turned off the computer and pivoted to face EmVee and Sax. “Message sent to Megan. When she tells me the details, we’re out.”
EmVee nodded.
EmVee waited next to the van with Demi, outside of Sax’s father’s warehouse. She’d changed into burgundy boots that came above her knee, only a few inches shorter than the long silver socks she had under them. The skirt had slits in the leather beneath the form-fitting high-waisted and belted middle that covered her stomach. She’d taken a red sash and wrapped several layers around her upper torso, under her breasts and stretchy leather form-fitting jacket that buttoned under her heavy chest. She couldn’t help but shimmy her shoulders. The shoulder pads were slim silver metal that cascaded from the collar of her jacket down each arm. She loved the way they laid over the silver leather sleeves to fit snuggly over her knuckles. Only her silver painted fingernails peeked from the form fit.
Demi elbowed her and held up a compact mirror to put some gold lipstick on her full lips. It matched the gold and blue on her eyelids.
“Here, I got a sizzling color for you. You already look like a warrior of vengeance.” Demi handed EmVee a tube of dark red lipstick.
EmVee bent to put it on in the mirror. It slid easily over her lips, and with a pop, she gave it to Demi. EmVee snatched her riot of thick reddish gold curls into a high top bun on her head. She squinted her nose at the cluttering of freckles that teased her bronzed face; more makeup was needed to conceal them.
“A black girl with red hair. I think you should cover it up or wear this hair scarf with a fake ponytail. You are way too memorable.”
