by Cheree Alsop
“Oh, it is,” he said with a shake of his head. “The ladies like the brawny, muscular type.”
I paused inside the door. “Do you have a lot of ladies that visit here?”
Raven started to nod, his eyes round with gravity, then he couldn’t hold it in any longer; he laughed and shook his head. “No, never; but it’s fun to pretend.” I laughed and followed him through the graveyard of retired giants to the trap door.
Chapter 20- Marek
The atmosphere in the Den lightened considerably with the sound of Kyla’s voice. I watched her walk down the stairs, her hand on the arm Raven held out as if leading a princess. I smiled and fought down the slight rise of jealousy at her familiarity with him. I had to remind myself that Raven didn’t have any friends outside of the Den and I was happy he had warmed up to her.
She looked across the Den and the glow that filled her eyes when she saw me made my heart thump sideways in my chest. I took several steps across the room toward her without realizing it. It wasn’t until she passed through the door into the main hall that I let out my breath and realized it had been caught in my throat since I saw her. I turned away to hide the confusion I felt.
I shouldn’t be so comfortable around her. I shouldn’t miss her the second she leaves and count the minutes until she returns. It wasn’t safe for her at the Den, and she was getting in deeper with each visit. She cared too much and I worried she was going to get hurt.
She crossed the floor to me. “Everything alright?”
The concern in Kyla’s voice stole the worry from my mind. “Everything’s fine,” I reassured her.
Kyla’s face lit up and her green eyes took on the color of spring grass, stealing my breath away again. I wished I could ask her what made her come back, ask why she cared so much, but the words wouldn’t come. I settled for leading her to the computers where Shadow and Phoenix had narrowed down the families for three of the Lost.
“That’s amazing,” she breathed. Both Shifters grinned at her admiration and Shadow proceeded to talk her through the steps.
My patience lasted about two minutes. “I want to show you something,” I said quietly in her ear.
She nodded, trust and excitement in her eyes. Though Shadow and Phoenix were annoyed at the interruption, they knew better than to argue. I led Kyla to the lift and took us up. She anticipated the jolt of the box this time and didn’t grab my arm for balance. I found myself missing it; I tried to distract my thoughts. “How’s school going?”
A shadow swept through her eyes as she studied the Den below. “Alright, I guess. There’s a lot of pressure to apply for colleges.”
“Is that a problem?”
She shook her head, then caught herself and nodded instead. She glanced at me. “It is if I can’t decide a major.”
“Do you have to?” I asked, curious.
“It helps,” she said. She sighed and turned to me. “I used to be so certain that I was going to be a vet like Dad. I knew what school I wanted to go to, the classes I wanted to take, but now. . . .”
A brief swell of hopelessness showed on her face; the emotion surprised me. I took a step toward her. “What changed your mind?” I asked softly, afraid I knew the answer.
She hesitated, then swept a hand to indicate the Den as it vanished beneath the warehouse floor. “My old dreams seem so insignificant compared to all of this.” She met my eyes. “You make such a difference every day. Lives are in danger and you do everything you can to save them. You change every life you come in contact with.” Her voice lowered and she dropped her eyes as if embarrassed by her frankness. “Including mine.”
I didn’t know what to say. The battling emotions that rushed through me were cut off by her gasp when we reached the roof. “It’s so beautiful,” she said.
The candles Raven had lit flickered with the wind of his wings when he flew by and then dove down the pipe. I smiled at Kyla’s questioning look.
“This is for me?” she asked in disbelief.
I nodded. “You’ve done so much and been so brave. I couldn’t think of another way to repay you.”
Her mouth opened then closed and she just stared at me.
“What?” I asked, uncomfortable with the look in her eyes.
She shook her head. “You just continue to surprise me, that’s all.”
“Is that a good thing?” I asked with my eyes on the flickering candles.
She didn’t answer, but took my hand and led me to the table. I fought back a smile because that was supposed to be my job. I pulled out her chair and she sat, then she smoothed the napkin on her lap. I took the seat across from her and fiddled with my silverware for a minute, straightening the already straight fork and spoon.
Kyla twirled spaghetti on her fork and took a bite. “This is really good,” she said, her green eyes cast with a warm glow in the firelight.
“You sound surprised,” I pointed out with a smiled before I took a bite. “Spagetti’s not that hard to make.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Did you make it?”
I hesitated, then shook my head. “You can thank Shadow later.”
She laughed. “It figures that the one who eats the most makes the food. Now if I can just get Kip to cook for himself.”
“Your mother would be saved hours a day.”
“She probably wouldn’t know what to do with herself,” Kyla concluded with a grin.
“We wouldn’t want to take away her occupation,” I said.
She gave a mockingly solemn nod. “We’ll keep Shadow’s secret to ourselves.”
We grinned at each other across the table and I marveled at how easy it was to have a normal conversation with Kyla. I very seldom had the opportunity to talk to girls my own age and the thought made me nervous, but being around Kyla felt so comfortable and normal. There were moments when she made me forget I was different, something that scared me and felt like a breath of fresh air at the same time.
“How’s the spaghetti?” I asked.
She slurped in a noodle and gave me a self-conscious smile as she wiped tomato sauce form her chin. “Wonderful. My compliments to the cook.”
“I’ll be sure to let him know,” I said. She had missed a spot, so I leaned over without thinking and wiped the red smudge from her cheek the same way I did for Whisper. Kyla gave me a funny look and I froze, realizing what I was doing. I quickly took my hand away. “Sorry, I-“
She laughed, her eyes sparkling. “It’s alright. I don’t mind.” She wiped the spot off with her napkin. “I can be such a mess sometimes.”
I grinned. “I’ve seen Kip eat. You’re lucky you came out as good as you did.”
She laughed so hard she almost tipped her drink over, then giggled at the thought of spilling her drink. She covered her mouth and gave me a wide-eyed look of horror at the giggle and I couldn’t help but laugh.
The rest of the evening passed quickly with great conversations and lots of laughter. I escorted Kyla back to the lift and this time she held my arm as we lowered through the warehouse to the Den below. I wondered if it was my imagination that made little jolts like static electricity run up my arm from her fingers. I held perfectly still for fear that she would let go if she realized she still held on.
A glance down showed that everyone had fallen to sleep. Our dinner must have taken longer than I thought. The Lost children were sprawled out in the various bedrooms, Whisper lay curled under her favorite pink and purple blanket, Raven slept in front of a television, and Shadow and Flint had both fallen to sleep in front of the computers. I made a mental note to make sure they got out more.
“It’s so quiet,” Kyla whispered when the lift stopped.
“Don’t get used to it,” I warned softly. “It doesn’t happen often.”
She smiled and kept her hand on my arm as we crossed the floor and went up the stairs. I walked her to the car, reluctant to let her leave, but grateful the evening had gone so much better than I could have hoped. I opened the door for her and sh
e slid onto the seat. The look in her eyes stole my breath away.
“Thank you for a perfect evening, Marek,” she said.
I swallowed and forced out, “It was my pleasure.”
She drove away and I stared in the direction she drove long after the taillights disappeared in the darkness. I walked slowly back to the Den and paused outside the door to enjoy a night that had become much brighter than I was used to.
Chapter 21- Kyla
“You’re sure she won’t mind?” Marek asked before I could open the front door. I looked down at Whisper who held Marek’s hand nervously and gave me a shy, hopeful smile.
“Mom won’t mind at all; she watches all of the neighborhood kids whenever she can.” I opened the door and led the way into the living room, Marek, Whisper, and Raven trailing behind. “Hi Mom, Dad,” I said, “You remember Marek?” Dad nodded at them over his newspaper while Mom rose and put away the book she had been reading.
“Welcome back, Marek.”
“This is Whisper, Marek’s little sister,” I lied. It was the only way I could think of to explain the presence of the five-year-old. Whisper grinned up at Marek, thrilled to be called his sister. “And this is Raven, a, um, friend from school.”
“Welcome to our home,” Mom said, not even batting an eye at the newcomers’ odd names and Raven’s semi-outrageous clothing. The bird Shifter wore acid-washed jeans, a red shirt, and a leather jacket that looked like it had been stolen from the set of Grease. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she concluded with a warm smile at Whisper. The little girl smiled back from behind Marek’s legs.
“Um, Mom,” I interjected with what I hoped was a pleading smile. “Would you mind if Whisper stayed here while we go play hockey with Kip?”
Mom’s eyebrows rose. It was odd for me to offer to do anything with Kip, but with Flint and Shadow occupied on the computers for their turn at searching, the Den overrun with Lost, and Whisper terrified to come out of her room because of all the commotion, Marek and Raven had jumped at the chance to get out and play hockey.
Besides, after last night I was anxious for any extra time I could spend with the wolf Shifter. I caught him watching me on more than one occasion with a look on his face as though he was trying to figure something out. Whenever our eyes met, he gave a smile that made my heart melt and dropped his blue eyes before they told his secrets. I longed for the safety I felt next to him, and wondered if I could be so forward as to take his arm again. I doubted it, but hoped maybe we would get a chance to talk again.
I coaxed Whisper out of her room by promising she could play with my old Barbie doll collection. I knew Mom would join in. Mom was always ready for dressing up dolls and braiding their hair. I wouldn’t be surprised if we came home to find the little girl dressed up and with her own hair braided.
“She’s more than welcome to stay; you know that, hon!” Mom said. She held out her hand to Whisper and wiggled her fingers invitingly. Whisper hid behind Marek for a moment, then sprung out and grabbed it as if suddenly worried the offer would disappear. “Right, then,” Mom said, pleased. “You go and have a good time. We’ll be fine here!”
“Thank you, Mrs. March,” Marek said gratefully. He tousled Whisper’s hair. “I doubt she’ll give you too much trouble.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Mom replied. “You guys have a fun time.”
When we pulled up to the old school’s parking lot, Kip hurried over with his friends trailing behind. “Need some more players?” I offered.
“Heck yeah!” Kip replied, high-fiving Marek. “Now we can have a real game!”
We followed the small group to the middle of the huge cement parking lot. “Do they use this school?” Raven asked doubtfully; he glanced around at the broken windows and graffitied bricks of the nearby building.
I shook my head. “It was shut down with a lot of the other schools after the war. Most of these places have become hideouts for the homeless, junkies, or AWOL vets.” The thought sent a shiver up my spine and Marek took a step closer to me as though he knew how I felt. “Lucky for us, this one is searched regularly because it’s within the residential district.”
“Does that mean it’s a safe place for all these kids to play?” Marek asked with doubt in his voice.
“One of the safer places,” I replied.
“Live!” Kip shouted, tossing a bright green ball into the middle of the group.
Marek took the other side while Raven and I stayed on Kip’s team. With their additions, the teams were five to four, with Marek’s team short a player. I soon realized that the two Shifters were holding back to let everyone participate.
Kip’s friends rose to the challenge. The games were fast, tough, and had everyone winded and laughing when we finally took a break. “You guys are awesome!” Brant, a short, blonde-haired boy from Kip’s class said with wide eyes.
“You guys aren’t bad yourself,” Raven replied honestly before taking a drink from the water bottle Brant offered him.
“Yeah, you must play a lot,” Marek said to Kip.
Kip nodded, beaming at the compliment. His cheeks were almost as red as his hair from the exertion of the game. “We play every weekend and most days after school.”
Marek was about to say something else when another boy spoke. “Uh-oh,” he said in an undertone. “Tarnick’s gang is here.”
“Tarnick?” Raven said in surprise.
“Yeah,” Kip replied, picking up their hockey ball. “We’ve got to go. They have a tendency to get rough.”
Marek and Raven rose with their sticks in their hands. They waited quietly for the arriving group to walk over to Kip. “Glad to see you’re on your way out,” a brown-haired, well-muscled teenager said with a humorless smile.
“Yeah,” a scrawny, older man with a ski cap pulled low echoed, “Wouldn’t want any trouble.”
“You’re really claiming this spot as your turf?” Marek said. I looked at him in surprise and saw that he wasn’t talking to the two thugs who had spoken, but to Tarnick.
Tarnick had been a senior the year before me, but he dropped out after missing over a month of class. He now ran a gang and terrorized the locals. The tall, athletic young man who had been captain of the football team before he left high school stared at the wolf Shifter. “Marek?”
Marek nodded, aware that Kip and his friends were staring. “We’re hanging out here if that’s okay with you.”
Tarnick collected himself visibly. He shook his head. “No, Marek, that’s not okay. This is our territory. You’ll have to leave.”
Marek glanced at Raven and I saw a smile flash between them. They started forward. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Tarnick nodded like he had expected that answer. “Show ‘em who’s in control of this neighborhood, boys,” he said with a flick of his wrist.
My heart skipped a beat when the seven gang members started toward Marek and Raven.
“Fine,” Marek said with a nod. “If that’s how it’s going to be.” He looked calm and collected, cocky in a charming sort of way; definitely not the demeanor of someone about to take a beating. He walked a few steps away from Raven, then waited casually with his stick on his shoulder. The gang split, four heading toward Marek and three to Raven.
“Should we help them?” Kip whispered anxiously. I shook my head, intent on the Shifters.
Marek spun and kicked; his foot caught the first attacker on the chin and knocked him out cold. He ducked under a swing and slammed a haymaker in the second man’s jaw. The man staggered back, gasping. Marek then crouched and spun, swinging his stick. The stick swept one of the remaining attacker’s feet from under him and he hit the ground with a thud that knocked the air from his lungs.
Raven was handling his attackers as efficiently. One lay to the side clutching his mouth after meeting Raven’s stick. Another tried to duck under a similar blow, but caught the butt of the Shifter’s stick on the turn around. He finished the last one with a quick stick-end in the gut
in time to watch Marek fight his last man standing.
This one held a knife which he switched from hand to hand like a weaving cobra. Marek ducked under a slice and hit the man in the stomach with his stick. When the man doubled over, he knocked him with a back hand across the side of his face. The man fell to his knees with a hand on his jaw. “Mercy?” he asked with a glance at Tarnick. Tarnick sighed.
Marek nodded. The entire fight had lasted less than five minutes. “Mercy.” Raven walked to his side as Tarnick, with those few of his gang who could make it back up, walked over. I could feel the tension in the air. Kip glanced at me in worry, but I didn’t meet his gaze, unsure myself what would happen.
When they were about two feet from each other, Tarnick stopped. He stared at Marek for a moment, then held out his hand with a grin. Marek took it. “Same old Tarnick,” he said, slapping the gang leader on the back.
“It’s a tough world, Marek. Aren’t you the one who taught me that?” Tarnick replied.
Marek shook his head, a teasing light in his eyes. “No; I’m the one who rescued you from it.”
“Yes,” Tarnick said with a laugh. “And I’m forever in your debt. What can I do to repay it?” He pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it in the air.
Marek caught the penny and grinned. “A penny to your name.” He chuckled and Raven smiled. Marek glanced back at us. “I have an idea. We were enjoying a pretty good game of hockey until you showed up. The more, the merrier, you know.”
Tarnick’s eyebrows rose. “You forget that I’m lethal with a stick.”
This time, it was Raven’s turn to grin. “I think the gauntlet has just been thrown.”
“I think so, too,” Marek replied.
***
Whisper had thoroughly enjoyed her time with Mom. When we returned, she was sleeping on the couch with two of my old dolls and her hair braided like a princess. I could tell Mom was sad to see her go. She made Marek promise to bring her back soon.
She and Dad had gone to bed right after Rosie fell asleep, so Kip and I chilled in my room.
