All You Desire

by Kirsten Miller

  “I gotta go,” Haven announced, her voice flat and emotionless. “I’m going to find the person who did this.”

  “And I’m gonna help,” Leah called out before Haven could hang up. “Listen to me, Haven. You’re in shock. Don’t do anything until I see you.”

  “There’s not enough time for you to get on a plane.”

  “I’m already here! I got a flight out of Raleigh last night. My uncle Earl let me use his credit card. I was going to call you this morning.”

  “You flew in last night? Where did you sleep?”

  “On a bench in a park called Union Square. Matter of fact, I just woke up when my phone started beeping.”

  A jolt of annoyance brought Haven back to the world. “You slept on a park bench, Leah? Do you know how dangerous that is? This isn’t Snope City. It’s not even Durham. There are people here who hunt tourists for sport. I’ve already got one friend in trouble—I can’t save you too!”

  “Save that anger for the kidnappers, Haven. We both know nobody’s gonna bother me.”

  “Well, stay where you are,” Haven ordered. She had already started jogging west. “I’m coming to get you. How’d you end up in Union Square, anyway?”

  “This is the place I’ve been seeing in my visions,” Leah said. “I found the round subway entrance shaped like a temple. In fact, I found the man I’ve been looking for too. He was right here waiting for me when I showed up at five thirty this morning. I was so tired that I almost started talking to him before I figured out he’s just a statue of Gandhi. You know the one?”

  “Yeah,” Haven panted. She’d seen the statue a hundred times. “Go stand next to Gandhi. I’ll be there in two minutes.”

  THE PARK WAS PACKED with people braving the cold to forage for lunch, but, as always, Leah Frizzell was impossible to miss. An orange and black hunting cap sat on top of her head, and stringy red hair stuck out from beneath it. She was wearing an old army-issue coat with the name FRIZZELL stitched above the pocket, and a pair of battered black combat boots. Above the boots and below the hem of her skirt, four inches of bright white flesh could be seen. Pedestrians gawked at the odd-looking, underdressed girl and walked well out of their way to avoid her. She held up a hand as soon as she caught sight of Haven running in her direction.

  “Jesus, Leah! Didn’t you pack some tights or leggings or something?” Haven asked between gulps of air. Even Gandhi had an icicle hanging from the tip of his nose, and Leah Frizzell was walking around with bare legs. Haven almost wished she hadn’t answered Leah’s call. The last thing she needed was a bumpkin to babysit.

  Leah seemed to read her thoughts. “Don’t think you need to take care of me, Haven Moore. I may be a hillbilly, but I ain’t stupid.”

  “You just flew a thousand miles to meet a statue,” Haven noted.

  “Yeah, and I reckon it was worth it. I found out what was causing that terrible smell in my visions.” Leah pointed down at the sidewalk. “I had another one this morning, and I saw a bunch of bodies lying right here.”

  Suddenly Leah didn’t seem quite so silly. “Dead bodies? Who were they?”

  “Dunno. But from the smell, they’d been lying there long enough to get nice and ripe. Didn’t look so pretty, either.”

  “What are you going to do?” Haven asked.

  “Wait for another vision. You can’t rush these things, you know.” Leah always seemed so unflappable, as if someone were whispering instructions into her ear.

  “A few days ago you said something terrible was about to happen. Now you’re having visions of bodies lying in the streets. And you’re just going to wait?”

  “I’ve got some time,” Leah replied, still as calm as ever. “The dead people were all wearing short sleeves, so I’m guessing I’ve got till summer to fix whatever needs fixing. I think Beau’s problems are probably a little more urgent. So let’s get started.”

  “First I have to call Adam and let him know what’s happened.”

  “Excuse me?” Leah asked. “Adam Rosier?”

  “He’s been helping me look for Beau,” Haven said, dialing the OS main number.

  “Put the phone down for a second,” Leah ordered. The girl hadn’t raised her voice or changed her tone, but somehow Haven knew it wasn’t just a request. She slid her hands back into her pockets. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

  “I don’t know,” Haven admitted. “A lot has happened in the past few days.” Why was she standing in the cold answering questions when Beau was seriously hurt?

  “Well, I’m listening now,” Leah said.

  Haven sighed. “Remember the woman you saw surrounded by smoke?” Leah nodded. “Her name is Phoebe. She’s the head of a group called the Horae. There are twelve of them, and they have human bodies. But they’re not really human. They’re Adam’s enemies. They bring order while he brings chaos.” Haven stopped to make sure Leah was following.

  “Okay,” Leah said, as if Haven hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary.

  “Phoebe told me that she would only help me identify the person who kidnapped Beau if I helped her lock Adam Rosier away. The Horae think Adam has been recruiting children into the OS to form some sort of army, and they want to stop him.”

  “How are you supposed to help the Horae lock him away?”

  “By pretending to fall for Adam and luring him into a trap.”

  Leah blinked. “Sounds awful risky. I’m surprised you agreed.”

  “I was willing to do anything to save Beau. But when I started spending time with Adam, I realized he’s not the same person he used to be. He’s trying to clean up the Ouroboros Society. And he has the police commissioner and the FBI searching for Beau. I don’t want to work with the Horae anymore. I don’t want to betray Adam. . . .” She clutched her phone. “Please let me just call him. We’ve got to act fast if we’re going to save Beau!”

  “Hold on, Haven. I have a couple more questions. Where’s Iain been this whole time?”

  “It’s a long story. But I’ll tell you where he is right now: in the way. He thinks I’m crazy for believing Adam could change. He thinks I’ve fallen for him. So he’s been trying to lock Adam away all by himself.”

  Leah lifted an eyebrow. “Have you fallen for Adam?”

  Haven stood stunned. Leah’s blunt question had hit her with the force of a medieval mace. She wanted to laugh or make light of it all. But Leah wasn’t the sort to imagine things that weren’t really there.

  “I don’t know,” Haven admitted. “I still love Iain as much as ever. I just—”

  “Do you think Adam loves you? You’re sure it’s not just some sick obsession?”

  Haven’s response didn’t seem to come quickly enough for Leah. “Don’t think about it, Haven. Just answer the question.”

  “He loves me,” Haven replied. “I’m positive of that.”

  “And you really believe that he’s changed?”

  “Yes. Do you think I’m crazy too?”

  Leah didn’t pause to ponder the possibility. “No,” she said, sounding completely certain. “I wouldn’t have guessed Adam was able to love anyone. But if he does, we should probably rethink a few things.”

  Haven shook her head. She didn’t want to think about Adam or Iain. She wanted her focus back. Beau was the only person she could care about now.

  “It doesn’t matter what Adam feels,” Haven said. “The only thing that matters is this.” She hit a key on her phone and held up the picture.

  “The police already have the photo,” Leah said. “I forwarded it to them while I was waiting for you. Half the people on the mailing list probably did the same thing. So you don’t need to call Adam if that’s all he can do.”

  That wasn’t all he could do. Haven had twenty OS points sitting in the account Lucy Fredericks had opened for her. If fifteen points could purchase a party on the top of the Empire State Building, twenty could buy the services of a thug or two. When the cops found the people who’d beaten Beau, Haven wanted
to make them suffer. Adam would know the perfect man for the job, and he wouldn’t ask any questions. He’d understand why it was necessary. But Leah Frizzell never would.

  “Then tell me what you think I should do!” Haven nearly shouted at Leah.

  “Remember when I called you in Florence? I told you the clue you needed to find might be in your memories. I wasn’t just making small talk. I think we should pay a visit to this Phoebe character. I wouldn’t mind having a word with her myself.”

  “You want to talk to Phoebe? After everything I just told you?”

  “I’m starting to think this is all connected somehow,” Leah said, her eyes scanning Union Square as though the answers she needed might be hiding behind one of the trees. “Beau’s disappearance. The dead people here in this park. These creatures who’ve been blackmailing you. You falling for Adam Rosier.”

  “I never said—”

  “Okay, okay,” Leah said. “You know how to find Phoebe?”

  “She won’t help me unless I betray Adam.”

  Leah shrugged. “So let her think you will. If she’s been lying to you, why do you reckon you owe her the truth?”

  “You’re right. Phoebe has a house up near Harlem. But I’m not supposed to go there by myself. The Horae are afraid I’ll be followed.”

  Leah looked around. “I don’t see anyone watching us, do you?”

  “No,” Haven admitted.

  “Then come on, let’s get cracking.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Haven banged on the door of the little yellow house on the corner of Sylvan Terrace. Blue-haired Vera answered, and her eyes bulged.

  “Haven! What are you doing?” the young woman whispered, looking around nervously. “You shouldn’t have brought someone with you. Please go before Phoebe finds out. You’ll make trouble for all of us.”

  “No one followed us,” Leah stated, her tone polite yet firm. “But if you don’t let us in soon, everyone in town’s gonna know where we are.”

  “Is that Haven at the door?” Vera cringed at the sound of her leader’s voice. Stepping away from the entrance, she gave Phoebe a full view of their unexpected guests.

  The old woman smiled until she caught sight of Leah. “Who is that?” she screeched. “No one said you were allowed to bring friends, Haven! Get inside before anyone sees you. How dare you risk our plans like this?”

  Haven didn’t answer. She was watching Vera, who had anticipated Phoebe’s outburst. The calm, composed head of the Horae must have been just an act.

  “It’s my fault, ma’am,” Leah explained once they were inside the circular room with the spiral staircase. She wasn’t at all intimidated. “You see, I’m the one who told Haven she needed to find you. Now that I’m in New York for a visit, I thought I’d drop by and say hi. So don’t blame Haven. I made her bring me up here.”

  Phoebe trained her wrath on the redheaded girl. “Just who do you think . . .” Her words trailed off, and her anger drained away. “Did you say that you told Haven to see me? You’re the reason she came to the spa?”

  “I saw you in a vision,” Leah explained. “You were sitting in a cloud of smoke with a towel on your head.”

  “A vision of the future?” Phoebe asked in an awestruck whisper. “Is it you?”

  “Is it who?” Haven asked.

  Phoebe ignored the question. “Why have you come here?” she asked Leah. “What have you seen?”

  Leah grinned at the woman, playing dumb like a pro. But the power in the room had shifted with a single sentence. Leah was in charge now. “My name is Leah Frizzell. I’m a friend of Haven’s from Snope City, Tennessee. I’m here to see what y’all can do to help us find our friend Beau.”

  “We are already doing all we can.”

  “Are you?” Leah inquired. “Haven’s not so sure about that. I think it’s time we all had a chat, don’t you?”

  “We should do as she asks.” Vera stepped forward and put a hand on Phoebe’s arm. “If she’s the one . . .”

  Phoebe clearly didn’t appreciate the advice, and she pushed the younger woman back into place.

  “Our sisters will want—” Vera tried again.

  “Enough!” Phoebe shouted. “All of you. Follow me to the council room.”

  THE CHALK-COLORED CHAMBER was perfectly round and empty but for a blazing fireplace and twelve regal chairs arranged in a circle. There were no windows to distract the eye. No interior design to admire. Only the ceiling was decorated. Haven gazed up at the map of the heavens painted in gold on the plaster. For a moment, she could have sworn she’d seen it move. Then her attention was drawn to the small group of women who were wandering in through the room’s open door. Vera and Cleo were there, as was the blonde girl from Florence. None of them spoke, but Haven realized they’d come to see Leah.

  Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, but Leah interrupted. “Haven’s got a few things she’d like to get off her chest first. I think you better sit down.” She pulled one of the chairs out of the circle and gestured for Phoebe to take a seat.

  Phoebe’s mouth clamped shut, and she did as she was told. Six other Horae came to stand behind her chair. Haven’s eyes rested on Leah. She was just a scrawny nineteen-year-old girl with a few extra servings of pluck. Why would the Horae obey her commands?

  “Haven?” Leah asked. “You wanna get us started?”

  “I know who the Horae really are,” Haven announced. “I know the story about the twelve murdered sisters isn’t true.”

  “The magos told you that, didn’t he? How dare you speak of us to him! How dare you believe his lies!”

  “Ah, ah, ah,” Leah chided Phoebe. “You’ll get your turn. Haven’s talking now.”

  “Lies?” Haven continued. “Let’s talk about lies. You double-crossed Iain, and you’ve been lying about Halcyon Hall this whole time. I took the train up there yesterday. There wasn’t any ‘impenetrable security.’ They aren’t brainwashing the kids or abusing them in any way. Adam may have had other plans when he opened Halcyon Hall, but now it’s just a school, Phoebe.”

  Phoebe’s smirk questioned Haven’s convictions. “You’re certain of that, are you?”

  “I just know what I saw, Phoebe. And after I got back, I swore I wasn’t going to have anything to do with you witches. I’m only here because I have to find Beau as quickly as possible. But unless you help me see Naddo, I’m never setting foot on Sylvan Terrace again. Which would be a real shame, since I’ve got Adam right where you need him.”

  “Do you?” Phoebe leaned forward on her chair like a pit bull straining against its chain. “You think I don’t know everything that goes on at the Ouroboros Society? I heard you were hauled in against your will to see the magos this morning. Maybe he’s not as convinced of your love as you think.”

  “He wanted to tell me that he knows Iain is alive. He’s known for months. I managed to convince him that I couldn’t care less. I’m making my public debut as Adam’s girlfriend tonight. There’s a party at the Society.”

  The women standing behind Phoebe exchanged loaded looks.

  “If this is true, it could be excellent news,” their leader offered cautiously.

  “But there is one little problem. Adam knows about the bank vault.”

  “How?”

  “Iain. He asked Adam to meet him at the address on Lenox Avenue. Adam had the place checked out, and his men found the vault in the basement. I don’t think I can ever convince him to follow me there.”

  “That imbecile!” Phoebe turned on the women gathered behind her as though they were to blame. “I told you we should have gotten Iain out of the way years ago! This is what we get for protecting people’s feelings.”

  “Stop!” Haven barked. “Iain may have made a mistake, but I have a solution. I know where you can put Adam.”

  “Where? It took us decades to find an ideal spot.”

  “No!” Leah interrupted just as Haven was about to speak. “First Phoebe’s gonna help us find the answer
s we need, and then we’ll decide whether we want to help her.”

  Phoebe rose and stood with her face just inches from Leah’s. The girl didn’t flinch, but the rest of the Horae watched the confrontation with a mixture of fascination and horror. “If you insist,” the old woman snarled. “Haven, follow me to the roof. The rest of you make Miss Frizzell comfortable.”

  “If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to tag along with Haven and see how all this works,” Leah said.

  “Absolutely not.” Phoebe refused to budge on the matter. “You may have brought Haven to us, but she must face the past on her own. When she’s done, we’ll find out if she has the courage to tell her friends what she’s seen.”

  BEATRICE WAS STROLLING along the banks of the Arno River, a young man by her side. Ahead, the bridge that the water once washed away had been rebuilt. Four doctors dressed in long dark coats and terrible, birdlike masks stopped to knock at the door of a building on the other side of the street. A frantic woman ushered them inside.

  “The sickness is spreading,” Beatrice stated. Her mother had warned her to stay at home, but nowadays Beatrice did as she liked.

  “Yes,” the young man confirmed with no emotion in his voice. Beatrice glanced over at him. He was handsome—all of her friends thought so. Tall and dark with a resonant voice that told the world he was someone to be reckoned with. But his eyes could be cold. They had little of Ettore’s warmth. She liked him—even trusted him—but she didn’t love Adam the way she’d once loved Ettore.

  “Piero told me that the pestilence arrived on your ships,” Beatrice said. “He almost suggested that you brought it here.” It couldn’t be true, she reminded herself once more. Piero let his passions rule him. He didn’t always see things rationally.

  “Your brother is jealous,” the young man said, “because he can never have what we have.”

  Beatrice bit her lip with such force that she almost drew blood. “I shouldn’t have told you,” she said. “I know you don’t care who Piero loves, but it wasn’t a secret I was meant to share.”