I sped away until I made it to the highway. I drove out of town away from my apartment and work. I knew there was no way I would be able to escape them by driving the city streets, so I got on the state road and headed east.I didn't really have a destination in mind. I just wanted to get away from those men as fast as I could. And well... Mr. Kline, too. Everything in this city was starting to stink. It was almost like it was rotting.After a few miles, I realized there was no one chasing me. I should have an entire gang of bikers on my tale. I mean, I freaking stole their bike. That was against some gang code or something, wasn't it? But still, no one was after me. So, what did I do now?I kept driving. That's what I did. I just stayed on the road going east. I let my mind work over the last few days and even the few previous months, everything that had happened since the merge. I guess maybe I should go to Utah. I could visit Lanie's old house and the nexus node. Maybe by the tim
The leader orc sat down next to me. A drink appeared in front of me. It seemed like one of the red fruity cocktails. I didn't really have a preference, so that was fine. A glass of something dark and tall showed up in front of him."What just happened?" I asked.He gave me a sideways look. "What do you think just happened?""I think everyone in this room just got high off of me."He chuckled, well probably. It sounded like a rolling growl. He took a long drink, then set it down purposefully and turned to me. "It's a little bit more than that. You just succeeded Matei.""Succeeded? No, wait, no, no, no. I'm not in charge of anyone. I'm not a leader." I waved my hands in front of him as if warding off the responsibility."Kira...""I'm not Kira."He frowned. "The sister then? The one that propositioned me?"I shook my head. My face turned a little red at the memory of Lanie fighting with the orc. I hadn't realized it was the same guy. I didn't want to say they all looked alike,
I stood in the middle of my new place. It was weird. This was my dead biological father's place only hours ago. Now, it was mine, with my stuff sitting in the middle of the floor in boxes."Are you sure you don't want any help unpacking?" Liam asked.I shook my head. "You've done so much already. This is plenty. Please. I'm good."Liam crossed his arms while I walked around, looking at the place. It was open with windows all around. The morning sun shined through, lighting up the white walls. The apartment was centered on top of a mechanic's garage with the bar underneath that. The main room opened up through two stories with a kitchen on one side and a generous sitting room on the other. A bathroom and a few storage doors connected to the room from one side. The furniture was all black leather with mahogany wood tables. It looked way too sleek and expensive for anything I could ever afford. I couldn't believe it was all mine now.I turned around to look at it. The staircase ran up
I rolled into Grocer Outlet then shifted the hornet into park. I sat staring at the broken sign for a long time. I really didn't want to go in. Mr. Kline was a mob boss like Matei was. That meant he had a crew or something. And what did Liam mean by contracts? Was it hits for hire? My lack of knowledge about this world was frustrating. I didn't actually know what to expect today.I gathered up my leather purse and opened the squeaky door. The seatbelt stuck. I stabbed it with the butt end of the flashlight on my keys until it popped open. Maybe I should have asked for that ride out here, but then perhaps a full out battle would happen for crossing turf or something. I really didn't know how this stuff worked. I finally escaped my car. I walked across the parking lot with the sun high in the sky. The warmth of it on my skin made me miss the fall back home. I didn't miss the work, though. I took one last whiff of the fall breeze then pushed the door open to the breakroom.Mr. Kline w
My first instinct was to grab my phone and call someone. But if I called Liam, he might actually show up, and that could cause some issues if Mr. Kline was still here. He could bring his gang, but that could start a huge battle. I had no idea what I was going to find.Instead, I returned to my locker and grabbed my purse. I scratched out a note and stuck it on the hood of the hornet. If Liam did come looking for me, he would know where to find me. "In the tunnel in the storage room."There, I did my due diligence. I wasn't a complete idiot. Well, maybe I was. I clutched my purse tight to me and headed for the tunnel. Perhaps I was just overreacting. I stood in front of the dark tunnel. It seemed cold. I brought up the flashlight from my keys and stepped forward into it. After a little way, there was a metal spiral staircase. I took the steps one at a time as I tried to see lower.The staircase must have dropped two stories before it finally spilled out onto level ground. The tunnel
I heard footfalls behind me. I was yanked around from him with an iron grip. A shotgun exploded to my left. Mr. Kline flew backward into the storage room then smashed into the shelf that swung open. He lay sprawled across the tunnel floor. His magic slipped from me."Beloved? Are you okay?" Liam asked. His arm was wrapped around my waist as he held me against his chest.I sagged against him as Mr. Kline's magic loosened. "Thanks for coming."Mr. Kline groaned. He started climbing to his feet.Liam leveled his shotgun at him. "Stay down, or I'll fill you full of another round.""Try it, Ogre.""He's an orc," I corrected.Mr. Kline waved his hand. My body strained against Liam's grip. He released me, thinking it was me controlling my body. I stepped in front of the shotgun."What are you doing, Beloved?" He asked.I tried to shake my head. I tried to say something, but my body wouldn't respond. It was being jerked around by the puppet master. My mouth clamped shut. Even my eyes
I woke up slowly. My stomach felt tight. I could feel the new skin that knitted across it pull as I stretched out my cramped legs. I opened my eyes to the gloomy dungeon. I had no idea what time it was. The wall sconces were still on, so everything looked how it had been when I'd fallen asleep.I slowly stood and stretched again. I started pacing in my cell one step at a time. I wondered if Mr. Kline would bring me food. I wonder if Liam was okay. I wondered if anyone was coming to get me. I stopped. I still had power. I could get out of here. I faced the grated iron and placed my hands on it. I summoned power to my fingertips."Open."My pink power sparked under my fingertips, sending a painful jolt to my heart. I flew across the cell and hit the stone wall. I slid down it like a swatted bug. I gasped in a breath as my heart sped."Okay, no magic then," I said to myself."Reveal," I commanded. My daggers slipped from my skin to my hands. I slashed them at the grate. Their metal c
More hours passed. I slept a little. I had no idea how long I had been in here. It could have been a day. It could have been a week. It had only been two meals, so maybe it could have only been twelve hours. I really wasn't sure anymore. Thinking about it was starting to drive me crazy. I was hungry again, but I knew when I was bored, I got hungry.I thought about Liam. I thought about Remi. I thought about Angandriel. My mind wandered all over the place. I spent a lot of time thinking about what was keeping Mr. Kline. That thought made my stomach churn. I wasn't really concerned about rotting away in here forever, at least not yet. The thing that scared me the most was what he would do when he got bored with me.Voices echoed down the hall. I listened closely."I understand," Mr. Kline's voice echoed as they walked closer."She's not your pet. I need her for the ritual." My heart froze. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was Mila."I said, I understood.""Don't get short with