Russia? China? Sweden? Somewhere far. Somewhere with a different language.
Kat laid on the hotel bed, clutching her phone and poring through the list of flights for tomorrow. There were a lot, but for her purpose, the place should be as far away from Los Angeles as possible, so Calix would not have any means to find her. Well, honestly, she wasn't even sure about staying in L.A. but—
The panic that exploded in Kat's chest was so thick and pure that it was almost tangible.Right now all she could think of doing was finding Calix, the only one who could (possibly) give her answers. She jumped to her feet, speeding through the zig-zagging people, clutching Calix's stuff to her chest while her purse dangled around. A bigger bag would've been more convenient, but for the first time since their trip here, she was actually glad that they hadn't brought an overnight bag with them. Her lack of things to lug around was the reason why s
By the time they arrived at apartment B3, Kat was justdone. She was sweating bullets, she'd just paid a hefty amount to cancel Calix's Japan flight and book him another one, and she'd sat next to a screaming child the entire hour-long plane ride back to Vegas.Oh, the absolute pain. The sheer torture. She couldn't wait to call it a day.
The ladies' section was filled with . . . well, ladies, which of course guaranteed the all-too-familiar looks of interest directed to Calix.But since Kat was no fashionista and she knew her sizes well, grabbing clothes as fast as possible was a breeze. What she didn't anticipate was Calix's curiosity, aimed at the slinky, provocative nightwear displayed a few shelves away."I have never seen that before," he said, pointing at a garter belt. "That contraption seems intricate."
"Stop!" Baby-Calix yelled, his voice still high and reedy, probably a couple of years away from being deep and developed. Still, he managed to sound commanding. "Leave him alone!"Okay, Kat thought as she followed him, this should be interesting now.The two goons froze at the sight of the kid barging in, their whips still high in the air in preparation for a fresh strike. The wounded man, after casting a dazed, absent look at baby-Calix, promptly collapsed on his own puddle of gold blood.Baby-Calix stepped forward as though to help the man, but the woman's sudden movement stopped him.She inclined her pretty head. "Who told you to interrupt, youn
Kat was so appalled that her knees gave way. As the tip of Calix's spear approached her heart, she staggered back, prayed hard, and closed her eyes.When she opened them, she was back in Silverfish, with present-day Calix leaning close to her with a worried frown, dabbing a tissue on her nose."Kat!" His face lit up. "You are back. You were not responding. I was—Kat?"Kat yelped and pushed herself back, causing her chair to topple on the floor with a dull thud. Her forehead was covered in sweat. There was something trickling on her upper lip. She wiped at it, thinking it was snot, but on the back of her hand was a smear of blood.He stood to help her, but s
Kat should be excited. This was what she'd been waiting for. A learning opportunity, a break from monotony.However, the timing was so terrible that she withered inside instead. "Oh, you got to be kidding me."Okay, so Mrs. Lawrence had just seen her in a compromising position. At the same time, the universe had just announced that Kat and Calix still had things to do together and couldn't be apart just yet.The whole scenario felt like a farcical theatre sketch. Sick and comical but definitely not funny.Kat wanted to stay in her spot, stomp her feet, and curse for everyone to hear, but she decided to solve the most urgent problem—and that was Mrs. Lawrence. Meanwhile, Calix was also getting his priorities straight. Instead of following Kat or acknowledging the darknes
"We're lost," Kat managed to squeak, but at the same time, Calix declared, "You are in no position to set such terms."Another guy loomed into view in front of them, bald and tall, dressed in all black like a club bouncer. "Who are you and who sent you?"Deeply pressured, Kat was about to launch
The girl's face was contorted with contempt, her thick eyebrows drawn downwards and her lips pulled back in a snarl. However, in a striking contrast, her dark eyes were blank, like inside she was beyond emotion.Numb rage. It was all numb rage. And that was more horrible than any show of anger Kat had ever seen.