Kesari

 

“Gone?” I asked and Alvie nodded. “And no one saw anything?”

“Maybe there’s some new super hybrid stealth creature,” Kai suggested immediately.

Dez gave Kai an amused look. “Invisible too?”

“I put nothing past Frost or the Parasite,” Kai said darkly and Isla rubbed his shoulder.

“Herrod has moved everyone out,” Enele announced and I nodded over at him, my heart breaking a little in my chest. “Sorry, but it sounds like Roy had no choice but to go with them.”

Rubbing my forehead, I said, “Thank you. It’s fine. We’ll talk later.”

The conversations turned back to theorizing how the TLO or the hybrids had stolen the body. I ignored them, worrying my lip and thinking about Roy. I hadn’t meant to pick a fight with him. For the longer the time went when we didn’t apologize, the further away he seemed to get.

It had been so ugly and cold. Roy’s heart hadn’t been in it – as he seemed more hurt than anything – feigning anger to hide that.

Or maybe I knew exactly what I was doing. What is wrong with me? I love him…

Desperate to think about something else, I pulled my cup of coffee towards me and glanced over what Alvie had managed to scrounge up from what was left.

None of it made sense.

First, traces of the Capitis Leonis serum had been found in the samples, along with the antidote or something similar. I’d need to study the chemical structures to get a better idea of exactly what. And the leukocytes were all but exploded, they were so engorged.

My heart sank. If something hadn’t taken that hybrid out, he would have died anyway.

“That room has no windows and it’s on the third floor – how the hell did someone get in and out so damn fast?” Faye demanded in her thick Australian accent, cutting through my brain fog. “Did anyone think of that?” I looked up, my thoughts scrambling suddenly.

Wait… She’s right…

“Of course, Faye,” Alvie responded testily. “What are you suggesting? A ghost?”

“No, of course not,” she murmured, paling.

Suddenly I sat bolt upright and everyone looked at me. “That’s it.”

“What is?” Enele said, smiling. I’d once had the worst crush on Enele, but now it was in the dust compared to how I felt about Roy. In fact, I barely remembered I’d had a crush until Isla had mentioned it.

“Frost, Ras, Parasite,” I slowly said. “Those are our ghosts. They haven’t been seen since Greece, right? Everyone assumed the trail was lost in San Francisco and then this place was raided…” I paused. “Think about it – who else could have created new hybrids?”

I jumped to my feet and ran out of the room. Dara had said it had been almost laughably easy to take the place, yet it had almost been empty of people.

Whistling for Rurik as I loped up the stairs, he came flying up to my side as I stood in front of the third-floor room I’d run from last night. Pushing it open, the stench hit me and I gagged a little. Greece flashed into my mind and I paused, breathing hard.

“Kesari, are you alright?” Enele was asking me, appearing at my elbow.

“Fine, fine,” I said in a choked voice. “Rurik, I want you to sniff around and see if you can find something that seems off. Cold air where it shouldn’t be or anything like that.”

This whole room seems off, the dog muttered as he obeyed.

“What are you doing, exactly?” Faye asked as she, Kai, Isla, and Dez crowded in the doorway. Talori and Alvie stood beyond, peering over their shoulders.

“You gave me an idea, Faye. There was always something strange about this place – not quite a lab, not quite a warehouse. More like a sham combined with a storage closet.”

Here. Rurik was sitting down and staring at a blank stretch of wall. 

Walking forward, I ran my fingers across the wall, searching and poking. My fingers encountered a bump and I felt around it, digging into the wall. A small, square latch, the same color as the wall popped up and I pulled.

Beyond was a dark, steep staircase, cold air rushing up and the wall was smeared with dark blood. Rurik had his hackles raised and I went to step forward when Enele caught my arm.

“We need reinforcements. If Frost is down there–”

Rurik was sniffing at the air. No one is down there as far as I can tell. But it goes far…

“Rurik says it’s clear,” I said. “I think the answers we need are down there.” I nearly tripped over my next words. “Frost and her cohorts have been leading us on a wild chase with the hybrids and this place–” I pointed. “All while probably cleaning house down there. They gave up this place to buy time and lay low. It was the perfect feint. Right under our noses.”

“I could scout down there with four of our guys, Enele and see what’s what,” Faye said.

Kerosene, Kes. Rurik interrupted. Faint, but there.

“What?” I asked the dog.

I think they’re getting ready to destroy this place.

“What now?” Faye asked with a growl.

“Rurik can smell gas – enough that he thinks they’re planning to light off some fireworks,” I said grimly, watching as Kai strode forward with Enele and they both inhaled, then glanced at each other. “This could be our only chance! We get in and we get out.”

“Fine, but Shifters of Anubis only. No civilians and Kai that means you, you’re not back in just yet.” Faye met his glare with one of her own. “I was there when you went missing. Piper needs you.”

“I know more about Frost than anyone,” he retorted angrily. “I was her damn pet.”

We all flinched, as Isla took his hand Enele gripped his shoulder.

After a moment of pained silence, I said in a low voice, “We’re wasting time. We all go.”

“No!” Faye said, her eyes flashing at me. “Not you, especially, Dr. Iyer. It is far too risky. We call back the team – we –”

“There isn’t enough time,” Enele said and Faye glared at him. “I get it, believe me. But we don’t have a choice. A small team goes and gathers up what we can.”

“Do you know what you’re looking for?” I asked coldly.

Both of them stopped and looked at me. My heart was pounding and a recklessness was charging through my veins.

“This is it. This is how we could stop Frost. How we win,” I said. “Think about what the TLO has done, what they will do – and we don’t even know the half of it. Maybe a quarter of it!”

Alvie spoke up then, edging into the room and glancing at the table. “That poor creature was twisted into something beyond belief. I don’t see how any hybrid can survive for long, no matter how strong they are. We must help them – she could do this to any inanis.”

“Ras and Frost have survived,” Isla suddenly spoke up.

Dez and I looked at each other. His hand went to his pocket and I pulled in a breath. “It could be…” I paused and shook my head. “Maybe they take the antidote when the pull towards shifting becomes too much. But it would require very specific timing…” I trailed off. “Or maybe she found a different way to stabilize it…” I glanced at the staircase again.

All the answers are right down there, I can feel it. I have to get down there! I have to stop her!

“Perhaps she only does it for certain hybrids, too,” Dez suggested and I blinked at him in horror. “Would explain Hunter. She holds it over their heads to keep them in line.”

“Of course,” I said slowly. “The breaking of form for the hybrid. I thought it was a side-effect of too many tests and attempts to force shifting on them, but what if it was intentional? Hunter came looking for a way to stop it because I was a scientist, too. I found the Kazan cure and I’m the one deconstructing her formulas...” I broke off abruptly.

That’s why Frost wants me dead.

The thought hit me hard and I pressed a hand to the wall to steady myself.

I’d been given a bodyguard and strict orders for a reason. Just one I hadn’t really thought about. And Roy had gotten angry at me because while my fears for his life were justifiable – my life was the one in actual, threatened danger.

I swallowed as the shadows in the stairway seemed to move.

That meant the last place I should be going was down into the bowels of Frost’s playground.

 

Fifteen minutes later and we were standing at the base of the stairs, some one-hundred feet down, in a dark, dusty hallway. Enele let out a soft whistle. I followed his gaze, staring down a tunnel that seemed to never end.

“How far does this go?” he whispered and Rurik shook his head.

Impossible to say. Miles and miles.

I repeated that and a heavy silence fell over our group. Who knows what else is down here besides answers? What terrible secrets have been kept and guarded?

Faye seemed agitated and glanced at me. “Well? Where do we go?”

There were eleven of us along with Rurik. Me, Faye, Enele, Kai, Dez, Isla and five of their teammates. Kai had tried to convince Isla to stay but she’d fixed him with such a fierce look he’d capitulated instantly. But I noticed how close he hovered to her, eyes sweeping around and hands pulling her in close if she strayed more than a foot away. My heartstrings tugged sharply.

Roy is never going to forgive you.

“There’s too much ground to cover,” one of Faye’s team said, a heavier man who was a wolf shifter. “We need to split up if we’re going to make headway.”

“Five and five?” Enele asked.

“I’d say five, three and three, honestly,” said another woman, her dark eyes flat and serious. “Three to run ahead and see what they can find, three to sweep the back and then those five to gather up any intel. Rurik can stay with the five and sniff out trouble.”

“Faye?” I asked when she didn’t answer.

“Fine,” the blonde growled. “Enele, go with Isla, Kai, Dez, and Kesari. Raquel and Digs, you’re with me.” The woman nodded. “The rest of you – scope it out and see if there are any unfriendlies. Any sign of trouble and this is aborted immediately, no matter what happens. You get your asses to the surface and you stay safe.” Her brown eyes seemed gold in the darkness. “You have an hour.”

“Any documents, formulas – grab what you can if you can,” I whispered.

They nodded and vanished, sleek shadows melting into the darkness. Faye hesitated a moment, her light eyes landing on me and filled with a fierce look. But I could also see she was troubled – she must have known that Frost was after me.

“You run at the first sign of trouble, do you hear me, Kesari Iyer? You will not engage,” she said. “I owe Roy and I will not be responsible for breaking his heart.”

I pulled in a breath, but then she’d shifted into a pale golden leopard and taken off.

“Come on,” Dez whispered, keeping his flashlight low. He was the only non-shifter in the group and I suddenly felt a flash of fear for him. “Let’s get searching.”

The place was huge. It also appeared abandoned, most rooms empty or choked over with years of dust. I passed by every untouched room, leading the group silently. No one asked questions, merely bowed to my lead. It was a little weird, but also heartened me.

For while I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, I knew I’d know it when I found it.

Passing by a lab that smelled of bleach, I stopped and walked in. Dez flashed his light around, revealing empty shelves and dusty test-tubes on the counters. Yet several tables looked as though they’d been used recently. I walked all the way in, however, seeing a door on the other side.

It opened to what was once a lavish office but was now a forgotten mess of dust and papers. I glanced around, then my eyes landed on a picture on the wall.

Walking forward, I stared at it. There was a woman standing in the middle, surrounded by serious men and several grinning children.

All save one, the terrified girl clinging to her hand.

I recognized her, even though the fear in her eyes was now replaced by madness.

Lilian Frost.

Turning, I eyed the room and then saw a leather-bound journal was lying on the floor, several pages scattered as though it’d been hurled against it.

Gathering it all up, I quickly flipped through it, until I saw a name and started.

This had belonged to Lilith Frost, the founder of TLO.

Some entries were for formulas and treatments. It was clear to see she'd been a unique thinker and a genius. There was a liveliness to her work that Lilian's lacked.

But the same darkness and cruelty were there.

Lilian continues to fight the treatment. She claims it makes her ill and sick. I’ve kept this information from everyone save my inner circle. No one can know we are testing children. Not yet.

Not until my Lilian succeeds, as I know she will.

Swallowing my revulsion, I flipped through, seeing entries about the Kazans – Isla’s parents who’d been undercover in the TLO – as well as Shifters of Anubis. But most were about Lilian. Each one made me sicker. Lilith Frost had only seen her child as a tool to advance her agenda.

Perhaps the world of shifters was not so blameless as Roy and I had hoped.

Success. Today, after another round of therapy, Lilian’s eyes glowed.

Tapetum Lucidium.

I knew it. I knew it could be done. No child of mine will remain an inanis.

There was more about Lilian now, frantic and tired scribbling as though Lilith wasn’t sleeping much. Speculation she needed to stop. Ranting against Shifters of Anubis. And then nothing.

Nothing but blank pages.

Standing up, I stashed it in my pocket, where it bulged awkwardly and rejoined the others. Kai and Isla were slipping folders into their jackets. Both of them looked up at me and I forced a smile on my face. In my pocket were stories about Isla's parents. Would she want to see them?

“Look at this,” Dez suddenly said in a tight, worried voice, appearing in the doorway.

Racing out and across the hall, we found ourselves in a sleek conference room and staring at a map. Enele was sitting at the table, staring at it and then down at the paper in front of him.

“What is this?” Kai asked. “Cities? Why?”

“Cities listed in some kind of order,” Enele said, standing up and sticking the paper in his pocket. “Dates, too.” He paused and said dully, “They’re plotting attacks, I think.”

We all pulled in sharp breaths, my hand going to my heart. “How?”

“Not sure, but they’re starting with Little Meadow, tomorrow,” Dez said.

“Wait, what exactly are they going to do?” Isla asked. “Does it say?”

“No, and I have no idea,” Enele said. “But we need to get out of here–”

There are voices!

“Shut up, someone’s coming!” I hissed and everyone fell silent. Kneeling by Rurik, I touched his quivering hide and he sniffed the air again.

Hybrids and shifters. One inanis. Possibly gagged. They’re moving away from us and talking about ensuring everyone is evacuated before tomorrow. That’s when they’re going to destroy this place and the Cantina. They’re going to try to lure in as many SOA agents as possible.

“How?” I asked.

Sacrifice the hybrids.