Dez

 

An unfamiliar recklessness was coursing through me, sharpening my vision and loosening my limbs. Moving through the crowded room, I nodded at the other guests, shaking the hands of a few and wound up at the bar. Beni was already there, rumpled and on his third scotch.

“Did I see you walk in with Mya?” he asked, setting his glass down with a thud.

“No,” I said. “But I did walk in with Soraya Lafi.”

Beni’s eyes went wide and he picked up his glass, gulping down the rest of it. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in a low voice after he’d finished. “She’s – she’s that Anubis agent?”

“Yes,” I said, smiling easily as the bartender came back and looked inquiringly at me. “Can I have two glasses of your best red?” I asked and he nodded, hurrying off.

“Damn,” Beni said. “She looked good with you, kid.”

“I know,” I said with a small grin, as I thought back to the apartment. Her hands fussing with my tie and then landing on my chest. Blood rushed through my veins as I remembered the quiver in her full lower lip as she’d dropped her eyes.

Part of me was a little star-struck, however, dancing around like a giddy, wide-eyed kid.

I can’t believe this is happening.

“Good for you,” Beni replied, sounding impressed and gleeful, far more like his usual self. “Especially if the whole world is going to go to shit – might as well enjoy yourself.”

“Everything is going to be fine, Beni,” I said in a calming voice.

Beni turned and leaned against the bar, surveying the room. “Could you imagine what would happen if they knew? It’s something none of us like to think about… If they had an inkling of what we were.”

“We’re not inhuman, Beni,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And they won’t find out.”

He didn’t seem to hear me, glancing around the room, the peaceful mingling of academic and Boston elites. The shimmer of light off glasses, the tinkle of laughter and faint music.

“It would be a combination of World War Three, the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials,” Beni said in a low voice. “For thousands of years we’ve been nothing but a legend degenerated into a fun trope in the movies. Now, we’ll either have to hunt or be hunted.”

Glancing over, I saw his eyes were glassy. “Beni, geez, you don’t know that. We’re not completely up against the wall yet. Go try to relax. And eat something.”

“The Shifters of Anubis woke up to this threat too late,” he muttered in a dull, low voice. It made my skin prickle with unease. Beni suddenly sounded utterly defeated. “It's all over, kid.”

Beni shoved himself away from the bar and headed for a side exit, his hand going to his pocket. I made a face. Was he smoking again? Not that I could fault him, I’d woken up more than once in the last two nights, wondering what would happen if Frost decided to appear in a major city somewhere and unleash her special brand of havoc.

How many innocents have to be sacrificed, Frost? I asked in a silent rage.

“Here you go, sir,” the bartender said, reappearing and handing me two glasses of wine.

Tipping him generously, I picked up the delicate flutes and headed back to the table. Once I broke free of the crowd, I met Soraya’s eyes and saw her posture straighten, chin tipping up. Without a word, I placed down the drinks and sat down next to her.

Taking a sip, we sat in silence for a minute or so, until I remarked, “I didn’t take you for a flight risk.” Her lips twisted, but she didn’t respond, only picked up her glass and took an impressive inhale of wine. “You wanted to bolt, it was all over your face, Lafi.” I inclined my head. “Thanks for resisting the urge. So, what made you stay? Getting called out?”

“Shut up, Devoy,” Soraya said in a low voice, straining to mask her embarrassment.

I’d wanted to laugh at the time, but now all I wanted to do was pull her close again. Heal that stubborn, shattered heart of hers.

Even though I knew I couldn’t, not completely. She’d lost a friend. Someone she’d considered a sister. And for Soraya, who prided herself on having everyone’s back, it was easy to see how it had devastated her. She needed time.

But she also needed someone to lean on.

Somehow, in some amazing twist, which may or may not have been at Piper Weslark’s influence, that someone was me. I’d shoulder some of her burdens and gladly. If only she’d let me.

I’ll figure out how to persuade you one of these days.

“You going to ignore me for the rest of the evening, Raya?” I asked her lightly.

“Raya?” she asked, twisting to look at me.

“Everyone else calls you Sora,” I said. “I wanted my own nickname.”

To my surprise, Soraya flushed and looked away. “Dez, I think–”

“Professor Devoy?” asked a voice in my ear and I turned to see a woman in a silver dress giving me a funny look. When I nodded, relief came over her face. “Oh good, I thought as much, although I didn’t recognize you without your glasses.”

My eyes went wide. I’d completely forgotten to put my glasses back on and I’d driven here. What were the chances Soraya would let that go?

The woman was still speaking and I wrenched my attention back to her. “There’s someone asking for you – they’re way over by the double doors. Sounded urgent.”

“Who was it?” I asked and the woman shrugged. Beni? “Well, thank you, I’ll go check it out.” I got to my feet and she walked away. Looking over at Soraya, I remarked.  “You gonna bolt?”

Soraya shot me a look. “No.”

“Looking forward to that dance, huh?” I asked and she rolled her eyes.

I was, I thought as I walked away and headed for a distant pair of double doors. I couldn’t wait to hold that beautiful woman dressed in green close to me. Breathe in her sweet scent.

Once at the doors, I glanced around. No one was waiting there. Nor did I recognize anyone.

Pushing through the doors, I stepped out into a wide, dim hallway and stopped short. Across from me, a man was standing, reading something on the wall. Something about him was familiar, but I was fairly certain we’d never met. He turned as the door closed.

The last sliver of light fell upon his face and his eyes went opalescent. I stepped back, widening my stance and eyeing him warily. A long, tense moment of silence passed.

Suddenly he let out a chuckle. “Guess I should have learned your name after all.” He paused and my fists clenched. “Professor Desmond Devoy.”

He was a tall, strapping man with a bald head and nondescript features. I doubted I could have picked him out from a crowd, but when he spoke, I knew his voice.

In another second, I had him by his lapels and slammed up against the wall.

“What the hell do you want, Parasite?” I asked.

My mind went to Soraya. Was she okay? Had someone targeted her when I walked away? What about Beni? Had he been ambushed outside?

Parasite’s odd, beetle-like eyes glittered and he began to laugh harder. He didn’t lift a finger to fight back. “My, my, haven’t you changed! Feel that gold fire in your blood, do you, boy? You can thank me and Frost for that. We were the ones who made you, after all, Devoy.”

I shoved him hard and stepped back. Anger was rising up and choking me, roaring through my veins. “Made me?! You almost destroyed me.”

He shrugged. “There’s always a risk of sacrifice in any pursuit of greatness.”

I never wanted this. I wanted to shout at him and it surprised me, taking me off-guard.

Stepping away, Parasite stopped and stuck his hands in his pockets, clearly thinking he had me cornered. I watched him, chest tightening and trying to figure out how to take him down.

“It’s not a good idea to try to take me out, Desmond,” he said, reading my mind. You’ll want to hear this.” When I didn’t reply, his facial features seemed to harden. “Attack me again and my friends will gladly hunt your date. Soraya’s strong, but…” He smirked and my stomach clenched.

How many more of the TLO were lurking in here? And what did he mean hunt…? Was it the Valspar siblings? My mind began to suggest horrific possibilities and I forced myself to stay put.

“What a pity the only way I can get your attention is through threats,” Parasite remarked in a tone of mock sorrow and my self-restraint began to crack. “First her, now you.”

A laugh escaped me. “What?”

“Time is running out,” Parasite said casually. “You’ve been running around and enjoying yourself as a vigilante shifter, a King Cheetah no less! But all good things must come to an end. Namely, you.” He smiled and my blood ran cold. “You were an unintentional prototype, Desmond. Not even that, really. More a fluke. A lucky break. And you know how fickle luck can be.”

My breathing was becoming shallow. “What do you mean?”

“The serum Frost so rashly attacked you with was from a new line of serums. It was meant to create shifters without all the fuss of the metaphysical side. It took many a hybrid to find it.” My mouth went dry. “But my darling Frost, she wasn’t thinking straight that night, oh no. She was very angry about the Capitis Leonis serum – knew you’d been tinkering with her family’s creations.” His eyes flickered. “She aimed to destroy you – turn you inside out. Worse than a hybrid, worse than a monster.” He paused. “Tick-tock, King.”

A strange feeling was rising up in me, a combination of nausea and nerves. I put a hand to my pounding heart as I wondered is this why I have those dreams? Why the scar bleeds?

“You knew it already, didn’t you?” Parasite asked, his voice almost gentle. “You’re a smart man, after all. That’s why I beg you to heed my words and come with me.”

“What?” I asked.

“Come with me. The TLO can help you. Make you a real shifter, not a cobbled-together chimera. Save you from your fate. Otherwise, you'll wind up dead or worse.” He laughed. “Back to a plain old inanis. You think that Anubis girl would want you then?”

I gritted my teeth together, but I couldn’t speak.

What if he was right?

“You’ll be thrown into jail by the Shifters of Anubis if they find out about you. You’re too much of a danger for them to let you run loose.”

“No,” I said hoarsely, wiping at my sweating forehead. “No, I don’t…” I swallowed hard.

“Come along, Professor,” Parasite hissed, stepping back and crooking a finger at me.

Then his face changed and he leaped backward as a figure all in black dove out of the shadows at him. At first, my brain wildly went to Soraya, but then I realized this person was male and far too tall. Some other Anubis agent was trying to take Parasite down.

But Parasite was too fast and dodged every blow. Watching the agent's movements, I realized who it was and went running forward to help. But someone caught my arm in a grip of steel and sharp nails, hauling me backward.

Turning, I saw Soraya, her face at once furious and fearful.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dez? Stay here!” she snapped and went to move forward when Parasite landed a blow on the agent. He slid backward with a grunt, landing at our feet, and cursing in Russian.

Looking back up, I saw Soraya staring around, her fists clenched and then she looked at me.

Parasite was gone.

Baring her teeth, Soraya’s hand shot out as she hauled the agent to his feet. With her other hand, she ripped off his mask and Andrei shot her a weak smile.

“You look nice,” he said and Soraya lifted him off the ground, the muscles in her arm tensing and her eyes radiating silver fury. “Having a good evening?”

With an angry huff, Soraya dropped him and shoved Andrei back. He went sprawling to the floor as she turned to me, snarling, “What the hell is going on? Who was that? Why is Andrei here? And why don’t you seem the least bit surprised, Desmond?!”

Blindsided by her wave of rage, all I could do was shake my head at her as she glared at me.

“It was not the Professor’s fault,” Andrei wheezed from the floor, looking up at us and giving me a flat, I-told-you-so look. “Parasite came out of nowhere and–”

“That bald guy was Parasite?” Blotches of red appeared on Soraya’s cheeks and she raised her fists. I took a step back and held up my hands. “Dez, you saw him? Did you speak to him?”

“Dez won’t remember him,” Andrei said grimly as he stood up. “At least not his true face.”

Soraya sucked in her cheeks. “What do you mean, Andrei? Will someone tell me what the hell is going on? What are you even doing here?”

I frowned as I tried to hold Parasite’s face in my mind. But his features seemed to waver, vanishing like ink displaced by water and I looked at Andrei.

“Chameleon,” he grunted. “I’d long suspected, but now we know for certain.”

“Yikes,” I muttered, only able to see two cold, hard beetle-like black eyes.

Soraya turned, walked away and then came back. Andrei and I both flinched as she looked between us. “Someone better start talking. Let’s start with you, Drei, why are you still in Boston?”

“Classified,” he said with a lazy smirk.

White dents appeared above Soraya’s nostrils “Don’t give me that! What about the footage?”

Andrei opened and closed his mouth. To my relief, he didn’t look at me, but a muscle in his jaw twitched. Guilt was worming into my stomach all the same and Soraya looked at me. “Why was Parasite so interested in you? I only heard the end, but he was asking you to go with him? Why?”

“I don’t know,” I lied. “But he was threatening you,” I said softly.

“This place isn’t safe for either of you,” Andrei butted in, giving me a meaningful look. "I'm here because I'm on the trail of someone dangerous. Someone who is here. You both need to leave.”

I could tell Soraya still had more questions and more things she probably wanted to yell at me, but Andrei shot her a meaningful look and gestured his head at me. A line appeared on her forehead and she eyed me with concern, before stiffly nodding.

“I’ll get Dez home,” she said in a soft voice.

Andrei walked us to the coatroom, where Soraya refused to let either of us help her into her coat. After, he walked with us to the car and gazed around.

“I don’t anticipate the TLO trying anything else, tonight.” His eyes landed on me and I wondered how much of mine and Parasite’s conversation he’d overheard. “We’ll speak soon.”

With that, Andrei walked away and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Turning back to Soraya, I tried to think of something to say, some way to explain myself and recoup the earlier magic of the evening. But it had been blown to bits. She wouldn’t even look at me.

As I started the car, my fingers slipped on the keys. Cobbled together. I shook my head, trying to dislodge those words. Then I met my eyes in the mirror and I stared, willing that flash of light to come. I’d seen it so many times. The gold or silver glow in a shifter’s eyes. One of the most unique demarcations between inanis and shifter.

But it didn’t and my eyebrows knotted together.

Tick-tock, Parasite had hissed.

“Dez?” Soraya's voice seemed to come from a million miles away and with an enormous effort I looked over at her. Her bad temper was starting to melt into a furious kind of concern.

“Sorry about that dance,” I said lightly and I looked away.

Sorry for everything.