Kai

 

Flying had never bothered me. I enjoyed the rush of wind as the plane hurtled into space off the runway, the dips and curves it made as the metal bird cut through the sky. Even the landings were fun, the bounce and the settling of gravity.

But now I was sick to my stomach.

I was struggling to stay calm. My mind was racing from thought to thought and my body strained to get off the plane. I had to find a place to make a call to Piper.

How could this have happened?

Its fine, no one knows we’re here. I thought. This would be the last place they would look.

The flight attendants were reassuring us that we’d be on another flight out of LAX within a day, but that wasn’t good enough. When the plane landed, it was hard to keep from leaping up and running off across the tarmac. Only Isla’s hand kept me steady. She was pale, but her eyes were clear and she gave me an encouraging smile.

Once off the plane and in the terminal, I stared around in something of hilarity and disbelief. Rumpled people with rolling suitcases, the smell of burgers from a nearby grill and the slant of early morning sunlight. Isla seemed as discombobulated as I was, sticking close and glancing around. We’d both only brought carry-on’s, which made life easier, but also hampered us.

After talking to the airline, I discovered the next flight they could get us on was seven hours from now. Giving the woman a tight smile, I told her to hold our places and went back to Isla.

“No good?” she asked and I shook my head.

Jerking my head, we went down a few hallways and then stopped in a quiet and empty corner. Pulling out the phone, I hesitated and then turned it on.

No new messages. That was a bit surprising, I was half-hoping Piper was already aware of the diversion and had a plane waiting for us.

“What’s wrong?” Isla asked.

“Nothing. Piper doesn’t like me to call her,” I said as I pressed call with a sigh. This wasn’t going to be pretty. A click sounded on the line and I frowned. “Piper?”

Silence.

Irritation flashed through me. She couldn’t even say hello?

“Piper? Piper! It’s me.” I paused. Nothing. “Ugh, you’re such a pain in the ass. Listen, Isla and I are stuck in LAX. The plane got diverted. Sorry.”

“Kai?”

Every vein in my body became a thread of ice and my vision swam. Clutching the phone, my heart exploded in my temples and my chest went tight with rage. Hot acid bubbled in my gut.

Dr. Crane.

He continued to speak, his voice oozing and cold, with those same smooth, sinuous edges that slunk into the darkest and deepest corners of my brain.

“Kai, you came back to me,” Dr. Crane was saying in my ear, sounding delighted. “Don’t apologize, dear boy. Oh, but I knew you would. However, I never imagined you’d be the first call I’d get on her phone. I thought it would be dear Baltsaros.”

“You bastard,” I snarled, clutching the phone closer to my ear. “How did you–”

“And Isla DeLuca is with you?” Dr. Crane interrupted and I choked on the rest of my words. My eyes went to Isla, who was standing there her hands over her mouth and her eyes huge. “Piper, you are clever, I’ll give you that. We’d have never found her.”

The temperature of the air seemed to crystallize and the air became difficult to pull into my lungs. I’d thought he only had Piper’s phone. My mind had not allowed me that possibility.

“It’s not possible,” I said, swallowing hard. “You don’t – Piper is–”

“Here with me, yes. Oh, Kai. Haven’t you heard the story of Achilles? Even the strongest of all warriors can be brought down by the simplest of weaknesses.” His laughter was breathy and high-pitched in my ear. “Would you like to know what Piper’s is?”

I couldn’t speak.

“Perhaps, not. You Weslarks do put her on such a pedestal.” He paused. “So, let me leave you with this, ‘There can be no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind, but hate each other out and out and through.’”

“Quoting the Iliad,” I said dully. “You’re insane. What the hell do you want?”

Dr. Crane continued, “‘Therefore there can be no understanding between you and me, nor may there be any covenants between us, till one or other shall fall.’”

“Damn right you’ll fall, Crane. You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your life,” I snarled.

“Oh, but Kai, I haven’t. This is the end of the Shifters of Anubis. Of the secrets and machinations. Piper will come to see in time why my work is so valuable. After all, the first success I ever had was with you, dear boy. You were the sign of what was to come.” His voice became triumphant and I listened in spite of myself, trying to buy time or figure out a way to trick him into telling me where he was keeping my sister. “It is time for us to join together. You think this war is between Tapetum Lucidium and Shifters of Anubis, but it isn’t. It’s between shifter and the inanis.”

Inanis. An old word for non-shifters.

“You’re crazy,” I said flatly. “You are trying to destroy the balance of a world you don’t even belong to. You’re not a shifter, Crane. Now tell me where my sister is and maybe I’ll try to convince Balt not to murder you on sight.” Can’t promise the same for me, though.

“No… Piper.” Isla’s voice was a broken whisper.

“Not by choice,” Dr. Crane said bitterly. “I wasn’t lying to you when I said I was like you, Kai.” He paused. “Growing up in a family of shifters and being the odd one out, it’s a lonely existence. One where you are constantly made to feel less. I understood that feeling, Kai, can’t you see that? I understand you.” His voice became sorrowful. “I only wish you’d do me the same honor.”

The line went dead and I let out a roar. “Damn you to hell, Crane!” The phone cracked in my hand and I had to resist the urge to throw it against the wall.

“Kai, what happened? Where’s Piper?” Isla was asking urgently.

“We have to go,” I said. “Now.”

Letting out a huff of air, Isla trotted next to me as I all but ran through the airport. The first cab I saw, I hastened her into, my eyes darting around as I watched the crowds. It had been fairly quiet when we landed but now it was starting to get busy.

“Malibu,” I barked at the driver. “I’ll tell you the address when we get closer.”

As the cab pulled away, I watched out the window and then stiffened. A woman with a sheet of ice-blonde hair was walking into the airport, but then we’d pulled around the corner.

Lily? I wondered, my mouth dry.

Isla had her arms folded and her chin set. I tried to think of a way to apologize to her in the cab without alerting the driver’s suspicion, but I couldn’t. The driver seemed to sense the tension and at one point shot me a look in the rearview mirror like somebody screwed up.

About forty-five minutes later, we were pulling up to a massive gate and the cab driver whistled. I had to hop out to show my ID and assure the security guard I was legit. He eyed my hair and shoes, but the Weslark name was more than enough to get me in.

Behind the gate was a series of homes belonging to a small group of shifters who were old money, politically connected and in SoA. Another secret community within the community.

“Is this where you grew up?” Isla asked as the cab rolled down a long driveway with a gold-washed stone house perched at the end of it. A huge curling W adorned the arch over the door.

I gazed at it without any emotion. “Yes.”

“Damn, son, this is a nice house,” the guy said.

“Comes at a hefty price, though,” I said dryly, as we got out. I paid the guy an extra hundred dollars, muttering, “If anyone asks, you say nothing. Trust me, if you do, you’ll regret it.”

He gave me a startled look, but then nodded and scooted out of there. Isla was looking at me as I looked at the house. All the adrenaline was wearing off and exhaustion was hitting me hard. I didn’t even know if my dad was home. But I couldn’t show up to SoA without Piper or Balt.

“Now are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Isla asked as we went up to the door.

I pulled out a key I hadn’t used in years and shook my head. “I have to talk to Balt.”

Inside, the quiet and chill hit me. At first, I almost didn’t recognize the house. It had the lonely feeling of a museum – all the furniture there for display. A click sounded through the hallway and I froze. Had I made a mistake in coming here?

“Whoever you are, I hope you know you’ve made quite the blunder breaking into my home.”

“I have a key, Dad,” I said stupidly, blinking as my father suddenly loomed up in front of me.

Time froze for a second. I hadn't seen him nearly two years and we hadn't spoken in months. He was the same as always, tall, white-haired and broad-shouldered. Spectacles hiding brown eyes that matched mine. A faint hint of Iceland in his words.

“Kai?” My father asked, shock racing across his face and passing one hand in front of his eyes. He was holding a gun in the other hand, which he dropped and I raised an eyebrow at. “It’s not loaded. I thought you were some hooligans after the TV or something. Though with that hair, you can maybe forgive my confusion.”

“Nice to see you, too, Dad,” I muttered.

“What are you…?” He trailed off, looking past me to Isla and a startled look crossed his face. He blinked at her like he recognized her. “Oh, hello young lady. Where are my manners – why don’t you both come into the kitchen and tell me why you’re here, hm?”

To my surprise, once in the kitchen – which was warm and homey, still filled with my mother’s touch – my father turned and embraced me.

“It is nice to see you, son,” he said in a quiet voice as he stepped back. “About time.”

“Thanks,” I said, slightly confused and more than a little amused. “Dad, this is Isla DeLuca. She needs a place to stay that’s safe while I track down Balt. I can’t explain–”

“Oh,” he said, looking confused and I thought I saw him looking at Isla’s left hand. “Oh, okay. Isla DeLuca, I know that name. You’re one of Piper’s friends.” My sister’s name made my stomach twist and Isla paled. “How did you–” My father turned to me with a grin. “Did Piper set you two up?”

“What, no – how did you even know?” I spluttered.

“Oh, please. It’s all over your face,” my father said, beaming as he waved Isla over to the table. “Isla, here, sit. Oh, and call me Elias, dear.” He paused. “You look a bit peaked, you two. That flight from Hawaii can be tough. Want something to drink? And how long have you been dating?”

Before I could answer, the back door opened and Balt appeared. “Hey, Elias, I have those – what the–?” Balt was staring from me to Isla as though he’d seen a ghost. “Kai?! Isla! No! What the hell is going on? Why are you here?”

“Piper didn’t orchestrate this as a surprise?” My dad sounded nonchalant, but I could sense his gaze sharpening on me.

“No, she certainly did not,” Balt spluttered.

“Balt, I have to talk to you. Now.” I said, moving forward.

Shaking his head, he closed the door and strode in. “Are you mad? What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting Piper in Japan! What is wrong with you?”

“Our plane was diverted,” Isla spoke up, her tone sharp and I looked over to see her giving Balt a fierce look. “It had nothing to do with Kai.”

Balt’s face relaxed, but his eyes were still hard. “Why aren’t you on another plane?”

“Piper was meeting us in Japan? Why aren’t you with her?” I asked, feeling dizzy.

It was like the bottom was falling out from under me. Up until seeing Balt, I’d been hoping that maybe Dr. Crane was screwing with me. That Piper was fine and with Balt. And she’d yell at me for believing she could ever be taken by the likes of him.

Eyes blurring, I tried not to heave.

TLO has my sister.

My knees sagged and Balt caught my arm. “Are you okay?” he asked and alarm flickered in his eyes. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“He hasn’t eaten in hours,” Isla said. “A lot happened between yesterday and today.”

“No, I’m fine. But I have to talk to you, Balt,” I said.

“Well, I need to call your sister–” he started to say and I grabbed his arm.

“Don’t! You can’t call Piper,” I said in a rush. “Come on. No, Isla, you stay here.” She was standing up from the table and sat back down with a huff.

“Kai Weslark,” my father suddenly said in a hard voice. “What is going on?”

Balt’s grip was tightening on me, as though he could sense what I was about to tell him. “Why can’t I call Piper, Kai? What…?”

Pulling free, I clapped a hand on his shoulder, then I looked at my father and Isla. “The TLO has her,” I said. “When I called her phone, Crane answered. He knows Isla and I are in LA.”

Silence followed these words.

“No,” Balt finally said, pulling away from me and shaking his head. “That’s impossible.”

“Trust me, Balt, I called Piper and Crane answered. He was saying stuff about Achilles and wars – wars between shifters and the inanis. Joining him.”

My father had sunk down into a chair at the table, his shoulders hunched and the shadows cutting deeply into the lines of his face. It reminded me of the look he’d had when the doctors had said there was nothing more they could do for my mother and I tore my gaze away.

Looking at Balt, a dull ache went through me. He was gripping his hair, the gold raging in his eyes and his breathing short. It was like watching a man be incinerated from the inside out – there was so much agony contained with every line of his body.

Isla was right. I thought miserably.

Balt gripped his wrist. “But the tattoo – it’s not – I sense nothing through the fesootai that says she’s in danger.”

I looked at the bracelet of intertwined circles and colors wrapping around Balt’s left wrist. Piper has the same one on her right. It was an on old shifter tradition of the Samoans, a tattoo that linked two partners. It was said to warn one when the other was in any kind of trouble.

“Balt,” I said, my throat aching with pain. But he turned away from me, pulling out his phone and his fingers flying. I knew what he was doing – he was checking to see where Piper and her phone were. Only SoA partners had access to that. For a second, my heart leaped. Maybe he’d find her.

“The TLO is after you, too, Isla?” My father asked.

I glanced over to see Isla nod. "Piper, Kai, and Balt saved me," she said in a soft voice.

“And Piper… Ah, I see. Clever.” My father was rubbing his forehead. “You must be important. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.”

A strangled sound came from Balt and we all looked at him. He’d turned back around, his phone held in a shaking hand and his cheeks ashen under his tan.

“Her phone. It’s been shut off,” Balt said and his voice cracked. “Piper, she is – she’s gone.”