Chameleon (17 page)

I cleared my throat. “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not. You look scared.”

I was more than scared. I was terrified. My heart banged against my chest like the street drummers that filled St. Anthony’s Park on Saturday mornings, hoping for passer-byers to toss a few coins into their pots. My ears flooded with the sound of my pounding heart. Moments with Wiz played like a movie in my mind—his many victorious fights with pureblooded shapeshifters, his knowledge of potions and elaborate spells, his connection to
Fortimer’s daggers, and even the way his eyes glowed with a hint of otherness. Wiz very well could be the King’s Assistant.
I’m screwed.

How do I fight a fairy that was the assistant to a powerful fairy king?

“Cameo?” Sasha stepped my way and extended her hand.

I calmed myself down enough to stop my scales from shaking. “I’m fine.”

“
You’re a big fat liar. What did you find out?” Fin shut off the TV. “So what’s up with these shadow stones? You really think Wiz has everything under control with the B. D.?”

“I’m sure he does,” I muttered. He’d confessed that he could kill
B.D. I hadn’t believed him and figured he was filling his head up with overconfident delusions. Now I wasn’t so sure.

“Are you done searching for information in those books?” Fin rested her feet on the coffee table in front of me.

“No. My search has only just begun.”

“
Alrighty. Whatever that means.” Fin turned the TV back on and increased the volume. I picked up the book from the floor and the rest of the line with pure desperation.

“The assistant called back his crows. Only rooms drenched in torn flesh and hot blood remained. The King and Queen fled with a few soldiers, leaving their twins in the nursery asleep. It is said that the twins died from neglect. Their bodies withered away to ash, and that when the royal court returned it was assumed
that the twins were dead.

Other fairy folklore blamed the twins’ disappearance on the
Assistant and Fortimer. The evil pair had already robbed the court of its treasures, and taken all the shadow stones, even the ones belonging to the most dangerous of prisoners. Anthropologists later identified several documents about the royal family’s officially announcement that Fortimer and the Assistant had in fact kidnapped their twins.”

A black and white photo of the King and Queen showed below. Both had a dark complexion with thick hair done in braids that were clamped at the end with jewels.

“Sightings of Fortimer, the King’s assistant, and two children were reported in several realms— Demononia, Merth, the Level of Obscurity, and Earth. The entire case of the jail’s shadow stones was never discovered.

However, many stones were found in Demonica during the wars of fog and flames.  A demon reported two blurred beings dueling over a box of stones and then both escaping through a portal, leaving two shadow stones behind. The last sighting of shadow stones occurred years later in the Santeria Habitat, where a young Mixbreed boy discovered Fortimer’s trunk in a dumpster on a rainy night.”

A black and white newspaper picture of a small boy standing next to a dumpster was on the next page. The headline read, “Mixie finds ancient treasure.” None of the article was under it. Only the picture remained and then the rest of the book discussed what the young child had found, Fortimer’s trunk filled with shadow stones, two daggers, amber rocks, and other items like clothes.

The book explained that t
he Fairy Council had rushed to the scene and seized the times, claiming the trunk belonged solely to the full-blooded fairy populations. Other councils countered that being that the items were located in Santeria, the treasure belonged to the whole population of Santeria. The chapters summarized the legal battles and how later the United States had stepped in to finalize the settlement and eventually rewarded the trunk to the Fairy Council. Meanwhile, nothing had been reported about the boy or where the dumpster was.

I need that article. I’ll have to ask Eight again.

I chewed the inside of my cheeks and hated the idea of shoving Eight further into this ordeal, but I had to find out who found the treasure. Was it Wiz or someone else? Maybe Wiz found the trunk one night, kept some of the items, and told the police about the rest. Then later when B.D. captured Wiz, Rich, and his sister, Wiz could’ve told B.D. about the trunk to free them. Or maybe Wiz knew the boy that found the trunk and later helped B.D. to steal it. Once he robbed the trunk, Wiz took some of the items and somehow learned to use them.

I hoped
my alternatives were correct, then Wiz wouldn’t be the King’s Assistant or a wielder of great magic. He would just be Wiz, and I wouldn’t be in so much danger.

I gazed at the picture some more. A shaggy mop of hair covered the little boy’s face.
Is that Wiz? I don’t know.
The boy did look familiar, but that didn’t mean much. I saw dirt-smudged kids all day in Haven.

“Fin look at this picture for me.” I brought the book over to her. “Who do you think that is?”

She stared for a minute and shrugged. “I don’t know. He looks like somebody I’ve seen before, but cage punks come and go on the roofs so fast it’s hard to keep up with everybody. How long ago was this taken?”

“Probably before we were born. Maybe even when our parents were young.”

“Then why in Shango’s name would I know who that is?” She sucked her teeth and shifted her attention back to the TV. “So are you done looking for the stones or not?”

“No, somehow
B.D. and Wiz are connected.” I folded down the top corner of the page, closed the book, and chewed on the end of my highlighter. “I need more information from the library. It’s closed now, but I could probably get Eight to open up his parent’s library for me.”

Sasha wagged her finger at me.
“Eight is going to get tired of you asking him to get stuff when you’re not even spending any time with him.”

“Are you going to this gala?” Fin asked.

I hadn’t truly considered it. The very idea of going on a date, with so much danger around me, had been a weak after thought. I’d planned on coming up with an excuse after reading the books.

“You have to
go.” Sasha grinned.

“Maybe Eight wouldn’t mind dropping by the library after the date.”

“Especially if you give him a kiss.” Sasha winked at me.

I shook my head.

Sasha clapped. “Sounds like you’re going on a date. Oh this will be so exciting! I’ve hidden makeup in my day area in the sewer. I can do your hair and makeup.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“Why not?” Sasha pouted.

Because then I don’t have to wear an ugly dress.

Fin yawned. “I heard this gala thing will have some good food there.”

“You both should go with Eight.” Sasha jumped up. A serious look sealed her face. “We’ll need blushes, maybe a delicate peach for you Fin.
The juice gives me hives.”

“I don’t like peaches.”

“I’m talking about makeup not food.” Sasha sighed.

“Why are you talking to me about makeup? I’m not going anywhere,” Fin declared.

“You’re going if I’m going,” I joked and then realized that maybe bringing Fin along wasn’t such a bad idea after all. At least, she could watch out for Wiz.

Sasha faced me. “Cameo, you should have a silver gown to go with your whole ice princess persona.”

“I’m starting to hate this nickname,” I muttered. “And we’re not going. It would put Eight in danger.”

“Wiz won’t hurt him. He wants to, but he’s not stupid.” Fin flipped through channels.

“How do you know this?”

“Because if Wiz was going to kill him he just would.”

“Good point.” I twisted my lips to the side. “But he might hurt Eight.”

“Which is why I’ll be there with him. Me and my gun.” Fin glanced at Sasha. “And you have another thing coming if you think you’re
going to play dress-up with me! I won’t wear a dress. Slacks maybe, ones with pockets, but I don’t do dresses. It’s hard to fight in them.”

“It’s a fashion event not a battle to the death.” Sasha raised her hands in the air. “You’re lucky I can’t go.”

“And why can’t you?” I leaned my head to the side.

“I was kicked out of my vampire family.” She frowned. “The Bottelli family to be exact. The head chief is looking for me. Although he’s busy now with other things. . .it’s best to lay low. A fashion extravaganza is exactly the type of place he would attend. If not him, then his second lieutenant will be there, and he’s my ex. He may kill me.”

Wow.

“This is why I don’t date.” Fin turned off the
TV and yawned. “Guys suck. So are there any pants in that bag Eight brought over?”

Part of me was worried for Sasha and her predicament with the vampire cartel. I wondered what she had done to get kicked out. I made a note to help Sasha any way I could once this craziness with
B.D. and Wiz was resolved.

“No he didn’t drop off any pants, but I could sew something together real quick.” Sasha checked the clock on the wall. “I used to be a costume designer in New Orleans during the Pre-habitat years.”

Good goddess. Sasha’s life is intriguing.

“Were you a costume designer for theaters and plays?” I asked, shocked and curious.

“No. For the drag queens of course. Bourbon Street in my day served as the best stage for the fabulously queer divas that marched along performing.” A large smile widened across her face. A glaze of light shined over her eyes. Even her fangs erupted from her gums. “God, I miss those days. Things were so simple back then.”

“Were you a vampire then?”

The smile disappeared. “Not until my last few days there. My boyfriend turned me over into a bloodsucker, without even asking me. We were captured by the government the next week, separated, and placed into camps. The next time I saw him was years later. He’d just started working for Dante Bottelli then.”

Sasha gathered a few dresses and slid her fingers across the silky material. “Aaron was even more stubborn once we were reunited. He’d rejoiced and didn’t understand why I was so worried.”

“Why were you?” I asked.

“
Eww. I’m not wearing red.” Fin peered at the fabric Sasha held.

“Aaron didn’t know who I really was the whole time I was a human and we dated in New Orleans. I was. . .too scared to tell him,” she said.

“Tell him what?” Fin scrunched her face up in confusion.

“So you both never had sex?” I asked.

“We did, but with most of my clothes on.” She looked away. “I made excuses, saying I was shy. When he did. . .enter me it was through the back and he never complained.”

“Through the back?” Fin turned to me. “What are we talking about?”

Sasha rose with the bag of dresses. “Aaron didn’t find out I was a boy until we reunited in Santeria.”

“Holy Shango and Oshun
together. You’re a boy!” Fin jumped up. “No way. You’re pretty good looking. Why didn’t anyone say anything?”

“It wasn’t anyone else’s business. No one knew but me.” I placed the book on the coffee table and watched Sasha head to my opened bedroom. “Did Aaron still want to be together?”

“No.” Sasha glanced at me over her shoulder. “He loves me. I can see it in his eyes every time he was forced to order me to do something, but. . .he’ll rather kill me then touch me again if he can help it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Such is life.” Sasha shut the door behind her. I wondered what she was going to do back there and hoped it wasn’t to cry.

“So are we double teaming Eight and going to this rich people party or what?” Fin popped a green gumball in her mouth and gaped at the door as if Sasha would bust right through it and expose her penis.

“There is another plan I’ve been thinking about.” I combed my fingers through my bushy white strands. “Wiz has a secret compartment in his ceiling. When I tried to open it the door was locked.”

“Oh hell no.” Fin popped another gumball between her lips. “I didn’t learn how to fight, cut my hair bald, and take mess for people just so Wiz could kill me. I’ll help you with fighting him because I know if it deals with you then Wiz won’t go too crazy, but only Shango knows what Wiz will do if he catches me stealing from him.”

“I’ll go with you, Fin. It’s our best bet. I think the answers are in that room. I’d even pay you some money to open the lock.”

“Dead people can’t spend money.” Fin blew a green bubble that filled up with air and almost hid her face.

“What would get you to do it?”

“Wiz would have to be injured and there is a guarantee he won’t pop up and still. . .No way. Even if he’s hurt I’m too freaked to do it.” Fin shook her head. “Even crippled and far away I bet he would somehow smell my fragrance or something. Not happening, Cameo. Never.”

I thought back to Rich’s sexual harassment on the roof. “I could get Rich to leave you alone.”

How would I do that?

“I don’t need help with Rich.” She picked up the remote control. Her face reddened as the control fumbled in her fingers.