Dentelle (31 page)

“Crystal,” I said.

He chuckled. “I do like your sassiness, Lexi.
We’re perfectly matched.” I must have turned a shade of green because he smiled
broadly. As he pivoted towards Aiden, I was under the impression I’d been
dismissed. Coming to my senses, I berated myself for forgetting there was still
a little girl trapped under the debris. Without asking permission, I hauled the
woman over my shoulder. Detecting she was still alive, I breathed a sigh of
relief and took her with me. As I rushed away, I heard Kieran saying, “She’s a
tough one, isn’t she? Gotta respect that. And don’t worry. I’ll have her heal
you later. But in the meantime, stay away from her. And I mean that.”

 
The last
of their conversation was lost on my ears, but I didn’t care. Refocusing, I
went to work looking for the little girl from my snapshots. I picked up a metal
chunk of railing and hucked it sideways. About that time, other people started
arriving and searching the wreckage for survivors. I had to be careful; even
though I could lift boards and wreckage that would have taken at least three
ordinary men to move, I had to do it discreetly. The smell of beer was strong,
and I discovered why when I found a keg and had to move it out of my way.

Smothered between porches, victims moaned and a
few screamed for help. The whole scene was gut-wrenching, and there was no
clear-cut path on how to safely reach the survivors without causing more
injury. Eventually, I uncovered a bloodied girl about the same age as myself. I
recoiled at the nasty four inch gash across her cheek. She was pretty banged
up, but at least I could feel her short puffs of breath against my cheek as I
moved her. I drenched her with Essence and slid her carefully to a grassy patch
several feet away from the massive debris pile. The next person I dragged out
was already dead. My eyes clouded as I pulled the young man’s body out of my
way. With resolve, I continued searching for the little girl. Trying not to
think about the tragedy and the aura of death settling around me like a shroud
of darkness, I dug through the pile with determination. I had to find the
little girl and save her life. There would be plenty of loss today, but not the
girl.

I just about keeled over when I found my next
victim. Smashed between boards and a wrought-iron rail post, this guy had two
spiky prongs from another section of railing sticking through his stomach.
Blood oozed from the wounds, soaking into his shirt and dripping onto the
boards around him. Panicked, I knew I probably shouldn’t pull him off the sharp
spikes, but I saw no other options. Holding my breath, I grabbed hold of his
body and pulled him upwards as fast as I could. He started screaming
uncontrollably as if I was jabbing a knife into his flesh over and over again.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I said, laying him
down on the grass. “You’ll be okay, though. I promise.” His eyes rolled around
his head, and then luckily, he passed out. Pressing my hands against his wound,
I closed my eyes and focused. Amazingly, I sensed his chest bones mending, the
tissues repairing themselves, and the wound closing itself. Eventually, his
Essence levels rose, bringing him to a degree of stability I felt comfortable
with. He would survive. That made two so far.

As I returned to the pile of debris, sirens shrilled
in the distance. Thank goodness for that. Sadly, there was still a lot of
screaming. A few disoriented and shocked people had risen from the rubble and
were trying to help clear away the beams. While only a few people had arrived
on the scene to help, I knew it wouldn’t be long until there was a huge crowd.
A short time later, my hard work finally paid off. Overwhelmed with relief, I
pulled a very scared, but barely scathed little girl out of a dark hole no
bigger than the size of a kitchen garbage can. I took her away from the chaos,
allowing her cling to me as she cried hysterically. Devastated from emotions
myself, I cried right along with her. Her blonde hair was filthy and she
smelled musty, but I buried my face against her head anyways. Hugging the
little girl, I tried to take away some of the trauma from being buried in the
darkness. Her Essence was pure and innocent – exactly opposite of Kieran’s.
Embracing each other, we shuddered for different reasons.

Helpless and repulsed, I could do nothing but
watch tearfully as Kieran and his Ray-pacs swooped in and drained the life out
of the injured victims. The scene was one of pure wickedness. They worked under
the pretense of freeing the victims pinned in the rubble so they could attend
to their injuries, but I knew better. They enjoyed the search and the reward
when they found a person. They toyed with their victims. I could see it in
their gleaming eyes and amused expressions. The only saving grace was that the
victims had no idea they were being robbed of their life’s energy.

The newest Ray-pac was especially scary. Madness
lurked in his face – a face which was already odd and disturbing. I don’t know
if it was how far apart his eyes were set, his enormous crooked nose, or his
expansive forehead, but there was something even creepier about him than
Kieran. Even though this guy was big, he moved craftily between his victims. I
closed my eyes and tried to shut out the heart-breaking whimpers of the lady he
was pretending to help. It went against every fiber of my being not to
intervene and fight for her life. But I couldn’t abandon the little girl in my
arms or the one back at Kieran’s building.

When Aria danced her way over the wreckage and
stopped in front of the guy I’d pulled off the spiked railing, I snarled like a
wild animal. Lifting the little girl, who had both arms and legs wrapped around
me, I hurried us over to his side. Aria was just leaning over him, a smile
passing over her lips. Shoving her sideways, I said, “Leave him alone. He’s mine.”

She narrowed her furtive eyes and frowned. “You
think you’re something special, don’t you?” Her voice was surprisingly soft,
but her tone was harsh and challenging. Had I not been able to sense her link,
I never would have guessed she was a Ray-pac. “Just because Kieran thinks that,
doesn’t make it so,” she continued. After you two link, he’ll make your life a
living hell. Then we’ll just see how special you think you are.” Hostility
radiated from her eyes. Tipping her head, she pushed her nose skyward, and spun
on her heel as if performing a pirouette. Gracefully, she leaped away like a
ballerina exiting the stage. I shook my head. She was another sick one for
sure.

Relief spread through me like wildfire when the
paramedics and firemen pulled up. Their arrival meant the end of the Ray-pac
extracting rampage. Moments later, as if on cue, Kieran motioned it was time
for us to leave. Ensuring the little girl remained in safe hands, I passed her
directly into the arms of a motherly looking EMT. As we slipped away, and I
glanced back at the horrible accident scene filled with injured, buried, and
dead Innocents, I had to fight the urge to return and heal the wounded.
Angrily, I wondered how many people had died from the collapsing balconies
versus how many had died because a Ray-pac had gotten to them.

Aiden, Aria, and the other two, Zola and Rafe,
all had a good laugh at my expense when we hadn’t traveled more than a block
away and I threw up all over the sidewalk. The horrors of the day are what
emptied my stomach; of that, I was certain. Kieran didn’t laugh, but he watched
with amusement. In an act of rebellion, I remained silent as we traveled by
foot back to Kieran’s building, doing my best to ignore their jabs. Eventually
though, the topic of conversation turned boastful. The audacity of their
bragging sickened me even further, and I had to stop and throw up a second
time. My only recompense, and it wasn’t much, was that I managed to splatter
Aria’s and Aiden’s shoes in the process, and that turned the discussion.

By the time I crawled into bed next to Ava Rose
that night, my emotions were raw. I felt profound grief over lost lives, but I
also felt vengeful. I’d already come to terms with killing Kieran, but now I
knew I’d have to destroy them all.

Whoever it was that said we should find mercy
and compassion for our enemies had never met the Ray-pacs.

The next couple days were spent much the same
way – with Kieran carting us all over Oklahoma City to visit the local
attractions while our entourage of bodyguards and Ray-pacs shadowed not far
behind. I had a hard time comprehending how Kieran could be a cruel, heartless
maniac one minute and then a jovial tour guide the next. He was a bi-polar
Ray-pac with split personalities and a perversion for control. He acted as if
he really was Ava Rose’s uncle and as if our little outings together were the
most natural thing in the world. While I wanted to focus on the good – namely
Ava Rose’s obvious joy – during our non-stop adventures, it was difficult. At
times it was painful to see her so animated with a perma-grin plastered to her
face, but then when I really thought about it, I realized she was happy in her
oblivion, and I felt a sense of relief.

Granted, Kieran had calculatingly fostered their
relationship, but she’d fallen for his ruse so easily. And now the bond between
them was strong – at least from her side. She trusted him, and I believed she
truly loved him like an uncle. While I knew I couldn’t blame her, part of me
couldn’t help but feeling betrayed. How could she be so accepting when she’d
known him for such a short time? Didn’t it take longer to build trust like
that? When I had those feelings, I had to stop and remind myself she was young
and gullible, and she needed my protection now more than ever. With a heavy
heart, I knew that in the blink of an eye he could, and would, destroy her,
shattering her heart and soul.

For a brief instant, I wondered if maybe Kieran
had grown as attached to Ava as she had to him. If it came down to it, was
there a possibility he might not be able to harm her? I could have kicked
myself for even allowing that glimmer of hope to cross my mind. Why kid myself?
At any given moment Kieran would hurt anyone if it meant getting what he
wanted. If I did a little reverse psychology here, I would probably find out
he’d been faking an interest in Ava Rose all along in an attempt to give me a
false sense of security. Kieran, with his black heart and absent soul, was
evil.

Deciding we were in need of some action-packed
thrills, Kieran whisked us away to Frontier City Theme Park. Much to my
surprise, I learned Ava Rose was quite the little daredevil. She laughed and
screamed with delight as we rode the high-speed rides and zipped through the
renegade water rapids. The gravity-defying roller coasters had my head and
stomach spinning, but they only seemed to whet Ava’s and Kieran’s appetites.
And they ate horribly, somehow consuming everything from corn dogs and French
fries to a whole host of sweets like taffy, caramel corn, and snow cones all
within a couple hours of each other.

Despite being an adrenaline junkie, the next
day, Ava Rose proved she was equally happy in a quiet introspective
environment. During our mellow, self-guided tour of the three-storied Oklahoma
City Museum of Art, her eyes were alight with wonder. Apparently, the museum
boasted one of the largest collections of Dale Chihuly glass pieces in the
world. Ironic, but Chihuly was from my hometown, which also had numerous
exhibits of his glasswork. All of a sudden, I was thinking about my parents and
feeling homesick.

“This is so cool,” Ava said, interrupting my
thoughts. She grabbed my arm and pointed to a stunning 55 foot tall tower of
twisting and spiraling colorful glass. “Wasn’t this done by that same guy who
did that outdoor tunnel of glass? You know, in that museum kind of by where you
used to live?”

“Ah, yes, in Tacoma,” Kieran answered for me,
giving me a superior look. “Lovely place.”

“Good memory, sweetie,” I said, grabbing her
hand and ignoring him.

“How awesome,” she said. In a quieter, more
thoughtful voice she added, “I can’t wait to see your parents again. They were
so nice to me. And they have that great big swimming pool. Have you been
there?” Ava asked Kieran.

“Not yet. But I’m sure Lexi will invite me there
real soon.” His voice was steady and challenging.

I glared at him, and as Ava Rose ran off to
study a painting, I said to him, “Stay away from my family, or I will kill you
when we’re linked.”

“And kill yourself, too?” He laughed. “I don’t
think so,” he said, answering his own question.

“If that’s what it takes,” I answered honestly,
my tone cutting like a razor.

For once, he actually flinched. Recovering
quickly, a half-smile crossed his face. “Empty threats,” he said confidently.
“You value life too much. And you have a long one ahead of you. Not to mention
all the Innocents you’ll want to try and save. There will be some give and take
in our relationship, I suppose.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” I muttered and
walked forward to join Ava. What really bothered me about his statement was
that it was true. I just hadn’t thought about it from that angle. I might not
be as concerned about my own life, but there were countless others who would
die if I died. Not that I wanted to die. No. I’d been through this already. I
wanted to live, and I wanted to love.

Later in the day, when we were back at Kieran’s
building, Ava and I were left to entertain ourselves while he went to a
meeting. I couldn’t have been happier. Before leaving, he informed me he’d be
taking me out for a special dinner at an “adults-only” restaurant. This did not
please me at all, and I wondered what he was up to. He raved that Ava Rose and
Maya could cook up whatever they wanted for dinner and then follow it up with a
movie and popcorn in the theatre room.

Not long after he left, Ava Rose said she wanted
to paint for a bit and then go swimming. I told her that was a great idea and
that I had a couple of things I wanted to get done while she worked on her art.
I suggested we meet up in an hour and swim together. She readily agreed, and
once I had her situated in front of her canvas, I went exploring. Forty-five
minutes later, I was beyond discouraged. My attempts at trying to access “off
limits” areas were futile. Disappointed in making no new discoveries, I
wandered into the fitness room, and my eyes lit up when I noted the camera on
the balcony was still broken.

Walking outside, I leaned against the rail and
studied the scaffolding as it dropped to the pavement nine stories below. With
my strength and agility, I could probably work my way down fairly quickly,
maneuvering my way and ducking under the cameras on each of the balconies. It
would require some tricky moves on my part, but I had taken gymnastics for four
years when I was younger. This would be like performing on the high bars – only
the drop would be a lot further down. Any injuries would be easily fixed. I
sighed. There was no way Ava Rose could do it, so this method of escape would
be a last ditch effort.

With the sun blazing down on my face, I stared
out at the impressive Devon Tower. Overshadowing other neighboring buildings by
miles, it looked lonely in all its magnificence. I stared at the top floor and
frowned. No way would I be celebrating anything at the Vast restaurant. Not
unless it was a celebration of Kieran’s death. I tapped the rail with
agitation. Over the last couple days, I’d been sorting through my options and
hadn’t come up with any good solutions. Right now, I was leaning towards contacting
Ash. Thinking maybe it was time to tell him and the rest of the Bellingham
Circle exactly what had happened and why I’d followed along with Kieran’s
demands.

No matter how many times I worked through
different scenarios of how things would go down with Kieran, there was no
perfect ending. There was no doubt that when he tried to link with me and
couldn’t, I’d have the advantage and could take him out. But then what? There
was no way I could defend myself and Ava Rose against the rest of the Ray-pacs all
on my own. They would certainly be re-linked by then. In fact, chances were
good they would destroy me and Ava Rose once their leader was gone. In the back
of my mind, though, I was still trying to figure out a way to get her out of
harm’s way the day before the full moon. How I was going to pull that off was a
total mystery, but I hadn’t given up on that idea yet.

I knew I couldn’t allow the other Ray-pacs to
survive – to seek revenge and possibly harm my family or my friends in a
surprise retaliation attack. Nor could I allow Ava Rose and me to disappear
without a trace, never to be heard from again while our families and the
Guardians wondered what had happened to us. The idea of my parents or brothers
hearing about us on another segment of
Unsolved
Mysteries
every couple years was gut-wrenching. And what about Jason? I
couldn’t take the chance I’d die without ever explaining myself.

In a conversation I’d overhead between James and
Vincent earlier in the morning, I knew there were more Ray-pacs lurking about.
Besides Aiden, Aria, Zola, and Rafe, there were more, but I didn’t know how
many more. I was definitely going to need back up, even if that meant putting
my friends at risk. I would just have to take those chances and bet on
Jessica’s abilities to heal any of my friends who might get injured. But I was
going to need them to arrive at precisely the right moment. That meant I would
need the Bellingham Circle here in Oklahoma. They would need to be far enough
away their links weren’t detectable but close enough I could call them in for a
surprise attack right after I terminated Kieran. Maybe then, Ava Rose would
have a chance.

I slammed my fist against the rail in
frustration. I didn’t know what the right thing to do was. If I proceeded with
that plan, I’d have to contact Ash tomorrow because the full moon was only two
days away. I could only imagine the fallout when he passed the information on
to everyone, especially Jason. Oh, the anger, frustration, and betrayal they
would all be feeling. I pulled out my cell phone and looked at it. Time to get
rid of it for good. I didn’t want any of my friends calling me after hearing
what Ash had to say. Kieran might grow suspicious if my cell phone suddenly
started ringing off the hook. Since I wasn’t allowed to contact them, I
couldn’t even begin to imagine my punishment or Ava Rose’s if Kieran found out.
I had to keep things under tight wraps and keep my emotions in check.

Finally, I made the decision to go for it. I’d
drop the cell in the pool – accidentally. Then tomorrow, I’d contact Ash
telepathically. Tell him about everything and explain why they’d need to
utilize discretion and caution – Ava Rose’s life was at risk and so was mine.
They couldn’t just come barging in, and they’d have to follow my explicit instructions.
To be safe, I wouldn’t disclose my exact location, either. That would really
piss everyone off. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back. The sun was hot,
burning my skin. I liked the pain. This was nothing compared to what was to
come. All the lies. All the lives affected. And now all the deaths to come,
hopefully Ray-pacs. It certainly wasn’t going to be pretty. And the emotional
fallout would be phenomenal. If I somehow survived this, would Jason ever trust
me again? Would our relationship still have a chance? If we outwitted the
Senior Council, that is. So many hurdles. I wondered how many I wouldn’t be
able to clear. I couldn’t answer those questions. I just knew I had to do what
must be done. Protect Ava Rose. Kill the Ray-pacs. And try to survive.

Shoving aside my worries and strategizing for a
short time, I took to the pool with Ava Rose and swam until my limbs ached. We
raced across the pool, dove off the diving boards, and competed for the biggest
cannon ball splashes. Maya brought us lemonade and an assortment of cookies and
then left us alone.

“Lexi, this is the best vacation ever!” Ava Rose
said, as we settled ourselves into the lawn chairs next to the pool so we could
enjoy our snacks.

“We’ve had lots of fun together,” I said,
pulling my wet hair back out of my face – the chlorine scent strong.

“With Kieran too,” she said, eagerly taking a
bit of her cookie. “Do you think you like him, Ash, or Jason the best?"

Shocked, I sputtered and set down the glass of
pink lemonade. “What do you mean?”

She laughed but her cheeks reddened. “Which one
do you have the biggest crush on?” Tilting her head, she glanced at the floor
and then looked at me shyly between her long lashes.

“I’m not sure how to answer that,” I said
slowly, knowing full well it wouldn’t be wise to tell her the truth about Jason
and me, yet. “Who do you like the best?” I asked curiously.

She sighed and munched on her cookie. “Well,
they’re all really nice.” She pulled a raisin out of her cookie and dropped it
back on the plate. “I love the ocean, and Jason takes me out on his boat. Ash’s
motorcycle is fun, and he always tells the funniest stories.” She paused and
rubbed her little nose. “Kieran spoils me and likes to do lots of fun things,
too. I guess it’s kind of hard to pick one.” I nodded. “But…” she continued,
“even though I like them all, I still think Jason should be your boyfriend.”

The tension flowed out of my body, and I
relaxed. “Yeah, I think you might be right,” I said.

Her eyes rounded. “Really?”

Leaning over, I tickled her side.

She giggled and pulled away. “S-stop. It
t-tickles t-too much.”

“Okay, but you have to promise not to tell
anyone. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

“I won’t. Pinky swear,” she said, wrapping her
little finger around mine. For a while we talked about boys in her class at
school, but thank goodness, she only viewed them as “gross” and “loud” at this
point. “Okay,” she pronounced, “let’s play a game. Do you remember the five
senses one?”

I nodded. “I think so, but you better remind me
to make sure.” She launched into an explanation, waving her hands around giving
me examples of how to do it. Basically, the first person would say a word
followed by one of the senses: smells like, tastes like, feels like, looks
like, and sounds like. The other person was supposed to come up with either a
favorable or unfavorable description, equating it with something else they
either loved or disliked, based on the sense that had been chosen for them.