Lost (The Allure Chronicles Book 3) (7 page)

I
was crazy
. Or as crazy as an Allure could be. I saw no point in delaying the inevitable, and I wasn’t a fan of running. I’d spent years of my life searching, and now there didn’t seem to be much of a reason to delay anything.

The landscape whizzed by as we made our way toward Birmingham. Watching cars and making up stories for who was behind each window helped pass the time. I could sense the passengers’ emotional state even through the glass. When I felt excitement, I imagined it was a little girl thrilled about visiting her grandparents, and the anger next to her had to have been coming from a teenager mad she had to leave her boyfriend back home. Thankfully the game helped make the last few hours of the drive go quickly. I was ready to meet this Seer or whatever he was and find out exactly what he wanted with me. It probably wasn’t for a good reason, but it was a reason. Any reason might help end the numbness that was starting to eat away at me. It had moved passed the uncomfortable sensation and into pain. I felt breathless, and my skin itched in a way that I knew no amount of scratching could fix.

I tried to push the discomfort from my mind. It didn’t matter. I’d face the Seer, or whatever the heck he was, and something would change. Something had to change. I wasn’t sure how many more days I could handle the sensation, especially if it became worse.

I knew Violet sensed something was up. She kept glancing over when she thought I wasn’t looking. I pretended not to notice. It didn’t really matter what she thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Violet turned off at an exit. Getting off the interstate seemed to signify a need to break the silence.

“That guy. Whatever he is.” I pictured his dark hair and handsome face. His eyes had been hidden by sunglasses, and part of me knew those eyes wouldn’t be friendly.

“What about him? And I’m almost positive he’s a Seer. You might as well assume it.” Violet turned onto a four lane highway slowing down only when she absolutely had to.

“What do you think he wants with me?” I glanced over my shoulder to confirm what I already knew. The sports car had followed us.

“Whatever he wants with you isn’t good, and he’s a Seer. I’d be willing to bet on it.” Hugh said in a far-off voice.

“I figured he wasn’t there for anything good.” But if it would end the numbness it was completely worth it.

“We won’t let him take you without a fight,” Violet rolled down the windows and relaxed back against her seat.

“But that implies you’d still let him take me. Just with a fight.” I focused on the wind on my face again. The sensation helped dull the numbness and helped with the breathing.

“I’m glad you have that humor.” Hugh laughed.

“I have an idea,” Roland leaned forward.

“And what’s that?” I turned in my seat.

“We split up.”

“Great idea, we’ll catch you later.” I smiled, purposely misinterpreting his words. I knew I wasn’t getting rid of him anytime soon, and the rational part of my brain told me that was a good thing.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. We split from Violet and Hugh. We can get away faster.” His eyes were lighter than usual.

In theory his idea made sense, but it wasn’t one I was interested in. I’d already made up my mind, and I refused to let anyone sway me. “But we already decided not to run away. I am facing this Seer and getting it over with.”

“He could kill you. I’m not okay with that.” Roland grabbed for my hand. “Even if you are.”

I tugged my hand away. “Because you want to have sex with me.”

“Because we’re connected, and your death will leave a giant gaping hole in my very being.” He hit his fist into his chest with such force that I assumed it was painful.

“That’s colorful and descriptive.” Hugh smirked.

“I lived it long enough. It’s finally closing.” Roland grabbed hold of my hand again, and this time he held it tighter.

“Did it hurt that bad?” Violet met his eye in the rearview mirror. “When Taylor…”

Roland tightened his hold on me. “Yes. It did.”

“So you really felt it?” I pictured how I felt at the cemetery. The pain and misery. I wondered if he could feel to that extent.

“Yes. It’s mostly physical though. Don’t go getting your hopes up.” Roland loosened his hold slightly.

“Oh? Like scalding hot water?” I pictured the sensation.

“You’re lucky you even have skin left.” Roland released my hand and leaned back against his seat.

“Funny how we heal so easily.” Burning hot water merely turned my skin red for a few seconds before it faded back to normal. The cold had a similarly temporary affect. I guess it helped with the whole immortality thing.

“Not funny. Just reality.” He kept intense eye contact with me.

I broke the eye contact, uncomfortable with the way it felt. “I’m still curious how we can die.”

“When did you get so morbid?” Hugh asked.

“I’ve always been, it’s just worse now.” I turned back to the front as we drove past a playground. It was full of young children and their parents, and I’d never felt so far removed from people before. That was a life I would never have.

“She needs self-preservation.” Violet slowed down. Maybe she was watching the parents and children as well.

“I have enough for both of us, which is why my idea will work. You two can distract the Seer while I get Daisy far away from him.” Roland sounded excited again.

“How are we going to distract him? He wants her. Not us,” Hugh replied quickly.

“You and Violet are masters at distraction. Don’t act like it’s difficult. You can pretend she’s with you. I know you can pull it off.”

“But she wants to face him. It’s Daisy’s choice.” Violet served as the voice of reason. I appreciated that about her. She supported my autonomy. I’d had so few opportunities to make my own decisions. I savored any opportunity I got.

“But she’s making the wrong choice,” Roland whined.

“It’s her choice to make.” Violet turned at a traffic light.

“You aren’t in charge of her.” Roland’s voice deepened. “You don’t get to decide.”

“No one is in charge of me, but me.” I wasn’t human anymore. There was absolutely nothing to lose, and I wasn’t going to sit back and let other people dictate my fate.

“She’s right,” Hugh agreed with me. “Technically she has your maker’s essence so that makes her in charge of you.”

I laughed. That thought sounded so foreign to me. To be someone’s maker. To be in charge.

“She’s too inexperienced to be in charge of anyone.” Roland crossed his arms. He was pouting like a child, and it was amusing.

“But she has a whole essence,” Violet drove with her knees and stretched her arms. “None of us are talking about that.”

“Because we don’t know what it means.” Roland continued to pout. It was less amusing now.

The argument was cut short when Violet pulled to a stop in front of a large industrial building complete with tall smoke stakes and a large white water tower.

“What is this place?” I took in the large red industrial building.

“The Sloss Furnaces.” Violet said simply. “They stopped operating in the early 70s. It’s a national historic site now.”

“A furnace in what way?” I leaned over Violet to get a better look at the buildings.

“A blast furnace. To make iron and steel. It was a major industry down here for over a hundred years.” Violet sounded like she was picking through her own memories to tell me.

“Oh.” I leaned back to my side of the car. “I really know nothing about this place.”

“What do you know a lot about?” Hugh ribbed.

“Not much.” I reached for my door latch.

“Stop.” Violet put a hand on my arm.

“What?” I let go of the door.

“You need to make sure you’re ready.”

“I’m never going to be ready to face this guy. There’s no sense pretending I will be.” And the beauty of it was it didn’t matter. There was no one else to protect. I could do what I wanted.

“This place is full of emotions.” Violet squeezed my arm. “It may overwhelm you.”

“Then why are we here?”

“Yes, Violet. Why are we here?” Roland leaned toward the front. "Do you really think this is a good spot for Daisy?”

“It’s perfect. It’s full of emotions, none of which are desire.” Violet released my arm. “She needs to prepare herself. If she takes the time to do that she’ll be fine.”

“Of course there’s desire,” Hugh argued. “It was a plant. It was run by industry. Industry desires money and power.”

“But those running the company weren’t in the factory often. It was mostly filled with workers.”

“Many of which died or were injured.” Hugh fought with Violet in an uncharacteristically assertive way.

Injured and dead workers? Could I handle that onslaught of emotion? It would break through the numbness for sure, but what if it was too intense? Too much for me to handle?

“Daisy?” Violet pulled me from my thoughts. “Are you listening to me?”

“Kind of,” I admitted.

“You should thrive in there. Plus it’s daytime and it’s open to the public. The Seer can’t be too tough on you in public. You will need to grab hold of emotions though.”

"Why do I need emotions? Doesn’t he want to read me or something?" I pretended that I had some clue what I was facing. It’s not like the Allures had filled me in on too many details.

"Emotions can be your best weapon, and your greatest strength. I hoped you’d understand that by now."

“But I’m broken. We all know that.” And nothing was coming naturally to me. I couldn’t appropriately manipulate, and I wasn’t automatically filled with the knowledge the others seemed to think I had.

“He’s coming.” Roland’s voice was deadpan.

“Where?”

A knock on the window told me exactly what I needed to know.

“You ready?” Violet asked.

“Sure, why not.” I rolled down my window and took a long deep breath before turning to it. I came face to face with the leather jacket and sunglass wearing man. His dark hair was rumpled, and he wore a completely serious expression.

He looked right over me at Violet. “Interesting location choice.”

“I thought it had a certain ambiance.” Violet smiled.

The supposed Seer nodded. “I’m going to take her with me now.”

“I’m coming too.” Roland opened his door.

“Why?” The guy stared as Roland stepped out.

Roland stepped toward him. “Because she’s my maker.”

“She’s not your maker.” The man’s lips twisted into a smile that sent a strange thrill through me. It was a sensation like riding up on a roller coaster knowing the big drop is only seconds away. “Don’t pretend you believe that.”

Roland puffed out his chest. “She has my maker’s essence. I have the right to come.”

“You have no rights. None of you do. I am here on the authority of those eons above you.” He wove his hand in the air to dismiss Roland.

“Who sent you?” Violet asked.

“I’ll tell the girl that.” He put a hand on the window pane. “After we’re through.”

“What do you want with her?” Hugh spoke for the first time.

“That’s between her and me.” He reached into the window and touched my shoulder.

“Do you even know her name?” Hugh asked.

“Why would any name matter to me? It is just a contrived word made up to represent a person or creature.”

“My name is Daisy.” Somehow I needed him to know that. I had no clue what he planned to do to me, but I wanted him to know the name of the girl he was dealing with.

He seemed to mull over the information. “The name of a flower.”

“We like flowers in this troop.” Hugh slid across the seat and joined Roland outside the car. I was blocked in, otherwise I would have done the same. I wasn’t going to sit around and let others defend me.

“Wonderful.” He stared down the others. “I’ll be taking the girl now.”

“Excuse me, you could talk to me you know?” Facing danger was one thing. Letting him talk about me disrespectfully was another. I had a backbone, and I was going to use it.

“Why?” He tiled his head to the side slightly.

“Because I’m the one you’re here to see.” I touched my chest.

“But you’re not even whole.” He removed his hand from my shoulder finally.

“I’m whole.” I may have been messed up, but I wasn’t going to let him talk about me like I wasn’t even a full person.

“No, you’re not. You’re not a hybrid either. There’s a nothingness to you.” His voice was haughty.

“Shut up.” Being fearless had its perks.

“Did you just tell me to shut up?” His lips twisted into that smile again.

I latched onto the thrill. “Yes. If you’re going to talk to me, you’re going to do it with respect.”

Hugh clapped. “That’s our girl.”

I pushed aside the fact that I was definitely not Hugh’s girl. He was supporting me.

“Spunk. That doesn’t seem to fit.” The man smiled again. “Maybe there is more to you than I originally thought.”

“What do you want with me?”

“Let’s take a walk.” He pulled open my door.

“A walk?” The last person who asked me to take a walk was Louie, and he was far from my favorite person.

“Yes. After that we can decide on the next step.”

“The next step?” I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out.

“Yes.” He held out his hand to me.

“Where are we walking?”

“Inside there.” He pointed to the furnace remains. “Or around it. That is the location you selected.”

I hadn’t selected it, but that was beside the point. Violet seemed to think it would work to my advantage, and I needed to trust her. I had no other plan. “Sure.”

“I’m coming.” Roland repeated his demand.

“No. You will stay here.” The man pointed to where Violet still sat in the car. I was surprised she hadn’t gotten out yet. She was usually the quickest to jump to my defense.

“No.” Roland shook his head.

“Please tell him to step away, or I will be forced to apprehend him.” The man looked to me.

“Roland, I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I want to get this over with.” The numbness was only intensifying. There was no point dragging things out.

“How do you know that?” Roland eyed me skeptically. “How do you know you’ll be fine?”