True Faces (2 page)

Robert sighed and placed
his hands on his desk. “Ciara, I don’t have much time. Yes, you’re
Eric Wolfe’s new secretary. He’s already left for the day so the
Chief told me to have you pack your stuff and set up your desk by
Wolfe’s office and then go home.
I don’t
see why he gets to miss the counselors meeting
.”

I recomposed myself and smiled. “It’s been a
pleasure working with you, Robert.”

Robert nodded his head and picked up his
ringing phone. I shut his door and walked numbly to my desk. Sally
walked around her cubicle to stand by me. “What’s up? You look like
you got docked money again.”

I shook my head. “I got a promotion.”

She smiled. “That’s great! Where are you
going?”

I pointed down. “First floor. New
attorney.”

She gasped and lowered her voice. “You got
Wolfe?! You bitch!”

I frowned and looked up at her. “What?”

“
He’s got to be one of the
sexiest lawyers practicing. I was hoping to get that job, but you
do deserve a raise.”

I smiled. “A raise? Hmm, maybe this won’t be
so bad.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are a piece of
work, Ciara. Only you would act devastated about getting a
promotion.” She looked at the files and tapes piled on my desk.
“Let me guess, these are rushes for today?”

I smiled. “Yeah.”

She sighed. “Hand ‘em over. I’ll divvy them
out.” I handed her the stack then started packing up my personal
belongings, which consisted of a calendar with forest pictures that
Akio had purchased for me, a samurai bobble head and my backpack. I
walked to the elevator and took a steadying breath. Down to first
floor hell I go. The raise had better be worth looking at
preternaturals all day.

The elevator dinged loudly at the bottom
floor sounding like a bell in my head. I walked out and toward the
ornate double doors that led to the executive area. I opened the
doors and froze as every set of eyes turned toward me. Every single
employee was a preternatural. Shit. I walked to the head secretary
and smiled as best as I could manage. “I’m Ciara Steele.”

She nodded her head and pointed straight.
“Eric Wolfe, office one thirty.” I walked past all of the silent
workers as they followed me with their eyes and hurried into my new
office.

I have my own office! I closed my door and
heard averagely loud work noise start up. It was too quiet down
here. No yelling, no music and no phones ringing more than once. I
set my bobble head on top of my new flat screen computer monitor
and hung my calendar on the wall. I looked around my office and
smiled. Two of the walls were solid and two were glass. The glass
wall to the right faced Mr. Wolfe’s office and the wall in front of
me faced the walkway to my office. My office was a portal from the
normal workers to his office. It was designed that way so that I
could keep the nuisances away from the attorney. I knew this
because I had come here after hours out of curiosity and talked
with a secretary who was working late.

He must be really good to be new and get this
office. I opened the door to his office and peeked inside. Solid
walls all the way around except for the one into my office. He
could see me and I could see him, but no one else could see him.
Complete privacy for him and partial privacy for me. I shut his
door and grabbed my backpack. That was when I noticed a small
yellow note on my keyboard. It was a sticky note with elegant
writing on it. I picked it up and stared in shock at the note.

“Can’t wait to begin our relationship.

I know we’ll make a great team.

~Eric W.”

None of the attorneys at the firm had ever
written me a nice note before. Maybe he wouldn’t be so bad? I put
the note on the bottom corner of my computer and smiled. I could
handle a group of preternatural secretaries and attorneys. I walked
to the head secretary and asked, “Are there any forms I need to
fill out?”

She shook her head and handed me a piece of
paper. “Here’s your new salary statement. Mr. W wants you here at
seven thirty tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”

I looked at the salary and gasped. “A…are you
sure this is the right one?”

She frowned at me, her long canine ears
flattening to her head. “I don’t make mistakes.”

I swallowed nervously. “Of
course not. My apology.” I hurried out of the double doors and out
of the building. I let the sun warm my cold skin and looked at the
salary again. “Seventy five
thousand
dollars?! Shopping spree
here I come!” I yelled excitedly. I folded the paper and put it
inside my backpack before jogging down the sidewalk. I danced
nervously from foot to foot as I waited at the crosswalk for the
signal to change and charged across smiling at the wereanimals and
fairies in human disguises walking by me. I opened the door to The
Office, the clothing store that the top executives purchased their
clothes from, and smiled at the saleswoman. “I need a new set of
clothes.”

She smiled at me politely. “What
position?”

I pulled out my salary statement. “Executive
Assistant to a level four attorney.”

Her mouth dropped a little before she
recovered and smiled. “Right this way, Ma’am.”

~~~~

CHAPTER TWO

Three hours of shopping later and my arms
were loaded with packages. The saleswoman flagged down a taxi for
me and even paid my fare. Being promoted was definitely a great way
to start the day. The cabbie dropped me off on the outskirts of
town where I lived, pressed against the forest and helped me to the
door of my house. I thanked him and hurried inside, shutting the
door and locking all three deadbolts.

I ran up the stairs and emptied my shopping
bags on to my bed. I giggled in delight and held a black pinstriped
dress up in front of me so I could look at it in the mirror.
“Hmm…maybe next week.” I hung the dress up and then held a pantsuit
outfit up to my body in front of the mirror. It hugged all the
right curves and was very classy. “We have a winner.” I hung the
outfit on the mirror and started hanging the rest of the clothes up
in the closet then finished by sorting the shoes, socks, hosiery
and underwear.

I skipped down the stairs and turned on the
stereo, sighing happily as Metallica slammed in to my eardrums.
Preternaturals hate loud noises, so I prefer them. I kicked my
shoes off and swung my head around as I skipped to the kitchen. My
house was two stories and pretty large for only me to live in, but
my parents had left it to me in their will and so I treasured
it.

I opened the fridge and took out the leftover
pasta from last night and stuck it in the microwave, dancing in
place while I watched the timer countdown. The hair on the nape of
my neck stood up and fear crept over my skin. I spun around and
stared out the window. Nothing, at least nothing that I could see.
“Damn, I’m getting too paranoid,” I whispered. I took out the
pasta, grabbed a soda, checked all of the locks on the doors and
windows and ran up the stairs to my room. I turned on the
television to the news channel while I ate my dinner.

After finishing my dinner I stretched in the
center of my room. I only had a full length mirror, dresser, bed
and television in my room so that I could have enough room to
practice my kickboxing, pilates, yoga, and Qigong. I took a
cleansing breath and started my Qigong, watching the television and
trying to close my other sight. I was born with my third eye open
allowing me to see people’s real faces. It’s not a physical third
eye, that makes me look like a freak, but a metaphysical eye that
allows me to see more than any other human. The open third eye
means that no glamour can hide the monsters from my sight. It’s
horrible. It makes it very hard to talk to preternatural because I
usually end up staring at their non-human parts and inevitably
insult them even though they don’t know I can see them.

I want to be able to close the third eye and
lead a normal life without seeing fangs, wings and phantom body
parts. Every day I am in danger and I know it, but until I close it
I cannot do anything about it. If anyone found out about my ability
I could be killed or tortured or whatever they decided was a
fitting punishment for being able to see them. My parents freaked
when they found out about my ability and dropped me off at Akio’s
when I was six. Akio and I have been working since then to close my
eye, but I haven’t been able to. The damn thing is determined to
stay open. Nevertheless I continue to try.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and went
through my movements. I looked at the television and saw the
reporter. She was an attractive Asian woman, except for the horns
growing out of her head. I focused on the center of my forehead
where the eye was and imagined closing it. The horns wavered and
then came in to better focus. “Dammit!” I yelled.

I exhaled and tried again, this time focusing
on a satyr in the background. His hooves faded then…disappeared!
“Yes!” I looked back at the reporter and screamed in joy. She
looked human. “Yes! YES! YEEEESSSSSS!!!!!! Finally!” I laughed in
joy and ran downstairs and out the front door, not bothering to
lock it in my excitement. I ran as fast as I could down the
sidewalk ignoring the bewildered stares of those I ran by. I ran up
the steps of the dojo and flung open the door. “AKIO!!!!!”

Akio opened the door to his bedroom, which
was adjoined to the dojo. “What is it? Are you hurt?” He asked as
he hobbled towards me.

I ran to him and hugged him tightly. “It’s
closed! I closed the third eye! I can’t see your other faces!”

Akio’s eyes widened in shock. “Closed?
Completely?”

I nodded my head. “I did it Akio. Finally,
after all of these years I closed it.”

Akio frowned. “Open it.”

I stared at him in shock. “What?”

“
Open it,” He said
again.

I stepped back from him. “No. No Akio I just
closed it. What if I can’t do it again?

He glared at me. “What if you can’t open it
again?”

I raised my voice at Akio for the first time
in my life. “Good! I hope it never opens again!”

He shook his head, “You must open it. You
must be able to control it, not lose your ability. Now open
it!”

I shook my head and walked backwards away
from him. “I thought you would be happy for me? I closed it and am
normal now.”

Akio sighed. “You will never be normal,
Ciara. You are a Seer and you must open your eye. What if a
prophecy comes and you cannot see it? We must train you to close
and open. Not just one. It is dangerous to keep it closed.”

I gaped at him. “Dangerous? It’s dangerous to
have it open. You know that as well as I do. No, I won’t open it.”
I turned my back on Akio.

Akio spoke softly. “You will understand,
Ciara. You will need it open. Come back when you are not being so
childish.”

I fought the urge to yell and ran out of the
dojo and back to my house. Tears stung my eyes and wet my cheeks. I
ran into my house and locked the door. He was wrong. I knew it. I
would not open the eye. I climbed up the stairs and into bed and
closed my eyes.

~~~~

CHAPTER THREE

The alarm blared rock music in my ear, making
me sit up in bed. I slowed my breathing and turned the alarm off.
My first day of work at my new position was today. I hurried
through my morning routine so I could spend extra time on my makeup
and hair so I would look perfect for my new boss. Once I felt that
I looked decent enough, I grabbed my backpack and started my walk
to work. I looked at everyone’s face and smiled. All human looking!
My eye was still closed. I walked a little faster and walked in the
front doors of the building at seven ten. The guard nodded his head
at me and I opened the doors to the executive office. Only two
other secretaries were in and both looked human. I smiled wide and
walked confidently to my new office. I stopped in the doorway and
stared at a man placing flowers on my desk. He turned around after
setting them down and smiled at me. “Oh, you’re early. I was hoping
to have these here when you came in.”

He wasn’t handsome, he was a god. His black
hair was cut short and his golden brown eyes seemed to be looking
into my soul. His wide jaw was strong and his shoulders wide. His
suit hid all his muscles but I could tell he was much bigger than
an average man. He had to work out often, but the best thing was
that there were no other faces, just his. I realized I was staring
at him and not speaking and cleared my throat. “Thank you for the
flowers. It’s very thoughtful.”

He reached down and picked my hand up. “One
can never be too kind to a lady.” I watched in amazement as he
kissed the back of my hand. His lips were warm and soft against my
hand. “I am looking forward to working with you, Ciara.”

I swallowed the drool threatening to leak out
of my mouth and nodded my head. “I hope I can meet your
expectations.”

He released my hand and smiled. “I’m sure you
will surpass all of my expectations.” I shivered at the multiple
meanings behind his sentence. “Get settled then come into my office
and we’ll go over my calendar and your things.”

I nodded my head as I set my backpack down,
turned away from his office and took a cleansing breath. I had to
get my hormones in check. He was my boss and you do not date the
boss. I took another breath then turned and knocked on his door.
“Come in,” he said softly. I walked into his office and smiled
professionally. He smiled back sitting in his large executive
leather chair behind his large marble desk. “And you don’t ever
need to knock. You are always welcome in here.”