The Ghost and the Darkness Volume 1 (The Fallocaust Series Book 2) (21 page)

A key card.

And because I was fucking unlucky I heard a thunk underneath me as the elevator started to whir.

My heart immediately went into meltdown mode. I stuffed the key card into my pocket hoping like hell Garrett wouldn’t grope me before I got home. I needed to play it coy now, maybe fake a headache? Shit, I didn’t know.

More elevator noises; I shoved the folder underneath the filing cabinet and ran out of the room, barely flicking off the light switch before I heard the doors open. I got to my pet bed and sat down in it with my head up against the wall, then I pretended to be asleep.

I could hear Garrett talking in a normal tone to someone, probably Saul. I closed my eyes and tried to relax my beating heart. Thankfully I didn’t think this guy had ninja heartbeat hearing like Reaver, but then again he could.

I heard him say goodbye and then a beep. I realized that he had been talking on the secure phone they all carried around, the chimera hotline.

I heard several beeps and then a ringing as the call connected.

“Jack, how’s Juni doing? Good...” There was a pause and then a dry laugh; his voice was quiet. Not full of the cheer he had when it was just us after work but low and serious. “Yes, you do know me rather well. How is he?” Another pause, I wished I could listen to the other side of the conversation. “Good, let me know as soon as he wakes up, the moment, alright?”

My throat tightened, he was talking about King Asher Silas. He couldn’t know I was here, what would he do to me? Elish had said I would be far away from here the moment he woke up.

I...
I shifted around and felt the small plastic card underneath me in my back pocket.
I have the key card though. I will give it to Luca as soon as I can.

“Elish is taking a leave of absence. His pet is injured and he’s caring for him in one of those bases he has in the greyrifts, or the plaguelands, or something or other, not sure which one. No, no, nothing fatal but who’s to know. I heard those deacons can look a man square in the eyes without looking up, terrifying.”

You have no idea...
my heart felt funny having him talk about my old home. At least I had gotten to say goodbye when Elish had snuck me into Aras. It had helped me emotionally close the door on that life, and at least the cat wouldn’t die. Fuck, it had taken every effort to carry all that shit with a bullet in my gut. Elish was of little help, but he was kind enough to hold the cat when he started to squirm around when the plane was taking off.

“Mine? He’s splendid, tall and skinny, silver hair, yes. Otter. No, it’s been surprising, I think the rabid nature doesn’t stretch past Morosians, or perhaps Jade was just a rotten apple in the bunch. This one is quiet extraordinary, funny and just good natured. I’m growing rather fond of him.” I beamed on the inside, feeling my ego get another stroke. I got so many compliments here.

But oddly, I felt a tingle go up my spine. I didn’t know why until I heard Garrett speak, his voice had dropped to a strangle level. “No... I won’t let him near this one.”

This one
...

“I know, I know what I have to do with him, and no, I don’t like it, but... you know how our master is. I need to do it for his own good if I want to keep him safe.”

What...?
My heart dropped to my feet. I couldn’t stop my brow from creasing; I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to snap my eyes open and get an explanation out of him but I opted to stay silent and still. Maybe he would explain himself.

“Once he’s had his fun, he’ll be mine and if... if I play my cards right he’ll let me have him. I mean... he let Joaquin have Jem, and eventually Elish was allowed to keep Jade...” Another pause. “I will tell him beforehand; this isn’t just a pet... I won’t blindside him.”

Another pause, I could hear Jack’s muffled voice on the other end of the line.

“I know, but Elish told me he was his friend. Silas held no ill will towards him. He might...”

Shit... shit... shit...
I think I knew what this was about. It was what Garrett was planning on doing once Silas woke up, how to pass off Reaver’s friend as his new pet without getting him killed.

I would be gone by then...

I clenched my teeth as I felt a surge of sadness burrow itself into my heart. I wish I could shut down my emotions like dear ol’ Reaver; I was feeling shit I didn’t plan on feeling. Look at the things he was saying about me... warning me about King Silas, going against the chimera code that King Silas was all our lord and master. Saying I wasn’t just a pet, Garrett was planning for the future.

A future I wouldn’t be in.

I heard the conversation wrap up and the phone get turned off. I heard a sad sigh that soon was muffled by cloth.

I opened my eyes and saw Garrett’s head burrowed into his arms which were folded on the desk. He let out a huff like sigh before he looked up.

I closed my eyes again but the image was still there, his big green eyes heavy with sadness and loss. The suave chimera was worried, his elegant countenance and caring attitude lost under the constant threat of his master. A genetically engineered super human and he still was afraid of Silas, all of them were firmly under his thumb.

Well, except for Elish... apparently someone finally got bored of Asher’s bullshit.

I would never do it, I knew better, but I played with the idea of just telling him what we were doing. Telling him Elish was trying to find out how we kill Silas and stepping up to take over. Garrett looked like he was tired of it too; maybe him wanting to protect me would sway him to Elish’s side.

But no, like I said I knew better, this shit had been going on for decades and I wasn’t going to assume I knew the politics after only being here a few weeks.

In time he would... maybe we could be together then.

Gah, shut up, Reno!

It got worse though; there was a creak of his spin chair and soft footsteps. I could feel that he was standing over me. My heart shuddered inside of me, and a moment later I heard him whisper.

“I must be some sort of masochist...” A sigh and a soft hand on my cheek.

I chose this moment to open my eyes; I tried to look sleepy. “Hey you, all done?”

As soon as he saw me wake up his eyes became brighter. He gave me a smile and rose to his feet. “Finally, it took longer than I thought. Sorry to keep you waiting... let’s go home.” Garrett helped me to my feet and I gave a stretch for good measure. I picked up my leash and handed it to him and we both walked towards the elevator.

I was able to hide the key card once I got home; it fit snuggly in my backpack full of clothes. After we hung out together for a few hours, we took Saul and the three of us went down to the surface to get some drinks at the Penguin, a chimera owned bar that was close to here. I had grown fond of it, and even though it was a bit too lowbrow for Garrett or even Saul he had started coming with me.

This part of Skyland was amazing; the roads had newer pavement on them, barely any cracks at all. The lamps worked too and they lit up the streets with the help of the lights inside the various shops. Even at night this area was bright, and though everyone else had gone back to sleep the lights remained on, illuminating the grey buildings and half-repaired shops.

Though there were still boarded-up windows everywhere and abandoned buildings, just to remind me and everyone else that we were still in the Fallocaust. Not even rich elites and chimeras could erase the scars Silas had put on the world.

But it was still beautiful and even at night things were open. The bars never closed here, though shops were open from eight until ten. Uncle Carson closed his whenever it started to get dark but he was always above the shop to help if you bribed him with beer. There really weren’t any rules. I guess when there is competition like in Skyland you had to follow a few rules to get customers.

I took a long drink of my rum and coke (or ChiCola as it was called here, seriously, Chi stood for chimera), the atmosphere around me thick with smoke, liquor, and boy sweat. Saul was having beer and Garrett was drinking both with a cigar stuck between his teeth. He was having a discussion I didn’t understand with his second-in-command, regarding purchase orders or some bullshit, I don’t know, I was eyeing up a few cute guys drinking alone. One of them had firey crimson hair that he had layered and gelled on his head, and narrow sinister eyes. He was hot. The shorter dude had blond curls and shiny brown eyes, both with muscular smoking nice bodies. There really weren’t many ugly guys in Skyfall, I think Silas had killed them all or maybe he sent their ugly mugs to the greywastes. We had a lot of guys in the greywastes who looked like dogs’ asses.

Well, I must not be too horrible on the eyes if Garrett liked me as oppose to the hotter guys that seemed to be a dime a dozen in Skyland, though I was nothing compared to a chimera.

The bar was abuzz with activity and besides a few passing glances everyone left us alone. I think it was more double takes that President Garrett was drinking amongst the peasant folk, or maybe it was my skimpy attire and the collar and leash on my neck. Either way, Saul seemed to be keeping them all in check with his death eyes so they all left us alone.

I felt a hand on my knee; I looked down and saw Garrett’s hand. My glance fell to his face but he wasn’t looking at me; he hadn’t changed expression at all.

“No, Kordecht is already twisting my arm about switching to the synthetic corn syrup I’m afraid he would blow a gasket if I suggested adding in the flour filler as well. I swear those miserable Morosians don’t know the difference. Tact keeps them from dying, who cares about the taste? The greywasters have never complained.”

I put my hand on top of his and squeezed it. I looked down at our hands together and felt the well of fear and guilt I had been feeling start to bubble back to life. I wasn’t blind like Reaver had been when he slowly fell for Killian; it didn’t take a kidnapping for me to recognise I was edging the danger zones with this guy.

The guilt overwhelmed me; I gave his hand a squeeze before I started to get up. “I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

I opened up the metal door to the men’s bathroom and found a stall.

I sighed and sat down on the lid and wiped my face with both hands. I groaned at my own inconvenient feelings and sat wallowing in self-despair, the alcohol only fueling the flames inside of me.

I looked at my arms, my wounds now scabbing with pink scars forming underneath, which were the remaining evidence of my greywaster struggles. If I would have had a magic genie lamp tell me this is where I was going to sit a few months ago I would’ve sent his ass back to his itty-bitty living space.

I didn’t think it would be this hard to do as Elish asked... I didn’t bank on actually having feelings for the guy, god damn I feel guilty about leaving him... he really liked me.

And I liked him.

I jerked out of my stupor of self-pity as I heard the bathroom door open. I quickly took a piss and opened the stall to leave.

I stopped in my tracks as I realized the red-haired one and his friend were blocking the exit. The two dudes I had been eyeing up in the bar earlier.

“Excuse me, fellas.” I went to push past them when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I immediately bristled realizing they were hostile. I took a step back and stood up straight. I felt the atmosphere in the room become dangerous. “Problem?”

They blond one’s hand remained on my shoulder, his gaze was smoldering. Behind him I heard a click as the crimson-haired dude locked the door.

Yep... there was a problem.

“You were Elish’s pet; I saw you with him so don’t deny it. Where is Jade, why isn’t Jade with him?”

I felt my eyebrows raise, who was this guy? I ignored the staticy feeling in the air and tried to play it cool. “I’m sure their business is not yours.”

I took a step to walk past them when suddenly the blond one punched me right in the jaw. I was braced though, as soon as the fist connected with my face my own fist rose. I knocked the punk hard in the mouth; blood spurting from his lips as his tooth cut right through.

As my arm was extended, another blow hit the side of my head, courtesy of the red-haired fuck. A burst of light infiltrated my vision as my head snapped back. I felt it crunch against the hand dryer and dent in under the weight of the blow.

My legs failed me; I fell to the ground. I squinted hard as the room got bright and started to pulse in my head like a heartbeat. I tried to get up but I felt a kick in my stomach.

“You fuck, I was shot last month!” I snarled, coughing up a spray of blood; I had bit my tongue when I fell.

“Where is Jade? His pet? Jade. Where is he?” the crimson one hissed. I saw blue jeans as he knelt in front of me. Then a painful tug as he grabbed my hair; he kept wrenching my head up until I started to attempt to get to my feet.

“Hidden, he fucking got hurt and Elish is taking care of him,” I coughed, tasting and smelling copper. My nose was bleeding like all hell, I tried to wipe it but it was like wiping a running tap.

The red-haired one shook my head, his teeth were clenched hard; I could see the entire outline of his jaw. “All he does is fucking get Jade hurt,” he snapped. He grabbed my collar and shook me like a dog. “You, who are you? Why are you with Garrett now? Where is Elish?”