Fruit of Misfortune (27 page)

“A meeting? With who?”

“I told you that after we ditched the tick,
I’d take you to get answers. Remember?”

“This person—or people—that we’re meeting,
can they help me stop the transformation?”

“Doubt it.” She stuck a cigarette in her
mouth and lit it.

“Then why drive all that way? It’s a waste of
time.”

“Here. Have a drag,” Galilea said, sticking
her cigarette between my lips. “You need to calm down.”

“I don’t smoke.”

I flicked the cigarette out the window.
Galilea frowned at me and reached for her boot, pulling out another
cigarette. I wondered what else she had stuffed in there.

“Don’t you want to know why you were born
different? Everyone has a purpose, Isis, including you.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot lately. Why
don’t you just tell me what that purpose is and get it over
with?”

“Can’t.” She shrugged. “I told you, I’m not
allowed to tell anyone. Also, I don’t know the whole story, so I’d
just confuse you.”

I leaned my head back against the car
seat.

“So after this—after I get my answers—what
happens?”

“That’s the part I don’t know.”

***

Sixteen hours. That was a lot of time to
reflect. But instead of thinking, I’d been listening to Galilea
sing along to the same songs by a group called Hot Wired over and
over again. I rested my head on the window and tried to cancel out
Galilea’s singing. The sun was setting, and soon we’d be surrounded
by the darkness of night. I bit on my thumb nail as we pulled into
a gasoline station.

Galilea turned off the stereo when the gas
attendant walked up to her side of the car. She slipped him a few
bills and rolled up the window.

“How many hours will this car go without
having to stop to fill up again?” I asked.

“It’s a small tank. About four, five hours.
Why?”

“It’ll be dark soon. If a horde of Turpis
come, we won’t see them.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had enough time
to rest and regain strength. I’ll raise the block back up, and
we’ll be invisible for most of the night.”

Knowing that we’d be unseen didn’t make me
feel as safe as I would’ve thought. I would feel a lot safer if
David was with me. I felt my chest tighten when I saw his face in
my head. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It hurt to think
of him. I forced my mind to let his image go.

Galilea shifted the car into gear and drove
onto the road. I was thankful that she didn’t turn the music on
again. Another few minutes of her loud singing and I might’ve ended
up with irreparable hearing damage.

The sun disappeared over a hill in the
distance as we drove on. I thought about Samuel, and how he
wouldn’t take me to the Council no matter what I said. Neither
would Galilea… or anyone else, for that matter. I understood their
reasoning. But what would it take for them to see that I was a
menace? Would I have to eat one of them? I cringed at my sick
thoughts.

Galilea stuck her hand in her boot and slid
out the gold knife I had attempted to use against the Turpis
earlier that day. She placed it next to her leg on the car seat. I
stared at the sharp edge. Galilea gave me an uneasy look and
switched the knife to the other side next to her lap, between her
and the door. I wondered if she knew what was going through my
head.

***

We had been driving in silence for a long
time. Except for the car’s headlights, there was no other source of
light on the road. I looked up at the stars through the door
window. With the glow of the moonlight in the night sky, I could
see the gray silhouettes of flying birds. They were headed in our
direction, getting larger as they approached.

“What type of birds do you think those are?”
I pointed. “They look kinda big.”

“Um—no. Not birds. I’m pretty sure those are
demons.”

“Turpis.” I straightened my back. “But they
can’t see us, right?”

“
Well
…”

“They can see us?” I looked out the window,
feeling my heartbeat drumming hard in my chest. “Were we ever
invisible to begin with?”

Galilea didn’t answer. She killed the
headlights and shifted the car into another gear. At a faster
speed, she trailed onto the side of the road and into a forest. She
parked under a low-lying, branch and turned off the engine.

“There,” she said. “As good as
invisible.”

“I can’t believe you! You lied to me.”

“Keep your voice down.” Galilea frowned. “I
was trying to keep you calm. I didn’t want you spazzing out, like
you did in your father’s office.”

“You and everyone else need to stop trying to
protect me. All you’re doing is holding me back from what I know
has to be done.”

“Ugh,” Galilea hissed. “You’re an ingrate,
you know that? Some of us don’t have a choice. I was sent here to
keep you safe. And all you’ve done so far is pity yourself and try
to take the easy way out—trying to kill yourself and running away
from David, who is probably the only person that understands what
you’re going through.” Galilea shook her head. “He gave his life to
you. And the other Isis—Paulina, or whatever name she uses—she was
born to be your decoy.”

“How do you know all of that? I haven’t told
anyone.”

“There’s a lot more to me than you think
you…” Her words trailed off. She twisted her head quickly as she
scanned all of the windows. “Did you see that?”

“No,” I said just as a blurred silhouette
dashed across the front of the car, and I gasped. “Turpis.”

“Bloody hell.” Galilea reached for the
ignition.

The car’s engine roared to life. In less than
a second, Galilea was driving in reverse at a reckless speed. She
clutched the gold dagger tightly in her right hand. As she sped
through the forest, she evaded fallen trees and stumps like a pro…
until a broken tree branch blocked the rear window. I could tell by
the look on her face that Galilea was struggling to navigate
through the trees using solely the two side view mirrors to guide
her. A sudden rear impact made my head jerk back against the
headrest, then sent me flying forward against the dashboard. The
car came to a complete stop.

“Take it!” Galilea handed me the dagger.

She turned to open the door, and a hand
landed flat against the driver’s side window with a loud slap. We
both screamed. Out of the darkness, a face appeared next to the
hand on the window glass, and we screamed again. All of a sudden, a
bright light beamed through my window, shining on Galilea’s face.
Then the light turned away and illuminated a face next to my door.
Eryx.

“It’s Gemini,” Galilea sighed. “Jump in the
backseat, and don’t say a word. They don’t know you’re here.”

“But—”

“Do it now,” Galilea said without looking at
me.

Was I invisible? I had to be for them not to
know I was in the car, too. Was this the way Galilea was protecting
me—by keeping me hidden?

I dove into the back seat just as Galilea
clicked open the car locks. The door on the driver’s side opened
and the car’s dim interior light flickered on. Galen stuck his head
in.

“Your screams must’ve been heard for miles
away,” Galen said. “This fangirling over me has to stop.”

“I was singing,” Galilea said.

“That didn’t sound like singing to me.” Eryx
slid into the passenger seat.

“I see you’re back to that horrible grunge
look with torn clothes.” Galen poked his finger through one of the
holes in Galilea’s shirt.

“Aaahhh!” Galilea hunched over and hugged her
stomach.

I winced. I couldn’t even imagine the pain
she must’ve been in all this time from the burns the Turpis left on
her.

“What’s wrong?” Galen gave her a concerned
look.

“Cramps.” Galilea exhaled. “It’s that time of
the month.”

“I didn’t need to know that.” Eryx made a
face. “And what happened to your car?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, as if the
damage wasn’t evident.

“It’s a wreck, like you,” Galen said. “The
windshield has a hole in it. It’s covered in dents.”

“Oh that.” Galilea rested her head on the
steering wheel. “I’ve had really bad PMS. I needed to hit
something. Hormones are a bitch.”

“I still don’t understand what you see in
her.” Eryx looked at Galen, and Galen shrugged. “So…” Eryx said.
“What are you doing in these woods, Galilea?”

“Camping.”

“Gally.” Galen shook his finger at her. “Are
you lying to us?”

“Why would I do that?” Galilea glanced
between Galen and Eryx.

“Are you hiding something—or someone?” Eryx
asked.

“Nope.” Galilea pressed her lips together and
shook her head.

“Brother, my Gally doesn’t lie to me. Do you,
Gally?” Galen, lifted her chin with the tip of his finger, and
Galilea gave him an uneasy smile. “Are you going to tell us why
you’re out here by yourself, in the middle of nowhere, when you’re
supposed to be in Bucharest waiting for us?”

“Okay, fine. I’ll tell you.” Galilea sighed.
“You see, I ran out of girl products. Know what I mean? So I went
out to buy some, took a short cut to the pharmacy, but I got lost
on the way and ended up here.”

Galen’s fingers tapped the dashboard. His
face turned hard.

“That’s enough of your games.” Galen’s voice
sounded deeper than it had a minute ago. “Where are they,
Galilea?”

“Who?”

“Dahveed and Isis.”

Did he just ask for David?

“How the hell would I know? David is
your
brother, not mine. Why are you looking for them,
anyway?”

“They ran away,” Eryx said, glancing at the
back seat. For a moment, I thought he might’ve been able to see
me.

“No kidding?” Galilea raised her brow. “Did
they leave a note?”

“No, but Dahveed didn’t show up to this
morning’s meeting with the Council,” Galen said. “After the meeting
adjourned, when we arrived at our home in Athens, they were gone.
We waited, but they never returned.”

That can’t be!
I had seen David leave.
He had told me he was going to that meeting. Why hadn’t he gone? I
couldn’t hear what they were saying over the sound of my heart
beating in my ears, so I leaned forward to try to listen to what
they were saying.

“And what makes you think they’re with me?”
Galilea acted like she was offended. “I haven’t spoken to David in
over a year.”

“You’re the only one that David trusts and
knows can keep them hidden from the Council,” Eryx said. “He still
thinks there’s a cure for Isis’ and his condition. And according to
the geneticist whose help we sought, the metamorphosis will
finalize in a few days. They’re a threat to anyone they come in
contact with. Please, if you know, tell us where they are.”

I already knew the part about being a danger
to everyone around me, and that’s exactly why I wanted to turn
myself over to the Council. Somehow, I would find a way to do so.
But right now, what took precedence and worried me sick was knowing
that David had disappeared.

“I’m here,” I said. “But David isn’t with
me.”

Eryx and Galen turned their eyes to the
backseat, where I was sitting.

“Dammit!” Galilea hissed and raised her
hands. “Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?”

“Well, well,” Eryx said. “I guess your Gally
does lie to you, after all, my brother.”

“Oh, Gally.” Galen sighed. “I’m very
disappointed.”

“No, don’t say that. You don’t understand.”
Galilea wrapped her hands around Galen’s face. “Galen, you can
trust me. I didn’t want to lie to you, but I had to.”

“You know what this means, don’t you?” Galen
said to her.

“Oh no. Here we go again.” Eryx rolled his
eyes.

“No, no—don’t say it,” Galilea whimpered.
“Galen, please!”

“You know how much I hate liars. It’s over.”
Galen took Galilea’s hands off his cheeks. “We’re over.”

“No!” Galilea buried her face in Galen’s
chest and sobbed.

“You’re breaking up with her over this?” I
faced Galen. “You know what? She deserves better than you. You
should be more concerned about where your brother is and not about
your stupid pride.”

I heard Galilea gasp, and then silence filled
the car.

“Put it down,” Galen said, at last.

For an instant, I was confused. I didn’t know
what he meant, until I saw the dagger clutched in my hand inches
from his neck.

“I—I forgot I was holding this,” I said. “I
didn’t mean to point it at you.”

Eryx held out his hand, and I placed the
weapon on his palm.

“Do you see now how serious this is, Gally?”
Galen kept his eyes on me as he spoke. “She’s turning. She can’t
control her actions.”

“I already knew,” Galilea said. “But I wasn’t
trying to hide her from you or your family. I was protecting
her.”

“From what?” Eryx asked. “You should be
protecting yourself.”

“Turpis,” I said. “You should take a look at
her stomach. She’s hurt.”

Galen and Eryx exchanged glances. Eryx pulled
out his phone and directed the glow from the screen at Galilea’s
stomach. Galen lifted her shirt. The expression on the twins’ faces
while they observed Galilea’s wounds made me nervous.

“How did this happen?” Galen asked.

“And where’s David?” Eryx added.

“There was a horde waiting for her at a
gasoline station. Somehow, they knew she would be there.” Galilea
looked at me. “I had been following her since she left Athens.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” I said.

“When I saw the car pull into the gasoline
station,” Galilea continued, “I went in the back way, modified the
owners’ memories, and got rid of them. That’s how I posed as a
waitress. The demons were posing as patrons. They looked human.

“I managed to persuade Isis to leave with me,
and we did. Only, she insisted that we go back. That’s when we were
attacked.”