Guild of Truth 01 - Silent as the Grave (8 page)

“Amazing, huh?” Sydney said around a mouthful.

“What are these called again?” She might just have to buy them once a week, if not daily.

“Technically they’re called Tom’s Incredible Twists, but Joel and Felix both got it into their heads to call them T.I.T’s for short and I just can’t say the name now without hearing one of them asking for a double order of tits to go along with their pizza.”

Cali choked on her twist.

Her eyes began to water as she desperately reached for her Coke.

Sydney shot to her feet to give her a couple friendly pounds on the back. “Sorry, I probably should have warned you not to have any food in your mouth first.”

Cali sucked in some much needed air. “Thanks,” she gasped out.

“Don’t mention it.” Sydney moved around the room, cleaning up their mess.

Silence fell once more as Cali watched Sydney tidy up. She felt useless at that moment and wanted to volunteer her help but something told her Sydney would just tell her to stay seated.

Once everything was cleaned, Sydney took a seat on the opposite end of the futon and curled one of her legs under her like they were at a slumber party. “So did any other questions come up while you were eating? There has to be more on your mind than how Felix and I met.”

Cali leaned back against the railing of the futon. “Look, I appreciate your friendliness and everything but you don’t have to babysit me. Really. I’m fine.”

“I’m not babysitting you. Why can’t we just hang out?”

“And what? Paint each other’s toenails? Thanks, but no thanks.” Cali went to get off the futon but was blocked.

She hadn’t even seen Sydney move.

“What’s your problem?” Sydney snarled. She was bent over so that her green eyes blazed level with Cali’s. “You look at me and all you see is the blonde hair and think I’m some stereotypical cheerleader who wants to do each other’s toes?” Shame flooded Cali because that was exactly how she’d pegged Sydney. She opened her mouth to apologize but didn’t get the chance as Sydney continued. “If you don’t want to be my friend then that’s fine, but Felix is one of my closest friends and you’re his Mirror Mate, which means you’re going to become a major fixture in his life, and I’m not going anywhere so you better damn well get used to the sight of me.” Her green eyes widened, and she leaned back as if she’d never exploded at someone like that before.

Cali stared, transfixed, before she cleared her throat. Feeling like a real ass all she could think to say was, “Okay.”

Sydney narrowed her eyes. “That’s it? ‘Okay’?”

“You were right. I was being a complete asshole thinking you were nothing more than a perky blonde with half a brain. Can we start over?”

Sydney exhaled in relief, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’d like — ”

Her words cut off as the sound of shuffling reached them from the front of the vet.

Cali and Sydney both froze.

The shock wore off Sydney first. Cali summed it up to being a part of a little super group longer than her. “Did you hear that?” She shot to her feet, Cali right behind her. The sound came again but it was too faint to make out.

Okay, Cali, you can do this. Your power is to manipulate sound, so … manipulate it.
She shook out her hands to steady her nerves and shut her eyes. She tried to imagine all the sounds around her fading. After a moment of nothing happening she began to feel foolish.

Cali turned to Sydney. Her face was pinched in concentration.

“Are you using your powers?” Cali asked her.

Sydney nodded. “Why?”

How did she say that she’d tried to use her powers and was unsuccessful without sounding like she was whining?

Cali proceeded toward the door. “Just wondering,” she said.

Sydney touched her arm. “Cali, wait. We have no idea what’s out there. I promised Felix … ” She let the sentence hang.

“You promised to get me settled,” Cali pointed out. “He said nothing about what to do in the event of an attack.” But damn, she had to admire Sydney’s loyalty. She’d only ever dreamed of having a friend as loyal as that. Someone she didn’t have to worry about going behind her back and taking her paintings, or sneaking drugs into her drinks …

She shook the thoughts away.

“What’s our plan of action?”

Sydney nibbled at her bottom lip. “Well, I used my powers so if whoever is out there tries to use their own abilities they won’t be able to and … that’s all I’m basically used for.”

“You mean you guys all don’t know some crazy special kung-fu fighting technique?”

Sydney’s gaze could have frozen water. “We’ve already told you, we’re not a military branch.”

More was the pity. How the hell were they supposed to defend themselves if all they had was a woman who could negate power and another who could manipulate sound? Where were the super strength and fire-wielding powers when you needed them?

The rustling came again.

Sydney grasped the door and gave her a nod.
We take this nice and slow,
it said.

Together they crept out into the large hallway. A faint light came in through the reception area caused by the streetlights outside. Sydney took the lead as they filed into the smaller hall that opened into the front lobby. Sydney stopped and took a deep breath before turning the corner.

She poked her head out just enough to see into the main room before she pulled back. “It’s coming from behind the reception desk.”

She leaned out to take another look. Cali was tall enough to lean over her and peer around the corner above her head.

The lobby was empty.

The faint rustling came from the far corner, right where Sydney had said. There was no light of any kind, which begged the question how the hell did whoever was over there see anything? Didn’t they need a flashlight?

A small part of Cali had worried Collette had come after her, but with Sydney nullifying any and all powers, Collette would be useless. Plus, Collette didn’t strike her as the type of woman who would hide out behind a reception desk.

Sydney’s thoughts must have been following her own. She bravely made her way into the lobby, Cali right behind her. When they reached the desk, Sydney waved her back, signaling her to stay put.

Cali bit her tongue to keep from protesting but ultimately stayed where she was.

Sydney stepped behind the reception desk.

And screamed.

Cali reacted instantly. She grabbed the first thing within reach. It turned out to be a dog leash hanging on the wall closest to her.

She rushed the reception desk and nearly got bowled over by Sydney.

“What is it?” she demanded. There was nothing in sight.

Something moved past her foot and Cali yelped.

The fuzzy gray blob scuttled toward the dog food, giving Cali a moment to identify it. “Gadget?”

Felix’s rat continued to make a break for the dog food. Sydney jumped out of the rodent’s way with another screech.

Cali forced her laughter down. She hurried to scoop the fat rat up before it gave Sydney a heart attack. “Easy, Sydney, it’s just Gadget.”

Sydney’s face was murderous. “I’m going to kill Felix.”

Cali highly doubted it, but she kept her comments to herself as Gadget nuzzled into her palm. Sydney might hate the fact that Felix sometimes left his pet rat in her vet but he was important to her, special …

The dull ache in her chest throbbed. “Hey, Sydney?”

She was busy dusting herself off. “Hm?”

“What’s a Mirror Mate?”

Her hands faltered before continuing to brush at her clothing. She looked up to give her a bright smile. “You are.”

Cali wasn’t buying it. “That doesn’t tell me anything. Everyone keeps calling me Felix’s Mirror Mate but no one’s really told me what that means. How do you even know that I’m his or that he’s mine? I don’t get it.”

Sydney held her hands out in surrender. “I understand, and I wish I had more information for you, but to be perfectly honest we’re not even sure what it is. When I met Felix years ago, he thought he was the only one with powers. When we figured out I had them too, I freaked out thinking perhaps they were contagious. They’re not. Felix eventually met Collette and found that she too had powers. Our little network of powered people was growing, but that still didn’t give us any insight. All of us had different powers. Were there others out there with similar powers or was every person different? The questions continued to grow when Collette confided in Felix that she found work at a company that used people like us. Felix wasn’t happy with this new discovery and exploitation. He stopped talking to Collette, and some months after that he received a call that she had discovered something amazing. It turns out Collette was the first one to discover Mirror Mates, though she didn’t call them that. That’s our own specialty term.” Sydney grinned. “Anyway, from what Felix has told us, Mirror Mates are a sort of soul mate with the added benefit that, once a certain bond is formed between them, they increase each other’s powers.”

“Increase their powers how?”

Sydney shrugged. “Not sure. When Collette found her Mirror Mate, her Illusions became corporeal. So far she’s the only one we know of who is what we term ‘full-forced.’”

So that was it, the reason why Felix was so nice to her. He wanted to use her to increase his own power. Her heart sank, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d yet to meet anyone who didn’t want her for some other purpose.

No one wants you for you.

“Are you okay?” Sydney peered up at her studiously.

Cali instantly pasted a false smile on her face. She didn’t want Sydney to know how much Felix had inadvertently hurt her. And here she had started to actually like the bastard.

Her anger grew, something she welcomed as it burned away the betrayal and hurt she felt.

“I’m fine,” she lied. “So I take it Felix and Collette dated back in the day?” The bitter words burst from her lips before she could even process what she’d said.

Sydney gave her a funny look. “No. Never. Felix refused to date her, which only added to Collette’s anger toward him.” She stopped abruptly as if there was more to the story but she didn’t want to divulge it.

Fine.

Cali didn’t want to hear it anyway.

“I think I’m going to turn in for the night,” she said briskly. She started back toward the office.

Sydney huffed behind her as she tried to catch up to her long strides. “Hold on there Cali. Why do I get the feeling I said something to upset you?”

“I’m fine,” she said through clenched teeth. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

“You don’t believe us? Niella Dreamed it. I know to you that still doesn’t make it a hard fact but I’m sure deep down you know it’s true. There has to be some kind of connection you feel toward Felix that can support what we’re telling you.”

Her chest chose that moment to ache. Cali ignored it. “Goodnight, Sydney. Thanks. For everything.”

Sydney came up short, unsure where she went wrong. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it just as quickly. She collected her things from around the office and made her way toward the exit. She paused at the door. “Goodnight. I’ll lock you in. See you tomorrow.”

Cali sat quietly as she listened for Sydney’s retreating footsteps. A few moments after she heard the door close, a car started, no doubt Joel’s truck. He’d left it for Sydney because she no longer had a car. Thanks to Felix.

Cali groaned and flopped back onto the futon.

Why did she keep thinking about him?

An annoyed squeak alerted Cali to the fact she was squeezing Gadget a little too tightly. She loosened her grip. “Sorry little buddy.”

Lying there staring at the rodent did nothing to calm her turbulent emotions. She cursed Felix anew and set Gadget on the floor. It was all his fault that she was lying there restless while he was no doubt calm as could be in his home, busy thinking up his next plan of action to try to trick her into trusting him.

She punched one of the futon pillows to try to mold it into a more comfortable shape. She wanted her own bed. She didn’t want to have to be on the run or hiding from some group she’d never even heard about before just because, for some reason, they were after her. She didn’t want any of this. She punched her pillow again, bad mouthing all the people involved in creating her current predicament. “I hate people,” she grumbled.

• • •

Felix paced restlessly back and forth across his living room. “We shouldn’t have left her there alone.”

Joel rubbed at his temples. “She’s fine,” he repeated for the umpteenth time. “Sydney told you nothing was out of place when she left. Now can you please go to sleep so I can stop being a good friend and go to bed with my girlfriend?”

Felix spun on his heel to stride the length of his couch. He rubbed idly at his chest, the hollow ache continuing to gnaw at him. “I really don’t think we should have left her alone.”

Joel dropped his head back onto the couch. “You don’t say.” His sarcasm was lost on Felix.

Felix couldn’t stop thinking about Cali. Alone. Somewhere Collette could easily find her. Felix had never told Collette about Sydney’s clinic when they had been friends years ago, but she was clever and had resources at her fingertips. Resources that were becoming increasingly suspicious to Felix. He’d learned long ago that she’d sold her soul to the devil for a well-paying job, one with the shady prospect of paying people large amounts of money if they used their powers. As for what they used those people’s powers for … he never asked Collette. He didn’t want to know. It had been too much for him to take that she would give up her dreams, her hopes, everything, for money, for a chance to feel superior.

“It has to be more than revenge,” he mused aloud.

Joel’s eyes were closed. His head still rested back against the couch.

Felix kicked his shoe and Joel came awake with a curse.

His dark blue eyes searched for what had woken him before they focused on Felix. “What?”

“Revenge,” Felix repeated. “It doesn’t add up.” He rubbed at his chest again.

Joel’s eyes followed the movement. “What’s wrong with you? You got a rash or something?”