Simmer (5 page)

A driver sat down in front of them and revved
the engine.

"Where to, Mr. Bowrey?"

"The town square, please." Luke responded,
reaching in his bag for a few papers. Kira was taken aback by the
formal use of Luke's last name. To her, he was the slightly cocky,
mostly goofy best friend. But here, Luke was treated with the
utmost respect. It was strange to see him so grown-up, Kira thought
as she studied his concentrated features.

"What?" Luke asked, turning and catching
Kira's stare.

"Nothing," she said and flipped her attention
to the world outside of her window.

For a few minutes, nothing seemed different.
Trees flashed by, a blue sky danced above them, the road was made
of gravel and it was painted with striped yellow lines — nothing
unusual. But then, they pulled to a halt outside two large,
scroll-topped, cast-iron gates. Kira watched as the driver lifted a
remote and pressed a button. The gates slowly creaked open and the
car inched through them.

For some reason unknown to her, Kira expected
something crazy to happen when they entered the town. But, the
deeper in they drove, the more normal it looked, like the perfect
picture of suburbia. They passed white-picket fences, shingled
roofs, mowed front lawns and there was nothing out of the ordinary
at all. In fact, if anything, Kira thought it was eerily silent.
She didn't see people anywhere, despite the sunny day. There were
no children hopping through sprinklers or parents watching over
them from a shady porch. The longer they drove, the more spooked
Kira became. Where were all the people?

"We're almost there," Luke said, tucking all
of his things back inside his bag. Kira shifted her attention from
the ghost town to her friend.

"Where is everyone?" Kira asked.

"They're waiting for you," Luke laughed.

"Me? Why?"

"Kira, you're the only mixed-breed anyone has
heard about in modern history. Believe it or not, you're a huge
deal." Kira felt a knot of butterflies grow in her stomach. Being
the center of attention was never something that had crossed her
mind when coming to Sonnyville. Training? Yes. The Council
watching? Yes. Children gawking? Definitely not. Stupid, she
chastised herself, of course my being here is a big deal.

"Here we are," Luke said. A wide smile lit up
his features and crinkled the corner of his eyes.

The first thing Kira noticed when Luke opened
the door was the cacophony of voices in the air. When she looked
outside, she understood why. Every citizen of Sonnyville must have
been in that town square. The grassy park looked more like a sea of
blond hair as Protectors of all ages spoke excitedly to one
another. Ever so often, Kira saw a streak of fire soar through the
air, only to land in someone's open palm to be absorbed back into
his or her skin. Happy, was what she first thought. All of these
people looked happy and content with their lives.

Luke stepped out of the car first and the
crowd started to quite down. With slight hesitation, Kira emerged,
greeted only by a deafening silence. She had never felt so
self-conscious in her life. Between the yellow hair, the blue sky
and the green trees, her red curly hair stood out like never
before. Her flame-tinted eyes were the same as everyone else's, but
that similarity seemed far too small for Kira to notice at the
moment.

"Well, you sure know how to make an
entrance," Luke whispered, taking her hand. "Follow me."

Kira couldn't speak. She just let Luke lead
her through the crowd, which parted like the red sea as she
approached. When she met someone's eyes, they looked away. She saw
little children cling to their parents, afraid to approach. Are
they scared of me? Kira wondered. But she didn't have time to
complete the thought because she bumped into Luke who had stopped
walking. He dropped her hand and moved aside, so Kira could see the
Council waiting for her.

They sat overlooking the crowd on a raised
wooden platform, each man resting on a large carved throne. She
assumed this was the space where they held town meetings, but after
the completely modern airplane, this archaic arena was the last
thing Kira had expected. There were seven people on the Council.
All of them were men, all of them wore suits, and all of them were
intimidating. She approached the platform and slowly walked up the
steps, all the while fearing her legs would give out before she
reached the top.

"Luke Bowrey." Kira jumped at the loud,
booming voice, and glanced at the older man who spoke. His hair was
pure white, almost blinding to look at, and he sat in the center
seat. "Won't you join us?"

Kira looked back at Luke, who smiled as if he
were the picture of serenity and walked up to stand beside her.

"Councilmen," Luke greeted them with a bow.
There is no way I'm curtsying in front of this crowd, Kira thought.
She didn't want to let on how scared she was, when all of these
people had different expectations of her.

"Hello. Nice to meet you all," Kira said in
the strongest voice she could muster, which seemed almost like a
squeak to her, but clearly was not what they had expected. Luke
looked over at her with eyes brimming in annoyance.

"Miss Dawson, we're aware you are not
familiar with our customs, but when the Council is in session, do
not address us so informally. We are a society built on traditions,
and though you don't know them yet, we expect you to respect
them."

Kira stared at the man who spoke, her eyes
wide in shock. He stared right back, looking down on her — not at
her, but on her, as if she was a bug that needed to be squashed.
His hair was perfectly coifed, pulled back to hide a gleaming bald
spot. Slight wrinkles framed his eyes and his skin was leathery
from too much time spent in the sun. His voice was loud and
commanding.

Who are you, she thought, to sit up on your
throne and judge me? Her fear had been replaced with anger. These
were the men who were responsible for keeping her entire life a
secret and a lie. They sat on their dais overlooking the crowd and
were content to be there. They were comfortable, too comfortable,
and Kira thought it was time for a change.

Almost as if sensing her altered mood, Luke
reached out for her hand. Kira swatted him away. Her neck tingled
with the sensation of Luke's frustration. It was palpable, but she
wouldn't be the docile girl these men could push around.

"I meant no disrespect," Kira said, starting
off politely, before continuing, "but seeing as I had no idea that
any of you even existed for the first seventeen years of my life, I
hope you'll be a little patient with me...Councilmen." She finished
by crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip to the side
so all of her weight rested on one foot.

The older man shook his head and shifted his
eyes to look at Luke. "We expected more from you, Mr. Bowrey, much
more." Luke shifted his weight from one foot to the other and
opened his mouth to respond. Kira knew he would apologize for her,
but that wasn't what she wanted. Sure, the Council could make her
life horrible for the next few weeks if they wanted too, but they
didn't own her.

"Leave Luke out of this. He—"

"He can't be left out of this, Miss Dawson.
Luke was supposed to train you. Luke was supposed to teach you
about our ways. Luke was supposed to get you ready for this life.
Instead, he befriended you. He let too much slip because he cared
about you. Twice, you have almost been captured because you have
not been trained properly."

How dare you, Kira thought, how dare you
blame the one person who's been there for me when I had no idea who
or what I was. When she had no one to trust, not Tristan and not
even her parents, Luke had been there for her.

"Don't you understand?" Kira stepped forward,
leaving the shamefaced Luke behind her and hating this man in front
of her for speaking to him that way. The six other men on the
Council disappeared. The silent crowd slipped away. Even the trees
and sky seemed to fade, until all she focused on was the nameless
man before her. "You were the ones who failed. You were the ones
who never told me who I was. You were the ones who kept everything
secret from me. And, you are the reason I wasn't prepared when
Diana and the others decided I would be their next meal. Luke was
the one who saved me. He told me what I am and made me trust myself
again. Luke kept me alive. He saved me from your mistakes."

When she stopped to breathe, Kira felt a
sense of happiness and pride break through her anger. She wasn't
sure where it came from, but it burst into her chest, blossoming
like a flower. Her tunnel vision receded and she suddenly
remembered where she was...smack dab in the middle of a mass of
people she had probably just royally offended. The Councilmen
glared at her. She looked past them at the crowd behind, not daring
to turn her head to look at Luke or the people behind him. All of
them looked shocked. No one moved and no one shifted his or her
eyes away from the platform. Even the breeze had stopped.

Kira gazed around the sea of statue-like
bodies, searching for one friendly expression, until she saw a
woman whose face held a small smile. She was old with sun-kissed
skin and white hair that gleamed in the sun. Kira felt herself calm
down as she gazed in that woman's face. It was somehow familiar and
comforting. But, the moment was ruined when she saw the man start
to stand.

He eased out of his chair, pushing his hands
against his knees for the extra strength. Kira watched as he
reached behind his chair to grab a long stick she hadn't noticed
before. One end was topped with a gold ball and the rest was smooth
and polished, and she realized it was a cane. Placing the tip of
the cane on the ground before him, he stepped down from his raised
chair and ambled over to her.

No longer angry, Kira took in the situation
from a different angle. Off of his throne, this man no longer
scared her. She saw him for what he was: an old man afraid of
change.

The wood creaked with his steps. And Kira saw
now that his eyes held the strength his frail body clearly didn't
have. Maybe, Kira thought for a moment, the Council didn't rule
with fear like she had expected. Maybe these people really do love
these men, she thought.

He stopped in front of her, straightening his
body to its full height, trying to regain some of the composure
Kira could tell he had lost.

"You remind me of my daughter," he said at
last, after staring at her face in silence for a few moments. Kira
exhaled, releasing a breath she hadn't even realized she had been
holding. "She too struggled with following rules and it killed her.
I saved your life seventeen years ago despite knowing that the fate
of our world would rest on your shoulders. Do not make me regret
it."

His eyes seemed about to water as he walked
past Kira, not looking back. Shuffling tired feet, he reached the
edge of the stage and used his cane for balance as he walked down
the steps. The woman who had smiled at Kira made her way over to
the bottom stair and hooked her arm through his. The gesture looked
more like reflex for the elderly couple, and the crowd parted for
them as they walked away.

Kira watched until they disappeared from
sight into a car that slowly pulled away from the curb.

"Luke, were they...?" She asked quietly,
turning to look at her friend. He gazed back at her sadly and
nodded — those were her grandparents. Kira's legs grew weak and,
almost in slow motion, she plopped down onto the wooden floor. The
locket felt heavy around her neck and she reached into her shirt to
grab it. After opening it, Kira wondered how she hadn't realized
they were her family. The old woman looked so much like her mother
— eyes slightly too large with a reserved smile that seemed full of
secrets. The look she had been giving Kira was the exact same one
her mother held in the photo. It was obvious now.

Kira heard a cough and looked up to find the
source of the noise. Councilman Andrews looked over at her with
impatience, but Kira also thought she noticed a bit of concern in
his expression.

"Miss Dawson, if we could resume the
meeting."

She glanced at Luke, who shrugged
apologetically and offered her a hand. She took it and tucked the
locket back under her shirt. There would be more time for
ruminating later. After taking a deep breath and pushing the hair
out of her face with both hands, Kira was ready to hear what the
Council had to say.

"On behalf of everyone, I would like to first
apologize for what just passed between Councilman Peters and
yourself. Clearly, there were some lingering emotions that we did
not previously notice. Now," Kira watched as he turned his
attention from her to the crowd and silently thanked him for that
little bit of kindness, "You were brought to Sonnyville to learn
about our society and to strengthen your abilities. Before we know
how to train you, we must test you to find out what you already
know. In two days time, we will meet back here to have a formal
examination of your skills. Until then, you will be staying with
Mr. Bowrey and his family. Is that alright with you?"

Kira just nodded, not sure if the question
was for her or Luke. She was still caught on that last bit, that
formal examination thing he mentioned. Two days seemed like an
awfully short amount of time for her to really learn anything new
or get prepared for a test.

"I call this meeting to an end. Councilmen?"
Mr. Andrews questioned. Kira watched as the six remaining Council
members stood.

"May the sun shine down upon you for all of
your days," they said in unison.

"May it protect you until the end," the
entire crowd responded. Kira even heard the rumble of Luke's voice
as he murmured the words. Yet another thing she didn't understand,
another thing that separated her from the others.