Souljacker (22 page)

MaXXX merely beams. “Back to camp, everyone.”
He plunks Jolee down. She throws us a smile over her shoulder as
she leads the group back to the center of Polaris Square. There, a
large fire pit’s been formed out of old bricks. The smiling boy
from earlier is stacking dry wood in the center as we all sit down
around him.

A little tow-headed boy places his hands on
the wood and closes his eyes. His hair ripples back away from his
face, heat billowing off of him. Just like Caddie, sparks float up,
catching the wood. He backs away as the flames rise up slowly,
licking away at the dry bark. MaXXX wraps his arm around the boy’s
waist and hauls him into his lap as he settles, his back against
the fire.

Then he starts his story. I lean against
Iofiel, loving the warmth of his arm wrapped loosely around my
waist. My head rests on his shoulder and he kisses the top of it as
we listen. It starts off simple enough, but quickly turns into

“Then next thing I know, holy shit, thi—”

Josh, the fog-making guy, clears his throat.
“Little ears.” He points to the kids.

MaXXX smiles, but doesn’t falter. “This
huuuge black beast was staring me down. He was like a hellhound,
all sleek muscle and smooth fur. His robot eye glowed an eerie red.
And he was snarling in my face, close enough that I could smell his
breath. I couldn’t do anything. I wanted to scream, but I fought it
down.”

MaXXX is getting into it. He’s put the kid
down and is pacing around the fire pit, his arms waving for
emphasis as he details the chase. “I’ve never run so fast in my
life. And then there’s three of the monsters, snarling at my heels,
slobbering like Cerberus himself. I knew I was dead meat. But
something told to stop running from my problems. To turn around and
face them. So I did: I turned around and looked those three evil
cyberhounds in the eye.”

“Then, kapow! I punched one as hard as I
could. He yelped and ducked back and the other two rushed me. I
pulled back my arm and just…I willed my powers to come and
bitch-slap the beasties.”

This gives him a couple of glowers from both
Josh and Lake. MaXXX goes on for several minutes, describing each
move he made to fight off the pack of cyberhounds. I feel Iofiel
grow uneasy beneath me, his nerves making my heart flip-flop, and I
nuzzle his shoulder.

His hand cups my cheek and I curl up in his
arms. I tune out the story, I tune out the kids hanging on to
MaXXX’s every word, like it’s the last thing they’ll ever hear.
Like they’re living the story right beside him, and maybe they
are.

I must’ve dozed off, because the next thing I
hear is: “So I blasted the Unseelie bit—”He catches himself.
“
Witch
back to where she came from. She gave me this death
glare and poofed, taking her hellhounds with her. MaXXX: one,
Evil-Doers: zilch. The end.”

The kids cheer and I give him a hand. If
anything else, his dramatics were entertaining.

“Thank you, MaXXX, for that lovely
entertainment.”

Iofiel nudges me with his elbow and I
sleepily sit up. I rub at my eyes. Diesel stands at the back of the
group, clapping quietly. But it’s the petite redhead peeking out
from behind her that has my heart clogging my throat, in need of
some serious Drain-O.

Sync.

“Luce!” Her voice is no longer tinged with a
British accent, but it’s soft, young, innocent. “It worked!” She
dances around, touching her face with the palms of her hands. “It
really worked. Ohmygod, thank you,
thank
you!”

She wraps her arms around my neck so hard
that I’m literally choking. She squeaks and drops me quickly.
“Oops, sorry. Still don’t know my own strength.”

I grin at her despite the watering of my
eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m glad it worked. Stand still,
let me see you.” I step back and she obeys, hands planted on her
hips, one hip thrust out in a sassy pose. “You’re beautiful,
Sync.”

“I know!” Not at all modest, but why should
she be? All her life, she’s had a little metal shell…and now she’s
a stunning android with those long, sexy legs she’s wanted for
forever.

And a grin slowly creeps across my face as I
remember: “I have someone I want you to meet. Close your eyes and
give me your hand.”

She smiles and closes them. Then, with her
hand clasped in mine, I lead her over to MaXXX. His blue eyes widen
as he looks her up, down, and up again. His lips curl into a
smile.

“This is my friend I told you about. She’s
your biggest fan.” I place Sync’s hand gently in his palm and his
fingers curl around it.

“Why, hello gorgeous.”

Her eyes flutter open and she freezes. I can
practically see the cogs in her little robot brain working as she
realizes who exactly she’s staring at. Had she been human, she’d
probably be three different shades of pink right about now. Instead
she squeals loud enough that heads turn our way.

“Ohmygoddddd. MaXXX? Seriously?”

“In the flesh, babygirl.” He flashes his
one-hundred-ten watt smile and she melts.

“I think I’m in love.”

***

The next week flies by in a blur. Diesel
arranges it so that Sync, Caddie, and I have our own bunks in the
cottage where all the girls sleep. Caddie loudly calls a top bunk
and I clamber into the one beneath her. Sync takes the bed beside
me. Jolee’s grinning down at us from up top. “I can’t believe you
guys are sleeping in my room. It’s so exciting!”

I’ll admit, I was bummed at first when I
realized I wouldn’t be able to spend anymore nights curled up in
the comfort of Iofiel’s arms, and judging by the look on his face
when Diesel led us away, I’d say he’s a bit torn about that too.
But we have the entire day with each other and whenever we leave
Polaris, we’ll have nights together once again.

“It’s just a temporary thing,” I’d said,
giving him the biggest hug I could muster. He only smiled and
kissed my lips chastely, knowing we were being watched by young
eyes. “I love you.”

“Always and forever.”

But he seems distant.

We spend the week doing next to nothing,
really, but I fall easily into routine: Wake up by ten, eat
breakfast in the mess hall, and the older kids take their showers.
Then we have lunch, basic sparring and training with the eldest
Mithos besides Diesel, the ever-smiling boy who can put up wards.
He’s called Gale. After that, it’s the typical game night, dinner
by seven, story time, showers for the younger kids, and bed before
ten.

I’m actually enjoying myself, even if the
days are uneventful. For once in my life, I’m not shunned because
of my oddity. Here, everyone can do something and it just makes us
unique. Not freaks of nature, but wholly natural beings of Polaris.
And despite the town’s shoddy appearance, it’s not bad.

It’s more of a home than any of the foster
places I’ve ever lived at.

“Hey!” An aqua ball whizzes past my head as
Tucker, an eight-year-old who can control and manipulate water,
lobs it. He’s grinning like the Cheshire cat, his carrot-red hair
unruly.

MaXXX spins and reaches out, slamming his
hand through the orb and it explodes in a splatter of liquid that
turns his grey shirt black. With a frown, he turns on Tucker, who
stops laughing and sobers up.

“You know the rules, Tuck.” His voice is calm
and quiet, but resonating deep within it is disappointment. The
only strict rule Diesel has is that no Mithos use his or her power
for fun when they’re not inside the sparring arena, which is double
warded. If everyone used their ability whenever they wanted, it
would surge and send the Unseelie straight to Polaris. We’d all be
dead meat.

Tucker grumbles and stomps his foot. “That’s
not fair.”

“Rules are rules for a reason.”

“They suck!”

“Sorry, kiddo.” MaXXX walks up to the boy and
picks him up. Tucker lashes out, but MaXXX is stronger and faster
and holds him tightly to his chest so he can’t do any more harm.
With the boy thrashing in his grip, he takes him to the Time Out
corner.

I catch the gleam of approval in Caddie’s
gaze. She’s taken with MaXXX, even if she won’t admit it. I can’t
really blame her: He’s almost perfect. Almost. A little too cocky
in the ladies department, but he’s strong, smart, and sweet. Not to
mention one gorgeous hunk of guy-flesh. And he knows how to handle
all the kids, temper tantrums or not, and he does it without
raising his voice. Maybe it’s because he’s just a big kid
himself.

But it’s Sync who’s the most smitten. If it’s
possible for an android to fall in love, she most certainly has.
She spends a lot of her time with him, following him around as he
teaches her different things, but he seems all the more pleased
with her undivided attention.

“Are you sure you’re not mad with me, Luce?
I’m ditching you…” She hunches her shoulders and shifts her weight
from side to side, watching me for a reaction.

“It’s fine! I’ve got Caddie.” And Iofiel, but
he’s been a little…off lately.

“Ah, actually you don’t.” Sync points to
where Caddie, Lake, and Fallon are chatting, their heads tipped
together. Caddie spies us, waves, and winks.

I chuckle. “It doesn’t matter, okay? I’m not
angry—I’m glad you like MaXXXXX! This is your dream, isn’t it?”

“I think I love him…” Her voice is soft.
“But…I need to tell him that I’m not…real.”

I frown at that. “Real? Who’s
he
to
say you’re real or not? You’re real, you’re just not quite
human.”

“That’s what I meant.”

“But you’re real. Don’t ever think that
you’re not. There are always other guys. Guys who will accept you,
if the almighty MaXXX is too manly to see a beautiful android as
his girlfriend.” I huff. “I’ll beat his ass up.”

“Luce.” She huffs, back to her usual self
again. “I’m going to tell him…soon. Not yet. But soon. I’ll see you
at dinner?”

“Definitely,” I agree and she hops off to
find her knight in shining armor.

I start walking. I don’t have a destination,
so I just wander up and down the street, unsure of what to do with
myself. As always, my mind drifts back to Iofiel, to his suddenly
quiet demeanor, to the nerves that make him paranoid. I’ve seen the
way he throws glances over his shoulder, watching Polaris’s
territory line. I want to find him and ask him what’s going on,
but…I don’t know what to say. For once since I met him, I feel at a
loss for words.

He’s spent the last few days in chosen
solitude, ever watchful, patrolling the streets long after I’ve
gone to bed; I see him through the window of our cottage, shrouded
by shadows and moonlight. Maybe he’s just nervous that Lylan will
find us.

I know he doesn’t really like it here. Even
if most of the older Mithos tolerate him among their ranks, they’re
not exceptionally friendly. He’s the outcast here, the only person
who has no power to call his own. I don’t want to admit it, but
I’ve heard the whispers—he’s a freak even when he hides his
cyborg-self from the world with Realskin and Diesel’s molded face
plate.

He might appear human, but he’ll never pass
as one. Not to them.

But what if how he’s acting is more than just
your usual unease? Rumors have spread like wildfire, whispered
between the bunks at night by the older girls. Girls who admire him
from afar, but fear him on the surface. Just for what he is. What
he used to be a part of.

“I don’t feel safe under that thing’s watch.
It’s like he’s waiting. Waiting for his pack to intercept us. It’ll
probably happen at night: Cyberhounds will flood Polaris and take
us by storm, tipped off by that boy. Diesel’s crazy for letting him
stay. Her heart’s too soft. He’s a ticking time bomb.”

I’d pretended to be asleep, pretended that I
never heard them talking about him like that.

But it’s been lodged in my mind ever
since.

I know Iofiel—but he’s never acted this way
before, like there’s miles between us and I can’t hear his voice
anymore, no matter how hard he shouts. It scares me a little bit. I
love him, and I know it’s stupid, but…what if they’re right? What
if he’s waiting for Lylan and the Pack? What if he’s gathered us
all here together, planning a mass ambush on a sleepy little
town?

Oh, God, Lucifer Swift! How could you
think like that?
I shake my head violently, feeling dread well
in my stomach, mixed with nausea at those rancid thoughts. I feel
dirty, just thinking it. I scrub my hands over my arms and press
on. This time, I have a destination.

I have to find him. I have to talk to him,
right these wrongs that I’ve committed just by thinking. He
wouldn’t hurt anyone. He’s mine and I’m his. I love him.

But I can’t find him. I ask around, but no
one’s seen him. I even check the Chopshop, but the front room is
empty and the back room is shut tight. With a sigh, I turn on my
heel and let the bells chime my goodbye to no one in
particular.

“You look conflicted, sweetie. What’s up?”
MaXXX leans against the building, head tipped to one side. His hair
is wild and unruly today. He runs a hand through it and offers me a
smile.

I sigh, feeling alone and empty for once in a
long time. “I am.”

I expect him to prod, poke into my head and
pry my thoughts out with his fingertips, but he merely shrugs.
“Know what cures a bad case of confliction? Burning energy, baby.
Come with me.” He places a hand on my shoulder, which I hate to
admit I’m all too aware of, and he leads me to the warded building
that houses Polaris’s sparring arena.

It’s just a large, gutted room with padded
floors and walls. Each wall is sketched with an emblem of purity,
warding anyone in the room from being picked up by any sort of
supernatural tracker. If we used our powers in here, it would keep
a surge from being sent out to the cyberhounds and, ultimately, the
Unseelie.