He looked at Kara and then back at me. “What’s she teaching you? How to get knocked out?”
“I’m fine, really,” I said, laughing it off.
He raised his eyebrows at me. “Maybe you should teach her how to block a punch.”
“Why don’t you teach her?” Kara said, challenging him to do better.
I tried to hold back a smile.
“What?” William asked me. “You think I don’t know how to hold my own in a fight?”
I shrugged, unsure. “Well, you never showed me anything before.”
“What can I say? Mac sort of steals the show, but I am ninety-two,” he said with confidence. “I’ve learned enough.” Suddenly I was curious. The idea of William fighting to defend me was . . . sexy. “How?”
“I learned from my Dad. Don’t let him fool you with his suave I’m-in-a-suit look. He can mimic abilities, so he learned from the best.”
“Are you two going to fight or what?” Kara interrupted. “I really want to see this.”
“Okay,” he said. His warm fingers pressed against my upper arms as he pulled me closer. “When your opponent is close enough to throw a punch, nine out of ten times, they will. You just have to know to expect it. It’s best to be in the offensive, throw the first punch, move toward your opponent—”
“Yeah, I told her all that,” Kara added.
“But if you find yourself on the defensive,” he continued without acknowledging her, “you try to push the punch to one side with your hand, like this.” His touch was warm as he reached for my arm, extending it toward him slowly, moving his body to the left, my arm to the right. “After you’ve dodged the hit, you use the closest elbow to come in and drive it to their chest.” He stepped forward, pressing his elbow against my sternum softly, then smiled at me. It was hard not to enjoy being close. In a fight, I imagined he would use his ability next. With his eyes inches from mine, he could make me do whatever he wanted. But there was no need to use his power on me. I would already die for him.
“Okay, forget this,” Kara said, pushing William away from me. “She’s never going to learn with you being all sexy-eyes at her.”
“Hey, I was born this way. It’s not my fault I’ve got sexy eyes.”
“Throw a real punch at me,” Kara continued, still focused on training.
William took a seat on the water’s edge to watch.
When I came at her with a heavy lunging swing, she followed William’s instructions pushing my fist aside with grace and stopping just before her elbow slammed into my chest. “Got it?” she asked.
I nodded. “Again.”
***
I trained with Kara every morning for four weeks. William watched, joining in only when he disagreed or had something more to add, but he remained serious. Mac took over in the afternoons, running drills, teaching technique, until it was finally time to make our move. Four weeks of training, the oracle’s guarantee, and I still wasn’t confident.
“We should probably leave soon,” I said after we’d finished dinner. I began stacking my parents’ old china plates and handed them to William.
“How d’ya feel about us leaving tomorrow?” Mac asked from the table.
“We can’t,” I answered simply. “We won’t make it in time. Beverly Hills is a long drive—”
“Apparently we won’t be driving,” Kara said, turning to
Mac with surprise.
He gave her an irritated look. “Mind stayin’ out of my thoughts?”
“Well?” William asked, running water over the dishes. “A young man’s offered to help us. Name’s Alex.”
“The messenger,” Kara added. “From the fire.”
I stopped clearing the table and stood behind an empty chair. “Can we trust him?” I asked.
“Given that he helped us once, I think we’re good,” Mac answered. “Besides, Kara here can make sure he’s not bluffing, right?”
“Count me in,” she answered.
“He offered to help us get past the first gate with the guard tomorrow night, but after that we’re on our own,” Mac continued. “He doesn’t want any part in the rescue.”
“So why include him, Mac?” William argued, turning off the water.
I thought about the white pressure that saved us from the fire. How we’d been carried away from the fight in a matter of seconds, ending up in the van far away from any threat. “He’s a getaway plan,” I answered, seeing the uncertainty in Mac’s face. “He doesn’t think we’re going to make it out of there on our own.”
“We might not,” Kara added.
6.
THERE WAS NO WAY I could have fully prepared for this night. Too much was at risk for me to feel sure all would go as planned. If the slightest thing went wrong, someone could be killed.
I heaved a deep stress-filled sigh as I thought about it. My hands kept busy, sorting through darts at the kitchen table, picking out my favorite and most accurate pieces. I was sure I wasn’t fooling anyone though. Kara, Mac, and William all knew I was nervous, but they also knew nothing would get in my way.
“Here,” Kara said, tossing me a black piece of fabric. The look of amusement on her face made me curious.
“What is it?” I asked, examining it more carefully.
“It’s your outfit.” She smiled wide as I unfolded it.
“This is a dress,” I said in disbelief.
She laughed. “I know. I can’t wait to see this.”
“I’m not wearing it.”
“Yes, you are,” Mac yelled from my old bedroom where he and William were getting ready.
Somehow when Mac said all black, I’d imagined sweat pants and ski masks. Not this.
“Isn’t there something else?”
“Nope,” Mac answered, emerging in a stunning tuxedo, fully shaved. “It’s Beverly Hills, kid. You’ve gotta look the part. Anyone asks, we’re attending a cocktail party, and we’re lost.”
I’d never seen Mac dressed so nice. It took me by surprise. If he was willing to go to such lengths, I guess it wasn’t so unreasonable for me to do the same.
“Well, what are
you
wearing?” I asked Kara, feeling a bit singled out.
She rolled her eyes. “Same thing, different version.”
The two of us locked ourselves in the bathroom and shimmied into the dresses. Mine was loose around the legs, stopping at the knee and tightening up around the hips and waist. I pulled up on the shoulder straps trying to heighten the v-neck, which was a little low for my taste. Over the years, fashion had gotten so revealing. I glanced at Kara who was staring at herself in the mirror.
“I don’t know about this,” she said, pulling the fabric down over her legs.
At least mine was long enough to cover the weapon I now had to keep strapped to my bare thigh. Hers was skintight and didn’t leave much for the imagination.
I held back a smile. “Yeah, I’m thinking I got the better deal.”
We slid our feet into black flat dress shoes and stared at the makeup on the counter.
“Do we really need to wear makeup?” I asked. “This is a rescue mission, not a dance party.”
She shrugged. “We have to look the part.”
I used the toilet as a seat while Kara painted my eyelids with color. The brush tickled like feathers, and made my face relax. I wished I could enjoy getting ready with a friend, but it reminded me of playing dress up with Chloe when she was younger. Behind my closed eyes I saw her sweet baby face with blue eyelids and cheeks too pink. I saw Anna smiling as her daughter danced around in that worn out princess costume. It made my heart ache.
When we were done we pulled our hair up and faced the mirror.
I raised my eyebrows at Kara. “We’re pretty,” I said with surprise. I didn’t recognize either of us.
“Are you ready?” I yelled, once we emerged from the bathroom.
“How do I look?” William asked. He slid across the wood floor in his socks, flashing his tuxedo, and nearly stumbled at the sight of us. “Wow.” The subconscious reaction was mumbled under his breath, not meant for others to hear. “You’re so . . . you look amazing.”
I laughed to hide my embarrassment. “You too.”
“All right, all right, can we go now?” Mac grumbled, pulling at the collar of his shirt.
Outside the boundaries of Mac’s safe haven there was a limo, its black color camouflaged against the night. Here in Chilcoot, it was too cold for dresses, and I shivered as we walked across the dirt road toward the car. A young guy with milky white skin and pitch-black hair waited beside it. His eyes were a cool minty blue and they stared into me with intensity as I approached.
“Name’s Alaximandrios,” he said, thrusting his hand out in front of me. I took it and looked hard back at him. Something about his tone rubbed me the wrong way. “Do me a favor though, and only use it when you need to. Any time it’s uttered, I hear it as a call for my services. People call me Alex.”
“Nice to meet you,” William said offering his hand. Alex still had mine tightly in his grasp, and I could tell it was bothering him.
Alex shook it and turned toward the limo without a word. “Don’t go blabbing my call name to anyone either,” he said over his shoulder as we followed him.
As soon as we entered the limo, I began to sweat. All my muscles went tense, and no matter how hard I tried to relax, my shoulders stayed tight. William smiled at me, and our eyes locked. That was when the ache started in my chest. By coming with me, he was giving me everything he had. They all were, risking their lives for me, for Anna and Chloe. The gripping fear that this might be the last time I saw William made it hard to breathe, but there was nothing I could say to make him change his mind. My love was his burden, and guilt took a swing, hitting me in the gut. There was only one way to keep everyone safe, if it got to that point. I had one last saving grace—a trade. Me for them.
The familiar white erased my surroundings before I had time to ready myself. I squirmed in the emptiness, unable to breathe, see, hear. Then within seconds it was over, and we were all staring at each other. I had expected to pass out, like before, but I’d been conscious the whole time.
“Is that unpleasant for anyone else, or just me?” William asked as we all tried to pull ourselves back to reality.
“No. Definitely not pleasant,” I agreed.
It was hard to make out what was beyond the tinted windows as we drove through the neighborhood streets of Beverly Hills. The houses hid behind gated driveways, subtle light twinkling through tall hedges. The night made for the perfect camouflage. When the car came to a stop, Mac’s rough voice cut through the silence. “Here goes nothin’.”
Kara and Mac shuffled out the door leaving William and
I inside.
“Would you stay back if I wanted you to?” I asked quietly. He looked at me like he’d been expecting the question.
“Would
you
?” My eyes moved away from his. He knew I wouldn’t.
“It’s different for me. I have to go.”
He shrugged. “So do I.”
As far as I was concerned, he didn’t
have
to do anything, but I knew he would never let me go in alone. In his mind, he had to protect me, and nothing would keep him from that.
He scooted toward the open door, and held his hand out for me. “Come on. It’ll be okay.”
I took it and climbed out behind him. As soon as I was out, Alex drove away, leaving us alone in the street. There was no going back.
“This way,” Kara said, taking the lead.
I listened to William’s footsteps behind me as we walked, but my eyes were alert, looking for movement. If they were expecting us, there was no telling when they’d make their move.
Kara stopped a block away from a tall wrought iron gate. “Riley should be guarding the entrance. You’ll have to approach from the far right to avoid the camera. Once you’re there, William, have her freeze frames to the front gate and left side yard surveillance.”
“Got it,” he answered.
I bit my lips as I watched him.
“Don’t go,” I whispered into his ear as he came in to kiss my cheek, but he ignored me, and tipped my chin up with his finger.
I watched him walk away, feeling completely helpless. As they turned the corner, he looked back with one last comforting smile and was gone. Immediately my chest caved in, and my mouth went so dry I couldn’t swallow. I watched Kara’s concentrated eyes as she followed William’s thoughts, tracking their progress.
“What’s going on?” I asked after waiting several minutes. “Are you telling them where to go?”
“Ssh!” she snapped.
I sighed and picked at my nail beds, staring at the gate, like if it moved I’d get my answers.
“They’re in,” she said, staying focused. “Okay, should we go?”
“Just wait.” Her voice spiked with irritation.
The girl next to me wasn’t the Kara I’d been growing close to over the weeks. She was the harder version, the trained operative who’d worked for The Council on jobs for years.
I couldn’t help but stare at her face, waiting for the muscles in her forehead to tell me if things were good or bad, but I didn’t speak again.
Her glossy lips curled into a smile. “The guard is opening the gate for us. Let’s go.”
The hard soles of our flats clicked and scuffed over the surface of the sidewalk as we tried to be quick but discrete. Kara led the way, scanning the area for any threatening presence. The large black wrought iron gate swung open electronically, and a pretty face met us with a love-struck smile. She straightened her beige dress suit and ran her fingers through her auburn hair, trying to make herself look presentable.
“Hi, Riley,” Kara said, apparently amused to see her under the influence of William’s ability.
“Hello,” she answered in a daze. “Please, come in.” Kara laughed quietly to herself.
What’s so funny?
I thought to her. I couldn’t be anything but completely serious.
She can take a wall down with her fist. If it weren’t for William, she probably would have ripped my heart right out of my chest. I don’t imagine I’m welcome here anymore.
I looked around, feeling threatened by whatever ability lurked around the next corner. Where are they?
Close, but hidden. Where we should be.
I knew what came next, my role in this. William’s ability would wear off as we moved on, and I needed to sedate those we encountered. I triggered the bracelet on my left wrist and loaded the dart with just enough toxin to put Riley under for a few hours.