City In Embers Read online

  “Tell me it’s from overhearing, not doing.”

  “Okay,” she responded coyly. I knew she was trying to aggravate me. Gossip in this area was rampant, and I had yet to hear of Lexie doing anything with any boy or girl.

  I rubbed my temple. “At your school and in this neighborhood, topics like going down are more common than discussing the weather.”

  “And there is a stiff chance of a semen shower.”

  “Lexie...” I put my head in my hands.

  She only giggled mischievously.

  I was trying to keep her as innocent as I could, but you grew up fast in our situation. I was put into the foster care system as an infant and moved from home to home. Some were okay; most I never wanted to think about again. A few still gave me nightmares. All I was told about my parents was they were dead. By the time I got old enough to start asking questions, the system had lost my files. All I possessed was my name, Zoey Daniels. No middle name and no record of any kind. I went through the Internet, the phone book, and the obituaries. Do you know how many Daniels there are? All led to dead ends. Eventually I gave up.

  “Did Jo feed you last night?” I turned back to Lexie.

  She tilted her head, her expression saying, What do you think?

  Rubbing my face with irritation, I suddenly felt years older than I was. Maybe this was why I was so drawn to Daniel. I was actually a forty-year-old in a twenty-two-year-old body.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Lexie nudged me with her hand. “I rolled my ass down to McDonalds. Went through the drive-thru again. The manager didn’t like it, but Raphael finds it hilarious. He always gives me extra fries.”

  Another groan came from me. “You know I hate when you do that. Not going through the drive-thru, but the going out in this neighborhood by yourself at night.”

  Lexie shrugged, a defiant grin on her lips. She was bold and said and did whatever was on her mind. But I’d seen some of the guys around here start to look at her differently. She was growing up, and they couldn’t help but notice she was stunning. The wheelchair made her a perfect candidate to take advantage of. She was at the age where she would brush me off by saying, “I can take care of myself,” and not fully grasping she couldn’t. Not if they wanted to do something to her.

  She was also unaware it wasn’t only humans who could prey on her.

  “I’ll get the shower going. Might as well get up and get ready for school. We can work on the homework I know you didn’t do last night.” I pushed myself off her bed, my brow hitched.

  She grinned. “You know me too well.”

  After I placed her in the shower on her specially built seat, I went back to the tiny kitchen. Coffee gurgled in the pot, the aroma masking all the nastier smells. Pouring a cup, I leaned against the counter. The sun shone faintly through the window, warming my back.

  The sound of Joanna’s snores rolled over to me, interrupting my moment of peace. I loved Lexie, but sometimes I wanted to run. Far away. And leave it all behind. There had to be more to my life than this. More to me.

  My hand ran over the fogged mirror, wiping at the condensation. My image stared back at me. Dark circles spread under my large green eyes. My wet hair fell to the middle of my back. At a very young age, I started getting a lot of attention from the opposite sex. In my neighborhood, it was never the good kind. It annoyed me, but it made me tougher. The combination of my short but curvy frame, heart-shaped face, light green eyes, and long brown hair was like a neon sign: Prey here. Make lewd comments, sounds, and grotesque hand gestures, please. But I was far from a victim. My innocent features had been a curse and an attribute. When shit went down, and before the teachers and cops got to know me, they would doubt I was at fault. How could a sweet-looking girl rob an entire house? Or shoot a man in the leg? Or start a fight with a person three times her size? It had to be someone else. I got out of a lot of fights at school—until the teachers realized I was the cause, not the casualty.

  The curse part was a given. Foster dads and men in the neighborhood seemed to consider it my fault for looking the way I did. I was “asking for it” when my full chest and round butt developed. My fists had met with a lot of jaws in retaliation. It was why I stuck around for Lexie. She would be targeted because of her looks. The wheelchair only made it easier. I never wanted her to go through the things I experienced.

  The image in the mirror came back into focus. Red liquid dripped down onto my lip. “Dammit.” My fingers automatically went to my nose, keeping the blood at bay as I reached for a Kleenex. It was the fifth one this month. In the last couple years I got bloody noses frequently, but lately they were getting worse and were usually followed by a migraine. DMG doctors checked me out and said I was fine. Since Sera also suffered from them, I knew it was most likely a seer thing. Our eyes saw things differently and caused a lot of strain. Stress only aggravated it, which was something I possessed in abundance. Keeping my multiple lives straight and the lies accurate to the right people was a constant dance.

  I went into my bedroom and sat on my bed, waiting for the bleeding to stop and the migraine to begin. The nosebleeds were manageable, but the migraines were harder to deal with. They ripped away my eyesight, blurring everything into glowing rings and squiggles. I popped open the subscription bottle the DMG doctors gave me for the headaches and swallowed a few. They were the only things that helped. Over-the-counter drugs no longer abated the nausea and pain. I descended against my pillow as a stab of pain shot through my brain and between my eyes. I wanted to close them and sleep for the rest of the day, but the final in my psychology class weighed on me. I hadn’t started studying for it, and it counted for half our grade. I also had to set up a few of Lexie’s clinic visits and pick her up from school later. But the throbbing ache sucked me under before I knew it, guarding me from the sharp pains drinking the energy out of my body.

  When I woke, it was only an hour later. My damp hair dried in a tangled mess, and my towel was still wrapped around me. I got up and dressed, drying my hair before deciding it was going into a ponytail anyway.

  My stomach growled, pointing my feet and attention toward the kitchen. Jo was still asleep in her recliner. The woman could sleep through a bombing. I reached in the cupboard and pulled out a cereal box and went to the refrigerator. No milk. Of course. With a rant, I slammed the door. With the cereal box in hand, I walked back to my room.

  “You’re not going to eat in your room, are you?” Jo’s husky voice crackled. She had the voice of a thirty-year smoker, which she was, so it was well deserved.

  “Yeah.” I kept walking.

  “You’ll get bugs in there, and I’ll have to pay to get someone out here to exterminate them.”

  I stopped and turned back. Was she kidding me? She left her food and empty beer cans all over the house. I cleaned up after her.

  She twisted to look down the hallway at me. “Show some respect. I let you stay here. At any time I can kick you out.”

  I rolled my jaw. “Then who would pay for your beer?” I whirled and went into my room, slamming the door.

  “You li’l ungrateful bitch. I have done nothing but sacrifice to feed and clothe you,” she screamed at me through the door.

  I scoffed. She hadn’t done a thing. Before I turned eighteen, the system gave her money to feed me, most of which went to her beer and cigarette fund. I first got into robbing houses so I could get proper food and clothes. It later turned into a game. Something I did for the high and to be revered by others in my crowd.

  I was used to her threats. They were a weekly occurrence. She wouldn’t do anything. I brought in money and did everything for her, especially when it came to taking care of Lexie. She would be lost without me. She knew it, and I knew it, but we still played the game. One thing I could count on with Jo was she was all talk. In its way, it was comforting. If it stopped, I’d probably lose my footing. In my very turbulent and unstable life, it was the little things you counted on that you attached to for dear life.

>   My box of cereal next to me and my book on my lap, I tried to study. It wasn’t long before Jo burst in the room demanding that if I were going to be a leech the least I could do was get some groceries. At the top of her list were beer and cigarettes.

  Shocker.

  THREE

  At three o’clock, Lexie came rolling out of the front doors of her school, her expression a mix of relief, irritation, and hardness. When she spotted me, it became all annoyance. “I can get home by myself, you know? I’m not a baby.”

  “I know.” Lately, some girls at school noticed she was becoming beautiful, and even with the wheelchair, she was gaining notice from boys. Before she hadn’t been a threat, but suddenly she became one. The girls who didn’t like the competition were trying to put her in her place. I started to retrieve her from school after one tipped her out of the wheelchair into the mud, then punched her.

  Let’s just say I was slightly livid.

  She made me promise—several times—not to do anything. It was hard to keep, especially when I saw the group of bullies hassle her again after school. One look at me approaching stopped them. I was little, but the expression on my face must have shown I meant business.

  Lexie hated when I came to get her, claiming it made her appear weak. I didn’t give a shit. She was my sister, and I would protect her. I knew if I actually did anything, they would probably pick on her more. I was waiting for one of the girls to start something with me, thinking she could take me on. Oh, how I would love to show them how fast they would taste the dirt embedded in the concrete.

  “Actually, you’re my excuse. Jo is off today, and I wanted to get out of the house.” I walked alongside, letting her push herself until we were far enough from other students before I took over.

  “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes.

  It wasn’t till you were out of your teens did you realize how annoying and vexing you’d been at that age. Actually, I’d been worse—stealing, fighting, drugs, alcohol. Lexie was full teenager, but she was a good kid.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I smiled when I saw the caller ID.

  “Ohhh! It’s Daaannniieell,” Lexie cooed.

  “Shhh.” I shot her a look before hitting the talk button. “Hey.” My grin only widened.

  “Hey.” Daniel’s voice caused my heart to pick up pace. “I know you needed to study and watch Lexie, but Kate called.”

  “Okay.”

  “Ohhh, Daniel. You’re soooo hot. I loooooovvvvee you,” Lexie yelled. With one hand, I covered the bottom of the cell and swiped at her with the other. My eyes big with a “shut up” look.

  “It’s an emergency, and all the groups are going out. I couldn’t get you out of this.”

  “It’s fine.” I made contact with Lexie’s head as she continued to carry on.

  “Yes, Daniel. Anything for you, Daniel,” Lexie teased.

  Little sisters... you sure it was illegal to kill them?

  “Shut. Up.” I seethed at her as Daniel filled me in about the case.

  “Have sex with my sister, please? She needs to loosen up.”

  I tried to smack her on the arm, but she wheeled out of my way, laughing hysterically.

  “Lexie with you?” Daniel finally took notice of the commotion. My cheeks burned with the knowledge he probably heard every word.

  “Yeah. Be lucky you don’t have a little sister.” I glared at Lexie. She continued to giggle.

  “I actually wanted one,” Daniel replied.

  “You want mine?”

  Daniel chuckled. “I’ll pick you up at five, okay?”

  “Okay. See you then.” I hung up before Lexie could say anything else. “I am so gonna kill you.”

  She howled with laughter and took off down the hill. Her wheels carried her a lot faster than I could go. But I tried. I chased her all the way home. I would at least make her arms burn and ache as she pushed her chair to get away from me.

  Staying mad at Lexie was impossible. She would bat her lashes at me and say something sweet, and I was under her spell again. She was good at wrapping me around her finger. I prepared her a snack and got her at least pretending to do homework.

  On Jo’s nights off, she usually went to a casino, local bar, or stayed home. Unfortunately, tonight was the latter. She sat in front of the TV watching a game show, a beer in her hand. I didn’t think Joanna would ever physically strike Lexie, but verbal abuse could be as harmful as hitting. I hated leaving Lexie alone with her, especially for the second night in a row. Normally, Jo would be heading to work by now for her night shift, but the company was trying to save money and cut a few of their employees’ shifts. An idle, pissed-off Jo was not a pleasant person to be around. She took her life and money frustrations out on us.

  This meant I wanted to leave with everything taken care of for Lexie: dinner, homework, and anything else Jo might find a nuisance.

  “You goin’ out again?” Jo grumbled from her recliner.

  “Yeah. It’s an emergency.”

  Jo snorted. Deep down she must have thought I was making up excuses to go party with my friends or something.

  “I couldn’t say no. We need the money.”

  Jo’s head twisted, her lids narrowing on me. I was tapping at a weak spot, and I knew it. We were all aware I brought in a good chunk of the money, but we didn’t talk about it. Jo’s mouth opened to say something, but instead she took a swig of beer and turned back to the show.

  Lexie sent me a what are you thinking? look.

  I shrugged and rolled my eyes. Pulling out a frozen pizza for Lexie, I set the oven low, so it would be hot when she was ready to eat. “Don’t forget to take this out.”

  Lexie followed me to the bedroom, watching me get ready. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

  “Me too.” I tugged on a tank, black sweater, and dark blue jeans. I sat on my bed and pulled on my black boots.

  “Where are you really going?”

  Her words snapped my head up. “What do you mean? You know where I’m going. I have to work.”

  “Retrieving body parts. Right.” Her mouth pinched together, and she nodded, staring at her lap. “If any of those people have extra legs to donate, send them my way.”

  I stood, walked to her, and squatted in front of her chair. Her tone and demeanor created a sour feeling in my stomach. “I don’t like when you talk like this.” I brushed her hair from her face. “What’s wrong? You seemed fine a minute ago.”

  “Nothing.”

  “Lexie.”

  “It’s only... I feel like I’m always being left behind in some way. I hate these things.” Her fists hit her motionless legs. The mood swings had been happening more lately. The doctor said it had to do with her hormones and the medication she was on. She went from happy and carefree to violently depressed in a moment. Sadly, we all knew the truth. What the doctors found in her latest blood work was more bad news. Her condition was worsening. Eventually, she would be completely paralyzed. Maybe die.

  “Hey.” I tipped her face with my fingers. “Don’t you dare hate anything about yourself. You are amazing, and I love every bit of you.”

  I was being a hypocrite; I detested her legs, too. I disliked anything causing her so much pain and agony. They compelled her to feel different than everyone else. There were a lot of things she would never experience nor be able to do. No, I didn’t hate her legs; I despised the woman who made her this way. Heroin had been worth more to her than her baby’s health.

  Her eyes glistened with tears. “Promise me someday I will walk.”

  Words caught in my throat.

  “I don’t want to live like this...”

  “Lexie, you’re scaring me.”

  A honk sounded from out front. Daniel.

  She brushed a tear away and flipped her hand, waving me off. “I’m fine. Go.”

  I bit down on my lip and stood. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Lexie, I promise you this—I
will do everything in my power to find something to help you walk.” I wished I could promise her more. I leaned over and kissed her forehead.

  “You better get going. Daniel’s waiting.” She wiped her face and forced a smile. “I’ll be sending out ‘fuck me’ vibes for you.”

  I took a deep breath, shaking my head. “Go do your homework.”

  I climbed into the government-issued van, scooting onto the nylon seats. Daniel pulled away from the curb, the vehicle coasting down the street. He nodded down at the cup holder. “Caramel latte.”

  “You are my hero.” I reached for the coffee.

  “Well, I figured with arriving home at dawn and getting Lexie to and from school, you didn’t get very much sleep.”

  “That’s an understatement. I got an hour.”

  “An hour?” Daniel’s head jerked to stare at me before looking back at the road. He was dressed in his usual hunter attire—black pants and sweater. Knives and guns were strapped around his waist.

  “I wasn’t even planning on sleeping at all, but I got another headache.”

  Daniel’s brow clenched in concern. “Another one?”

  “Yeah. Used to them.” I waved my hand, brushing off his worry.

  “You are getting them a lot lately.” He looked in the rearview mirror, his lips thinning into a set line. “I’m worried about you.”

  “What you should be worried about is me passing my psychology test tomorrow. Think I’m going to have an all-nighter studying for it.”

  A slow grin curved his mouth, crinkling his eyes in the corners.

  “What?” I sipped my latte.

  “Youth. I remember when I would get only an hour of sleep and still be ready to go again.”

  “Oh, come on. You’re not so old.” I rolled my eyes.

  “In twenty years, come back and say it.”

  “You’re forty, not eighty.”

  “Sometimes this job makes me feel eighty.” He winked. “But you keep me young.” I felt a blush cover my cheeks. Daniel had been my mentor and trainer since the day I joined the DMG when I was nineteen. It was clear at the beginning: Daniel thought of me as no more than a kid or little sister. We’d had three years of being paired through the training, hunting, and collecting. We’d had meals together, confessed secrets in the late-night hours, and laughed and talked about everything. But it wasn’t until the last couple months I felt the slightest change in his behavior toward me.