The Complete Midnight Fire Series Page 23

  "Nice night for a sprint through the parking lot, don't you think?" Luke said as they walked by, and Kira elbowed him in the ribs. That taunt would not help anything. Luke shrugged and made his way to the ticket counter. Kira waited with their bags, looking up at the arrivals and departures board. It was almost one in the morning, and while Kira loved Charleston, the small, two terminal airport was not exactly hopping at the moment.

  She scanned the names, searching for Orlando or something in Florida, but there were barely any planes flying for the rest of the night, and the flights for the next morning had already been listed. Sighing, Kira walked over to Luke, dragging both of their bags behind her.

  "There aren't any more flights tonight, we need to find something for tomorrow," she said when she got closer. Luke turned with two tickets in hand and grinned.

  "Don't worry. We're not flying commercial."

  "What? What are we flying?" Kira went for the tickets, but Luke moved faster, keeping them just out of reach.

  "You'll see."

  Kira didn't like the smirk on his face, but she followed as he walked past her, picked up his bag, and made for the security check.

  They walked silently through the brown, carpeted hallways. The last time Kira had been there, she remembered judging the quaint decor, thinking it provincial compared to the vast, open space of New York's LaGuardia Airport. But now, Kira appreciated the hand-painted murals of herons on the marsh and Carolina gators. The personal touches of the smaller city were welcome, and she realized that soon she would be downsized to an even tinier town, which brought her thoughts right back to the conduits and the mysterious transportation they had provided.

  Luke strode confidently through the airport and politely waved to the workers they passed as though old friends. Kira stepped more meekly behind, afraid of what she approached.

  When they reached the terminal, Luke showed a flight attendant their tickets and she opened the exit door, signaling both of them to follow. Kira had no idea what to expect as she walked through the opening into breezy air, but the streamlined five window private jet that greeted her was the last thing she imagined.

  "Luke, is this a joke? That can't be our ride."

  "No joke. Conduits fly in style," he whispered in her ear and used his finger to close her jaw, which had dropped straight to the floor.

  "How is this possible?" Kira asked, still not convinced.

  "Just follow me." Luke laughed and looped his arm through hers, tugging her down the steps and over to the plane. Kira followed him up the entrance, ducking her head to fit through the ovular door, and almost couldn't believe what she saw. Eight cream-colored leather seats, large enough to fit two people each, filled the space. One long couch stretched below the windows on the left side of the plane, and two flat-screens graced the front and back walls of the space. The cup holders and foldout tables were made of mahogany, and Kira thought even the carpeted floor looked luxurious. Her mouth dropped open again and she moved to close it as a man stood up from one of those comfy seats that Kira couldn't wait to collapse into.

  "Luke! How have you been?" the man asked, stretching his arm out to shake Luke's hand. Kira took note of his tailored suit and sandy blond hair, before reaching out to shake the hand he now focused on her. "And you must be Miss Dawson. It's an honor to meet you."

  "My pleasure," Kira said, still not totally trusting the wide smile he presented her.

  "Kira, this is Councilman Andrews," Luke said, but something in the way he looked at her made Kira even warier. She remained silent, letting the tension build into an awkward silence. For some reason, Kira couldn't bring herself to trust this council or its members.

  "Well, now that introductions are out of the way, we have business to discuss. Luke, come sit with me?" The councilman asked, breaking up the moment. Luke nodded and picked up his suitcase.

  "Wait." Kira touched Luke's arm. "Mr. Andrews, can I please talk to him first?"

  "Of course," the councilman said, flashing that smile again, one that was slightly too wide to be real.

  Kira sat down, sinking into the chair that was even more comfortable than she could have imagined. Luke sat across from her.

  "Pretty nice, right?" he said, gazing around the small room.

  "Well, yeah. You said you would explain this little surprise?"

  "I can't go into details right now." Luke nodded his head in the councilman's general area, letting Kira know the councilman was listening in on them. "But let me put it this way—Area 51 is real, it's just not about aliens. In exchange for our help, the government keeps our secret and gives us military funding. And a fancy way to fly was at the top of our list."

  "So, what? You're saying that the government has some secret lab where they study vampires?"

  "Basically, yes—vampires, among other things. We've heard rumors of were-creatures or faeries, but I've never seen any." Kira leaned back, processing. She guessed there had to be other things out there. But still, actually hearing it was just bizarre.

  "Luke?" Councilman Andrews called out. He sighed under his breath.

  "Look, I have to go talk to him. I need to brief him on what happened and let him know why we arrived so much sooner than planned." Kira nodded in understanding.

  "Before you go, I just want to say thanks. If you hadn't been yelling instructions to me, we probably wouldn't have made it here. I never even saw that vampire in front of the car until you screamed at me."

  Luke smiled slightly. "I don't even remember screaming. Must have been too caught up in the action. Anyway, there's a phone in the armrest, I thought you might want to call your parents once we get in the air."

  "Thanks," Kira said and watched as he retreated to the rear end of the plane to talk to Mr. Andrews. It's amazing, Kira thought, how he thinks of everything. He had saved her life again that night without even realizing it.

  The plane vibrated as the engine started, and she looked out the window to watch as they moved closer and closer to the runway. After they rounded the last corner, the plane picked up speed, and she held on as it lifted off the ground, defying gravity in a way that still amazed her. The forest below started shrinking, and the cars racing down the highway began to look more like toys than anything else.

  Kira wished it were daylight so she could catch one last glimpse of the Ashley River in memory of one of her favorite afternoons. She searched for the lights of Charleston but saw only the black stretch of the ocean. Folly Pier would be out there somewhere, she realized, as she stared out at the eastern horizon.

  Leaving things behind was always hard, but leaving the place where she had discovered so much about herself was more difficult than she had realized. In the past year, almost everything about her life had changed, but South Carolina had been a constant. The humid air that clung to her skin, the tangy smell of salt in the wind, or the rustle of a palmetto in a chilly winter's breeze—all of it had become comforting to her. Sonnyville, home of an ancient society she had only just scratched the surface of, would be completely new. She would miss the sand, the beach, the hot sun, and the low-country attitude where enjoying life was the most important thing.

  Kira stopped searching the darkness for her home and reached inside the armrest for the phone instead. She dialed and it rang once before it clicked.

  "Hello?" It was her mother, and Kira felt sorry for the obvious panic in her voice.

  "Mom, it's me. I'm—"

  "Oh, thank god. What happened? Are you all right?"

  "I'm fine," Kira said loudly, halting her mother before her questioning got out of control. "I'm on my way to Sonnyville with Luke. We had to leave a little earlier than expected." She didn't want to frighten her mother, so she kept silent about the reason for their leaving early.

  "I know. Tristan came over and told your father and me about the council summoning you a day early. We didn't even get to say goodbye."

  Kira smiled, silently thanking Tristan for knowing her well enough to understand that she
wouldn't want her mother to worry. It also meant that he had made it and that the vampires had fled after their car chase.

  "Honestly, maybe it's better this way. Now we won't have to go through that whole bawling in each other's arms sort of goodbye." She heard a sniffle on the other end of the receiver. "Mom, stop crying. Seriously, I'm only leaving for two months. I'll be back to annoy you and Dad in no time."

  "I know." She sniffled again. Mothers, Kira sighed. "Your father wants to talk to you."

  "Kira?"

  She smiled at the deep rumble of her father's voice. "Hi, Dad."

  "Hi, honey. We're so happy you're all right. Luke better be treating you like a lady." Kira rolled her eyes.

  "Dad, relax. I'm staying with Luke and his family, and my boyfriend is in Europe for the next two months. You have nothing to worry about."

  "Well, that's a father job, we—"

  A high-pitched, barely understandable squeal sounded through the phone, cutting her father off.

  "Chloe!" Kira chirped, excited.

  "Kira, where are you?"

  Kira smirked. She could easily envision the pout on her sister's face. "I had to go away for a little while, but I'll be back soon."

  "Can you make pancakes when you get back?"

  "Of course." Kira chuckled. Her sister would miss her food more than she missed her.

  "Yay! Here's Mommy."

  "Call us when you land, okay sweetie?"

  "Yes, Mom."

  "We love you."

  "I love you, too," Kira said and hung up the phone. Maybe two months away wouldn't be so bad. It would be an adventure, like going to camp for a summer. She would come back with enough stories to enthrall her sister and enough skills that her mother might stop worrying a little bit. Maybe she would learn more about who and what she was, and why the council had decided to keep her alive even though her life supposedly meant the end of the modern world.

  And maybe, Kira thought as she pulled the chain holding her locket and ring out from underneath her shirt, maybe she would come back with a few more memories of her real parents. Maybe, she finally let herself dream, she would come back with her real mother.

  Kira leaned her head against the window and watched the sky change with the rising sun. At first, the deep ebony sky lightened to a vivid indigo, slowly turning from a dark violet to a light pink, until wispy tendrils of cerulean poked through the painterly scene. Even the clouds seemed fluffier than usual.

  Before long, Kira dozed off. She didn't notice as the bright sun scattered the clouds and enlivened the ground below. She didn't notice the warm glow on her cheeks and how her skin naturally reacted to the brilliant rays. She didn't even notice when the plane started to descend on the sleepy town below, one that had just started buzzing with the morning's events.

  She did notice when Luke lightly touched her shoulder and shook her awake.

  "Kira," he whispered, his lips slightly closer to her ear than necessary. In her groggy state, she welcomed the warmth of his breath. "Kira, we're here."

  Her eyes shot open.

  Chapter Three

  Kira jerked awake and moved to stand up, promptly smacking her forehead against Luke's chin.

  "Ow." Kira brought her hand to her head, rubbing the now aching spot. "Luke, there is this little thing called personal space..." He cupped his jaw, moving it around to fix the slight displacement Kira had caused.

  "Hey, I was just trying to wake you up. How was I supposed to know you'd shoot up like the Energizer Bunny?"

  Kira ignored him and stood up gently this time, easing out of her seat. She grabbed her things and followed Luke off the plane, realizing the councilman had already left the two of them alone.

  The first thing Kira noticed when she exited was that it was hot, scorching hot. Almost instantly, a slight sweat rose on her arms. There was no breeze, just the heaviness of still air letting the sun bake her.

  After she let the temperature go, Kira looked around at the small landing strip. The airport was almost nonexistent. There was only one runway, one building, and two of these small planes resting in the open air. And then she noticed the car that was waiting a few yards away. She assumed it was the one that would take her and Luke to Sonnyville, and started walking over.

  "Are you excited to be home?" Kira asked when Luke sat beside her in the backseat and closed the door.

  "More than you know," he replied, and Kira could almost feel his excitement sizzle in the air.

  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, 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."

  A knot of butterflies grew 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. Every 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 quiet 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? Ki
ra 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.