“I slipped out of the room during the party, so they never collected anything of mine. Even if you hadn’t taken his power, I don’t think it would have been possible to undo the spell.”
“Why didn’t you escape?”
“The wall.”
“I know that,” I said. “What I mean is, you could have flown out of there.”
“Did you not see that the wall domed over the house?” Houdini shook his head and then sat back with his hands in his lap. “I initially remained in the house to listen in. When I heard him lay down the curse, I slipped out back to escape. A man ran through it and survived, so I saw no threat. When the hourglass appeared on my palm, I knew something must have changed in us.” Houdini held up his hand, which no longer had the light tattoo. “It went away after the ten days expired. You were in the fight of your life, but you see, I never had a chance to return.”
“And that’s why you tried talking me into staying—so you wouldn’t be alone.”
“We’re all alone. Born alone, die alone, dream alone. The thing about chaos is it’s unpredictable. You think my situation is permanent. Never assume something can’t be undone. And who says I want it to be? What if I can transfer this power into a youngling? I could start a new Breed. Humans can’t detect me, Vampires can’t hear me. Figuring out the rules has kept me busy. You should see me doing jumping jacks behind a Vampire.”
I chuckled. “I remember why I liked you when we first met. It’s too bad you turned out to be a lunatic. Are you going to spy on me forever?”
“Spyis a peculiar word choice. You’re my youngling, and I have every right to check in on you. Perhaps one day I’ll travel to Ecuador—I’ve always wanted to visit there. Then I’ll return in a few decades and see what you’ve been up to. But right now things seem too exciting.”
I was afraid to ask how much he knew, and that thought was interrupted when our server set a square plate of beautifully cut fries on the table with gourmet dipping sauce. The fries were seasoned with sea salt and spices.
Houdini leaned in and smelled them. “Go on and tell me how they are.”
I took one of the hot fries and dipped it in the sauce. After a bite, I gobbled up the rest of the fry. “Crispy skin, airy, fresh, and the sauce tastes like bird shit.”
Houdini threw back his head and laughed. “I love your honesty.”
The tequila burned as I washed down the tart sauce. “I’ll never understand why rich people think disgusting food is a better way of life. They slap a heavy price tag on stuff most people wouldn’t eat on a dare. The fries are good though.” I ate more, keeping an eye on anyone new that entered the room.
I thought about Christian’s suggestion regarding the key Houdini was after. “Why do you need that key? Can’t you open whatever it is it leads to?”
Houdini lowered his eyes to my food and leaned in for another whiff. “That’s the problem; I don’t know what it opens. I only know the previous owner had incriminating information about me. I didn’t realize he’d been watching me for decades and documenting my activities. When he passed away suddenly…”
I laughed into my glass.
Houdini flicked a glance my way. We both knew he was behind that death. “As I was saying, when he passed away suddenly, I couldn’t find the key. I only knew it was in his possession. I should have charmed him for the location before… before his passing. Then someone showed up, forcing me to leave. By the time I came back, the cleaners had collected his belongings and sent them over to Pawn of the Dead for resale. He was an old Chitah—an experienced tracker. I don’t know why he was fixated on me. And now it seems I can’t change my clothes let alone my looks, so I have to be extra cautious about staying out of trouble.”
“Poor baby,” I said without emotion, swirling my drink. “What makes you think I won’t figure out what it goes to and turn you in myself?”
“Because, Butterfly, you’re my youngling. Besides the fact people might discover how you were made, I think deep down, whether you want to admit it or not, you can’t go against me. Just like I think you still struggle with your Mage Creator. It’s come to my attention that Lenore has a new guard, and it didn’t take me long to realize what has you so rattled these days. I know how much you loathe him, Raven. Do you think you have what it takes to turn against the one whose light flows throughout your body? The laws on patricide never expire. That kind of treachery will follow you all of your days.”
I continued shoving fries into my mouth, the alcohol finally kicking in and making me less agitated than I would normally be around Houdini. I felt conflicted, yet I wanted Fletcher to suffer. I wanted him dead. I wanted him out of my life. Even though Houdini had once unknowingly handed me back to Fletcher, he’d never harmed me directly. One minute he was helping me, and the next he was doing something destructive. He wanted me to be like him.
“What purpose does your life have?” I asked, genuinely curious. “You don’t have a regular job, and you don’t do anything that contributes to anyone’s happiness.”
“When I first gained these new abilities, I would sit with humans and listen to their conversations. Sometimes I would follow them home and see how they lived since they have no awareness of my presence. Humanity is boring. Existing for the sake of existing is boring. What thrills me is change. I don’t mean the laws that get established—that’s not the kind of change that matters. It’s going to a soccer game and watching a cat get loose on the field. You can have all the rules and all the order you like, and it only takes one cat to make everything stop.”
I sighed into my glass before taking a sip. “I know what you like, Houdini. But what’s your purpose? Do you know why I stay with Keystone? Because I found a purpose. When you discover what that is, it breathes life into you. I’m excited to get up because I never know where the day might take me. And after a job, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I made a difference in someone’s life, or I prevented more people from getting hurt. Or I delivered karma. Either way, that’s my calling. I have other small things that make life bearable. But what you just told me? It sounds like you don’t have a purpose other than to throw a wrench in the cog. I know chaos makes you happy the way a mischievous kid gets happy when they throw a rock at a moving car. That’s why you were making Vampires. You were hoping to create someone else like you, and that became your obsession. And now, I’m your obsession. I think what you’re really looking for, deep down, is a reason for being here. That’s why you’re lonely. I can see it in your eyes. I have people I love, and I don’t feel that loneliness. Yes, we’re born alone and die alone. We also live for a long time. Maybe you should start living for someone… or something. The world might look a little bit different once you get down from that high horse of yours.”
His eyebrow arched comically, and he lifted a fry and bit into it. “I can no longer be with a woman, Raven. Or have you forgotten about this curse? I can’t even taste this,” he said, dropping the rest of the uneaten fry on the plate.
“You have a lot of new powers,” I pointed out. “Maybe you should do something good with them. Make someone’s life better instead of worse. You might be surprised how good it feels to know your existence means something to someone. I think you’ve spent your entire life serving yourself—amusing yourself. Maybe that’s how you’re able to pass the time without going mad, but you’re going about it the wrong way.”
He gave me a thin-lipped grin. “Should I kill without compunction like you?”
I downed the rest of my drink. “I’m not going to apologize for what I am. The Breed world is a cruel place, and it needs people like me. What can you offer? It’s never too late to flip your life around. I’m sure you’ve done shady stuff I’ll never know about, but so have I, and here I am. Find a nice girl who isn’t into sex and settle down.”
“Now you’re just toying with me,” he said, folding his arms and turning his gaze out the window. “You expressed that same sentiment about purpose when we first met. It’s a very human concept. Do you know why? Because their lives are fleeting, and it makes it bearable to think they exist for a reason.”
“Don’t act like we’re better than them. Immortals need to adopt some of those beliefs. Have you ever seen those crazy ancients who walk around like they’ll rip your eyes from your sockets if you say one wrong word? They don’t have a purpose anymore. If life has no meaning, then neither does death. They gave up, and they might as well be the walking dead. Look, I’m not your spiritual guide, and I couldn’t care less if you decide to do anything productive with your life. Just be careful, or you’ll wind up being just another lowlife on our list.”
