“How does that make you feel?”Brother Al asked.
“Like someone who’s pretending,” I said.“Like I’m just a character in a story who is just in the right place at the wrong time.Like there’s this plothole in the story that everyone’s trying to fit me into, but it’s not quite right.Like I’ll have to lose some of myself to be part of it.”
“Then rip it open,” Brother Al said.
“What?”
“If it’s your destiny.Or others think it’s your destiny.You take that hole that they’ve spun for your presence.You get in it.You stretch.You take up space.You do what you must to end the story in the way that only you can.You make that opportunity into something unique for you.”
“What are you saying, exactly?”
“Even if you’re not the character they want you to be, you’re still playing that part they want you to play.Even if you know you’re not what they think, they won’t.They expect you to be someone.So be that person, to them.Use that power they’ve given you for your own good.”
“How would I even start?”I asked.
The chapel doors swung wide, and Yara’s face, smeared with makeup, appeared in view.
“They found the Dragon’s Eye,” she panted.
“Fantastic,” I said.“Kinda busy having a conversation, though.”
“You don’t understand,” Yara panted.“Eddie and Nagi went through an hour ago, and they haven’t heard back from them.”
“What about Vic?”I asked.
“He went in after them, and he hasn’t come back either.”
“All we can do is wait, then,” I said.
“But you’re not getting it,” Yara said.“They’re holding them ransom, whoever it is.A message came through.For you.The kidnapper wants you to follow them Topside.”
8.
Yara droveBrother Al and me to the CWC building.I was trying not to panic.Brother Al patted my hand gently.
“I wouldn’t overly worry,” he said.“It’s not as bad as everyone makes it out.”
“Have you ever been there?”I asked.
“Oh, well… no,” Brother Al said.“But I have read a lot on the subject.”
“How comforting,” I said.“And will you be coming with?”
“Afraid not,” he said.“The old darkness in these bones have yet to fulfill their duty.”
We got out.Evening had come on.We entered the building and were greeted by Brynholf, who wrung his hands and apologized the entire elevator ride up.
“I’m sorry,” Brynholf started.“The boys told me how much work you’d done for the investigation.I dismissed you over and over again, but I shouldn’t have.”
“What happened?”I asked.
“They called me and Vic for backup.I heard they were cornering a witch with a deadly serum she was distributing.Anyway.I thought maybe some paperwork would do us all good, to sort of think about the best way to handle it.Obviously, they disagreed and I was outnumbered.They went into the building, me following from a distance, and they cornered the young woman.Clemenza, I think her name was.Anyway.Things came to a head, and she activated the Dragon Eye to escape when she was outnumbered.The boys went in after her—Vic going after Eddie and Nagi went—and then a message came back from it.Asking for you.”
“I don’t know what I can do that three vampires can’t, especially against a witch,” I said.“And one I thought was a friend.”
“We all do what we have to do,” Brynholf said.“I don’t like it either.”
“Nor do I,” Brother Al said.
