I take the folder and slide it into one of the many secure compartments in my coat. He may be young, and may not understand what working for the Ghost truly means for him, but Voodoo’s efficiency is remarkable.
In less than a week, he’s managed to get me an entire dossier onThe Other. Judging by the weight pulling downthe front of my coat, I’d be surprised if I didn’t have a full history of the man’s life up to this point.
“Nothing to worry about, then. Neo-Nova won’t last long. Nothing ever does in Midnite City,” I say, waiting patiently for him to give me the signal.
“Better not. I swear I’ll clock the next kid who walks in here talking that jive.” He wheezes a laugh and steps around the counter. “We doing this?”
I nod.
Elias clicks a button under the counter and the neon sign outside blinks from OPEN to CLOSED. Not that there’s much need. Aside from the fact that it’s a little after nine, paperbacks and hardcovers are dead media. This bookstore is funded and run by the Veil’s black budget and only survives because I need it to.
He presses another button to begin the elevator’s ascent. We walk, side by side, to the shelf full of untouched science fiction novels.
“Have you heard?” I don’t say more than that. If he has, he’ll know what I mean.
“I have.” Elias strips off his smoker jacket and button-down before we reach the elevator.
“Any thoughts?”
We enter and I press the button to take us down.
“None you’ll want to hear.” He’s shuffling behind me, changing out of his trousers and into a pair of black sweatpants.
“Try me, I’m full of surprises these days.” My mind instantly travels to Lilith.
But soon after, with a thudding in my chest, I think of the girl whose name I’d forgotten from high school. I’ve lived more than double my time on Earth since I knew her. Thirteen then. Twenty-eight now. The message Elias drilled into me couldn’t be more fitting.
I cling to it. Again and again.
Emotion is weakness.
Weakness is death.
“Maxwell’s imprisonment is for the good of the Veil, so says the Head.” Elias releases a strainedhumph. I can’t tell if it’s to go with his statement, or comes from the labor of changing in a confined space. “It wouldn’t be wise to question it.”
“But I must.” This juggling act of being the Ghost and dirty daydreaming about Lilith has left me feeling as if I’ve lost myself. As if I am betraying the core principles of how to survive as the Veil’s sword and shield.
The way she looked at me after we hugged. She felt my cock’s rude interruption and didn’t pull away disgusted…
I feel the need to think about everything. My own intentions with her, but moreover the Head’s intentions for her mother and if they’re going to get in my way.
It’s infuriating.
Lilith shouldn’t factor into my decision-making when it comes to the safety and protection of the Veil. And yet, themore time I spend with her, in my head or in person, the more blurred the lines between the two become.
“I know, but I’m not so sure you’ll like what you find, Ghost.” Elias pats me on the shoulder.
It dawns on me, with this simple gesture, that Elias isn’t denying or lying in his answer. He’s nudging me to ask the correct questions. He won’t say anything outright unless he has to, another order from the Head, I’m sure, but there’s something weighing heavily on his chest.
“Any word on who will replace Maxwell as Hand?” I ask. The first and only question that could inspire this reaction in him.
“More than a word. The Head asked me to take his place,” he says.
“Why is this the first I’m hearing of it?” I growl.
The elevator’s hum ceases as we reach our destination, and with it, our conversation for the moment.
“It must be Thursday night.” Iniko doesn’t wait for us to enter my lair to speak. She’s leaning over her desk; her eyes fixed on Elias’s body as we pass. It’s become one of her weekly rituals, catcalling my mentor, before a training session.
