Page 52 of Hunger & Harmony

Checking my phone again, I curse when I see the connection struggling.

“Ugh, all this for some paperwork?” I grumble to myself.

I volunteered to hand over documentation to the Order of Ash, and took an elevator deep into the underground offices. The neutral meeting zone is supposed to be around here somewhere. Selene said I could drop the stack of papers off and come right back. The longer I wander around this basement floor, the more jitters crawl under my skin.

Has Viola ever wandered halls like this? Looked over her shoulder and jumped at every slight noise like me? She’d definitely call me stupid for stepping into this task with eyes wide open. I don’t know if she’d be wrong to say it.

Is this a trap? Not that the Order could accomplish much with a human assistant. More likely, I just screwed up the directions.

I pull out my phone again when a distinct, woody scent catches my attention. It’s only a moment before I notice wooden crates lined up a hallway I didn’t see before. Security tape crosses the entrance, marking it as prohibited with bright red letters. The shadowed hallway isn’t exactly inviting. Which, of course, means this is where I need to go.

“Uh . . .”

Tiptoeing towards the forbidding tape, I peer around.

“Hello!” I call out. “I have some . . .documentation, on behalf of Arteria.”

Silence. Almost deafeningly so. I shift my weight and clutch the folder tighter.

“Hello? I’m here on behalf of Arteria!”

A rustle sounds, but I’m too late to back up before a man appears in front of me. I screech, nearly losing the folder and my own footing.

He’s dressed like an old-time detective, with a dark brown suit and a black trench coat fitted to his lanky body. Hollow eyes move from my frightened face to what I’m holding between shaking hands.

Dark leather gloves extend towards me.

“Are you . . .?” I ask, to be sure.

His frown deepens, and I wonder if he sees mortal or monster. The employee in New Lure thought I was a vampire. Surely a Hunter would know better, right? He’s undoubtedly part of the Order, a shiny badge gleaming on his chest and a wooden stake strapped to his hip.

A chill runs through me when he nods curtly. Weird. As he takes it from me, I wonder why. After he fades into the shadows, I’m left with my disquieted thoughts.

When I think of a Hunter seeing me as the human I am, why does disappointment find me first?

There’s so much I don’t know. Questions I’ve never asked. Not just for the vampires that employ me. Not even my parents or best friend.

Blending my world and Niko’s is planting doubt in my heart. Over what? Where my true feelings lie? Or . . .where I even belong?

My shoes drag across the vinyl flooring. The fluorescent lighting flickers harshly as I wander back to the elevator.

Where do I belong?

“I appreciate it,” Selene says, and her voice brings the world back into focus.

“Huh?”

I glance around, only now realizing I made it back to the backstage lounge. Ezren paces, his drumsticks tapping along the moody teal wall. Niko and Ryel converse quietly on one of the velvet couches. My eyes find the wall clock, and I see how much time has passed. There’s only thirty minutes before the show starts.

“You can be an airhead sometimes, but you pull through,” she says, and I realize this is her clunky way of complimenting me.

“Oh . . .” I shake off the lingering unease and nod gratefully. “Thanks! I try my best.”

“You do.”

Her icy gaze remains on me, like she’s staring beyond my forced smile. I swallow hard. Are my thoughts plastered to my forehead like a billboard or something?

“Ez,” she says, turning from me.