Chapter 17

Kaleb’s P.O.V

The call came at six in the evening, just as I had stepped into my prison house on Princep Street.

“Your presence is requested at the Headquarters by 9PM.”

It was a curt phone call, no details and no explanations, but I had a bad feeling about it. I had been violating too many protocols and it was only a matter of time before I was ‘taken care of’, like so many others before me. Working for the League might seem appealing at first, but it became a clash of morals right after you witness the blood and the gore.

A sudden pain in my arm had me doubling over on the floor. It was a second of excruciation before it numbed to a dull throb. This had never happened before. The pain always lasted longer, but I had a suspicion it had something to do with the Demon King’s blood in my veins.

I made my way over to the couch in the living area and crashed onto it, feeling exhausted and numb all over. Once I had my breath under control, I pulled back the sleeves of my shirt to see the fine threads of dark retreating.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but this wasn’t the end of it. I had lied to Miaka.

My baby sister wasn’t the only one running out of time…I was too. But I needed to make sure she was alright first. Tyanna could survive without me, I’ll make sure of that, but for that to happen, I had to survive long enough to ensure that Miaka would look after her…even after I was gone.

Miaka…

I couldn’t get her out of my head even if I tried to.

Everything about her was alluring, intoxicating. She was an addiction I couldn’t let go of, no matter how hard I tried and I knew I was walking a very thin line here.

The clock struck seven and I decided to finally get up and get ready to head out.

This house had been a gift after I had completed my training and became one of the League’s best guard dogs. It was spacious and luxurious, but it was a prison with cameras and detectors all around. I had to be careful how much of myself I wanted to show the people I worked for.

I stood in front of the mirror and got dressed in a leather jack on top of my black shirt and denims. I lifted my chin the slightest, looking for any lines or tender skin that might be a remaining of my little run-in with the blade of a demon knight, but there was nothing but clear, unbroken skin, not a shade out of place.

I shifted over to my weapons on the wall opposite to my bed. As a guard, I had limited choice in weapons, but that was alright. Even a needle was enough to kill an army, if known how to use it right. Today, I stocked up three throwing knives and two guns and distributed them amongst my various pockets. And then I was ready to head out.

Twenty minutes and I was parking outside an office building downtown, it’s parking almost empty and the area nearby almost deserted. What surprised me, however, was the fact that Derek Lawson, Shaw’s right hand man was standing outside the building, waiting for me.

“Were you called too?” I asked him once I got out of the car and locked it. I had made sure to leave Miaka’s gift in my old apartment, not wanting to have to answer questions. After all, these people had my bank details.

“Daniel is expecting you.” Was his curt reply before he started for the door.

Then I guess this was it. They might have found something to use against me.

I followed Derek inside the building, shutting down any outwards emotions. No matters how worried or angry I was, I wouldn’t…couldn’t show it externally. The League preferred their pets without emotions. Just machines that did their dirty work.

We went straight to the elevator and as soon as I was inside, Derek pressed the button for Basement 2, which is where all the conference rooms were. As expected, he took me to the one right at the back, the one isolated from view. There were two people waiting for me today. Daniel Shaw, the person in charge of Security and the woman who was behind these heinous experiments.

Alexandra Michelle looked like a cunning woman, no matter how pretty she was on the outside. The first time I saw her was the day in the warehouse when she was bringing in her “special delivery”. Her dark red hair was in loose curls around her head and her green eyes were covered by thick glasses. She wore a dark green top and blue denims with a white lab coat over them and her smile was not a single bit pleasant.

Daniel on the other had been an ex-soldier with a lot of visible scars on his body. He was in his mid forty’s and had short salt and pepper hair cropped to an inch of his skull. He had larger muscles and liked to wear T-shirts and cargo pants, just as he was doing now. He was also almost always armed to the teeth.

“My, Daniel.” Alexandra spoke with a pronounced accent that seemed false, like she was pretending to be someone she was not. “Where do you hide all the lookers? I’m tempted to steal this one.”

She eyed me up and down like she was stripping me naked and it was the most uncomfortable I had felt in my entire life.

I didn’t feel like this when Miaka looked at me. Her gaze was the only thing I felt comfortable with. But no matter what, I couldn’t make my displeasure visible on my face. I had to be stoic, impassive.

“And do what? Have him inject people with your fluids?” Daniel smirked. “He’s a fighter, a good one. I ain’t letting him go that easily.”

“Oh…I wouldn’t mind him injecting fluids,” Alexandra gave a shrill laugh before turning to me. “But that’s a discussion for another day. We’re here for something else.”

“Why did you go back to the warehouse, Kaleb?” Daniel cut to the chase. “And this time, we want the truth.”

“I told you already. I forgot my keys on my desk. But when I reached, everything was on fire.”

“How interesting.” Alexandra smirked. “And yet, the Demons were able to find the boy I brought there and take him away…from the secret station only the most trusted staff knew about.”

I gave her a blank stare but my heart slammed against my ribcage. Did they find any footage of me leading Miaka to the hidden chamber? That can’t be possible. I had checked thoroughly for any devices that could still be active and no one had fled the area during the attack, Miaka had made sure of that.

“Fess up, boy.” Daniel spoke from beside Alexandra. “There is still chance for you to come clean.”

“What do I have to come clean about when I did nothing wrong?” I looked right into Daniel’s eyes when I said this, not because I was confident he wouldn’t catch my lie…but because it wasn’t a lie.

I did not regret helping the child escape. I did not regret helping Miaka. And I most certainly did nothing wrong.

So whatever proof he had against me, that was the basis of their assumption that I betrayed them, it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Alexandra’s laugh was shrill and it grated against my nerves, but I didn’t show my displeasure. She came closer to me, a bit too close for my comfort and placed her hand on my shoulders before rising on her tip-toes to whisper in my ear.

“Loyal and truthful. Now that’s the kinda man I like in bed.”

The relief I felt was immense, even though the good news came from my least favourable person. I clenched my hands as I found her lingering, but thankfully, she let go and stepped back.

“Good.” Daniel got up from his seat and came over to place his hand on my shoulder, giving me a tight squeeze. “Keep being loyal. It’s what’s best for everyone.”

“Sir.” I bowed my head and after being dismissed, followed Derek out to the parking lot.

“You lied.”

Derek, who had been silently waiting outside all this time, spoke up now, just as I was about to get inside my car.

“What are you talking about?” I frowned at him. Derek had never like me, and the feeling was mutual, but I couldn’t let him get suspicious either.

“You know what I’m talking about, Kaleb.” Derek smirked as he stepped closer to me. “And so do I.”

Before I knew what was going on, a sharp pain pierced through my stomach, causing me to groan. And then Derek turned and left without a word as I slid down to the ground.

I closed my eyes for a second, breathing through clenched teeth as I covered the stab wound with my hand. Quickly, I got inside my car after some difficult and started the ignition. It was only after I was at a safe distance away from the HQ that I stopped my car at the side of the road and lifted up my bloody shirt to find my wound all but healed.

Miaka’s blood…it had saved my life.