Chapter 8

Miaka’s P.O.V

I stopped my car a few meters away from the warehouse, in case someone was watching. There was only one heartbeat that I could sense in this entire area but there could be cameras or other devices that could pick out my car and I didn’t want to destroy the electronics right away and give anyone reasons to suspect. Kaleb had especially

“Kaleb? Are you there?” I looked around the abandoned warehouse but found only dust and broken boxes. But when I strained my ears, the faint sound of a heartbeat could still be heard from nearby. “Ka-”

Suddenly I was being pulled aside by my and down a flight of stairs through an open trapdoor. Bright lights were being turned on the next instant, blinding me temporarily before the somewhat familiar face with the unique eyes came into view.

“Was that really necessary?” I asked with a frown while dusting off my jacket.

“They’re inspecting this place.” He told me in that same husky voice that I’d heard the first night. “I think this is going to be their new base.”

“You’re sure about this?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you one of the security team members?”

He nodded before pointing to the furthest corner of the warehouse. “There’s a door that leads to the basement from there. I don’t know what they want to experiment on but something big is in the talk. I’ve been hearing whispers about it for some time now.”

Something didn’t feel right. Something didn’t add up.

“How about we go somewhere else to talk?” I asked with a small smile, trying to put him to ease. “I have some things to discuss with you.”

There was instant alertness in his beautiful amethyst eyes and I knew.

“How about some other time?” It was the tiniest of movements, but I saw his eyes shift to the left for a millisecond.

I casually turned towards that direction, offering him my back on purpose. There was a window that overlooked the forest outside. Everything looked normal on the surface. The birds were chirping away happily and I could hear a few monkeys in the distance. Everything seemed normal…if you didn’t notice the tiny camera in one of the branches, painted green to mimic the leaves.

Kaleb’s heartbeat slowed down a bit. It could be a sign that he was reassured or getting ready for a kill. Most serial killers get relaxed when going for the kill, but I didn’t think Kaleb was a serial killer. Either I was underestimating his age or his skills. Or maybe it was the same feeling that I got from him the first time I saw him. The feeling that he wasn’t quite human.

“Cerasus flos hortis occurre semihoram.”

I turned to look at Kaleb over my shoulders. His face looked impassive, but he lifted his hand up to scratch below his ear oh-so-slowly. I gave him a polite smile. “Thank you for your help, Kaleb. You’ll be rewarded properly for your co-operation. You may leave now. I’ll inform my men to keep an eye out for this place.”

Kaleb nodded and turned in the opposite direction and leaving without a word. After I was sure he was gone as the sound of a bike retreated, I looked around the warehouse carefully, inspecting every nook and corner. There wasn’t anything useful here and the basement was just as empty. After five minutes of scrutiny, I too left the building and hopped on my car after disabling the sensory alarms and drove to my next destination.

The Cherry Blossom Park was on the other side of town and usually a popular tourist attraction spot. That’s why I pulled out a scarf from my cabinet and tied my hair into a tight bun before wrapping the dark blue scarf around my head. I wasn’t a common face so the scarf was enough to protect my identity.

Once I got out, I locked my car with the motion sensor detector. It wasn’t really necessary but there were explosives nowadays that didn’t use metals at all so they were hard to detect.

The park was also located on top of a cliff, with the Panama Ocean below a roaring entity, ready to engulf anything that was thrown into it. Since the names of the continents and oceans in my world were different to the others, the Panama would be called the Atlantic Ocean in some worlds and probably something else in the dimensions that I rarely visited.

Several cherry blossoms were in full bloom, thanks to the Magean magic, while other, lesser known trees were planted in between, creating a pallet of colours. I walked a bit farther into the park, in an area that was the least crowded and sat on a wide bench meant for three people. Several of the smaller benches/love-seats were occupied by couples in different phases of their relationship. While I waited for Kaleb to show up, I took in the behaviour of the couples, trying my hardest to refrain myself from eavesdropping.

Love…was a foreign concept to me. I had never thought about falling in love or being with someone who would become my entire world. How was that even possible? Loving someone so deeply that you are willing to make any sacrifices, go to any lengths just to be with them? I had so many people in my life, my foster family, my brothers and sister from the council…I was well loved and respected, but I never knew what it was like to have a lover. Yet, I knew that kind of soul searing love existed after watching my brothers and hearing stories about my father.

It was also as I was having my thoughts about love of a man that Kaleb finally decided to show up. I would’ve almost missed him if it weren’t for that strange presence he had, that I had been able to sense from the very first day. He took off his sunglasses, giving me a glimpse of those unique amethyst eyes with specks of blue and gold.

I gave a polite smile as I saw his face. He was worried, it was evident in his eyes, but what surprised me was that there was no guilt. Was he one of those people who thought I was a child and hence, not wise or intelligent enough to understand a double-cross? If so, he was in for a surprise.

I patted the seat next to me and he took a seat, putting his glasses back on while he looked around as if scanning for threats. Someone should give him an award for his horrible acting skills.

“So, Kaleb.” I crossed one leg over the other. “What’s your next move?”

Kaleb didn’t answer immediately, but he let out a sigh. “There was a camera…just not inside the building.”

“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows. “And you only realized it after you’ve been working for them, for what?-a few years?”

“Two.” He corrected immediately. “I’ve been with them for only two years and this is my first year on operations. I had to go through their training regime last year. I became one of their top students almost immediately and was qualified for special ops training.”

“Bragging, are we?”

“Why aren’t you asking me the obvious questions?” He shot back. “Why am I still alive?”

“Oh, my! You have a conscience.” I faked a surprised gasp. “But that would just be an easy option, wouldn’t it? Your supervisors are probably waiting for just that; your death in a gruesome way by my hands so they can parade to the entire world just how cruel the monsters are.”

I might have been mistaken but I swear I saw him flinch at the mention of ‘monster’. “So tell me, Kaleb. What made you call me to the warehouse? Did you think you could easily deceive a teenager? A child who probably doesn’t have any wisdom or worldly knowledge?”

Much to my surprise, Kaleb barked out a humourless laugh. “No matter what anyone thinks, you are far from a child, Miaka. Anyone with that much power can never stay a child for long. You are the Demon King, the presiding head of the Dark Council…I would never see you as a child.”

I don’t know why I felt it, but somehow…it felt like in that moment, he understood me. Maybe not who I was entirely, but maybe a very little part of it. And the way my name rolled off his tongue…it was different. The sound, the feel…like my name was supposed to be spoken by him and him alone…

“Then what were you trying to achieve?” I asked him, feeling the beat of my heart in my ears. For some reason, I didn’t want him to be the bad guy. I didn’t want him to actually betray me and break my faith.

“I need your help.” Was his answer.