Axiom Theory: Book Four of the Shadow Series (20 page)

Before Aiden could respond, Alyssa had him turned and leaving the room. Once they were gone, Test turned back to Lauren.

“What the hell is your problem?” he asked through clenched teeth while struggling to control his volume. She didn’t answer; instead she continued to look away from him in the direction of the wood stove. “You can be a bitch to me all you want,” he continued. “But when it comes to Alyssa and Aiden, that’s where I’m gonna draw the line.”

Continuing to stare at nothing, Lauren asked quietly. “Is he going to stay?” She slowly turned back to Test. “Are you
and Alyssa going to watch over him?”

Getting whiplash from her mood swings, Test let out a sigh and replied
with his jaw still tensed. “Yes. That’s the plan.”

A sudden look of sadness appeared on her face. Her eyes glistened with tears and a crooked, half-pained smile formed on her lips. “I think that’s pretty awesome,” she said. “
He’s a lucky boy.”

****

Prim sat at the end of a bar in a deli in Lynchburg, Virginia eating a sandwich with Iku sitting next to him. While his gift allowed him to sense the use of another Shadow’s power over great distances, it did require him to be present in the world of the living to do so. This meant that though he could span great distances in a short amount of time, it did him no good to race to a particular place. Instead, he and Iku sat quietly at the bar waiting patiently for any sign of the twins’ presence in the region. Lynchburg was the last place Iku had seen the twins so it seemed like the logical place to start their hunt.

Prim glanced
to Iku who had proven to be the ideal traveling partner. He was quiet, alert, and always at the ready. He found himself musing at the fact that a relatively short time ago he hated Iku (actually holding him partially responsible for Jenz’s death) where now he found himself grateful for his presence.

“You not hungry?” asked Prim, motioning to the sandwich on the plate in front of Iku. Only a single bite had been taken.

With Prim sitting on his blind side, Iku turned in his seat to respond while shaking his head. “Not really. Besides,” he replied pointing to the sandwich, “this isn’t really my thing.”

With a grin
and an unconscious glance to Iku’s dead eye, Prim asked, “What
is
your thing? What do you like?”

Iku grinned back. “Hot dogs,” he replied with
the enthusiasm of a child. “I love hot dogs.”

With a chuckle, Prim lifted his sandwich and took a large bite. As he set the sandwich back down, he glanced to Iku’s eye once again.

“Does it bother you?” asked Iku.

Prim’s head recoiled and his brow wrinkled in confusion. “What
, that you like hot dogs?”

“No,” replied Iku with a mild mannered laugh. He took a sip of his iced tea and continued. “My eye; does the look of it bother you?”

Prim felt a warm rush of heat wash over his face. He hadn’t realized he was being so obvious. Clearing his throat, he replied. “No—absolutely not.” He glanced down to the bar and then back to Iku. “I’m sorry if I was making you uncomfortable. I didn’t mean…”

“It’s fine, my friend,” interrupted Iku as he slapped Prim’s back. “After
two-hundred years, I’ve become used to it being the focal point.”

Prim’s head hung low. “It’s not,” he replied
shamefully in answer to both it not being okay and it not being the focal point (though he knew it was).

Iku nodded his head with a grin and took another sip of tea.

“How did it happen?” asked Prim. “If you don’t mind me asking?”

Savoring the sip of tea, Iku closed his eyes and allowed the memory to return. “I was young,
though old enough to think myself as a warrior; ten years old I believe.” he replied. “My power had not yet come to me. My people were struggling, fighting the Americans who continued to push west, taking our land. One night our camp was raided. Many were killed or wounded badly; men, women, and children. I watched as it all happened from the tall grass just outside of camp.” Iku stared blankly ahead; the pain of the memory had not touched him for some time. He turned to Prim. “I did nothing at first. I watched as my brothers and sisters were slaughtered and did nothing.” The tone of his voice became gritty and low. “And then I saw one of the men on horseback dismount a short distance away. I saw it as my chance. I crept low in the tall grass, circling to get a better angle on the soldier.” He paused to clear his throat and take another sip of tea. “I took too long.”

Prim watched with a heavy heart as Iku’s jaws clenched tightly. It was obvious that he was fighting with his demons.

“In the moment I began to stand and attack,” continued Iku, “I felt the blade of what I now know to have been a soldier’s sword striking my face.” He lowered his head, wishing he still had his long hair to hide his face from the world.

After a moment’s silence, Prim spoke. “You don’t have to tell me anymore. I’m sorry that I asked.”

Iku sighed heavily and took another sip of his tea before replying. “I woke up on my back in the tall grass. The sun was shining overhead and the wind was still. I brought myself to my knees and my head began to spin. After a moment, I forced myself to stand. I looked over the bodies of my people as they lay upon the ground.” He choked on his words and swallowed forcefully. “For two centuries, I have wished that both of my eyes had been taken so I would never have had to see what I saw that day.”

Though Prim had
many other questions, he knew that it was not the right time. Iku had shared his pain. He didn’t want him to endure any more.

After several minutes
of dead silence had passed, the waitress interrupted. “Is there anything else that I can get you gentlemen today?”

“No, thank you. We’re fine,” replied Prim. Pushing his plate away, he laced his fingers together and
rested his elbows on the bar. “I’m truly sorry, Iku. I can’t imagine what that was like for you.”

Iku craned his
neck, looking Prim in the eyes, and nodded. “Thank you for giving me a second chance,” he replied warmly.

Before Prim could reply,
he suddenly felt a small ripple of energy flow through him. It first appeared as though someone were touching his back, but slowly built to feel like a steady push.

“Not many…” continued Iku
, stopping as Prim gripped his forearm. He saw Prim’s eyebrows fork downward. “What is it?” he asked.

Swiveling on his bar stool, Prim replied. “It’s happening.
I can feel them.”

“He’s a fucking vampire!” shouted Casper. “A God damn, energy sucking, power stealing vampire!”

Ashley laughed out loud. “I know! Isn’t it amazing!” she shouted. “Think of the possibilities!”

Casper had broken out into a cold sweat as he pushed himself back up into the chair, his already pale skin now three shades pastier. He rested his forehead on his palms while breathing in short bursts. “How did he do it?” he asked. “Have you ever heard of…”

“No,” interjected Ashley. “And I don’t think he knows how he did it either.”

Casper looked up to his sister whose face was beaming with joy. “What if he’d have killed me?” he asked. “Would you still have that smile on your face?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Ashley replied with a smugness only her brother could top. “I don’t know, maybe?” she replied. “Don’t you see what this means?” she asked, smacking him on the head. As Casper recoiled away from her into the back of the chair, she continued. “If he can do this to you, he can do it to Test or anyone else who gets in our way.”

“Yeah, or he can do it to us over and over and…”

“Then I guess you’d better start being nice to him, huh?” asked Ashley as she folded her arms across her chest.

Casper looked up with a malevolent sneer. “Fat chance, that little…”

“I’m hungry.”

Destin’s voice came from the hallway unexpectedly and s
ent Casper scrambling into a fetal position as the recliner rocked into the wall behind.

Ashley laughed once again. “Atta boy, tough guy,” she said to Casper before turning to Destin. “Hey, kiddo. How’re you feeling?”

Destin stared at Casper and couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the fear on his face. “Strong,” he replied. “Hungry, but strong.”

Ashley walked across the living room and stood in front of
him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Well, we should go out to eat and celebrate. Don’t you think?”

Destin nodded his head. “Yeah, that sounds good,” he replied less than enthusiastically.

Placing her index finger under his chin, Ashley asked, “What’s the matter? You don’t seem too excited.”

Turning his head away from Ashley’s finger, Destin backed
away a step. “Something else happened; after I went into my room.”

Ashley glanced over her shoulder to Casper who had just begun to let his body straighten out in the chair. “Oh yeah
—what’s that?” she asked as she turned back to Destin.

With several glances from the floor and back to Ashley, he replied hesitantly. “I went to the dead side.”

“What?” exclaimed Ashley, taking his shoulders into her grip once again though he quickly twisted out of her grasp.

“I saw someone,” said Destin as he looked at her with an angry glare. “He said he lived here.” He watched as Ashley’s eyes grew wide.

“Now we’ve talked about this,” she replied. “Sometimes we have to do things that are best for our kind.”

“It doesn’t seem right,” answered Destin, his teeth grinding as he spoke.

“Look,” began Ashley, but then stopped as she choked on her words. She looked over her shoulder, hoping for Casper to pitch in.

“Oh no,” he said with hands raised. “You figure it out
little Ms. Smiley.”

As she turned back to Destin, a flash of light blinded her.
She threw her arms over her face, knowing that when she lowered them he would already be gone.

****

When t
he phone rang, all conversation in the house stopped abruptly. After discussing what Lauren and Cliff had discovered in Kansas City, they sat while waiting impatiently for Prim and Iku to call. For Shadows, a cell phone was a convenient thing as long as they were walking on the side of the living. When they entered the Shadow realm, however, the object was rendered useless. Though they could take the phone with them, the surge of energy required to phase destroyed it. This was true with any electronic device.

Lauren sat tapping her
foot anxiously with the phone in her lap. She needed to hear from Prim; not necessarily to know what they’d found, but more that she needed to know that he was okay. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the phone rang. Before the first ring could even complete itself, Lauren picked up the phone.

“Prim?” she asked anxiously.

“It’s me,” replied Prim. “I don’t have a lot of time.”

Lauren could hear a woman’s voice in the background. “
That’s not long distance is it?
”

Frustrated that he’d been distracted
, Lauren rolled her eyes as she heard Prim reply ‘
no ma’am
’. She could hear his breath as he removed his hand from the phone.

“Something just happened,” said Prim. “I felt it north of us. I don’t know where, but…”

“They’re in New Jersey,” interrupted Lauren. Prim was silent on the other end of the phone and Lauren pictured the twisted look on his face in her mind. “Hello?” she asked.

“How do you know that?” he asked.

“Dawson’s dead. We saw it on the news.”

After another short pause while Prim processed the information, he replied. “Do you know what town?”

“Dawson was killed in Trenton,” answered Lauren. “But that doesn’t mean that’s where the twins are.”

Crisply
, Prim replied, “Understood, but that should get us close enough so I can pinpoint their next location.”

Lauren heard him cup his hand over the phone and say something to whom she assumed was Ikuhabe. Before she could feel too put out, he returned. “Thanks for the info. W
e’d better get going so I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

She knew that the situation dictated the need for quickness, but the only thing that she wanted to hear from him before he hung up was th
at he loved her.  Hesitating with her response, she spoke with a suddenly cracked voice. “Okay. Be careful.”

“I will,” he replied. “Talk to you soon, okay?”

With disappointment dripping from her words, she felt her spirit sinking. “Yep. Bye.” As she took the phone away from her ear and reached out with her index finger to end the call, she heard Prim’s voice call her name. She placed the phone back to her ear. “Yeah?” she asked.

“
I love you.”

Though the words came quick and with a
cold formality that the situation dictated, it didn’t matter how he’d said it. He’d said what she desperately needed to hear. Suddenly finding herself straining to avoid tears, she replied. “I love you too. Please come home safely.”