Division Zero: Lex De Mortuis (54 page)

irsten fidgeted on the bench. She did not remember the last time she ever wore a skirt, and the thigh-length grey fabric let an awful lot of cold air in where it did not belong. Nila sat to her left, picking at a salad, enjoying the bright Saturday morning. Evan and Shani ran in giggling circles out in Sanctuary Park, weaving through bio-engineered trees and piles of leaves. Somewhere, a dog barked.

“Cross your legs.” Nila laughed, and then demonstrated. “You’re not supposed to sit like a man when wearing a skirt.”

“This was your idea.” Kirsten took the suggestion. “I hate these things. I feel as if I’m walking around pants-less.”

“You got panties on, don’t you?”

Kirsten blushed. “Of course, what kind of question is that?”

Nila munched away, the scent of ranch dressing on her breath. “I adore the freedom. I’m stuck in that damn armor all day long, rides up.”

They giggled.

“So…” Nila lowered her voice. “How did it go with the hearing?”

Kirsten folded her arms, gazing at her lap.

“Oh, no,” Nila whispered, giving a consoling back pat.

“No… It’s not bad news.” Kirsten straightened. “It’s just not happened yet. I’m worried sick and terrified. The caseworker interviewed Evan a few days ago. He said it went fine, but I don’t want to lose him.”

“I got cleared for duty again.”

Kirsten clung to Nila’s arm for a moment. “That’s great.”

They both glanced over at Evan’s cry of glee. He flew about in the pose of a superhero, lofted by Shani’s telekinesis. The girl moved in a slow rotation, her face dour with concentration.

“Having a telekinetic daughter must be… interesting.” Kirsten finally took a bite of her turkey wrap. “At least they seem to like each other.”

“I almost fainted the first time her toys put themselves away. You know, it’s kind of funny,” Nila said, sounding more sad than amused. “We’ve both got kids without being married.”

Kirsten squeezed her shoulder. “I’m so sorry Nila; the way Dorian told it, I thought…”

Nila’s eyes shot wide. “Oh, I can imagine how bad it sounded. I was dating this guy and he was… well.” Nila sighed. “He started off nice but turned into a controlling ass. So, I left him. He made threatening calls, kept following me… I never told him I was pregnant. He almost beat me to death when I wouldn’t take him back.” She scowled. “My own damn fault for not wanting to burn him.”

“Oh…”
Dammit, Dorian, you made it sound like…
“Dorian said he killed him for it.”

Nila was quiet for a long few minutes; the distant giggles of children a surreal backdrop to the current topic. “I see. Well, that explains why he stopped bothering me. He would have eventually killed me, or Shani. I don’t feel sorry for him. Attempted murder on police personnel is usually a death sentence anyway. Besides, I probably would have done it myself eventually. Pyrokinesis gets scary in moments of primal fear.”

Kirsten shifted, picking at the skirt.

“I know you’re squishy about killing and all. Not everyone is as sweet and innocent as you are. I won’t feel guilt over someone that has to die to save my life, or over anyone who threatens my family.”

“Mmm.” Kirsten could not help but stare at Evan, grinning as he flew in circles. “You heard they got Rene?”

“Yeah, it was foolish of you to go in there after him, but I appreciate it.” Nila grinned, returning Shani’s wave as she darted about. “So, I hear you’re dating some millionaire playboy?”

“Konstantin isn’t hurting for credits.” Kirsten giggled, a trace of blush in her cheeks. “Or looks.”

“Guess your date last night went well?”

Kirsten held out her right arm, showing off a glittering gold serpent bracelet with ruby eyes. It closed by eating its own tail.

Nila held her friend’s arm, tilting the jewelry in the light. “Wow. He’s either loaded or really interested.”

“He’s showing off. The place we went to was a thousand a plate.” She fidgeted, a guilty look evident. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Something wrong with him?”

She cradled the bracelet to her chest, staring at her lap. “Oh, no! He’s perfect. It’s just that… There’s so many people in the city who can’t even eat. I can’t feel good about wasting that much money on food.”

“You look like you’re smitten; you have that glint in your eyes. Besides, it’s not your money.”

Kirsten waved at her. “Oh, come on. You know what I mean.”

Nila waved at Evan, flying over a tree.

“Evan!” yelled Kirsten, “Sorry. Shani, not so high please.”

“So, how did you meet this perfect man?”

“Would you believe there are only three people in the entire world that have an understanding of ancient Sumerian?”

“What’s that?” asked Nila.

Evan’s voice shouted in the distance. “Race ya!”

“No fair!” wailed Shani. “You got a head start.”

Giggling, Kirsten idly twisted the gold serpent around her arm. “I guess you would. He helped me kick a demon back to the Abyss.”

Nila looked impressed. “He’s okay with all the weird stuff?”

“Oh, yeah.” Kirsten squinted into an adoring smile. “He’s quite comfortable with all that stuff. For a non-psionic, he’s got a lot of working knowledge of spirits and such. Guess it’s a hobby.”

Evan’s gleeful run slowed to a stumble, then to a halt. He rocked forward one step as Shani collided with him. The girl tugged at his arm, confused by the way he stared into a thick cluster of trees and bushes bordering the grassy area where they played. After a second, he took Shani by the hand, dragging her over to the bench.

“Mom…” Fear paled his cheeks and widened his eyes, his arm curled in a protective posture over his confused playmate. “It feels like something’s watching us.”

roken glass crunched underfoot; every third step, her foot slipped to one side or the other almost sending her to the ground. Natalie stumbled through the alley behind the others, struggling to keep the pace demanded by the hand around her wrist. The clamor of boots on the wet pavement made her feel as if the eyes of the entire city fell on her. Something bad was in the air tonight, something worse than ripping off the corner store or pinching a Beemer for a joyride. Wet brick and fire escapes, highlighted in moonlight, passed overhead; she ran through the shadows to a part of the city she had never been.

In time, the pack slowed to a quiet walk and came to a halt just shy of where the glow of streetlamps invaded the alley. Natalie covered her mouth with her left hand, both to shield herself from some awful smell in the air and to quiet the sound of her breathing. The others leaned against the wall of an old brownstone. Each time a car went past, she froze as if the driver might hear her over the sound of his engine.

What the hell am I doing here? Mom is gonna lose her damn mind if I get caught.

Jason, despite his size, had a boyish face that made him seem less like a criminal than the rest. If there was any of this lot of misfits she trusted, it would be him. Most nights, he had a harmless, urgent look to him that felt at odds with everything the others were doing. Tonight was no different. This was, however, the first time he had squeezed the feeling out of her hand. She tugged at her arm, wanting to sink into the cover of darkness against the building.

He thinks I’ll run.

Kevin, white-painted face aglow in the streetlights, shot a hard look at those assembled. Natalie cringed inside, trying to evade his glare. The last time he had that glint in his eye, he almost stabbed some kid from Long Island. He peeked out of the alley, looked around, and came back pacing.