The Embers Of My Heart (18 page)

"You've never made a mistake in the heat of the moment?" I snapped. "Give me a fucking break. I've had nightmares about it for months. I never meant to kill him!"

"Untrained, undisciplined murderer!" I stepped back at the pure venom in the man's words. He stepped toward me and pointed at my chest. I turned aside by reflex. "I was out of commission for six months, you son of a bitch. Your little Resistance whores twisted me harder than anyone ever before, and then I woke up to find a close friend of mine was dead. Dead, you fucking piece of shit! I visited his wife afterwards. She might forgive you for an accident, but I won't."

I stepped back again and he followed. "You can't run away from me, Parker. I swear to you, I'm going to find a way to make you pay."

"Is that a threat?" I tried to sound confident, but my voice quivered. "I've beaten you once. I can do it again."

"Bravado, Parker. Next time, you won't have help." His voice finally lowered to normal speaking volume again. "Whether I break your soul by making you help me bring those sluts to justice, or whether I break your neck myself, I'm going to make you hurt."

"Words," I said. "Let me ask you one thing."

"What's that?"

"What's your name?" I forced myself to step toward him. "I want to know ahead of time."

He leaned toward me and I could feel the pulse of his psionic powers without even trying. "Davidson. Charles Davidson."

"Well, Chuck," I said. "I look forward to our next encounter."

"Likewise, Parker. Likewise."

As if a bubble suddenly popped, students started walking through the area where we had been speaking. A couple of them glanced at me in passing and I realized how sweaty I was. Davidson kept his focus on me and I broke first, turning and walking away. Office hours could wait for another day. It took every bit of will to keep myself from breaking into a run, and even then, I made record time getting back to the dorm. Max and Drew were thankfully in class. I threw myself into my chair and breathed in deeply before reaching out to Absynthe. She accepted my telepresence request nearly immediately and I found myself in her mental realm.

"Ah, Kevin," she said. "Something wrong?"

She wasn't alone. Nikki's presence was there as well. Both of them wore formal evening gowns and heels, their hair done up in complex rings and braids. I lost track of what I was going to say as the visuals caught up with me. I'd never seen Nikki in formalwear and apparently, I had been missing out. She tracked my gaze and raised her eyebrows. "My eyes are up here," she said.

I forced my eyes back to Absynthe. "Tell me," she said before I could say anything. "Is this too much?" Her gown shifted and the neckline suddenly dipped all the way down to her navel. Pierced. That surprised me. "Think that would be too scandalous?"

"It is a bit much," Nikki said.

"Just what the hell did I walk into here?"

Absynthe smiled and held her hands up. Black gloves formed in the air and fit themselves to her fingers. "We're having a bit of a formal meeting tonight with our guests."

"We? Guests?" Something clicked. "The Bureau?"

"Oh, you know?" The gloves stretched to reach up to her elbows. "They're here on diplomatic business. You didn't think we'd just let them set up shop on the campus without permission, did you?"

"Kevin would think that," Nikki said. Her gown shifted to raise the neckline and flare out at the bottom. "I feel like being a little more modest. What do you think?"

"You do pull off the slender look well," Absynthe said. "Maybe a corset?"

"That's the opposite of modest."

"Ok," I said. "First off, why? And second off, why wasn't I invited?"

"You killed one of their agents." Absynthe waved her hand at me. The gloves disappeared. "That's an answer for both, by the way."

I considered that for a moment. "Well, I guess that makes sense."

"Besides, you're known for being somewhat disruptive. Abrasive."

"You're a dick," Nikki said. She clasped her hands over her stomach and smiled at me. "A complete dick, Kevin. You'd piss them off more than they already are. Absynthe, I'm not sure about my hair."

"Try curls," Absynthe said. Nikki's hair shifted into a mass of curls tumbling down her shoulders. "Oh, that's very nice."

"I wish I could spend the time curling it every day," Nikki said.

"Kevin, what do you think? Pearl or gold earrings?" Absynthe asked. She turned her head both ways, showing one in each ear.

"Gold," I said. "Can they actually recruit our people?"

"Sure," Absynthe said. "If they compensate us for our training expenditures. Though right now, they're getting a deep, deep discount."

"Wonder why," Nikki said.

"Yeah, well, I ran into one of their agents just now," I said. Absynthe stopped shifting her earrings and accessories and turned to face me. "Davidson. I ran into him in Washington last year. He remembers me."

"What did he say?"

"He threatened me," I said. "Straight up said he's going to make me pay one way or another."

Absynthe's eyes narrowed. I didn't know what she knew, but I wasn't going to talk about the Resistance in front of Nikki. "Kevin, I'm going to give you some advice. Stay away from him. Stay away from all the Bureau people until they're gone in three days. Skip classes if you have to. We don't need more trouble, especially involving you."

"Is there any chance you'd force me to work with them in any fashion, as part of reparations?" I asked.

Her eyes didn't leave mine. "Would that pose a problem?"

"Yes. Very yes."

"Then we won't."

"Thanks."

"Just take my advice, in exchange. Don't make me wish I had given you an order," she said.

"I will. But why are you taking Nikki?" I looked toward her and found her trying on formal gloves as well. "I mean, she was there too. I don't want them to associate her with that event at all if possible."

"I can take care of myself," she said.

"So can I," I said. "That doesn't mean I'm going to go looking for trouble."

"I'm not looking for trouble," she said. "I'm looking to resolve trouble diplomatically. Absynthe wants to get my face and name out there in that sort of role."

I looked back to Absynthe and tried not to let my confusion show. I didn't associate Nikki with stability or negotiating skill in the least. "Well, that's news to me."

"It's not like we talk," Nikki said.

"That's not my fault."

"I didn't say it was."

"I'm almost ready," Absynthe said. "But I still feel like I'm missing something. What do you think?"

I frowned, then produced a pair of stiletto knives and wrist sheathes. "Maybe something like this?"

Absynthe laughed. "Should I walk in there armed to the teeth?"

"It'd be nicely symbolic."

She banished the weapons with a wave of her hand. "Not necessary. We're playing nice tonight."

I recreated them and held them out to Nikki. "I want you to be careful, though."

"Stop." Nikki banished them as well. "You don't need to worry about me at all."

"We need to go," Absynthe said. "Kevin, listen. Stay away from them. We wanted to keep them away from you as well, but that's not going to happen now, is it? Don't go to the campus unless you have to. Don't draw attention. Don't let them bait you. Don't do anything. We want to finish our business with them as quickly as possible so don't cause any trouble."

"I understand," I said. "If there's an emergency, should I contact you?"

"Alistair and I will both be at the meeting tonight, so contact Professor Burke if you need immediate assistance," she said. "We expect it to continue for some hours, so we will be in my office, physically."

"Got it." I lifted my hand. "Good luck."

The telepresence link broke and I sighed. Absynthe was worrying too much. The Bureau was ballsy enough to work in our territory, but they wouldn't dare attack me on campus. I'd skip my classes in or around Edison and that would be fine. I turned to my computer and opened up PSInet for some research.

After a couple of hours of fruitless searching for information on Davidson, I kicked away from my desk and stood up. Darkness was falling, the Caf was closing soon, and I was starving. I grabbed my jacket and headed down to the campus. Neither of my roommates had dropped by, so I assumed they were already eating or out with their girlfriends. I kept an eye out for Bureau agents. All was quiet.

I didn't find anyone I knew at the Caf, but someone did find me. "Don't get any ideas," Rachel snapped as she sat down across from me. "Just wanted to let you know what I found out."

"Diplomatic mission," I said around a mouthful of potatoes.

"Oh, yes. I forgot. You're special."

"My mentor's in attendance right now," I said after swallowing. "Coincidence. No one told me shit. Wish I knew ahead of time. Their agent in Edison confronted me right after you left. Not a fun conversation. They don't like me."

She shook her head. "I don't like them being here."

"Stay away from them," I said. "I've had a couple fights with their agents. They're arrogant and dangerous."

"Sounds like you."

"Yeah, whatever."

She stood up as quickly as she had sat down. "That's all I wanted to say."

"Burke's the emergency contact for tonight," I said. "Do me a favor?"

"Maybe."

"I'm going back to the dorm in a few minutes. I'm going to let you know when I get there. If I haven't gotten through to you in twenty minutes, let him know."

"You're paranoid."

"I have reason to be. They want me dead."

She snorted. "Sure. We'll go with that. No problem."

"Rachel." She paused with her back turned to me. "Thanks."

The sun had fully set by the time I left the Caf. Streetlights illuminated the sidewalk. I remembered walking up the same sidewalk with Drew, early on in my first year, when a car jumped the sidewalk and nearly hit us. Shade probably created that situation. After becoming partners with Nikki, Absynthe and Shade ambushed us on this street as part of our training. When the street lights started to flicker and go out, I wasn't terribly surprised.

I sighed and stopped walking. All the lights flicked out except the one I stood under "I really need to start taking another route back up to the dorm," I said. "You've got flair, though. Someone have a degree in theater or drama?"

Footsteps approached me from the direction of the dorm, then another set of footsteps from behind. I glanced around to see how many there were. Six sets of eyes, all glowing red. I flinched as a telepathic message suddenly hit my mind. "Kevin!" Absynthe shouted. "Davidson's not at the meeting! Wherever you are, get to B-"

Whatever else she had said fizzled out. Davidson emerged from the darkness in front of me, his eyes glowing red, his teeth bright white. "Parker," he said.

"Chuck," I said. My legs suddenly locked in place. "I'm going to suggest you let me go before I'm forced to do something you're all going to deeply regret."

He laughed. Other voices echoed his laughter. "Oh, Parker. You're brave, I'll give you that. A certain sense of pluck, as my grandfather used to say."

"It's one of my more endearing traits."

"It's annoying. Arrogant. Flippant. Your entire organization is annoying. Like a mosquito buzzing around your ear, one that you simply can't swat."

"Is that another saying from your grandfather?" I asked. Rachel and I had spoken ten minutes ago, I estimated. If I dragged this out, she'd tip Burke off, if Absynthe hadn't tipped him off already.

"He was a smart man. Unlike you."

"Hey, you're the one who got schooled by a trainee. Don't know how smart that makes you."

Someone slapped me across the face with a burst of air. I tried not to wince. Davidson held his hand up. "No, let him bluster. He can get it all out."

"Yeah, let me talk all I want," I said. "I can tell you guys a great story about how I laid out this guy with a single punch. Taken out by a blustering kid. Funny, isn't it?"

"Sure is," Davidson said. His smile didn't falter in the least. "Go on."

"I'm sure it's part of your training regimen now. Don't underestimate kids. Don't underestimate trainees. And don't underestimate a humble roundhouse punch." I held my fist up, then shifted it into giving him the finger. "What's wrong, Chuck? Am I scary enough that you need six trained agents to deal with me?"

"It's not going to work, Parker." Davidson stepped forward. "I'm not here to fight you. We're just here to make a point clear. Not to you, but to your Establishment. You might not survive the process."

"I might surprise you," I said.

"Unlikely."

"There are three problems with your little play here. First, attacking me on Establishment territory during a diplomatic visit? Have you ever heard of public relations? You're fucking the Bureau over, once this gets out. Not to mention, this is essentially a declaration of war. Second, Establishment security keeps an eye on me all the time. Reinforcements are going to be here pretty damn quick, even if you timed it to take place during the formal meeting."

"And third?" Davidson asked.

"And third, if you try to kill me, I'm not holding back, and I'm taking as many of you with me as I can."

"So crude, Parker."

"So is your melodrama here."

"Of course, we already know that your Establishment can't possibly stand up to our forces in open warfare. We'll trade concessions over your broken body. We know your vaunted security isn't watching you. We know that your security is in a tizzy over where they think I am. We're far, far better at this than you think we are, Parker."

"And?" I asked.

"And we're not afraid of you," Davidson said. "We're going to rip your mind open and expose all your ties to the Resistance. Your people will thank us in the end. I can't wait. I'm sure you have a way to contact your whores locked up in that brain of yours. I'll use that to hunt them down too. That'll be enough revenge for me and for Connor."

I forced myself not to think of Star and clenched my jaw. "I'm warning you, Chuck. Don't do this. It's not worth it."