Valley of Dust (15 page)

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FTER SEVERAL FALSE alarms, Alexander called with a promising child. James and Alexander wanted Lucian to come to San Diego, California, to see if he recognized the mortal woman that was with the child that matched Marcus’s description. This news however worried Lucian; he never knew Anton to not kill a mortal woman. It almost made him want to tell Alexander and James that they must have been mistaken because of how Anton’s behavior with mortal women was. That is when he realized this was a perfect way to hide someone; it was the opposite of Anton’s behavior, and the child would be easily looked over and filed as a random live strigoi to be plucked from the mortals at eighteen.

Lucian thought if the child with this mortal woman was truly Anton and Selene’s, he worried what other things Anton had hidden from Lucian all these years. The thought startled him as he boarded an airplane headed to California. When Lucian arrived in San Diego, Alexander and James were nothing but smiles as they greeted him. It felt odd, but something in the atmosphere made Lucian worry that they may have actually found Marcus and his abductor.

Alexander drove past the town home off Cassiopeia Lane in San Diego. James had viewed the area extensively. Crime was extremely low, and the school the child attended was Ocean View Hills Elementary, which was relatively an excellent school for the area. James then took Lucian and Alexander to the bus stop where the children would be picked up. Lucian and everyone decided it was best to wait and see the bus arrive. Lucian was extremely curious of the woman abductor who had survived not being devoured by Anton. There was a crowd of moms surrounding the street corner when the clock struck three, and that’s when James pointed out the woman who was living with the child. Lucian’s mouth dropped as he said, “That bitch.” Alexander looked astonished, and James held Lucian down. “What’s wrong, Lucian? Do you know that woman?” Alexander asked.

Lucian knew that woman, and he flipped his phone out and dialed Detective Michael. “Detective Michael speaking.” “Hi, Michael, long time. You know that favor you promised Selene if we ever found Marcus? Well, I am calling in that favor now,” Lucian said. “Woah, Lucian, slow down. Are you certain that it is Marcus?” Michael said. “I am positive. I am in San Diego staring at Selene’s old midwife Susan and Anton and Selene’s son,” Lucian said.

“Shit,” Alexander said after hearing Lucian hang up the phone with the detective. “What do you want us to do, Lucian?” Alexander asked. “We just have to make sure they don’t suspect us while Detective Michael comes to verify Marcus and go through all the correct channels. Basically we just wait,” Lucian said. “Lucian, are you sure? You don’t want us to take him tonight when no one is around?” Alexander asked. “No, we have to do this by the book. I promised Selene and Detective Michael that I would, so we will listen to his orders until Marcus is in our custody,” Lucian said. “Damn, I am sorry, Lucian,” James said. Lucian was worried about the mortals’ system of justice, but he had faith in Detective Michael and knew Michael owed Selene his life that day she saved everyone. He hoped it wouldn’t take long, though he didn’t know how long he could hold back his rage toward this woman.

W
ITHIN THREE DAYS we had Marcus in protective custody heading to North Carolina, and Selene’s midwife Susan was going to jail to await trial for her crimes committed against Selene. Everything finally was going smoothly. Now Lucian needed to inform Selene that Marcus was found and coming home.

Selene, Serena, and the whole family graciously waited at the door while Detective Michael brought Marcus to the mansion. Selene’s eyes were full of love for this child. Lucian had never seen this much love from Selene before as she ran to hug her child. The reunion was touching, and Lucian took it upon himself to hold a welcome-home party for Marcus. Everything seemed perfect. Selene was finally happy; all the despair that had overshadowed her was gone, and she was as bright as the sun. That’s when he saw Marcus standing next to his mother full of the gold glow surrounding him. The weird thing that worried Lucian was that her gold glow was being dissolved into Marcus’s dark muddy haze surrounding his body. He wondered what that haze meant. He never really understood the colors he saw from people; he just thought he could sense a little bit of their auras, but this was the first time he saw such a dark haze shrouding someone. He knew no one else could see it, but he was drawn to it as he once was drawn to Selene’s glow when she was a child. This child repulsed him as it reminded him of nothing good. He knew investigating this now would disturb Selene and everyone would think it was jealousy of Marcus not being his child, but in the corner of Lucian’s mind he was deeply worried for his family.