Chapter 16

Keno and Logan were getting increasingly worse about fighting in front of me. Either they’d just stopped caring or realized that I was too old and much smarter to be fooled and saw past their best efforts anyway; I thought it was a mixture of the two.

What they were fighting about right now I wasn’t too sure, I wasn’t exactly listening. A few days had passed since we returned to Headquarters and my quiet mind soon turned to one that was much like a warzone. I couldn’t concentrate on much which left me quiet and almost unresponsive.

I was washing my face to try and wake me up- I hadn’t slept much in the past few days and if I did it was utterly restless- so I could figure out what they were fighting about now. It worked for about two seconds before I looked down to see my hand was glowing a dim green that apparently only I could see. I’d brought it up to Keno and Logan shortly after discovering it a few days ago but both couldn’t even see the aura that came and went.

“Something is,” I turned quickly to look at Kotori as he paused to think of the word he wanted. I’d been told not to tell Kotori about the aura by Keno and I agreed. I’d given Kotori permission to kill me if he needed to and who knew what the criteria could be? I hid my hand behind my back, unsure if the Sa’harielan would be able to see it, chances were that he could. “Is… weird?”

“No?” I said, not completely understanding him.

“Sorry,” he sighed. “I have been here for six months and I still cannot speak your language well.”

“It’s alright,” I said and went back to finish splashing water on my face. “I believe you were asking if something was wrong?”

“Yes,” he smiled with relief.

“I don’t know,” I sighed and grabbed a towel to dry my face and turned to him. “Until we find out what they want from me then we’re kind of stuck.”

“You are right,” he said and leaned back. “I have friend in the mountains, she could help you.”

“How so?” I asked.

“She can read your ki,” Kotori said and I smiled gratefully.

“Thanks but no thanks,” I said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my… What was it?”

“Ki,” Kotori sighed catching my lie right out. “It is your spirit energy, your life force, and it definitely feels different to me.”

“It’s fine Kotori,” I said and he walked over to grab my arm and look at it. Bright eyes continued to inspect my hand but, luckily it had stopped glowing.

“I have no choice but to trust you,” Kotori sighed and let go of my hand. “I understand why you are hiding things from me, your brother told you to, but I need to know if you want me to keep my promise or if it is off, Oskar.”

“It’s still on,” I said.

“Alright then, but do not make me the enemy if the time comes for me to fulfill that promise.” he replied and left the room. I shook my head and turned to the mirror to look at my reflection.

My face appeared more hollow and bleak than before, my eyes sunken and dark from lack of sleep and worry. I was also skinnier, if at all possible, and that was what was Keno was worrying about the most at the moment. I wasn’t hungry anymore but Keno had forced me to eat, I either threw it back up- most likely- or it literally did nothing. I was now even less of the poster child for good health than I was a year prior.

I heard another shout from the next room and sighed. I moved away from the mirror and into the next room where Logan and Keno were facing off. I grabbed the chair next to Kotori and sat there, listening to the argument.

“Logan that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” Keno shouted with his arms in the air. “We can’t just go barging in to some demon’s hideaway!”

“Yeah and why not?” Logan asked.

“Well, first of all, we don’t even know where it is!” Keno said. “And even if we did it’s suicidal and we’re not doing it!”

“What else are we going to do?” Logan asked. “They’ve got the numbers, they’ve got the advantage, we’re sitting ducks right now especially since Ozzie’s getting weaker and weaker everyday.”

“Don’t try to pin this on Ozzie,” Keno said. “And we’re not sitting ducks, we’ll start digging again as soon as we figure out what’s wrong with him!”

“Oh yeah, ‘we’ll start digging again’ do you already know everything about it Keno? Because that sure sounds familiar!” Logan said and crossed his arms. “If you’re going to send Ozzie and I on another wild goose chase for another ten years then just forget it, I’m out!”

“Listen, Logan-“ Keno started.

“Guys,” I said but my voice cracked as it had started doing the past week. “Guys, guys!”

The last shout strained my voice to the point where I was coughing violently which worked more effectively than the shout ever could. I held up my hand to assure Keno that I was still among the living and I was breathing just fine. My voice was weak but now that they were quiet they’d be able to hear me.

“If you’re going to fight about my life and my problems can I at least be a part of it?” I said and they both looked at each other. “I’m not a kid anymore, guys!”

“You’re right,” Keno sighed.

“I am?”

“Yeah,” Keno sighed. “It’s just, hard to remember that sometimes.”

“Okay,” I said and then sat back, waiting for the “discussion” to continue but all three of them had their attention was on me. “What?”

“Well?” Logan asked. “You wanted to be a part of it.”

Keno glared harshly at Logan before turning to me. “What do you think we should do, Ozzie?”

I thought about it for a good minute. What should we do? What was there to do? Logan was right, they had the numbers, who know how many demons they had on their side.

“I don’t know what they want with you, but it’s not going to mean well for the rest of us.” Hayek’s words played through my head. It was the only thing I ever agreed with him on. It didn’t matter much what they wanted because it was a given that it was sinister.

“We need help,” I said and looked up. “Before we do anything we need more people on our side, otherwise it doesn’t matter what we do, they’d always have the advantage.”

“Where are we going to get help?” Logan asked and crossed his arms.

“Bennett,” Keno said. Logan and I both nodded quietly. He was the only one we could really turn to for help because we knew he would do it. Sure, he was CCOR, but there was something about the way he treated us that made me believe he’d rather help us than bring me to some lab.

“Dad,” I said and Keno snarled with disgust.

“No, we’ll never find him,” Keno said.

“Well we have to do something.”

“Alright, I’ll go to the General’s office then.” Keno said and started for the door. He turned around and stopped me with a hand. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 

House arrest was not fun.

Keno had decided that I needed to stay in the hotel and I needed both Logan and Kotori to guard me while he went to speak with Bennett. The two of them were driving me insane.

“What are you? A squirrel?” Logan shouted at our foreign friend and threw the near-molding slice of bread at him. “Stop hoarding food!”

“I am not hoarding! You will never know when there will be a food shortage! You do not just throw food away!” Kotori crossed his arms.

“You stuffed it under my bed! There are cockroaches!” Logan said.

“You are scared of their size, yeah? They bigger than you are,” Kotori grinned as Logan fumed. The Sa’harielan shrugged. “And now you see, I was not hoarding. It is what you call…. A practical joke!”

I groaned and fell back on my bed as their fighting continued. Not only had I been ordered to stay at home but I’d also been forbidden from speaking so as to preserve my voice, walking around because apparently I needed my rest, and I was pretty sure throwing them both out a window was also a no-no.

“You’re impossible!” Logan shouted only to have Kotori stare at him blankly. “You have no idea what that means, do you?”

“Not a clue,” Kotori shook his head. “Is there not anything we can do? You two are so nikarlikt. You have no idea what that means do you?”

Logan frowned at Kotori’s mockery. “No, I don’t.”

“It probably means boring,” I muttered, breaking the rule just once in the hopes that they would shut up. Kotori nodded.

“Very good.”

“Well you’re not exactly a bucketful of sunshine and fairy dust either!” Logan said to Kotori and I sighed with annoyance again.

Why Keno left the two of them in charge, I don’t rightfully know. They weren’t very good guards to say the least. Neither of them turned a head or batted and eye lash as I threw my blankets off me, pulled on my boots and walked out of the room alone.

It took me a few minutes to get the desk clerk to understand what I was asking but a few minutes later I was walking back in the room. Neither of them had noticed I’d even left nor said a word when I dropped a game board between them.

“Chess?” Logan asked and I flapped my arms in mock enthusiasm before shuffling back over to bed. “Do you know how to play chess?”

“Chest? Does it have, what is it, ‘argh’ treasure inside?” Kotori asked and Logan sighed, shaking his head sadly.

“Chess not chest, you moron!” Logan grumbled. “The point of the game is to get this piece here.”

“Why? I have my own,” Kotori held up the black game piece.

“Because it’s the king,” Logan said and grumbled to himself as Kotori looked at the chess piece skeptically.

“You must be joking,” Kotori said. Logan turned and glared at me for getting him in this mess. I pretended to be trying to fall asleep but my grin was a little too obvious.

“Just move your pieces to try and get my king!” Logan shouted. I looked over and watched as Kotori looked at all his pieces before deciding on a knight. He took the piece and reached across the board to knock over Logan’s king. “What? No!”

“Sore loser,” Kotori said.

“You don’t just go and grab the piece! You move them around the board to get to the king first and then try to block it!” Logan sighed. “Where would the game be if you just grabbed the king?”

“I was wondering,” Kotori started but saw Logan’s glare. “This is stupid, why would I go about the board when I could just go straight for the king?”

Logan opened his mouth to answer but stopped and flipped the board onto the floor with annoyance. “You’re right. Chess is stupid.”

“Now biekielshpir is a fun game, first we need a pair of flaming swords-“ Kotori started but was interrupted  by Keno’s return.

“Thank god!” I said and sat up. Keno crossed his arms and looked down at me, silencing me.

“What’d he say?” Logan asked.

“I didn’t get to talk to him,” Keno said. “He gave me this file and told me to get out.”

“What?”

“He’s busy at the moment,” Keno sighed.

“This is a crisis, Keno, a legit crisis!” Logan said and Keno nodded.

“I know, but it’s better if we wait anyway, if he has too much to do then it will be hard for him to help us. Besides, I didn’t really know how to ask him.” Keno said with slight embarrassment. He was afraid to ask for help, he thought it would make him a failure if he did. Keno has had to do everything himself his whole life, raising two brothers by himself, dealing with the fact that one was being stalked by demons. He’d never had to ask for help before, even when it was needed.

“We’ll just wait then,” I confirmed and Keno smiled gratefully.

“So, another case?” Logan sighed, annoyed but giving up the fight.

“Yeah, I can do it alone though, you stay here with Kotori and Oz,” Keno said.

“No!” All three of us begged simultaneously.

“Alright,” Keno said with confusion. “We leave in the morning!”

Author's Note

Oh nooos! My computer is slowly dyyyiiinngg! No worries though.. it will not stop me from updating!
Alright.. so.. The whole Chess thing I came up with randomly and thought was REALLY funny and decided to stop being a Debbie-downer if just for those few moments...
Oh, just you all wait for what I have in store for this book... oh you have no idea how epic it will be! So stay tuned! :P