653 T.D The Diary Of Bonnie Quasar
"Ryze told me today that Draefin had been talking about what to do with Kaeron to the round table. Again. When I heard that Kaeron had denied Draefins order to return immediately to the compound for the third time, I laughed so much that I almost choked on the juice Nina had given me. He is so fearless and nice, and he always sticks up for me to the other Hells Mob members... I want to be like that one day."
654 T.D The Diary Of Bonnie Quasar
"I've been talking to Whitney again. She has first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of how the business works, and I finally got her to agree to help with my secret mission. It's kind of exciting. Having a secret mission. I wonder if this is how he feels every time that he defies Draefin. It feels like I'm doing something important for the first time in my life. Something only for me, but there's been this tight feeling in my chest lately... I'm too terrified to put a name to it just yet."
655 T.D The Diary Of Bonnie Quasar
"Kaeron once told me his reason for working for Draefin even though he hated being here just like I do. It was for his sister. He even showed me a photo of her. She was a beautiful young girl with the same stunning black eyes that Kaeron had. Lexie was her name. That was the day, even though he didn't know it. In fact, he'd most likely call me an idiot or naive for even thinking this... but that was the day I realized that I had no reason. So why stay? Kaeron didn't, and I was just working for that bastard for nothing. Sure, Draefin may have saved me from that sex perverted bastard that dared called himself my father, but that doesn't give him the right to use me or any of the others like some kind of lab rats. So tonight, I finally did it. I ran away. Headed for Final City, where Whitney has a safe house I can stay until the secret mission is in full swing. When that happens, I'll have to run and never stop running. Ever. "
656 T.D The Final Entry In The Diary Of Bonnie Quasar
"I'm no longer afraid to put a name to this feeling that has weighed on me for the past two years. It's freedom."
******
"So why do they call it the Final City?" Lamb asked from the passenger seat. "It's not like there aren't any cities in the Pumi desert, right?"
Kaeron closed Bonnie's diary, rolling his shoulder. He had been up for days reading through her diary, coming up with a plan for when he entered the Final City, aka The War City. He was sprawled out in the back seats while Lex drove. She had tried talking to him a few times, but he had firmly shut down any attempt.
He scoffed. "The Pumi desert is a lawless barren wasteland..." He stretched and let out a jaw cracking yawn before continuing not missing the quick shared glance between his sister and Lamb, "..where only the worst of the worst call home, but yes, there are two large cities within the Pumi desert. The city of Valkyrie's called Ceitar [the survivors], but from what I hear, outsiders aren't really tolerated, (at least men aren't) so we will be avoiding that city like the plague. Theirs also the city at the furthest reaches of the desert right before Deadmans Sea. Ashkar. They also call it the City Of Shielded Angels, and it's where we will begin our search for this mythical, Itara."
He didn't miss Lillian's flinch when he brought up Ashkar.
"Do you know something that you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" He asked their conversation from a few days earlier, rearing it's ugly head.
She had said that whatever had happened in that moment might happen again, and next time it happens, it might even kill her. She obviously knows more than she's letting on, and he was getting tired of asking nicely.
Something dark inside him ticked.
"No. Just sounds familiar, is all." She responded casually.
"Familiar, how?" He growled.
"Kaeron." Lex warned.
When Lillian didn't respond, the car fell silent for a long period before he spoke again.
"Look. I know you two like sneaking out of the hotels that I place you in even though I do it for your own safety." He said, emphasizing the last part. "Don't deny it, and just... don't. Not this time. Not here."
Lillian visibly jumped in her seat like the dramatic little girl she was (as if he wouldn't notice). Lex, on the other hand, just shrugged and looked at him through the rear view mirror. "So you know. I expected as much, and I get it. From what I've learned at the academy, Final City is a dangerous place."
Kaeron nodded once, not completely meeting her gaze. "Yeah, people, especially young pretty girls like yourselves..."
"You think I'm pretty?" Lamb teased.
Kaeron snarled. "Don't interrupt me, or I'll turn you into cooked lamb."
Lillian flinched again. "Sorry."
"Kaeron!" Lex warned again this time, twisting herself around in the seat to shoot him a nasty look.
He took a breath. "The point is girls like the two of you go missing in Final City all of the time, and I doubt either of you want to go through that again.."
This time, Lex was the one who flinched.
".. and also," Kaeron continued without missing a beat. "Draefin has eyes and ears all over the place out here. A lot of his businesses operate from out this shit hole, and until I know how angry he is over the shit that went down in Dekidos, you two need to fly as far under the radar as possible are we clear?"
"Sure, but I do have one question." Lex said, sticking her hand up in the air as if waiting to be called on to speak.
He already regretted this. "What?"
"What will you be doing with your time while we're here?" She asked, a smile in her words. "And don't give me that," she lowered her voice in mock imitation, "Preparing for the dangerous journey ahead, speech because I may not have traveled all that much as a kid, but I knew people that did, and as I recall..." She brought a finger up to her lips, tapping it playfully, purposely dragging the moment out. "There's a famous nude strip club somewhere within the city walls, isn't that correct, horny brother of mine."
Kaeron scoffed and threw up his hands in mock surprise. "What. Nooo. That can't be. I would never. My heart. Body and soul. Belong to the gods."
Lex snorted. "Yeah, that's my brother, alright. As pure as a newly born child."
Lamb burst out laughing, and Kaeron couldn't help his own smile.
"Seriously, though." Lex said suddenly, no longer laughing. "Be careful, Kaeron. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."
Kaerons eyes flicked to the passenger seat, but before finally settling onto Lex's, who was watching him through the rear view. "I'll be careful." He promised.
The car fell silent once again, and this time, nobody spoke.
******
The Final City was less city and more.. armored fortress. Cross bolts and catapults were positioned all around the walls and from what Lillian could see, soldiers all wearing creepy demon masks littered the walls as well. In order to enter the city gates they had to pass through a checkpoint guarded by two of the most terrifying creatures that she had ever layed eyes on in her entire life besides Kaerons shift.
"Reapers." Kaeron had explained. Lillian couldn't even look at them for too long without feeling like her soul was being frozen over. Their black hoods covered their face, but something felt off whenever she tried getting a look past their hoods. It was as if there was some kind of magic distorting their faces or something. Whatever it was had shrouded everything under their hood in blackness, and it had made her feel sick.
"The world loves spitting out abominations like golems or saytrs or, in our case, Dragon Shifters." Lex joked, but Kaerons sharp intake of breath made the joke fall flat.
"In this case, the magic eating freak shows that are Reapers." Kaeron continued for Lex when she didn't speak again.
The car fell silent for a long moment before Lillian spoke.
"You are not abominations." She said to no one in particular.
Neither of them replied.
Once they got through the checkpoint with the small line of other vehicles trying to enter the city, Lillian couldn't help but gasp. A group of those demon masked soldiers were beating on somebody as three more of them pinned a woman to the ground, forcing her arms up past her shoulder blades as she screamed in obvious pain and heart wrenching terror... a pregnant woman.
"Kaeron!" Lex cried, taring Lillians gaze away from the sight.
He just shook his head, not slowing their speed as they drove by.
"Kaeron, she's pregnant." Lex protested, and the agony in her words as if it were her on the ground and not some woman that had nothing to do with them made Lillians heart break.
"And?" Kaeron said as if she had told him next weeks weather report and not begging him to save a mother and her child, and even possibly the child's father.
Lex flinched and looked as if he had physically struck her but was quickly replaced with anger. "Oh, I forgot that you have no problem hurting innocent mothers, even killing them!"
Lillian didn't understand the jab, but it seemed to have hit its mark. Kaerons hands tightened on the steering wheel, and the atmosphere darkened significantly.
"I told you. Until this shit with Draefin passes over, we have to stay low-key. End of discussion." There was no room for argument in the order.
Lillian wanted to vomit. She agreed that they shouldn't get involved. It was a lose-lose situation that would only end up putting them in danger and possibly make passing through the gate out of here impossible if not incredibly difficult. But to be this... indifferent about it. What was so broken inside him that it made him this heartless.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lex whispered, breathing life to the words that Lillian was too afraid to.
He finally looked at her, but they didn't slow.
"Everything."
******
Something was wrong with Kaeron.
Lily had noticed it before she had thanks to her mother being such a huge distraction, and Lex was now kicking herself for not listening when Lily had tried to tell her, and for what she had said in the car. It was so damned obvious now that she thought about it. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had been yawning constantly, and now she was just adding onto what was bothering him by lashing out at him over something she had already forgiven him for... right?
A thought for another day.
For now, she had to figure out what was going on with Kaeron. The fact that he had been subtly pulling away from her should have been what clued her in. He wouldn't meet her eyes, nor would he hold a conversation for longer than a few seconds, especially not about what had happened in the club that night in Dekidos. Lily, gods bless her soul, was no help. She had been way too high that night to remember anything that happened, but something bad must've gone down, or he wouldn't be acting like this.
"Sit still." She reprimanded Lillian, smacking her hand away when she tried reaching for her hair.
Kaeron was waiting behind a man who was taking his sweet time arguing with the woman sitting behind bulletproof glass, looking as if the man was nothing more than a mere insect that she had yet to squash, and the modified shotgun that sat against the wall behind her proved that she could if she wanted.
"Sorry, I've never had my hair braided before, because Talion.." she stumbled over the name, ".. didn't like change."
Lily sat on the ground right in front of where Lex sat on the uncomfortable bench in this excuse of a lobby, but even from this angle, Lex could see the pain on Lily's face, and it broke Lex's heart to see her like that. If she ever met this Talion bastard, she would chop off both of his feet and force feed them to him after hanging him from his balls.
She forced a smile in her words. "Well. You have me. Now hold still."
"Fuck you bitch." The man yelled, stomping toward the elevator.
"Yeah, how about you blow me you dickless prick." The woman fired back, flipping him the middle finger.
The man didn't respond.
"Next."
Lex focused on the unbraided half of Lily's long gorgeous auburn hair.
"Are you here for business or... pleasure?" The woman asked, and Lex couldn't smother her giggle when Lily's head shot up toward the two.
Kaeron growled. "Do they look like prostitutes to you?"
The woman shrugged. "Pretty prostitutes ain't anything new around here, sweetheart."
"Well. They. Aren't." He bit out every word.
"Stop moving." Lex smiled, pushing Lily's head back down.
She spared one more look toward Kaeron and froze, her smile falling. It couldn't be. She dropped Lily's hair and stood up, almost tripping over her.
"Ouch! Hey. Lex what.. what are you doing?" Lily protested, but Lex ignored her outbursts as she ran toward where she had just seen Whitney. The prostitute that had convinced the other women in that hell hole Kaeron had rescued her from to watch over her and keep her safe.
But why was she here? Why now? Lex burst through the exit door, head darting both ways, but besides a group of kids spray painting the side of a building across the street, there was nobody.
Kaeron was now at her side. "You ok?" He asked, surveying their immediate surroundings.
She looked around one more time, coming up with the same result, and then nodded before heading back inside.
She must've been seeing things.