The dilapidated sight of Pike Place Market drives a stake through my heart. The iconic sign over the front is charred, its large letters barely discernible. The front stalls which used to house several well-stocked fish vendors are completely destroyed, their shelves and counters torn to pieces or entirely missing, leaving behind nothing but ghosts of what used to be.
I move closer, hands deep in pockets, boots hovering over the debris of a past I desperately ache for. My pack is strapped to my back, Dad’s t-shirts stashed safely inside once more. It’s ridiculous, but they feel like some sort of treasure, and you don’t abandon treasure in the place where your enemies sleep.
Jagged pieces of wood, fish carcasses, torn tarps and more clutter the sidewalks. I pass Pier 63 and the aquarium, walking south until I reach the Seattle Great Wheel which is located on Pier 57. The thing is huge, stretching 175 feet into the air. I wonder if it still is the tallest Ferris wheel in the west coast. Its massive metal shape stands out against the darkening sky, looking like the wheel of a giant bicycle. It doesn’t appear damaged, but, for the life of me, I can’t picture it moving, making passengers exclaim in delight over the grandeur of Elliot Bay. What a waste. What a sad waste.
A cool breeze caresses my face, blows my hair into the wind. My eyes close of their own accord. I inhale and listen to the lapping water. When my head begins to buzz, I don’t freak out. Though it’s just come into perceivable range, I know the buzzing belongs to James. The more I pay attention, the more I can discern the subtle differences between mental signals. James’s is tempered, barely there. Not weak, per se, but controlled, as if he has managed to shackle his agent—not unlikely, considering his advanced skills.
“Hello, James,” I say without turning back.
“Is that your ESP talking,” he asks, closing the distance between us in less than a shaved second.
“No.”
He makes a sound in the back of his throat, unhappy with my clipped answer.
I sigh. “After Azrael, I can perceive differences in the buzzing.” I don’t like to remind him of my weakness, of what I did to his friend.
“Is that so?”
“I’m pretty sure the buzzing communicates rank.”
“Interesting.” James stands next to me, nodding and gazing into the distance. “Learned any other useful things?”
“Just that you don’t ever want to be eclipsed. It really sucks. Even if you make it out, you might not be able to live with yourself.”
“You already know I don’t blame you, so it’s time you stop blaming yourself.”
“I know. I’m trying.”
“You’ll get there. It takes time.” He says it as if he knows from experience. After a quiet moment, he shakes his head as if to dispel a memory. “So what’s the emergency.”
“How is Aydan?” It’s the most pressing question in my mind.
“Aydan?” James’s eyes narrow, his expression growing angry. He must think I made him come all this way just to ask him about Aydan. “I haven’t heard from him in a few days,” he concedes.
Damn!
“Is that why—?” James begins, but I interrupt him.
“No.”
I inhale deeply and prepare myself to ask my second most pressing question. A helpless feeling washes over me. I don’t want to hate this man. He and IgNiTe are the only things keeping me sane. If I lose them, what will I have left?
“I’ve been to Hailstone headquarters,” I begin.
James looks over at me for the first time. “SeaTac?”
I nod.
“How did you find out?”
“I went back to my house. It was stupid. I should have known Luke might be waiting for that. He showed up, said he wanted to talk to me, that there was something important I ought to understand. Long story short, I followed him. Then I was stupid again and got caught.” I scoff. “He … told me something that …” My voice goes hoarse. I clear my throat.
James angles his shoulders in my direction, his attention fully engaged.
I can’t continue on the same train of thought, so I shift directions. “Tell me something, James, did Kristen ever noticed anything strange about my DNA?”
“Besides the Symbiot markers, you mean?” He sounds puzzled, bewildered even.
The pressure I’ve been carrying in my chest since the moment Luke told me we’re the sole members of a new species eases a little. “Yeah, besides that.”
“No, she didn’t.”
“If she’d found something more, would she hide it from you?”
“Absolutely not,” he sounds as sure as ever. “What are you driving at, Marci?”
I finally turn and face him. His sharp, gray eyes are dark under his pinched brow. “Luke says we’re not human, that the embryos we grew from were genetically modified and spliced with an agent. He says we’re a new species, says we were created to … help Eklyptors get rid of the need for hosts.” I laugh dryly. “He thinks we are the future of a brand new world.” My face feels hot. Sharing this is not easy. It makes me feel oddly soiled and low.
James opens his mouth, then closes it again. He’s speechless, and it’s definitely a first.
Without giving him a chance to recover, I tell him everything. About Zara being my mother, about Dunn’s failed attempts to create more … what?… I hate to think of the names people might come up with. As hard as it is, I tell him everything and leave nothing out. He listens without interrupting, his frown deepening with every horrible twist of the story.
When I’m done, he nods and begins to pace in front of me, hands interlaced at his back. I wait, impatience bubbling in my chest like carbonation from a canned drink. I clench and unclench my fists, try to use my powers to push a discarded bottle off the pier. I get so lost in the effort that when it finally scoots along a couple of inches, I’ve managed to relegate James to the back of my mind. After who knows how long, his deep voice startles me back into the moment.
“How did you escape?” he asks.
I frown, puzzled by his question. What of the genetic mumbo jumbo I just laid out in from of him? Does he not have questions about that?
“Aydan,” I say simply.
“I figured that much. And he stayed behind?”
I nod. “I tried to convince him to leave with me, but …”
“We all make sacrifices. I’m sure you understand that better than anyone. I’ll try to get in touch with him as soon as I can.”
I lower my gaze to the wooden planks at my feet. I guess I do understand Aydan’s sacrifice, but I’d still rather see the people I care about away from danger. At the thought, something stirs inside of me. I’ve never admitted to myself that I care about him. But I do. I didn’t use to be able to stand him and now I would do anything to keep him safe.
“I need to you come with me,” James says.
My eyes snap back up in surprise. His face is serious. I swallow, unable to believe what I’m hearing. Does he mean to take me to IgNiTe’s hideout? Even though I’ve always felt it was my obligation to go back to Whitehouse, I’ve hope for this for a very long time. Night after night, I’ve stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the crew is doing, wishing I could be with them. And now …
“Where?” I ask, doubt creeping in.
“Can’t tell you.” He removes the bandanna he carries around his neck. “And I can’t let you see either. You’ll have to cover your eyes.”