TWENTY-FIVE

“We’re on,” Aloysius announced after handing Fiore her cell phone. He motioned for us to form a circle, all of us holding hands. We did as he asked and I automatically shut my eyes.

“I will never get used to that,” I said as I struggled to keep my balanced when the spinning from the transport subsided. The look on Mateo’s face was priceless, wide eyes and a bit of a greenish hue to his skin. “You ok?” I whispered to him.

“Yup,” was all he managed to say as he fought not to get sick. “That was something.”

“Tell me about it. Don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” I whispered to him, finally letting go of his hand. The room was dark and musty, but at least it was steady.

I hear his heart. It’s weak, very slow. I thought, hoping my companions heard me.

“Lily is that you?” Jose Luis asked in a raspy voice. “Who’s there?”

“Shh,” I walked to the bed once my eyes adjusted and dropped to my knees next to him. His face was damp with sweat, his eyes heavy with lack of sleep. “Are you ok? Did they hurt you?”

“No. I’m just so tired, hungry,” he whispered.

“Where is Leilani? Is she here?” Aloysius stood behind me.

“I have not seen her at all. I don’t know if she’s here but they say she is not. They keep telling me she is dead. I do not believe them.” Jose Luis struggled to sit up. I placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

“It’s ok. We will come back for her. Right now, we have to get you out of here,” I said as I placed an arm behind his neck and the other under his knees, ready to pick him up.

“Please, let me, Lily,” Mateo whispered behind me. I dropped him, knowing Jose Luis would be more comfortable in Mateo’s larger arms.

“Not so fast,” Melinda said as the room flooded with light. “Why in such a hurry?”

“Stay away from him, you…you bitch!” I jumped to my feet, spreading my feet apart, ready to lunge at her. It wasn’t until my eyes adjusted to the light that I noticed Arturo standing behind her, a wooden stake in his hand.

“I would but I can’t,” Melinda walked to a chair in the corner of the room and pulled it toward me. She motioned for Arturo to get the chair on the other side. She turned her gaze on Mateo, Aloysius, and Fiore. “Leave us please. We are going to have a little chat.”

“There is no way we would allow that. We are here to get the boy and get out. We do not want a fight, not tonight,” Aloysius said in a calm voice, his eyes glued to Melinda’s.

“It’s just conversation, dear Aloysius, that’s all,” she said as she motioned for me to sit. I didn’t move.

“I don’t think so, Melinda. Let the boy go. He’s sick and he needs treatment,” Aloysius, still calm, took a step toward her. “Now if you’ll excuse us—“

“Arturo, please escort these people outside.” She turned to Aloysius. “We are just going to talk, that’s all. You have my word. To prove that to you, I will even leave the door open.”

Aloysius looked at me. I nodded, willing to do anything to hurry this along. Jose Luis looked paler and weaker than ever, his face twisting with pain every few minutes. “We’ll be ok.”

Aloysius nodded and led the others out of the room. As Melinda promised, the door stayed open. She took a seat and crossed her legs as if she were about to chat with a long lost friend. I pulled my chair back a few inches, closer to the bed, and sat.

“Why such interest in this kid?” she asked, her voice low and even. I felt like I would jump out of my skin and she was calm and controlled. She tossed her hair, black this time, behind her shoulder and waited for my answer.

“He is sick and needs our help. He has no one else.”

“That is not so. He has Arturo who has been taking care of him for years. Arturo is his family,” she explained.

I balled my hands at my sides. “Arturo is not his family. He doesn’t love him,” I said, trying to keep my voice down for Jose Luis’s sake. I glanced back at him and he looked terrified, his eyes glued to Melinda’s stoic face. “Why are you so interested in him, anyway?”

Melinda looked at Jose Luis as if thinking about her words. “Why not? He’s a sweet kid, smart, kind, funny, a perfect child. We just want what is best for him. Same as you.”

“I don’t believe you!” Jose Luis jumped at my tone and I regretted it instantly.

“There are many reasons why he is an asset to Arturo, to us,” She stood and moved to stand behind her chair, placing both hands on the back. “He is very useful.”

“What asset exactly? Help me understand what you all want from him.”

“I owe you no explanation. He is not your child, never was and never will be. Look at you, you’re what? Two, maybe three years older than him?” Her smile made me cringe.

I jumped to my feet but did not move away. “What good is he to you like this?”

“I can train him, help him improve his powers,” Melinda explained as if that were all it would take.

“What powers? His mindreading? There are many others who can do that. Why him?” I yelled, no longer caring if I scared anybody.

“No, my dear. You are so naïve, so young,” She took a seat again and motioned for me to do the same. I refused, anger rippling in waves through my body. When I didn’t move, she continued. “Haven’t you ever noticed that your powers are stronger in his presence, more accurate, more controlled?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked in disbelief. We had only used our powers in emergency situations around Jose Luis.

“Yes, it’s true. He can read minds, but his stronger more interesting power is what he can do to others with powers. If we can use him when training others, it would be most beneficial.”

“Training who?” I asked and then a lump rose to my throat. “Leilani?” I whispered.

“Yes, Leilani, for starters.”

“I thought she was dead. That is what you told him, remember?”

“I don’t have to explain that to you either. All you need to know is she is not on this mountain so do not bother looking for her. You will be wasting your time.”

So Leilani was still alive, somewhere. “I need to take him back to the hospital.”

“I don’t think that will be possible,” She stood again and I did the same, ready to lunge at her and rip her head off if need be. “Calm down, please. You’re making me laugh.”

“What good is he to you like this?” I yelled.

“I can use him. I can train his powers. Make him better and stronger than he already is,” she said.

“What good will it do you when he’s dead?” I spat glaring at her. “Look at him! Go ahead, take a look!” Melinda looked past me at the skinny, weak boy on the bed. “Can’t you see he is dying as we speak, you idiot?”

Melinda shrugged, actually shrugged her shoulders. “I guess,” she said as she stepped to the side, leaving me a clear shot to the door. “Fine. Take him.”

My jaw dropped. “What? Just like that?”

“Yes, just like that. There will not be a fight tonight. I promised. I keep my word.”

“What do you mean you promised? Who did you promise?” I tried to remember if she had promised Aloysius but could not remember hearing those actual words out of her mouth.

“That is my business. Be glad I am a woman of my word. Be thankful that someone out there is looking out for you. I’m not really sure why but, so be it. Take him and get him the help he needs.” She motioned toward Jose Luis who looked just as shocked as I felt.

I turned and picked him up off the bed, cradled him in my arms as his head rested against my chest. As I prepared to carry him to the door, Melinda walked toward us. I knew it was too good to be true. We were not getting out of here without a fight. She leaned toward me, her hands behind her back.

“Oh, one word of advice,” she whispered. “I’d be careful with Aloysius. He is not all you think he is.” She turned and walked out the door, Arturo following close on her heels.

“What’s going on?” Fiore asked when I stepped out of the house with Jose Luis in my arms.

“I have no idea. She told me to take him and leave, that there would be no fight tonight. I’m not questioning it, let’s just go,” I said looking at Aloysius.

He stretched a hand out to Fiore. She pulled her cell out and handed it to him. After contacting Giovanni and telling him to get the others and go to the apartment, he grabbed Fiore’s hand. Mateo took Jose Luis from me and I took Fiore’s hand. That left one hand each to hold Mateo’s, no one to hold Jose Luis’s.

“Will it work like this?” I asked, worried that there needed to be more physical contact. I had no idea what would happen if one of us let go, no idea where that person would end up.

“It should. Mateo, keep him tight against your chest and whatever you do,” he turned to Fiore and me. “Do not let go of Mateo’s hands under any circumstances,” Aloysius explained as he looked from Fiore to me. We nodded and I closed my eyes. No matter how many times Aloysius transported us like this, I would never get used to the ground falling from beneath my feet and the world spinning in circles. All I could do was hold on, shut my eyes, and wait for the landing.

As the rest landed on their feet in the living room, I landed on my butt. It just so happened that the sofa broke my fall. As soon as I got my bearings again, I ran to Mateo. He stood looking totally unfazed with Jose Luis still securely in his arms.

“What the hell just happened?” I asked as I motioned for Mateo to place Jose Luis on the sofa.

“That was totally awesome,” Mateo answered. Jose Luis smiled and nodded.

“That is not what I am referring to. I meant, what the hell just happened with Melinda? Why were we not attacked? Why did they just let us walk out of there with Jose Luis?” I took Jose Luis’s hand in mine and kept my voice at a normal volume though I really wanted to scream.

“That was strange. I figured she wanted you in there alone so she could take advantage. Trust me, we listened to every word from outside,” Aloysius came to kneel by Jose Luis, looking at his face with concern. Jose Luis looked weak and exhausted. I wasn’t sure if it was his cancer or what he had just been through. “I tried to get into her head but she was completely focused on what she was saying to you.”

“What did she mean by she promised? Who did she promise?” I asked.

“Is that what she said her reason was for not fighting?” Fiore asked as she took a seat in one of the chairs.

“Yes. But she refused to say who she made a promise to,” I stood, preparing to have Jose Luis taken to his room where he could be more comfortable. “Unless…”

“Unless what, Lily?” Aloysius picked Jose Luis up and walked around the coffee table with him in his arms.

“Christian. Could she have made some kind of deal with Christian?”