Page 196 of Black Bird

Nick approached the microscope, glancing at Kane as he stood perfectly still with his arms crossed in front of him. He took a look into the eyepiece. Her specimen was a livewire of activity. Every cell seemed tohave its own pulsating shield of protection. Every jerking movement of them was as if they stood together like a waiting army, ready to jump into action at the slightest threat. “Incredible,” Nick breathed, adjusting the magnification. He opened the needle he’d gotten out, that was now unnecessary, and pricked the end of his finger, leaning back into the microscope as he added a single drop of his blood. The cells were ravenous. He wasn’t sick. Wasn’t taking any medication. The only thing he consumed in large amounts over the course of two days was caffeine. The little army devoured his cells, diminishing them into nearly nothing, until the tiniest flash of light burst in the middle and his own cells became what hers were. “My God …”

“What happened?” Sarah asked, stepping up to stand next to him. Nick squeezed another small bead of blood from his finger and moved aside to let her look.

“See for yourself,” he said, dropping the blood onto the slide. He waited a moment while she watched the reaction. She slowly leaned back and looked at Kane.

“My superheroes are …gods,” she muttered, twisting her fingers around each other. “It’s like they made it to the other side of the damn checkerboard and gotkinged.”

That eerie quiet stretched between them all and Kane turned himself away. “You can’t go anywhere near her, Sarah.” Nick noticed the flash of disappointment on her face when Kane had said it. “If that’s true, and she gets one drop of your blood … there’s no telling what she’ll become. You need to—”

“I’mgoing,” Sarah interrupted, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around. “You’re not going in there by yourself. Wren could be in there, too.”

“We both know there’s a strong possibility that she’s not. I can handle Dahlia and the coven. I can’t riskyou.”

“Well, I can’t just sit here while everybody risks their lives. Don’t ask me to do that. You swore you wouldn’t leave me, Athan. Youswore.”

Kane gripped her shoulders and stepped closer. “Sarah …fuck…”

“We planned this,” Sarah said through clenched teeth. “She wants us both. We go together, or the coven gets nothing. Either I go … or Idiedfor nothing. We’re not gonna live the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, Athan. I’m killing this bitch. It ends tonight.” Sarah jerked out of Kane’s hold, and he trembled with anger. Anger and something like—fear? Nick pretended not to notice and stared at the floor while Sarah disposed of the specimen and cleaned up. “Get your shit. Let’s go.”

There was no arguing with her. It seemed like even someone as hard as Kane knew that. The ride to the creepy-ass club was silent, and she stared out the window for most of it. They pulled into a dark parking lot a couple of streets down. Streetlamps flickered, and most all the others were burned out. This was the side of Boston that Nick had been fortunate enough to never see. The cooler with all the bags of blood may as well have been a chest of gold on the floorboard behind Kane’s seat. When heturned toward him, Nick sighed nervously, flexing his hands in anticipation.

“You remember what I told you Decclan looks like? Where to find him?” Kane asked, one hand gripping the steering wheel while he looked Nick over.

“Yeah … by the door in the back. Big guy … slight Irish accent?”

“If you can’t find him, who are you supposed to look for?”

“Bartender. Tony … tall, skinny … ginger hair.”

Kane and Sarah finally looked at each other and nodded. “Alright. We’ll be waiting in the alley around the side of the building. You remember what I told you to do if you see Dahlia Van Hausen?”

Nick blew out a frustrated breath. “Abort.”

“Call me if anything happens. Don’t linger. Don’t do anything to give yourself away. You look the part, just remember that. Stratford stuck out like a stick in the mud. Blend in. Buy a drink. Act like you’re comfortable, even if you’re not. If you start letting your pussy show … they’ll smell it on you.”

“I’ve got it.” Nick felt the fluttering of his stomach turn to lead as Sarah let him out of the car. The farther away he got from the safety of that car, the more nervous he felt. He turned back for just a second, catching Kane’s glare, and straightened his spine, squaring his shoulders as he trudged forward. He could do it. St. James had endured much worse. He wouldn’t fuck this up. Moments later, he stepped through the front door and entered the Black Bird Tavern.

Tony opened two bottles of beer for the couple that waited across from him, nodding when they thanked him, and turning towards the other girl waiting close by.

“What can I get you, dear?” he asked, leaning in to hear her as the club became busier by the minute.

“Vodka and tonic, slice of lime!” she called over the music. Tony quickly prepared it, and slid it over to her, taking her payment and smiling as she stuffed a bill into the tip jar.

“Thanks, doll …” he said, swiping an empty glass from the bar, and taking it to the beverage station. An unfamiliar face slid onto a stool near the end of the bar as Tony washed the glasses but didn’t try to get his attention. Instead, he seemed to search the room for someone.

Tony watched for a moment, wiping down the glass, and then the bar. When the man didn’t turn back towards him, he made his way over. “Can I get you anything, mate?”

The man startled and faced him. “Ah … yeah, lemme get whatever you have on draft.” When he turned his head back towards the floor, Tony noticed the earrings lining the edge of his ear. They were fake. He tilted the frosty mug forward and filled it, keeping a close eye on the stranger.

“Here ya go,” Tony said, placing a beverage napkin beneath the beer as he sat it down in front of him. The man took a long swallow, and Tony wondered if he knew that his hands were visibly shaking. “Everything okay? You look a little shook up.”

The man smiled and shook his head as he stared into his beer. “Too much damn caffeine. Thanks, though.”

“Who are you looking for, mate? I’ve been doing this a long time. Maybe I can help.” Tony slid a cigarette into his mouth and turned the pack toward his visitor, offering him one. He hesitated but took one out for himself and wedged it between his teeth. Tony lit his first, then lit the other … the guy took a short inhale and went to hacking up a lung. It was obvious then that he was putting on a show. “I see.” He dragged on his cigarette. “If I were you, I’d start telling me what you’re really doing here, or head out before other people start getting suspicious. This isn’t a crowd you wanna get mixed up in, bud.”

“Is it that obvious?” he choked, still coughing.

Tony smiled as he took another hit and stretched a hand toward him. “I’m Tony.” They shook hands briefly, and he took another gulp of his beer.

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