Page 10 of The Black Lotus
A different waitress returns to give us our check, and we leave the diner, stuffed, and satisfied.
The cool air hits us as soon as the doors open, and Serena lifts her head to enjoy the cold. She’s just like me, we both thrive in the colder weather. She closes her eyes and breathes in the fresh air. Lacing her fingers with mine, she smiles as we walk back to the car. “Smells like it’s going to rain.”
“Oh yeah? Why do you think that.”
She smiles at the darkening sky. “When it’s about to rain, the air has a wet smell to it. Fresh. Like how it smells after it rains.” She stops walking, “Can’t you smell it?” I close my eyes, and inhale.She’s right; the scent is different.
“You never cease to amaze me, little vixen.”
“Keep me around and you’ll never stop being impressed.”
“Oh, I know-” I stop talking, every instinct in my body on high alert.
“Aster, what’s wrong?” Serena asks, her hand tightening around my own.
I lean down to whisper in her ear, looking behind her in the process. “Someone is watching us.” Her spine straightens. “Don’t react. Take a breath and relax your body” She takes a breath, and I kiss her cheek. I change our course of action, leading us into a store packed with people. I take note of every single face as we walk in. Glancing at Serena, I see she is also observing everything. I smile proudly.My vixen has been paying attention and learning.
Serena walks over to a rack of clothes, not interested in any of them, and proceeds to say, “I think we should go. Let’s try the next store.”
I nod, and we stroll out. As soon as we hit the sidewalk, we quickly walk into the next store, again noting everyone who comes in and out.
We do that four more times, and only one person we both notice who has gone in and out of every store we’ve been in.
We can’t see if they are male or female, their big winter coat and blue scarf obscuring their face and body. We can tell they’re short, but can’t pinpoint their height as they walk with a slouch. Possibly Caucasian from the brief flash of skin we did see as they never take their hands out of their pockets.
I lean down, and whisper in Serena’s ear, “We’re going to walk to the back of the store and make eye contact with the person following us. When they look away, we’ll make a break for it and run. Do not stop running until you get to the car.”
“Okay,” Serena whispers.
Walking to the back of the store, our pursuer hot on our tails, my heart races. Serena walks to one side of the long rack of clothes and I amble to the other. Once I feel eyes watching us, I look up to give Serena the signal, but I see she’s already looking at me smiling. My eyes flash, impressed at my vixen’s instincts, and we both turn at the same time, confronting the first of many of my mother’s assassins.
We make eye contact, and just as I hoped, they look away, making the mistake of turning their back to us. We make a run for it. Bursting out of the door. I grab Serena's hand and we sprint across the holiday traffic. I unlock the car and we both dive in. Out of breath, we screech out of town, just as the perpetrator hits the sidewalk. I catch a glimpse in the rearview mirror, pleased their hood fell down, and revealing who they are. I’m too busy getting us the hell out of there, so I didn't get a goodenough look, but Serena is staring back, cataloging every feature she can.
We skidto a stop in the driveway, locking down the outside fence, and running into the house. We walk around together, searching and securing the home, making sure no one got in or is waiting for us. Once I’m sure the house is clear, I sit Serena on the couch in the living room. I open up the secure app showing every inch of property, but I don’t notice anything out of place.
The feeling of being hunted is not the same feeling as being the hunter. Anxiety, I didn’t even know I had, courses through me as I pace back and forth raking my fingers through my hair. I was prepared to take out my mothers killers on my terms, but knowing they don’t care to go after us while we’re out in the open has me frazzled. My mind is reeling, more worried about making sure Serena is safe, than finding out who that guy was, and hunting him down to kill him. If he’s as skilled as I think he is, since my mother hired him, I know he will be coming here soon. That thought has me stopping my downward spiral.
“Did you see what the person looked like?” I ask, sitting next to Serena.
“It was a guy. I didn’t get a good enough look as we were driving away since they turned their back and walked away,” she says, twiddling her fingers.
I grab her hands, and she looks up at me. “You did good, little vixen.”
“What if they followed us?”
“Then we deal with it.”
She laughs, her eyes sparkling. “I think you jinxed us when you mentioned killing someone your mom sent after us in the diner.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I think I did.”
Pulling her into my arms, we sink into the couch, enjoying the silence until my phone blares the alarm we both know means someone entered the property uninvited. After Zephira got in undetected, I put up extra security breaches all over my property. Cameras in every spot, recording every little thing. Motion detectors. Hidden tripwires.
Nothing was going to get past me. Nothing.
Serena sits up as I dig my phone from my pocket, seeing the person from earlier stalking our land. Retrieving my hunting knife from a shelf by the stairs, and three karambit knives, I hand two to Serena. She takes the blades, excitement shining in her eager eyes.
It’s too bright to hide in the shadows, but I know this land like the back of my hand, and I’ve shown Serena everything, so she knows it well enough to become the predator she was born to be. I place my finger over my lips, silently shushing her and checking to see where the guy is at.
