Keeping to the alleys and shadows seemed best, so we walked through the night-time Chicago hidden from most eyes. No one bothered us or seemed to even see us walking through the dark alleys. Whenever we crossed bigger streets, it always seemed like people were too far away to see or look the other way. I was sure it was Gemini’s doing.

  Gone was the laughing Gemini. What remained was someone who was burdened with secrets and who was forced to do something they didn’t really want to.

  “We have decided to offer you backup. If you accept, you will have someone to answer your questions and someone who might get you answers fast about our world.” Gemini sounded distant. “Jihan will not make the offer twice.”

  “Who are we?” I asked.

  “The Outsiders.”

  I didn’t know why she needed the distance between us. It was like she was closing herself off from everything. It was a bit like a split personality, but then I wasn’t any better. I shoved all my negative feelings and fears away just to feel normal for a while. Now, it seemed that we both remembered the reality of the outside world.

  “Who would this backup be?” I asked.

  “Me.” Gemini’s voice carried no emotion.

  “No.” No need to take her down with me. The idea of putting her in the middle of my mess almost made my claws come out again.

  “They can’t offer anyone else, Maria. No one else would work with you.” She turned a corner. “Jihan won’t. Can’t.”

  “Who’s Jihan?”

  Gemini stopped. When she turned and looked at me, her eyes were turning darker. “She leads the Outsiders here. She’s the Xenoi A’Kurios, a Lord of the Outsiders in Chicago – and she knows what you are. Hell, everyone knows what you are by now.”

  I knew that she hadn’t told anyone anything. It was why she was punished. And the punishment seemed to be the liaison. There were probably other factors as well, like Jihan understanding that my ignorance would probably get me killed before I would be useful. I believed that my usefulness, if I succeeded in taking down Derek and the others, would expire and they would comer for me. Jihan had probably already given order to this effect to other members of the Outsiders.

  “You’re to kill me if things don’t work out? Or perhaps to kill me no matter what?” I looked at her face, and it said it all. “The latter, then. Not unexpected.”

  From their perspective, it made sense. From mine, not so much.

  Gemini looked at me. Her eyes were almost wholly black now. “I...”

  “Don’t worry, Gem. Tell Jihan that I respectfully decline.” Gemini opened her mouth, but I cut her off. “I would’ve anyway, Gem, no matter what. I’ll accept a phone number where I can reach you if I have need, but no liaison and no backup. You hear me, Gem! I might trade favor for favor, or get you information, but that’s it!”

  “I...”

  “Tell Jihan, that if I survive this and she comes after me she takes her chances with the rest of them!” I turned and looked up towards the side of the building. “You hear that, Dominic? That goes for you too.”

  There was a rustle of the black leather coat as he fell through the air and landed in a crouch not three meters from me. His eyes were on me and they were not friendly.

  “Abomination!” he hissed.

  “You’re going Freaky-Fred on me, Dominic? Do you really want to die that badly?” I was ready for the attack that I knew would come, but before he could launch himself at me, Gemini seamed to appear out of thin air and kicked him into the wall.

  “Please, Gem, I can take care of myself.” I looked Gemini, and took a step back when I saw her sharp teeth, totally black eyes, and her now pointy ears. “Whoa, Gem, calm down now.”

  Gemini hissed at me, her mouth much wider than before and a hell of a lot of sharp pointy teeth, but continued slowly towards Dominic who had two vicious looking daggers in his hand. He was ready and stood relaxed waiting for Gemini to reach him.

  “You touch a hair on her head, Dominic, and there won’t be enough left of you to feed a rat!” Gemini hissed again. This time the hiss sounded irritated. “Yeah, so I’m a bit overprotective, Gem, live with it!”

  Gemini was backing away now, leaving me to face Dominic.

  “You want the war, don’t you?” I said as I walked towards him. “You think that’s a good idea?”

  “I know what you are now. I going to kill you.” Dominic was angry. Worse, he was jealous.

  “I doubt that, but you’re welcome to try.”

  Dominic muscles tensed, ready to fly at me, when Gemini’s sibilant voice echoed hollowly in the alley. “You try to kill her, and I’ll never speak to you again, Dominic...even if you’d survive!” There was so much sadness in that voice that it made my heart bleed.

  “Gemini, she must die. You know why!”

  “Jihan hasn’t given any order yet - and we’re not Brood, we’re Outsiders! So, you back off, Dominic!” Gemini’s voice was low. Threatening.

  “You’re just going to accept this? After all you’ve seen? You know what the bastards did!” Dominic shouted.

  “They are not Maria.” Gemini said in a hard voice.

  “You get another day then, Abomination!” Then he turned his hateful eyes to Gemini. “So be it! I will not let her live, Gemini. She must die. And if you stand in my way, I will kill you too.” Then he spat on the ground. “You’re even worse than me! I see you will do anything for your own revenge, even put everyone at risk. You disgust me!”

  Harsh words, and for the hurt they caused Gemini, I could have killed him right then and there, But I let him walk away, because if I didn’t it would hurt her even more.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, not even sure why I was apologizing.

  “His family was killed by a Mimic.”

  “That would excuse his attitude towards me, but not towards you.”

  “I’ve betrayed him.” Gemini said in that dark, empty voice.

  “The hell you have!”

  “You’re correct, Maria.” A whisper said in my ear.

  I turned fast. So fast that no-one should have been able to move away, but this presence did. My claws raked air from where I heard the voice.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Not bad, actually. Not good enough, but not too bad.” The voice whispered, still behind me.

  “Fuck!” I snarled and moved as if I was going to turn again, but side-stepped instead and connected with something. And that something promptly kicked me into a wall like I was an empty can. I bounced off the wall with claws fully out and fangs threatening to emerge, ready to face my attacker.

  What I saw was Nahanha standing there, calm and amused. I hadn’t recognized her voice.

  “My apologies, Nahanha.” I bowed, while trying to calm down a bit.

  Nahanha smiled a thin smile. “Have my little Gemeret tattled on me?”

  “It wouldn’t really matter, but yes you could say that.” I willed my claws to retract and draw a deep breath. “I apologize for not returning with reparations for my trespassing. I’ve been, ah, withheld.”

  Nahanha moved towards me again. The thin smile still on her lips. “Aren’t you a talented one!”

  “Nahanha!” Suddenly Gemini was in front of me.

  “Easy, Gemeret. We wouldn’t like to have to kill you.” Nahanha said like she was discussing the weather. “But we will if we have to.”

  “That wouldn’t be advisable.” My voice was frozen helium.

  Nahanha smile broaden as she moved around Gemini. “Still not afraid of me, Maria?”

  “No, not really. You can only die once.” I answered.

  “Shows what you know, Maria,” Nahanha laughed. “But that’s not the point.”

  “What do you want, Nahanha?” I moved to Gemini’s side. “I don’t play games, and you would only be here if you wanted something from me.”

  The smile disappeared. “Careful, Maria!” A threat.

  “No. You came here playing games and that don’t make me inclined to help you. You want to test me – that’s fine, but don’t play games with me, please. Because I will turn you down if you do. I don’t have time for games and people who play games can’t be trusted.” I looked at Gemini. “We have had enough disruption for one evening.”

  Nahanha cocked her head in that supe manner, and seemed to think over y statement. “You’re right, Maria. I’m being inconsiderate. Even though Gemeret is much better off without that narrow-minded bigot. Well, I just came to give you some information...for free.”

  “No.” Gemini said before I could even inquire as to what it was.

  “Gemeret, I’m not talking to you.” Nahanha tone gave me the shivers. There was horrifying power in that voice. Power in abundance. “Quiet!”

  “Threatening her won’t get you my cooperation. Gemini’s relationship to you is between you and her, but she knows you and I don’t, so I’m more inclined to listen to her than to you. ” I pointed out.

  “You think to protect her, do you not?” Nahanha seemed genuinely surprised.

  “I doubt she would let me, but I won’t add to her problems either.”

  “Idiot...” Gemini muttered.

  “Oh, gods,” Nahanha laughed, “She doesn’t know, does she, Gemeret?”

  “No.” Gemini answered. ”And she doesn’t need to.”

  “Fair enough.” Nahanha shrugged. “Okay, here’s the deal. I need you to find something out for me. It has to do with Derek and his latest activities. And if you do this for me, I will make sure Chicago is as safe as it can be for someone like you.”

  I was really surprised and Gemini even more so. I was suspicious as hell though. That a being with so much power, needed me for anything, didn’t ring true.”

  “Why?” Gemini asked. “And Maria don’t do contracts, just so you know. Against his principles or something.”

  “Well, “ Nahanha said slyly, “that won’t be a problem here, because if I’m right, you have a much bigger problem, Maria. Or rather those who posted the contract.”

  “What?” I asked. I couldn’t really grasp what she was aiming at.

  “Someone used your friend to try and start a war. Only, it seems you put a stop to the plans. The wanted a war, but got you stopping a war dead in its tracks instead. You’ve been under the surveillance of Jacóbi for a while, and it seems that he wanted a diversion and thinks that a war will let him get away with whatever he is doing. He and Cyrus. “ Nahanha suddenly laughed and clapped her hands. “Only you turned out to be...a mimic. Not that he cares – you’re only means to an end – but still, you are turning out to be very amusing. Anyway, they used Derek to kill your friend. Going after you as well was too good of an opportunity for them to pass up.”

  “Why do you need us?”

  “Need?” Nahanha’s head swiveled. “I do not need you. But this is bigger than Chicago. I believe Jacóbi is trying to bring back his Lord again and more of the Old Ones. And If I made a move now it would still be war because he is Council. And I’m not ready yet. But if you do it, it is revenge. And we’re always allowed revenge...oh yes, we are! And Jacobi isn’t some fresh Ghoul. He’s been around for almost a millennia and are among the more powerful Gh?la in the U.S.”

  “I guess this bringing back means resurrect or something? Like something that is like...dead?” I was pretty proud that my voice didn’t crack or sounded strained. I hated zombie movies, they scared the shit out of me.

  “They are trying to find someone who can hold the spirit of their Lord without causing a local breakdown of natural forces. Understand that these beings were never alive. Being dead is only an inconvenience for them.” Nahanha said.

  “Oh, I’ll bet. What would happen if he brought it back or whatever you said before? What could happen?”

  “Definitely the breakdown of civilazation. Like THE World War of all World Wars. All Gh?la will follow them, even those who have lords that oppose Jacobí’s lord – they won’t have much of a choice if a powerful non-born manifest. Jacóbi Bore is one powerful Ghoul in his own right. If he got the Old Ones behind him, he could break the Compact, and the Others would not be able to stop it. But the odds are that the Old One goes mad. And then goes on a rampage and slaughter everything they can get their hands on for those few minutes they are connected to this reality, causing natural disasters as they decay. If they survive long enough and the Old One is powerful enough it could cause an Extinction Level Event. It has happened before.”

  Gemini looked suspiciously at Nahanha. “How certain are you?”

  “One hundred percent.” Nahanha answered directly.

  “Proof?”

  “As in solid proof?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “None.”

  “None?”

  “You aren’t deaf. I said none, as in no proof. Circumstantial evidence in abundance, but no solid proof. Still, I’m one hundred percent certain. This is much worse than a war, and I don’t think the Council will be able to stop it without solid proof.”

  It took only a couple of minutes for Nahanha to convince Gemini that she was correct. It took her almost ten to convince her that Gemini and I were the ones to do something about the mess.

  “Shit.” Gemini leaned heavily against the wall. “Does Jihan know?”

  “She knows.” Nahanha said indifferently.

  Gemini rubbed her face with her hands. She seemed so tired. I wondered if she was the reason I wasn’t hunted like a rabbit right now. If she had made any deal, I hoped it hadn’t cost her too much.

  “And the bitch didn’t tell me. We need to do...I need to do this, Maria. I can’t tell you to help us, but this is something we need to find out.”

  “What are you asking?” I asked.

  “Unfortunately, those you want to kill, is probably the ones with the information we need.” Gemini said.

  “I’m not giving up my oath!” I snarled.

  “Easy, Maria. I wasn’t suggesting that. It’s just that I need to talk to them before you kill them. I need to-“

  “I...I can’t let them go, Gemini. I won’t let someone else kill the either if I can help it!”

  “I’m not asking you that either. I need to go with you, Maria, when you go after them – that is what I’m asking of you!”

  “But,” Nahanha said, “you have another problem, Maria. Derek has disappeared from the face of the earth. I doubt you can reach Derek on your own. The lair at the docks is crawling with half-rabid werewolves. But Derek isn’t there. “She chuckled to herself. “The fucking coward ran away! The pack have never seen Derek scared before, so they’re close to panicking. It’s not a good situation right now.”

  Another roadblock. Another frigging asshole to get in my way.

  Suddenly everything was going south, and I was the one to do something about it?! It was like everything conspired against me. Suddenly there was a possible world catastrophe that fell to me to stop. How the fuck did this happen? I mean, I didn’t even know any of this supernatural shit until little more than a week ago. And now I was supposed to fix this shit? I had no idea how this all had happened. Now I had another megalomaniac to stop – a powerful megalomaniac who was way stronger than me – who had perhaps ordered my friend killed in an effort to start a war. Someone that I couldn’t kill dead, only kill their body.

  I seethed. “I really don’t have...I...but...ah FUUUUUUUCK!”

  I realized that Tony had died because he was considered expendable and that the contract on me had nothing really to do with him. Both Tony and I were just pawns. My contract was incidental to the fact that Tony had been the perfect sacrificial lamb. I was just the excuse, something they could cash in on at the same time. I continued to swear for several minutes.

  “Maria?” Gemini asked when I had calmed down somewhat.

  I held up my hand and cut her off. Anger was rolling off me in waves. “We’ll discuss this at my place. You may come if you wish, Nahanha.” That made Nahanha speechless. She didn’t seem to be able to get a word out, so she just shook her head.

  “Maria...” there was a warning in the way Gemini said my name.

  “It doesn’t matter. She can kill me anywhere, anytime if she wants. I wouldn’t stand much of a chance. Hell, she could probably pick my address right out of my mind.” I tried to calm down and breathe. ”I really, really hope that someone tries to jump me tonight ‘cause I have a serious need to kill something!”

  “I’ll leave everything to Gemeret. I wish you well, Maria. Ningir-mi!” And with that Nahanha disappeared, fading away into the darkness like some vampire special effect from a movie.