Seldon and Lola stood next to the entrance to the basement, the truly concealed section of their little abode.
Lucidia inspected the vehicle one last time before walking over to the farewell party.
“Thank you for your generosity,” she said.
Seldon pulled her into a hug, which felt uncomfortable, but she returned the gesture. Lola made no such move, for obvious reasons. Instead, she handed Lucidia a burner phone.
“Your request,” the woman said through her teeth.
Lucidia gave a cordial half-smile and took it, checking the battery.
“They’ll be outside the house at exactly 5:15. A minute later, and you’ll miss them, so-”
“Be there,” Lucidia said flatly. “I got it.”
Lola made a noise in the back of her throat and crossed her arms.
Lucidia gave one more nod of appreciation to Seldon before turning and making for the car. As she put her hand on the handle, Lucidia let out a controlled breath and faced Lola. “You know, for what it’s worth, I’m trying to right my wrongs. I know my people have done horrible things, but we’re enslaved just as much as you are.”
Lola narrowed her eyes but relaxed her posture slightly. “Good luck. You’ll need it.”
“Yeah…you’re not kidding,” Lucidia muttered, opening the door and climbing in. She turned the key and the engine roared to life, which was an amazing feeling after being dragged around in so many vehicles for the past few days. She peeled out, exiting the warehouse and entering into blinding sun. She had seven hours to make it to Lafayette, and she planned to do it in four.
Robin
She laughed, truly, wearing the captain’s hat and feeling the salty air whip through her hair. Reykon’s arms were around her, helping with the wheel. He’d managed to get another pair of Oakley sunglasses. How? She wasn’t sure, but the ocean reflected off of them, and they suited his face.
“Okay, now we’re going to go slightly north,” he said, pointing to the shoreline. “We’re trying to shoot for parallel, but a little closer.”
She nodded, and tilted the wheel, feeling the powerful mechanics underneath her hands. “I could get used to this,” she said with a grin.
“You make a great captain,” he said. “Except don’t-”
“Woah!” Robin said, as the wheel slipped under her grasp. Reykon’s hand steadied it, and she laughed again, looking at him with another crazed, euphoric smile.
He laughed, too, and leaned over, pressing against her shoulder. It felt like they were on a carnival ride together, and for a moment, her worries melted away. She brought her head back, looking at him again, deeper this time, studying his face. He leaned forward ever so slightly, drawn towards her.
The connection, the spark, lasted only a moment.
He turned away, and then she did.
The sun had reached its apex, and now began tilting over, to the west. She eyed it, and then refocused her attention to the wheel, and the wind running through her hair.
Lucidia
As she drove, she was both elated and concerned. She wore her usual (and preferable) set of tactical clothes, tight-fitting for secretive maneuvers, and black to blend in. It felt good to be back in control, and Lucidia relished in it. She had none of her usual dark makeup, which she put on before missions. Not because it helped her sneak around or conceal her face. Simply because it made her look badass, and quite frankly, she liked putting it on, and she liked the way she looked. She was a girl, after all.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror.
She had to look twice.
Lucidia had always thought she’d had beady little eyes, and a nose too large for her face, but in this light, with none of the harsh makeup she usually wore, she barely recognized herself. Her normally striking purple eyes were now lighter, catching the sunrays and resulting in a soft shade of amethyst. Black was still her color, but she almost liked the way her face looked fresh.
Soft.
It reminded her of the feeling she got when she was around Robin. The girl had some sort of allure, some effect on her that clouded her mind and made her feel more human.
Yes, that was it.
Robin had a humanizing effect on the people she interacted with. Feelings were a specific breed of travesty in Lucidia’s world, but whenever she thought about Robin, or went near her, those nagging little emotions started picking her apart. Love. Kindness. Remorse. The old Lucidia would have puked.
Knowing that Robin had some sort of influence on the creatures around her, and that the witches were planning an attack that somehow involved her gave Lucidia a deep-seated pit in her stomach. Not to mention, her mind was spinning with questions and concerns.
First: what the hell were the casters planning on doing with Robin?
And also, how did she figure into an attack on the vampires?
Lucidia had ensured that Robin was placed in a fully human family, in a fully human area. Her sister truly had grown up with no supernatural influence and hadn’t even known the first thing about it until Reykon had crashed through the roof.
But Lucidia also couldn’t deny that there was something strange about the girl. She’d experienced it before, that near-compulsion to take care of Robin, to ensure her safety. It was close to a witch’s charm, the feeling of admiration that they can cast over someone. It worked well for them during ritual human sacrifices.
Robin couldn’t be casting magic, though. And certainly not as an infant.
Lucidia Draxos really didn’t know what to make of the situation.
But she was resourceful, and she was smart.
She had a few calls to make.
The first call was
