Life - Life & Death Book 1

Chapter 31 - Part 1 - Zivena

It takes half an hour to gather the amount of people necessary. Taregan will lead the meeting while we figure out the finer details. In that time, most of us change into our gear and gather our weapons in preparation for a fight. I sit next to Mictain as we watch Artemis, Hod and Kali deep in conversation.
Aksel walks in, searches the room and grunts. "Is this all there is?"
Taregan stands up, "There are five Council members in this room, Aksel. They are more than capable of handling this situation."
"I'll make up my own opinion when we leave. From what I've heard, the Council members just sit around and make other people do the work for you."
"You're mistaken," Hod speaks up. "Please refrain from any more insults if you would like to participate tonight."
Resentment builds in Aksel but he doesn't say anything else. Behind him, the door opens again to reveal my parents.
Grief latches onto me like a leech. I haven't seen them yet. I haven't spoken to them. I go to stand up but Aksel turns to my dad and clasps his arm.
"I'm sorry to hear of your son, Lyov. If he was anything like you then he died with honor."
Dad grips Aksel's arm and nods. He seems to struggle with words before closing his mouth, a pleading expression for his wife.
"Thank you, Aksel. He's one of many that died honorably in the past few days," Mom says, her voice strong.
Aksel dips his head respectfully before walking to Taregan.
"Zi?" Dad calls.
My legs feel wooden as I walk over to my parents. As I get closer, Mom's arms stretch out and pull me roughly into a hug. Her voice shakes in my ear as she say, "Thank the gods you're safe."
I bury my face into her shoulder, my breathing strained. "I failed them, Mom. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't stop Ulfric from—"
Dad's hands squeezes my shoulders as he leans in. "You did everything you needed to, Zivena. Don't you blame yourself for this. It's the murderer's fault, not yours." Dad pulls me away from Mom so he could see my face. "Do you understand me, Zivena?" I hesitate before nodding. "Good. Now let's find Ahren and bring him home."
Mom steps away, determined.
"Well, what do we have here? A lovely family reunion with your only daughter?" A silky voice says from behind Mom. Aerona's face peers over, a wicked grin on her face. "I'm very glad to see you again, Zivena, dear. It was ever so delightful meeting you the other night."
Aerona slips around Mom and Dad clad in skin tight black leather and heeled boots that click on the floor. Her movements are smooth and sensual.
"Why the hell is she here?" Aksel growls.
"You must bow when you address a queen, Aksel," Aerona purrs.
Aksel spits at her feet, tiny specks of saliva hitting her shiny black boots. "You're not a queen, Aerona. Just a bitch with too much power."
"Jealous?" Aerona grins.
"Stop it, the both of you." Artemis steps in, arms crossed. "You've both been asked to join us tonight because you both lost your own people. Be grateful we thought of you."
Aerona sniffs before moving away. She takes a seat on Mictain's other side and leans towards him, a simmering smile on her lips. Mictain shifts uncomfortably in his seat and moves slightly away.
Aksel huffs before saying to Taregan, "Keep me away from her."
Taregan nods and gestures for Aksel to take a seat, "Since everyone has arrived we will get started."
Mictain gives me a pleading look as I sit down next to him, Aerona's hand is resting on his thigh. I flick my wrist and air moves to swat her hand away. Aerona doesn't react as she sits straight backed in her chair.
"We won't be sharing all the details with you. Only what you need to know. Leave your questions till the end," Taregan states. "Since Ahren Kovač has been kidnapped we have received information on his whereabouts and will help take down the person that killed Ulfric Kovač." Taregan glances at me before continuing, "Mictain will be going on ahead of us to meet with the person we believe responsible for this. From here Mictain, will send a message to give us the all clear and that will be our cue to leave for North Brother Island.
"Once we reach the island, we'll split into two teams. Let's assume a fight is inevitable so be prepared. Team One: Hod, Zivena, Aerona and myself. Team Two: Artemis, Kali, Lyov, Lenia and Aksel." Everyone nods in agreement. Taregan switches on the clear screen behind him. A satellite photo of the island appears. Taregan points to a dock, "We will pull in here. Team One will head northwest towards the hospital," he indicates the long building, "and Team Two will circle around to approach the building from the east. Hod and Artemis will communicate when they are both in position. Are there any questions?"
"Why have you involved us? This has nothing to do with the person that slaughtered my pack," Aksel asks, annoyance clouding him.
"We don't believe this has anything to do with that. However, there is a chance that the individual we're going after tonight is the same person behind the kidnappings," Taregan says. "We've only been tipped off about this person, that's why we aren't certain."
Aerona coughs delicately, "If it turns out that this miscreant is responsible, who gets to kill them?" Her tone is so innocent that if you didn't hear her words then you might've thought she was selling lemonade on the side of the road. In front of me, Artemis shakes her head.
"No one will be killing them," Taregan says, frowning. "They'll be arrested and placed in one of our prisons. Understand?"
Aerona pouts like a stubborn child.
"Moving on," Taregan says and checks the time on his watch. "Mictain is due to leave in ten minutes. He has been able to set up a meeting with the suspect and will be meeting with them on North Brother Island." Beside me Mictain sits frozen, his hands clenched in his lap. "Mictain will message Zivena when he's met with them and that will be our cue to move out."
"Do we know who we're confronting?" Aksel asks.
Taregan is quiet for a moment before saying, "Yes. I can't share their name but they're a warlock so be prepared to go up against magic."
No one says anything else so Taregan sits down and talks quietly to Artemis.
Mictain moves closer to me as Aerona shifts her gaze on him.
"Mictain," I start to say but his phone vibrates.
"He's sent someone to meet me at the ferry," Mictain murmurs and stands up. "I better get going." Nerves kick in as I watch him walk to the door but before he walks out he turns, a small smile just for me. "I'll text you when I'm ready, Zi."
I nod but I can't find any words for him as he leaves.
"We'll give him a twenty minute head start before following him," Taregan announces to the room.
I find myself pacing the length of the room. I itch to get moving. Every minute that ticks by feels like an hour.
"Zivena, it's going to be fine," Mom steps around the tables and chairs. She grabs my arms and forces me to meet her eyes. "Everyone will make it back safely."
"How can you say that? We don't know what's going to be on that island."
"It's our job, Zivena," Mom says firmly. "We deal with the unexpected. We deal with pain, with loss. We deal because we have to. In the middle of a battle, there isn't time to grieve or even think. We do what we have to, nothing less."
I watch my mom as her gold cat eyes search my face. She lost a son this afternoon. I don't understand how she's not crying in a corner.
"We do what we have to," Mom says again.
"That's time, everyone. Let's move out," Taregan calls and gathers his things. He places two pistols into shoulder holsters. Now that I'm paying attention, I can see that he slips magazines into pouches on his belt. As he moves around the tables, I notice that there are  two submachine guns strapped to his legs.
The nine of us head out through the lobby and down to the car park where two cars are already running. Hod slides into the driver's seat and the rest of Team One join him. I'm stuck sitting next to Aerona. She grins.
"You're not fooling me, Aerona," I sigh.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, my dear," Aerona says as she studies the plain interior of the car, then she says loudly, "I would've thought that Guardians could afford prettier cars. Maybe a custom designed interior. You know, with leather." Oh by the gods why did she have to come along? "Don't give me that look, sweet Zivena. Your face is ugly enough, best not make it worse."
Taregan starts chuckling, the bastard. "Aren't we jealous tonight, Aerona."
"You can address me as Queen or nothing at all."
"That won't be a problem. I always thought you were nothing."
I clamp my mouth shut to stop a laugh bursting out. Aerona roars. Her hand whips out, trying to rake her claws against Taregan's face. Without stopping the car, Hod grabs Aerona's wrist.
"Settle down, Aerona. You're not a queen. You weren't born a royal. We both know your history. So perhaps you should calm down and show a little humility." Aerona bares her fangs but pulls her wrist back and settles into her seat. Taregan shakes his head, a small laugh filling the car. Beside me, Aerona's nostrils flare.
Hod follows Team Two's car as we make our way to the terminal. The city flies by, my thoughts never calming down. I take out my phone but there's no message from Mictain yet.
We weave around cars, the people in them leading normal lives. Not knowing what's really out there. We do what we have to.
Team Two's car turns onto a side road, and we follow closely behind. Hod parks and we meet up with the other group.
Beside me, Aerona grins manically and takes a deep breath, "What a lovely night for mayhem." She walks off. Her words send a shiver up my spine.
Kali, Aksel and Dad are discussing tactics and Aerona strolls casually, her eyes glistening. I glance back. Mom is walking a little ways further down, bringing up the rear. There aren't many lights along the path but I can sense her grief. I stop and wait for her.
Mom slows only a fraction when she catches up. I walk beside her. Her eyes overflowing with tears and I take her hand. She squeezes it gently. We follow the others like this for a while. Both of us quiet. As we near the ferry terminal, Mom takes her hand from mine and wipes the tears from her cheeks. Then she smiles.
"We will bring Ahren home, Zi. We will make our family whole again."
I don't say anything. My throat is too tight to work. Through the trees, I catch a glimpse of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.
One by one, we jump the fence and run towards a boat waiting for us. The boat isn't large. Only big enough to carry ten people.
"Have you heard from Mictain yet, Zivena?" Hod asks as we climb into the boat.
"Not yet," I reply.
The boat pulls away from the dock once everyone's settled. No one says a word as the RKF Bridge passes over us, it's light illuminating the faces around me. Dad's eyes meet mine and for a moment I see the fierce fighter behind the loving father. I see the determination to make the killer of my brother suffer regardless of what Taregan said earlier.
We're halfway to the island when my phone vibrates and Mictain's name appears on my screen.
Walking to the old hospital now. Wait 30 mins before landing.
I know the moment that message was sent through that Mictain would be deleting it. I look up at Taregan, who's watching me.
"Half an hour," I tell him.
"Remember," Taregan says quietly, "We need to be quick and careful. We haven't had any intelligence from that island for about a year. We don't know if the contact Mictain is meeting is going to be the only living thing there. Caution is a necessity."
Everyone nods their understanding, even Aerona. The wind picks up and sends shards of ice cold water at us, stinging my face. I take a shuddering breath as the dark silhouette of the island comes into view. As we near the island, I can make out a dilapidated and rusty pier.
As the boat comes within feet of the shoreline, we slide into the freezing water. The water churns around us thankfully covering any sounds we make as we carefully move to edge of the island, my boots slip slightly on the rocky sand as I follow closely behind Hod. He gestures for Team Two to head southeast so they can get into position.
An eerie silence falls over the island. We make our way through spindly, bare trees. No breeze rustles the branches, there are no sounds of small animals. There isn't even a smell. The ice and cold has killed off all vegetation, leaving only twigs behind. We're all silent, slipping in and out of shadows, making our way towards the hospital.
Hod is still in the lead as we reach the edge of the hospital. Even though it's dark, it isn't hard to see the broken windows. The old, discolored brick. A brief feeling of relief spreads through me when I spot Mictain's soul inside the hospital but it doesn't last long as Hod raises a fist. Now we wait.
I take the moment to try and calm my racing heart, my nerves. Even though it's cold, my palms feel clammy and sweaty.
I shove down my thoughts. We do what we have to.
I shuffle closer to Taregan, one of his sub-machine guns already in his hand.
"You'll be fine," Taregan barely whispers. "Mictain can handle himself and so can everyone here. Including you." I nod but his words don't put me at ease.
I feel movement beside me. Aerona crouches beside me, her smile unnaturally wide. For a moment, I think I'm seeing things as her fangs lengthen. Long and thin. I know I'm not hallucinating. She reaches up to move a strand of hair from her face and I notice that her nails have grown into pointed spears the length of half a finger.
"I'm beautiful, aren't I?" Aerona grins. Her eyes are black now and rimmed in red skin. The rest looks as if it's starting to decay. Red and black bruises blossom, her body a pattern of blues and yellows.
"You're certainly something," I murmur. The sight of her is making me sick.
"Hush," Hod demands.
The four of us remain silent as a bitter breeze picks up. The breeze becomes a gale. My hair flicks around my head, slapping me in the face. The wind is so forceful that it howls, igniting the silence with ghostly sounds.
Aerona's forked tongue tastes the air. She leaps to her feet.
Snarling fills the wind, surrounding us.