ArcKnight (The ArcKnight Chronicles #1)

Chapter Twenty-three

Ephrem

Walking the streets of Temple City during yet another rainstorm was cathartic in ways I couldn't explain. The tapping of droplets against the hood of my rain jacket gave me peace when there were so many things flying around inside my head. The smell of soaked asphalt and clean ozone were revitalizing as I made my way down my nightly patrol route. I had hours to go before my shift was over, but it never bothered me to wander the streets. It could be worse. I could be held up in the MarkTier palace like my brother, Etan the current Alpha of the MarkTier pack, bored with politics and the incessant banter about rules and regulations. I didn't envy his life one bit, even with the suffering I'd had to go through for things to be the way they were.

Etan still wasn't used to his position. My father had abruptly stepped down from the throne, and Etan had only recently taken over as Alpha. He hadn't even been required to marry beforehand. It was a curious thing, and something we were all still trying to understand, but my father had so far remained silent on his reason for abdicating.

I made my way out of the center dominated by tall skyscrapers and condominium buildings, and the avenue opened up to the central park area where the river ran through the city, swelled with rain. It rushed past in turbulent rapids, deadly and unstoppable. I wondered how many had lost their lives in its freezing embrace, pulled down below, their lungs filling with water with every toss and spin. There were probably more than anyone would care to admit. Nameless victims, forgotten as quickly as the passage of the torrent.

A chilling sense of being watched swept over me, and I scanned the darkened horizon for the culprit. The park was empty. Nightfall and bad weather always kept people indoors. One had to be a fool to be wandering about in the soaking rain like me. I was used to the rain, and it was a comfort in the isolation of night more than anything else. But I wasn't alone tonight, and the feeling of something unnatural with a touch of dark magic unfurled itself as a swirl of fog began crawling across the park toward me.

Even I knew when it wasn't wise to be alone.

I walked away toward the looming buildings ahead of me. I needed backup before investigating the park. It was unusual supernatural activity, and I was pretty sure it was up to no good. Passing the first building, I turned to stare back at the phenomenon and decided it was definitely artificial; the fog swirled at the edges of the park but didn't extend beyond it.

I reached the shelter of an awning and pulled out my phone. I dialed my friend Jason, who was also on patrol; hopefully he was nearby.

"Yo," he answered.

"Hey, I have a suspicious fog forming in the park near the western side of the city."

"Citadel Center?"

"That's the one."

"I'm three blocks away. Where you at?"

I'm at the corner of Fourth and Anubis."

"Be there in two."

The click of the line let me know he was on his way. I stuffed the phone back into my jacket and continued to study the fog bank. It seemed to stall for a few minutes. Was it watching me? I could feel the prickle of eyes on me once more. I couldn't shake off the uneasiness, but I wouldn't risk entering it alone. This buddy system had kept me and my friend Jason alive many times, and we weren't about to abandon it if it worked.

"What do you have for me?" Jason jogged up, jumping up from the soaked street and onto the damp sidewalk to join me under the awning. He was as drenched as I was and turned to eye the park when I pointed in that direction.