The Second Layer

Chapter 5: Lily

Chapter 5: Lily

Lily was still mentally berating herself for not saying anything to Talen the night before when she stepped into the bar. At least, what worked as a bar for them. Technically it was a room in one of Ray Siren's houses. After all, a normal bar would be populated by humans, which caused problems. Firstly, what they could say around humans was limited. If they wanted a place where they knew they'd be able to speak absolutely freely, it had to be around only other freaks. And there was of course the fact that freaks tended to look down on humans, and it was hard for some of their kind to socialize with a species they felt was inferior.

So, since Ray had graciously offered the use of this house, the living room of which was outfitted with a very nice bar, most freaks tended to congregate here when they wanted to spend time around others. Ray had half a dozen houses in this city alone, so as long as they didn't trash the place he didn't mind much what they did. Strangely, Ray was one of the few people who didn't drop by the house that much, he always seemed to have more important things to do.

"Looks like you've got something on your mind," Alaine commented as Lily pulled up the stool next to her.

"Oh, it's nothing. Lord Talen showed up at my place last night and healed my migraines, so. I'm in tip-top shape again," Lily replied, giving a little shrug.

"Our resident True Mind paid you a visit? I don't suppose he said anything about Blaze?" Vryce asked from a few seats down. Vryce Colvin looked as attractive as ever, blonde and blue eyed wearing a dark blue sports coat over a black undershirt. He had a habit of looking immaculate no matter where he was.

"No, he didn't. Why would he mention Blaze?" Lily queried, feeling curious in spite of herself.

"Blaze screwed-up. We were just talking about it. When you mentioned Lord Talen I was hoping maybe he'd step in and do something, since Vanning hasn't. See, Blaze's little play at being a serial killer nearly got him caught last night. Apparently he got interrupted in the midst of killing a girl and wound up killing four cops and putting another in the hospital. Vanning already called him in for an audience, and Blaze swore that the cop who survived didn't see anything. And Vanning just let him go, not even a slap on the wrist," Vryce answered in a contemptuous tone.

Blaze McCormick had been a spoiled rich kid before he'd become a freak. While it was true that most freaks had access to a lot of money, for most of them it had come only after they'd become freaks. Blaze was an exception. He'd been used to doing what he wanted and getting away with it even while he'd been a human. And his attitude seemed to have carried over to his life as a freak. Vanning seemed to favor him because Vanning was the one person that Blaze sucked up to.

It had seemed for awhile now that Blaze was developing a death wish. Killing humans wasn't a big deal for a freak so long as you only did it when needed or in moderation, but you never ever left signs or traces behind. You certainly never left a calling card like carving symbols into corpses.

There weren't many rules about what freaks could do to humans, but one that definitely stood true at all times, the cardinal rule perhaps, was be discreet. Under no conditions could you allow the things you did to be tracked back to you. Never ever leave witnesses, especially if those witnesses had seen what you were capable of. The ruler of the freaks in a given city was expected to keep order and to enforce such things. Because if they didn't, a True Mind would eventually step in and do it for them, often leaving a new ruler in their wake.

"Vanning's let a lot of things slide lately that he shouldn't. It's like he either doesn't care anymore, or he's so certain of his position that he's convinced no one will touch him, not even a True Mind," Alaine said.