The Second Layer

Chapter 14: Lily

Chapter 14: Lily

Lily's arm was wrapped with gauze, but the wound beneath already felt more than half healed. It wouldn't be too much longer before it would be gone as completely as if it had never been there at all. There would be no scar. Freaks didn't get scars, at least not after they became freaks. You either healed completely, or you died, it was that simple.

There had been a number of misgivings about this mission, both on the trip there and on the one back. Even though responsibility for what had been done rested on Vanning's shoulders, all of them wondered at Vanning's audacity in going this far. All of them were convinced he couldn't get away with crossing the line like this much longer. Well, all of them were convinced of it except Kade. He'd taken a separate car from the rest of them, so they hadn't had a chance to ask him. Not that they would have even if they could. He probably would've just been amused by Vanning's latest orders.

Evan had the knife wrapped in cloth and was carrying it as they walked into Vanning's throne room. Vanning had sensed their approach, so he was already watching the door and waiting when they entered. The moment he saw the cloth in Evan's hands, a smile spread over his face. "Bring it to me," he said, a hint of excitement in his tone. Vanning obviously had no doubt it was the larikin that Evan was carrying. But that was to be expected, because just as the freaks in the room could sense each other, all of them could sense the larikin as well. The aura itself was slightly different but it was still clearly there.

Evan swiftly unwrapped the knife as all five of them approached the throne. Gently removing it from the cloth, Evan held the larikin out to Vanning hilt-first. For a moment Vanning simply stared at it with an appreciative smile before eventually reaching out to take it. Holding it up to his eyes, he turned it this way and that. Finally, satisfied, he reached out with his free hand to grasp the bag sitting beside his throne and slid it over to them. "Your payment for a job very well done," Vanning told them, his eyes never leaving the knife.

"Since you didn't give explicit instructions, we just left the body of the freak who owned that knife where we killed him," Evan stated, his tone a mixture of disgust and resentment.

For his part Vanning didn't even seem to notice. His attention was fixed wholly on the knife he held. "That's fine. I wonder what kind of power this thing has. I know what effect it has on humans, but it must do something different for freaks."

"I can tell you what it does," another voice responded from the back of the room. Lily glanced over just in time to see Talen emerge from the shadows, and for an instant her breath caught. He was as gorgeous as ever.

"Lord Talen," Vanning said, a mixture of surprise and fear entering his expression for a split second before quickly shifting into a cool neutrality. "We weren't expecting you, sire."

"I would say that's obvious. So, would you like to know the knife's power?" Talen replied in an even tone as he strode calmly over to them.

"I... Of course, m'lord," Vanning said, his nervousness clear in his voice.

"In humans, who can't handle the senses the knife offers, it causes visions. But in freaks, it allows them to sense any open window into the Shadowlands within a ten mile radius. Of course, such a power doesn't have much use to any of you. But it could be a very useful power to give to freaks serving me on certain key assignments. Which is why I'm glad, Mr. Vanning, that you're going to be giving that knife to me," Talen said, outstretching his hand toward Vanning.

"But... M'lord, I spent a great deal of money acquiring this larikin," Vanning said, a hint of anger entering his tone.

"So? What would you like? A thank you?" Talen responded blandly.