Lying Bloodlines

Chapter Six

“Okay. Tell me what in the world is going on right now.” Aster looks Mandy and I over before relaxing back into his seat. “Hey, answers now.”

“Right, right, sorry.” He looks at the driver, “Hey head East on the interstate, Ros.”

“But that leads back to-”

“I know that’s the point.” They both look at each other in the rearview mirror before the driver, Ros, nods. It’s quiet for a few minutes as we drive along the freeway.

“Aj? Where are we going? Who are they? Who was chasing us?” I look down at Mandy who’s curled herself into me, gripping me tightly. I turn to Aster.

“I’d like to know myself.” He sighs, running a hand through his shoulder length brown hair.

“Sorry, look we couldn’t let them get you like they did everyone else. They’re going to be looking for you for a while, so we have to stay on the down low.”

“Who are they?” Mandy leans into me more, watching Aster suspiciously. I notice she’s still on my lap and try to put her on the seat, “No.” I sigh turning to Aster.

“Right, uh they’re hunters. Bad hunters and they were planning on using you all to get to the others.” Mandy freezes.

“Shai and Alina?” Aster stares at her in shock.

“That’s their names? Wait.” He looks at me, “You look like one of them. Like a lot.” I frown.

“Alina’s my twin, and we grew up with Shai. Why are the hunters trying to use us to get to them? Nonna says they wouldn’t mess with us.” The car jerks as Ros curses a car in front

of us honking.

“No yeah, they usually wouldn’t but they’re all getting so hard to find, boss decided to bend the rules a little and use associates as leverage. He didn’t know you’d all be family though.” I stare at Aster as he thinks over this new information.

“Boss? You’re a hunter?” He looks up in surprise as Ros accidently swerves the car.

“Oh, no. No, we’re not hunters. We just uh, have someone on the inside. Had someone I mean.” I scoot towards the door a little more.

“Really? What happened to them?” Ros clears his throat.

“Um, he ran. They had uh, made him. So he ran.” I nod slowly clutching Mandy.

“Okay, then I have a few questions.” Aster nods with a sigh, “Why do the hunters want to find Shai and Alina so much? What are they to them?” He blinks.

“You don’t know?” Mandy and I stare at him waiting, “Wow. Uh, okay. Well, they’re something called a Curryo, and hunters think they’re a grave danger to the human race.” I start laughing. And I continue laughing as everyone in the car looks at me like I’m crazy.

“Right, Curryo. As if. The Curryo aren’t real, they’re an old legend.” Aster stares at me blankly as the car is filled with silence. “Wait, you actually believe in all that, don’t you? And you think my twin is one of those things with powers and all that?” Aster nods.

“I know for a fact that the Curryo are real and your twin and friend are one of them. There’s two more, two guys.” I shake my head.

“So Nonna and Margaret weren’t crazy.” I look down at Mandy, “Did you know about any of this?” She shakes her looking at Aster.

“They really did leave to keep us safe?” When he nods she starts crying, “ I thought they ran away to be with their boyfriends and never wanted to see us again.” Aster and I frown.

“Boyfriends?” We say in unison. Aster shakes his head.

“What boyfriends, Mandy?”

“Remi and Theo, they met last summer when Shai and Alina went to Aunt Casey’s house.” No one says anything for a while.

“Mandy, we don’t have an Aunt Casey.” She looks up at me frowning.

“Yes we do, Nonna said she was a friend and Shai and Alina went to see her every summer.” I think back to the trips Shai and Alina took every summer, I was always told they went to Benjamin’s, Nonna’s ex husband who they both knew for years. Before we lived with Nonna, Mom and Alina would alway hang out with Nonna and Benjamin before they divorced. I would stay home with dad.

“I thought they went to Benjamin’s?” Mandy nods.

“Yeah, Benjamin and Aunt Casey live together.” Aster puts a hand on my shoulder before I can question her further.

“Do you know where Benjamin and Aunt Casey live?” Mandy shakes her head. He sighs looking at Ros.

“Ros, drive to the compound.” Ros frowns.

“No, Aster. We can’t-” Aster stares at him.

“That’s where they’ll be safe.” Ros pauses before cursing, he continues driving. Aster sit back and looks at Mandy and I with a soft smile. “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”

I pull Mandy closer to me nodding. At least we weren’t captured. Shai and Alina still have family they can count on. We drive for a good two hours before Ros pulls off on an exit. I look at all the signs and streets trying to memorize where we are.

We park in the parking lot of a big glass building, Jefferson’s protection agency. I shake Mandy gently, since she dozed off and hour ago.

“We’re here.”We all get out the car, Ros avoids eye contact with all of us. “Follow me.” Aster leads us into the building. The few people inside don’t look at us, it’s as if we’re not here. We walk down a bright hallway to a lone door at the end. Aster pulls it open letting us walk through. The door shuts loudly. It’s an empty white room.

“Aster, where are we?” He doesn’t respond, “Aster?” We’re alone. I race towards the door trying to pull the handle, it locks from the outside. “Aster! Aster what’s going on?”

“Sorry, Aj. I had to. We have to find them. And they’ll come for the two of you, I’m sure of it.” There’s a moment of silence. “Come on, Ros, Let’s tell Reuben they’re here.” They start walking away.

“No, no, no, no, no.” I bang on the door twisting the handle. “No. Aster! You liar. Let us out of here. Let us out! Let us out!” Mandy’s crying stops me. She’s curled up in the corner, her head in her arms. What have I done?