Off With His Head

32. You are a weapon, Peyton

"It's so good to see you." My dad pulls me away from Caleb and into a hug, wrapping his arms around me so tight that I wince. Jolts of pain streak through me, the wound in my stomach making itself known.

"Oh sorry! You were injured." He releases me and holds me at arm's length, getting a good look at my face. "Are you okay? Are you healing?"

I have to work hard to keep my anger at bay, knowing that this isn't the time to confront him about our family history. Instead, I try to focus on how nice it is to see him after so many months apart. Beneath the additional facial hair and lack of glasses, he's still the same man I remember, albeit with a whole new identity.

"I'm fine dad, still just a bit tender." Okay, a lot tender but I don't want to tell him that. I search around him for a moment, sure that my mother would be close by. "Where's mom?"

"She went to the bathroom. Who's this?" He gestures towards Caleb, standing awkwardly in the background.

"Oh right." With the shock of seeing my dad again, I had completely forgotten to introduce the two of them. "Dad, this is Caleb Calloway. Caleb, this is my dad."

"Mr Jennings." Caleb greets politely, reaching a hand out to shake my dad's. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're Everett's boy. I remember when you were just a toddler." My dad nods in approval, scanning the room of people as though looking for someone. "Is he here tonight? I have some business to discuss with him."

"Unfortunately, he couldn't make it." I don't miss the scowl that crosses Caleb's face as he says this and I can't help but wonder if he was hoping to see his father. I don't know much about Everett Calloway, apart from the very few details my mum had supplied me with, but from what I gather, he places his missions over his family.

The sound of glass clinking interrupts our conversation before I can ask if Caleb's okay. We all turn to look at the front of the hall, where Lideri stands with a microphone in his hand in front of a make-shift podium.

"Welcome all!" He holds up a champagne flute, the largest smile I've ever seen on him lighting up his face. "Another year has come and gone. It has been a year of many successful missions and new recruits." The crowd cheers and starts to clap, the sound so loud that Lideri has to wait a few moments before speaking again.

"Slowly, we are eradicating the beasts that walk the earth and each name crossed off our list is a victory. I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and commitment to our cause. The past few months have seen the highest terminations in recent history." Lideri's face suddenly falls, his earlier smile quickly forgotten. "Unfortunately, along the way, we have lost some of our best and brightest."

It may be my imagination, but I'm sure his remaining eye meets mine across the crowded hall as he continues with his speech. "The Hunter's Ball is the one night of the year where we do not carry our burdens on our back. When we can be free to enjoy the world we live in without worry of the creatures outside. But the one burden that never leaves us, is the loss of a loved one. So let us carry them in our hearts as we have a moment of silence."

He waits until the din dies down and the entire room goes quiet before bowing his head slightly. We stay that way for a few minutes and when he looks back up again, I can see the pain in his eyes, even from where I'm standing. "Tonight, we must remember to honour the fallen as we celebrate our success." And with that he steps away and joins the throng of people.

"Would you like something to drink?" Caleb asks me, jolting me out of my reverie. I tear my eyes away from Lideri, now greeting someone in the crowd.

"Yes please, anything with alcohol." He nods and heads to the bar. I turn back to see my dad looking at me with his eyebrows raised. "Dad, please spare me the condescending lecture. I'm well past old enough to drink."