The Soul Traveler

Chapter 9

"I didn't fail," spat Lumerio as he closed the space between him and Nica. "I chose a different mission."

Lumerio? His name was Lumerio? Where had she heard that name? That's right. One of the elders mentioned him. But that didn't make any sense? If the elders employ him how did he end up on Earth? They said the doors were ordained closed forever. At most they can pass messages somehow through tiny pocket portals, windows. So was Lumerio trapped here like she was on Ylberia and made ends meet by being an interstellar, inter-universe mailman? Were there are other like him? If so, they were better off creating an union. The guy was living on the streets in an unfamiliar world. While the elders did what? Sit around in their fancy robes?

A wave of pity surged within her, almost overshadowing her anger about being kept in the dark. Again, Kyna had the sense that something much bigger was going on. And no matter how much she didn't want to acknowledge it, she knew that she was a part of the bigger picture. But getting answers from Nica and Lumerio who were standing face to face, ready to come to blows, as if they were in a heavyweight championship boxing match, was impossible.

"Oh for fuck sakes!" Kyna rolled her eyes, got between them and pushed them away from each other. Turning her back to Nica, she faced Lumerio who still glared at Nica behind her. Swiping her hand in the air, she brought his attention back to her. Good. Now they were getting somewhere. "Fairy godfather was it? Kinda fell on your job there letting some maniac kidnap my body."

Lumerio sighed and raised his arm to rub the back of his neck. "I'm sorry," he replied in remorse. "I was investigating something. I thought I was careful but obviously not."

Her eyes went back to his wrists. "Is that how you got hurt."

His lips pressed into a thin line. "I still don't know how they knew I was following them. Those bastards."

"Who?"

"Your brother's friends."

"My brother's...you mean those two dimwits he hang out with?"

Lumerio ruefully shook his head. "They're not as dimwitted as they pretend. They caught me unawares me, tied me up and kept me in some room."

Nica shifted and stood beside her. "How did you escape?"

Lumerio nodded his head at her. "When she showed up. But imagine my surprise when I realized that the young girl that approached them wasn't the same one I knew."

Kyna reeled at the news she almost missed what happened next. Apparently her little brother's friends were using him to get close to her. So far they had him doing things like carrying money from marijuana sales, shoplifting and some other petty crimes. He hasn't graduated to the heavy stuff but from the sounds of it, it was only a matter of time. The latest was trespassing as the two had set up a secret illegal underground club to sell drugs and alcohol to minors. That's where he was this whole time, in the back rooms of their place, Club Echo.

Shit. What the hell has [little brother name] gotten himself into? Didn't he stop to think that if he got caught he was going to get more than a "I told you so" from their mom? She was more likely to go to jail for killing the boy before he can get sentenced to how many years for doing such stupid shit.

"What do they want with Bellart?" demanded Nica. Lumerios eyes widened in surprise. Though he could tell the imposter right away, he obviously hadn't been informed of who the imposter was.

Kyna was scared shitless, literally. Too many things have happened for it to end happily ever after, let alone peacefully.

Before, in a not so recent past, she would've shrugged and left it alone. If her brother was so dead set in speed racing his way to trouble, who was she to stop him. In many ways, he was just as stubborn as their mom so talking to him was like talking to a brick wall. Kyna always figured it was better for him to learn things the hard way. But ten to life or dead was one lesson she never wanted for him.