My feet burned by the time I made it back to town. It was late, the sun having set hours before. By my guess, it was early in the morning, but my phone had long died after using it as a flashlight.
The town was abandoned, everyone tucked safely in their beds, and lights turned off. If it wasn't for the glow of the streetlamps, I would have thought I was in another world.
The lack of sleep and caffeine had my eyes closed, even as I walked, and every thought seemed far off like I was processing them in slow motion.
Footsteps pounded the ground behind me, waking me up slightly, but it was more of general anger for whoever was about to interrupt me. My fatigue made me confused, and I spun on my heels, crouching as the hidden dagger found its way to my hand. "Stop!" I ordered, holding the needle dagger up.
The footsteps stopped heavy breathing. "Alex?" Lana's startled tone came from the darkness. "It's me."
"Lana? What the hell are you doing out here so late?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing." She laughed. "I thought about what you said earlier and just quit The Children of Man."
"Really?" I secured my hair with the dagger, fitting it back into its holder. "They let you go that easy?"
"Peter was mad, but they were going to patrol up by Twin Trees Highschool. I think you probably know why."
I nodded, but something didn't feel right. She ran after me in the middle of the night. Only crazy people did that, or people who were desperate. "I'm happy to hear you left them. Is there something else?"
Lana had the good sense to look embarrassed. "I wanted to help you now that I'm not working with them. You said you were here to protect us, and I saw you carrying someone away. I thought maybe I could help."
"How much did you see? Did you see anyone suspicious??" Anyone with a vial of blood with murder in their eyes. A few people might have fit that description, but I was desperate. "Anyone who looked out of place in the crowd?"
"I don't really remember. It's fuzzy."
"It's fine." I sighed. "You should really get home. Something is wrong here, in town. If I need help, I might look for you, but you should stay low for now, not make things more complicated."
"But I want to help," Lana whined. For looking older than me, she acted more like Anya: young, naïve, but with good intentions.
"The people I need help from don't take well to humans," I explained, knowing if I brought back a human it wouldn't be good. "You can help by staying out of trouble and keeping your ears open. If you hear anything, whispers or rumors, let me know."
"Where can I find you?"
"Talk to Officer Reese at the police station. I trust him and he's got a direct line to me." I waved her off. "Now if you don't mind, it's late and I'm about to fall asleep on my feet."
"Do you need a ride? I have a car. I could give you a lift." Even if Kiri's apartment wasn't a few blocks away, I would have refused Lana's offer. She was a stranger. Trusting Cypress already pushed the limits of my comfort zone.
"I'm good, thanks." I began my begrudged walk again, leaving Lana standing alone on the abandoned road. "Have a good night," I called, far too late for it to be polite.
"Night," her voice echoed.
I was happy she was out. I didn't like The Children of Man, especially after their display today. If it had been any other poison, I might have believed they were the culprit.
There was a long list of people who didn't like half-species, but none that I could think of who would know Nick. Besides, it was risky to attack in a crowded area with a Morill nearby. The person was making a statement, but I had yet to decipher it. I had a feeling that when I did, everything would snap into place.
I nudged the door open, stepping into the darkroom. Everyone was likely asleep by now, but it seemed weird that there wasn't a light on to monitor Nick.
It might have been the darkness playing tricks on me, but something in the room didn't seem right. It felt too quiet and cold, not something that would have existed if there was life here, even asleep.
My fingers ran up the wall before finding the switch. I flicked it on, drawing light into the room. Nothing was wrong. Nothing except that everyone had gone.
"Alexis?" My uncle appeared from the bedroom, and I felt my muscles relax. "Did you take care of her? Are you hurt?"
I pushed the door closed, leaning on it. "It wasn't her. She was innocent. Where did everyone go?"
"They took Nick to the pack land. What do you mean she was innocent?"
"Someone was trying to frame her," I explained. "The witch isn't interested in hurting anyone, but I'm sure some pathetic, desperate person thought she was a good scapegoat. Is Nick alright?"
"The boy is fine," uncle hissed, and it almost sounded bitter. "What happened at the hut? How do you know she was innocent?"
"I talked to her. It sounds like someone snuck the vial of gorgon blood into the hut, and I believed her when she said she was innocent. We've hit a dead end."
Uncle spun, and his shirt untucked in the back, flying around like a small cape. He muttered something as he paced up and down the small hall. I knew the feeling, frustration, and anger. We had let ourselves hope.
"We know that something big is coming," I said. "We just need to lay low and wait. I think Nick was a distraction, something to keep us focused on him. The blood, it feels personal." Personal to the Morill's, but it wasn't the time or place for this discussion.
"That's a great insight," Uncle snapped. "Pray tell, do you have any theories as to what is coming or who might be behind it?"
Did I have any theories? Well, if I was trying to divert attention, I would do something like this. The person would have to know Nick was close to all of us. If they were watching, it wouldn't have been hard. However, was there a reason to target Nick specifically? Or was it a message to me? They wanted me distracted, weak.
"It could be an attack on the wolf pack," I offered. Uncle cocked an eyebrow. "But I don't think that is as likely. The attacks have all been humans, near Schroder Park."
Like a flash, the missing piece clicked into place.
It wasn't a warning, nothing like it at all. The poisoning had been designed to make us think that. The targets had all been human. Why change that now? And to do it at the protest? The attacker was hoping to use Nick to incite more panic, more fear, for me and the others. They hadn't accounted for our quick reaction. The grand plan was to build the wall between humans and Coth. They had done that by attacking humans, yes, but they also poisoned a wolf at an anti-Coth rally. It was a long shot, but I was sure.
"They want to start a war." I knew it was true as soon as the words were spoken. Think, Alexis, who do you attack if you want to make people mad, truly mad? You attack the innocent: women, children, the weak. "The school or the hospital, but I think it's the school. A bunch of spoiled kids from influential families. The attacks were designed to build fear, then Nick to draw our attention away, and the final attack will be on the school to push people over the edge. An attack like that would send us back to the pre-agreement days."
I looked to Uncle excitedly, knowing it was true. We knew the attacker's plan. We could stop them.
"I must admit, I never thought you would guess it," he said cooly. "I underestimated you. That was my mistake." The childish part of me that had been seeking approval relished in the praise. "I only hope you will understand the severity of what is about to happen."
My smile faded as the proud look on my uncle's face twisted into something far more sinister. His lips pulled back, revealing long fangs he usually kept hidden. His pupils responded until all I saw was black, and the darkness slowly spread from him, taking over everything.
"What's going on?" I asked, taking a step back.
"You are so clever, yet you've always been bad with people." Uncle laughed. He never laughed, and I understood why now. It was unhinged, maniacal. Laughter was supposed to be an expression of joy, not this. He laughed like it was a release, an admission of whatever broken thing lay inside. The broken thing I hadn't seen.
"It's you." My mouth gaped, blood pounding in my ears. "You're the one behind this."
"I hoped I could introduce you under better circumstances, but this will have to do." Uncle, or the man I thought I knew, crept closer. "You can join me, help me. I've taught you everything you need to know. Be my partner, help me set this world back the way it should be. The Middle Ages wasn't all bad."
"And what way is that?" I glanced around for a way out. My phone was dead. I was essentially defenseless.
"The supernatural on top, just like it was always designed to be. Help me bring our people out of the shadows, stop this hiding. We can rule the new world."
"You want to oppress humans?"
"No. I want them to understand their place, beneath us."
"You attacked humans. Poisoned Nick. Killed my mother." His eyebrows rose at my accusation, "And you expect me to help you? I was raised to protect humans as well as Coth. I won't help you destroy the piece."
Uncle's lips pressed together in a thin line. "I wanted a partner, but if I have to work alone, so be it."
My body went numb, limbs refusing to behave as he moved closer, and my vision went fully black. I had never felt the impact of Impulse, it being illegal and punishable by prison time, but I now understood why so many people feared it. The vampire gift, the slave pull. Impulse didn't just control the muscles, it cut bone-deep, and as my eyes were forced to close, my mind went just as dark. If this was Impulse, it felt a lot like death.