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CHAPTER ONE
Shank’s pulse leapt at the sound of the Twelve’s alarm going off on his phone. “Don’t move from here,” he told Sophie, turning off the alarm while searching for the key near the exterior light. He found it and opened the door, wanting her inside before doing anything else. With Lesion’s place being way off the grid there was no telling what wildlife roamed the area. He searched along the wall with his hand for a light switch, praying 8-Bit’s upgrades to the Twelve’s everything extended to this little hidey hole.
He encountered one and flipped it, getting a cascade of light from a two story open ceiling.
“Oh my,” Sophie whispered, then sucked in a breath. “What anenchantinglittle hobbit home this is. Oh, look at the books in the stairs!” she gasped, hurrying to it as he glanced around, impressed with the large room and the impeccably way it was kept. Kitchen on the far end beneath a loft with a bed above it and the living room just before them.
“I know this one!” Sophie announced, waving a book at him, her joy making her breathtaking in the soft light. Shank took stock of the place as he sat on the nearest chair. He’d expected something closer to a…shabby shithole.
He entered the Twelve chat and found all names with the same blinking red light. He opened the box, seeing 8-Bit’s group message.
All Twelve must report to me individually for instructions regarding this emergency.
Fuck, really. Shank opened his message box.What’s up?
“Is everything okay?” Sophie suddenly asked.
He glanced up, immediately distracted by her beauty. She’d removed her black cloak and his body reminded him what they were doing there. His phone buzzed and he looked down.
Eveque said we’re meeting with the Kings ASAP.
What the fuck.Define ASAP.
As in right now. We’re meeting at the Basilique. Eveque wanted you to call him personally to discuss the package you currently have in your possession.
Fuckingreally.
He took in a deep breath and texted.Yes sir, you got it.“Just some business with my boss,” he said, realizing he hadn’t answered her.
“Are we still going to…touch?”
He found her curious face aimed at him from halfway up the stairs leading to thetouchingplace. “Yes, we will, Ma Tresor.”
“May I wait for you up here?”
“Yes,” he said, biting his tongue on anymore until he texted Eveque. “I’m stepping outside for a minute to make a phone call. I’ll be two minutes.”
“Okay.” Her muffled voice said she was already exploring whatever was up there.
He stepped out and shut the door, hitting Eveque’s number. He took another deep breath as he put the call to his reluctant ear, his gut full of premonitions that came with many obscenities.
“Ace,” Eveque answered, the formality confirming shit.
“The one and only. What’s up?”
The deep breath Eveque took brought everything in Shank to a standstill. “I don’t know exactly. Seer saw the Syphon King then spent hours in his prayer closet about it. When he came out, he told me to gather everybody to meet with the Kings.”
“What’s going on?” he asked. “I mean…what do you know?”
“I know that whatever Seer saw or what this Syphon dude showed him is pretty major. As in…I can’t begin to describe it major.”
That news put Shank at stumped. “What the hell could it be?”
“That King syphoned something out of me. I don’t know what it was, I don’t remember what it was, but when Seer came out of his prayer closet, I knew it was tied to whatever he’d done with me. One particular nightmare I’ve had over many years has been in my head since he put his hands on me. I’m deep in a hole and all I can see is lightening above, some kind of storm that’s coming and closing in and there’s nothing I can do because I’m stuck in afuckinghole,” Eveque stressed quietly.
“Yeah, don’t like the sound of that.”
“Oui,” he agreed.
