Page 4 of Tethered Fates

“See you, it was fun hanging out. Thanks for listening.”

My green skateboard covered in sloppily drawn skulls and rats playing guitars is the last thing I scoop up. I shove it under my armpit as I stroll past more of my art: a sunflower field with two mannequins having a picnic, while an explosive cloud rushes towards the happy couple. A wall stuffed with colourful cartoon characters, jammed together with bulging eyes and fighting for space.

The last is a jet-black void, shimmering with a pearl purple to add depth, circled with reaching plastic hands, and the smallest dot of pink at its centre. I never stare at that one for too long.

I leave my studio to pass boarded-up shops and their long-forgotten marketing posters offering clearance sales and 50% off everything, and push open the rusted double doors towards the loading bay. Whatever it once looked like is gone; now the echoing space is a chaos of thick weeds and pungent plants fed by a burst water pipe, all clawing their green tendrils through holes and cracks in the concrete.

I know every step by heart as I trudge towards the bay gates, and easily avoid any roots waiting to trip me up. Once I’m at the metal gates, I pull away a rotted plank of wood, revealing a small hole choked by vines. Dropping to my knees, after a bit of painful twisting, I manage to crawl through and into the open air. The night sky shows off more stars here than in the other parts of my light-polluted city.

Jumping up, I make sure to cover my secret way in, and instead of getting on my board, I order a taxi, using my big brother Kai’s card to pay. And in a short amount of time, I’m sliding into a pine-scented back seat and heading not deeper into the city, but further away from it to pay Kai an unexpected visit.

Ever since his best mate Golden vanished, then came back into Kai’s life a few weeks ago, my brother’s been acting weird.

Then suddenly, Kai’s got a hulking boyfriend he’s never mentioned. I know he’s keeping things from me, Kai’s a terrible liar. He gets all flustered and eye-rolly when he’s keeping something back.

I’m not sure if he’s in trouble, or if it’s drugs or something else, but for once in my life, I’m glad that Kai can track my location on his phone, because I can track him in return.

I stare out the window, content to be quiet, listening to the hum of the car as we leave the city behind, while trying to think of a way to get my brother to be honest, even if I’m not being honest with him.

***

I thank the driver and hop out to come face to face with a squat mansion in the middle of nowhere on a road dotted with potholes.

The mansion has five pointed spires that punch into the sky and is surrounded by lush evergreen trees that obscure most of the building, as does the wrought-iron gate.

A little buzz of excitement shoots through my veins at the idea of scaling the gate, but as I approach, it swings open with a wheezing squeak.

“I guess that’s easier,” I mumble, just as a black car reverses and knocks me on my ass.

THUMP!

I drop onto the gravel ground, grunting as pain vibrates from my tailbone up to my spine.

“Teagan!” Someone shouts, but I’m more concerned about my skateboard.

“Balls…” I grumble, seeing it cracked in two. “That’s a pain.”

“Fucking hell, are you okay?” Kai shouts, his blonde braids whipping around his light brown face as he runs towards me.

I pull myself up, shrug. It didn’t hurt that much. But Kai’s patting me down, his jade green eyes wide with concern, like I’m about to drop dead any second. I don’t bother pushing him away, it’d only make him worse. He’ll tire himself out eventually.

Next thing I know, Kai’s big-ass boyfriend is standing right in front of me, and I have to suppress my glower.

“I don’t smell any bleeding,” Vidar says more to Kai than me, his voice deep and commanding.

“How would you even do that?” I grumble, but before Vidar has a chance to say anything, Kai speaks—or screeches, more like.

“We should get him to the hospital!”

Dusting my jeans, I roll my eyes. “Big bro, I’m fine. It was barely a tap.”

Vidar rubs Kai’s back while my brother loses all his chill, and I eye Vidar suspiciously. I just don’t get it. Sure, Kai’s a tattoo artist and Vidar has a lot of tattoos, but my bro doesn’t date domineering guys like this. Vidar is a man-shaped mountain, walking around as if he owns the place, and he isn’t even that hot.

“Sen, you fucking idiot, you could’ve killed him!” Kai shouts over his shoulder, flapping his arms like a pissed-off chicken.

The car door opens, a man climbs out, and I prepare myself for more apologies I don’t need.

I suck in a breath.