The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (7 page)

Galena had first been seen by Al, their recruiter, and later brought into the Netherworld division by Halston. She was a charge, or ‘pet’ for hire, similar to Ian in that she sold her blood to paying customers, but Galena worked with the most notorious of them all. Now, she went undercover for the organization and sought to expose the most evil of the vampires and kill them.

Koa swallowed and silently took a seat a few feet from them. She glanced at Galena and saw that her eyes were red and swollen.

Koa didn’t like to see that. Koa looked at Halston with questions in her eyes. He gave her a look that begged her not to ask any questions.

“Right. Here’s the plan. Galena, want you to go home, clean up, and rest. Let me know if you need anything. I want you to consider this a vacation.” He looked to Koa and then held up a holograph device that showed her a small, shabby, building. “Koa, you and I will visit the Oracle.”

Galena stretched her long legs and took a long breath. “What if he finds me?”

Halston clenched his jaw. “It’s not you he wants. I will take care of it.”

Galena’s voice cracked. “I don’t know, Halston. He seemed different from the others.”

Koa tensed. Galena was frightened, which made her feel worried.

Halston sat before Galena and his face softened. Galena looked at him with fresh tears in her eyes and Koa felt a tug at her heart. Halston knelt and took her hands inside of his. Halston could be the most serious man she’d ever met, and he could also be surprisingly tender.

He spoke to Galena and Koa leaned forward to hear him. She couldn’t wait to find out what had happened to their most trusted informant.

“Listen, Galena,” Halston said. “I will not let anything happen to you. Wear the earrings I gave you and I will track your location. I have two of my best Shadows following you. They will be like body guards and they will defend you if anyone tries to hurt you again. I don’t care if they’re human, vampire or whatever, the Shadows will provide a defense for you if you need it. And if someone tries to hurt you again.” He handed her a vial.

Koa’s brows lifted. This must be serious. Vials could only be bought in the Netherworld, from the Alchemist.

“You throw this, and you run like Hell.” He gave her a pointed look. “Got it?”

Galena nodded and looked down at the black vial that Halston had placed in her hand. She curled her fingers around it and attached it to the holster underneath her skirt. She wiped her eyes but smiled. “Thank you, Halston.”

Halston nodded and wiped the tear from her cheek. “Don’t mention it.”

Galena gave a confident nod. She obviously felt better about what she now had to do and came to her feet with her head held a little higher than before. Koa watched Halston sweep his hands behind Galena and two Shadows emerged from the floor. They were translucent beings that walked in unison behind the woman.

Koa never liked Shadows. She sat back in her cold metal chair and watched them vanish. They might have vanished from their sight, but they still lingered unseen, and would follow and protect Galena. Koa shivered. She remembered when Halston had attached Shadows to her one time. She could always feel their cold, unearthly presence. Sometimes Koa would look behind her and frown, wondering if they were still there.

Galena didn’t seem to mind. She was comforted by the knowledge that they would always be with her.

Galena nodded. “I’ll be at my cottage in Greece.” Halston nodded and came to his feet. He folded his hands behind him as she gathered her bag and headed for the exit.

Galena gave Koa a look. Koa tensed at the look in the woman’s gray eyes. “Good luck out there, Koa.” Her voice lowered. “Watch your back,” she said and left the room.

Once the door was secured, Koa shot a glance at Halston. “What happened? Tell me?”

Halston sighed and leaned back against one of his computer stations. He shrugged and looked off towards the door that Galena had just went through. “We have a problem, Koa.”

Koa frowned. “Obviously.”

He gazed at her. He looked paler than usual. Koa sat on the edge of her seat. Something was definitely wrong.

“I think something is brewing. A war perhaps. Someone is letting nephilim out of the Netherworld at an alarming rate. They are gathering and mobilizing.”

Koa felt her face flush. “More Syths,” she whispered.

Halston shook his head. “Not just Syths, but the Netherworld vamps and even demons.”

Koa fell back in her chair. “Why do you think that, Halston?”

Silence.

Koa saw that Halston was holding back. She sat up. “What is it?”

Halston ran his hands through his hair, making it messy. “You remember who killed your father?”

She could feel herself shaking. She ground her teeth. “How could I forget? It took us a long time to find out who did it.”

Halston sucked in a breath. “Well, Bund has returned.”

Koa put both hands over her lips, as if in prayer. One of her deepest fears was being realized. “He is free? From the Netherworld?”

Halston’s silence answered her question. Koa whimpered and felt acid from her stomach enter her throat. She felt fear wash over her like hot water. She covered her mouth. “No, Halston.”

Halston held his hands out to calm her down. “Did I tell you to start worrying? I have this under control.”

“Halston, he killed my father.”

Halston sighed in exasperation and turned away from her. He slumped into his chair at his computer station and began typing away. “I have a plan, Koa. Don’t I always have a plan?”

Koa nodded. Her throat felt dry. When Halston had found Koa and recruited her, it had been only weeks after her father had been killed in a Parisian alley. Koa had only been seventeen, and returned from a nightmare that she couldn’t remember, to find her father, have him killed, and find her mother had been cursed to live as a cat.

It would be an understatement to say that Koa had turned to the dark side for a while. She didn’t like what she had become, but Halston had given her direction. Halston had helped her find out who had killed her father. Someone named Bund. For five years, Koa had thought about what she would do once she found that person, and yet, she was fearful of him. Her father had been the strongest vampire she’d ever known.

Her father had trained her, loved her, and protected her. She felt her adrenaline start to simmer. She might get her revenge sooner than she thought.

“Now, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

Koa nodded again, but her entire body felt as if it had been stuck with pens and needles, like a foot that had fallen asleep. Was she ready to face her father’s murderer?

She grabbed her arms and massaged them. She tried to shake off that horrible feeling of fear. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like being reminded of the horrific events of her past.

“Halston.” Her voice sounded almost childlike. Koa couldn’t explain why she almost felt like a child again. A terribly frightened child.

He stopped typing and turned his attention to her. “Koa. Don’t. Just don’t.”

She pursed her lips. “But, you don’t even know what I was going to say!”

“You were going to ask me if you could go to the Netherworld.”

Koa lowered her head and pulled a loose string from the hole in her jeans. “Perhaps, I could go there, and find out what is happening. Maybe I can find out the truth about my past. I mean, look at my sword…” She held the hilt out towards him.

He didn’t look at it. He knew already.

“There are
Netherworld symbols on it. How could my father have such a weapon? Why did he take me
there as a child?” More questions crowded Koa’s mind, but she was afraid to ask them. “If I knew the answers to these questions, I could have my memories back. I mean, an
entire
chunk of my adolescent life is missing!”

Halston didn’t speak for a moment. Koa’s eyes brightened. There was hope. Maybe he would finally let her go. Maybe she could finally recover the missing memories of her past. He didn’t know what it was like to lose years of memories and have no clue as to why.

All she knew was that her father had taken her to the Netherworld when she was twelve. Then…there was nothing…a white void. When Koa woke, she was in a strange place with no recollection of what had happened, or how much time had passed.

Halston finally broke his silence. He shook his head. “No. It is out of the question. You are not ready.”

Koa’s eyes narrowed. “How the hell can you say that? How do
you
know? You may be the ‘boss’ in this Netherworld division, but you don’t control me!”

Halston shook his head. “You don’t get it, Koa. I don’t want to control you. I am trying to protect you.”

Koa sneered. “Yes,” she said sarcastically. “I suppose it’s for the best. I suppose I’m not meant to have my memories back. I mean, they are
my
memories an all.”

Halston gave her an odd look. “Perhaps you don’t know just how lucky you are to not have those memories back. Have you ever thought of that?”

Koa glanced at him. “What do you mean?” Her face was hot with rising rage. She hated being told what she could and couldn’t do. “What do you know, Halston?”

Halston’s watch began to ring. He answered it and Koa sighed. He hung up and came to his feet. “The Oracle is ready to meet with us. Let’s go.”

Koa nodded and watched Halston arm himself. She watched him, and for the first time, she felt that Halston was hiding something important from her. He wouldn’t tell her what happened with Galena, but she had an idea.

She frowned down at her hands. She couldn’t shake the feeling, but she felt a small spark of doubt that she could fully trust someone that kept so much from her.

Halston glanced at her, and it was as if he could read the doubt on her face. She thought that he would say something, dismiss her doubts. She wanted him to. Instead, he simply nodded for her to follow and left the room.

K
oa was a little taken aback by their means of transportation. Out of every car that Halston had, they drove an old sedan to the Oracle. She was confused. There were so many better ways to get there, that is, until she saw where the Oracle lived.

They arrived to a tiny flat in a lower class complex. A seedy hole in the wall that most people of means would try to avoid. Koa knew better than to judge though. Her childhood home wasn’t much better. She knew what it was like to be dirt poor.

She overlooked the dilapidated buildings and pot holes in the street and looked into the faces of the children. They played in the street with nothing more than their imaginations. She knew what it was like to not even have a toy. To most people, they would have felt uncomfortable in this neighborhood.