nodded, his lips thinning with concern at the thought. Natalie grabbed her purse and slipped through the door with just one quick glance at Alec. Then she was gone, and he turned to face Igor with a scowl.
The assistant met his expression with a smile. “So, how are Wolf Man and Creature working out, anyway?”
“Um, none of your business?” Alec said as he started gathering up his own things so they could go as soon as Rehu buzzed up.
“Okay, touchy!” Igor laughed. “I was just wondering. You don’t like me much, do you?”
Alec pondered that question. “All I know is that Natalie has worked really hard to become who she is. You being here reminds her of what she started as, and I don’t like her being hurt.”
Igor’s smile slipped. “Well, I don’t want to hurt her, either.”
Alec stared at the smaller man. He couldn’t tell if he was full of shit, full of angles, or actually concerned for Natalie’s well-being. But if they were going to spend the evening together, that might be a start to determine his motives.
The buzzer sounded from downstairs and Alec jumped. “Seriously, he is so early.”
Igor got up. “So we get to see the Big City, huh? I’ll just follow your lead on how to behave.”
Alec rolled his eyes and motioned for the assistant to follow him. They walked down the stairs to the lobby, with Igor talking the entire time. About nothing. Alec wasn’t even sure it was English; it sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown at some point.
He pushed open the door to find Rehu standing outside, arms folded, looking irritated. Also pretty intimidating. Even Igor trailed off and stared up at the tall, imposing Egyptian.
“You’re late,” Rehu sneered, then looked past Alec to Igor. “Who’s that?”
“Rehu, meet Igor. Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant,” Alec said on a sigh. “Igor, meet Rehu, reincarnated mummy.”
Rehu’s eyes went wide as the two men stared at each other.
“Um,” he began.
Alec waved him off as he started down the street toward the subway station. “It’s a long story, man. I’m sure Igor would be more than happy to tell you all about it, though.”
Natalie couldn’t see. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. She was aware of everything going on around her, the people jostling her on the train, her stop coming up, and her getting off with the rest of the people. But it was like her eyes were a separate entity. In her mind, she just saw pages and pages of records. Pages and pages of proof that her “father” had created dozens of siblings for her.
Of proof that three of them were possibly still alive.
She turned right onto Van Helsing’s street and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets as she walked along. Some rational part of her told her to get ready, to wake the hell up, but it was harder than it seemed, harder than anything, when names and dates and faces of other Creatures bounced around in her head like Ping-Pong balls.
“You’re late,” Kai said as she stepped out of the shadows.
Natalie jumped as she was dragged by force into reality.
“Um, sorry. I thought I left on time.”
Kai wrinkled her brow. “What’s wrong with you? What happened?”
Natalie flinched. Was she that obvious in her distress? She had become such an expert at covering up everything she thought and felt and believed that it was hard to imagine even Kai could see through her. Kai, who cared for nothing and no one.
“My father’s assistant arrived today to share records so we can figure out which Creature might have attacked the man in the park,” she murmured. “It brings back memories.”
Kai stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. “I get that. Look, no one should have jumped on you about the Creature. I know you’re the first one to stand up and defend us. You never would have covered up his existence if you knew about him.”
“Um, thanks,” Natalie said, so stunned that she could hardly find the words. “I appreciate that.”
“So did
The assistant met his expression with a smile. “So, how are Wolf Man and Creature working out, anyway?”
“Um, none of your business?” Alec said as he started gathering up his own things so they could go as soon as Rehu buzzed up.
“Okay, touchy!” Igor laughed. “I was just wondering. You don’t like me much, do you?”
Alec pondered that question. “All I know is that Natalie has worked really hard to become who she is. You being here reminds her of what she started as, and I don’t like her being hurt.”
Igor’s smile slipped. “Well, I don’t want to hurt her, either.”
Alec stared at the smaller man. He couldn’t tell if he was full of shit, full of angles, or actually concerned for Natalie’s well-being. But if they were going to spend the evening together, that might be a start to determine his motives.
The buzzer sounded from downstairs and Alec jumped. “Seriously, he is so early.”
Igor got up. “So we get to see the Big City, huh? I’ll just follow your lead on how to behave.”
Alec rolled his eyes and motioned for the assistant to follow him. They walked down the stairs to the lobby, with Igor talking the entire time. About nothing. Alec wasn’t even sure it was English; it sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown at some point.
He pushed open the door to find Rehu standing outside, arms folded, looking irritated. Also pretty intimidating. Even Igor trailed off and stared up at the tall, imposing Egyptian.
“You’re late,” Rehu sneered, then looked past Alec to Igor. “Who’s that?”
“Rehu, meet Igor. Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant,” Alec said on a sigh. “Igor, meet Rehu, reincarnated mummy.”
Rehu’s eyes went wide as the two men stared at each other.
“Um,” he began.
Alec waved him off as he started down the street toward the subway station. “It’s a long story, man. I’m sure Igor would be more than happy to tell you all about it, though.”
Natalie couldn’t see. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. She was aware of everything going on around her, the people jostling her on the train, her stop coming up, and her getting off with the rest of the people. But it was like her eyes were a separate entity. In her mind, she just saw pages and pages of records. Pages and pages of proof that her “father” had created dozens of siblings for her.
Of proof that three of them were possibly still alive.
She turned right onto Van Helsing’s street and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets as she walked along. Some rational part of her told her to get ready, to wake the hell up, but it was harder than it seemed, harder than anything, when names and dates and faces of other Creatures bounced around in her head like Ping-Pong balls.
“You’re late,” Kai said as she stepped out of the shadows.
Natalie jumped as she was dragged by force into reality.
“Um, sorry. I thought I left on time.”
Kai wrinkled her brow. “What’s wrong with you? What happened?”
Natalie flinched. Was she that obvious in her distress? She had become such an expert at covering up everything she thought and felt and believed that it was hard to imagine even Kai could see through her. Kai, who cared for nothing and no one.
“My father’s assistant arrived today to share records so we can figure out which Creature might have attacked the man in the park,” she murmured. “It brings back memories.”
Kai stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. “I get that. Look, no one should have jumped on you about the Creature. I know you’re the first one to stand up and defend us. You never would have covered up his existence if you knew about him.”
“Um, thanks,” Natalie said, so stunned that she could hardly find the words. “I appreciate that.”
“So did
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