Equinox
Chapter Eleven
I tapped my foot impatiently on the carpeted floor, glancing at the nonexistent watch on my wrist. The flock (as I learned they were called) shifted restlessly where they sat, scattered around the large room. Nudge and Angel were huddled together, hushed whispers passing to each other under their breaths. Iggy fiddled with something in his lap, as Fang observed wordlessly from above. I stood off awkwardly to the side, unsure of my standing amongst them as a whole.
"I'm sorry it's taking so long," I finally blurted, unable to handle the unnerving, smothering cloak that had settled over the room.
Dylan had insisted that he come along with us, though. He claimed it was because he was curious about the flock. However, I knew him better than that. The only thing he was interested in was discovering some way to prove that they were dangerous. How exactly you were able to take a single glance at Angel: blonde curls, blue eyes, and everything else indicative of a cherubim, and decide that she was in any case a threat was beyond me.
Angel's head lifted, and she flashed me a dazzling smile.
. . . Okay.
Other than that, no one responded to my words. A few more sluggish minutes passed. Eventually, I took to counting the fibers of the bland carpet below. My fingers twitched where they were folded against my ribcage, and I shifted from one side to the other. I was justifiably considering letting Dylan catch up with us later, when he smoothly made his entrance.
"Where have you been?" I demanded in exasperation, shooting him a petulant glare. "I know you think you're a pretty boy, but getting ready shouldn't take that long."
He rolled his eyes, tossing a few strands of his golden hair back in their rightful places. "Where do you think I was? Anne was grilling me the second I left my bedroom."
"I'm impressed. She's on top of things today." Impressed, but marginally so.
"You're lucky I have no idea what's going on. When she asked why there were four strange kids sleeping in the housing quarters, and I said I had no idea, she had sense enough to believe me," he remarked, holding the door open with the tip of his boot. "She wants to speak with you, though."
"Of course she does," I replied offhandedly. "But she can wait."
"Max -" he began admonishingly.
"Patience is a virtue, and it won't kill her to have some. I have more pressing matters to attend to, and you both can deal with it."
He shrugged, knowing enough about me to realize that this string of conversation was a lost cause. His turquoise eyes remained trained on mine, like he was attempting to convey some silent message. Dylan and I didn't really do the whole telepathy thing outside of hunting assignments, though.
"Who's Anne?" Fang asked gruffly, and I turned to meet his hard stare. It was the first time he had spoken virtually all morning, but the curiosity was evident in his eyes, whether he wanted to project it or not.
"Anne is the boss lady. She's the tyrant that runs our branch of the CSM," I explained.
"Is she going to kick us out?" Iggy squeaked from the corner, concern raising his voice a few octaves too high. He seemed to sense this, slumping even lower into his chair.
I shook my head, remembering at the last second that Fang had informed me he was blind. "Probably not. She knows I'll have told you way to much privileged information by now. It could be detrimental to the entire system of the CSM to toss you out into the cold."
"So what you're saying is she either lets us stay . . . or kills us?" Iggy exploded, throwing his hands into the air.
"She wont kill you," I assured him, making a point of meeting every member of the flock's eyes. "You're . . . interesting. She'll like that. You're more valuable to her alive and here, than just dead."
"Kind of like how she thinks of you, Max." Dylan grinned, sliding his jab in right under the bar.
I rolled my eyes, ignoring him.
"Let's just begin our tour."
-o-o-o-
I gave the flock a brief tutorial into the history of the Coalition to Stop the Madness. Founders, massive breakthroughs, advanced technology, yada, yada, yada. In between the lesson, Dylan and I toted them around the compound.
We showed them where the rest of the bunks for visiting hunters were, and advised them to steer clear if at all possible. They had already seen most of where us "kids" were welcome. Then we strolled through the corridors, taking turns explaining what the various clusters of rooms were used for.
CSM headquarters had a relatively simple layout. There was a building above ground that served as offices and other mundane facets of the organization. Below ground (which was where we currently were) was a sprawling network of corresponding departments. In one area you had the housing quarters, another the medical facilities, then the training area (which linked with the weapon's room), as well as Anne's private offices.
We had only one remaining portion to explore.
"These three hallways branch off into the Science & Experimental Department. But I don't think any of us want to go down that path." I didn't miss the way Fang's entire body twitched at the words 'science' and 'experimental'.
"What do they do there?" Nudge asked, voice lowered to a whisper. She shifted nervously, visibly shuddering. All of them were on edge now.
I knew something terrible had happened in their pasts. Fang's brief introduction into their complicated lives had exposed that much. In some way, I guess I was grasping onto the vain hope that they'd feel obligated to share more with me, if I showed them my equally tumultuous lifestyle.
"Look, you have to understand something about what we do," Dylan began, compassion leaking into his tone. "It's not always fun, and it can leave a bad taste in your mouth for months."
Dylan glanced down at me, hands curled into fists. It was the first time I'd ever heard him speak in such a way, and I was just as -if not more- enraptured by what he had to say. My fingers found their way to his shoulder, squeezing the blue material that clothed it comfortingly.
"But we save human lives doing it, and that's what's important," he finished, heaving a shaking breath.
"Our jobs finish once we tag a paranormal. There's a whole different crew that removes it. What they do after, we have no control of," I said, starting where Dylan left off, but my words felt like more of a reminder to myself, rather than informative.
"What do they do after?" Iggy inquired, swallowing thickly.
"One of two things. Permanently dispose of the body, or return it to this lab. We have some of the brightest scientists in the entire world working at the CSM's disposal. It's their job to conduct experiments and studies on the paranormal's. Learn more about them, about what they truly are inside."
Dylan's arm was on mine now, steadying me.
"And are they all . . . dead?" I wasn't sure who the question had come from this time. My attention had wavered, as I stared stone-faced at the wall. The scientific aspect was the part I considered least glamorous when concerning our system of action.
"Not always. Neither of us have brought in a live specimen in awhile. I try to avoid it at all costs. Something tells me that death is a whole lot nicer than what they do to a creature in there." My voice was hollow and void of its previous splendor. The CSM was my home, but I didn't accept everything about it.
"What's the point of studying them anyway?" Fang's question came out somewhat strickened. The tight set of his jaw betrayed the harsh set of his grinding teeth, and his irises flickered darker than they ever had before.
"You have to understand something to control it. The more we know about a species of paranormal, the more accurately we can get rid of it. Control. Everything's about control, and finding ways to gain it over something you previously couldn't." The stark truth was riddled in my claim, and I could tell it made everyone present sick to their stomach- including myself.
I turned on my heel, heading for the furthest corridor to the right. The light was immediately different; searing my retinas at a brighter spectrum. The rest remained where they stood for a few conflicted moments, before Dylan murmured for them to follow.
A few feet later the hall veered around a sharp corner. The white walls and floor were glaring in the intensity of the fluorescent bulbs hovering above, and I had to blink repeatedly to clear away the dancing spots obstructing my vision. This gave the flock time to register what the rest of the hall contained.
Sheets of impenetrable glass separated the individuals within from the outside world, as well as the other creatures trapped in their own cells. Most of the pods were empty, but a few housed a paranormal in their depths.
"This is the Containment Wing. It's where they keep their currently living test subjects." I expected to choke over the words, but they passed my lips as smoothly as I intended.
"Bigger than cages," Fang muttered under his breath, as he lingered on my left side, before walking slowly forward.
Dylan rested a hand on both Angel and Nudge's shoulder, guiding them to one of the inhabited cells. Iggy meandered behind, running his fingertips over the walls. Dylan began quietly explaining what the hissing monster inside was, and I had to turn away before I exploded.
Fang's back was to me, and I could see the tense set of his shoulders beneath the gray fabric of his t-shirt. It was the same one I had stolen from Dylan's closet and given him weeks ago. His palm was pressed flat against the cool glass, as he examined what was behind it.
"It's a fairy," I whispered, stepping up beside him. My arm brushed his, shooting a violent string of tingles through the muscles there. I sidled a few more inches away, hoping he hadn't noticed.
The fairy was seated against the back wall, knees folded to his chest. I could tell it was a male by the point of his ears. They were more tapered at the top than a female's would be. His skin was almost translucent, with an undertone of orange. He wore the tattered remains of what was probably once regal attire, and the spidery vein of one of his wings protruded from just above his right shoulder.
"Doesn't look dangerous to me." Fang adopted my hushed volume, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Until he charms you into joining his dance, or offers you fairy food. He's a member of the Unseelie Court. You'll be a slave for eternity. Don't ever underestimate a paranormal based on how they appear," I scoffed, deadly serious. "This guy was a hot commodity a month or so back. A hunter I know finally caught him. Do you want to know why he was considered so threatening, and thereby gravely important to apprehend?"
He nodded, expressionless.
"He was luring kids -kids as in Angel's age- into the forest, and then feeding them fairy treats. He managed to doom five children into eternal damnation before he was put to a stop. Five innocent little boys and girls, who will never see their families or any sort of happiness again. And for what? So the fairies can have a couple more servants at their every beck and call?"
It was the first crack I had managed to make in Fang's emotionless mask.
"I want you to help. I think you and your flock would like it here. You'd be safe, and you'd be keeping other people from harm as well." I had been mulling over how to propose my offer to him for awhile, but that moment seemed like as good a time as any.
He finally tilted his head to look at me, every one of his features grim.
"You might be right."