Wicked Ones {bxb}

{Chapter 10 : A Friendly Ghost}

Kailan hadn't been expecting to be dragged down through a shabby part of Seattle. Still, their situation was unsettling. Vincent was in no shape to fight, and Kailan himself hadn't used his powers in years—and he had no intention to start now.

The both of them were beginning to feel a bit unnerved, their paces picking up as the swish and grind of loose gravel followed in the distance. For every step they took, it seemed the followers took three more. Things had become all the more eerie now that they had trapped themselves in the desolate, grunge-infested filth of a decaying col-de-sac.

Then, they were both choked back by a harsh tug on their collars and leashed down a narrow alley. They had been quite forcefully towed out of harm's way, yet there was no one in sight. It was only the two of them, Kailan and Vincent, alone, with little space between them. Chests heaving, the both of them looked around for an explanation. They had been dragged into a small fissure of an alley, so small in fact, there was no room for either of them to turn and no light to make sense of the cramped spaces. Still, Vincent could see Kailan's face quite clearly. Too clearly. Something about it made his stomach drop—or perhaps it rose? It was an uncomfortable feeling, whatever it was, and before he could make sense of it, a small and feminine 'shhhh' sounded at his side. Warm fingers grasped him by the arm, like a child's ghost leading him off. Kailan was dragged along as well, the look on his face just as perplexed as Vincent himself. There was nothing holding them. Nothing at all. But obviously, something was there.

They were led on, and as they walked, the crevice grew wide, and soon they could trudge through puddles side-by-side without bumping shoulders. Even as street-lights shown down on them, they saw no one in front of them—no one squeezing them by the wrist, no one tugging them along. The experience was strange to say the least, but they had more troubling issues at hand, and they followed along without a fight.

From the distance, they could see the men in suits, passing on by. They didn't take a single glance in their direction. They were chameleons in the shadows. Once the sound of footsteps faded, the pressure on their arms let up, and a chirpy giggle filled the air.

"Hey, Kai."

Tensing up at his name, he quickly spun to face the sound, but no one was there. As he stared, a ghostly figure appeared. Only a soft foggy outline at first, but inch by inch, she became opaque. It was like she was being washed away of invisible ink. And once she was fully palpable, he was surprised to see a girl with big purple curls and a cheeky grin smiling back at him.

"April, you're—" He was actually at a loss for words.

"A Wicked?" She hardly batted an eye, "Mhm, and I saved your ass. So I guess that makes me a hero too, huh? Who's he, by the way?" She threw a thumb in the direction of Vinny, who was staring rather dumbfounded at the sudden appearing act.

"Vincent." Vinny raised a brow. "You just—where did you come from?" He'd never seen anything like it before, but then again, there wasn't a Wicked in their right mind who'd show their power in public. There were so many variations he'd heard of. Elementals like himself, clairvoyants and psychics, and those who had strength beyond a man's wildest dreams. Who was to say turning invisible was out of the question? But as he noticed her petite figure, that all became irrelevant. He took a drink of her doll-like features and his tone of voice shifted.

A charming smirk filled his lips as he gave her an appetizing look once over. "And do you come here often?"

April's expression lit up, a small amused laugh jumping from her throat as she looked between the two. "You were serious earlier?" she asked Kailan, who nodded his head knowingly. "Holy shit, that's gross." She practically shoved Vinny aside to stand next to Kailan, narrowing her eyes as she gathered in Vincent's appearance.