The War Revealed - 3rd Novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 2 .

Owen

I would be lying if I said I wasn't anxious about meeting up with Spencer. We had once been friends - not friends like Vai, Esther and the others, but friends. Then we became enemies - not by my choice. I helped kill his mother who tried to strangle me. His mother had always been kind and bright before the Corruption became a part of her. And now I was meeting him again to make a business deal.

My hand gripped the bag tighter - so tight my fingernails began to cut into my skin. It wasn't hard enough to bleed - or maybe it was. I didn't check.

Vai put a large hand on my shoulder as we stepped out of the elevator on deck 2 as if he knew I was feeling anxious. He probably did. I wondered how much his green light showed him. How did anxiety look in the eyes of one who could heal? Did my adrenaline levels jump? Did my heart beat rapidly? Could Vai see all that?

I looked up into his dark eyes, but didn't see any sign of his green light. He smiled down at me. "It's going to be all right," he said. "I'm here and Warpaint is here."

"Yes. I am here, sir," Warpaint stated matter-of-factly.

"It's not too late to call the deal off if you are really worried about it," Vai said. "I don't want to see you in trouble with security again."

"I'm already in trouble," I said. "As soon as they figure out I killed people, it won't matter that I'm a minor."

"I've killed too," Vai said. "And what's worse, Other Vai killed innocents. Security isn't going to know that was an incomplete clone and now I've taken over his body."

Vai mentioned the clone thing again. He said it like it didn't bother him, but he wouldn't keep bringing it up if it didn't. I didn't care that he was a clone. The original Vai meant nothing to me. This Vai was my friend. He was a complete person. I wondered if I should say something.

"What?" Vai asked.

I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to deal with his identity issues. I needed to see this deal through with Spencer. I had to. I knew it wouldn't bring his mother back, but it would help him in some small way.

"Let's go," I said.

I led the way down the corridor towards the Starrise. The restaurant was closed. The lights were out. All was quiet. We continued on through the dim corridor passed the Starrise. I came around the curve first and stopped.

Spencer wasn't alone. Hani and Nathan leaned up against the corridor wall. Spencer stood in front of them. They spoke in whispers. Nathan noticed us first and nodded in our direction. Spencer turned to look at me. His blue eyes drifted to Vai and then Warpaint before settling back to me. He approached me. Hani and Nathan came behind him.

"You're not alone," I said quietly.

"Neither are you," he said.

That was true.

"I have 50 chocolates." I held up the black bag. "I'll arrange to get more when these are gone."

Spencer took the bag and opened it. He took out one chocolate wrapped in gold foil. He unwrapped it and took a small bite. He let it linger in his mouth for a few moments before he handed the rest to Hani. She smiled brightly and bit half of the remaining chocolate and handed the rest to Nathan. He popped the rest into his mouth.

"I'll want the wrappers back if possible," I said. He handed me the empty gold foil and I tucked it away into a pocket.

"That was the same as our old deal," Spencer said. "That won't be a problem. I'll pay you for the 50 pieces now. When you bring more I'll pay you more."