Callie

'Talk about an information dump,' I think as I shake my head to get rid of the trance I'd gone into as Spider was speaking.

She squeezes my hands and lets go to sit back and take a deep breath.

Grabbing her tea, she finishes it off before asking me, "Do you understand now? Chaos needs to be harnessed before it causes something even worse than the Quake."

She looks deep into my eyes.

I take a deep breath and run my hands over my wig before pulling it and the wrapping off my head. I run my hand over it and stare without seeing anything. Looking back up into Spider's chocolate brown eyes, I feel tears gathering.

I don't know why I'm tearing up, there are just so many things going on inside, so many words that want to come out.

My mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air.

Spider throws her arms around me, holding me close and rubbing my back.

"I know, child, I know. It's a lot to take in, a lot to process. Just remember that you're not alone. You have me and Trey and the other Chosen on your side. Not to mention a Goddess! You're not alone, ever."

Her words are meant to comfort me, I know, but they scare me instead. I'm not good around people. I mean, yeah, I can talk and flirt and appear normal on the outside, but I've never let anyone but Spider and Trey get close to me. The fear of someone discovering my abnormalities has always held me back.

Taking a deep breath to help get myself back under control, I nod into her chest a few times before pulling back to wipe my face. She hands me a scrap of cloth to finish the job before tilting my chin up so I can look at her.

"Callie, no matter what, you are my daughter. You are strong, both in Will and personality. You're stubborn, quick-witted, and fiercely loyal, and I'm proud of you. You got this!"

I can feel her hand tremble a little with emotion as her eyes start to tear up. She lets go of my chin and sits back with a sniff.

"Now, I've been instructed to have you install yourself into the investigation going on. With you being a runner, that should be easy enough for you to do, right?"

I nod at her look of inquiry.

"Good."

She nods to herself, and I shake off the last threads of emotional upheaval that are still sticking to me. I stand and grab my bag before straightening my spine as well as my resolve.

Looking at the wig and wrapping in my hand, I hold it out to Spider. She takes it and I turn around, so she can rebind my ears down. Maybe one day I'll be able to walk around with my ears showing, but not yet.

I'm not ready yet.

(*****)

"I'm here for the runner position?"

I inquire of the bored clerk behind the counter. The 'sides erected a temporary stand in the middle of the market for those interested in volunteering for the investigation into Nightshade.

With it being the middle of the day, the streets are mostly empty.

There's a wannabe musician trying and failing to attract a crowd with his abusive guitar playing. Parts of it make my ears flatten even further to my head under the wrapping with its obnoxious screeching.

Looking at the surrounding vendors, I can see some of them cross their eyes or put their hands over their ears, so I know it's not just my oversensitivity to sound making me react that way. I glance back to the clerk to see him snarling at the guitar player, not paying any attention to me.

Going on a whim, I walk over to the guy and hold my hand out for the instrument.

"Your lease is up. I'm here to collect," I say with bored authority.

The guy blinks his bloodshot brown eyes at me in a daze, and I frown. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I pick up the same sickly sweet scent that I'd smelled on Ricky when I found him. Thinking quickly, I drop my hand and smile coyly, slowly getting in his personal space.

He steps back into the wall behind him, holding the guitar up like a shield.

"Wha-what you mean? I p-p-paid it f-f-full," he stutters, looking at me with a stunned expression.

"Forget about it, love, I just wanted to get your attention," I purr seductively as I put a hand over his heart and use the other to put a little downward pressure on the guitar.

He lets it drop a little at a time until it's no longer in front of his body. I take the stem and lean into his face until our breaths mingle. Using my other hand, I slide under his jacket, looking for an inside pocket. When my hand encounters a cloth bag, I pull it out just as I place my lips against his. He draws in a quick breath and jerks his head back, knocking it into the wall behind him. Stepping back, I put the sack behind my back and under my bag, so it's hidden from view, smiling sweetly.

"I just love music, maybe I can talk you into playing for me later? Privately?"

His eyes go wide, and he starts panting as though he can't draw a full breath. He goes pale and starts sweating before his body starts to shake.

"Medic!" I scream as I let the guitar and bag go, so I can wrap my arms around his body. It feels like he's having a seizure. People stop and stare at us as his knees buckle, and we fall to the dirt road.

"Medic dammit!" I yell as loud as I can as I lay him on his back, holding his head in my hands.

'Fuckin' hells! I just wanted to get information from him,' I think frantically as his body continues to spasm.

Remembering something about seizure victims biting their tongues off, I swing my backpack off my shoulders and put a strap between his teeth.

White fills my vision as I'm pushed roughly away, only to be caught in strong arms before my butt can touch the ground. Three Medics have arrived, their white trench coats blinding against the chaos in the background.

Looking up, I'm met with clear green eyes that remind me of the pine needles surrounding my home. His blonde hair is cut short enough that some of it has fallen over his face as he looks down at me.

He blows upwards with his full lips in what I assume is a habit that makes me inwardly groan.

'Hot damn! I want some of that!' I think just as I notice his white trench coat surrounding us.

The Medic helps me sit gently before asking, "Are you ok? Are you hurt? Do you know where you are?"

His voice is deep, vibrating through my body and making me want to lie just to keep him near me.

"I'm ok, just startled. It happened so fast! One second I was talking to him and the next he just collapsed into me. Is that normal?"

His brows draw down into a frown before he answers, "It can be. Do you know him?"

"No, he was playing his guitar," I point to where it's laying forgotten on the street, "and making a nuisance of himself, so I walked over to get him to stop."

I grimace at my words.

No matter how true, it was still not a nice thing to say about someone who might be about to die. His face holds no judgement as he nods his head.

A shadow falls over us, and I look up to see the Collector who'd questioned me about Ricky just the day before.

His expression is dark and foreboding as he looks at me with his hands on his hips and growls, "There are witnesses that say this," he holds up the sack I'd stolen from the guitarist out like it's a snake, "fell out of your bag. Care to explain?"

The Medic is looking at me with a surprised and disappointed look, while my eyes widen.

'Shit! I forgot about the drugs!'

My mind races and the only thing I can think to say is the truth.

"I was trying to volunteer for the investigation when that guy started making everyone's ears bleed with his playing. I walked up to him and lied to get him to hand me his guitar. He was acting funny, so I thought I'd see what was up when I found that bag on him. I stole it to check it out."

The Medic has a sad look on his face and I can feel him backing away while Thomas is oozing suspicion.

"My hand to Bast, it's not mine!"

I throw my hand up to emphasize my statement, and the strangest thing happens.

Both men take a sharp breath, and they look at me with stunned expressions. Sharing a look between them, the Medic helps me to my feet and Thomas takes my hand. He leads me out of the crowd, far enough that we won't be heard, while the Medic follows behind us.

Confusion and fear are running rampant in my system when we finally stop at the mouth of the alley across from everyone and Thomas asks, "Why Bast?"

'Not what I was expecting.'

My mind draws a blank while my mouth decides to take over.

"Because she's my Goddess, apparently."

I can feel my face going white from shock at my words, and I start to sway. Thomas puts a hand on my arm while the blonde grabs my shoulders. We all take a sharp breath as three separate, echoing voices sound around us at the same time,

"A WILL HAS BEEN FOUND."