Star Eater
Chapter Twenty-One

It took Joseph a few minutes to stuff the anger and irritation back down that the fhear dorcha had incensed in him. Such an annoying child. But when he thought about the situation a little more, he admitted Kaito’s tactics were sound. Calling attention to them both like that showed mental flexibility and resourcefulness. Joseph was willing to admit that he was mad at how effective the boy was at taking control of the situation. He could polish that in the boy. And beat some respect into him.

Exhaustion settled into his neck and shoulders and Joseph rolled his head trying to release the tension. He had spent the night on the Plains traveling back and forth to Fair Island. The map he had was from the early Colonial era, it was old and difficult to decipher. The language was rhythmic and the spelling almost as atrocious as Ava’s. Add to it that the Plains were slowly being resculpted by the constant howling winds, and Joseph had to play a dangerous game of peek-a-boo trying to find the island.

He was lucky he had wings. He popped back and forth between planes at a comfortable height with little chance of being spotted, especially against the inky night sky. Then, he’d spotted a vast crater, but not on Earth.

Tilting sideways, he veered towards it and landed in the middle, sinking into the soft sand. The crater was the size of a football stadium. The coloration of the soil here was dark, darker than the rest of the world, almost a merlot, and showed none of the typical yellow streaks of sulfur Joseph was accustomed to seeing. A whirling dervish appeared close by as the wind picked up and flung sand around like a toddler at the beach. The sides of the crater had softened over time, the Plain winds filling the hole bringing into perspective for Joseph just how monumental the crater had once been.

It can’t be, he thought.

He launched himself into the apricot-colored sky, his powerful wing thrusts sending him hurtling up into the air. When he had a good view of the crater below, he blinked out of one reality and into another.

It was midnight on Earth, with a thousand stars above him and the roar of the ocean waves below. He may have missed it save for his keen night vision. In the exact spot that the crater was on the Plains, lay Fair Island on Earth.

Still unbelieving, Joseph did a preliminary sweep, searching for occupants, a town to tell him he had the wrong place, anything to indicate this was a thriving human settlement. The whole of the island was abandoned save for a few hearty goats, several flocks of birds, and ruins. He alighted near the closest ruins, and found Ogham letters carved into one of the stones—the language of the Sidhe. The Sidhe had taken in the fhear dorcha, only to pay for it with their lives.

The trip added to the mounting pile of evidence. Joseph had also done homework on the boy. There had been some huge family disagreement between Kaito’s father and his grandmother in Japan, right after the patriarch of the family died. Joseph found it interesting that the grandfather had died of a heart attack, with only a three-year-old Kaito present, after a meteor shower. Did the old man die of fright or something more sinister? There was no medical report to look at, unfortunately. Kaito’s grandparents lived on one of the more rural, farming islands in the archipelago.

The boy’s family had moved him to L.A. Diagnosed with narcolepsy, the Davaults had run the gamut of top medical advice and treatments to stop a very precocious child from sleepwalking. He’d been found and returned from two skyscrapers over ten miles away from his home. He’d even managed to get into a jewelry store without setting off any alarms.

And then there were the nurses and tutors. The boy had gone through a veritable parade of caretakers. Joseph had interviewed two himself. Here were educated, rational people but at the mention of Kaito Davault they went clammy. One called him the Antichrist, said he was possessed. Joseph was impressed by the amount of fear the creature evoked.

The final piece was, of course, the scar at the corner of the boy’s mouth. It was pale and faded, old enough to line up with the meteor shower. The story had said the Sidhe provided the fhear dorcha with a body. Perhaps Kaito Davault had done the same.

The car pulled into the family compound. The door opened and Joseph slid out. Cole waited nearby.

“We have a tail on the boy,” he said. “Seems like there’s a limit to the static he causes on cameras. It’s about thirty feet.”

Joseph considered. That was still an impressive range. Enough for security cameras in an office building.

“They are keeping well back. He’s met with another boy his age and they entered a storage facility not too long ago.”

“Keep a close watch on him, day and night,” Joseph said. “He is a night creature. He won’t sleep like normal people.”

Cole nodded. Joseph could see that his second wanted to ask why they were spending time tracking a teenager instead of working on getting Silas out of jail. Joseph didn't satisfy that unspoken question with an answer. He wasn’t sure this would work. It was his backup plan.

“Where are we on the FBI team?” 

A grimace was all the answer Joseph needed. He glowered.

“Getting information on who is even on the team has been difficult. The two names I’ve gotten show a total lack of family. Agent Matthews chose these people well.”

“Find a way in,” Joseph said coldly. “I want results. And send Mason to my study. It’s time he started making good on his promise.”

When Kai got home that night, the house was empty. He didn’t care. He felt light and optimistic. He realized he was grinning ridiculously. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he wasn’t alone.

“You’re never alone,” Akuma pointed out, taking shape in his shadow.

“Of course, buddy,” Kai said. “But this is different.”

“How?” Akuma asked.

Kai shrugged. “It just is.”

It was a new sensation in his chest. It was like, when he was with Link, he didn’t have to be anybody else but himself. He could be honest, admitting truths and feelings that he’d bottled up for a long time. And he could share the thoughts that he hadn’t ever told anyone, the ideas and hurts and fears that were genuine and raw.

“You are honest with me,” Akuma said, sounding a trifle hurt.

“Yes, but you know everything about me,” Kai said as he pulled out the food the housekeeper had left for him. “Link doesn’t. And he didn't have to tell me all the stuff about him and his dad. Or how things went down in Philadelphia. But he did because he trusts me.”

“You didn't tell him about me,” Akuma said.

It was true. And Kai had considered it. But even though he was truly happy to feel like he had a normal friend, it was very new. He still had to be cautious. Link wasn’t a daemon. He might not be predisposed to believing in the impossible.

“You’re jealous,” Kai said.

“I’m worried,” Akuma snapped back. “You promised you would feed the star tonight.”

Kai rolled his eyes. He did not want to think about the star or hydrogen or the daemon that had approached them earlier. But he had made a promise. So he took out his phone and called his mom. It went straight to voicemail. Kai sighed.

“We’ll go to the school,” Kai said. “See if there’s anything there we can use. Mr. Rump said there’s a great chemistry lab. Plus, I might be able to test out that white powder.”

“You left the powder at the base and we don’t have time to go back and get it,” Akuma insisted.

“Fine,” Kai snapped.

He rushed through his dinner. Then he went upstairs and grabbed his bag, his wallet, phone, and a hoodie. He arranged a dummy onto his bed to make it look like he was sleeping. He’d used it once or twice before without ever being caught. He didn't know if that meant his dad didn't check or he only checked on him from the door.

The thought was depressing. For a moment, Kai wondered when the last time his parents had even touched him—a hug, a touch on the shoulder, anything. Shaking his head, Kai pushed the thought aside and headed out the door. He did not notice the car that followed him down the street.

The bus ride was short, but Kai could feel Akuma’s impatience.

By the time Kai got to the school, it was past ten p.m. He threw the hood up, glanced around but the streets were empty. Still, he stuck close to the trees and avoided the street lamps where he could. He could phase out and walk through walls but he wasn’t invisible. Once he reached a well-hidden, dark area he phased through a side wall into the school. He relaxed once inside. The security cameras wouldn't catch him and there were no guards in the school at night, so he wasn't afraid to roam free.

The most direct route to the science lab took him through the lobby, and Kai was hurrying along when he noticed a flashlight flickering around the front office. He slowed his pace.

Someone is in there, Akuma said. Kai agreed. He moved forward again and the rubber sole of his shoe creaked on the linoleum underneath. He dropped quickly, even as the flashlight pointed his way. Kai phased into the floor and fell into the boiler room below. He stood up wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling.

Maybe take off your shoes, Akuma suggested.

Kai slipped off his sneakers and stuck them in his bag. He walked around the basement until where he judged he was directly under the principal’s office. Leaving his bag on the ground, he climbed up on some of the machinery and then phased through the ceiling. He stuck his head through the floor, relieved that he was correct. He climbed all the way up and phased back in. Then he snuck over to the door, peeking through the tiny glass window.

A figure was bent over Mrs. Sumner’s filing cabinets, with a file propped open. A flash went off and Kai saw Mason’s face illuminated for a split second. Mason turned a page and took another photo. Pure anxiety, like the moments before he puked white powder, clenched Kai’s stomach. He had a feeling he knew whose file the older boy was interested in.

Akuma go check, Kai said.

Not now, the demon said. The star first.

Akuma, if Mason is taking pictures of my file, then this isn’t the daemons acting semi-aware that we exist. This is the daemons full-on investigating us. We don’t know what they want, Kai argued. He felt his heartbeat rise. Mason’s hearing was obviously good. Kai stepped back from the door, afraid the other boy would hear.

Go check, Kai asked. Please.

Akuma growled inwardly, but he flooded into Kai’s shadow and under the door. Akuma always kept a piece of himself around the star, but when he was in Kai’s shadow, Kai could feel heat coming off the star. This time, he didn't feel as much heat. His middle felt… hollow. Suddenly, Kai thought maybe Akuma was right to be worried. They needed to feed the star. He needed to stop dicking around.

Glad you’re finally on board, Akuma said from the other room. Kai almost snorted but stopped himself.

From the door, Kai could feel Akuma pulling against his tether. The demon stretched across the space, long and thin until he hovered just over Mason’s shoulder. Kai winced. It felt like someone was pulling his hair so hard, his skin was pulling away from his body. Kai gritted his teeth and tried to hold still. Then Akuma was racing back towards him. The demon hit him hard and it felt like being smacked with a snowball.

Kai staggered back. Through the window, the light swiveled towards them. Kai wasn’t sure if it was him or Akuma who acted quicker, but they were neck deep in the floor before Mason’s face appeared in the window and they were gone by the time he thought to aim his flashlight down.

In the basement once more, Kai caught his breath, one hand to his stomach.

It was your file, Akuma confirmed.

Kai’s heart fluttered. So the daemons were investigating him. And if they were willing to go this far, what else were they willing to do? Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Now the star, the demon insisted.

Akuma was right. As much as Kai wanted to panic about Mason and the daemons, the hollowness in his middle worried him more. That coupled with Joseph’s cryptic threat hurried Kai through the halls and up into the science lab. He was certain to keep his shoes off and move silently through the school, pausing every now and then to make sure Mason hadn’t followed.

Up in the lab, Kai spent the better part of an hour going through the chemical closet and Googling the contents, while Akuma in his shadow form sniffed each one. The closest thing they found to what the star needed was hydrochloric acid and Akuma’s sense of smell said that the concentration was mostly water and not helpful.

I don’t know what to do, Akuma, Kai said. I’ll drink the hydrochloric acid if you think it might help a little.

Instead of answering, Kai heard Akuma growl. The shadow deflated as Akuma flooded Kai’s system quickly and savagely. It was like being sucker punched by ice on the inside. Kai uttered a whimper of pain, but before he could protest the world went dark.

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.