Fruit of Misfortune by Nely Cab
“Me? Well, let’s see—I did hard time in detention once. So, yeah, this should be a piece of cake—or a sliver—or a crumb, even.”
Eileen gave her husband a worried look.
“Be careful,” Gunn said.
The garage door opened and out came a black car with a gold bird painted on the hood.
“Cool car,” I said, slipping into the passenger’s seat.
“Thanks. It’s a 1977 Trans Am Bandit—special edition. I did a complete overhaul on the engine last year. This baby is off the charts on horsepower. It originally had a V8 engine, but I felt like a V10 was more my style, you know? After I had taken it apart, I had to go back to put in a bigger gas tank, which was hard to do because I had to redesign the chassis. Taking it apart a second time was a major pain. But it was a good thing I did, because I hadn’t considered that the original axels wouldn’t have held up to the RPM.”
“What language are you speaking?”
“Automotive,” she said. “I was trying to tell you that it goes really fast.”
“This will come in handy, then.” I secured my seatbelt.
“You know what the best part is?”
I shook my head.
“We can go up to 220 miles per hour and no one can see us.”
“Galilea, I don’t think that’s such a good—”
The tires screeched and my spine sunk into the back of the leather seat. Galilea ran every red light and stop sign without using the brake pedal. With one hand, I gripped the dashboard, and with the other, I held on to the edge of my seat as we headed down a one-way street.
OhmyGod! OhmyGod! OhmyGod!
I saw my life flash before my eyes more than once as Galilea skirted left and right through oncoming traffic. At last, the car came to a screeching stop at a gas station. I heaved in a lungful of air.
“Pretty awesome, yeah?” Galilea said.
“That. Was. Terrifying!” My insides were shaking.
“What are you talking about? I’m a great driver.”
“You ran over a cat.”
“That was a sewer rat.” Galilea dug her hand into her back pocket and pulled out a colorful Romanian bill. “There’s no attendant at this station. You mind paying inside, while I pump? You’ll be visible for only three minutes, so be quick.”
“I don’t know how to speak Romanian.”
“Just hand the clerk the bill and point to the car.”
“Fine.” I took the money and walked to the small convenience store. As I opened the door, another person was exiting. They held the door open for me. I kept my eyes down. I didn’t dare make eye contact with anyone dressed in this hooker costume.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“Isis?” I heard someone say my name and looked back to the door.
Nyx was standing there, her hair slicked back in a ponytail, wearing a very similar get-up to the one Galilea and I were dressed in, except she had a shawl that wrapped around her shoulders.
“Nyx.” I blinked. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you and Galilea. I couldn’t find her house. I was on my way back to Athens.”
“I tried calling you.”
“I’ve been out of cell service.” She looked me over. “Why are you wearing our Battle Garb?”
“Galilea insisted. Why are you dressed like that?”
“Because I know that wherever you go, demons follow, and I don’t like to be ill-prepared.” She took the bill from my hand and handed it to the clerk. “Galen and Eryx are very upset with you two.”
“So they told you,” I said, and Nyx nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to. Now, where’s Galilea? I need to speak to her.”
“Right here,” Galilea said, standing behind her. “And yes, I do know where he is.”
***
Nyx abandoned the rental car she had been driving in the gasoline station’s parking lot and slid into the backseat of Galilea’s vintage sports car. Once we were on the motorway, Galilea and I told Nyx about the horde of Turpis we had encountered at the restaurant. We told her how we had found Samuel, but that he had no knowledge of how to stop my transformation. We also told her that the doctors Gunn had made it in one piece to the asylum. I left the part about me running off with Eros for last.
“Nyx, I didn’t leave with Eros because I’m in love with him. I left because I love David.”
“Ugh,” she hissed. “Save your explanations. Right now, I don’t want to hear anything except my son’s voice again.”
“Are you angry at me, too?”
“Well, I’m not happy,” she snapped.
“Oh.” I turned to face the road, and Galilea gave me a side-glance.
“So, Nyx,” Galilea said. “Where are the twins?”
“With their father.”
“In Caelum?”
“Yes, in Caelum.” Nyx’s voice thinned. “In Caelum. In prison.”
“What?” I managed to say, before the tires screamed against the pavement and the smoothness of the road became rough and bumpy. The car came to an abrupt and quaking stop off the side of the road.
“When are they being tried?” Galilea’s face was ashen as she asked the question without looking back at Nyx. Her hands gripped the steering wheel with such a solid hold that it made her knuckles turn white.
“If Dahveed doesn’t present himself tomorrow, the trial commences at dawn. The Council suspects we’re hiding something. They released me to bring Dahveed back to Caelum.”
“But the trial—you can stop it, right? Once we get David out of Carboné’s house, you can take him to the Council.” Just then, I had another thought. “Wait, if David goes to Caelum—what happens then?” I asked. Nyx remained silent. “Nyx, what happens when David turns himself over to the Council?”
“They’ll sense his transformation. They’ll ask questions.”
“And then what?” I held my breath.
“Everyone involved—” Nyx closed her eyes as she spoke. “Including your mother and father—”
“No!” I shook my head. “They can’t do that! I’m the one they want. Nyx, why didn’t you tell them? You have to take me to Caelum. Take me to the Council! I’ll convince them to take me and to spare everyone else.”
“They won’t listen to you,” Galilea said. “They’ll burn us all—alive.”
The knot that had formed in my chest hurt so bad that it kept me from making any attempt to cry. I watched as Galilea wiped the tears away with the back of her hand before she shifted the car into gear and continued onward to Athens.
“What if David doesn’t show up? What happens to the twins and to Alezzander?” I asked.
“The Council will force a confession from them,” Galilea said. “And then…”
I heard a soft whimper coming from the backseat. I didn’t have the nerve to look at Nyx. I should’ve offered her comfort, but what was I supposed to say—I’m sorry? As if being sorry would undo all the bad things that were happening to her family because of me. I had never felt more disgusted with my existence.
Why couldn’t I just disappear? The only things I had to give anyone I was close to were problems and pain—and let’s not forget death. One way or another, the Council would find out what I was and my friends would pay the price for trying to protect me. And worse yet, my mom, who was oblivious to all that was happening to me, would never see her end approaching. The irony is that I tried to protect Claire by keeping it all a secret. But now, even without her knowing, I couldn’t protect her.
It was well after nightfall when we reached the address on the map that Dr. Gunn had drawn for us. Galilea drove past the mansion. My nerves were on end the entire way to Athens, and now my stomach cramped from the tension. Two of Carboné’s men stood inside the gates, smoking.
Galilea parked the car under a tree, about half a block from the mansion.
“Ready?” Galilea glanced at Nyx.
“Are we just going to walk
“Of course we have a plan. The plan is: we walk in there, we get David, we get out. Oh, and you stay here while Nyx and I do all of that, okay?”
“Excuse me?”
“Isis, you can’t go in there,” Nyx said. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I’m going.”
“Isis…” Galilea shook her head at me.
“I said I’m going.”
“And I say you’re not.”
“Try to stop me.”
Galilea pulled a knife from her boot and held it close to my neck. “If you move from this car, I’ll do the Council a favor and kill you myself.”
“Be my guest.” I leaned into the sharp edge of the dagger. I felt the metal slice into my skin and a sting followed. Galilea dropped the knife and quickly applied pressure to my throat.
“Are you stupid?” She looked at me wide-eyed.
“Let me see.” Nyx pushed away Galilea’s hand. “She’s not bleeding. It’s just a scratch.”
“This is a great example of why you can’t come,” Galilea said. “You keep pulling these childish, idiotic stunts.”
“Fine. Just leave me here for the demons.”
There was silence as Galilea and Nyx stared at each other.
“You’re coming,” Nyx said.
I got out of the car and stood under a tree, hidden by its shadows. Nyx and Galilea joined me. Nyx unraveled the shawl from her torso and flung it into some bushes. Without saying a word, we started down the sidewalk to the mansion’s gate. I don’t know if it was from nerves or riding in a car almost an entire day, but all of a sudden, I really had to pee.
Carboné’s men were still at the gate. One of them was looking in our direction. I looked back to see who or what he was looking at, because we were invisible. We stopped at the gate and one of the men stepped forward.
“Hey, Franco, did somebody order hookers?” he asked the man to his left.
I guess we’re not invisible.
“Not that I know of,” Franco said.
“We’re here to see Gio Carboné.” Nyx put her arm through the gate’s metal bars and swept the man’s cheek with her finger. “Is that your name, love?”
“I wish it was,” he said.
“That’s too bad,” Nyx said, sweetly. “Can you let us in to see Gio?”
“No can do,” said Franco. “Mr. Carboné don’t see anyone without an appointment. And we don’t have any orders to let anyone in tonight.”
“That’s because he’s not expecting us,” I said. “We’re a gift from one of his, uh, potential business associates.”
“Which one?” Franco asked, oogling Nyx.
“We’re not supposed to tell.” Nyx smiled at him. “It’s a surprise. You wouldn’t want to ruin Gio’s surprise, would you?”
“No one comes in,” Franco said.
“Well, okay.” Galilea leaned against metal gate bars and sighed. “But if this deal goes sour because you didn’t deliver Mr. Carboné’s three gifts to him, it’s your ass. And just know that our employer will be more than offended.”
“On second thought,” said Franco, “I don’t wanna get on the boss’s bad side, Tony. I mean, I only got eight toes left.”
Tony scratched the back of his neck and thought for a moment. He reached for the control pad on the wall and entered a code. The gate locks clanged and the arched metal doors began to open.
“Take the stairs,” Tony said. “Mr. Carboné’s room is the fourth door on the right.”
“Thanks.” Galilea winked at Tony. He blew her a kiss. Gross.
Another of Carboné’s men opened the front door for us.
“Who are you?” the man asked.
“Late night entertainment for Mr. Carboné,” Galilea said.
“Hang on,” he said, and then talked into his earpiece. “Tony, what’s the deal with the three broads you let in?” He eyed us. “Okay. It’s your ass.” He stepped aside. “Go on in.”
The floors were polished white marble with specks of soft gold. There was an odd smell in the air that reminded me of the biology labs in high school. In the center of the first floor was a mermaid fountain. Water spilled from the pitcher in her arms, landing at her finned tail.
“When that guard turns away, we’re going invisible again,” Galilea whispered as we walked slowly past the fountain and to the stairs. “We have to find a door that leads to the lower level of this place so we’ll have to go back downstairs and past the guard.”
“How much time can you hold your block?” Nyx asked her.
“You’re scanning me?” Galilea sounded annoyed, and Nyx nodded. “I’m worn out, okay? We have thirty minutes, at most, so let’s do this fast, yeah?”
“That’s not enough time. This place is huge,” I said. “Look at all these doors.”
“Why are you walking like that?” Galilea gave me a funny look.
“I have to pee.”
“Hold it,” Nyx said.
“I have been—for like nine hours.”
“He’s not looking,” Galilea said, softly. “We’re invisible now.”
I didn’t understand how—being that we were invisible—we could still see one another, but others couldn’t see us. Then again, I never did understand much about the powers that deities possessed.
We walked down the stairs without making any noise. With her index and middle finger, Galilea pointed in the direction that each of us should go. I walked past the stairs and to the left. There was a hall and a door. Which do I take? I decided to crack open the door. It was dark in the room. I peeked over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching and walked in. Pitch-blackness surrounded me. I felt around the smooth walls for a light switch. Found it!
I was in a utilities closet. Great. I turned off the light and cracked the door open to scout the place for more of Carboné’s minions. The area was clear. I stepped out and closed the door. I headed down the hallway, which to my relief was minion-free. I saw one door on the right. I headed to it. I turned the knob and peeked in. With the illumination from the hallway lights, I could make out a vanity. I turned to make sure no one was coming and flipped the light switch.
Sweet. Baby. Jesus! A bathroom!
Wait. What was I thinking? I couldn’t stop for a bathroom break. I had to find David. Our time was limited and… and… I couldn’t hold it anymore. I just couldn’t. My stomach began to cramp at the sight of the toilet bowl, and before I knew it, my pants were down.
I let out a sigh of relief as I buttoned my jeans. I needed to get back out there and find the staircase that led down. I decided not to flush for fear of having someone hear. I walked to the vanity and turned the faucet the slightest bit—only enough to wash my hands as fast as I could. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. How could I be invisible and see myself? I noticed how odd the thin red line on my neck where Galilea’s dagger had broken the skin looked. I touched the area with my fingers. It looked like the skin around the abrasion was somehow detaching from my neck. It was loose, but maintained its form. Had it not been that I was using the same hand I had cut with the glass pitcher a few weeks before, I wouldn’t have noticed that the same thing was happening to it. I found it strange, since it hadn’t looked like that in the morning. The skin on my hand was separated just like the skin on my neck. It was like a thick, rubbery membrane. As awed as I was, I didn’t have time to keep staring at myself. I’d worry about it later.
I turned the bathroom light off, and peeked out in the hallway just as a man with a large gun strapped across his back walked by. I was still as he passed right in front of me. He didn’t see me. I watched him head down the hall and turn the corner. I followed him, leaving a safe amount of distance between us.
The man reached the end of the hall and stopped to light a cigarette. Behind him, I could see an entryway. If it had descending stairs, I was sure they’d lead me to David. I wondered how long it would be before he moved o
The minion took his cellphone out of his pocket and smiled at the screen.
“Hey, baby,” he said as he answered the call.
He pressed his back against the wall next to the doorway and laughed at whatever “baby” said in response. I took a deep breath and angled my body sideways so I wouldn’t touch him. I took two sidesteps past him, and I was at the door. I hoped he didn’t decide to move, because I was right in front of him. I glanced into the dark entryway and saw what I had been hoping for—stairs. The minion peeled himself off the wall and walked down the hall. I watched him to make sure he wouldn’t come back. When he’d disappeared down a corner, I started down the stairs. My heart beat harder with each step I took down. I wished more than anything to see David again. Finally, I reached the bottom.
The place looked like a dungeon and not a cellar. I gasped as I discovered five bloodstained bodies lying on the floor. Then I saw that Nyx and Galilea had beaten me there. Nyx was holding her hand over her mouth, letting out muffled cries. Her other hand was clutching Galilea’s arm. Galilea looked at me, but said nothing. I didn’t understand what was happening. Was Nyx hurt?
Wailing, Nyx dropped to her knees. Her screams made my skin crawl and my heart sink deep into my chest. I looked to Galilea for answers, but no matter how hard I tried, my vocal cords couldn’t produce a single sound.
I stood there immobile and waited for an explanation. With long strides, Galilea met me at the foot of the stairs, her arms reaching out to embrace me. I gasped when I felt her arms tighten around my shoulders. She was shaking.
Then, in one instant, my world shattered to bits of shrapnel that burrowed deep into every part of my body capable of feeling pain when I heard Galilea say, “He’s dead.”
I didn’t move. I didn’t blink. I didn’t breathe.
The emotion that clawed at my chest was the most dreadful thing I had ever experienced, and at the same time, my body was numb. Somehow, I pushed Galilea away and walked forward, focusing on the curled body in front of Nyx, whose cries had faded into the background and vanished like everything else around me.
Is this a dream?