Read Geminae: The Blood of the Serpent | Book One :: Ai | Ten

Ai's POV

Jax mouths something at me like 'stay here' and holds up his hand with five fingers out. I roll my eyes and nod, then watch him disappear back the way we came. I've no idea if he meant five minutes or five hours.

Humidity and heat stifle the room. I fight the urge to strip down to my vest. I'm superbly over-dressed for this party. Neon and white see-through plastic, covering less than underwear, seems very popular.

With a grimace I watch the floor, seeing no one I care about and seeing a bit-too-much of everyone else.

My eyes dart, scanning crowds, for the boy, but also for Shae. Some part of me knows deep down Shae isn't here. She'd hate this place; dark and dank and full of chem-heads. Not classy.

I peer at the minutes on my com. Jax has been gone less than five.

Where in Eden is he?

Not good at standing still, I move away from the bar to the edge of the mezzanine area. From here, I can see out over the club; bodies rammed into a cavernous dance floor; an elevated, light-filled DJ box; and roped-off stage of velvet and glass, cutting in from above.

I see him straight away – how could I not – the alabaster streak at the front of his quiff beckons under the violet strobes, contrasting nicely with the rest of him. The boy is laughing with some girl in his arms, inside one of the booths, her body all over him. She's kissing his neck. At least, i hope that's what she's doing.

Not all wild EVes are heterochromia – having odd coloured eyes, like me – but they almost always have differences in coloration elsewhere, in hair or on skin. It could be bleached, but I doubt it. No one would pay to look like a skunk and feel good about it.

I take a chance he's the EVe I saw outside, the one with my sister's unicorn cap, and elbow my way through.

The roped area is as I thought, private and very guarded. I pass by the guards on the stairs, hood down, and feel my way along the wall with my hands. Until I get to two speaker stands tucked away at the very end. I glance up, to check they are bolted to the catwalk above, and when no one is looking hike myself up the grid.

Finding footholds where the angles meet metal, I climb, praying something doesn't break. My heart does a fluttery dance all the way up. Hands tingling with nerves. As I get to the top, the gap between the glass balcony and the stand is wider than it looks. Without meaning to, I look down, seeing the drop.

Not ideal. I close my eyes. Just as my stomach flips and the muscles in my legs start to lock in place.

Then I take two breaths, deep ones.

I reach as far as I can and jump, grabbing the top of the glass. Ignoring the panic sliding over the tips of my fingers, as I push myself over, swinging both legs. On the other side, I scoot away from the edge, laying on the floor for a second against the wall, composing myself. Another round of unnecessary acrobatics Ai? Cal would tease, if he saw me now.

My brain decides at this moment to remind me he is waiting for a reply. Hidden behind a heavy, black and gold curtain, I tap out a quick one, telling Cal I'm almost home. And shut off the tracker so he doesn't know that's not true. Well it's partly true, Oblivion is a minor detour. I was on my way home.

Our trust is already stretched, impossibly thin. It's taken me a while to get him to stop threatening to handcuff me to the bedposts, whenever he has to leave after dark. Kinky as that is, I have no desire to admit to having brilliant lock picking skills. A girl should have some secrets.

Not from your boyfriend you shouldn't.

I stop thinking about Cal – now is not the time to question the sanctity of our relationship –and stand up, gently peeling back the drapes. The room I have somehow managed to break in to, is thankfully devoid of life. A private gambling den; empty, except for gilded booths, golden roulette and black-jack tables, all lined up beside a small bar.

I slip inside quietly and tread towards the door. But not before I see myself skulking in the full-length mirror. I look a mess; hair stuck to my face, beneath my cap; the front of my shirt dirt stained and torn. I look awful, out of place.

I should blend in a little more.

This appeals to my vanity, so I pull off my leather jacket, shirt, and hoodie, and stuff the latter two into my pack. Licking my hand, I smudge at the mud on my cheek. My hair is wild and matted, from being tied up and dragged around. I take it down and comb it a little with my fingers. Then, I slide the massive enforcer gun down the back of my jeans.

The safety is on – I checked.

I put my leather jacket back on over my black vest, to hide the bulge of the gun more than anything. I give one last look in the mirror.

That'll have to do.

I shove my pack under a table and pull a chair in front, hiding it from view. I loathe to leave anything behind but I can always come back.

My com vibrates. I glance at the screen. It's my babysitter, Jax.

Where are you?

I roll my eyes and type back.

VIP ☺

Stay. There.

No doubt he thinks I'm living it up or something.

I move towards the door. If my inner navigation skills are correct, I should turn left. I push at the door slowly and the music gets louder as I do. I'm able to peer through a crack before taking a breath and walking out, striding through like I own the place, into the glass area I saw from below.

The tables are filled with those drinking, paying attention to no-one not worth their time. This section is mostly, if not all, vamps. So this is where you all flock?

There are no humans, apart from my boy.

I see him on the far table. He's sitting down now with the girl and they're getting all amorous with each other. Her ruby-red hair so bright it hurts my eyes. I reach him quickly and tap his shoulder. He pries his mouth off the red head and turns to looks at me, perplexed but not upset.

His lips are smeared with her ruby-red lipstick.

Red frowns at me, her features almost hawkish. "Cove. Who is she?"

I spot a flash of fang and stick her into the hybrid zone in my head. I smile sweetly at her, at them both.

"I hope I'm not interrupting. Cove could we have a little chat?"

He gives me the once over, no doubt assessing if I'm worthwhile or not, and then breaks into a smirk. The white stripe in his hair is sharp against his brown skin. The pink cap – nowhere to be seen.

So, no need to hide who you are now?

I notice his eyes are normal, hazel mixed with green. He's cute. If you like the baby-faced pre-adolescent look.

"Sure babe."

Don't call me babe.

I gesture to the bar while he extracts himself from Red. Languid with ease, he leaves his date unceremoniously in the booth, following me to the bar. He's not very tall, five foot nine at most. I'm pleased to see I could probably reach his height if I stood on tip toes. He does that male thing where they think they have to guide you like you can't walk by yourself. I bite my tongue from saying anything rude and give a wan smile instead.

"Do you want a drink?"

"Beer thanks," I say.

He orders, looking at me every few minutes - to make sure I don't run away or stab him in the back maybe. I can't help but stare at his torso, (knowing full well what's under that stiff, black shirt). I glance down. He now has shoes.

"Have you dropped something?"

"What?" When I return my attention back to his upper half, to see he's holding the end of a beer in my face.

"No, I was just..." I take the beer and can't help but scowl, inwardly, when I see it's uncapped. Now I can't drink it. We clink bottles in a silent toast.

"So babe, what's this about?"

He takes a swig as I put my mine back, untouched on the bar, and sigh.

He's staring at me in the light, eyes widening.

"Your eyes." He says in a low voice. "You're-" He doesn't finish.

He casts around the room, before herding me into a corner, out of sight. Slightly miffed at being manhandled again, I rub my wrist where his grip was, glaring at him.

"Careful with the merchandise" I say.

"You shouldn't be here. An EVe in a place like this, are you insane?" He hisses at me.

I squint at him, trying to see if he's joking. If anyone needs to hide it's him. He might not have the odd eyes, but the hair...

This boy isn't just an Eve – he's a wildcard.

The consequence of our unique genetics popping up outside the founding families, in the less affluent ones – their genes are stronger, their potential much greater. I'm surprised the ESTAS let him go. Or maybe they didn't. There aren't many like him.

"What about you?"

He frowns, shaking his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your hair?" I exclaim.

"It's not that obvious-" he reaches up and brushes it back, out of his eyes, "-and I have a right to be here. Unlike you."

"I saw you," I say. "Outside the club. I saw you take something, then you hid your hair."

He shrugs. "Easier to walk through the main club if no one knows what you are."

"Where did you get the cap?"

I already know he's never met my sister. We're twins, after all.

"Oh that? I found it."

"You found it?" I ask, incredulously. "Where?"

He pauses, looking at me straight. "You weren't there, I'd have recognized you. Who are you?"

I wasn't where?