The Omega Bond (Book Five in the Omega Game series)

Chapter 18

Fair

The Yellow Islands

Present…

When I’d promised myself that I would stop at nothing to solve Oladia’s death mystery, I hadn’t exactly taken into consideration a grumpy, sneering Alpha that seemed hellbent on sending me back to my dormitory. I explained everything to Kotani while we followed Yihan road after road, moving through the mass of nightly walkers that roamed the city. I was completely and utterly inebriated by the red lights coming from the lanterns, and the scents of perfumes and cigarette smoke that covered the crowd of mingling people. The city was beautiful during the day, stoic, exuding sovereignty through every single mesmerizing building and statue. During the night the city transformed into a completely different world. It turned lively, exotic, dangerous and I loved it, I loved every single detail of it.

My eyes were hungry, studying the colorful clothes of the women that promenaded the corners, the swirl of the white smoke that emerged from smoker’s mouth, the sound of laughter, the sound of coins being passed from hand to hand, the drunken gulps of mead and Oruve, the bitter, almost toxic aftertaste that I could feel at the back of my tongue after breathing so much perfumed smoke. At my side Kotani scowled, his eyebrows drawn together while he watched me with an irritated look.

I rolled my eyes at him again, making the king narrow his eyes at me in response.

“I’ve sent subjects to prison for much less than rolling their eyes at me, kid,” if tones could bite then his own tone had taken a mouthful of my self-respect with that one sentence. Kid. I didn’t enjoy looking like a kid in Kotani’s eyes. Sure, he was years older than me, but I wasn’t a kid anymore. I stopped being one the day I learned I was the Neutralizer. However, I was still a kid, one that was by no doubt, irritating and annoying to Kotani. I shrugged, deciding to ignore his piercing look and roll with the punches.

“Didoka will never forgive you if you send me to prison,” my retort only made his expression darken in displeasure.

“That threat will only take you so far as I allow it,” I nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words and then smiling at him, enjoying the way his irritated scowl only turned more annoyed the longer I stretched our verbal sparring.

“It's terribly unbecoming of a king to get annoyed by a kid, don’t you think?” I fought back and for a moment there, however minuscule and inconsequent, I saw a flash of amusement cross through his golden eyes. The intruding emotion was gone as fast as it appeared, leaving behind the cold perusal of his unbreakable stare.

“A kid like you shouldn’t be here,” his eyes scanned the crowd from under his wide hood. I wasn’t sure why Kotani had decided to go incognito into his own city. As a king he never walked the streets with guards or a royal retinue either way, why bother to hide his face and his status at night? Unless, of course, Kotani was operating as a free agent, working private matters that didn’t concern the crown. My curiosity only increased when his eyes focused on the white smoke permeating the dark corners of the narrow streets. There was a familiar recognition in the way he stared at the smokers and the cigarettes, as if this wasn’t new to him. As if this wasn’t his first time walking like an anonymous Alpha in the crepuscular city, getting lost among the thousand souls that navigated the extravagant roads. His eyes found me again, obnoxiously cold and composed, like the imperturbable surface of an ancient lake. He spoke slowly, softly to not be heard by the couple passing our side, “Dragon Town is a leech that feeds on innocents, especially on kids that are still wet behind the ears.”

For some reason my lack of experience felt like an insult coming from Kotani’s mouth. I could tell his intention wasn’t to insult me. He was only making me see reason so I could go back and be away from what he considered a dangerous territory. Alphas were terribly moody when Omegas were in unprotected areas. I knew this. Alas, I couldn’t control the anger that burned in my belly. The verbal barb made me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I spoke my mind before even realizing what I was saying, “So, it’s fine for the king of the Yellow Islands to be here?”

His mouth set on a hard line when he took me by the back of my jacket and pushed me fast against a wet wall at the corner of an intersection. Kotani towered several feet over me and looked extremely annoyed, as if he didn’t have the patience to deal with me while I was behaving like a child. I really wished I had the self-control to behave a little more maturely right then, I really did. Normally I would never behave like a kid. It was just something that happened whenever Kotani was close, a response to his otherworldly…ancientness. I couldn’t help myself, trying to break his abnormal quietness was an instinct to me, something I couldn't quite control and I didn’t know why.

“Go ahead and let everyone know who I am,” growled Kotani at me, showing me the sharp edges of his eyetooth. His sarcastic challenge only made me fold my arms over my chest, staring at him with a stubborn frown.

“I’m not going anywhere, whether you like it or not,” I was going to discover what had happened to Oladia's and Kotani could either help me or let me find the truth on my own. Whatever the case, I wasn’t going back to the dormitory, and I was getting to the bottom of this mystery. I pointedly pushed my index finger in the middle of his chest, marking each one of my words while I spoke to him, “There’s nothing you can say or do that would make me change my mind. I’m extremely stubborn, something that you would do well to remember from now on.”

Kotani took a step back, making space between us while his mouth dropped in a disgusted frown. I pushed my hand back, staring dumbfoundedly at him. Was he that disgusted by my touch? Had I offended him somehow? In the end I had no time to ask him any of the questions stacking in my mind. Kotani kept walking, making his way easily among the people, who seemed to avoid his large stride and the threatening scent he exuded.

“You are staying close to me, kid. Don’t do anything stupid and stay quiet,” he grunted at me when I reached his side, running to keep his fast pace, “If anyone looks at you, you tell me. If anyone speaks to you, you tell me, if anyone moves in your direction, you tell me.”

Did that mean we were investigating Oladia'sa’s case together? Were we working together now? I nibbled on my bottom lip, holding the smile that was threatening to appear in my face. At least Kotani wasn’t taking me back to the dormitory. I counted that as progress and followed him close, staying at his back, which seemed like the safest place to be. Nobody dared to get close to Kotani, not even other scary looking Alphas. It felt as if everyone instinctively knew that Kotani was too much of a threat to even look at. I was the only one brave enough to follow him like a happy puppy, staying close enough so I couldn’t get lost in the sea of strangers walking around us.

“Do you think the Hand had anything to do with Oladia's death?” I asked him in a whisper, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention to ourselves. Kotani looked under, connecting his yellow eyes with mine before he grunted, shaking his head to the sides in that typical fashion that was intrinsically Alpha.

“That’s not the right question to ask, kid,” he lowered his voice, leveling me with a look that was strangely focused, as if he was thinking in a layered way, connecting thought after thought to form a bigger idea, something that still eluded me and was shapeless, unsteady, when it was already rooted in Kotani’s mind, “ There are three important factors that we need to investigate to understand the murder of Oladia'sa from Ty Island. The first point we need to investigate is why a bloodletting master needs thousands of black velvet stripes from the black market. The second point is how humans are connected to the Hand. The third and most important point is learning who Oradora Alketan is.”

I felt my forehead crease in surprise, “Oradora Alketan? A bloodletting master? What are you talking about, Kotani?”

“The girl was asphyxiated in her sleep,” I gasped at his words, feeling sadness descend over my shoulders like a heavy boulder. Until then I’d been hoping Oladia's’s death hadn’t been a murder, maybe some accident that needed to be properly addresses and investigated, a murder though…if she had been killed that mean others could be at risk, it meant that someone needed to be accounted for his crimes. For the first time since Kotani had found me, following Yihan in the streets, I felt reassured by his presence. I exactly didn’t know what to do if I came face to face with a murderer. I had power, yes, powers that I still had no idea how to control and without them I was just a weak, little Omega, that had no idea how to defend herself. Knowing that Kotani had my back felt comforting, especially if we wanted to avenge Oladia's’s death.

“And what a bloodletting master, and Oradora Alketan, have anything to do with Oladias’s death?” Kotani grounded his jaw, staring ahead to use, to where I could see Yihan entering a big, crowded building.

“There was a black cord on her neck, a leather cord that can only be bought in the black market. Oradora Alketan is the bloodletting master that bought the largest order of the same leather cord in the last couple of months,” he explained, making his way closer to the red building where I’ve seen Yihan disappear. There were thousands of people trying to get in the building, the majority of them humans without a dynamic scent. I spied an old sign on the building facade with the Yellow Island symbol for theater. The symbol could also be translated to the word entertainment or actors, which only meant this had to be the place the little girl had talked about when she had given me the advertisement. If you are interested, go to the old theater in Dragon Town. We meet at midnight after the Alpha guards do their round…

So, this was the place the girl had been talking about. By the look of it, thousands of humans were freely walking inside the theater, probably enamored with the idea of getting an opportunity in a system where Betas and Alphas always got the best job offers. For the first time I wondered if the Hand was more than a job recruiter. The number of humans walking inside the theater was incredible. Not even the temples gathered this crazy amount of visitors during the day hours. And there were thousands, thousands of unscented, small, normal humans. Which was worrying since only the king itself gathered that type of attention. Was the Hand a simple job recruiter after all, or was he more? A leader? A symbol for the minority?

Kotani, with his Alpha built and threatening scent, started receiving unwelcome looks from the humans walking slowly to get inside the building. The humans weren’t hostile, nor crazy enough to blatantly accuse Kotani of being an Alpha in a place that clearly considered his presence unwelcome. Regardless of their silence, I could feel their animosity, like red, hot fire, pouring over Kotani’s hooded figure with every step we took.

I opened my mouth to ask Kotani how exactly the bloodletting master and Oradora Alketan were connected. I only opened my lips a little, cuing Kotani of my intention. His yellow eyes connected with mine, finding me easily at his side. Even surrounded by people and their constant talking I felt as if we were the only two people in the world. The moment felt private, broken only by Kotani’s growl.

“Don’t speak, kid,” he said, his tone grave and serious, “There are too many eyes on us.”

I closed my mouth right away, moving closer to Kotani, who exuded waves of heat like only Alphas were capable of doing. Except for a curious couple of female Alphas and the occasional Beta in the crowd, the place was packed with humans of every age and gender. Little by little we moved inside the gigantic theater. In its prime it must have been a beautiful place, organized in three floors that overlooked a raised dais by the back of the building. I could easily imagine how elegant and grandiose the theater had been, made of red wood and so masterfully decorated with frescoes on the walls. The images honored the old Gods in their true form. I recognized Noctis as a blackened horse and Kun emerging from the waters like an enraged minotaur. The beautiful frescoes spoke of a forgotten golden age, when Alphas, Betas and humans adored gods together, and there was union in their humility.

In contrast, the theater now looked badly illuminated and too crowded. The smell of too many people standing too close and sweating by the first floor of the building threatened to give me a headache. I could only imagine how exasperating this place had to be for an Alpha like Kotani, who could scent and see more, who could feel more. I risked a look at the king and realized his face looked as impassive as always, as if nothing could truly bother him. Only my attitude seemed to exasperate the quiet Alpha. I couldn’t help but wonder why?

The red lanterns that had been raised with iron hooks over the dais illuminated a figure. A lonely, thin figure that walked to the center of the stage and faced the crowd. Everyone turned quiet at once. I was sure I could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed the thin man's arrival. The man wasn’t impressive in any way. He was probably only one foot higher than me and skinny, like only a human man could possibly be. I focused my eyes trying to discern his face in the dim lights. Only after a closer inspection did I realize he was wearing a mask. It was bone colored and circular, with only two drop shaped holes that marked it, right over the place where his eyes should be.

“I’m not going to lie,” I whispered to Kotani, knowing he would hear me easily with his powerful Alpha hearing, “If his intention was to look creepy, he definitely hit that nail in the head.”

“Nonsense,” grunted Kotani back at me, looking down and studying my face in the darkened place. I wasn’t sure what he saw in my eyes. I only knew that a moment after he moved closer to me, standing only a hand away. He didn’t touch me or said anything, instead he offered his presence, letting me know in a silent way that he would not let anything happen to me.

A satisfied feeling settled in my chest. It felt…right to be close to Kotani, as if we were meant to be standing right there, as if it was only natural for us to be together. As if we had done this before, even if I couldn’t remember when or how. The moment was only destroyed when the man at the stage opened his mouth and Kotani returned his attention back to the dais. I looked to the front too, narrowing my eyes to see him better.

“Enough!” yelled the man, moving his head slowly, carefully regarding the crowd that had come to see him. Excitement seemed to hang like a snowball from the very height of the man’s voice. All eyes were on him when he spoke again, surely and articulatory, commanding attention “I’ve had enough! I’m the Hand, the Hand that raises against this archaic system that would not give humans an opportunity! Aren’t you tired? Aren’t you exhausted from watching the old houses fighting for power day after day? Aren’t you angry that Alphas always gets the best of the best? Aren’t you maddened by the loyal Betas, always serving, always true to their masters like dogs waiting for a scrap of attention? And what about humans? What about us? What about our needs? What about our dreams?”

The crowd went crazy.

People on the higher levels were jumping and raising their hands to the sky, their faces contorted by the excitement, by the eerie feeling that change was happening right there, in front of our very eyes. I tensed, finally understanding something very, very, important. The Hand wasn’t some newcomer that was offering jobs. This man, whoever he was, had influence over every single human in the Yellow Islands. And with influence came blind loyalty. Odalia had not died by the hands of a murderer, but by her ideals. Ideals the Hand had planted on her. This wasn’t a murder investigation anymore. This was the birth of a bloody revolution.

“If you follow me,” continued the Hand, crouching down to his haunches and staring at the crowd, “I promise you will change. It will be well needed change. All I ask from you right now is your blood. Your blood can change everything. Your blood will end this idiotic hierarchy. Come to me, brothers and sisters, and I promise you that humans will finally dethrone the classist dynamics that failed us.”

Exhilarated screams propagated through the crowds like wildfire. People started jumping, too bewildered to care if they were crashing or hurting others. Kotani didn’t linger to listen to the end of the speech. In silence he took me in his arms and guided us out of the theater. All along I couldn’t do anything to control the shivers of fear that ran down my spine. Now it was clear that something horrible had happened to Oladia

What was even worse, something even more terrible would happen on the island if we didn’t stop the Hand.