"It's okay," she said and waved off her concern. "They know I'm coming."
"That place is evil," the waitress whispered. "They brought a blackness to this town."
Val frowned. That was pretty dark for a coffee shop waitress.
"Maybe it's just a reflection of the people who hate them," she offered. She'd never really been much of a crusader, but it seemed a bit much to her to call the place evil.
The woman shook her head vigorously and stepped back.
"That's what they do," she mumbled. "They take them and keep them there. Those things aren't even people. You know that, right? They are animals pretending to be people."
The girl continued to talk quietly to herself, and Val let the odd feelings roll over her as she tried to sort out the woman's intentions. Her mannerisms were weird and creeped Val out.
"Well, I'm just going to-"
Without warning, the waitress's finger shot out, and she pointed directly at Val's face. Several other patrons nearby watched with solemn expressions.
"Go there, and you will never leave," the waitress declared loudly, her voice dark and full of menace.
Val could feel it, the violence in the room. The weight of their emotions started smothering her. She had to get out before the feelings overtook everything else, overtook her.
She'd gotten good over the years at dealing with all the feelings that people had and her odd ability to sense them, shutting them out, letting them pass over her and not through. But these emotions were different. It was like being hit with a truck over and over. Her stomach rolled as she tried to process just what was happening.
"Well," Val said and stood just inches away from the woman's pointed finger. "As much as I'd like to stay and continue with the crazy, I've got even more crazy things to do."
She pulled out her wallet and tossed a few bills down. It was too bad her waitress brought out the nut-baggery. Val was normally a pretty good tipper.
Her sneakers squeaked across the floor as she made her way to the door.
"You'll regret this," an old man said at a booth near the door.
She stared at him for a moment. Weathered face from years being outside. White hair and a bushy mustache. Not at all the sort of man you'd expect to say something like that. His eyes were just as glassy as the poor waitress and skin just as pale.
The waves of aggression and violence again crashed into her, but she gave a small smile and shouldered through the waves.
"Likely," she said. "But it wouldn't be the first time."
She shook herself from the odd hold the place had and pushed through the door. Once outside she could breathe again and sucked in deep breaths.
From the sidewalk, she stared through the picture window at the eyes still watching her.
"Great fucking start," she mumbled and glared at them through the glass. It was one messed-up town. If that is how people thought, she was surprised they hadn't all stormed Luna Lodge with pitchforks and torches.
Val turned her back to the window and frowned. She didn't have time for this. She checked her phone. Just enough time to get there. They warned her not to be early, and she didn't want to do anything that might hurt her chances. If she shouldn't be early, she definitely didn't want to be late.
Ignoring the crazy people in the cafe, she smoothed her hands down her jeans and zipped up her coat over her t-shirt. It was time.
* * *
Apollo grumbled in the main conference room. The guy was already late. Not a good sign. They needed reliable people, not lazy idiots. Luna Lodge wasn't some grocery store. People were trying to kidnap and kill them.
He glanced at his watch again. Three minutes after.
Did the guy think Apollo didn't have other shit to do? He wasn't going to just wait around all day.
Movement in the hall caught his ears, and he stood. The door started to open.
"It's about fucking ti … "
The words were still on the tip of his tongue, but all he could do was stare at the little woman who had just stepped in beside a soldier. The first thing he noticed about her was the striking pale blue eyes staring back at him. Against her pale complexion and light blond hair, it was by far her most striking feature.
Those eyes pinned him, and he nearly lost himself in them.
"Sir," one of Carter's men looked to him, uncertain. "She-"
"Are you Apollo?" she asked and stepped into the room. As the pale blue eyes got closer, he felt the walls close in around him. The small woman walked up to him and extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."