She turned and walked toward the house, guided by her other senses so that eyesight was an afterthought. I sat where I was as the sun sank behind the mountains, staring at the disembodied eyes and hand in silence and wonder, tears trickling down my face as the realization sank in.
My mother loved me. She fought for me, she sacrificed for me and never complained, never even mentioned her losses. She focused on raising me to be fierce and independent, a warrior like she was.
I owed her everything.
I found her meditating, breathing evenly with her eyes closed and hands clasped on her lap. Placing a bowl and her bionic hand in front of her, I sat opposite and waited. Eyes closed, breathing slowly. In … out. In … out. Patient. Thankful.
"Thank you for cleaning them, Merlin."
When I opened my eyes, Daiyu gazed at me, warmth in her gaze after inserting the eyeballs that I cleaned and placed in a small bowl of contact solution. Looking at her, I still couldn't detect any abnormalities. If she hadn't revealed the truth, I would have never known.
“Is your vision… different?”
She reattached her artificial hand to her wrist, twisting it to lock in place. Grimacing, she waggled her fingers. “The differences are small, but little things are what you miss the most. The diffusing of light, the blending of the color spectrum. The same with sensory detection on the hand. Bionics can only do so much. Despite all of our advancements, there is still no replacement for what nature creates.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for being angry. There’s so much I didn’t think about. I was selfish, thinking only about myself.”
She reached out, placing a hand on top of mine. “We both can do better, Merlin. I’ve worked so hard to train and prepare you that I forgot to give you what you needed most.”
I smiled, wiping a tear from my eye. “Well, where do we go from here?”
She squeezed my hand tightly. “We work together. You can start by telling me about your tournament.”
“You want to know about that?”
“Of course. If I know what you did wrong, I can help you do better next time.”
My eyes widened. “Next time?”
“Yes, Merlin. I can’t lock you away forever. And sometimes being famous can be a form of subterfuge if you play your cards right. Perhaps your fortune lies in doing things your way for a change.”
I grinned, rubbing my hands together. “Okay, when do we start?”
“Now.”
5
The following year, I hoisted the Golden Tourney trophy in front of a massive crowd of wildly cheering fans and spectators. My team crushed the opposition, making my star shine even brighter. I won the grand prize money and more importantly, major sponsorships for the entire team. Fireworks exploded, jet planes roared overhead, and triumphant shouts thundered so loudly that I felt them in my chest. My smiling face was displayed on every screen and holographic display in the city. It should have felt perfect — the culmination of all my hard work and training with Daiyu.
It didn't.
I missed Mouse more than ever. He was my best friend, my partner in crime, and his absence robbed the moment of what it should have been. And Jonesy hadn't participated either. Having won the Tourney already, she had moved on to grander pursuits, leaving me with lesser competitors that didn't stand much of a chance against my team and me. In the end, I won the contest but lost the satisfaction of victory. As I stood in the adoration of millions who had no idea who I really was, I was struck by a moment of sudden clarity.
It was time.
My celebration was quick — gave a few speeches, mugged for the cameras, signed autographs, showed up for the after-party — then slipped out as soon as I got the chance. The Tourney was in my rearview. My future was wide open in front of me, and I wanted to concentrate on everything it offered.
I woke up the next morning and immediately went outside to work out with my boomstaff. Going through the forms focused my concentration. There was only the staff, the strain of my muscles, the wind, and the scent of trees as I flowed from one move to the next.
My skin prickled from the sensation of being watched.
My mind immediately went to all the warnings, the training Daiyu instilled in me all of my life. So I didn't panic, didn't even stop my workout. If the person watching meant to harm me, he was a poor excuse for an assassin. Maybe he was a fan. I'd never had a stalker before. Only one way to find out.
Taking a deep breath, I expanded my senses, including my peripheral vision. While facing away, I was still able to observe the tall, dark-skinned man in black clothing, sunlight glinting off the sunglasses that shielded his eyes. His close-cropped hair was white as wool. I couldn't make out any features — he could have been any age. But he wasn't a fan or stalker — that much was obvious. The wind carried his scent: sharp, metallic. Seasoned and dangerous. He stood outside of the chain-link fence still as a statue, the way a predator freezes when registering whether to pursue their prey. But somehow, I knew he wasn't there to harm me. The intuition came from nowhere, but it just felt right.
I continued the forms with my staff, not allowing the stranger to unnerve me or detect that I observed him. I knew Daiyu would want to handle it anyway. She didn't have all the sensors installed around the entire block for nothing.
She appeared right on schedule, standing behind the man with a handgun aimed at his head. They exchanged words, and she quickly ushered him away. I finished my staff workout and went into my stretches, figuring Daiyu would give me the update whenever she took care of the intruder.
After finishing my routine, I sat in the grass, assuming a meditative pose. Eyes closed, the wind prickling my sweat-beaded skin. I concentrated on how to break the news to Daiyu. Not about the stranger, but about my decision. I wondered how she would take it. Aside from Mouse and her sister Julie, most of our time had been spent in each other's company. And now that I was ready to fly, I wondered how she would cope with an empty nest.
I thought she'd come to me, but after an hour of reflection, I went to find her. She sat at a bench beside the window, gazing outside with the intensity of a housecat. I had to clear my throat twice before she noticed I was there. She turned with a small smile on her face.
"You've decided to leave."
I blinked but shouldn't have been surprised. Daiyu was always a step ahead.
"Yes. It's time."
She nodded. "What will you do?"
"The Tourney win came with a slew of corporate sponsorships, one of them an offer to be a professional adventurer. I'll use it to travel and see the world. I want to explore, meet people, experience new things."
"You should. I think it will be good for you. Enjoy your time while you can. Before things change." Her gaze was distant, her expression pensive. I knew something bothered her, but it wasn't my intended departure.
I placed my hands on my hips and stared at her. "Who was the man that showed up earlier, and where did you hide the body?"
A tiny smile touched her lips. "So, you noticed."
"Of course I did. Did you know him?"
"Yes. What did you think, Merlin? What did you feel?"
I reflected back to that moment. "He was dangerous. But not to me — I knew that somehow. There was something familiar, almost as if I knew who he was. But I couldn’t pinpoint it."
Daiyu kept her eyes fixed on mine the entire time, studying as if to weigh my reaction. "His name is Ethan Kilgore, and in most circles, he's considered the most dangerous man alive."
I gave the window an involuntary glance, fight-or-flight adrenaline pumping. "What did he want?"
"He wanted to see you."
I licked my suddenly dry lips. "Why?"