Star Eater
Chapter Twenty-Seven

Mason checked his phone again. After weaseling his number out of Ava, he’d tried to call Kai five times, but the kid’s phone was off. It always went straight to voicemail. He looked out the window as Ventura Boulevard passed by. Across from him, Cole was restless. Mason found this amusing behavior for a daemon who prided himself on discipline.

“We should have tried the yogurt shop first,” Cole said.

“Kai has a few places he frequents,” Mason said. He’d gone through the photos of the frequent buyer cards he’d taken from Kai’s wallet. They’d tried the donut shop and the photography store. The frozen yogurt place was the last option Mason had. He just hoped Kai was there.

Joseph wanted to talk to Kai. Now. And Mason was expected to deliver.

The car stopped. Cole leaned forward and asked the driver what was going on. It was pretty obvious, though; there was a wall of traffic ahead. Mason rolled down the window and peered down the street. The streetlights were off, and a bus was broken down across two lanes. Men had the back engine open and it billowed smoked as they argued over it.

Cole cursed. Mason opened the door.

“Where are you going?” Cole demanded.

“The yogurt place is only up a block or so,” Mason said. “Besides, it’s just going to freak Kai out if a bunch of daemons show up. Let me talk to him first.”

Mason didn’t wait for an answer. He closed the door and walked around the cars onto the sidewalk, heading east. He took out his phone to check the address, but it was dead. Frowning, he paused and tried to force it to reboot. The screen remained blank. He almost walked into a woman doing the same thing. She glared at him and then went back to pressing buttons uselessly. Surveying the sidewalk, Mason saw more than one person peering with frustration at their mobiles. Something knocked out all the electronics.

The yogurt shop was more like five blocks away. Around it, traffic was gridlocked. Traffic lights were dead, all the businesses were dark, and people milled about generally lost. Kai sat at a table outside the yogurt shop taking pictures of the general melee. He looked miserable, like every photo was painful.

“We need to talk,” Mason said.

The yogurt place had only recently lost power, but they had stayed open, taking cash since if they didn’t sell their wares soon it would be wasted. Mason led Kai through the throng taking advantage of the flash sale and into the men’s bathroom. The older boy closed the bathroom door and locked it behind him.

It was only meant for one person at a time. It smelled just as awful as the last fast food restaurant bathroom Kai had visited and he assiduously avoided the sink and toilet. He also avoided the suspiciously wet floor, which left him with about an eight-inch square tile to stand on near the north wall.

Kai was very aware of the close quarters and not entirely certain why he’d followed Mason back here. Maybe it was just him peering out of a murderous lens or maybe it was the subtle urgency of Mason’s movements that he was trying to hide. If not for Kai’s phasing out ability, he would be worried about being stuck in a one-person bathroom with a daemon. Akuma certainly wasn’t happy and had been complaining nonstop since Kai agreed to talk, but as Kai wasn’t speaking to the demon at the moment, he ignored him.

“What do you want?” Kai asked. He realized he sounded more tired than firm.

“What are you?” Mason asked.

The question caught Kai off guard. He assumed that Joseph had kept his nephew informed, but that seemed not to be the case.

“What does my uncle want with you?” Mason asked, anger flashing in his eyes this time.

Kai weighed his options. He could tell Mason the truth, which was that he didn’t know. But he didn’t owe the boy anything and he gained nothing by sharing information.

“I assumed you knew everything since photographing my file,” Kai said. He relished the flicker of surprise across Mason’s face. “I took a picture of you,” Kai lied. “I imagine if it got to the authorities, that would be an expulsion. No more Nationals for you.”

A bitter smile spread over Mason’s face and he shook his head. It was not what Kai expected. For his part, Mason was internally kicking himself. He knew he’d heard someone last night, but for lack of discipline he had not pursued it. He had to switch gears and approach this from another angle.

“I can see why he likes you,” Mason said. “You’re nearly as devious as he is.”

Even as he said it, Mason’s expression changed to one of arrogance. He took a step closer. Kai backed up instinctively. Behind him, he felt the cold of the cinder blocks. Unlike most people, he didn’t feel trapped, but he did not like the look in Mason’s eyes. He was trying to figure out what could be on the other side of the wall. This wasn’t the wall that led to the supply closet and roof access and he couldn’t remember what was behind him.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Mason said. He stepped closer again, filling Kai’s personal space. Kai ran through the layout of the yogurt shop and the neighboring stores, frantically trying to place what could be behind the cinder blocks. He did not want to pop into a place full of people. Maybe he should have rethought following the daemon.

“I’ve noticed the way you look at Link,” Mason said. “You like him.” Kai’s stomach fluttered uneasily. “I’m pretty sure that even if he was aware of your feelings, he doesn’t have the ability to return them. Me, on the other hand...” He smiled and left it hanging.

Truly, Mason was handsome, but it was tempered by an emotion in his eyes that Kai only identified as desperation an instant before Mason kissed him.

It was forceful, the way the other boy pressed his body against Kai. His mouth was on Kai’s before Kai could really process what was happening. Kai felt his entire body suffuse with heat. Without thinking, he grabbed Mason by the shoulders and tried to shove him back. The older boy was stronger and resisted. He caught one of Kai’s wrists and pushed it above his head. He didn’t bother grabbing the other wrist, and all Kai could do was hang on as the older boy instead put his fingers against Kai’s cheek and caressed him, then stroked his thumb under Kai’s chin, urging him to tilt his mouth up.

This was so not like the fantasy he’d replayed in his mind all those times. Wrong sibling, wrong gender, wrong everything. And yet, Kai obeyed, lifting his chin a mite. Mason drew back for a split second, only to angle his mouth downward and slip his tongue between Kai’s lips. A sound between a whimper and a groan thrummed in the back of Kai’s throat. Mason responded with nibble at Kai’s lower lip before slipping his tongue in once more. Kai’s mind went blank. He felt hot all over as Mason kissed him hungrily and thoroughly. He was vaguely aware of Akuma inside, radiating disapproval and on the fence about stopping this insanity.

Just as Kai felt he was getting the hang of kissing, Mason’s hand let go of his wrist and moved south. Kai felt Mason’s hand rub his thigh, felt Mason’s knee push his legs open and his fingers graze the zipper above his jeans. With a gasp, Kai jerked backwards, phasing out and into the wall. He heard Mason’s muffled grunt as his head bumped into the cinder blocks without Kai to hold him up.

Somehow, Kai managed to stay in the wall. He realized he was shaking and moist in a lot of places. For once, the heat all over had nothing to do with the star. His dick was as hard as the stone he was currently standing in. He heard Mason swear through the concrete.

Kai was achingly aware of how awkward the situation was, how tight his pants were, and how shocked he was at how much he had enjoyed it. How shocked he was that it had gone from frightening to arousing in so short a time. His body was already demanding to go back into the bathroom and allow Mason to touch him down there. Kai knew how very dangerous this all was, but his body was sending him signals to ignore rational thought and he didn’t know what to do.

Slowly, Akuma’s cold permeated him from the inside out, cooling his beating heart and clearing his head. It was a painful mixing of signals in his groin area, but even that was welcome. Kai inhaled. He wasn’t certain whether he wanted to yell at the demon for calming everything down or not. Before he could decide, Kai heard Mason call his name.

Like before, Kai felt a surge of satisfaction with how uncertain Mason sounded. He realized that was mean, but considering Mason had just tried and almost succeeded in seducing him, he didn’t care.

Fully cooled down, Kai considered his options. He could run away. Unlike most boys, he had no sense of masculinity attached to staying in a tough or frightening situation. Running was Kai’s purview. It had kept him alive. So he considered replaceing a safe place to phase back in and disappearing. But he couldn’t help wonder why Mason had done what he’d done. What was Mason playing at? And Kai knew he needed to see the look on the boy’s face right now to determine it. He shuffled to the side and phased out again, walking back through the wall.

Mason was half turned away, searching the room, when he caught Kai’s performance in the corner of his eye. He snapped back to attention, astonishment flitting over his handsome features.

“How did you—” He stopped, clearly off-balance.

“Why did you do that?” Kai demanded.

Mason took a moment to consider his answer, the predatory gleam returning to his eyes as he stepped forward again.

“Maybe because I wanted to,” he said softly.

That’s not the reason, Akuma said. Kai agreed and the realization that Mason had tried to manipulate him suddenly infuriated him.

“Fuck you,” he spat. “You think it’s okay to just… do that?”

“You were enjoying yourself,” Mason said, taking another step closer.

“One more fucking step and I’m gone,” Kai said, eyes narrowed. The other boy froze. “So what? You’re going to have sex with me to replace out what your uncle wants? Do you know how messed up that is?”

For a second, Kai swore Mason was going to try seduction again. Instead of charm, though, a look of concentrated frustration passed through his face.

“I need to know what he’s up to so I can stop him,” Mason said.

That was not the answer Kai was expecting. “What?” he asked.

Mason retreated, and ran a hand through his hair. He half turned away, as if he were arguing with himself, then he made a decision and turned back to face Kai. “I can’t let my dad get out of jail,” he said. “And I’ll do anything to make sure it doesn’t happen. So, yes, to answer your question, I will have sex with you to replace out what my uncle wants. And I would have sex with you to stop you from helping him.”

Mason glared at Kai, daring him to respond. His jaw was set and the arrogance had returned, but now Kai saw it for what it was—a cover to hide Mason’s desperation.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Kai said finally.

“Tell me what Joseph wants with you,” Mason said, stepping closer but this time Kai didn’t think there would be kissing. Then again, one couldn’t be sure with Mason after his last declaration.

“I don’t know,” Kai said.

“But he knows you can,” Mason glanced at the cinder blocks behind Kai, “walk through things?” It was more of a question and he glanced at Kai for confirmation.

“He suspects,” Kai said softly. “So he hasn’t told you anything?” Mason shook his head. “Then why did you copy my file?”

Mason grimaced. “He wants me to gain your trust so he can approach you. But you wouldn’t come to karate and I can never replace you at school, so I went through your file to get some insight so he’d think I was making progress. He sent me here with a car to bring you back to the compound so he can talk to you.”

There was a hint of shame and a tinge to Mason’s cheeks as he admitted this.

“And he doesn’t know about me and Ava,” Kai pressed.

Mason shook his head. “And I want to keep it that way.” Mason’s eyes darted back to Kai. “Joseph is just as dangerous as my father. I don’t want him looking at my sister for any reason so, no, I didn’t tell him you two were friends. She’s the only reason—”

Mason cut off and he ran a hand through his hair, gripping it for a second like he was going to tear it out.

“What?” Kai asked.

“She asked me to protect you, okay,” Mason said. “That’s the only reason I’m telling you any of this.”

Kai leaned back against the wall and pondered all the bombs Mason had just dropped. So Mason didn’t want to help Joseph at all. He was caught up in some larger plot that involved Joseph trying to get his brother free from jail. Presumably, whatever Joseph wanted involved Kai using his powers to help.

Suddenly, Mason made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. Kai found Mason staring at the floor where Akuma was fluttering.

Well? Kai asked.

I think he is being truthful now, Akuma said. And he wants to protect Ava.

It was a testament to how much Akuma liked Ava that he was willing to prioritize her safety over avoiding a daemon like Mason.

“Mason, let me introduce you to my demon, Akuma,” Kai said. “That’s ‘demon’ not ‘daemon.’ Unlike you, I wasn’t born this way. I’m possessed.”