Free The Hazing Tower by Leland Roys Page A

and warm. She felt his hand on her hair and felt electrified. She closed her eyes and started to dream.
    • • •

Strangers
    Rebecca opened the balcony doors and took in the view. The Eiffel Tower glowed in the distance. It lit up the sky like a master painting.
    She lit a cigarette and leaned against the rail. It wasn’t the same; it never was, not after she left. She thought back to the last time she had cried. She saw Mia, asking for her mother. She remembered Mia holding her hand so tightly as they arrived in New York City; she was so scared, and so brave at the same time.
    The flashbacks never ended. She had stopped crying at some point, so many years ago she couldn’t remember now. Maybe she had forgotten how to cry. The world had changed, and she had changed with it. Alex never changed. He was the same. She hated him for that. Of course, she knew she was lying to herself. She loved him more than she could comprehend. She tried so hard to forget him. It was useless. She would never forget. She could never stop loving him.
    She heard breathing behind her. No place was safe. They would always find her. She didn’t lock the doors; what did it matter? Everything had come down to this. She had to be flawless. The slightest mistake and it would be over. The decades of planning — it all hinged on her acting tonight.
    “Is it done?”
    She slowly turned around and faced him. He was hideous. Even in the dim light she could see the skin hanging from his face like a death mask. He looked even older than before, which wasn’t possible, of course.
    “And if he didn’t? You will kill me right here? Why not just get it over with? You are done with me anyway.”
    “We still require your assistance. He will listen to you.”
    “Maybe I don’t want to manipulate him anymore!” She felt her voice rise; this had to be perfect.
    The old man smiled. “So it is done then. She is alive.”
    “So now what? You kill her? Kill Alex? It’s just a game for you, I suppose. There was a time...” She stopped talking.
    “Are you lonely, Rebecca? You must be. It has been 70 years now, am I right, since you left?”
    “He forced me to be alone. It didn’t need to be this way.”

    She wanted more than anything to kill him. She could. She was sure she could. She was faster than him. The plan had been in her head for more than 50 years. Every detail. Still, it was always the same. She didn’t do a thing. Killing him wouldn’t end it. It would only be the beginning of a greater evil. There would be a time; she would get her chance. Just not now. She was so close, closer than she had ever been.
    “You had a choice. We didn’t force you. You must know this is for the greater good; you were never a fool like Alex.”
    “Were you able to get blood from the estate?”
    “You think I wouldn’t try that first? He must have destroyed any he had after her transition. I know where all his hiding places are. In any case, we need more of her blood than a couple vials, we need her alive.”
    “You are sure he will not teach her how to use it?”
    “Of course I am. I know Alex better than anyone. He hates this gift; he thinks it’s a curse. He will never teach her; he will make up some story, hide it away.”
    She turned to face him. The room was empty. She wasn’t sure if he believed her about the blood. He was very good at sensing a lie. Luckily for her, she had learned to be the best at telling one.
    She turned back and stared at the Paris sky. A single tear rolled down her face. She knew what she had to do now. After decades, there might be a chance, a tiny chance. She had waited lifetimes for this. For the first time in forever, she had a reason to live, if even for a short time. The most complex chess game she had ever played was nearing the end, and even though she felt she was gaining the upper hand, she knew all too well how quickly that could change. They had always won before. It had to be different this time. The only thing